formation. Although it was an event which had been for fome time daily expected, the House feemed affected with the deepest sensibility, and forrow was apparent in every countenance. The recollection of his former pre-eminence in power, of his unrivalled eloquence, of his unwearied exertions in the public service, and of the unexampled profperity to which Great Britain had attained under his administration, rushed upon the mind with irrefiftible force, and produced an emotion which the sympathy so powerful in popular affemblies heightened to enthusiasm. The motion made by Colonel Barré, " that the remains of the Earl of Chatham be interred at the public expence," was unanimously adopted; with the farther addition, "that a monument be erected to his memory in the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Weftminster." This was followed by a motion from Lord John Cavendish, for an Address to the King, " that his Majesty would be graciously pleased to make a permanent provision for the family of the late WILLIAM PITT, Earl of CHATHAM, in confideration of the fervices performed by that able Statefman;" and in the sequel, a bill was brought into Parliament, and unanimously paffed, by which a clear annuity of 4000l. per annum, payable out of the Civil Lift, is for ever to be annexed to the Earldom of Chatham, and the sum of 20,000l. voted for the difcharge of debts and incumbrances. Thus nobly

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nobly and gratefully did the nation reward the fervices of the man whose counsels, to the amazement of the world, the had for so many years neglected and contemned. The ready concurrence of the Court in the honors lavished on the memory of this great Statesman, may be ascribed entirely to the decided manner in which he delivered, almost in his last breath, his sentiments against the recog-. nition of American Independence, and which may be regarded as the fole political error, with which, in respect to America, he is chargeable. What his precise ideas were, with regard to the plan of conciliation proper to be adopted in the actual circumstances of the nation, cannot be ascertained; but of this we may rest assured, from the uniform and systematic tenor of his policy, that he never would have employed coercive means in accomplishing it. When he found, and had he been refstored to the plenitude of power he certainly would have found, America determined to maintain her Independency, he must doubtless have discovered, and could not but have fubmitted to, the neceffity of recognizing it. It is exceedingly to be lamented, that personal and party confiderations prevented that firm and cordial coalefcence amongst the Whigs in oppofition to the Court, which was fo necessary to give efficacy to their exertions. The diflike of Lord Chatham to the Newcastle or Rockingham party was invincible; and the diviU 3 fions

sions and animosities which originated in that diflike, and which his death was far from extinguishing, have at length terminated in what may be confidered as the almost total ruin of the Whig interest, and the final and complete triumph of the Tories; at least till the calamities, which have never yet failed to result from a Tory system of government in this country, shall again awaken the dormant spirit of Whiggism in the nation, and confign the absurd, pernicious, and detestable maxims of Tory government to public contempt and execration. But when a just allowance is made, and just allowance must be made for those imperfections from which no human character is exempt, Lord Chatham will unquestionably rank as one of the greatest, most enlightened, and beneficent Statesmen that ever adorned the annals of any age or country.

The distresses in which the kingdom of Ireland was involved in consequence of the war, and the general and loud complaints of the bulk of its inhabitants, made it absolutely necessary to attempt something farther for its relief; and in a Committee of the whole House it was refolved,

I. That the Irish might be permitted to export directly to the British plantations or fettlements all goods, wares, and merchandize, being the produce of that kingdom, or of Great Britain, wool and woollen manufactures only excepted; as also foreign certificate goods legally imported.

II. That

II. That a direct importation be allowed of all goods, wares, and merchandize, being the produce of the British plantations, tobacco only excepted.

III. That the direct exportation of glass manufactured in Ireland be permitted to all places except Great Britain.

IV. That the importation of cotton yarn the manufacture of Ireland be allowed, duty free, into Great Britain; as also,

V. The importation of fail-cloth and cordage. These resolutions excited a very great and general alarm amongst the commercial part of the British nation, who seemed to confider the admifsion of Ireland to any participation in trade, as equally destructive to their property, and fubverfive of their rights.

After the recess, very many instructions and petitions were presented to the House in oppofition to them: and it deserves mention, as a ftriking instance of commercial folly and prejudice, that, in several of the petitions, the importation of Irish fail-cloth and of wrought iron is particularly specified as ruinous to the fame manufactures in England; though it was by this time discovered, that, by a positive law of long standing, Ireland was in actual poffeffion of those very privileges, although the Irish were so far from being able to profecute these manufactures to any purpose of competition with the British, that great quantities of both were annually exported to that country from England. An almost equally great and equally groundless alarm had been taken at the bill passed a few years fince for the free importation of woollen yarn into England; which was by experience found and acknowledged to be not merely innocuous, but beneficial; yet such influence had the apprehenfions of the public upon the disposition of the House, that the bills founded on the resolutions actually passed were ultimately dismissed, and some trivial points only conceded, not meriting a distinct specification.

Late in the session, Sir George Saville moved for leave to bring in a bill for the repeal of certain penalties imposed by an act passed in the 10th of King WILLIAM, entitled an Act for preventing the farther Growth of Popery; which penalties the mover stated to be, the punishment of Popish Priests, or Jefuits, as guilty of felony, who fhould be found to officiate in the services of their church; the forfeiture of eftate to the next Protestant heir, in case of the education of the Romish poffeffor abroad; the power given to the fon, or other nearest relation, being a Protestant, to take poffeffion of the father's estate during the lifetime of the proprietor; and the depriving Papists of the power of acquiring any legal property by purchase. In propofing the repeal of these penal