fail to quicken the humanity of fuch as were not actuated by the motives we have mentioned. This fubfcription was, however, confidered as a kind of political touchftone, and the degree of attachment to government, was fuppofed to be measured by the extent of the bounty.

By thefe and other means, the Spirit in favour of the American war was kept up. To discountenance the strong oppofition, which it was thought would be made, towards the opening of the feffion, the minds of men were filled with rumours of confpiracies and treafonable correfpondence with the rebels in America. The moft diftinguished noblemen and gentlemen of the minority were directly pointed at. They were charged with having been the incendiaries, who by their dark and wicked practices had kindled up the war. This language founded in many of the addreffes. But the news-papers were induftriously filled with it. There it was daily and confidently afferted, that a very great number of letters from the moft confiderable Peers and members of parliament had been intercepted, and were actually in the hands of government. Thefe they afferted would be laid before the Grand Council of the nation, when the Tower would be fpeedily filled with perfons of rank, and a full harvest of impeachments and punishments fucceed. This was carried fo far, that it was faid a number of the members of both houles, who were defcribed and understood, would not venture to attend their duty in parliament at the meeting.

Such reports, if not perfectly

well-founded, are cautiously to be encouraged or permitted, as certain inevitable confequences muft neceffarily follow, which may be productive of much mischief and danger. For when the minds of any people have been long brooding over fuch fubjects, treafons, plots, and confpiracies, will haunt the fleeping and waking dreams of the weak, and exercife the profligate and wicked inge. nuity of thofe, who make ufe of the public fear and credulity in framing accufations. They may ferve even to fuggeft fchemes, which otherwife might not be thought of, to men of an enthusiaftic turn and daring character.

At the opening of the feffion, the report of a confpiracy of a most extraordinary nature, at firft alarmed the public fears, though it af terwards became a fubject of less ferious difcuffion. It was announced in the Gazette, that a Mr. Sayre, an American born, and then a banker in London, was committed by the Secretary of State to the Tower, for high treason. At firft, people connected this account with the former reports; and it was univerfally fuppofed, that the treafon of Mr. Sayre, confifted in remitting money, and conveying intelligence from parties here to the infurgents in America. When the real ftory came to be known, it could be fcarcely believed, that the offence with which he flood charged, was nothing of this fort. The crime for which he was committed, was a design of feizing the perfon of his Majefly, at noonday, in his paffage to the House of Peers; of conveying him a prifoner to the Tower, afterwards out of the kingdom, and over[D] 3 turning

turning the whole form of government. The means, indeed, feemed very inadequate to the greatness of the end. An inconfiderable fum of money was to be difpofed of in bribing a few Serjeants of the guards, who were alfo to lay out a part of it in bribing their men, and this handful, in the faces of the great majority of their fellows who were not bribed, were to effect the double and arduous work of feizing the King's perfon and the tower at the fame time. Nothing feemed prepared for a purpofe of this kind; nothing to overcome the military power which would assemble from all parts of the kingdom; to fay nothing of the other obvious impediments.

It was faid in juftification of the commitment on fuch extraordinary matter, that though there was but one witness to this charge, his teftimony was pofitive. That the folly of a wicked attempt, did not prove that no fuch attempt could be made. That as the information was officially laid before the Earl of Rochford, (who was then Secretary of State for the fouthern department) whatever degree of credit it obtained in his private opinion, he was obliged officially, as the King's person was at all mentioned, and any danger to it implied, to prevent the poffibility of fuch an attempt. It must be admitted, that this juftification, fuppofing the process unexceptionable, feems perfectly good in law; but whether it is equally fo in point of policy and difcretion, may be doubted. It might have been as advisable, to have examined into the nature of the tranf action, and now far it might be

fupported by further evidence, before fo public and decided a step was taken.

In whatever manner the difcretion of this proceeding may be thought of, it is certain, that Mr. Sayre was taken in ca. 23d. his houfe, and his papers feized, when being examined before the Secretary of State, and confronted with his accufer, bail was refufed for his appearance, and he was committed to confinement in the Tower.

