the war to prevent his being driven from power, by the public clamour, which he justly dreaded, upon its not being carried on with fuccefs. But, Sir, there was no meafure so likely to excite a public clamour against him, as the making a peace. If the war had heen continued, and had not been fuccefsful, we all know that the want of fuccefs in war does not imply the want of parts in the commander, much lefs in the minilter. The want of fuccefs in war he might easily have imputed to the fault of others, or to thofe unforeseen but inevitable events, which fo frequently difappoint the moft penetrating fagacity, and invincible courage. But, for the peace, he knew he would be made anfwerable alone; and he knew alfo, that the almost miraculous fucceffs of the war, had raifed romantic expectations which it was impracticable to fulfil; and, therefore, that the peace, however advantageous upon rational principles, would be condemned as inadequate to thefe expectations. It was, however, reccliary for the nation to have peace, and expedient to make peace before a reverfe of fortune fhould leave fewer advantages in our power. The difgrace therefore which no other teemed willing to incur, by rendering this neceffary and important, though unpopular fervice, to his country, he voluntarily drew upon hielt, and facrificed to the pleasure of doing good, that, for which only the pleafure of doing good can compenfate. The honourable gentleman has waved an enquiry into the fuccefs of this minifter's project, with respect to imfelf: but I think, in juflice to his much injured character, it fhould be known.-When he had effected the great work in which he engaged, with that quiet fortitude, and that patient perfeverance which are the characteristics of a good confcience in a great mind; when the form which had been raifed against him was, in a great meafure, fpent by its own violence; when no new exigency of ftate could have been made an occafion of exciting new clamour, he quitted the poft that had been fo much envied, and parted with the power which the public caufe no longer made it neceflary for him to exert.'

Sir W- M defied that the addreffes of the commons on the peace of Ryfwick, Utrecht, and Aix-la-Chapelle, might be read, to fhew, that the words honourable and advantageous, were always inferted: he then fpoke in defence of the ability and integrity of the late prime minifter; and concluded by faying, that the nation was happy, not only in the peace, but the peace-maker, and that the only drawback upon that happiness, was, its not thinking fo.

Mr. E-S-P. then moved, that the question might be put, that the confideration of that matter might be adjourned till the first Monday after the Christmas receis: and faid, that as a change of affairs on the other fide of the water, had made them

think of an addrefs now, which they did not think of at the beginning of the feffion, it might happen, that before the time of refuming the fubject, another change might induce them not to think of it at all.

The question being then put for the adjournment, it passed in the negative.

Mr. P then moved, that the words, we are truly thankful to his Majefty for the honourable and advantageous peace, which his Majefty, through his great wifdon, and paternal concern for his fubjects, hath happily concluded for the benefit of his kingdoms,' be expunged from the addrefs.

Mr. W-H-. Not to enter into the dispute concerning the merits of the peace, or the peace-maker, I think the addreis propofed is improper at this time, whatever it might have been before and I think fo, because it cannot do now, what it would have done before. To do right is certainly the best way of attoning for having done wrong: but, in this cafe, prefenting an addrefs is not doing right. With respect to us, it would be inconfiftent and abfurd; and it would not even be a compliment to government. It could not be fuppofed to exprefs our fentiments, becaufe, if we had thought of the peace, as we are made to fay we do, in this addrefs, we certainly fhould have mentioned it in our addrefs on the fpeech from the throne, when we could not but fee, that fomething of this kind was expected: and, if it cannot be fuppofed to exprefs our fentiments, it can anfwer no purpose, but to fhew, that we are puppets, actuated from without; which can never do us credit, nor the peace honour. In fhort, allowing the peace to be the best that ever was made, we shall, in fact, only fhew, that fomething fhould have been done, which was not done. I have heard of a military officer, in a certain country, who enlifted the parifh-clerk, and, on the review-day, all the company fired at the fame time, with great order and dexterity, except the clerical recruit, who, a confiderable time after the reft, fired by himself. If he had not fired at all, nobody would have remarked his neglect; but firing fingly, and out of time, he betrayed himself: and the officer being greatly offended, Sirrah, fays he, ftriking him on the fhoulder, What do you mean by your AMEN hot? I should be forry, Sir, to have this story applied to us; and yet we fhall give fo fair an occafion, by the addrefs now propofed, that I think every gentleman who has the honour of the houfe at heart, fhould be against it. The parts of the addrefs, too, are fo oddly jumbled together!-In one paragraph, a traitorous libel; and in the next, an honourable peace, that they put me in mind of another ftory; "A lady who had not the fairest skin in the world, employed a limner to draw her picture, but the defired that a little negro girl, who waited upon her, should be

