56] 
In the house of lords it was vehe- 
mently opposed by lord Lauder- 
dale, as tending gradually to dimi- 
nish the importance of that house,” 
by lessening the opulence of its 
members, such numbers of whom 
came to their honours and fortunes 
through collateral succession. He 
instanced the duke of Norfolk, who 
must, if such an act had subsisted, 
have been a loser by six hundred 
thousand pounds, taken from the 
family which he represented. The 
bill, however, was carried. 
The tax on collateral succession 
to real estates was more successfully 
opposed in the house of commons, 
where it evidently appeared so ob- 
noxious, that Mr. Pitt found him. 
self under the necessity of totally 
relinquishing it. 
On the eight of December, a 
message was delivered from the 
king to the house of commons, in- 
forming them of his disposition to 
enter into a negociation for peace 
with the present government of 
France. Mr. Pitt thereon moved 
an address, expressive of their rea- 
diness toconcur in such a measure. 
Mr, Sheridan avowed himself of 
opinion, that the intention of the 
minister was to frustrate the motion 
for peace of which Mr. Grey had 
given notice. What other motives 
could induce the minister to this 
change of language respecting the 
French, whom he had so lately re- 
presented as unable to continue the 
war, and on the brink of destruc- 
tion. The men who governed that 
country were the same who had 
put the king to death, and with 
whom, our minjstry had declared, 
no settled order of things could ever 
take place. But, whoever were 
the governors of France, Mr. She- 
ridan insisted, that no reason of 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
that sortought to prevent an accom- 
modation, and he moved an amend- 
ment to the address, to signify the 
concern of the house, that any form 
of government in that country 
should induce the king to be averse 
to peace; and to sequest that, set- 
ting aside al] considerations of that 
nature, he would direct his ministers 
to treat with the enemy on safe and 
honourable terms. He was second- 
ed by Mr. Grey, who advanced a 
variety of facts and reasonings upon 
them to prove the propriety of 
treating. 
Until the present opportunity, 
Mr. Pitt replied, none had offered 
to encourage ideas of peace, which, 
however, had not been prevented 
by the mere existence of a republic 
in France, but by a total absence 
of any species of regular govern- 
ment. The change now was ma- 
nifest: the new constitution was 
contrary to the doctrine of univer-~ 
sal equality ; the French had now a 
mixed form of government, admit- 
ting of distinctions in society; and 
their legislature was not construce 
ted ona pure democracy. ‘This fully 
authorized ministry, to consider 
them in quite another light than 
formerly; but did not furnish any 
pretence for depriving ministers of 
their right to act in the name of the 
executive power, without undue’ in- 
terference, which must certainly be 
the case, were the amendment to be 
adopted. 
Mr, Fox severely reprehended 
ministry for pretending that, till 
now, the government of France 
was incapable of maintaining the 
relations of peace and amity with 
other nations. They had maintain- 
ed them successively with every 
power they had treated with; nor 
was the character of the present. 
rulers 