The report of this transaction flew like wild-fire throughout the kingdom, and for a while confirmed all the rumours that had been already fpread of treasonable acts and defigns; whilft anxiety for the fafety of the King's perfon, and the indignation and horror excited by fo atrocious a defign, abforbed all other confiderations with respect to public affairs.

In the mean time, the order with respect to Mr. Sayre's confinement, was fo ftrictly complied with, that it was with difficulty, and by particular application, his wife was permitted to fee him, while all his other friends. were refufed that liberty. His confinement, however, lafted only for five days, at the end of which time, an Habeas Corpus being granted for his appearance before the Lord Chief Juftice of the King's Bench, the matter appeared in fuch a light to that noble Lord, that he not only readily admitted him to bail, but received his own fecurity in the trifling fum of 500l. and that of two fureties in as much, for his appearance to answer for the charge. No profecution was attempted, and the bail

being difcharged, he fued Lord Rochford for illegal imprisonment, for which a jury granted him a

thousand pounds damages, liable, however, to the future determination on a question of law.

UCH was in general the ftate of public affairs in England and America, previous to and about the time of the meeting of Qa. 26th, In the parliament. fpeech from the throne, 1775 after accounting for this early meeting by the fituation of America, heavy complaints were made of the mifreprefentations of the leaders of fedition in the colonies, who having fuft infufed into the minds of the people, a fyftem of opinions repugnant to their true conftitutional fubordination, had at length commenced hoftilities, and ufurped the whole powers of government. His Majefty then entered into the difference of the views of thofe leaders, and of thofe of the crown and parliament, from whence the former derived their prefent advantages. The view of the latter was rather to undeceive, than punish. Therefore only fmall forces were fent, and propofitions of a conciliatory nature accompanied the measures taken to enforce authority. The former, whilft they endeavoured to delude with fpecious profeffions, had in view nothing but the eftablishing of an independent empire. That the confequences of the fuc

cefs of each plan were too obvious. The fpirit of the British nation was too high, and its refources too numerous, to fuffer her tamely to lofe' what had been acquired with fo great toil, nurfed with great tenderness, and protected at much, expence of blood and treafure. That wisdom, and in the end clemency, required a full exertion of these refources. That the navy had been increased, and the land forces greatly augmented. Foreign fuccours (though no treaty was then concluded) were held out. The difpofition of the Hanover troops in Mahon and Gibraltar was fpecified. In the end, an affurance of the royal mercy was given, as foon as the deluded multitude fhould become fenfible of their error; and to prevent the inconveniences which might arife from the great distance of their fituation, and to remove as foon as poffible the calamities which they fuffer, authority would be given to certain perfons upon the spot, to grant general or particular pardons and indemnities, in fuch manner, and to fuch perfons, as they fhould think fit, and to receive the fubmiffion of any province or colony which fhould be

[D] 4

difpofed

disposed to return to its allegiance. It was alfo obferved, that it might be proper to authorife fuch commiffioners, to restore any province or colony, returning to its allegiance, to the free exercise of its trade and commerce, and to the fame protection and fecurity as if it had never revolted.

At the conclufion they were informed, that from affurances received, as well as from the general appearances of affairs in Europe, there was no apparent probability that the measures which they might adopt, would be interrupted by difputes with any foreign power.

The addreffes in anfwer to this fpeech, which, as ufual, were an adoption of the whole, with no other alteration in the terms, but what was neceffary to the difference of fituations of the makers, produced fimilar effects with thofe of the preceding feffion; long and earnest debates in both houses, and a protest in one. The refemblance was not lefs perfect in the fuperior force by which they were carried through..

