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"charge against any individual of his Majefty's Ministers, yet, with "all humility, we do conceive that we have ftated to his Majefty "diftinct objections, and very forcible reafons against their conti"nuance: That with regard to the propriety of admitting either the prefent Minifters, or any other perfons, as a part of that extended "and united Administration which his Majefty, in concurrence with "the fentiments of this Houfe, confiders as requifite; it is a point upon which we are too well acquainted with the bounds of our duty to prefume to offer any advice to his Majefty, well knowing "it to be the undoubted prerogative of his Majefty to appoint his Mini❝fters, without any previous advice from either Houfe of Parliament; "and our duty humbly to offer to his Majefty our advice, when fuch appointments fhall appear to us to be prejudicial to the public fervice. "To acknowled, with gratiude, his Majefty's goodness, in not "confidering the failure of his recent endeavours as a final bar to the accomplishment of the gracious purpose which his Majesty has in "view; and to exprefs the great concern and mortification with which "we find ourselves obliged to declare, that the confolation, which "we should naturally have derived from his Majesty's most gracious difpofition, is confiderably abated, by understanding that his Majefty's advisers have not thought fit to fuggeft to his Majefty any "farther steps to remove the difficulties which obftruct fo defirable

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"To recall to his Majesty's recollection, that his faithful Commons "have already fubmitted to his Majefty, moft humbly, but most diftinctly, their opinion upon this fubject; that they can have no "interefts but thofe of his Majefty and of their Conftituents; "whereas it is neednefs to fuggeft to his Majefty's wifdom and difcernment, that individual advifers may be actuated by very dif"ferent motives.

6.

"To exprefs our most unfeigned gratitude for his Majefty's royal "affurances, that he does not call in queftion the right of this Houfe "to offer their advice to his Majefty on every proper occafion, touching the exercife of any branch of his royal prerogative, and of his Majefty's readiness at all times to receive fuch advice, and to give it the most attentive confideration.

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"To declare, that we recognize in these gracious expreffions, thofe "excellent and conftitutional fentiments, which we have ever been "accustomed to hear from the Throne, fince the glorious æra of the "Revolution,

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"have prefumed to advise his Majefty to act in contradiction to the uniform maxims which have hitherto governed the conduct of his Majefty, as well as every other Prince of his illuftrious Houfe, upon thofe who have difregarded the opinions and neglected the ad"monitions of the reprefentatives of his people; and who have thereby attempted to fet up a new fyftem of executive adminiftra"tion, which, wanting the confidence of this Houfe, and acting in "defiance to our refolution, must prove at once inadequate by its inefficiency to the neceffary objects of government, and dangerous by its example to the liberties of the people."

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At half past twelve o'clock the House divided, when there appeared for the motion,

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This day [March 8] there was another meeting of the Country Gentlemen at the St. Alban's Tavern, for the purpofe of trying one effort more to bring the Dukeof Portland and Mr. Pitt together. The ground of this last endeavour was, that as Mr. Pitt in his anfwer to the request of the Duke of Portland, to explain the meaning of the preliminary equal," before they fhould meet to negotiate an union, faid that the term would be beft explained in a perfonal conference, they thought it their duty, as the laft effort, to try to prevail on his Grace to agree to meet Mr. Pitt for the exprefs purpose of hearing his explanation of this term in his preliminary meffage. The Duke of Portland, by his letter, confented to the meeting, which was broke off on the old ground of objection; upon which the Country Gentlemen determined to fupport Mr. Fox's motion for the Representation to the King, fince all profpect of union was at an end.

March 9.] The order of the day was read for the Houfe to go into a Committee on the Mutiny Bill, on which the Speaker quitted the chair, and the House refolved itself into a Committee, Sir George Howard in the chair.

Sir George Yonge moved, "That these words be inferted, from the "24th of March, 1784, until the 24th of March, 1785," on which the motion was put and agreed to. On the 15th it paffed the House of Lords, and on the 24th received the Royal Affent.

March

March 12.] On a motion for a Parliamentary Reform, made by Mr. Sawbridge, and feconded by Mr. Alderman Newnham, the Houfe divided.

Noes
Ayes

Majority against a Reform

141

93

48

HOUSE OF LORDS.

PROROGATION.

March 24. His Majefty being feated on the Throne, the Commons were fent for, and being come with their Speaker, his Majefty gave the Royal Affent to feventeen public and fix private Bills, after which his Majefty made the following moft gracious Speech from the

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"In a full confideration of the prefent fituation of affairs, and of “the extraordinary circumftances which have produced it, I am in"duced to put an end to this feffion of Parliament: I feel it a duty, "which I owe to the conftitution and to the country in fuch a fitua"tion, to recur as fpeedily as poffible to the fenfe of my people, by "calling a new Parliament.

"I trust that this measure will tend to obviate the mischiefs arifing "from the unhappy divifions and diftractions which have lately fub"fifted; and that the various important objects which will require "confideration may be afterwards proceeded upon with lefs inter"ruption and with happier effect.

"I can have no other object, but to preferve the true principles of "our free and happy Conftitution, and to employ the powers entrufted "to me by law, for the only end for which they were given, the good "of my people."

Then the Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Juftice of the Court of King's Bench, Speaker of the Houfe of Lords, by his Majesty's command, faid,

My Lords and Gentlemen,

"It is his Majefty's royal will and pleasure, that this Parliament be "prorogued to Tuesday the 6th day of April next, to be then here

"holden;

"holden; and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday the 6th day of April next."

D

IS SOLUTION.

MARCH 25.

By the KING,

A PROCLAMATION,

For diffolving this prefent Parliament, and declaring the calling of another.

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GEORGE R.

"WHEREAS we have thought fit, by and with the advice of our Privy Council, to diffolve this prefent Parliament, which now "ftands prorogued to Tuesday the fixth day of April next. We "do, for that end, publifh this our Royal Proclamation, and do hereby diffolve the faid Parliament accordingly; And the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Knights, Citizens, and Burgeffes, and the Commiffioners for Shires and Burghs of the Houfe of "Common, are difcharged from their meeting and attendance "on Tuesday the faid fixth day of April next. And we being "defirous and refolved as foon as may be, to meet our people, and "to have their advice in Parliament, do hereby make known to all "our loving fubjects, our Royal will and pleasure to call a new Parliament. And do hereby further declare, that, with the advice of "our Privy Council, we have, this day, given our order to our Chancellor of Great Britain to iffue our writs, in due form, for "calling a new Parliament; which writs are to bear tefte on Friday "the twenty-fixth of this inftant March, and to be returnable on Tues day the eighteenth day of May following.

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"Given at our Court at the Queen's Houfe, the 25th day of "March, 1784, in the 24th year of our reign.'

GOD fave the KING.

As

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