subject of this debate, or irregular it may have seemed to introduce it in such a planner, I must confess myself very ready to dispense with mere forms, when matters of such singular importance, so pressingly call for our most serious deliberation. J remember, a few years since, that we were lulled into a security, which must, inevitably, have proved fatal, but for the strange revolution which took place in the French Cabinet, the dismission of that bold, enterprising Minister, Choiseul, who had planned the destruction of this country, in revenge for the disgraces France had suffered, gild the repeated injuries, he imagined, she had received, in the course of a long, glorious, and successful war, carried on by Great Britain. I will not pretend to dive into the secrets of Cabinets farther than I am well warranted, or presume to point out the persuasive arguments employed to bring over the woman, to whose influence this unexpected turn of affairs is attributed; but this, I will venture to assert, because I have the proofs in my power, that Gibraltar, Minorca, Jamaica, and the greater part of our possessions in the East and West Indies, would have been among some of the first sacrifices that would have fallen; had it not, I may say, been for the miraculous interposition of Providence in our favour. We were, then, not a whit less consistent than we are now; though we had not a single Line-of-battle-Ship fit for actual service. I trust, however fashionable it may be to hold the same language at present, we should not again trust to the chapter of accidents, but that we will make an inquiry into the true state of our Navy, as well as the conduct of the persons to whose care it has been intrusted; and, whenever that day shall come, I pledge myself to your Lordships, that I will take an active and decided part in bringing to condemnation such as have been wanting in their duty. Two things have come out in the debate, which I cannot bring myself to subscribe to; one is, that the Spaniards are not to be depended on; and that the language of the House of Bourbon is justifiable, because we took their Ships before a declaration of war. On the former, I shall only observe, that 1 presume the Spaniards, in their publick transactions, have as much honour as any other Nation; and that, though I was but a child at the time, by the best and most impartial account I have read on that affair, T never could discover but Great Britain was fully justified in her conduct on that occasion. I shall trouble your Lordships with but one observation more, relative to the determined pacifick system of the Court of Versailles, so confidently set forth and relied on by the first noble Earl in office, who spoke in this debate; and I trust your Lordships will think it fully in point, should the Court of Spain, by their conduct, create the occasion. In 1741, in the second or third year of the Spanish war, during the ministry of Cardinal Fleury, a man of the most pacifick dispositions that ever directed the Councils of France, Lord Waldegrave being then our Ambassador at Paris, frequently pressed his Eminency relative to an Armament then fitting out at Brest, to know its destination, or whether particularly it was meant to join and cooperate with the Spanish Fleet. The Cardinal always assured him, in the fullest and most explicit terms, that France was resolved to take no part whatever in the quarrel subsisting between the two Crowns. His Lordship, however, went out one day, and heard it publickly asserted in the streets, that the Fleet had sailed from Brest, and were destined to reinforce the Spanish Fleet, then cruising in the Mediterranean; on which, he immediately repaired to the Cardinal to upbraid him with his breach of promise, if the fact should turn out to be true. "You were not misinformed, my Lord, replied the Cardinal, the Fleet is actually sailed, and for the purpose you heard. I confess, likewise, that I had, frequently, solemnly assured you of the contrary: and I further own, that Spain is entirely in the wrong, and that it is, perhaps, neither prudent nor politick in us to take part in their business; but I would wish you, my Lord, at the same time, to perfectly understand, though we do not approve of the motives of their going to war, and will always carefully avoid to encourage them in their broils in the first instance, when engaged for any time, we can never submit to remain inactive spectators of their ruin, and your consequent aggrandizement."

Lord Mansfield rose to defend the general principles of the Bill, and to reply to the objections urged by those who were in favour of the repeal. His Lordship, though he did not directly own the sentiments imputed to him, containing certain doctrines in law and politicks, said to have been maintained by him in giving judgement in the cause of Campbell against the Receiver General of Grenada, relative to the four and a half per cent. Duties, claimed by the King on the exported produce of that Island, virtually proved, nevertheless, that the sentiments were not without foundation, because he endeavoured to defend every single proposition they contained.

Lord Camden went over the same ground again, by either maintaining his former positions, illustrating the facts on which they were built, or replying to every answer that had, in the course of the debate, been attempted to be made to his original objections, and at the conclusion, claimed the victory, in reference to those objectionable doctrines adverted to; observing, that the learned Lord (Mansfield) had deserted the main proposition, on which all the others rested; namely, that the King, coming in as a conqueror, could give the conquered any constitution he pleased; or, if the new subjects claimed the benefit of capitulation or cession, the King might, at his option, stand in the place of the former Prince; whereas, the learned Lord was now obliged to confess, contrary to his former opinion, that a King of England could not, in any circumstances, or coming in under any title, exercise an arbitrary power, or reign over any of the subjects of the British Empire in a despotick manner, against the spirit of the Constitution.

This law contest lasted near two hours; but Lord Camden having, in reply to something Lord Mansfield said, such as, that some constitution was better than none, pledged himself to produce a better in twenty-four, or even twelve hours; the Earl of Denbigh demanded why the learned Lord had not produced one before.

The question was then put on the Earl of Dartmouth's motion to reject the Bill: The House divided. Contents, 88; Non-Contents, 28.

It was resolved in the affirmative;

Ordered, That the said Bill be rejected

List of the Minority —Dukes, Gloucester, Cumberland, Richmond, Manchester.—Marquis, Rockingham.—Earls, Abingdon, Scarborough, Stanhope, Cholmondeley, Fitzwilliam, Radnor, Effingham, Spencer.—Bishop, Exeter. —Lords, Craven, Ponsonby, Ravensworth, Archer, Wycombe, Beaulieu, Camden. PROXIES.—Dukes, Devonshire, Portland.—Earls, Stamford, Tankerville.—Viscount, Torrington.—Bishop, Asaph.—Lord, King

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

THURSDAY, May 18, 1775.

Sir George Smile presented the following Petition:—

To the Honourable the Commons of GREAT BRITAIN, in Parliament assembled:

The humble Petition and Memorial of his Majesty's ancient subjects, the Seigneurs, Freeholders, Merchants, Traders, and others, settled in his Majesty's Province of Quebec, Sheweth,

That, under the sanction of his Majesty's Royal Proclamation of the seventh day of October, 1763, which promises to all persons inhabiting in, or resorting to, the said Province, the enjoyment of the benefit of the Laws of the Realm of England, until Assemblies should be called therein, the Petitioners settled themselves in the said Province, having intrusted their own properties, as well as very considerable sums of their friends, in Goods and Merchandise from Great Britain, and intrusted the same into the hands of the Canadians, as well for the purpose of Internal Trade in the Province, as for outsets in carrying on the traffick of Furs and Peltries in the Indian Countries and Fisheries below Quebec; many of them having purchased Lands and Houses, and been employed in Agriculture, and the exportation of Grain and other Produce to foreign markets, to the great benefit and emolument of the said Province, which has flourished chiefly by the industry and en-