The royal gazette — [Charleston] S.C., 1782-05-22 00:00:00, page 4

HOUSE or COM MONS,
Wednesday, March 20.
Resignation of Ilis Majeffy's Ministers.
UPON a well grounded supposition tha~ his Majesty's Mmifters,
wbuld.be obliged to abandon their offices this day, the House
was perhaps the fullcft known firice the resignation of Sir Robert
Walpole. The lower gallery door was locked at half paid twelve
o'clock, and no persons fuffcred to go to the gallerf but through the
body of the House, introduced by Members.
At a.quarter of an hour past four o'clock, before the Members had
Well taken their feats, and previous to any motion being made or at
tempted to be made to the Houfe,\
Lord North was found upon his legs addressing the Chdir.
Lord Surrey got up nearly at the fame inTant —when a cry from
the opposite fide of the House was tumultuous for a few minutes to
determine which should be heard. At length,
Mr. Baker's voice was diflin&ly enough heard to speak to -order,
which produced silence and attention. Klr. Baker said, hr rose +o
speak to order, and at the fame time to express his adonifhmegt to
fee the noble Lord in the Blue Ribband so precipitately on his hf son
the present occasion. It always was bis opinion, and he Was woren
ted by the uniform custom of the House to a Ihere to that opinion,
that on any day whereon an Honourable Gentleman had given notice
that he intended making a motion, it was implicitly understood that
he was to open the debate with his proportion, and that no other
Gentleman would interfere by rising previously on the quefl^n.
What then must he think of the noble Lord on the present ociafion?
The noble Earl in his eye (Lord Surrey) was to have made a motion
to the House on that day; previous notice was given of this intention;
and yet, no sooner is the House formed, than the queflion is, as it
were, wrested out of his hands, and new matter attempted to he
obtruded upon the House. He would fay no nfcre on this fubj^;
the impropriety of it seemed to be felt by all, and they would deter
mine on it.
Lord ATrtb likewise fpfe to order, by offering the House he did
not mean to be disorderly, or in the least unparliamentary; he knew
very well in point of form, that on any question to be brought before
the House, it was usual for the Honourable Gentleman who meant
to make that proposal, to open the debate; and if he intended to
combat the question to be th.cn proposed, he certainly should not do
it in so early a flage of the bufineC. The object, therefore, of his
rising so early in the debate, was not'to meet in opposition the ques
tion; but to fay to the Hdufe that which would make the quefdon
unneceffar, to be debated; this was what he meant by rising, and if
the House would give him time "to explain himfelf on this ground, he
hoped he should do it to their fatifaaidn. His Lordfbip was pro
ceeding when he was called to order by
Sir Fletcher Norton, who said, the point 'before the House was,
Whether the Earl of Surrey, or the noble Lord in the Blue Ribbon,
should speak firft die was seconded by
Mr. Hopkins, who cehfured the noble Lord for his conduct in run
ning counter to the eftdblifhed usage of the House; nor was his plea
fufficient for faring, that it was not to contradict the motion Ire rose,
as it Was impossible to know in the extent, what the fubjedl of the
noble Earl's motion would be.
Lord North replied, by faying, though he did not exadHy know
what the words of the noble Earl's motion might have been, it would
be childish in him to pretend ignorance of the eftntial parts of it, as
he dared to fay that there was not a person in the House hut knew
very well the fubhance and jurfof it was to remove IB M feffs Mi
mfers. That a queflion similar to this had been agitated in that House
twice already; and that the Hon. Gentleman, who gave notice of
the present intended motion, had declared, it would be something
similar to those already proposed.—That therefore, possessed of this
information, he did not think himft f guilty of an Improper anticipa
tion, to propose a measure to the House that would make the question
intended to be proposed untieceffary ; and that was, to acquaint the
House, that he meant to move for an adjournment, not to flifle the
present question, but in order to fulfill it; asdic would Arrive the ad
journment for no other purpose than to give time for an arrangement
of a new Miniftry— for his Majefi) S prefect M?rffr, tier? at an end.
Mr. Bitt laid, no+withßandiug the noble Lord's declaration- ,he
believed it would be more uniform f>r the noble Earl to make his mo
tion, the result he was assured would be the fame, but the latter mode
would be more parliamentary; besides there may be many points in
the question that might well deserve the difcuflion and deliberation
of the House, and therefore yielding the point of order to him whom
in his opinion it properly belonged to, wouldhe not only faring a
great deal df contention, but bringing about the'bufinefs in a fuller
and more fatisfa&ory manner.
