self a leading member of the oppofition, and who had rendered himself peculiarly odious by his apostacy, rose, in order to explain the nature and tendency of the proposition in question, which, he said, had been exceedingly mistaken. He affirmed, " that it was far from the defign of the proposition to assent to a dereliction of the rights of parliament, or to yield in any degree to the infolence of the Americans; but, on the contrary, it held forth a more wife and effectual method of enforcing the claims of the one, and repreffing the arrogance of the other. The parliamentary right of taxation," he said, 66 was so essential a part of fovereignty, that parliament, if it would, cannot furrender it; and this right was expressly reserved by the proposition. Does it then fufpend the profitable exercise of the right? So far from it, that it shews the firm resolution of parliament to enforce the only effential part of taxation, by COMPELLING the Americans to provide what we, not they, think just and reafonable. Thus it appeared that we were not contending, as fome had affirmed, for trifles, or a vain point of honor; but the dispute was at length placed on its proper foundation-revenue or no revenue; and in default of an entire and unlimited compliance, he concluded with applying to America the famous denunciation, DELENDA EST CARTHAGO." The minister, who trembled at the idea of being left in a minority, gladly acquiefced in this very fatisfactory explanation; adding, in the genuine spirit of Machiavelian policy, that his motion was founded on the well-known maxim, "divide et impera!" that he had never expected the Americans would embrace this propofal, but that it was intended to disunite the colonies, and unite the people of England. The prerogative party being now CONCILIATED, the question was put, and the numbers proved on the division 274 to 88. A second bill was now brought in to restrain the trade of the colonies of East and West Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South South Carolina, and the counties on the Delawar. The different parties in parliament appearing almost exhausted with the fatigue of inceffant debate, this meafure, unexpected and important as it was, passed with no memorable oppofition. On the 22d March Mr. Burke moved a series of conciliatory propofitions in the house of commons, which he enforced by a most able and eloquent speech, fraught with wisdom and knowledge, clear, dispaffionate, and convincing; and in all respects worthy of a man of the highest reputation for genius and ability. He said, " that his plan of conciliation was founded on the fure and folid basis of experience'; that neither the chimeras of imagination, abstract ideas of right, or mere general theories of government, ought to be attended to. He confeffed that he was not acquainted with the method of drawing up an indictment against a whole people; and he affirmed, that government, to be beneficial, or even practicable, must be adapted to the feelings, habits, and received opinions of the people; that all schemes of government which had been or could be proposed, without due regard to these matters, would be found ineffectual and dangerous. Defpotism itself must bend to fituations and circumstances. He disclaimed therefore all discussion respecting the question of right, and wished it to be confidered folely as a matter of policy. Without enquiring whether they had a right to render their people miferable, he asked, whether it was not their interest to make them happy? and instead of taking the opinion of a lawyer on what they might do, Mr. Burke thought it more confonant with reason, humanity, and justice, to confult what they ought to do in an emergency like the present. The colonies, as they had hitherto been governed, were living monuments of the wisdom of our ancestors. The only method of governing them with fafety or advantage, was by admitting them to an interest in our constitution, and by recording that admiffion 1 admiffion in the journals of parliament, to give them as strong an affurance as the nature of the thing would allow, that we mean for ever to adhere to the system originally established. The idea of governing by force he reprobated as gross in its conception, uncertain in its effect, and ruinous even in its success. In conformity to these principles, parliament must revert to the antient conftitutional policy of these kingdoms, which established taxation in America by grant, and not by impofition; which recognized the legal competency of the colony assemblies, for the fupport of the civil government in time of peace, and for public aids in time of war. In the course of his speech Mr. Burke mentioned the astonishing fact, that the exports from Great Britain to North America had increased from the beginning of the present century, when they amounted to five hundred and seventy thousand pounds, to upwards of fix millions annually." The purport of the refolutions, which were thirteen in number, went to recognize the legal competency of the colony assemblies for all the various purposes