I am happy to inform you, that, by the bleffing of Divine Providence on the good conduct and valour of my officers and forces by fea and land, and on the zeal and bravery of the auxiliary troops in my fervice, Canada is recovered; and although, from unavoidable delays, the operations at New York could not begin before the month of Auguft, the fuccefs in that province has been fo important as to give the ftrongest hopes of the moft decifive good confequences: but, notwithstanding this fair profpect, we muft, at all events, prepare for another campaign.

I continue to receive affurances of amity from the feveral courts of Europe; and am ufing my utmo endeavours to conciliate unhappy differences between two neighbouring powers; and I ftill hope, that all mifunderstandings may be removed, and Europe continue to enjoy the ineftimable bleffings of peace: I think nevertheless that, in the present fituation of affairs, it is expedient that we should be in a refpectable state of defence at home.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

I will order the eftimates for the enfuing year to be laid before you. It is matter of real concern to me, that the impor tant confiderations which I have stated to you must neceffa rily be followed by great expence: I doubt not, however, but that my faithful Commons will readily and chearfully grant me fuch fupplies, as the maintenance of the honour of my crown, the vindication of the juft rights of Parliament, and the public welfare, fhall be found to require.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

In this arduous conteft I can have no other object but to promote the true intereft of all my fubjects. No people ever enjoyed more happinefs, or lived under a milder government, than thofe now revolted provinces: the improvements in every art, of which they boaft, declare it; their numbers, their wealth, their ftrength by fea and land, which they think fufficient to enable them to make head against the whole power of the mother-country, are irrefragable proofs of it. My defire is to reftore to them the bleffings of law and liberty, equally enjoyed by every British fubject, which they have fatally and defperately exchanged for all the calamities of war, and the arbitrary tyranny of their chiefs.

Mr. Neville. Mr. Neville moved, that an humble address be prefented to his Majefty, to return his Majesty the thanks of this Houfe for his moft gracious fpeech from the throne:

Το

To affure his Majefty, that, while we lament the continuance of the troubles which have fo long distracted his colonies in North America, and of the calamities and oppreffions which our unhappy fellow fubjects are ftill fuffering, under the arbitrary tyranny of their leaders, we cannot forbear to exprefs our deteftation and abhorrence of the audacious and defperate fpirit of ambition, which has at laft carried those leaders fo far, as openly to renounce all allegiance to the crown, and all political connexion with this country; and, in direct terms, to prefume to fet up their rebellious confederacies for independent ftates:

That we confider their rejection of the gracious and condefcending means of reconciliation, held out to them under the authority of his Majefty's commiffion, as a fresh and convincing proof that the object of thefe men has always been power and dominion; but we can impute the circumftancest of indignity and infult accompanying this proceeding, to no other motive than a refentment of his Majefty's firm and conftant adherence to the maintenance of the conftitutional rights of Parliament, divefted of every poffible view of any feparate interefts of the crown and to affure his Majefty, that the fame attachment of his Majefty to the Parliamentary authority of Great Britain, which hath provoked the infolence of the chiefs of this rebellion, cannot but operate, as it ought to do, in fixing his Majefty ftill deeper, if poffible, in the affections of a British Houfe of Commons:

With reverence and gratitude to Divine Providence, to exprefs our unfeigned joy, and to offer our fincere congratulations to his Majefty, on the fuccefs which has attended the good conduct and valour of his Majefty's officers and forces, both by fea and land, and the zeal and bravery of the auxiliary troops in his fervice, in the recovery of Canada, and in the important operations in the province of New York, which give the strongest hopes of the moft decifive good confe

quences:

To affure his Majefty, that we learn, with much fatisfaction, that his Majefty continues to receive affurances of amity from the several courts of Europe; and that we thankfully acknowledge his Majefty's goodnefs and paternal concern for the happiness of his people, in his conftant attention to preferve the general tranquility; and that it is our most earneft with that, by his Majefty's interpofition, all mifunderftandings and differences between two neighbouring powers

may

Mr. Hatton.
Lord John

may be happily reconciled, and Europe ftill enjoy the bleffings of peace:

That we confider it as a duty we owe to his Majefty, and to those we reprefent, to grant his Majefty fuch fupplies as the weighty confiderations, which his Majefty has been pleased to ftate to us, fhall be found to require; and we have a well grounded confidence, that, at this time, when the object of the rebels is openly avowed, and clearly understood, the general conviction of the justice and neceffity of his Majefty's measures must unite all ranks of his faithful fubjects in fupporting his Majefty with one mind and heart in the great national cause in which he is engaged.

Mr. Hatton feconded the motion.

Lord John Cavendish difapproved of the propofed addrefs, Cavendish, and moved the following amendment. To affure his Majefty, that animated with the most earnest and fincere zeal for his true intereft, and the real glory of his reign, we behold with inexpreffible concern, the minds of a very large, and lately loyal and affectionate part of his people entirely alienated from his government; nor can we conceive that fuch an event, as the difaffection and revolt of a whole people, could have taken place, without some confiderable errors in the conduct obferved towards them.

