328 
mals, by which another was to profit. Af- 
ter fome farther debate, the houfe divided 
en the queftion, for the fecond reading of 
the bill, when it was rejected by a confide- 
rable majority, the numbers being 17 for it, 
and 6 againft it. 
On the 2d of May, a motion was made 
in the houfe of peers, by the Marquis of 
Landfdown, relative to the ftate of the na- 
tion. It was introduced by a f{peech of coa- 
fiderable length, in which he particularly 
referredto the reports of the commifiiencers 
of accompts, appointed inthe preceding par- 
liament ; and obferved, that though a period 
of fourteen years had elapfed, {ince thefe 
reports were publifhed, no part of them 
had yet been ated upon. His lordthip 
afterwards proceeded to animadvert on va- 
rious meafures adopted and purfued by Ad- 
miniftration, which he divided into two 
heads, viz. thofe undertaken without con- 
fent of parliament, and thofe in which they 
had that confent. Of the firft clafs, he be- 
gan by noticing the appointment of a third 
fecretary of ftate ; a meafure which, in his 
mind, was not only totally unneceflary, but 
which was dire€tly in the face of an at of 
parliament paffed for the retrenchment of 
the power and influence of the crown. His 
jordfhip then proceeded to notice the build- 
ing of fo many barracks in various parts of 
the country, which, he faid, was a moft un- 
conftitutional meafure, and alarming in the 
higheft degree to every one who felt feri- 
oufly for the libertiesof thecountry. They 
were, he faid, fo many fortrefles, and no- 
thing lefs; and he requefted their Jord- 
thips’ recollection of the opinion which the 
learned Judge Blackftone had given in his 
commentaries en the laws of England, 
concerning the illegality and danger which 
attended their being allowed. He con- 
demned, in very fevere terms, the appro- 
priation of fo large a fum of money as they 
are to coft, without any application to, or 
confent of parliament. He then tock no- 
tice of the extraordinaries of the army, 
which, he faid, where carried to a length 
that was frightful tothink of. His lord- 
thip then came to thofe meatures, which had 
received the fanétion of parliament ; and 
the firft he mentioned was the India bill, 
which he called an enormous mountain of 
influence; a huge, wide, and deep guiph of 
corruption. ‘The litile red-book he de- 
{cribed asa {wollen big-heilied thing, which 
would foon be the only objeét of a libsary ; 
and patronage, as an elephant that might be 
introduced as an ornamental figure to fill 
up the other parts of it. He was very fe- 
vere in his condemnation of it, as an ever- 
grown means of enlarging, beyond al! power. 
Hifiary of the Britifh Parliament. a 
[May 
of calculation, that infuence of the crown, | 
which thofe who framed it had before faid, © 
“* had increafed, was increafing, and ought 
to be diminifhed.” His lordfhip, having 
mentioned thete feveral points, faid, he 
had one to obferve upon, which was of 
greater magnitude than all the reft—the 
claufe in a late a€t, which had repealed a 
fundamenta! part of the conftirution of the 
bank of England, and empowered the go- 
vernor and dire€torsto lend any furs they 
pleated to minifters, to anyamount. ‘This 
was, to all intents and purpofes, making the 
bank a parliament; for minifters might ob- 
tain larzer fupplies from the bank during 
the rece{s, than they could from parliament 
itfelf while it was fitting. The marquis 
concluded, by moving a very Jong refulu- 
tion, purporting — 
“That, as we fee no effeétual fteps 
taken to realize thofe meafures of reform, 
for which the prefent minifters, at their en- 
trance into office, ftood ftrongly pledged to 
the public, or thofe earneftly recommended 
in the reports upon the table, by two boards 
of commiulfioners, both appointed by parlia- 
ment: 
“It is incumbent on this houfe to en- 
quire into the caufe of fo extraordinary 
an omiffion, as wellas — 
‘“* Whether any new offices have fince 
been created ? 
‘* Whether any old falaries have been 
increafed on flight pretences ? 
‘‘ Whether any falaries have been 
granted for {pecial purpofes, and con- 
tinued, though the reafons for them have 
ceafed ? 
‘‘ Whether any warrants for beneficial 
grants have been direéted : And, on the 
whole, 
‘‘ Whether the public expences have 
increafed beyond the fupplies annually 
granted by parliament 
“This, which would be a duty incum- 
bent upon parliament, were the exifting 
war ever fo neceffary, juft, and fuccefsful, 
is become moft urgent and indifpenfible 
in a conteft at once bloody and expenfive 
beyond example, without plan or obje&, 
except fuch objeéts as the mifcondudt of 
the war firft created: attended with a 
wafte of money, profufe almoft beyond 
imagination, which has alreadyreduced our 
trade to a dependence on the very warfare 
which is fundamentally deftroying it, and 
has fo exhaufted our refources, as to drive 
us to the wretched expedient of reviving. 
taxes, which were a few years fince re- 
pealed, upon the ground of thereby in- 
creafing the reyenue—an effect which 
that repeal produced, and a policy which 
; muft, 
