never had, and he trufted they nefs, and openness, they attributed never would. He concluded, that the failure in every fcheme of acthe King's fervants in the other commodation which had been hiHoufe were certainly entrufted with therto adopted. the fecrets of government, and were competent judges for themfelves, of what ought, and what ought not to be difclofed. That he, alfo, having the fame right of judging for himself, held his firft opinion, that the motion was of an extent which neither wifdom nor found policy could agree with; and that it was dangerous and unprecedented to give fuch papers to the public as were now demanded, pending a negociation. The debate, as ufual, wandered over a great part of the American affairs; but the ground, however wide in extent, had been already fo frequently traverfed, that it could not afford much novelty. A federal commercial union was talked of by fome as the only hope now left with regard to America. Others ftill thought, that an accommodation was not yet impofible. That if propofals really amicable, accompanied by equally good difpofitions, were made; and that thefe were fupported by that unfeigned fincerity, that fairness of defign and opennefs of conduct, which can alone reftore confidence, and which would even in fome degree regain affection, the Americans might ftill be induced to coalefce with this country in fuch a degree of union, as, along with fecuring all their own rights, might preferve to her a monopoly of their trade; the only advantage which, in juftice or wifdom, they infifted, that Great Britain fhould ever have fought from her colonies. But to the want of thofe difpofitions, of that fincerity, fairVOL. XXI. A renewal of the fevere cenfures, which the mover of the prefent motion had in a late debate paffed upon the conduct of the noble Lord at the head of the American department, and which now feemed to be directed with new fervour, called that minifter again to enter into fome defence or justification of his measures. In the warmth incident to fuch a fituation, the noble minister was led or furprized into an acknowledgement, that, notwithstanding the great power and vaft refources of this country, the bravery of our fleets and armies, and the ability of our officers, he began to defpair of the practicability of reducing the Americans to obedience by force of arms, if they fhould continue to preferve their union entire. He alfo acknowledged, that he had great reafon to doubt the validity of much of the information which he had received from that quarter; but infifted that his meafures would be found perfectly juftifiable, when candidly compared with the information on which they were founded; and that it would appear, they muft neceffarily have been crowned with fuccefs if that had been true. He, notwithftanding thefe acknowledgements, perfifled in his opinion, as to the propriety of continuing the war, and of the moft decifive exertion in its profecution; reprobated the idea of a federal union with rebels; declared America to be nearly ruined, and fuffering under every fpecies of human mifery and cala. mity; and, building much upon [E] the the difunion of the feveral colonies, as well as of the people in each, and on the accounts, which, though not fufficiently authenticated, he had reafon to believe to be true, of the great fucceffes of Sir William Howe, he ftill enter tained an expectation, expectation, that if means were deviled to prevent the fecret affiftance which they received from fome of the European powers, the Americans might ftill be compelled to return to their duty. This unexpected acknowledgement of matters which had been fo often urged on the other fide, to fhew the impolicy of the conteft in its origin, with the hopeleffnefs of fuccefs, and the ruinous confequences of the purfuit, coming from fuch a quarter, feemed at once a dereliction of all the strong ground of argument, and to afford the most incontrovertible evidence of the wisdom and neceffity of bringing the troubles to that speedy conclufion, which was fo much contended for on the other fide. In taking this ground, the oppofition animadverted on the fuppofed incongruity of feveral parts of his Lordship's fpeech and conclufions. He acknowledges, faid they, the impracticability of fubduing the colonies if they continue united; he does not pretend that he is certain that they are not united; and yet he urges the profecution of the war, although, upon his own ftate of the queftion, there is not the fmalleft hope of fuccefs. They infifted, that it was not yet too late for an accommodation, founded upon clear, permanent, and conftitutional princi. ples, which, though not affording all the advantages we enjoyed, before they were feattered by our folly and injuftice, would ftill be of the greatest utility to this country. But that, if the minifters perfifted any longer in their system of devaftation and carnage, and placed their trust of fubduing minds and affections in the tomohawk and fcalping knife, there could be no doubt but the temper and minds of the Americans would become fo foured and alienated, by repeated cruelties and renewed loffes, that they would never after liften to any terms of accommodation, nor