loyal fubjects, the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament affembled, return your Majefty the thanks of this Houfe, for your moft gracious fpeech from the throne.

We beg leave to acknowledge, with fincere and hearty thanks, your Majesty's royal care and attention to the important and critica! state of public affairs fince the last fef fion, and particularly for having been graciously pleased to direct your meafures to promote a cordial reconciliation between Great Britain and America.

Permit us to exprefs to your Majesty our fatisfaction that your Majefty, in the exercife of the powers which were vefted in your Majefty, has laid the foundation of a peace with that country, and has actually agreed upon articles to be concluded whenever terms are finally fettled with the court of France. We most ardently with, that religion, language, interefts, and affection, may yet prove the bond of permanent union between the two countries.

We are impreffed with a due fenfe of the advantages refulting from the fafety of the great branches of our trade, and of the happy fuccefs which we owe to the fpirit of your Majefty's fleet: And we reflect with peculiar pleasure on the uninterrupted continuance of our domeftic tranquillity, and the fignal inftances of public fpirit which the fituation of the country has called forth.

We rejoice to learn that advances have been made towards a general pacification, at a moment fo fuitable to your Majefty's dignity, and to your gracious and parental regard to the lives of your Majesty's brave and gallant fubjects.

We defire to thank your Majesty for having promifed to acquaint us as foon as the terms are concluded; and to allure your Majesty of our refolution to take every meafure to fecond the most vigorous efforts in the further profecution of the war, if any unforeseen change in the difpofitions of the belligerent powers should frustrate your Majefty's confident expectations of peace.

We are anxious to offer the warmest return of gratitude to your Majefty, for your gracious difpofition to diminish the burdens of your people; and to affure your Majefty, that your faithful Commons will, as they ought, most zealously co-operate in fuch measures as may be neceffary to give ftabilis ty to regulations for that purpose. We will cheatfully provide for the deficiency of the. fum granted last year for the difcharge of the debt on your Majesty's civil lift.

We will apply ourselves, with the most ferious attention, to the many important points which your Majefty is pleased to recommend to our confideration: We will do every thing in our power to remedy the evils which may be apprehended from the general fcarcity of corn; to put a stop to the alarm

ing excefs of theft and robbery, and the caufes from which those crimes originate; and to lay the foundation of a gradual redemption of the public debt, by a fired courfe of payment.

We recollect, with great fatisfaction, thofe liberal measures adopted with regard to the rights and commerce of Ireland, which will, we truft, infure the harmony which ought always to fubfift between the two kingdoms. And we shall be ready to confider of fuch a general revifion of our trading fyftem as may, in the prefent circumstances, be wife and eipedient.

We are truly fenfible of the neceffity of framing fuch regulations as are adapted to the fituation of our affairs in the Eaft Indies. And we beg leave to affure your Majesty, that it will be our great object, in all our deliberations, to manifeft that temper, and those principles, which your Majesty is pleafed to inculcate, and which are required of us, by the duty we owe to your Majesty, to our conftituents, and to ourselves."

IN the House of Lords, the Marquis of Carmarthen, in moving for the address, approved, in terms of the livelieft gratitude and refpect, the fentiments contained in the fpeech. He hoped the addrefs would be onanimously agreed to; that fentiments and intentions fo gracious would be received with that affection and reverence which they deferved; and that, in expreffing thefe feel. ings, there would not be a diffentient voice. He touched briefly on the great importance of unanimity in the prefent moment, the moft critical to this country of any that had ever paffed. There had happened a revo lution, he faid, in the hiftory of the world America was diffevered from the British deminions, and formed into an independra empire. The famenefs of language, of relis gion, of habits, and of difpofitions, be ho ped would re-establish and long preferve an affection and intercourfe between the colenies and the parent-ftate. America, he tufted, would not be wholly loft to Britain. I the prefent negotiations for peace should he interrupted by any untoward accident, he doubted not but the fpirit of this country would enable his Majesty's fervants to profe cute the war with vigour. This is the mo ment for Britain to exert herfelf. Surrounded by the glory of victory, now-now is the moment for honourable peace. Our comb ned foes are baffled in the schemes they had nearest to their heart: Gibraltar is relieved: Jamaica has no dread of invafion. Never was there a period in our hiftory when the naval power of this country appeared at fuch a height; never were its glories fo refplen dent. This country poffeffed refources, not only of wealth, but of men, of able and brave officers, whofe merit was an honour to themselves, and a fubject of confolation to

their country. He concluded with an earneft perfuafive to unanimity.