Mr. Fox begged to call the attention of the House to the .matter
immediately before them; he said it was plainly and simply this—a
question had been announced to the House forne days ago, and the
House met on that day 'to debate it; previous, however, to entering
on this debate, the noble Lord in the Blue Ribbon had attempted to
anticipate it by adjournment. Now the question, he said, for the
House to determine was, whether the noble Lord in the Bne Rib
bon, or the noble Earl who proposed making rhe motion should speak
firtl; and in order to put this in the fimplell line of determination, he
would make the following motion :
V Thrt the Ear/ of Surrey do row speak."
Lord North repeated what he had said before, that it was rot with
a view to preclude the noble Earl from making his motion that he
firft rose in that day's debate, but to save trouble to the House by
meeting it on the fame principle. That hi firft intended to drove the
House to adjourn to Monday next, in urder to give time for fettling
and adjusting a new arrangement of Minifry, for that bis Majfy's
present Minify then were no more; that is. feeling themfclves to have
101 l the confidence of the House, they had determined to remain no
longer in office than till such time as that business could be tra^fa&cd
Which was then in train before the other House, and which would
take up till Monday next; but as an Hon. Gentleman had proposed a
. motion to the House of a different nature, he would move " Ue ordi
nary motion of adjournment."
Mr. Bitt and Lord John Caicndf pressing Lord North to be more
explicit, in order that the House may have a full confidence in his
assertions, he again rose, and spoke more fully on the fubje&.
His Lordfh p than dated to the House, that it was determined on
(he would out fay by whom) that bis Majefo's present Adwinfration
leas no mure, and that they only now remained in office to finish
4 the ordinary business before them; that he meant, by rising so early
in the debate as he did, to acquaint the House of that matter, and by
that means save them the unnecessary trouble of debating on a qu f-.
tion, which he was well warranted to think was nearly similar. That
- his intention, in conformity to this determination, was, to adjourn
the House till Monday next, in order to give time for a new Admi
niflration to be formed, as well as to let some bills, now before the
„ House of Lords (necessary to be gone through before the 25th of
March) receive the Royal Assent; That he conceived thisto be the
determination of the Cabinet, and if the HoufS should give him cre
dit for this assertion, the better way of proce'e^g would be for the
Honourable Gentleman, (Mr. Fox) who made the firfl motion, to
Withdraw it, which he would follow by withdrawing his, and then
move the House to adjourn to Monday next, for the reafohs he had
already fpecified to the House.
Having declared this matter to the House, he begged leave to ob
- serve, that, by proposing the question of adjournment to Monday
next, he did not hiean to preclude any ether parts! of the noble Earl's
motion: if such part there were, which conveyed charges on any of
- his Majesty's Miniftcr-; those charges, if meant to be made, would
Rill remain, and could be as readily brought forward on Monday
next, < r any other day, as then. He assured the House, for hrs part,
he should not run away in the mean time, but that he would hieet such
charges with that firmnefs which the confeioufnefs of his having a&ed
right, he trusted, would always inspire him with; and here he beg
ged leave to address the House more particularly from hiihhlf.
° He had said in that House, he said, many years, that it was his
conduct there that firft recommended him to the notice ftnd attention
of his Sovereign, to whom he should ever express the greatest duty
and gratitude. He likewise had many obligations to that House,
who Supported him through many years in his official rapacity, and
fchofc kindness and friehdihip he Ihould ever remember. That he
was then going out of office, and though he might be tnlrturn^,
and in many inttances, perhaps, not have uded with ability equal to
his important flatiou; one thing he felt himfelf bold to fay, he nev^r
was wanting in integrity and rood wfhes to the prosperity of his coun
try, and that country, whoever were its Ministers, should dill have
his prayers and fopport. That, however it 'may be thought other
wife, he-aflitr/d the House his goi^g out of office was by no means
difigreeable to him; he had long wdhed it, ifrlic could have done it
with a propri ty which he himfelf should approve of. That now' the
time was arrived; when he cou d do it with propriety, for, as it was
observed by many gentlemen at the opposite fideof the House, that
in the present Situation of affairs his M jelly's Minivers had no lon
ger the power to carry on the bufinef; of Admhiillration without the
Support of that House; feeling the want of that flipport, he would
be jellified in resigning
He therefore assured the House, if they would permit him to make
his motimefor adjournment to Monday next, he had no other with,
nor no other in . encion by that adjournment, than to give the nccef
fury time for his Majefty' s,liniUers to lay-down their offices, and
enable -his Majefly to make that new arrangement which in his wif
dont he 4houldithink fit.
