The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-05-20 00:00:00, page 1

NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
LORD NORTH'S SPEECH.
House of Commons, fuefday, February 17.
p —■ —< HIS day was a day of great expedition.
' ■ ' The House never was more full of its
a own members. Almost all the Peers of
the minority, as well as a few ofthe ma
■ jority, with some Bishops, were in the
gallery. All were intent, and eager to
fie in what manner Lord North would makea propo
f.ion, fooppofite to the tenor of every thing which he
hid advised or opposed, during the course of four years.
Lord North began, by apologizing for the intended
length of his speech, but he said it was necelfary, from
the quantity of matter he was obliged to go into, and
from tile perspicuity and clearness which he intended
to make use of, in giving fatisfadion upon every part
of the detail. He declared, that from the beginning
he had been uniformly disposed to peace. That the
coerfive ads which he had made, were such as ap
peared to be necessary at the time, though in the
event they had produced effects which he never in
tnded. That as soon as he found that they had
not the effect which he intended, he proposed a con
cliatory proposition before the fwc<d was drawn.
Ihat at that time he thought, and that he still thinks,
the terms of that proportion would form the hap
piest, most equitable, and most lading bond of union
between Great-Britain and the Colonies, That by
a variety of difeuffions, a proposition, that was ori
ginally clear and simple in itfelf, was made to appear
so obfeure, as to go damned 10 America, so that the
Congress conceived, or took occaiion to represent it
as a scheme for sowing divisions, and introducing
taxation among them in a worse mode than the for
mer, and accordingly rejected it.
His idea never had been to draw any considerable
revenue, either in that way, or any other, from Ame
rica ; that his idea was, they ihould contribute in a
• cry low proportion to the expences of this country.
That he had always known that American taxation
could never produce a beneficial revenue ; that there
were many forts of taxes that could not at all be laid
on that country, and that few ofdhem would prove
worth the charge of collection; that the damp ad
was the molt judicious that could be chosen for that
:urpofe, as it interched every man who had any deal
ing, or any property to defend or recover, in the col
lection of the tax and the execution of the law; but
Dotwithflanding the high rate at which that duty had
been formerly estimated, he did not believe its pro
duce would have been a very considerable object ; and
if the people had confederate , as they seemed in ge
neral disposed to do, and in some places had actually
done, to go on without the stamps, it would produce
nothing at all, but would increase the confulion of
the country, if any attempts were made to dilturb the
t[anfactions which were carried on without the
stamps. That accordingly he never had proposed
any tax on America; but found them already taxed,
% hen he unfortunately (as he hid mutt fay, whatever
use has been, or might be made of the word) came
into Administration. That his principle of policy
was to have had as little difeuffion of tnefe fubjefts
as possible, but to keep the affairs of America oat of
Parliament ; that accordingly, as he had nut laid, so
he did not think it advifeabie for him to repeal the
tea tax, nor did he ever think of any particular means
for enforcing it.
[Vol. I.]
That the ad enabling the Ea£-India Company to
fend the teas to America, on their own account, 'and
with the draw-back of the whole du..y here, was a re
gulation which he thought it not possible the Ameri
cans could complain of, rince it was a relief inftcad of
an oppreflion ; but thatthe ill-affected there, and per
sons concerned in a contraband trade, endeavoured
to represent it as a monopoly; that in some hand
bills that were scattered about at Boston, even ido
pofed that he had taken off the American three-pence
per pound duty, and that even on that fuppolition,
the difaffeded excited the people to a tumult, upon
a principle totally diftinft from all idea of taxation.
That, therefore, as he had never meant taxation as
his object in the lart tea aft, so neither did he in his
conciliatory proposition, but in the latter conlidered
it only as a means of union and good agreement be
tween the two countries; that therefore, in what he
was going to propose, he was uniform and consistent.
