§10 political progre/s of Britain. Ftb. 29- 



mons. Three hundred and twenty members are: 

 about the usual number under his influence *; and 

 therefore the patronage of Gibraltar' may be conjec- 

 tured to purchase ten votes in the market of St Ste- 

 phen's chapel. 



Though writers have presumed to specify the an- 

 nual charge of Gibraltar, an exact estimate cannot 

 pofslbl}'^ be obtained. The public accounts are pre- 

 sented to parliamcL • in a state of inextricable confu- 

 sion. Indeed their immense bulk would alone be 

 sufficient to place them far beyond the reach of any 

 human comprehension. A single circumstance may 

 ^erve to {how the way in which parliamentary 

 businefs is commonly performed. A statute was 

 pafsed and printed some years ago, containing three 

 SLiccefsive references to the thirtj-FiRST day of No- 

 vember. 



For a foreign contest, our government is most 

 wretchedly adapted. In the war of 1756 Frederick, 

 that Shakespeare of kings, fought and conquered five 

 different nations. In the course of his miraculous cam- 

 paigns, he neither added a single impost, nor attempt- 

 ed to borrow a single fliilling. At the same time our 

 boasted earl of Chatham was overwhelming this 

 country with taxes, and contracting an annual debt 

 cf fifteen or twenty miIlio::s sterling. With a more 

 dcstiuctive minister, no nation was ever cursed. 

 Yet this man we prefer to Sir Robert Walpole, 



* Vv hen die whole strength cfeachp^rlyls caJled forth, a minority 

 are commonly vviihin an hundred volcer. of a miniiter, whicli corrfsponJs 

 with tolerjble accuracy to the computation in the text. In the regency 

 question, Mr Pitt with the whole natiga at Lis biclc, mustered only t\*>J. 

 kuninxi and »ixtv iu,.e nienibcri. 