Mr. Fox said, that tin fe were rcafons which operated with him
very Wrongly for the noble Earl (Lord Surrey) going on with his in
tended motion; for though what the noble Lord (Lord North) had
just proposed, seemed, and may be finder to the motron, rhe effects
would be very different. He wanted to tell the world (which the
motion, if carried, would rhoft effectually do)that the prefect Minifiry
were ousted by the sense of.the majority of the House, as no longer
capable of conducting the affairs of the country, which they had, by
repeated ill management, brought into the great.cH diftrerfes and ca
lamities; ahd that what produced a new Minifiry, was not by' a vc
luntary rf"nation of the prefect Cabinet, but from the diflradlion of
public!/ affairs, which made a new amm ement necelfcry to save the
cou try.
On the o'her handle said, when he considered that the noble
Lord meant ft rioufly, both forhimicif and col edgnes, to require an
adjburnnient to Monday next, only for the fake of getting out of
office with more order and fafety to'the pending intercity of the coun
try, and that it would be understood by rhe pedflert large that they
were no longer able to hold their places- , he confeffed himfelf not in
clined to bring or . what might be thought an unnecessary debate;
however, he ironld be governed by the sense of the House on that
point; hoping that if the noble Far! meant for the present to rel n
quilh hi-motion, he wotild'rcferve himfelf to bring it forward,if what
the noble Lord had Rated was not fully accomplilhed by Monday
next.,
Jn rrfpe& to the new Adminiftratibn, whoever they should, be, he
hoped they would consider who they were that brought them into
office, viz. the. People of England; and to them, and them only, he
trufkd they would hold thcn'felvcs accountable; it was the virtue
ann perfi verance of that House, inilru&ed by the sense of the peo
ple, that made 'Minifb.rs resign, and would give them their places;
and it behoved them to conduct'd erofelves with rhe honefly and ex
ertion of abilities, as would render them worthy of so great a trufb—
for he mud remind the House, it was not a change of men that mull
do for the reformation of the country, but a-slange fffem.
In recurring to the motion which he had the honour to make to
the. House, with the amendment of adjournment proposed by the
noble Lord, he said he would, a- he said before, be governed bv the
sense of the majority of rhe Honourable Member,-, present; he did
not wish to teaze or perplex Minifiry at an, time, much less at a
moment like the present; therefore, if it should be bought nec< ff ry
for him to withdraw his motion in order to enable the noble Lord ro
do the fame, and then move for an adjournment to Monday next,
he would very readily do it, and their desire should be to him a com
mand on the present occasion.
Lord Surrey said, if he was to follow his own inclinations, he
fhoikd-certainly be for going on whh his motion, ds by it the sense
of the nation on the dondu& of Mlnifters would be m«re fully and ,
parltmeutarily afeertained; other matters too; he Lid, might come
out* in the debate, very neceffery to be difeuffed at a time like the
present, when a new admiuiflration was on the eve of being formed.
He.therefore threw out for die government of the H iufe, how far it
was their inclination to proceed . With bis motion, or accede to that ( f
an adjournment; he had expfe fled his own opinion upon the fubjedt,
but however should not be so pertinacious^of it as not to yield it to
the sense of the House, if thought necetfa'y.
MY. R\gf said; a great deal of time hadb^en taken up in difiuf
fing the order of procedure, and the point seemed to him to hitch on #
the credibility of what the noble Lord in the blue ribbon had asserted.
It appeared to him, he said, upon this ground, that the noble Lord
had spoke out fully and clearly, as he could never suppose any gentle
man,-{landing in hisditratron, could pledge liimfelf so to the House
without the fulled and mod unequivocal authority. He said it was
idle to think of any Administration (landing its ground without the
approbation and fepport of that House, particularly after the hint
they received on Friday night last : he looked upon that bint to be
fully fufficient for them to retire from their offices, as so froall a ma
jority as nine, particularly when two bnndr:d and ttrorfy^eMemhers
had voted againfl th it majority, could never/enable any Administra
tion to fay that tlrey had- the sense or fuppert of'th&pedple wish them.