The minority were little difpofed to give way to thefe addreffes in the form in which they were brought in. An amendment to the addrefs in the Houfe of Commons was moved for by Lord John Cavendish, propofing to leave out the whole, except the introductory paragraph, and to fubftitute in the place a declaration, "That they beheld, with the utmcft concern, the diforders and difcontents in the colonies, rather increased than diminished by the means that had been used to fupprefs and allay them; a circumtance alone fufficient to give them jult reason to fear, that those means

were not originally well confidered, or properly adapted to their ends. That, they were fatisfied by experience, that the misfortune had, in a great measure, arisen from the want of full and perfect information of the true ftate and condition of the colonies being laid before parliament; by reafon of which, meafures injurious and inefficacious had been carried into execution, from whence no falutary end could have been reasonably expected; tending to tarnish the luftre of the British arms, to bring difcredit on the wisdom of his Majesty's councils; and to nourish, without hope of end, a moft unhappy civil war.

"That, deeply impressed with the melancholy ftate of public concerns, they would, on the fulleft information they could obtain, and with the most mature deliberation they could employ, review the whole of the late proceedings, that they may be enabled to discover, as they will be moft willing to apply, the moft effectual means of restoring order to the distracted affairs of the British empire, confidence to his Majefty's government, obedience, by a prudent and temperate ufe of its powers, to the authority of parliament, and fatisfaction and happiness to all his people. That, by thefe means, they truft to avoid any occafion of having recourfe to the alarming and dangerous expedient, of calling in foreign forces to the fupport of his Majefty's authority within his own dominions, and the ftill more dreadful calamity, of fhed. ding British blood by British arms.”

This motion brought on a feries of long and moft interefting debates, which were conducted with the utmost eagerness, and uncea

fing energy on both fides, and in termixed with much acrimony and bitterness. In this conteft the fpeech was taken to pieces, and every part of it moft feverely fcrutinized. The minifters were charged with having brought their fovereign into the most difgraceful and unhappy fituation of any monarch now living. Their conduct had already wrefted the fceptre of America out of his hands. One half of the empire was loft, and the other thrown into a state of anarchy and confufion. After having fpread corruption like a deluge through the land, until all public virtue was loft, and the people were inebriated with vice and profligacy, they were then taught, in the paroxyfms of their infatuation and madness, to cry out for havoc and war. Hiftory could not fhew an inftance, of fuch an empire ruined in fech a manner. They had loft a greater extent of dominion in the first campaign of a ruinous civil war, which was intentionally produced by their own acts, than the most celebrated conquerors had ever acquired in fo fhort a fpace of time.

The fpeech was faid to be compofed of a mixture of affumed and falfe facts, with fome general undefined and undifputed axioms, which nobody would attempt to controvert. Of the former, that of charging the colonies with aiming at independence, was feverely reprehended, as being totally unfounded, being directly contrary to the whole tenor of their conduct, to their most exprefs declarations both by word and by writing, and to what every perfon of any intelligence knew of their general temper and difpofition. But what

they never intended, we may drive them to. They will undoubtedly prefer independence to flavery. They will never continue their connection with this country, unlefs they can be connected with its privileges. The continuance of hoftility, with the determined refufal of all fecurity for thefe privileges, will infallibly bring on feparation.

The charge of their making profeffions of duty, and propofals of reconciliation, only for the infidious purpose of amufing and deceiving, was equally reprobated. It was infifted, that, on the contrary, thefe had, from the beginning, told them honeftly, openly, and bravely, without difguife or referve, and declared to all the world, that they never would fubmit to be arbitrarily taxed by any body of men whatsoever, in which they were not reprefented. They did not whisper behind the door, nor mince the matter; they told fairly what they would do, and have done, if they were unhappily urged to the laft extremity. And that though the minifters affected not to believe them, it was evident, from the armament which they fent out, that they did; for how ever incompetent that armament has been to the end, nobody could admit a doubt that it was intended to oppofe men in arms, and to compel by force; the incompetence for its purposes proceeding merely from that blind ignorance, and total misconception of American affairs, which had operated upon the minifters in every part of their conduct.

This fhameful accufation, they faid, was only to cover that wretched conduct, and, if pofiible,

..to