Lord Hawke feconded the motion. Lord Radnor faid, there was a paffage in the King's fpeech fo fraught with paternal tenderness, that he was aftonished it fhould have escaped the notice of the Noble Lord who moved the addrefs, and had fo ably commented upon almost every other part of that excellent communication of the Royal mind. He then adverted to the paffage fetting forth the facrifice his Majefty had made of his own feel ings, to what he confidered the fenfe of his parliament, in regard to the declaration of American independence. Impreffed as my mind is, faid Lord Radnor, I move your Lordfhips, that the following amendment may be made to the address, in that part where we acknowledge our gratitude to his Majefty for his paternal affection in facrificing his particular feelings to the general wishes of his people, and we are fully perfuaded, that this is not only now, but ever has been, the fentiments of his own breast."

Lord Sandwich faid, he by no means rofe to discountenance the address; unanimity of fentiment was never more neceffary than on the prefent occafion. Our enemies were ready to profit by our divifions at a period when a negotiation was on foot, on which the falvation of this country in a great measure depended. Whilft he thus, however, expreffed his warm concurrence with refpect to the addrefs, he did not mean to preclude himself from a fubfequent freedom of opinion and fentiment with regard to the various topics which it contained, when thefe fhould formally and regularly come under the difcuffion of their Lordships. The prefent conjuncture, important as it might feem, was not a period of defpondency. The last campaign had been a glorious one. The prefent moment was that of victory. The two grand objects of the Houfe of Bourbon were finally defeated. By the vigorous and unremitted exertions, by the exemplary bravery of a great and diftinguished officer, the enemy had been repulfed from Gibral tar; they had found it impregnable: and, by the no less extraordinary activities and brilliant fuccefs of a great naval commander, Jamaica had been refcued from an attack, to which the collected force of the foes of this country had been originally directed. Thefe events had raised the drooping fpirits of the nation, and founded a just claim to demand the most honourable terms of pacification. In this country, exhaufted as to fome melancholy minds it might feem, there were Aill ample refources for carrying on a which in its infue he made no doubt would be glorious for the nation. We had, therefore, a right to a juft, honourable, and equal peace-fuch a peace, and no other, would have his confent.

war,

His Lordship obferved, that, in the progrefs of the prefent negotiation, the perfons employed in conducting it should beware of binding themselves by any restrictions, which, in the event of future contingencies, might be ultimately prejudicial to the interefts of this country-Reforms had been talked of and projected by thofe now in power. He was by no means fond of fuch innovations. He was heartily convinced the prefent conftitution was the best, and the prefent reprefentation in parliament the most eligible that had been devifed; and that all change of ftate-principle would be dangerous to the happiness, liberty, and permanent intereft of the country.

Lord Stormont faid, he did not stand up to oppofe the addrefs. At the prefent conjuncture the eyes of our foreign enemies were fixed upon us. They eagerly waited for the moments of division and difcontent, and were ready to foment thofe domeftic diftractions which had fo long torn the internal constitution of this country at home, and marred the fuccefs of her arms abroad. In giving, however, his confent to the addrefs, he wifhed not to be understood to bring himself under any obligation to approve of thofe doctrines ftated in it in their fulleft extent. There were fome exceptionable paffages in the King's fpeech, which, being always confidered in a parliamentary view as the fpeech of the minifter, he would more freely canvafs. We have been told by the Noble Lord who moved the addrefs, that the navy of England is now at a height of grandeur unexampled in our history. I shall record the remark, and compare it with the refult of our prefent negotiations. But what is this provifional compact, made by our commiffioners with the commiflioners of America ? Does it not plainly import the most prepo. fterous conduct that it was poffible for a miniftry of the greatest imbecillity to have fal- . len into? Does it not say, that without any condition, any qualification, any ftipulation. whatfoever, America fhall be independent whenever France chufes to make a peace with us? Is not this provifional compact irrevocable? Doth it not declare the matter in con tention given up? Is not independence given to the Americans, without the poflibility of retraction? Let France, Spain, and Holland, now war as they pleafe, the former grounds on which they fought grounds by no means tenible by honour, are now changed. America has been treated with on an independent footing. This treaty has been without equivalent. Britain has been made to abandon the refpe&able, the powerful rights it formerly occupied, and must meet with that contempt from all Europe, which fo filly a dereliction mot defervedly draws on it. The fpeech mentions his Majesty's taking thefe meafures in correfpondence

