HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
another from general Smith,in which 
_he represented Mr, Puissaye, who 
had the charge of that expedition, 
as unworthy of it, and as an emi- 
grant of little consideration among 
his countrymen. Other members 
spoke on this occasion : but the de- 
bate ended by Mr. Pitt’s moving 
for the’ order of the day; and Mr. 
Sheridan’s motion for the latter was 
thereby negatived. 
_ Years had now elapsed since the 
famous declaration, made by the 
house of commons, during the Ame- 
Tican war, ‘** that the influence of 
the crown had increased, was still 
increasing, and ought to be dimi- 
nished.” At that period several 
resolutions had also passed for the 
reform of varicus abuses. But though 
this salutary work had been pro- 
ceeded upon, it had gradually been 
laid aside, and the public had long 
ceased to hear of any progress in 
the alterations proposed and pro- 
mised at that time. It was to recall 
these divers objeéts to notice, that 
the marquis of Lansdowne moved 
for the several papers relating to 
them. On the second of May ‘he 
made a long and elaborate speéch, 
in the house of lords, on the subject 
of their contents, urging, with great 
force, the propriety of taking them 
into consideration at'a time when 
the purpose for which the regula- 
tions contained in them were framed, 
and which was the retrenchment of 
needless expences, demanded the 
attention of the legislature more 
than, ever. The marquis entered 
into a number of particulars in order 
to corroborate his assertion, that a 
useless and expensive augmentation 
of places and offices had taken place. 
The patronage thence arising to mi- 
istry had proved enormous: but 
the most dangerous was that de- 
[69 
rived from the influence they pos- 
sessed oyér the bank, of which the 
management was now become en- 
tirely their own, contrary to the. 
spirit of its institution, and the safety 
of the constitution itself, which was 
manifestly endangered by so vast an 
accession of power to the executive 
branch of government. Who could 
have the face to deny that these 
were glaring abuses, and that they 
called for immediate remedies ? He 
would, therefore, in this critical 
situation of affairs, endeavour to 
procure the realizing of those mea- 
sures of reform, so long resolved 
upon, and which ought, from every 
motive of duty and honour, to be 
no longer delayed. _ For this pur- 
pose he would move, that an in- 
quiry should be instituted into the 
causes that had prevented the pro- 
secution of those reforms sosolemnly 
sanétioned by the legislature, and 
so strongly recommended by those 
to whose wisdom and integrity it 
had formally committed the 1 inspec= 
tion of that department most essen- 
tial in all states, the revenue and 
finances of the nation, and all that 
was couneéted with this important 
object. He made other motions 
tending to the same end ; and con- 
cluded, by renewing the disappro- 
bation he had so often expressed of 
the war, as destructive of men, and 
wasteful of treasure, beyond all pre- 
cedents, — 
The reforms alluded to were ace 
knowledged by lord Grenville, in re- 
ply, to have been thought expedient 
by the commissioners who had been 
appointed to examine the public ac- 
Counts; but 1t should not be thence 
inferred, that they were applicable 
to all times and emergencies. The 
proposal, for instance, to throw some 
of the revenue-offices ginto one was 
‘TRS imprac- 
