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Lord George Cavendish against it. At length the question was put on the order of the day:

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Mr. Baker's motions was then put and carried without a division. Mr. Erfkine then moved the following Refolution:

Ref ved,

"That it is neceffary to the most effential interefts of the kingdom, “and peculiarly incumbent to this House, to pursue with unremitting "attention the confideration of a fuitable remedy for the abuses which "have prevailed in the Government of the British dominions in the "Eaft Indies, and that this Houfe will confider as an enemy to his country, any person who fhall prefume to advife his Majefty to prevent, or any manner interrupt, the discharge of this import"ant duty." The Houfe divided,

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For the motion
Against it
Majority

137
73

64

December 19.] This day the following Officers of State were commanded by his Majefty to refign their refpective employments, viz. Lord North, Mr. Fox, the Duke of Portland, Colonel Fitzpatrick, Lord Stormont, Lord Cholmondeley, and Lord Ludlow, &c. &c.

The ADJOURNMENT.

December 19.] Mr. Baker, understanding that it was the intention of a certain gentleman, that the House fhould fit on Saturday, contrary to their ufual mode of proceeding, obferving that he had his objections to admitting a measure fo contrary to the established rule of Parliament, and therefore he moved, "that the Houfe fhould, at its rifing, adjourn until Monday."

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Mr. Dundas objected to Monday, and propofed an adjournment only till to-morrow, to proceed to the Land-tax bill.

Mr. Fox, in a speech of confiderable length, argued with his ufual ability in favour of the propofition for adjourning until Monday, and obferved, that" rumours were fent abroad, confeffedly to declare the

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interference of the Crown with a bill under confideration of Parliament; and those rumours were corroborated by not one perfon, friend or relation, standing up to difavow their truth, or to clear the high characters which were charged with the criminality. The alarm had fpread, and was now grown of the most serious nature indeed. The Miniftry was changed, the Conftitution was violated-not in the change of that Miniftry, but in the mode by which it was effected. A little bit of paper handed from a certain person to a certain person, and held up in the Houfe of Lords, fet the reprefentative body of England at defiance. The Commons, alarmed for their privileges, appear determined to fupport themselves against all fuch arbitrary proceedings, and feeing the little phalanx raifed against them, and headed by, in their own Houfe, a rafh young man, they confider, and must confider, themselves bound by every tie to their country, every regard to their conftituents, and every love to their Sovereign, to ftand up in their own defence, affert their rights, and fave the empire. The advifers acted in fecret, as they ever have done, and fued one invariable line of continual condemnation to the system of liberty." The House being very clamorous, the question was put, and the gallery cleared; but, on the Ayes for Mr. Dundas's motion being defired to go outfide the bar, and there appearing of about 300 members but 50 inclinable to fupport the Ministry, Mr. Dundas withdrew his motion, and left Mr. Fox and his friends to enjoy a complete victory over this first parliamentary effort of the new Adminiftration.

The Houfe then adjourned to Monday.

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RESIGNATION OF EARL TEMPLE. December 22.] Mr. Grenville (brother to Earl Temple) begged to call the attention of the House for a few moments, in a matter that nearly concerned his noble relation. The vote paffed on Friday night [Dec. 19.] by the House, so far as it refpected the character of Lord Temple, was of a very serious confideration. Menaces had been perfonally applied, which carried with them fuch an avowed and open attack on the noble Lord, that it was become indifpenfibly requifite to take up the subject by the nobleman to whom they were applied. Lord Temple therefore waited on his Sovereign, and refigned into his hands thofe feals of office, with which he had been lately intrufted; and he did this, that the Houfe of Commons and the world might fee he in

tended:

tended not to avail himself under the dignity or influence of office, to prevent investigation of his public conduct, or that the name of Secretary of State fhould fcreen him for any action he had committed as a private man.

Mr. Fox replied, that if the honourable gentleman had been in his place, and attended to what had paffed on the occafion alluded to, he would have found that there was not any fuch thing as a menace held out, There was a converfation, indeed, about an enquiry into the ftate of the nation; a rumour that fome perfon, not oftenfible in office, had given improper advice to his Majefty; but that the charge laid against the fuppofed criminal could not be brought by legal evidence home to a conviction of the fact, although there was a general concurrence of matters, uncontradicted by the noble Lord's friends, which left not, in the minds of the House and the public, a single doubt but things were as they had been reprefented. It being evident that the guilt could not be brought home in legal form, the noble relation of the Honourable Gentleman derived no great merit in feeking a trial undivested of the honours and the influence of office. It was not, therefore, to be fuppofed that the Earl's refignation of the feals of office, in the flightest instance, was to be admitted as an evidence in favour of his innocence; nor fhould it prevent the business of the day, or alter the purpose for which the House met. It was not for the noble Lord to fend this meffage down to the Commons that he had refigned; for that would prove of little confequence, either in refpect to the rumour that had gone abroad, or in refpect to the Addrefs to the Throne, which would be moved, if the Houfe went into a Committee. There was one certain road to innocence, and that was an open denial of the charge. Let the noble Lord come forward, and on his honour declare that he did not advise, and then the House and the Public would acquit him: but the manoeuvre of the refignation of his office, was no proof that he was not guilty of that which was laid to his charge.

