the American Stamp Act) in that crifis, when the whole trading intereft of this empire, crammed into your lobbies, with a trembling and anxious expectation, waited, almoft to a winter's return of light, their fate from your refolutions. When, at length, you had determined in their favour, and your doors, thrown open, fhewed them the figure of their deliverer in the well-earned triumph of his important victory, from the whole of that grave multitude there arofe an involuntary burft of gratitude and transport. They jumped upon him like children on a long abfent father. They clung about him as captives about their redeemer. All England, all America, joined to his applause. Nor did he feem infenfible to the best of all earthly rewards, the love and admiration of his fellow citizens. Hope elevated, and joy brightened his creft. I ftood near him; and his face, to ufe the expreffion of the fcripture of the firft martyr, his face was as if it had been the face of an angel." I do not know how others feel; but if I had flood in that fituation, I never would have exchanged it for all that kings, in their profufion, could beftow. I did hope, that that day's danger and honour would have been a bond to hold us all together for ever. But, alas! that, with other pleasing vifions, is long fince vanifhed.-Speech on American Taxation. DUNDAS (RIGHT HON. HENRY.) He and delicacy are a rare and fingular coalition, --Speech on the Nabob of Arcot's Debts. DUNNING, MR. THE bill (for the relief of the Roman Catholics) was feconded by Mr. Dunning, Recorder of this city (Bristol); I fhall fay the lefs of him, because his relation to you makes you more particularly ac quainted with his merits. But I fhould appear little acquainted with them, or little fenfible of them, if I could utter his name on this occafion, without expreffing my eftcem for his character. I am not afraid of offending a moft learned body, and most jealous of its reputation for that learning, when I fay he is the firft of his profeffion. It is a point fettled by those who fettle every thing else; and I muft add (what I am enabled to fay from my own long and clofe obfervation) that there is not a man, of any profeffion, or in any fituation, of a more erect and independent fpirit, of a more proud honour, a more manly mind, a more firm and determined integrity.- -Speech at Briftol previous to the Election. FOX, (MR.) AND now, having done my duty to the bill, let me lay a word to the author. I fhould leave him to his own noble fentiments, if the unworthy and illiberal language with which he has been treated, beyond all example of parliamentary liberty, did not make a few words neceffary; not fo much in juftice to him, as to my own feelings.. I muft fay then, that it will be a diftinction honourable to the age, that the refcue of the greateft number of the human race that ever were fo grievously oppreffed, from the greateft tyranny that was ever exercifed, has fallen to the lot of abilities and difpofitions equal to the task; that it has fallen to one who has the enlargement to comprehend, the spirit to undertake, and the eloquence to fupport, fo great a meafure of hazardous benevolence. His fpirit is not owing to his ignorance of the ftate of men and things; he well knows what fnares are spread about his path, from perfonal animofity, from court intrigues, and poffibly from popular delufion. But he has put to hazard his ease, his fecurity, his intereft, his power, even his darling popularity, for the benefit of a people whom he has never feen. This is the road that all heroes have trod before him. He is traduced and abused for his fuppofed motives. He will remember, that obloquy is a neceffary ingredient in the compofition of all true glory he will remember, that it was not only in the Roman customs, but it is in the nature and conftitution of things, that calumny and abufe are effential parts of triumph. Thefe thoughts will fupport a mind, which only exifts for honour, under the burthen of temporary reproach. He is doing indeed a great good; fuch as rarely falls to the lot, and almost as rarely coincides with the defires of any man. Let him ufe his time. Let him give the whole length of the reins to his benevolence. He is now on a great eminence, where the eyes of mankind are turned to him. He may live long, he may do much, But here is the fummit. He never can exceed what he does this day, He has faults; but they are faults that, though they may in a fmall degree tarnifh the luftre, and fometimes impede the march of his abilities, have nothing in them to extinguifh the fire of great