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be reduced to a thorough obedience. Manchefter diftinguished itself by taking the lead. These addresses neceffarily implied an approbation of the meafure that was then in execution, viz. the fending of five battalions of Hanoverian troops, to replace the like number of British, in the garrifons of Gibraltar and Minorca, thereby to increase the force in America with the addition of the latter. The electoral regiments failed for the places of deftination the firft of November.

1775.

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Petitions of a contrary tendency to the addreffes were prefented from feveral places. Great bodies of American, African and Weft-India merchants, with a majority of the inhabitants of the cities of London and Bristol, ftill ftruggled to have matters reftored to their ancient ftate, but to no purpofe. At a numerous meeting of the freeholders of Middlefex, after agreeing to instruct their members in behalf of public liberty, it was moved and carried, "that a letter fhould be addreffed from the freeholders of Middlefex to thofe of Great Britain." The tenor of it is in favor of a reconciliation with America, and against the profecution of the minifterial war. Four days after, the lord mayor, 29. Mr. Wilkes, acquainted the livery with his having received a letter from the continental congrefs, which was read; when it was moved and paffed in the affirmative, "that a letter addreffed from the livery of London to the electors of Great Britain fhould be read;" which was done, and afterward published. Three days before the meeting of parliament, an event took place, which for awhile engaged the public attention. Rumors of combinations in favor of the Americans, had been frequent. It was faid, that they were privately abetted by the ad

1775. vice and correfpondence, and affifted by the purfes of

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perfonages of high rank and importance. These reports spread much alarm through the nation, and exafperated those who confidered the Americans as rebels. Hints and fufpicions were given and taken; and at length a feeming foundation for them appeared. Mr. oa. Sayre, an American born, and a banker in London, was fecured; and being examined before the fecretary of ftate, Lord Rochford, and confronted by his accufer, was committed to the tower for high treason, on the ridiculous charge, of a defign of feizing his majefty at noon day, in his paffage to the houfe of peers; of conveying him a prisoner to the tower, and afterward out of the kingdom; and of overturning the whole form of government, by bribing a few fergeants of the guards, who were also to bribe their men. After a close and fevere confinement of five days, an habeas corpus was granted, and he was brought before the lord chief justice of the king's bench, who admitted him to bail, on his own fecurity, in the trifling sum of five hundred pounds, and that of two fureties in as much, for his appearance to answer the charge. No profecution was attempted, and at the feffion in December it was moved to have his recognisance discharged, which was granted accordingly. The fecretary will be fued for illegal imprisonment, though it is thought his conduct is justifiable in point of 26. law. His majesty opened the feffion of parliament with

a fpeech; which propofed fanguinary measures, and charged the American leaders with having nothing in view, but the establishment of an independent empire. It fays, "I have received the most friendly offers of foreign affiftance; and if I fhall make any treaties in

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confequence thereof, they fhall be laid before you. And 1775. I have, in teftimony of my affection for my people, fent to the garrifons of Gibraltar and Port Mahon, a part of my electoral troops, that a larger number of the eftablished forces of this kingdom, may be applied to the maintenance of its authority. When the deluded multitude, against whom this force will be directed, fhail become fenfible of their error, I fhall be ready to receive the mifled with tenderness and mercy. I fhall give authority to certain perfons to grant general or particular pardons and indemnities, in fuch manner, and to fuch perfons, as they fhall think fit, and to receive the fubmiffion of any province which fhall be difpofed to return to its allegiance. It may also be proper to authorize the perfons fo commiffioned to restore fuch province, fo returning to its allegiance, to the free exercife of its trade: and commerce, and to the fame protection and fecurity as if fuch province had never revolted." When an addrefs to his majesty in answer to the speech, had been moved and feconded in the houfe of commons, lord John Cavendish moved for an amendment; which occafioned a long debate, that was carried on with the utmost eagerness and unceafing energy on both fides. The employment of foreign troops to reduce America, was an object animadverted upon by oppofition with peculiar violence and indignation.

General Conway, though in place, oppofed adminif tration; and condemned, in the moft decifive terms, the American war, declaring it to be cruel, unneceffary and unnatural-calling it in plain terms, a butchery of his fellow fubjects. He reprobated every idea of conquering America, upon all the grounds of juftice, expediency, and

1775 practicability. He declared in the most unreserved terms against the right of taxation, and wifhed to fee the declaratory law repealed (though it had paffed under his own aufpices when in adminiftration) rather than it fhould be employed to colour defigns, the moft oppo-fite to the intentions, publicly declared, of those who fupported it in parliament, and particularly oppofite to the fulleft declaration of his own at the time of his moving it. The miniftry made as good a defence as their cause would admit; and pleaded, "We are now in a fituation which doth not afford a poffibility of receding without fhame, ruin and difgrace." Lord North acknowledged, that he had been deceived; that he did not imagine that all America would have armed in the cause. Administration, he faid, proceeded upon the information they had received: if other gentlemen were in posfeflion of better, why did they not communicate it? Administration had oppofite information, but they adhered to that which came from perfons whofe interest made them parties with the inclinations of miniftry. That which they neglected, as proceeding from mistake or a wrong bias, they now find to have been the truest.

The space of a whole night was confumed in the debates upon the royal fpeech: it was near five in the morning when the motion made by the oppofition was rejected by 278, against 108, after which the addrefs was carried without a divifion.

In the house of lords, the debate on the addrefs was alfo long and warm. The duke of Grafton fuddenly and unexpectedly quitted administration. He went into a decifive condemnation of all the acts of government for fome time paft with refpect to America, as well as

of the measures held out by the fpeech. He declared, 1775. that he had been deceived and mifled upon that fubject; and that, by the withholding of information and the mifreprefentment of facts, he had been induced to lend his countenance to meafures which he never approved; and that he was blindly led to give a fupport to the one of coercing America, from a firm perfuafion held out, that matters would never come to an extremity of that nature, and that an appearance of coercion was all that was requifite to establish a reconciliation. He afferted, that nothing lefs than a total repeal of all the American laws, which had been paffed fince 1763, could now restore peace and happiness. The lords in administration did not deny the imperfectness of their information in fome matters, but pleaded the impracticability of obtaining fuch knowledge as might have prevented several difappointments. They were obliged to depend upon the fagacity and judgment of those whom they trufted. They had taken all poflible pains to proceed upon fure grounds. It would be unjust to make them anfwerable for failures, which were occafioned by events totally unexpected by the shrewdest perfons upon the fpot: to fuch alone must be attributed the general want of fuccefs in the plans purfued in the course of the prefent year. There were two remarkable inftances of this kind; the one was the total alteration of circumstances in the province of New York; the other was the implicit acquiefcence of the fouthern colonies. in the views and arrangements of the northern. Thefe were events that accelerated with irresistible rapidity the revolution of affairs through the continent, and equally furprised the miniftry, who from their intelligence, could

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