These erroneous measures, we conceive, are to be imputed to a want of fufficient information being laid before Parliament, and to the too large a degree of confidence being repofed in those minifters, who from their duty were obliged, and from their official fituation were best enabled to know the temper and difpofition of his Majefty's American fubjects, and were therefore prefumed moft capable of pointing out fuch measures as might produce the moft falutary effects. Hence the schemes which were formed for the reduction and chastisement of a supposed inconfiderable party of factious men, has driven thirteen large provinces to despair. Every act which has been propofed as a means of procuring peace and fubmiffion, has become a new caufe of war and revolt; and we now find ourselves almoft inextricably involved in a bloody and expenfive civil war; which, befides exhaufting at present the ftrength of all his Majefty's dominions, expofing our allies to the defigns of their and our enemies, and leaving this kingdom in a moft perilous fituation, threatens, in its iffue, the moft deplorable calamities to the whole British race.

We cannot avoid lamenting, that in confequence of the credit given to the representation of minifters, no hearing has been given to the reiterated complaints and petitions of the colonies, neither has any ground been laid for removing the original cause of these unhappy differences, which took their rife from queftions relative to parliamentary proceedings, and can be fettled only by parliamentary authority.

By this fatal omiffion, the commiffioneers nominated for the apparent purpose of making peace, were furnished with no legal powers, but that of giving or with-holding pardons at their pleasure; and that for relaxing the feverities of a fingle penal act of Parliament; leaving the whole foundation of this unhappy controverfy juft as it flood in the beginning.

To reprefent to his Majefty, that in addition to this neglect, when in the beginning of the last feffion, his Majefty, in his gracious fpeech to both Houses of Parliament, declared his resolution of fending out commiffioners for the purposes therein expreffed, "as fpeedily as poffible,” no fuch commiffioners were fent until feven months afterwards, and until the nation was alarmed by the evacuation of the only town then held for his Majefty in the thirteen colonies. By this delay, acts of the moft critical nature, the effects of which muft as much depend on the power of immediately relaxing them on fubmiffion, as in enforcing them upon difobedience, had only an operation to inflame and exafperate. But if any colony, town or place, had been induced to submit by the terrors of thefe acts, there were none on the place of power to reftore the people fo fubmitting to the common rights of subjection. The inhabitants of the colonies, apprized that they were put out of the protection of government, and feeing no means provided for their entering into it, were furnished with reafons but too colourable for breaking off their dependency on the crown of this kingdom.

To affure his Majefty, that removing our confidence from those who in so many inftances have groffly abused it, we shall andeavour to reftore to Parliament the confidence of all his people. To this end, it may be advifable to make a more minute enquiry into the grievances of the colonies, as well as into the conduct of minifters, with regard to them. We may think it proper particularly to enquire how it has hap pened, that the commerce of this kingdom has been left expofed to the reprifals of the colonies, at the very time when their feamen and fishermen, being indifcriminately prohibited from the peaceful exercise of their occupations, and declared open enemies, must be expected with a certain affuVOL. VI.

C

rance,

Marquis of
Granby.

Gov. John

frone

rance, to betake themselves to plunder, and to wreak their revenge on the commerce of Great Britain.

That, we understand, that amidst the many difafters and difgraces which have attended on his Majefty's arms in many parts of America, an advantage has been gained by his Majefty's Britifh and foreign mercenary forces, in the province of New York. That if a wife, moderate and provident ufe be made of this advantage, it is not improbable that happy effects may refult from that ufe. And we affure his Majefty, that nothing fhall be wanting on our part, to enable his Majefty to take full advantage of any difpofitions to reconciliation which may be the confequence of the miseries of war, by laying down, on our part, real permanent grounds of connection between Great Britain and her colonies, on principles of liberty and terms of mutual advantage.

That whilft we lament this effufion of English blood, (which we hope has not been greater, or other than neceffity required and honour juftified) we fhould moft heartily congratulate his Majefty on any event leading to the great defirable end, of fettling a peace which might promise to laft, by the restoration of the antient affection which has happily fubfifted in former times between this kingdom and its colonies. Any other would neceffarily require, (even in cafe of a total conqueft) an army to maintain it, ruinous to the finances, and incompatible with the freedom of his Majefty's people. We should look with the utmost shame and horror, on any events that fhould tend to break the fpirit of any large part of the British nation; to bow them to an abject unconditional fubmiffion to any power whatsoever; to annihilate their liberties, and to fubdue them to fervile principles and paffive habits, by the mere force of foreign mercenary árms; because, amidft the exceffes and abufes which have happened, we muft refpect the spirit and principles operating in these commotions. Our wifh is to regulate, not to destroy them; for, though differing in fome circumftances, thofe very principles evidently bear fo exact an analogy with those which support the most valuable part of our own conftitution, that it is impoffible, with any appearance of justice, to think of wholly extirpating them by the fword, in any part of his Majefty's dominions, and establishing precedents the moft dangerous to the liberties of this kingdom.

The Marquis of Granby feconded the motion.

Governor Johnflone in very fevere terms arraigned the conduct of adminiftration, in commencing the war with Ame