agree to hold any political relation whatever with this country. One of the noble Lord's grounds of hope (fuch hope as it was) confifted in keeping from them the clandeftine aid of foreign powers. What reafon had they to think that fuch aid would not be continued, in creafed, and avowed? The minifters would, however, at now, they faid, as they had done in many former parts of the American bufinefs. They firft predicted events, and then purfued fuch a line of conduct, as of neceffity verified their predictions. Thus they afferted, that independency was the fole and original aim of the colonies; but finding that the people were exceedingly backward in applying to that laft and fatal refort, they adopted fuch effectual meafures of violence and injustice, as drove them headlong into independence. They now affert that the Americans will not liften to any terms of accommodation; and they will accordingly purfue the fame effectual meafures, until they have driven them fo faft into the arms of France, that it will not be in. their power, if they were even fo difpofed, ever to look back, much lefs to return, to their an cient political connexions with of the gallant General and his this country. The queftion being at length put, it foon appeared that the minister had not adoped that part of the alternative which had been propofed to him on the other fide of voting in a minority; and Mr. Fox's motion, for laying thofe papers before the Commons, which had been granted to the Lords, was, in a manner which in other feafons would have been deemed incredible, rejected upon a divifion, by a majority of 178 to 89. Dec. 3d. The fucceeding day was marked by the difclofure of the melancholy catastrophe of General Burgoyne's expedition, and the unhappy fate of the brave but unfortunate northern army at Saratoga. A difclofure which excited no lefs confterna tion, grief, and aftonifhment in both Houfes, than it did of difmay on the fide of the minifters. The noble Lord at the head of the American department, being called upon by a gentleman in oppofition for the purport of the difpatches which were received from Canada, was the unwilling relater of that melancholy event, in the Houfe of Commons. This of courfe brought out, with fresh fervour and additional afperity, all the cenfures and charges that ever had been, or that could be, paffed or made, whether relative to the principle or policy of the conteft, the conduct of the war, or the general incapacity of the ministers. After condemning and reprobating the latter in terms of the utmost severity, the oppofition applied the moft pathetic expreffions which our language affords, to deplore the fate brave army, who, they said, after furmounting toils, dangers, and difficulties, which fhould have crowned them with lafting glory and honour, and fhewing themfelves fuperior to every thing, excepting only the injuftice of the caufe in which they were engaged, and the inherent fatality of that ill-ftarred direction under which they acted, were fo overwhelmed in the joint operation of thefe concurring caufes, as not only to be plunged into irretrievable ruin, but, alfo, what had never before happened to fuch men, nor could ever again be the reward of fuch actions, they were finally funk into difgrace. They condemned the whole plan and defign of the expedition in the moft unqualified terms. Said, that it was an abfurd, an inconfiftent, and an impracticable scheme, unworthy of a British minifter, and which the chief of a tribe of favages would have been afhamed to acknowledge. They reminded the American minifter that they were not judging from events, but how often and earneftly they had warned him of the fatal confequences of his favourite plan. When they had truly foretold the event, they were only laughed at, and told they were fpeaking in prophecy; was he yet fatisfied of the truth of their predictions? Ignorance, they faid, had stamped every step taken during the expedition; but it was the ignorance of the minifter, not of the General; a minifter who would venture, fitting in his clofet, to direct, not only the general operations, but all the particular movements of a war carried on in the interior de[E] 2 ferts ferts of America, and at a diftance of three thousand miles. A junction between Howe and Burgoyne was the object of this expedition; a measure which might be effected without difficulty by fea in lefs than a month; but the minifter chooses it fhould be performed by land, and what means does he ufe for the accomplishment of this purpofe? Why, truly, faid they, as it was neceflary for the armies to meet, it might have been reafonably imagined, that the northern army would have advanced to the fouthward, or the fouthern to the northward; or if it were intended that they fhould meet any where about the center, that they would both have fet out in thofe directions about the fame time; but the mi nifter, defpifing fuch fimple and natural means of effecting a junction, difpatches one army from New York ftill farther fouth, and fends the other to follow it from Canada in the fame direction; fo that if they both continued their courfe till doomsday, it would be impoffible for them to meet. But the, noble