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with the wishes of parliament. Where have thefe wishes appeared? Will any Noble Lord rife and tell me, that a refolution of the House of Commons conveys the wifhes of parliament? Surely not. The conftitution is not fo iil understood, at this time of day, as to suppose any man fo ignorant. By what means, then, is his Majefty to be confidered to have collected the fenfe of parliament? I fee none. His Lordship then reafoned from hiftory and particular treaties. When Philip III. of Spain treated with bis revolted fubjects of the United Provinces of the Netherlands on the footing of independency, he obtained, as the price of this conceffion, a truce of twelve years, a truce from the year 1609 to 1622, the commencement of the reign of Philip IV. He obtained indemnity and oblivion for all the partizans of his government, and the free exercife of the Catholic religion, if they should chufe to remain in the low countries, without any flare of political power; or they were permitted to retire with their effects to any part of the Spanish dominions. And at the peace of Munter, the Spanish nation, by perfeverance in arms, retained ten out of feventeen provinces, more than two thirds of the whole in value and extent of territory. Why fhould not Britain follow this example of perfeverance? Why should the relinquish all her colonies, without refervation? The Dutch deferted their alliance with France, in order to make a separate peace with Spain at Munster; fo, if we reafon from human nature, difplayed in the conduct of nations, is there not ground to hope that the Americans might one day renounce their connection with France in like manner? It is well enough known, continued his Lordship, that when his Majefty's troops took pofleffion of Charlestown, the French did not heftate to declare, at different times, that they did not think that it was poflible to wreft the whole of the thirteen colonies from Britain. France, even ambitious France, was avowedly of opinion, that you might retain the fouth ern provinces. You are doing your felves what the united power of your enemies could not force you to do. The political veffel, on board of which you are passengers, is in the midst of aftorm, which the has long weathered; and, from an impatience of toil, you advife to run her into the enemy's port, Nature had placed Britain in the neighbourhood of a powerful, proud, and ambitious rival, envious of her profperity and glory. America and Britain united, the knew, were able to refift the attacks of Europe confederated against them. It was her object to diffolve the union that formed fo mighty a power and this the has effected at a time when the die was caft, when fortune favoured, when the feale was turned. He did not reafon concerning the illegality of

making peace on the terms be fufpected were propofed, but concerning the political wisdom or expediency of fuch a measure. But while his Lordship allowed the right of making peace or war, in general, to the crown, a difmemberment of the empire could not be made without the authority of the estates of the kingdom. His Lordihip then spoke on the fubject of the American loyalifts; and infifted that they ought not, either in juftice or good policy, to be abandoned; but that they fhould be reftored to the full enjoyment of all their privileges and eftates. Here, too, he reafoned from hiftory; from certain articles refpecting the indemnity of the Catalonians, in a peace concluded, about half a century ago, between Spain and England; from the cafe of the fubjects of France and Hol land, who were mutually pardoned and reftored to their privileges, upon a truce or peace between those powers. When firft a peace was talked of, when the House of Commons determined to give up offenfive war against America, it had been advanced by those who advised that measure, that there were perfons in London authorised to treat for a feparate peace between America and Great Britain; but, upon inquiry, no fuch perfons were to be found. A negoti tion is opened at Paris, under the eye and direction of the French miniftry; under their vigilant and penetrating eye, that law, and purfued invariably, the interest of the monarchy. Great Britain, in the midft of the moft noble atchievements by fea and land, receiving on the bended knee the law fram revolted subjects, in alliance with her inve terate foe, was a spectacle he could not be hold without indignation and grief. conjured their Lordships to confider, that the lofs of America would be felt by Great Britain in a double proportion; for what was taken from the fcale of England wa thrown into that of France.

Lord Shelburne immediately arofe. He faid, it was a subject of to much uicety, that he hoped he would have been, at fo critical a featon, faved the perplexity of handling in the face of the world. Yet as his conduct was called in question by a Noble Lord,—late as the hour was, he would meet him on this cafion. The whole of his Lordship's anima verfions may be fairly divided into two poros The one refpects the irrevocability of the provisional treaty made with America, under which head all he has faid refpecting the loyalifts falls of course. The other head re gards the King's declaration of his having conformed to the wishes of his parliament in his treating with America. Now, his Lor fhip might have faved himself a vall walle of cloquence on both thefe heads, if he had er amined the terms of the fpeech with any gree of accuracy. In the first place, he would

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