of taxation; to acknowledge that this legal competency has had a just and beneficial exercife; that experience has shewn the benefits of their grants, and the futility of parliamentary taxation as a method of fupply. Others of the propositions related to the fettlement of an independent judicature, the regulation of the courts of admiralty, and the repeal of the late coercive acts of parliament. The previous question being moved on the first propofition, it was carried in favor of the miniftry by 270 voices to 78; and the remaining ones were with the fame facility evaded, or negatived without a division*. Another attempt was in a few days made by Mr. Hartley, a very respectable member of oppofition, to effect an accommodation of this fatal quarrel, by moving "that letters of requifition should be issued, agreeably to antient precedent, under authority of the crown, with a view to procure a permanent and voluntary contribution from the several colonies towards the general expences of the empire:" but this was negatived without a division. a very * These propositions of Mr. Burke may be considered as comprising the mature and deliberate plan of the Rockingham party, for the restoration of the public tranquility, to which purpose they were most wisely and happily adapted. The speech by which they were enforced is by far the moft valuable of Mr. Burke's productions; it can never be too much studied or admired. Of the speaker it can only be faid, O fi fic omnia dixiffet! At this period the city of London once more ventured to breathe her fruitless requests in the ear of majesty, by an address, remonstrance, and petition, which was distinguished by the remarkable circumftance of its being presented to the king by Mr. Wilkes, in his official capacity of lord mayor, to which civic dignity he had been elected at the close of the preceding year. In this remonstrance the citizens of London declared " their abhorrence of the measures which had been pursued, and were then pursuing, to the oppreffion of their fellow-fubjects in the colonies. Not deceived by the specious artifice of calling despotism dignity, they faid, they plainly perceived that the real purpose was to establish arbitrary power over all America. These measures, they affirmed, were carried into execution by his majesty's ministers, by the fame fatal corruption which had enabled them to wound the peace and violate the constitution of this country. Your petitioners therefore, they say, do most earnestly entreat your majesty to dismiss immediately and for ever from your councils those ministers and advisers, as the first step towards a redress of those grievances which alarm and afflict. your whole people." -The following answer was, in a tone of marked and unusual emotion, delivered from the throne: "It is with the utmost astonishment that I find any of my fubjects capable of encouraging the rebellious difpofition which unhappily exists in some of my colonies in North America. Having entire confidence in my parliament, the great council of the nation, I will steadily pur. sue those measures which they have recommended for the fupport support of the constitutional rights of Great Britain, and the protection of the commercial interests of my kingdoms." Towards the close of the session the house resolved itfelf into a committee, at the motion of the minister, to confider the encouragement proper to be given to the fisheries of Great Britain and Ireland. Bounties were granted to the ships from either kingdom employed in the Newfoundland or Greenland fisheries; Ireland was allowed to export tools and implements for the purposes of the fisheries; and by two resolutions not connected with the original motion, and intended as an additional douceur, it was rendered lawful, 1. to export from Ireland clothing for such regiments on the Irish establishment as were employed abroad; and by the 2d, five shillings per barrel bounty was allowed on the importation of flax-feed into that kingdom. But these trivial conceffions rather excited the contempt than the gratitude of that long opprefsed and long suffering nation. On the 15th of May Mr. Burke presented to the house a paper styled, a representation and remonftrance from the general afsembly of New York. This province, accounted less disaffected than any other, and which in conjunction with North Carolina had hitherto refused an unreserved acquiefcence in the resolutions of the congress, had not been included in the late restraining acts. But, at the suggestion of the minister, this remonstrance was rejected by the house, as containing claims inconsistent with the unlimited authority of Great Britain :-a fortunate circumstance for America, as this refusal completed that union which it was the policy, though in this instance counteracted by the pride, of the court to obstruct or diffolve. A memorial from the fame body was at the same time presented to the house of peers, by the duke of Manchefter; but their lordships would not fuffer it to be read, affirming that the title of the paper rendered it inadmiffible; |