VI. the infinuations of fome who mentioned meeting, writing, CH AP, and speaking, as improper methods of fetting forth their grievances, by afking, in what other methods their fentiments could be conveyed? They infifted alfo, that, though 1770. it might be true that the lower clafs of freeholders did not immediately feel the grievances complained of, it was a fufficient reason of complaint, that they faw or heard of others involved in them, and that they were certainly approaching. Neither could any argument be drawn from their defect of intellectual faculties; for though they might not, perhaps, have had difcernment enough to have found them out of themselves, yet when they were pointed out by cthers, we must fuppofe them totally devoid of rational faculties, were they to remain in ignorance any longer. With regard to the objection, that the majority of gentlemen of large fortune had not figned the petitions, it was denied in fome instances; and in others it was obferved, that gentlemen were much influenced; the juftices of the peace being immediately under the influence of the Crown; nor could any body of men be more under the fame influence than the clergy; and yet the petitions had been figned by many of both these claffes. All these fuperior claffes of freeholders, therefore, whofe independence had been fo much boasted of, were in truth far from being free from influence; while those whom ministry affected to despise, as if neither themselves nor their opinions were of any account, were the only perfons poffeffed of a truly independent fpirit, upon whom neither threats nor influence could have any effect. Thefe debates were carried on with the utmost acrimo. ny, and not without threats on the fide of the ministerial party, and defiance on the other. The propofed amendment, however, was rejected by a great majority, and the address passed in the ufual form. A few days after the opening of the feffion, a great num- Refignaber of refignations took place. Among others, Lord Cam- tions, Jan. 17. den refigned the feals, which were, after fome difficulty, 1770. accepted by Mr. Charles Yorke. This gentleman having died fuddenly three days after, the feals were put under commiflion; and Lord Mansfield was appointed to fupply Jan 22, the place of Lord Chancellor, as fpeaker of the House of Peers. Sir John Cuft refigned his office of fpeaker of the House of Commons, on account of his bad state of health; in confequence of which, two candidates were proposed to fucceed him, viz. Sir Fletcher Norton by the ministry, and Thomas Townshend, Efq. by the oppofition. On a divifion, Sir Fletcher was chofen by a great majority, 237 CHAP. againft 121. Sir John Cuft died on the 24th January VI. 1770. Four days after, to the general aftonishment of the 1770 Jan. 28. March 7. nation, the Duke of Grafton refigned his office of First Lord of the Treasury, and was fucceeded by Lord North, at that time Chancellor of the Exchequer. In short, the whole of administration feemed to be falling to pieces. In the midft of this season of heat and dicuffion, which in a greater or leffer degree was extended to every part of the kingdom, a bill of the greatest benefit to the conftitution, and importance to the nation, was brought into the Houfe of Con móns. It was intitled, " An act for regulating the proceedings of the House of Commons on controverted clections," generally known by the name of the Grenville bill, from the late Mr. George Grenville, a leading member of the oppofition, who brought it into the Houfe. The plan of this excellent bill was laid down upon the conftitutional idea of trials by jury. Upon a petition being prefented and a day appointed to try the merits, the Houfe is to be counted. If one hundred members are not prefent, it is to adjourn till fo many are affembled; at which time, the names of the members of the Houfe are to be put into fix boxes or glaffes, to be drawn alternately, and read by the Speaker, till forty-nine are drawn. The fitting member and petitioners may also nominate one each. Lifts of the forty-nine are to be given to the fitting member, the petitioners, their counfel, &c. who, with the clerk, are to withdraw, and to strike off one alternately, beginning on the part of the petitioners, till the number be reduced to thirteen, who, with the two nominees, are to be fworn a felect committee to determine the matter in difpute. This bill was warmly oppofed by miniftry. In this inftance, however, they were unfuccefsful. An event which took place a few days after, as it renewed all the heat and debate within doors, fo it added new force to the ill humour and difcontent without, and tpread a general alarm throughout the kingdom. This was the addrefs, remonftrance, and petition of the livery March 14. of London, prefented on the 14th of March, 1770. The prayer of this petition was for a diffolution of parliament; but the language in which it was conveyed was fo uncommonly free and bold, that we fhall here prefent the reader with the moft remarkable paffages, in the words of the petition itself. Remark able peti "We have already," say they, "in our petition, dutition and re- fully reprefented to your Majefty the chief injuries we monfiance have fultained. We are unwilling to believe, that your of Londen. Majefty can flight the defires of your people, or be re of the city VI. gardless of their affection, and deaf to their complaints. CHAP. Yet their complaints remain unanfwered, their injuries confirmed, and the only judge removable at the pleasure of the Crown has been difmiffed from his high office, for defending in parliament the laws and the conftitu "We, therefore, venture once more to addrefs ourselves to your Majefty, as to the father of your people; as to him who must be both able and willing to redress our grievances; and we repeat our application with the greater propriety, because we fee the inftruments of our wrongs, who have carried into execution the measures of which we complain, more particularly diftinguished by your Majesty's royal bounty and favour. "Under the fame fecret aud malign influence, which under each fucceffive adminiftration had defeated every good, and suggested every bad intention, the