HE of are

Tinfeparable from a free confti

tution; and when they are directed by patriotifm and public virtue, they are beneficial in the greatest degree, and fupport order and political liberty. In England, parties have exifted from the earliest times; but while they have frequently promoted the national good, they have often engendered misfortunes and calamity. For the private interefts and paffions of men will infenfibly intermingle in their public tranfactions; and by diftracting the councils of the kingdom, diminish its power and profperity. Of late years the violence of party and faction has been uncommonly great, and fatally deftructive. It has brought the nation very nearly to the brink of deftruction; and it feems to threaten and to foster new dangers and diftrefs.

The promifing and virtuous admi

niftration of the marquis of Rock

ingham did not laft long. His death opened the way for the advancement of the earl of Shelburne; and this noble lord, while he was poffeffed of ability, application, and vigour, found himfelf in a fituation which afforded many symptoms of stability and confequence. He had the confidence of his fovereign; the odium of hoftile measures against the Americans was at an end; negociations had been opened for peace; and the glory of the relief of Gibraltar by lord Howe had excited and flattered the national pride. After the miferies and loffes of a most unhappy war, a fcene of peaceful profperity was about to prefent itfelf; and the nation, difpofed to be pleafed, was about to forget its inquietudes. In this fitua ion, the parliament was called to affemble; A 2

and

and the king addreffed himself to it from the throne, Dec. 5. 1782.

He obferved, that he had loft no time in giving the neceffary orders for prohibiting an offenfive war against the Americans; and that he had been directing his views to a cordial reconciliation with them. Such being his own inclination, and fuch the fenfe of his parliament and people, he had not hesitated to make them the offer of declaring them free and independent ftates, by an article to be inferted in the treaty of peace. Provifional articles were even agreed upon, to take effect when the terms of accommodation could be finally adjusted with the court of France. He deplored this difmemberment of his empire, which had become a matter both of policy and prudence; but teftified a hope that religion, anguage, intereft, and affection would yet prove a permanent tie of union between the two countries. He spoke with pride and fatisfaction of the gallant defence of the governor and the garrifon of Gibraltar; and of the honour acquired by his fleet, which had offered battle to the combined force of France and Spain upon their own coafts. He expreffed the fincerity with which he would endeavour by every measure in his power to diminish the burthens of his people; he had recommended to his commons an immediate attention to the great object of public receipts and expenditure, and above all to the ftate of the public debt. the parliament in general he remarked the great excefs to which the crimes of theft and robbery had grown, and the perfonal violence with which they were often accompanied; and intimated the neceffity which of confequence prevailed for a ftrict and fevere execution of the Jaw. He bestowed his approbation on the liberal principles which had

To

been adopted with regard to the rights and the commerce of Ireland. He preffed a revifion of our whole fyftem of trade, with a view to its fullest extenfion; and turning his attention to Afia, he pointed out our vaft poffeffions there as a moft important object of regulation and care. He declared that the true fpirit of the conftitution would be the invariable rule of his conduct; and he called upon his parliament to exer. cife their temper, wifdom, and dif intereftedness.

A motion for an addrefs of thanks to his majesty for this gracious fpecch was made in the house of commons by Mr. Yorke, and feconded by Mr. Banks. Thefe gentlemen echoed back the fentiments of the king, and indulged themfelves in expreffions of loyalty, zeal, and fupport. They confidered the conceffion of inde pendence to America as an acquifition which her own arms had obtained to her; but they difplayed the probability which there exifted that the old and established habits of commerce would continue between the two countries. They described in ftrong language our naval fucceffes in the West Indies and at Gibraltar; painted the diftrefles to which our enemies had been reduced; and infifted on the advantages which might accrue to us from a general pacification at a period when our treafury was exhaufted, and our debts had amounted to a moft enormous fum. They trufted that it would be efteemed politic to make fome facrifices as the price of a durable peace; and feemed to hint that the best means of obtaining it would be the furrender of fome of those objects which had induced the contending powers to engage in hoftilities. Spain, once gratified, would not eafily be difpofed to renew the contentions of war. France was

tired of a struggle which had involv. ed her in a ruinous expence; and our condition was fuch, that a long tract of peace, with a strict attention to trade and œconomy were become neceffary to recover our ftrength and grandeur.

