revenue, and by that means granted by the House: the ar Mr. Baker's motion was agreed to; and the bill suspension of the Habeas Corpus was read a sec st postund, and hoped he would not depart Heported the proprie & grant pardons, to issue procla 'purposes therein mentioned;' by and authorised by his majesty, are emp several other grot conditions, to declare any colony or to make all son r of the demand; and Mr. ORDNANCE ESTIMATES. December 4. e resolution, That 682,8167. be granted for the ordiries and extraordinaries of the office of Ordnance, for ear 1778, Mr. BURKE rose, and after expressing his surprise at enormity of the charge, told the House he was the reresentative of the most populous commercial town, except London, in the kingdom. He believed his constituents paid one-tenth part of the supplies granted by this House; he therefore thought it his duty to search into the reasons for the supply called for; and as this appeared so enor FOR RAISING TROOPS WITHOUT CONSENT January 22. 1778. business that came before parliament this year, was sure of raising the new levies during the recess. ennings Clerke observed this day in the House of that he had promised several of his neighbours in to make an enquiry into the business. That the d been told, that the American war was the war of t; and that they were therefore exceedingly alarmed, hat a large body of forces had been raised during the not only without the knowledge or advice of parliament, nout the smallest intimation having been given by the r, before the adjournment, that any such scheme was contemplation. That, on the contrary, they had heard oble lord had informed the House, that he should have a liatory proposition to lay before them at their next meetwhich he hoped would prove highly advantageous to this ntry. But, instead of a peace, he said, the noble lord produced an army; and, what was still worse, an army ised under the auspices of persons who had never been noted r loyalty to their sovereign, or attachment to the constitution. he grand object of his enquiry, he said, was to know in what hands the sword was entrusted; for however necessary it might be to raise troops for this or any other war, it was absolutely incumbent on them to take care that the sword was placed in safe hands; and that it might not be turned against themselves. He accordingly moved, "That an humble address be presented to his majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions, that there be laid before this House an account of the number of troops ordered to be raised during the late adjournment of parliament; specifying the different corps, and the names of the officers appointed to command them, and also the names of all the officers appointed to serve in each rank in the different corps, and the time each officer has served in any other corps in the army, previous to such appointment; and the rank he held." The motion being agreed to, Lord North took that opportunity of declaring the happiness he felt in being able to inform the House, that the original purposes of the adjournment had not only been answered by the active exertions which had been used in the several departments of the public service, but that the voluntary unsolicited efforts of several loyal subjects had likewise contributed to that effect. That a subscription had lately been set on foot in several parts of the kingdom, which not only intimated the most valid indications of truly patriotic zeal, but which also afforded the most flattering testimony of the public satisfaction in the conduct of administration. That it was no small comfort and encouragement to persons entrusted with the management of public affairs, to find that the general opinion entertained of their conduct and measures was not to be influenced by contingencies, nor to give way to those unexpected and unlucky accidents of fortune, which no sagacity could foresee, nor human wisdom provide against; and that it must afford a pleasure peculiarly grateful to every true Englishman, to see the spirit and fortitude of the people rise with their difficulties, and in the present state of public emergency, shine out in so particularly conspicuous a manner. Mr. BURKE took notice of the zeal of the noble lord, and the warmth of his bosom for the public weal. He supposed it to be that zeal, warmth, and ardour, that had induced him to assist, if not to devise, the raising of men without the knowledge of parliament, and by that means to act unconstitutionally for the good of his country. He remembered that the noble lord voted for an adjournment of parliament for six weeks, for two several reasons; the one, to give him an opportunity of digesting an equitable plan of conciliation, founded on concession; and the other, to guard him from being shot through and through with the long arrows of militant opposition. It had turned out, he said, however, that another more substantial reason existed for the adjournment of parliament — not of contriving propositions of peace, but of securing force towards war, in an illegal, unconstitutional, and extravagant way. |