128] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
and loyal subjects to preserve it. 
It was unjust, therefore, to insi- 
nuate that those who approved of 
the destruction of despotism in 
France, would rejoice in the down- 
fall of the British constitution. 
He next adverted to the riots at 
Birmingham; and bitterly com- 
plained, that through the laxity of 
the magistrates there, violent cut- 
rages had been committed on the 
property and persons of those of 
whom the populace of that place 
had been taught to entertain inju- 
rious opinions. They had been 
basely connived at in treating 
those person with the most barba- 
rous indignity. A gentleman of 
the greatest celebrity for his science 
and character, the famous Dr. 
Priestley, had been, through their 
lawless and cruel proceedings, re- 
duced to absolute ruin, and had 
hardly been able to escape with 
his life. Such were the deeds of a 
multitude which had the audacity 
thoughout the whole of these ini- 
quitous transactions, to justify them 
by the pretence of their zeal for 
the present constitution in church 
and state: as if those whom they 
treated in this outrageous manner, 
had not, upon every occasion, ma- 
nifested as much sincerity at least 
as they themselves, in the defence 
of the constitution, whenever it 
had been brought into real danger. 
This testimony he thought himself 
bound openly and unequivocally to 
bear to that respectable, as well as 
prosperous part of the British na- 
tion, which went under the name 
of Dissenters. 
Mr. Pitt encountered the asser- 
tions of Mr. Fox and the opposi- 
tion with apposite facts and argu- 
ments. He appealed for the just- 
ness of what the royal speech had 
mentioned concerning India, to 
the sense of the House, as express- 
ed in the preceding sessions. He 
lamented the disorders of Birming- 
ham; but thought these were an 
object which discretion ought to 
consign to oblivion, as enough had 
been done for their atonement. 
He warmly defended the con- 
duct of ministry, relating to the 
differences between foreign pow- 
ers. Their object was to main- 
tain that balance of Europe which 
was of the most indispensable im- 
portance to the safety of this coun- 
try. Had no obstruction been 
thrown in his way, the negociations 
he had undertaken would have 
terminated advantageously; but 
the clamours excited throughout 
the public, and the unseasonable 
opposition he had met with, afford- 
ed occasion to the power which he 
would have reduced to compliance, 
to avail itself of these national cla- 
mours, and to persist in demands 
which it obtained, as it were thro’ 
the intervention of the public in its 
favour, To this alone was due 
the successful competition of Russia 
with the British ministry. 
He laid before the House a cir- 
-cumstantial statement of the last 
year’s revenue; by which it a- 
mounted to 16,790,000 pounds ; 
from which, deducting the expen- 
diture, there remained a surplus of 
900,000, after the annual million 
was paid off towards the redemption 
of the national debt. 
Encouraged by this prosperous 
condition of the finances, he pro- 
posed to take off part of those taxes 
which were felt most heavily by 
the necessitous classes, as being in-" 
dispensable necessaries of life. : 
Thus ended the debate on this 
first day of the sessions; when the 
question 
