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House Of Commons.
ness to change what had remained sound and entire down to the days of bis father ? ( A louder laugh . ) Were gentlemen to change the Constitution , as they alteied the cut of acoat , " or as a lady fancied a new head-dress ? ( Laughter in repeated peals . ) It was > ot for him to describe what he did not know ; but as soon as he saw the fate of the motion , which , he was convinced , would be rejected , he would go home , and sleep in peace . ( Mare laughter . ) Want of space will not permit us to follow Mr . Fox through a speech uncommonly brilliantforcibleand eloquentin which he strongly supported the motion
, , , of his Hon . Friend . For the necessity , of Reform he had the authority of the Minister himself , who declared , that without it we should soon be involved in a war as unjust , as unnecessary , and calamitous as that wiih America . If it were not unmeet to mix the ludicrous with so serious a subject , he should be tempted to say , that the Minister had engaged us in the present war to prove himself a prophet . He solemnly declared to the House , thai , unless 'hey would lie down and die , they must strengthen the Constitution against its enemies of all sorts , both abroad and at home . Some gentlemen have censured my conduct in
Parliament as calculated to produce mischief ; and others , equally rejecting my advice , have deprecated my secession from this House , thinking an opposition useful to this country . I know not whether I shall please or displease both of tho ' se sorts of gentlemen . I have no intention of wholly deserting my duty in this House ; convicteu ot taiiuressince rania
but , suxe Ministers have been so repeatedly , - ment still continues confiding in and supporting them , notwithstanding the alarming condition ofthe country , I shall certainly think myself justified in giving more of mj time to my own private concerns than I hitherto have done , and less of it to fruitless exertions in this House . But whenever any crisis arrives in which my assistance may be useful , 1 shall not be found to have deserted my duty . He concluded by saying , that the country was at its last gasp ; but that if the motion were adopted , there might yet be a chance of saving it . That , however , said he ,
cannot be effected without a change of Ministers . I wish to see the present Ministers banished from his Majesf . ' s Councils for ever ; but I have no wish to form a part of any new Administration that may succeed them . The motion was further supported bv Messrs , Sheridan , W . Smith , Pollen , and Sir W . Dolben . It was opposed by Sir W . Geary , Sir R . Thornton , and Mr . Barham . After which the House divided—for the motion , 91—against it , 256 —Majority , 165 . Friday , June z . Mr . Secretary Dundas moved for leave to bring in a bill , empowering his Majesty to raise and embody a Militia in that part of Great Britain called Scotland . Granted .
inE MUTINOUS SQUADRON . Mr . Pitt called the attention of the House to his Majesty ' s Message relative to the mutinous and rebellious proceeding of a part of his Majesty ' s squadron at the Nore , [ for the particulars of this mutiny see our Magazine for June last ] who , among other excesses , not only fired upon vessels acting in obedience to orders , but also attacked others , and compelled them , by force , to join them in their excesses , and had taken measures for blocking up the port of London , and stopping the peaceable commerce of the country . The House must see the propriety of
preventing persons acting in such a manner from receiving any comfort or assistance , or keeping up any intercourse with a country whose safety they at emptqd , as far as lay in them , to endanger . Undoubtedly the laws now in existence render it an act of treason in any subject to hold intercourse with persons acting in that manner , but it was also necessary for Parliament to proclaim the danger to those who might unknowingly offend in this respect . He , therefore , proposed a bill , declaring it to be petty treason in any one to hole ! intercourse with the crews of ships of war which " shallby proclamationbe declared in a state of mutiny
any , , and disobedience . He then brought in a bill for these different objects , which was read a first and second time . Saturday , 5 . On reading the order ofthe day for going into a Committee on the new mutiny bill , Mr . Hobhouse said , he would give it his hearty approbation , were it proved to him that the machinations alluded to were the cause ofthe late mutiny ; that the existing laws were insufficient , and the proposed act a prouer : VOL , IX , 3 * '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
House Of Commons.
