that important country has been brought into her prefent fituation;-a fituation which I will not mifcall, which I dare not name; which I scarcely know how to comprehend in the terms of any defcription.

In this posture, Sir, things stood at the beginning of the feffion. About that time, a worthy member * of great parliamentary experience, who, in the year 1766, filled the chair of the American committee with much ability, took me afide; and, lamenting the prefent afpect of our politicks, told me, things were come to fuch a pass, that our former methods of proceeding in the house would be no longer tolerated. That the publick tribunal (never too indulgent to a long and unfuccefsful oppofition) would now fcrutinize our conduct with unusual severity. That the very viciffitudes and fhiftings of minifterial measures, instead of convicting their authors of inconftancy and want of fyftem, would be taken as an occafion of charging us with a predetermined discontent, which nothing could fatisfy; whilft we accufed every meafure of vigour as cruel, and every proposal of lenity as weak and irrefolute. The publick, he said, would not have patience to fee us play the game out with our adverfaries: we muft produce our hand. It would be expected, that those who for

*Mr. Rofe Fuller.

many.

many years had been active in fuch affairs fhould fhew, that they had formed fome clear and decided idea of the principles of colony government; and were capable of drawing out fomething like a platform of the ground, which might be laid for future and permanent tranquillity.

I felt the truth of what my hon. friend reprefented; but I felt my fituation too. His application might have been made with far greater propriety to many other gentlemen. No man was indeed ever better difpofed, or worfe qualified, for fuch an undertaking than myself. Though I gave fo far into his opinion, that I immediately threw my thoughts into a fort of parliamentary form, I was by no means equally ready to produce them. It generally argues fome degree of natural impotence of mind, or fome want of knowledge of the world, to hazard plans of government, except from a feat of authority. Propofitions are made, not only ineffectually, but fomewhat difreputably, when the minds of men are not properly difpofed for their reception; and for my part, I am not ambitious of ridicule; not abfolutely a candidate for disgrace.

Besides, Sir, to speak the plain truth, I have in general no very exalted opinion of the virtue of paper government; nor of any politicks, in which the plan is to be wholly feparated from the execution. But when I faw, that anger and violence prevailed

prevailed every day more and more; and that things were haftening towards an incurable alienation of our colonies; I confefs my caution gave way. I felt this, as one of thofe few moments in which decorum yields to an higher duty. Publick calamity is a mighty leveller; and there are occa fions when any, even the slightest, chance of doing good, must be laid hold on, even by the most inconfiderable perfon.

To restore order and repofe to an empire fo great and so distracted as ours, is, merely in the attempt, an undertaking that would ennoble the flights of the higheft genius, and obtain pardon for the efforts of the meaneft understanding. Struggling a good while with these thoughts, by degrees I felt myself more firm. I derived, at length, fome confidence from what in other circumstances usually produces timidity. I grew lefs anxious, even from the idea of my own infignificance. For, judging of what you are, by what you ought to be, I perfuaded myself, that you would not reject a reasonable proposition, because it had nothing but its reafon to recommend it. On the other hand, being totally destitute of all fhadow of influence, natural or adventitious, I was very fure, that, if my propofition were futile or dangerous; if it were weakly conceived, or im properly timed, there was nothing exterior to it, of power to awe, dazzle, or delude you. You

will fee it just as it is; and you will treat it just as it deferves.

The propofition is peace. Not peace through the medium of war; not peace to be hunted through the labyrinth of intricate and endless negotiations; not peace to arife out of univerfal difcord, fomented from principle, in all parts of the empire; not peace to depend on the juridical determination of perplexing questions; or the precise marking the fhadowy boundaries of a complex government. It is fimple peace; fought in its natural courfe, and in its ordinary haunts.

It is peace fought in the spirit of peace; and laid in principles purely pacifick. I propofe, by removing the ground of the difference, and by reftoring the former unfufpecting confidence of the colonies in the mother country, to give permanent fatisfaction to your people; and (far from a scheme of ruling by difcord) to reconcile them to each other in the fame act, and by the bond of the very fame intereft, which reconciles them to British government.

My idea is nothing more. Refined policy ever has been the parent of confufion; and ever will be fo, as long as the world endures. Plain good intention, which is as easily discovered at the first view, as fraud is furely detected at laft, is, let me fay, of no mean force in the government of mankind. Genuine fimplicity of heart is an healing and ce

menting

menting principle. My plan, therefore, being formed upon the moft fimple grounds imaginable, may disappoint fome people, when they hear it. It has nothing to recommend it to the pruriency of curious ears. There is nothing at all new and

captivating in it. It has nothing of the fplendour of the project, which has been lately laid upon your table by the noble lord in the blue ribband.* It does not propofe to fill your lobby with fquabbling colony agents, who will require the interpofition of your mace, at every instant, to keep the peace amongst them. It does not inftitute a mag

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That when the governor, council, or affembly, or gene"ral court, of any of his. majefty's provinces or colonies in "America, fhall propofe to make provifion, according to the condi"tion, circumftances, and fituation, of fuch province or colony, "for contributing their proportion to the common defence (fach pro"portion to be raised under the authority of the general court, "or general affembly, of fuch province or colony, and disposable "by parliament) and fhall engage to make provifion alfo for the fupport of the civil government, and the administration of "juftice, in fuch province or colony, it will be proper, if fuch propofal fhall be approved by his majesty, and the two houses of par"liament, and for fo long as fuch provision shall be made accordingly, to forbear, in respect of fuch province or colony, to levy "any duty, tax, or affeffment, or to impose any farther duty, 66 tax, or affeffinent, except fuch duties as it may be expedient "to continue to levy or impofe, for the regulation of commerce; "the nett produce of the duties laft mentioned to be carried to "the account of fuch province or colony refpectively." Refolution moved by Lord North in the committee; and agreed to by the houfe, 27th Feb. 1775.

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nificent