Mr. Fox expreffed his fatisfaction that the miniftry had adopted the expedient of avowing the independence of America. That a fair declaration to this purpose was infinitely proper, had been long his firm opinion. It was not the plan of the prefent cabinet. The country was indebted to it to a former adminiftration. But while the conceffion was honourable upon our part, it conferred nothing upon America. She was already independent by the vigour of her councils and her arms; and it was beyond our utmost efforts to fubdue her. In approving the measure of avowing the independence of America intimated from the throne, he was not however without fome apprehenfions of the minifters. He had ceafed to act with the earl of Shelburne, because he diftrufted his candour. He had quitted a fituation where he had found himself encompaffed with fnares. Nor was he certain that, in the present inftance, there was no intention of artifice and treachery. He fufpected that the terms of the propofed peace was improper; and rather than confent to what was dithonourable, he would give his voice for a continuance and vigorous profecution of the war. Our fituation was indeed fufficiently gloomy; but it was not altogether defperate and a bafe fervility and fubmiffion could only lead to defpondency and ruin. He did not understand what conceffions were to be made as the price of a general pacification. Was Gibraltar to be given up to Spain? Such an idea

had gone abroad; and it was not impoffible but that it had been a dopted. He was convinced, notwithstanding, that there was nothing in our fituation which could justify the furrender of a fortress which was fo valuable and so important. But though he had no reason to rely on the virtue of the earl of Shelburne, he had hopes in the fincerity of his colleagues; and he would therefore, avoid to oppose the addrefs, or to offer an amendment upon it.

In the courfe of the debate it was urged on the part of administration, that the intentions of the ministry were the most fair and honourable; that the fpeech from the throne was the platform of the fyftem which they were purfuing; and that when it confifted with the fecrecy and delicacy infeparable from great affairs, the negociations for a treaty with America would be fubmitted to the fcrutiny of the parliament., An extreme candour difplayed itself in contending factions, and the address was unanimously agreed to.

In the house of peers, a motion for an addrefs of thanks to the king was made by lord Carmarthen, and feconded by lord Hawke. While the fpeech from the throne met with general approbation, the expectation was entertained that the parent state would ftill derive the greatest advantages from its offspring. But till a firm pacification took place, it was argued that it would te impolitic to relax the preparations for war; and that the good of the country would best be promoted by a happy and permanent understanding between the crown, the lords, and the commons. Sufpicions, notwithftanding, were infinuated against the earl of Shelburne; and afforded him an opportunity of explaining him. felf. He faid that he had exerted

A 3

the

the full extent of his ability to promote the interefts of his country; but at the present moment it was not proper for him to reveal the fecrets of government. When it be came him to throw himself before the juftice of his country, he would do it with pleasure. He had endeavoured to find out if there was any poffible method of restoring America to this country, before he had granted the offer of its independency. It was not his natural defire to yield up this independency he had fubmitted to the controlling power of neceffity and fate. "It was not I, faid he, that made this ceffion. It was the evil ftar of Britain it was the blunders of a former administration: it was the power of revolted fubjects, and the mighty arms of the house of Bourbon." But notwithstanding the offer of independency which had been made to America, he would ftill ftrenuoufly contend to revive the habits of affection and intercourse between that country and England. These habits fortunately were not yet entirely extinguished. French manners and customs had not yet taken root in America; and he trusted that the rifing generation would imbibe no prejudices hoftile to Britain. It was objected to the earl of Shelburne, that he had not always followed these doctrines; and earl Fitz-William, and lord Stormont reminded him of the period when he was a ftout advocate for the dependence of America, and when he affirmed that the fun of England's glory would fet whenever independency fhould be granted to the colonies.

Although the motions for thanks to the throne were carried without a divifion in both houses; yet the fpirit of party was bufy; and difcontents and animofities were fpeedily to break out with violence. The

miniftry in the meanwhile proceed ed with vigour, and held out to th nation the moft honourable profeffions; and while the negotiations for a peace employed their chief care, they forgot not to extend their attention to other objects.

In the event of the prolongation of the war, and with a view to the national defence, it was moved for in the houfe of commons, and agreed to, that one hundred and ten thousand men fhould be employed in the fea fervice, for the year 1783, iucluding twenty-five thoufand two hundred and ninety marines. fum not exceeding four pounds per man per month was allowed for maintaining this force for thirteen months, including ordnance for fea fervice.

A

To encourage valour, and to exprefs the gratitude which was due to effential fervices, general Conway moved a vote of thanks of the commons to governor Eliott for his gallant defence of Gibraltar. He expatiated on the confummate skill and distinguished merit of this commander; and having obferved that the national praise ought not to be with-held on an occafion fo brilliant, he infifted that nothing could be more acceptable to a foldier than fuch a mark of honour. While it ferved to fofter his gallantry, it was the moit flattering reward of his bravery and toils. A motion, in every refpect fo proper, was received and carried, not only without dif pute, but with the most cordial fatisfaction. A fimilar motion was made in favour of lord viscount Howe, for the important fervice he had rendered to his country by his relief of the fortrefs of Gibraltar, and by his gallant and able manoeuvres of the fleet under his command against a fuperior force of the enemy. The thanks of the house of commons were likewife given to lieutenant