ness to change what had remained sound and entire down to the days of bis father ? ( A louder laugh . ) Were gentlemen to change the Constitution , as they alteied the cut of acoat , " or as a lady fancied a new head-dress ? ( Laughter in repeated peals . ) It was > ot for him to describe what he did not know ; but as soon as he saw the fate of the motion , which , he was convinced , would be rejected , he would go home , and sleep in peace . ( Mare laughter . ) Want of space will not permit us to follow Mr . Fox through a speech uncommonly brilliantforcibleand eloquentin which he strongly supported the motion
, , , of his Hon . Friend . For the necessity , of Reform he had the authority of the Minister himself , who declared , that without it we should soon be involved in a war as unjust , as unnecessary , and calamitous as that wiih America . If it were not unmeet to mix the ludicrous with so serious a subject , he should be tempted to say , that the Minister had engaged us in the present war to prove himself a prophet . He solemnly declared to the House , thai , unless 'hey would lie down and die , they must strengthen the Constitution against its enemies of all sorts , both abroad and at home . Some gentlemen have censured my conduct in
Parliament as calculated to produce mischief ; and others , equally rejecting my advice , have deprecated my secession from this House , thinking an opposition useful to this country . I know not whether I shall please or displease both of tho ' se sorts of gentlemen . I have no intention of wholly deserting my duty in this House ; convicteu ot taiiuressince rania
but , suxe Ministers have been so repeatedly , - ment still continues confiding in and supporting them , notwithstanding the alarming condition ofthe country , I shall certainly think myself justified in giving more of mj time to my own private concerns than I hitherto have done , and less of it to fruitless exertions in this House . But whenever any crisis arrives in which my assistance may be useful , 1 shall not be found to have deserted my duty . He concluded by saying , that the country was at its last gasp ; but that if the motion were adopted , there might yet be a chance of saving it . That , however , said he ,
cannot be effected without a change of Ministers . I wish to see the present Ministers banished from his Majesf . ' s Councils for ever ; but I have no wish to form a part of any new Administration that may succeed them . The motion was further supported bv Messrs , Sheridan , W . Smith , Pollen , and Sir W . Dolben . It was opposed by Sir W . Geary , Sir R . Thornton , and Mr . Barham . After which the House divided—for the motion , 91—against it , 256 —Majority , 165 . Friday , June z . Mr . Secretary Dundas moved for leave to bring in a bill , empowering his Majesty to raise and embody a Militia in that part of Great Britain called Scotland . Granted .
inE MUTINOUS SQUADRON . Mr . Pitt called the attention of the House to his Majesty ' s Message relative to the mutinous and rebellious proceeding of a part of his Majesty ' s squadron at the Nore , [ for the particulars of this mutiny see our Magazine for June last ] who , among other excesses , not only fired upon vessels acting in obedience to orders , but also attacked others , and compelled them , by force , to join them in their excesses , and had taken measures for blocking up the port of London , and stopping the peaceable commerce of the country . The House must see the propriety of
preventing persons acting in such a manner from receiving any comfort or assistance , or keeping up any intercourse with a country whose safety they at emptqd , as far as lay in them , to endanger . Undoubtedly the laws now in existence render it an act of treason in any subject to hold intercourse with persons acting in that manner , but it was also necessary for Parliament to proclaim the danger to those who might unknowingly offend in this respect . He , therefore , proposed a bill , declaring it to be petty treason in any one to hole ! intercourse with the crews of ships of war which " shallby proclamationbe declared in a state of mutiny
any , , and disobedience . He then brought in a bill for these different objects , which was read a first and second time . Saturday , 5 . On reading the order ofthe day for going into a Committee on the new mutiny bill , Mr . Hobhouse said , he would give it his hearty approbation , were it proved to him that the machinations alluded to were the cause ofthe late mutiny ; that the existing laws were insufficient , and the proposed act a prouer : VOL , IX , 3 * '