A motion was then made by Mr. Erfkine for an Address to his Majefty, advising him not to prorogue or diffolve the Parliament,which,' on the question being put, was carried without a division.

December 24.] The following Address, as moved in the House of Commons, was this day prefented by the Speaker, &c. to his Majesty in the drawing-room at St. James's.

That

"That his Majefty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Commons "of Great Britain, in Parliament affembled, think themfelves bound "in duty humbly to reprefent to his Majefty, that alarming reports "of an intended diffolution of Parliament have gone forth.

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"That his Majefty's faithful Commons, acknowledging the wif"dom of the conftitution, in trufting to the Crown that juft and legal prerogative, and fully confiding in his Majefty's Royal wif"dom and paternal care of his people, for the moft beneficial exercise "of it, defire, with great humility, to reprefent to his Majefty the "inconveniencies and dangers which appear to them, from a confide"ration of the ftate of the nation, likely to follow from a prorogation "or diffolution of the Parliament, in the prefent arduous and critical "conjuncture of public affairs. The maintenance of the public cre"dit, and the fupport of the revenue, demand the most immediate "attention. The diforders prevailing in the government of the EastIndies, at home and abroad, call aloud for inftant reformation; and "the ftate of the Eaft India Company's finances, from the preffing "demands on them, require a no lefs immediate fupport and affistance

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"from Parliament.

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"That his Majefty's faithful Commons are at prefent proceeding "with the utmost diligence upon thefe great objects of government, "as recommended to their attention by his gracious fpeech from the Throne, but which muft neceffarily be fruftrated and difappointed by the delay attending a diffolution, and most especially the affairs of the Eaft Indies, by the affembling of a new Parliament, not prepared, by previous enquiry, to enter with equal effect upon an object involving long and intricate details, which his Majefty's faith"ful Commons have investigated for two years paft, with the most "laborious, earneft, and unremitting attention.

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"That his Majefty's faithful Commons, deeply affected by these "important confiderations, impreffed with the highest reverence and "affection for his Majefty's perfon and government, and anxious to "preserve the luftre and fafety of his government, do humbly befeech "to fuffer his faithful Commons to proceed on the bufinefs of the feffion, the furtherance of which is fo effentially neceffary to the "prosperity of the public; and that his Majefty will be graciously "pleated to hearken to the advice of his faithful Commons, and not to the fecret advices of perfons who may have private interests of

"their own, feparate from the true intereft of his Majefty and his people."

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To which his Majesty returned the following answer:

"It has been my conftant object to employ the authority entrusted "to me by the conftitution, to its true and only end-the good of my people; and I am always happy in concurring with the wishes "and opinions of my faithful Commons.

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"I agree with you in thinking that the support of the public cre"dit and revenue, muft demand your moft earnest and vigilant care. "The ftate of the Eaft-Indies is alfo an object of as much delicacy "and importance, as can exercise the wifdom and juftice of Parlia❝ment. 1 truft you will proceed in thofe confiderations, with all "convenient fpeed, after fuch an adjournment as the prefent circum"ftances may feem to require. And I affure you I fhall not interrupt your meeting by any exercife of my prerogative, either of prorogation or diffolution."'

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The House of Commons having adjourned until the 12th of January, the order of the day, to enter on the state of the nation, being called for, a debate took place; and on the question being put there appeared,

Ayes
Noes

232

193

Majority against the Miniftry 39

The Speaker having quitted the chair, the House went into a Comon the state of the nation.

Mr. Huffey, Chairman.

Mr. Fox, after a fhort preface, ftating the neceffity of coming to fome specific refolution to prevent the prefent Ministry from making an improper use of their power the fhort time they had to exist, moved,

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"That it was the opinion of the Committee, that any perfon in "his Majesty's Treafury, Exchequer, Pay Office, Bank of England, or any perfon whatever, entrusted with the public money, paying away, or caufing to be paid, any fum or fums of money, "voted for the service of the prefent year, in cafe of a diffolution or prorogation of Parliament, before a bill, or bills, were brought in "for the appropriation of fuch fums, would be guilty of a high

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