GENERAL HISTORY. 



[37 



footing on whicli they stood in 

 1793." 



Mr. Guulburn, in opposing tlie 

 motion, chiefly argued upon the 

 great importance of our colonial 

 possessions, which rendered it ne- 

 cessary to have a responsible mi- 

 nister of the crown to superintend 

 tlieni. It would not l)e sufficient 

 to give to them half, or one-third 

 of the attention of a minister, nor 

 would tlie suggested increase of 

 cleiks answer the purpose. If a 

 comparison was made between the 

 manner in which the colonial bu- 

 siness was tran.sacted by the home 

 department, and that when it was 

 committed to a separate establish- 

 ment, it would be found, that the 

 latter was much more efRcient. 



Mr. Wynn, who had been ap- 

 pealed to, respecting the business 

 of the home department, said, tliat 

 when he was in that office, he 

 found that the superintendence of 

 the volunteers and militia was en- 

 trusted to one under-secretary, 

 and the superintendence of police 

 and aliens to another. The v\ hole 

 of the labour of the volunteers 

 was now taken away, and that 

 of the militia nearly so ; and there 

 was also a great diminution in the 

 business of superintending aliens. 

 Oil the whole, the business of the 

 alien office was now veiy much 

 diminished, and might admit of 

 considerable leductions ; and i\e 

 ■was confident, that in consolidat- 

 ing it witli tlie business of the 

 colonies, neither of them would 

 be neglecteil. 



Mr. Adding ton, in his observa- 

 tions on the last speaker, said, 

 that the business of the home de- 

 partment was so great, that his 

 noble relation (L:)i'd yidmouth) 

 had not been absent from his office 



ten days in the course of any one 

 year, and that the duties of it 

 were quite sufficient to occujiy 

 his time. 



Mr. lialhurst gave his opinion, 

 that the business of the colonies 

 was enough for the management 

 of one ])eison. 



Mr. J. H. Snnjth said, that hav- 

 ing had an oppoi'tunity of being 

 acquainted with the business in 

 the offices of secretary of state^ 

 he did not wish to give a silent 

 vote on this occasion. He believed, 

 that the business wliich tlie third 

 secretary had lost by the peace, 

 was more than equal to the whole 

 business of tlie home de])artment 

 at the present time ; and if he 

 were asked, if he thought one se- 

 cretary enough for both offices, his 

 answer would be, that in his con- 

 scier.ce he thought it was. 



The remainder of the debate, 

 in which seveial members took 

 part, w as chierly occupied in the 

 recapitulation of aiguments for 

 awd against the capability of two 

 secretaries of state, for transact- 

 ing at this time of peace the pub- 

 lic business which liad devolved 

 upon thiee in time of war ; in 

 which the principal ground taken 

 by the minisicrs, and their sup- 

 porters, was the present state of 

 our coliniial possessions, which 

 had aiigmciited the superintend- 

 ing control of the colonial se- 

 cretary of state, to a degree wholly 

 unprecedented. After Mr. Titr- 

 neifs concluding speech, in which 

 lie said, that the opposition made 

 by the noble lord (Castlereagh) 

 and his colleagues to this motion, 

 would hold them up in their true 

 colours to the countiy, the House 

 divided. For the motion 100, 

 .'\gainst it 182. 



CHAPTER 