Reasoning on this ground, he hoped the noble Earl would wave his
motion for the present, affuririg him, that if tire noble Lord in the;
blue ribbon did not perform his promise on Monday next, that he;
wn/d vote atiinft bim in support of the noble Earl's motion.
Having said this, he adverted to the new Admin Miration that was
to be formed; he said, he did not know who were, or what parties
they were to be composed of; however, he trusted they would bring
greater abilities and greater good fortune avith them into Adminiftra-'
tion than their predecessors in office; and life assured them, that they
should have all the fur-port -which he could give them, which was a
single vote: in this he hoped he would be followed by others, who
could give greater support and greater abilities to th'ir meafurcs: that
the country at present demanded such a fupport*; and nothing but a
broad, impartial coalition of honefly and.wifdem, he hoped,- was
wanting, to restore this country to its former strength and gidry.;
.Mr. febr&rfald, he by no means meant to bring on an unneeelfary'
debate; but reflecting on the many infiances in which that House,
had been deceived, he thought it incumbent on them, on so critical
and important an occasion, to have every assurance possible for their
faft-ty. He said, if he understood the noble Lord in the Blue Ribbon
right; he himfelf was no longer in office, therefore, perhaps, other
measures might be adopted before Monday, Unknown to that noble
Lord; hehad likewise, in his opinion, said nothing decisive—but faid,-
he conceived such and such arrangements were to take place; he there
fore only rose to remind the House-, that it would be neccTiry for
them, considering what had happened on former o,ccafions, together
with the magnitude of the present object, to exercise every degree of?
caution before they gave up their intended motion.
Mr. Pow^s was of the fame opinion, but trusted if the Robie Lor<l|
should deceive them in the prefentdHftance, the queflion would bel
again brought forward, and meet the support of that House oh every
fide of it. He hoped by Monday a new Adminidration wduld be;
formed,that would at last refcuethis country from the disgraceful and;
distressed filtration it was reduced to, and that not composed of ^ny'
part of the former adminiftrafion fas be trfied not a bit of them will be
I< J ? P,;bcrJ but of.men of virtue and rMcrfoidiffi such ' men as I
would'ka upon true conßitutional motives without cither a ffa/
or. i/vj/iS/e.influence. Such men he should look up to, and such he!
would support; and he hoped whilfl they a&ed upon this firm and
difmtcrcßed line, the) would receive the unanimous support of thtir
country.
.Towards the conclusion - of the-deb&te^nnd umidft theregcated calls
for the question.
Mr. Barbe rose and Rated to the House, that though he did not
mean to oppose the motion for an adjournment; he wiflred jhat Mi
nisters had been niore fall.and explicit in their declarations. Much
depended upon the accuracy and honefy with which the business
ought to be conduced at the present conjuncture. # Ev ry Succeeding
moment feenud to give new importance to the lad, and to render
-the crisis doubly"alarming. ' For his own part lie by no means con
sidered the present moment flattering, as it mi<,t appear to some as
. a momentary exultation, but as a moment which in a more particu
: lar manner inculcated the duty of caution and watchfuhUfs. Ac
ecr&ig to the declaration dhat had bddr, trade, a new Admlniftration
was to be called into exigence. Of this point he trusted he had no
reaforr to doubt. It was this- circumflance, however, which gave
birth to bis suspicious, and awakened his fears. Few periods were
more trying to the great interelL of a nation than those moments
when an election was to be made of its chief Administrators. -At
such a c rifis objects of gratification would no doubt be presented to
the pa£.on, of mankind—a large field of corruption would naturally
open itfelf to the view —and a variety of temptations would be exhi
bited in order to betray and allure even those of the m< ft virtuous
and pious resolutions. He wished therefore to pause for a moment
at so critical a period; to direß the attention of the House to the pre
flit critical fituarion in which it was placed, and to guard the minds
of all that heard him againf those evils to which they were about to
be expofid. I am ignorant (said he) of the great component branches
of this ne v Adwiniftration. I have not vanity even to flatter my
felf that I shall be placed in any eminent situation in it. I wish,
however, that those whe may be appointed to the firft rank inThto
new system, may confider the grand principle upon which the pr~-
font revolution in politicks i§ founded. The late Ministers have been
compelled to rclinquifh the Adminiflration of publics affairs, because
they have forfeits d and left the confidence of the people. It is not
to a vote in this House that their ruin is to be Rated, -but to the inr
predion and influence of popular ft ntiment upon the minds of the col.
