Nobleman from perfifting in his exertions for reftoring peace to the empire: and in the beginning of February he offered to the House of Peers a Bill for that purpose, under the title of "A Provisional Act for settling the troubles in America, and for afferting the fupreme authority and superintending power of Great Britain over the Colonies." This bill comprehended a vast extent of matter; and, as the Noble Lord who prefided over the American department justly observed, many of its parts seemed to require much separate difcussion; that it was impoffible therefore to pronounce any immediate opinion concerning its propriety; that as the Noble Mover did not seem to press the House to any immediate decifion, but rather appeared defirous that it should be fully and maturely weighed, he prefumed it would be agreeable to him; and he objected not to receive it, on condition that it should lie on the table till the American papers were first taken into confideration. This appearance of respect and moderation seemed to move the indignation of the other Lords in Administration; and Lord Gower in particular reprobated it in the aggregate, and all its par, with extraordinary afperity. It was affirmed by his Lordship, "that the bill was irregular, unparliamentary, and unprecedented; that the matter should have been laid before the House in separate propofitions; that it was objection sufficient to the bill, that it fought

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fought reconciliation by conceffion; that it not only gave a sanction to the traitorous proceedings of the Congress already held, but by the appointment of another legalized their proceedings by Act of Parliament; that should their Lordships be base enough to betray the rights of Parliament, by adopting the provisions of this bill, the Americanş would only accept such parts of it as suited their own views, and would no doubt disclaim those that wore any appearance of fubmiffion. The duty on tea was affirmed to be only the pretext for the hoftile conduct of the Americans, and that their real aim was to throw off all restrictions upon their commerce; that if the jurisdiction of the Admiralty Courts were circumscribed in the manner proposed by this bill, the Navigation Act would become a mere dead letter: in fine, that this was no time for conceffion, and that to concede now would be to give up the point for ever. His Lordship, therefore, gave it as his opinion, that the bill should not be suffered to lie on the table."

Lord Chatham, feeling and highly resenting the indignity now offered, entered into his own vindication, and that of the measure proposed by him, with all the fire and ardor of youth. " He was fenfible," he said, " that this bill contained only the rude outline of a plan of accommodation; that he had offered it to the House with a view of obtaining the affistance of their Lordships, to ren

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der it effectual to the great ends to which it was ultimately directed. His bill was framed on no narrow principle. He appealed to the candor of their Lordships, and deprecated the effects of factious spleen or blind predilection. He had been charged with precipitation in this business; but under such circumstances of emergency, when a single day might decide the fate of the empire, what was to be done? More than two months had elapsed since the meeting of Parliament, and no plan of reconciliation had been offered by the Ministers; who, by their filence and inaction, seemed to acknowledge themselves incapable of devising any. No alternative then remained for him, but to submit to their Lordships his ideas on the subject, or to abandon the interests of his country. But let Ministers avow that they have a plan, and he would instantly withdraw his bill. By the indecent attempt now made to stifle this bill in embryo, Ministers might hope that the contents of it would fink into filence and oblivion. But, though rejected here, it would, he trusted, ever remain a monument of his earnest, however ineffectual, endeavors to serve his country. It would at least manifest how zealous he had been to avert the impending storms which seemed ready to burst over us, and overwhelm the empire in ruin. He acknowledged himself, on cool reflection, not indeed much surprised, that men who hate liberty should should also hate those that prize it; that those who want virtue themselves, should perfecute them who possess it. Since the first entrance of the present Minifters into office, he affirmed, that the whole of their political conduct had been one continued feries of weakness, temerity, ignorance, despotism, and corruption. In one view only did they appear found Statesmen and able Politiciansin a strict and unvaried attention to their own interest: fuch were their characters, and such their abilities, that no plan of government could be expected to fucceed in their hands; and they themselves, he doubted not, were fully confcious that the adoption of any system of conciliation, founded on a wife and rational policy, would annihilate their power, and reduce them to that state of infignificance for which God and Nature had designed them." The motion being put, the bill was rejected by a majority of 61 to 32 voices.

The very day succeeding this rejection, Lord North moved in the House of Commons an Address to his Majesty, " to return thanks for the communication of the American papers, and to declare, that, having taken them into their most serious confideration, they find that a REBELLION at this time actually exists in the Province of Maffachusetts Bay, which was affirmed to be the more inexcusable, from reflecting with how much TEMPER his Majesty and the Parliament have acted in support of

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the Laws and Conftitution of Great Britain; and folemnly affuring his Majesty, that it is their fixed resolution, at the hazard of their lives and fortunes, to support his Majesty, against all REBELLIOUS ATTEMPTS, in the maintenance of his juft rights, and those of the two Houses of Parliament." A vehement debate ensued, and some of the more moderate of those who had hitherto voted with Administration seemed to feel a kind of horror at a propofition big with the most dangerous and direful consequences. It was affirmed on the part of the Opposition, that resistance to arbitrary measures was warranted by the Constitution; that no act of violence had been committed in Massachusetts Bay, which was not equalled by similar acts in other provinces; that this partial declaration of rebellion was only a branch of the general system of delufion-that there was no medium between a general war and a general reconciliation." On the other hand, the Courtiers infifted, "that the boafted union of the Colonies would dissolve, the moment Parliament shewed itself resolved on measures of vigor and severity. That it would not, however, they hoped, be necessary to punish universally, or to make examples of more than a few ringleaders of this revolt; and that when the Colonies should be reduced to due and entire fubmiffion to the laws and authority of Great Britain, their real grievances