HISTOR Y¥>:(OF EURO BE, 
conduct as an act of bankroptcy 
not to beremedied. When gentle- 
men-cried up the solidity of a cor- 
porate body in one breath, and ia 
the next imputed bankruptcy to it, 
an inguiry becanic necessary, in 
order to establish its reputation, for 
being equal to the discharge of all 
itsengagemerts. Mr. Fox teplied, 
that he had not applied the term 
of bankruptcy to, the state of the 
bank, but to government, to which 
it had been Jong applicable. Ou 
a division of the house, Mr. She- 
ridan’s amendment was rejected by 
244against 83. The original mo- 
tion was.then carried without a 
division, and a secret committee 
chosen by ballot.* 
Mr. Fox then moved, ‘‘ That it 
is the duty of this house to inquire 
into all the causes that have pro- 
duced this extraordinary measure,” 
‘This resolution being agreed to, 
Mr. Fox, gave noticé that he should 
on the next day, move for the ap- 
pointment of a committee to that 
_ effect. Accordingly, on the next 
day, March 1st, Mr. Fox moved, 
_ that a committee be appointed to 
inquire into the causes which had 
roduced the order of council. 
_ This motion was seconded by gene- 
it “yal Wolpole, and supported by. Mr. 
_ Sheridan, Mr. Grey, Mr. Curwen, 
and Dr. Laurence, but opposed by 
Mr. Pitt, on the ground that the 
committee, already appointed, was 
i” oompetent to every purpose. of 
e inquiry. The motion, on a di- 
a”. of the house, was jost: the 
£193 
votes, being, for it 53, against it 
144, - 
A secret committee, for investi- 
gating the affairs of the bank. of 
England, was.also appointed on 
the second of March, by the house 
of lords.+ On the sixth, the earl 
of Chatham brought up the report 
of that committee, which stated, 
that, on the twenty-fifth day of Fe- 
bruary last, there was a surplus, of 
effects, belonging to the bank, .be- 
yond the total of. their debts, 
amountingto the sumof 3,826.890/, 
exclusive of a permanent debt of 
1 1,666,S00/. due from government; 
that the bank of England had lately 
experienced an universal drain of 
cash; that this drain was owing to 
demands for cash from the coun- 
try, arising from local alarms of 
invasion; demands had been, of 
late, progressively increasing, but 
particularly in the last week; and 
that there. was every reason to 
apprehend that these demands, and 
the consequent progressive reduc- 
tion of cash, would continue, and 
even increasé; insomuch, that there 
was reason to apprehend that, if 
it were to conticue in the same 
proportion, the bank of England 
would be deprived of the means of 
supplying the cash which might be 
necessary for pressing exigencies of 
public service. On these grounds 
the committee stated it as thejr 
opinion, that it was necessary to 
continue and confirm the, mea- 
sures already taken, for sach time, 
and under such limitations, as to 
ith members chosen for this committee were, sirJohn Scott, Isaac Hawkins 
Browne, esq. C, Bragee, esq. John A 
Anderson, esq. John Fane, esq. Thomas Grenville, 
3 William. Wilberforce, esq. William Wilberforce Bird, esq. Charles Grey, esq. sir 
Bin Mitford, William flussey, esq. William Plumer, esq. Thomas Powis, esq. John 
Blackborne, esq Thomas Berry Bramstone, esq. 
» + Consisting of the lords Chatham, Winchelsea, Graham, (duke of Montrose) Hard- 
os: ince, Liverpooi, Sydney, Grenville, Ossory, and de Dunstanville. ' 
[0] 
e. Vor. XXXIX. 
- 
the 