1c &ive body of this nation. It will therefore be the v ifclem and duty
both of their successors, to attend to that very principle which 'has
operated so powerfully upon the minds of the people. A new Ad
milliftration may doubtleL be formed, but thisnew system may; in
its institution and elements, be as dangerous to the publick fafety,
and as deftrudive of the general good, as the old one. It is not a
change of men, therefore, that will fare the State. It is not a change
- of men that wiil avert those evils with which we are threatened, but
a total change y'political /firm.
'I his revolution is not, however, to be operated merely by the in
strumentality of an Adminiftrarion, how admirably soever consti
tuted. A zealous concurrence of the independent Members of this
House, is the only crcundh nee that can give energy and Lability to
the measures and resolutions of Minifhy. Should the new fyftera
revert to the corrupt practices of the old, and fuflam itfelf upon the
fame mercenary and dcilru&ive principles, the nation will have made
no alteration by the present revolution for the better, but will have
rather changed foi the worse. In this event it will be my duty, and :
I hope every hom.flMember of this House will find it to be h% to
affrt his own privileges, and to abandon an Administration, whose
conduct forms its own difyfrace. The gifts of fortune in the present
arrangement of human affairs may be unequally did riba cd. There
are certain goods which all cannot enjoy. But there is still a resource
for tlie dcflitute in the honed discharge of duty, and the open declo
ration cf those fentunents which belong to him as a man, and which,
asa free and moral agent, lie is, upon particular occasions, bound
to avow.
If therefore a new Administration Should seem inclinable to adopt
the sentiments of ihe old, ard afert, that corruption was neceffar, to
give weight to its meafurcs, he should at that moment think himfelf
authorized and bound, by the firengeft ties of duty and inclination,
to abandon its standard, and to revert to those principles of publick
virtue which he had so frequently laboured to eflablifh and inculcate
in .that House. Impatient as the House seemed to be, to come to a
conclufiom upon the present question, he could not therefore think of
giving Ids opiu i m with regard to it, before he had endeavoured, from
princip'.3 of duty, to check every fympton of precipitancy, andto sus
pend their decision, till such time as he had diredied their attention
to their present Situation, which he could^afTure them, pressed itfelf
with much energy upon his mind.
He repeated, that the present revolution did not originate in an,
Spirit of faction, in any petty cabal or intrigue, nor did not even arise
from the eloquent and masterly Speeches of affew of his worth,
friends; but was founded folcly in the general sentiments of the peo
ple.-— He hoped therefore that gentlemen would confider the ground
to wbhh they were elevated by so explicit a declaration in theirfa
vqur; and at rhe fame time flattered himfelf, that irflead of being
puffed up by so fortunate a circumstance, they would rather confider
the present moment in all its alarming circuniftances as he did, and
instead of its being a moment of exultation, as a moment of terror,
of awe, and of trembling.
Ser John Dclaval made a ffiort euTogium upon the late administra
tion, and in particular upon Lord North, whose character he exhi
bited in the most flattering point of view. He concluded with
expressing an ardent wish that he might even be called out again as
the great Mihifter of this country. After which
Lord Surrey rose and stated, that though he had no inclination to
press his motion upon the House, or to oppose the adjournment, yet
he acqniefced in these measures, in the full confidence, that previous
to their meeting on Monday every individual in Adniiriiftratiom
should be removed. He did not mean at present to explain his mo
tion: but if the event he had stated did not take place, he would!
meft assuredly adopt another of a much severe tendency: In the faith
however, that no such circumfrance would take place, he withdraw
his motion, anTgave his consent for the proposed adjournment.
Amidh a great deal of bustle and noise, Sir Robert Smith conclud
ed the debate.
As soon as Sir Robert Smith had fat down, Mr. Fox agreed tb
withdraw his motion; after which I.ord North likewise agreed to
withdraw his amendment of an adjournment, (which, by the rules
of the House, would only adjourn the House to the next day) and,
then proposed a new motion, viz. " That this House doth adjourn
to. Monday next " This being agreed to, new. con. the House, at
about seven o'clock, adjourned.
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POLITICAL ANNALS of the present United Colonies
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