G 4

painted

painted with her; doubtless, that the colour of the negro's skin might fet off her own." I confefs I should be forry to hear the fame artifice imputed to this houfe, and yet, I know not how we fhall avoid it, if this addrefs be prefented. In whatever light I view this addrefs, it puts me in mind of fome flory; if I confider it, as intended to reconcile factions in England, and give a check to popular clamour, the ignorant vanity of this defign appears to me as ridiculous as that of a filly juftice in the great rebellion, who, hearing that Cromu ell was in the neighbourhood with thirty thoufand men, and that the royal army was not far off, fent out the parish-conftables to keep the peace. In a word, Sir, I am of opinion, that we fhould not appear to think more of ourselves, than our neighbours think of us. If we intermeddle officicufly with refpect to this peace, we may, for ought I know, be made to intermeddle, more than we are willing, in the next war. Let us leave the confideration of thefe matters to our betters, who have not afked us to confider them, nor enabled us fo to do. Let us keep our little skift out of the form, if we can, and fhew our dexterity by fteering clear of the rocks. I am forry to fay, that fome gentlemen feem to enquire where the rocks lie, in order to fteer upon them. We have heard a request, that the addreffes on the treaties of Ryfwick, Utrecht, and Aix-la Chapelle, may be read, in order that our prefent addrefs may be like them. I am forry to find that any thing relative to thofe treaties fhould be propofed for our imitation; and cannot but think very ill of any addrefs, that is to keep fuch bad company."

Mr. J— H— H— and the Right Hon. W- H-F- spoke for the addrefs, and brought many arguments to prove the pernicious tendency of libels, and the great advantages of the peace. Mr. H. F. then faid, that he was much furprised to bear the general fenfe of a nation ftigmatized with the name of a factious and turbulent difpofition. It was from the voice of the people, he faid, that he and every gentleman in that house derived their legiflative capacity, and that their conftituents had an undoubted right to their attention; that the firft effects of bad meafures always fell upon the people, and therefore the people were naturally the firft to complain; and that though he was the greatest enemy to licenticufnefs and rior, yet to popular complaints, however fpirited, he was a friend. An attention to thefe complaints, he faid, and a redrefs of the grievances that produred them, was the only way of preventing licentioufnefs and riot, which was confiftent with a free ftate: for to enforce bad meafures by an exertion of the very power that was intrufted with government for rendering good meatures officacious, was the worft of tyranny. Nothing could more radically frike at the natural rights of mankind, than first

to

to opprefs them; then by refufing to redrefs their grievances, compel them to attempt redreffing themfelves; and, finally, making that attempt a pretence of fubjecting them to new evils, under the fpecious profeffion of punishing a feditious and turbulent fpirit. As to the fubject in debate, he faid, the popular opinion was certainly against the peace; and it was equally certain that this popular opinion was the opinion of the house two months ago. What had happened to change that opinion, he faid, he could not guefs, any more than what should induce them to make a declaration contrary to their opinion, fuppofing it not to be changed: fo that the addrefs was equally a mystery to him, whether it was, or was not, fuppofed to be fincere. He faid that what he knew to have happened, during the lat two months, rather tended to confirm than deftroy the opinion of the peace, which was then adopted by the houfe, for that the stocks had fallen, and he always confidered them as the true barometer of public credit. He hoped, therefore, that gentlemen would take this occafion to fhew, that as they were free to form opinions contrary to minifterial measures, they had firmnefs to abide by them, and to appear to abide by them in oppofition to minifterial influence, and to the difappointment of minifterial arts.