virtues, In thofe faults, there is no mixture of deceit, of hypocrify, of pride, of ferocity, of complexional defpotifm, or want of feeling for the diftreffes of mankind. His are faults which might exift in a defcendant of Henry the Fourth of France, as they did exift in that father of his country. Henry the Fourth wifhed that he might live to fee a fowl in the pot of every peafant of his kingdom. That fentiment of homely benevolence was worth all the fplendid fayings that are recorded of kings. But he wifhed perhaps for more than could be obtained, and the good, nefs of the man exceeded the power of the king. But this gentleman, a fubject, may this day fay this at lcaft, with truth, that he fecures the rice in his pot to every man in India. A poet of antiquity thought it one of the firft diftin&tions to a prince whom he meant to celebrate, that through a long fucceffion of generations, he had been the progenitor of an able and virtuous citizen, who by force of the arts of, peace, had corrected governments of oppreffion, and fuppreffed wars of rapine. Indole proh quanta juvenis, quantumque daturus Ille fuper Gangem, fuper exauditus et Indos, Fulmine compefcet linguæ, This was what was faid of the predeceffor of the only perfon to whole eloquence it does not wrong that of the mover of this bill to be compared. But the Ganges and the Indus are the patrimony of the fame of my honourable friend, and not of Cicero. I confefs, I anticipate with joy the reward of thofe, whofe whole confequence, power, and authority, exift only for the benefit of mankind; and I carry my mind to all the people, and all the names and defcriptions, that, relieved by this bill, will blefs the labours of this parliament, and the confidence which the best house of commons has given to him who the best deserves it. The little cavils of party will not be heard, where freedom and happinefs will be felt. There is not a tongue, a nation, or religion in India, which will not blefs the prefiding care and manly beneficence of this houfe, and of him who proposes to you this great work. Your names will never be feparated before the throne of the Divine Goodness, in whatever language, or with whatever rites, pardon is afked for fin, and reward for thofe who imitate the Godhead in his univerfal bounty to his creatures. Thefe honours you deserve, and they will furely be paid, when all the jargon, of influence, and party, and patronage, are fwept into oblivion. Speech on Mr. Fox's Eaft India Bill. FOX, MR. HE (Mr. Burke) was forry that his right honourable friend (Mr. Fox) had dropped even a word expref five of exultation on that circumftance; (the affumption of citizenship by the French army, &c.) or that he feemed of opinion that the objectin from ftanding armies was at all leffened by it. He attributed this opinion of Mr. Fox entirely to his known zeal for the best of all caufes, Liberty. That it was with a pain inexpreffible he was obliged to have even the fhadow of a difference with his friend, whofe authority would be always great with him, and with all thinking people--Que maxima femper cenfetur nobis, et erit que maxima femper-His confidence in Mr. Fox was fuch, and fo ample, as to be almost implicit. That he was not afhamed to avow that degree of docility. That when the choice is well made, it itrengthens instead of oppreffing our intellect. That he who calls in the aid of an equal underflanding, doubles his own. He who profits of a fuperior underftanding, raifes his powers to a level with the height of the fuperior underflanding he unites with. He had found the benefit of fuch a junétion, and would not lightly depart from it. He wifhed almofi, on all occafions, that his fentiments were underfood to be conveyed in Mr. Fox's words; and that he wifhed, as amongst the greatest benefits he could wish the country, an eminent fhare of power to that right honourable gentleman; because he knew that, to his great and mafterly understanding, he had joined the greateft poffible degree of that natural moderation, which is the belt corrective of power; that he was of the most artlefs, candid, open, and benevolent dispofition; difinterefted in the extreme; of a temper mild and placable, even to a fault; without one drop of gall in his whole conftitution. MR. Fox then rofe, and declared, in fubftar ce, that fo far as regarded the French army, he went no farther than the general principle, by which that army fhewed itself indifpofed to be an inftrument in the fervitude of their fellow citizens, but did not enter into the particulars of their conduct. He declared, 1 |