Yes 
42] ANNUAL REGISTER; 1790 
the houfe of commons, as at prefent conftituted, is adequate for all beneficial 
» purpofes. Anfwersthe objetions relative to the American war. 
- innovations founded upon’ theories. 
Deprecates 
Objeds to the time as dangerous. Mr, ~ 
Pitt objects. to the motion as ill-timed. Sir Fames Fobnftone’s objeBions. 
» Mr. Fox. fupports the motion, and anfwers the objection of its being ill- 
. timed. Mr. Burke in reply. 
The motion agreed to be withdrawn. 
WS ELE very {mall majority by 
. Which Mr. Beaufoy’s motion 
for the relief of proteftant diffenters 
had been rejected laft year *, jufti- 
fied the perfeverance of that body 
in renewing their application to par- 
liament, and could not fail of giving 
them, fanguine hopes of fuccefs. 
Another application was immediate- 
ly determined upon, to be made in 
the prefent feflions, and the interval 
was employed, with indefatigable in- 
duftry, in making every poffible ex- 
ertion to fortify their caufe, both by 
general appeals to the people, and 
by an ative canvas of individual 
members of parliament. The cir- 
cumitance of an approaching gene- 
ral election was alfo thought fa- 
vourable to their attempt, on ac- 
count of their great weight and 
influence in many counties and cor- 
porations, and their avowed deter- 
mination to exert them, on the en- 
fuing occafion, in the fupport of fuch 
candidates only, as were known, or 
fhould. promife, to be their fup-. 
porters, At the fame time it ap- 
pears, that they wifhed to confoli- 
date with their own, the intereft of 
the Roman. catholic diffenters, and 
probably expected, that they fhould 
derive fome acceflion of; ftrength 
from that quarter, by extending their 
application fo as to include in it the 
members of that perfuafion. Their 
caufe, thus promifing and thus fup- 
ported, it was refolved to entruft, in 
the house of commons, to the zeal 
and talents of Mr. Fox. 
Other /peakers on both fides the queftion. 
@n the other hand, the friends of © 
the eftablifhed church,’ alarmed by — 
the activity and confidence of their 
opponents, exhibited fome fymptoms 
of vigour in preparing for its de- 
fence. Appeals were anfwered by 
appeals, and in one inftance, at leaft, 
an eminent prelate of the church 
was found to have ufed his influence | 
amongtt his clergy in oppofition to a. 
parliamentary candidate,exprefsly on- 
account of his having veted for the 
repeal of thecorporationand teft acts. 
But what contributed moft efpecially , 
to prejudice the public mind againft 
the claims of the diffenters, was the 
violence with which fome of their | 
leaders engaged in the politics of the 
times, their known correfpondence 
with France, and their openavowal, » 
that the repeal of the offenfive act 
was not foucht for as their main ob- 
ject, but as a ftep towards a total 
demolition of all church eftablith- 
ments. Even fome of the moft mo- 
derate and moft refpectable of their 
own party, alarmed or difguited at 
the fpitit of their proceedings, re-~ 
fufed to concur in. the propofed ap- 
plication. ; 
On Tuefday the fecond'of March, 
Mi, Fox, agreeably to the notice he — 
had given, brought the fubje@& be-. — 
fore. the houfe of commons, which 
was one of the falle# that had been 
for fome time affembled. He be- 
gan his fpeech with obferving, that 
he had not obtruded himfelf upon 
the-occafion, but that he came for- 
wardvat the exprefs with and folici- 
* See Annual Regifter for the vear 17%9, page 148, 
tation 