The queftion being then put, upon Mr. P-'s motion, for expunging the paragraph, which contained thanks for the peace as advantageous and honourable, it paffed in the negative.

A motion was then made, and the queftion put, that an amendment be made to the motion for the addrefs, by inferting between the words conflitution and that, these words and at the fame time to exprefs our general fatisfaction and joy at feeing the principles of liberty vindicated and maintained, and the rights of the fubject protected from the invafion of power, by the juft determination and fpirited conduct of one of his Majefty's judges, and of an English jury.'

It paffed in the negative.

Then the propofed question for an address being put, it passed in the affirmative.

On Monday Jan. 23, the fiftieth day of the feffion, Sir Wm. Ofborne moved, that an order fhould be iffued requiring the registers of the feveral diocefes in the kingdom to make a return of the names of the non-refident beneficed clergymen of the refpective parishes of their diocefes. Upon which Mr Mr. JH-spoke as follows:

'Mr. S― I beg leave to propofe, as an amendment of the order, that an addition may be made, to the following effect: "Such clergymen who have not proper accommodations in their own parishes, and who live only at fuch a distance as to be able to fulfil their parochial duties; and fuch as having more

benefices

benefices than one, refide on any one of their benefices, not to be deemed non-refident." My reafon for the amendment, Sir, is to prevent undeferved cenfure, from falling upon the cloth: for as I think a neglect of duty, in the facred function, one of the greatest crimes that can be committed, I fhould be forry to have it imputed to thofe who are not guilty. I muit, however, farther declare, that though I think the motion well intended, and would moft heartily concur in any meafure for compelling the clergy to perform a duty fo important as that of their calling, and for which, no lefs than a tenth part of the natural produce of the kingdom is allotted them; yet, I think, it is ill-timed, and that our concurrence in the motion at this time, would be productive of greater evil, than it is intended to remove. It is univerfally allowed, Sir, that the commotions in the north have been principally directed against the clergy: and the general contempt into which they are fallen at this critical time, is too notorious to ftand in need of proof; and as it is of the utmost importance to difcourage thefe commotions, and fupport the clergy against this contempt, I think we ought, by no means, to lay any of them under the public cenfure of this house, though they have not refided on their livings; nor even to enquire whether they have refided on their livings or not; before our cenfure has fallen upon the licentious and daring affociations, that have been entered into against them. I, therefore, humbly propofe that the confideration of this question be poftponed till we have received the report of the committee, ap-. pointed to enquire into the northern infurrections, and passed our cenfure accordingly.'

Sir Wm. Ofborne. Mr. S-, as I cannot be fuppofed to have any intention of cenfuring thofe clergy for non-refidence, who either are refident, or would be refident if they could, I think I need fay nothing to defend my motion against the defect which the honourable gentleman has been fo good as to fupply. But against the charge of its being ill-timed, I can irrefragably defend it, by the very arguments which have been brought to fupport the charge. It has been faid that the clergy are fallen into contempt, and that they have been the principal object of the rifings in the north, and that for these reasons no enquiry fhould be now made into their conduct, nor any cenfure paffed upon it, fuppofing it to have been worthy of cenfure. Now, Sir, I draw confequences directly contrary from the fame premifes. If they have fallen into contempt, and become fo odious as to be oppofed, even at the rifk of life, it is, furely, high time for us, to enquire whether thefe evils are not the effects of their own conduct; and if it appears that they have neglected their duty, the most effectual way to eftablish their credit, is to oblige them to fulfil it. It has been faid that we ought first to

proceed