138 
mediately to take every poffible meafure 
for concluding peace with our American 
colonies.””. The member for Weftminiter 
was fupported by many diftinguithed 
members, and partieulariy by Mr. Pirt, 
whio engaged tne whole attentién cf the 
heufe, while he exprefled himfelf in the 
moft-indignant terms relative to ‘ the 
cruelty and impolicy of the conteft with 
eur colonies. Jt was conceived,’ he 
faid, ‘in injuflice ; it was nurtured and 
brought forth in folly; its footfteps were 
raarked with blocd, flaughter, perfecu- 
tion, and devattation. In fhort, every 
thing that went to conftitute moral de- 
pravity and human turpitude were to be 
found in it. It was pregnant with mis- 
ehief of every kind, while it meditated 
defiruétion to the miferable peop!e who 
were the devored objets of the black re- 
fentments which. produced it. 
About this t me, the lord advocate of 
Scotland (the prefent Vifcount Melville), 
although a ftickler for the American war, 
and a zealous friend of the minifter, paid 
many high compliments to this yourhful 
flatelinan, with whom he was afterwards 
fated to act, and whofe future advance- 
ment he feemed even now, with his 
ufual intuitive fagacity, to prognofticate. 
—‘* His powerful abilities and brilliant 
elequence,’” he faid, §* were univerfally 
acknowledged sroofe, that the aflonifhing 
extent and force of an exalted underfiand- 
ing had defcended, in an hereditary line, 
from the late illuftrious poffeffor of them, 
toa fon easily endued with all the fire, 
and ftrength, and grace of oratory.”” Mr. 
Wilkes alfo prenounceca neat eulogium on 
the fame fubject, and to the fame purpole. 
Next to the American war, a more 
equal reprefentatiin of the people in 
the houfe of commons, was one of the 
chief objects to which the nation direfted 
iés attentin. It was fully recognized as 
the undoubted pernogs ive of the crown 
to declare war, but as the fupplies were 
exclufively entrafled to the direction of 
the reprefentative branch of the conititu- 
tion, all independent men feemed to allow 
that, but for the vena lity and, corruption 
of a former parliament, it weuld have 
been impoilb: : os any minifer to have 
earricd on a conflict accompanied with 
the wate of fo much blood and treafure. 
Te profit by experience, to correét the 
future by the paft, to reftore the confti- 
tution to its original purity, end te con- 
fer on the people their due weight in a 
mixed form of government, had now he- 
come the aim and obje& of Mr, Pitt’s | 
endeavours. 
Memoirs of the Right Hon. William Pitt. 
[March 1, 
This ingenious ftatefman, as yet une 
corrupted with power, and viewing a well- 
Merited renown as the {ale reward and. 
only recompence of his virtuous endea- 
vours, boldly, fairly, and honeftly entered 
on a meafure, which now ferved as a {pear 
to probe the charaéter of his political ad- 
verlaries, and -was afterwards employed 
by the Abdiels who oppofed himfelf to 
probe his own heart, when it was fup- 
pofed to have been perverted by the fafci- 
nations of office, and the habit of com- 
mand. It will be eafily perceived that 
what is now alluded to, was the meafure 
fo early adopted, and fora while fo ftrenu- 
oufly fupported, by him, of obtaining a 
more equal reprefentation of the people in 
parliamen’. 
His firft motion* for a committee to 
confult 
RT 
* This was made May 22, “1782, on 
which occafion he delivered himfelf to the 
following import : 
‘© The reprefentation of the commons in 
parliament,” he obferved, ‘* was a matter fo 
truly interefting, that it had at all times ex- 
cited the admiration of men the moft en. 
lightened ; while the defeéts foundin it had 
given them reafon to apprehend the moft 
alarming confequences. That it had lately 
undergone material alterations, by which the 
commons’ houfe of parliament had received 
an improper and dangerous bias, he believed 
it would be idle for him to attempt to prove. 
‘¢ That beautiful frame of government, 
which had made us the envy and admiration 
of mankind, and in which the people were 
entitled to hold fo diftinguifhed a faare, was 
fo far dwindled and departed from its original - 
purity, that the reprefentatives ceafed ina 
great degree to be connected with the people. 
‘¢ It is not his intention to enter into any 
enquiry refpecting the proper mode of re- 
form, or to confider what would moft come 
pletely tally and fquare with the original 
frame of the conftitution: this he left toa 
committee ;~-but he ftill felt it his duty to 
ftate fome faéts and circumftances which, in 
his opinion, made this objeét of reform effene 
tially necefiary. 
‘s He believed, indeed, that there was ne 
member of that houfe who would not ac- 
knowledge, that the reprefentation was in- 
complete, It was perfecily underftood that 
there were fome of the boreughs under the 
influence of the treafury, and others totally 
poflefied by them. It was manifeft that fuch 
boroughs had not one quality of reprefenta- 
tion inthem. They bad no fhare or concern 
in the general interefts.of the country ; and 
they had in faé no ftake for which to appoint 
guardians in the popular aflembly, The in« 
fluence of the treafury in fome boroughs was 
alfo contefted, not by the ele@ors of thofe 
boroughsy 