majority of the Houfe of Commons have deprived your people of their dearest rights. "They have done a deed more ruinous in its confequences than the levying of fhip money by Charles I. or the difpenfing power affumed by James II. A deed which muft vitiate all the future proceedings of this parliament; for the acts of the legislature itself can be no more valid without a legal House of Commons, than without a legal Prince upon the throne. "Under James II. they complained that the fitting of parliament was interrupted, because it was not corruptly. fubfervient to his defigns: We complain now, that the fitting of this parliament is not interrupted, because it is corruptly fubfervient to the defigns of your Majefty's minifters. Had the parliament under James II. been as fubmiffive to his commands as the parliament at this day is to the dictates of a minister, instead of clamour for its meeting, the nation would have rung, as now, with outcries for its diffolution. "The forms of the conftitution, like those of religion, were not established for the form's fake, but for the subftance. And we call God and men to witness, that as we do not owe our liberty to thofe fubtile diftinctions which places, penfions, and lucrative employments have invented; fo neither will we be deprived of it by them: but as it was gained by the ftern virtue of our ancestors, by the virtue of their defcendants it fhall be preferved. "Since, therefore, the mifdeeds of your majesty's minifters, in violating the freedom of election, and depraving 1770. 1770. CHAP. the noble conftitution of parliaments, are notorious, as VI. well as fubverfive of the fundamental laws and liberties of this realm; and fince your majefty, both in honour and juftice, is obliged inviolably to preferve them, according to the oath made to God and your fubjects, at your coronation; we, your majefty's remonftrants, affure ourfelves, that your majefty will reftore the conftitutional government and quiet of your people, by diffolving this parliament, and removing thofe evil minifters forever from your councils." Refented by his majesty. Such extraordinary freedom could not fail of giving offence. His majesty replied in the following words: " I fhall always be ready to receive the requests, and to liften to the complaints of my fubjects: but it gives me great concern to find, that any of them fhould have been fo far mifled as to offer me an address and remonstrance, the contents of which, I cannot but confider as difrefpectful to me, injurious to my parliament, and irreconcileable to the principles of the constitution. "I have ever made the law of the land the rule of my conduct, esteeming it my chief glory to reign over a free people. With this view, I have always been careful, as well to execute faithfully the truft repofed in me, as to avoid even the appearance of invading any of those powers which the conftitution has placed in other hands. It is only by perfevering in fuch a conduct, that I can either discharge my own duty, or fecure, to my fubjects, the free enjoyment of those rights which my family were called to defend and while I act upon thefe principles, I have, a right to expect, and I am confident I fhall continue to receive, the steady and affectionate fupport of my people." The above remonstrance, however difagreeable to the court, has been looked upon by the popular party as a master-piece; and the lord-mayor, as he paffed along the ftreets to deliver it, was attended by an immense number of people, who teftified their approbation by loud fhouts. The majority of parliament, understanding how vehemently they had been accufed to the fovereign himself, were fired with indignation. A motion was made the very next day for an addrefs, that, a copy of the remonftrance, as well as of his majesty's answer, fhould be laid before the house, and, after violent debates, carried by a majority of more than two to one. Another motion was then made for the concurrence of the houfe of lords; which, being also carried, the address was completed at a conference of the two houses, and prefented accordingly. It strongly VI. 1770. reprobated the contents of the remonftrance, returned CHAP. By all this, the partifans of the popular party were far from being difcouraged. During the very time of the debates on the London remonftrance, Mr. Beckford, the lord-mayor at that time, owned with marks of exultation, the part he had taken in it. He declared, that it was he who put the question in the common council; and, though he had authority to put a negative upon any refolution of the aldermen, he would not do it in that inftance. The re monftrance charged the parliament with corruption; and he fhould be happy to bring the matter to the trial. After the remonstrance had been condemned in the address above-mentioned, lord Chatham made a motion in the houfe of lords, for reversing the adjudications of the commons with regard to Mr. Wilkes; and a few days after, for a refolution to declare, that the advice which induced the late answer to be given from the throne to the London remonstrance, was of a most dangerous tendency, &c. A fecond The ill fuccefs of these motions did not leffen the activity of the patriots without doors. Another remonftrance remonfto the throne, was prefented on the 23d of May, 1770, trance, which was likewife conceived in very spirited terms, but May 23. met with no better fuccefs than the former. To this addrefs his majefty was pleased to reply-" I Rejected fhould have been wanting to the public as well as to my by the felf, if I had not expreffed my diffatisfaction at the late ad- king. drefs. "My fentiments on that fubject continue the fame; and I fhould ill deserve to be confidered as the father of my people, if I could fuffer myfelf to be prevailed on to make fuch an ufe of my prerogative, as I cannot but think inconfiftent with the intereft, and dangerous to the conftitution of the kingdom." Though very little encouragement feemed to be given by this answer to enter into any conversation with his majelty on the fubject, Mr. Beckford, who had presented the addrefs, begged leave to make a reply; which, being granted, his lordship proceeded as follows: 1 |