One of the bills he proposed to move for was, to
quiet America upon the fubjed of taxation, and to
remove all fears, real or pretended, of Parliament's
ever attempting to tax them again; and to take
away all exercise of the right itfelf in future, so far as
regarded revenue ; that as to the other particulars in
controversy, he observed, that the Americans had de
sired a repeal of all the a&s passed since 176% ; that
WEDNESDA Y, May 20, 177 T
this could not, however, be supposed to mor any
more than those arts which had, in some way or
ether," prelfed on them ; for that feme which had
parted in 1769, were beneficial, and such as they them
selves would consider in that light, being the grant
ing bounties and premiums, or the relaxation of for
mer statues that had been grievous to them. That
as to the late ads, such as the Majfachufetts Charter,
the Fijbery, and the Prohibitory Bills, as they were
the effect ofthe quarrel, Ihould cease; and that as to
complaints of matters of a various nature, authority
Ihould be given to fettle them to the fatisfadion of
America.
That the Commissioners should be inftruded to
negociate for some reasonable and moderate contri
bution towards the common defence of the empire
when re-united; but to take away all pretence for
not terminating this unhappy difference, the contri
bution cuas not to be infilled on as a fine qua non of
the treaty ; but that if the Americans should refufe
so reasonable and equitable a proposition, they were
not to complain, if hereafter they were not to loqk
for support from that part of the empire to whole ex
pence they had refufed to contribute ; that it might be
aiked if his sentiments had always been such with re
gard to taxation and peace, and why he had not made
tins proposition at a more early period ? To this he
answered, his opinion had ever been, that the mo
ment of victory was the proper time for offering terms
of concession. That the House might remember,
that at the beginnig of the fellion he had declared,
that such were his sentiments; he at that time
thought that the victories obtained by Sir William
Howe had been more decisive, and that he knew no
thing of General Burgoyne's misfortune. That when
the news of that misfortune had arrived, and that
the victories obtained by Sir William Howe could
not be so improved as to hinder General Washington
from appearing with some superiority in the field ;
and that the King's troops were obliged to retire,
and fortify themselves in winter quarters, the firft
thing that occurred to him, as the nation was still
firing and vigorous, that they could raise a number
That all these matters, consisting of a great variety,
would be better left to the difeuffion of Commission
ers, than to be eftablilhed here by aft of Parliament,
or by explicit powers given for each fpecific pretence ;
for that the Americans in the negociation would con
lider every concertion made actually heie, to oe a part
or the bails of the treaty, and never to be receded
from, and would accumulate new demands upon
that ; therefore, as every thing of that kind might be
variously modified by agreement, he was for Icavjng
the whole to Commirtioners.
That the Commilhoners formerly appointed, had
very large powers, to indeed he underrtood those
powers. But that as others seemed to coufider them
as more limited than in reality they were, he Ihould
take care now to be very explicit, and he would give
them full powers to treat, calculi, and conclude upon
every point whatever. Tint a^ tome difficulties had
arifeii about the powers given to the Commidioners,
of treating with the Gongre/s by name, he would now
remove that difficulty, by empowering and enabling
the Commissioners to treat <uith the Congress, as if it
were a legal body, and would to far give it authenti
city as to suppose its arts and cancellions would bind
America. That they Ihould have powers to treat with
any of the Provincial Alfemblies, upon their pre
sent constitution, and with ary individuals in their
present civil capacities or military commands ; with
General Walhington, or any other officer. That
they ihould have a power, whenever they thought re
quilite, to oraer a suspension of arms. That they
Ihould have a power to suspend the operation of all
laws. That they Ihould have a power of granting all
forts of pardons, immunities and rewards. That they
Ihould have a power of restoring ail the Colonies, or
any of them, to the form of its ancient constitution, as
it liood before the troubles; any of those where the
King nominated the Governors, Council, Judges, and
other Magistrates, to nominate such at their difcreti
-011, till the King's further pleasure be known.
That as me powers of the former Commiffioners'
had been objected to, so the Congress had raised a
difficulty 011 pretence of their non-admiflion of their
title to be Independent States. That meaning peace
sincerely, he was refolvcd that this difficulty Ihould
not hand in the way of a negociation ; for that the
Commissioners were to admit it upon entering into a
treaty, but as a point to be given up on its amicable
termination. As the Americans might claim their
independence 011 the outlet, he would not infill on
their renouncing it till the treaty ihould receive its
final ratification by the King and Parliament of Great-
Britain.
