77

A. D. 1769.

YEAR OF GEORGE III. 9 & 10.

PARLIAMENT 1 & 2.

King's Speech and Debates.- Resolutions against the Assembly of Massachuset's Bay and Town of Boston. - Negociation between Government and the East India Company. Debt on the Civil List. - Affairs of Wilkes. Colonel Luttrel voted in for Middlesex. Petitions and Addresses on that Subject. — Riots in Spital Fields. Proceedings in the Irish House of Commons. Campaign between the Turks and Russians. Affairs of Poland. - Swedish Diet.Death of the Pope, and Election of Ganganelli.- Subjugation of Corsica. French East India Trade laid open. Disturbances at St. Domingo. War between Hyder Ally and the East India Company. Supervisors sent.

THE

HE King's speech on opening the session of parliament having particularly directed its attention to the American colonies, the capital of one of which was declared to be in a state of disobedience to all law and government, this subject took the lead in the parliamentary discussions of the present year. A committee of the whole House of Commons had been formed early in the session for an enquiry into American affairs, and a great number of papers had been laid before. it, which gave rise to frequent and warm debates, in all which the ministers were supported by large majorities. Resolutions were passed in the House of Lords, and were adopted by the Commons, declaring illegal and unconstitutional those acts of the assembly of Massachuset's Bay which called in question the authority of parliament to make laws binding upon the colonies in all cases whatsoever, and pronouncing a strong censure on the circular letters sent by that assembly to the other colonies. The conduct of the town of Boston was particularly noted for its audacity and disaffection. An

address to his Majesty was voted, expressive of entire satisfaction with the measures that had been taken to support the constitution, and of a firm resolution to concur in such further steps as might be thought necessary to enforce a due execution of the laws; and a request was made that Governor Bernard should be directed to transmit the names of those who were most active in promoting the late disorders, that they might be brought over for trial by a special commission in this country. In the debates on the address this last proposal was animadverted upon with peculiar severity by the opposition, as wholly adverse to the principles of the English

constitution.

The agreement with the East India Company, and the act for restraining their dividends, being now near expiring, a long negociation was entered upon between it and the government, which terminated in a new bill. By this compact the Company was to continue, for five years to come, its annual payment to the public of 400,000l. with liberty to increase its dividend during that period as far as twelve and a half per cent.; and if from any cause it should be necessary to reduce the dividends, an equal sum was to be deducted from the payments to the public, such payments entirely to cease were the dividend to be reduced to six per cent. Some other stipulations were made for the public benefit.

In February, the first of those deficiencies in the civil list which have occurred from time to time in the present reign was made known to parliament by a message from his Majesty, announcing that he had been obliged to incur a debt of 500,000l., and relying on their zeal and affection to enable him to discharge it. This demand gave rise to some free discussions, but it was complied with without any particular investigation.

The affairs of Mr. Wilkes again became the topic of much interest both in and out of parliament. That gentleman having got into his possession the copy of a letter written by Lord Weymouth, secretary of state, to the chairman of the quarter sessions at Lambeth, previously to the riot in St. George's Fields, in which

an early and effectual employment of the military in case of resistance to the civil power was recommended, published it in the newspapers with a very severe preface of his own composition. Lord W. thereupon made a complaint to the House of Lords of breach of privilege; and the publication being traced to Mr. Wilkes, a complaint was addressed by the Lords to the Commons, and a conference was held between the houses on the subject. In the mean time a petition had been presented to the House of Commons by Mr. Wilkes, complaining of Lord Mansfield's amendment of the information which had been exhibited against him in the court of King's Bench; and, on February 1st, he was brought from prison to be examined on the subject, on which occasion he boldly avowed himself the publisher of the letter above mentioned, and the writer of the remarks on it. His petition was voted frivolous and groundless; and on the next day the other affair was taken into consideration, and his introductory remarks were declared to be a scandalous and seditious libel. This resolution was immediately followed by a motion for his expulsion from his seat in parliament, introduced by Lord Barrington, secretary at war, and seconded by Mr. Rigby, paymaster of the forces, which passed, though not without warm debates.

