The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-22
foreign sntrlIigentt.
IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, Jan. 81.
ITO to eon..:==aed.J
MIR. PITT.

Mr.. III. Laiceiles role, agreeaby to the notice
he had given, to move that fome lignaI marks of
public refped be paid to the memory of the late
Chancellor of the Exchequer and after few
more obfervations he moved
That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his
Majeffy, requeiting that his Maefty would be
GRACEFULLY pleafed to give directions that the
Remains of the late Right Hon. William Pitt
he inferred at the public expence; and that a
Monument be erected in the Collegiate Church
of St. Peters, Weitminfter, to the memory of
that great and excellent Statefman, with an In
fcription expreflive of the fentiments of the
people, on TO great and irreparable a lofs & TO
allure his Majety that this Houfe will make
good the expence attending the fame.
MIR. Fox rofe, and fpoke nearly as follows
sI do not know fir, that ever rofe to addref,
the Houfe in the performance of any public duty
with more pain than 1 do at this moment.
therefore hope that ihall experience fome in
diligence if, before give my vote on this quefti-
on, thould fhortly fate the reafons which
compel me to oppofe the motion now propofed
by the Hon. Gentleman under the gallery
mutt now vote in oppoition to thofe whole
friendfhip contributes the delight and Happiness
of my private life, and from whom, fince affairs
have taken fuoh turn, it is probable fhal ne
yer be feparated during the remainder of nv
political life. The vote therefore may be con-
iidered as one not given to crafty any feelings
ofprivate animo6ty, or of public ambition, but
extorted by mott painful but imperous duty.
}, hr, have been engaged in long courfe of CD.
petition to the perfon for whom public honours
are now claimed. may fay that have been
conhdered, and perhaps it may be called an
honour, as his rival. But do allure the RIGHT
Hon. Gentleman, his mott jealous and greatea
admirers, that, during all that time, never op-
poted him from perfonal motive in nv life.
will go farther fill, and fay that another mo-
tive would lead me to fupport the motion, and
that is the refpe6t which / entertain for MANY
of Mr.. Pitts perfonaI qualities. Great quail
ties he certainly had in no ordinary degree, in
private life; and great qualities ALTO in points
connected with his administration. / do not
think this proper time to enter upon the par
: ticnlar acts of that administration but in the
meafure of the Sinking Fund, he had always nv
warmeit fupport, and freely declare my opiyi-
on that this has done great deal of good to The
nation, and that for this, therefore, the country
is highly obliged to him (ioud cries ofbear :!
bear )--There is another quality for which he
deferves great praie. No minifer was ever
more dilinterefted far as related to pecuniary
matters. His integrity and moderation, in this
refpeet, are confirmed by the fate of his affairs
when he died. ] allow that minifer is not to
be conhdered as moderate and dilintereaed,
merely becauie he is poor during his life or at
his death. But when fee minilter, who has
been in Office above 20 years, with the full COM
mand OF places and public money, without any
peculiar extravaganza and waite, except what
might be expected from the carelefTnefs that
perhaps necei1arily arofe from the mutipli-
ity of duties to which the attention of man
On fuch A ltuation NUT be directed when
lee minifter, under fuch circumstances, uine
fhis influence neither to enrich him(elf nor thof
with whom he is, by family ties, more peculiarly
connected, tits mpofiible for me to conclude
that this man is diiintereRed muft fay, that
he has, with regard TO private emoument, ac-
ted with high degree of integrity and mode
ration. In the courfe ofthe long administration
of Mr.. Pitt, all that he took for himfef was the
Wardenfhip of the Cirque Ports. This was
certainly in him highly dilinterefted /; and his
dihntereftednefs in this refpeet fhines with the
more lutre, when we conlider the mode i'm
which, according to report, this reward has been
ince difpofed Of. therefore, fir, have every
reafan, from my intimate friendihip and near
connection with the living, and from my own
private feelings and refpe6 for the dead, who
undoubtedly polTeffed many eftimable qualities,
TO give my fupport TO the motion now before the
Houfe. But there are cafes, Sir, in which our
public duty is 70 clear and imperious, that no
delire ofpraiie, no motive of perfonal refpeet,
no with to crafty our friends, nor any other
confederation, however powerful, can poniby
enable us to difpenfe with it. we NUT then
act as our condolences directs, however pain
ence, FIR, believe this to be one of thofe ca
fes ifthe marks of refpett were fuch as did
not compromise my public duty in the compli-
ance, no perfou would join in il more cheerful.
Iy and more eagerly than j would. IF it had
been propofed 20 fupply the DEFICIENCIES of his
own fortune, would moa willingly content
that all this fhould be done in the mott liberal
manner. But it is a very different thing to be
called upon to confer hopours upon MIR. Pitt
as " an excellent Siatefman.' We ought not
FIR, in fuch cafes, to be complimented out of
our confent---f our public duty commands us
TO oppofe the grant Of fuch honours.---The
public honors are matters of the higheft impor-
tance, becaufe they mutt more or lefs infiu-
eacc pofterity. They ought not, therefore, TO
be conferred lightly, but only where merit is
clearly feen and acknowledged.
need not now, fir, add any thing to what
: has been iaid tsfpeeting honorS conferred upon
military mep and fatefmen, by my hon. friend
ON the bench near me (Mr. Windham), who
has 70 ably, and clearly pointed out the dlinc-