Lord, they faid, was the implicit flave of report, and the continual dupe to the falfe informations of men, who were interested in his deception; men who profited of the common calamities of England and America. Thus, on one day we had only a trifling mob to quell; nine tenths of the people were not only zealoufly but violently attached to government; and yet, most strange to tell, this vast majority of the people, as if loyalty had deprived them of all the powers and properties of men, fuffered themselves to be fleeced and driven like fheep by that ragged handful of their own rabble. The next day, when we were to ranfack Europe for troops, and exhauft Great Britain to maintain them, the Americans were fuddenly become numerous and powerful. The delufion was then become highly contagious; and they were to be brought to their fenfes by nothing fhort of the exertion of the whole ftrength of this country. Again, we were told that the Americans were all cowards; a grenadier's cap was fufficient to throw whole provinces into panics; it seemed, however, odd enough, that 55,000 men, with an immenfe naval force, fhould be fent to reduce poltrons. Will the minifter now venture to fay, that the gallant army at Saratoga, with a noble artillery, and conducted by officers of the most diftinguished merit, were compelled to the difgrace of refigning their arms and their liberty, by a wretched, contemptible rabble, without fpirit or difcipline? But fuch, they faid, was the mifreprefentation and falfehood, which, partly intended to impofe upon the nation, and partly operating upon the wretched folly, credulity, and incapacity of the minifters themfelves, had already led to the lofs of America, and to our prefent ftate of calamity and difgrace; and which, under the foftering influence of that perverfe blindness and obftinacy, which have been so long the bane, and at the fame time the only diftinction, of our public counfels, would terminate in the final deftruction of this country. The time and occafion did not ferve for bold words or lofty language on the fide of adminiftration. The minifters, indeed, were fufficiently humbled. The noble Lord Lord at the head of affairs acknowledged that he was unfortunate. He, at the fame time, juftified his intentions; and declared that he was and would be ready, whenever the general voice of the Houfe defired it, to enter into an explanation of his conduct, and a defence of his measures. He alfo declared, that no man from the beginning had wifhed more earneftly for peace than he had done himself, nor would do more to obtain it now; and that if the laying down of his place and his honours could accomplish that withed for purpose, he would gladly refign them all. He faid, that he had been dragged to his place against his will; but that, however difagreeable it might be, whilft he continued in poffeffion, he would fupport it to the beft of his power. He concluded by obferving, (the Houfe being then in a committee of supply) that whatever their future determination as to peace or war might be, it was neceffary they fhould grant the fupplies which were now demanded; as, if even a ceffation of arms fhould take place, the expences muft ftill continue, until the armies were brought home, and difcharged or reduced. The American minifter declared, that he was ready to fubmit his conduct in planning the late expedition to the judgment of the House. If it appeared impotent, weak, and ruinous, let the cenfure of the Houfe fall upon bim. He was ready to abide it, as every minifter who had the welfare of his country at heart, fhould at all times, he faid, be ready to have his conduct fcrutinized by his country. But having alfo faid fomething, of wishing that the Houfe would not be over hafty in condemnation, that they would fufpend their judgment on the conduct both of the General and of the Minifter relative to this unhappy event; hoping that the conduct of both would appear free from guilt; thefe expreflions, or fome others of the fame nature, being confidered as tending to criminate, or infir uate blame on the General, were highly refented on the other fide, and contributed not a little to that feverity of cenfure which he experienced on this day. On the following day feveral motions for papers and accounts, deemed neceffary for the information of the future committee into the ftate of the nation, were made by Colonel Barre, and agreed to by the Houfe. Thefe took in an account of all the grants for the payment of national and foreign troops from the 29th of Sept. 1774; -of the officers appointed to collect the ftamp duties in America ; of the recruits raifed in Great Britain and Ireland,-and of the perfons appointed to act in the Commiffariate of America; all within the time first given. 4th. Upon receiving the report from the committee of fupply, that 682,8161. fhould be granted for the ordinaries and extraordinaries of the office of ordnance in the enfuing year; the magnitude of the fum rouzed the oppofition into action, and occafioned a motion by Sir P. Jennings Clerke, to recommit the report. In the fpeech made by that gentleman in fupport of his motion, he charged the perfeverance of the minifters in their pre[E] 3 fent |