This unremitting warfare of authority against an individual had the natural effect of inflaming the popular zeal in his favour; and a writ having been issued for a new election for the county of Middlesex, a previous meeting of frecholders was called, at which some members of parliament attended, where it was resolved to re-elect Mr. Wilkes, entirely without expense to himself. He was accordingly again chosen without opposition; but when the return was made to the House of Commons, a resolution passed, that the election was rendered void by his expulsion, and a new writ was ordered. At this time as his fortune was known to be greatly impaired by the prosecutions he had undergone, a subscription was opened in London for his relief, and instructions were sent by the electors of Middlesex,

London, Westminster, and Southwark, to their representatives, for their conduct in parliament, in which severe censures were passed on several of the late measures. The election being renewed, Mr. Wilkes was again chosen without a competitor, and again rejected as incapable. At length the ministry, being tired of the repeated contest, procured a military candidate, Colonel Luttrel, who was not to be intimidated by popular tumult from appearing on the hustings. The election proceeded quietly, and terminated in 1143 votes for Mr. Wilkes, and 296 for Colonel Luttrel.

On the return of the writ, a resolution was carried in the House of Commons by a majority of 221 to 139, that Mr. Luttrel ought to have been returned; and the clerk of the crown was ordered to erase the name of Mr. Wilkes, and insert that of Colonel Luttrel in its place. This decision produced more general discontent than any other measure since the commencement of the reign; the popular party regarding it as a flagrant violation of the right of election, to seat a candidate by an arbitrary vote of the house, who had only an inconsiderable minority in his favour. The ferment spread from the metropolis throughout the kingdom, and numerous petitions were carried at public meetings of counties and towns, requesting his Majesty to dissolve the parliament. The county of Middlesex, which considered itself as particularly injured, led the way by a petition presented on May 24th, containing a long list of other grievances, and of charges against the ministry. On the other hand, addresses expressing a detestation of all factious proceedings, and declaring entire approbation of the measures of government, were procured by the ministerial party; and this kind of warfare between petitioners and addressers, subsisted through the whole

summer.

In November, the long agitated cause between Lord Halifax and Mr. Wilkes, respecting the seizure of the person and papers of the latter, was brought to a trial in the court of Common Pleas, before chief-justice Wilmot. After a full hearing, the jury brought in a

verdict for the plaintiff with 4000l. damages; and it was thought that a larger sum would have been given, had it not transpired that his Majesty's pleasure had been signified, that all the expenses attending this prosecution should be defrayed by the crown.

Violent disturbances took place in the autumn among the journeymen weavers in Spital-fields on account of the price of work, in the propress of which, such outrages were committed, that the magistracy was obliged to interfere. Some of the rioters being apprehended, two of them were capitally convicted, and by their sentence were ordered to be executed at Bethnal-green. Some doubt relative to the legality of altering the usual place of execution having arisen in the minds of the sheriffs, a correspondence took place on the subject between them and the secretary of state, in which they were informed, that the opinion of the judges being taken, the sentence was confirmed by his Majesty. It was accordingly executed in the midst of a riotous assembly by the civil power alone, the sheriffs having declined the assistance of the military.

At the meeting of the new parliament of Ireland in October, a message was received from the throne, for an augmentation of the troops on that establishment, from 12,000 men to 15,235, which was carried, although it met with considerable opposition. In another matter that parliament was less compliant. A money bill which had originated in the English privy council was sent over to the Irish House of Commons, in assertion of a right claimed under Poyning's law, by which no bills are to pass in Ireland, which have not been ratified from the privy council in England. The present, however, was not a time in which such a claim of authority would be patiently submitted to; and, accordingly, the bill was rejected upon the sole ground that it had not originated in that house, another money bill for a more liberal supply being unanimously passed. The lord-lieutenant, Lord Townshend, in his speech on December 26., after making acknowledgments for the liberality with which the parliament had supported the