T H E
of men, and that the resources were far from exhauft
cd, that their strength ihould be exerted to repair
Jolfes, and to pursue the war with vigour to a happy
termination ; but when he reflected upon the uncer
tainty of events, which had hitherto so much difap*
pointed his expectation, and that in case of the ut
most success, the terms which he now proposed must
be substantially the fame as he should propose in the
height of victory, he saw no reason to prevent the
protrading the war, the effufion of blood, and the im
moderate expence, he would offer the fame proposi
tion now.
That he was convinced that they would consider
ably aid the operation of war, as they would them
selves be aided by the force in America, which wa^
hill very great ; that in case nothing farther could be
done by force, at any rate, they would be offered
with more grace than hereafter. That the events of
war in America had turned out very differently from
his expectations; that great force had been procur
ed to be sent into America, but to little purpose
hitherto.
That he must confefs himfelf extremely disappoint
ed in his expectations of the effect of our military
force. He aid not mean at that time to condemn,
or even to call into question the conduct of any of
the Commanders, but he had been disappointed.
That Sir William Howe had riot only b^en in the
late actions, and in the whole course of the campaign,
in goodness of corps, and in all manner of supplies,
but in numbers too, much superior to the American
army which opposed him in the field. That General
Burgoyne, who was at length overpowered by num
bers, had been in numbers, until the affair at Ben
nington, near twice as rtrong as the aimy under Ge
neral Gates. That all these things had happened in
a manner very contrary to his expectation.
That, for his part, he never had made a promise
which he did not perform, or receive ar, informati
on which he did not communicate. That he only
kept back the names of those whoJiadgivejLhim-Lnj.
formation, and which it would be unfaithful and in
human to divulge ; that he promised a great army
Ihould be sent out, there were 60,000 men, and up
wards; that he had promised a great fleet ihould be
employed, and a great fleet has been employed, and
is now employed ; that they should be provided for
with every kind of.fupply, and that they had been so
mole amply and liberally, and might be so for years
to come; that if the House was deceived, they had
deceived themselves.
On the whole, his concessions were from reason
and propriety, not from necessity ; that we were in
condition to carry on the war much longer. We
might raise many more men, and had many more
ready to fend, for the navy uys never in greater
strength, the revenue very little funk, and that he
could raise the supplies for the current year, as a lit
tle time would Ihew; that he submitted the whole,
with regard to the propriety of his past and present;
conduct, to the judgment of the House.
Mr. Fox rose next, he said that he could not refufe
his aflent to the proportions made by Lord North ;
thahe was very glad to find that they were, in the
ample and fatisfadory, and that he believed
they would be supported by all those with whom he
had the honour to aft. That they did not material
ly differ from those which had been made by a *
friend of his, about three years ago; that the very
fame arguments which had been used by the mino
rity, and very nearly in the fame words, were used
by the noble Lord upon this occasion. He was glad
to find that he had wholly relinquished the right of
taxation, as this was a fundamental; he was glad
also, that he had declared his intention of giving the
Commillioners power to restore the charter of Maf
fachufelts-Bay ; for giving the fatisfadion which he
(Lord North) proposed, it would be necessary for
Parliament to give the fame security, with regard to
charters, which it had given with regard to taxation ;
tlrat the Americans were full as jealous of the rights
of their alfemblies, as of taxation ; and their chief
objection to the latter, was its tendency to affeCt
the former.
He wished that this concession had been made more
early, and upon principles more refpedful to Parli
ament. To tell them, that if they were deceived,
they had deceived themselves, was neither kind nor
civil to an assembly, which, for so many years, had
relied upon him with such unreserved confidence ;
that all public bodies, like the House of Commons,
must give a large confidence to perform in office; and
their only method of preventing the abuse of that
confidence, was to punish them who had mif-inform
ed them concerning the true state q£ their affairs, or
* Mr, Burke.
\[NUMB. 25.]