as the state of affairs in that country has made such an alteration necessary. The General has accordingly evacuated Boston; not because it was not tenable, but because the service required his presence elsewhere. To explain his reasons, therefore, for embarking aboard the fleet, in order to proceed to Halifax, would be, in fact, disclosing what it is the interest of this country most earnestly to prevent. It would be disclosing no less than the whole plan of his future operations.

Before I sit down, I cannot avoid observing that the noble Duke, and another noble Lord who spoke on the same side, have given the strongest testimony in favour of the military capacity of the General, and the bravery and spirit of the troops. The noble Duke says that the embarkation was effected with the cool indifference which attends the removal of a regiment in England from one place of country quarters to another. The other noble Lord, who was bred to the military profession, [Lord Effingham,] has expressed his wonder and astonishment how it was possible for the General to bring off his troops without great loss and slaughter on both sides. I shall say no more, my Lords, but to repeat that I think the account in the Gazette contains a true state of the transaction; that a fuller could not be given, without revealing matter which we should wish to conceal from the enemy; and that for this last reason alone, I shall be against complying with the present motion.

Lord Ravenworth. I am very unwilling to trespass on your Lordships’ time at this late hour of the day; but I cannot help rising to express my astonishment at the language held by the servants of the Crown on the present occasion. Though I heartily disapprove of the war, because I look upon it to be founded in injustice, as depriving the people of America of both their liberty and property, as long as your Lordships continue to approve of it nothing should be omitted on the part of Administration to render it successful; and I allow there is nothing they should more cautiously avoid than giving any information which might tend to obstruct or defeat the execution of their measures. It is for this reason that I think the noble Duke’s motion much too general and extensive; and if his Grace will permit me, I will propose an amendment, to confine the information now desired merely to the evacuation of Boston, and the measures preparatory to it. [Here his Lordship, to show that the uniform usage of office during the late reign was to lay the whole despatch nakedly before the publick as it was received, produced several London Gazettes, and read their dates, containing an account of the battles of Hastenbeck and Fontenoy, Braddock’s defeat, and the slaughter of the British troops at St. Cos.] In this last instance, I recollect, the great man who then directed our publick affairs was so careful to inform the nation of that fatal disaster, though he received the account late at night, in bed, he instantly arose, and ordered it to be copied and sent to the printer of the Gazette the same night, giving particular directions that a Gazette Extraordinary should be published. This was the conduct of Lord Chatham, and of every preceding Minister since ever I can recollect anything of publick affairs. Whatever motives Administration may have for suppressing the details now called for. I cannot conjecture. I know it bears the most unfavourable appearance. I am resolved, however, to put them to the test, by amending the motion in such a manner as will not leave it in their power to refuse, without tacitly confessing that they wish to conceal what your Lordships and the publick have an indubitable right to be acquainted with. After the motion as it now stands, I shall therefore move the following amendment: “so far as do not relate to the intended operations of the present campaign.”

The Earl of Suffolk. I must be against the amended motion, for the same reasons I urged against complying with it in its original state. The narrative relative to the evacuation of Boston is so blended and mixed with the concerted plan of operations, that it is impossible to separate them, so as to give the information desired, without at the same time disclosing circumstances not proper for the publick.

The question was then suddenly put, on which an altercation arose between the Lord Chancellor and the Duke of Bolton; the latter insisting that the question ought to have been put separately on the motion and the amendment, and the former contending that, as the noble Duke consented to the amendment, both now made but one motion.

The Duke of Bolton. Since the beginning of the present unhappy dispute with America, I avoided to take any decided part on either side. I am far from approving of the cause of the war, much less of the manner in which it has been conducted; yet I have remained silent to this day, and have never voted once but in favour of the Restraining bill, which I thought a very proper measure at the time. I cannot say that I approve entirely of the motion, either in its original or amended state. It was at first much too general; nor does it at present come up entirely to my ideas; for I would have it specifically confined to the evacuation of Boston, as there may be several matters and transactions that happened from the 1st to the 17th of March, besides the mere evacuation, not proper to be divulged. I think, if the motion had been simply confined to that object, Administration could not, with any colour of decency or propriety, have refused to satisfy the publick. It would have been a ground of just suspicion if they had. I cannot but lament the conduct of our naval affairs, so far as they respect America, particularly when your Lordships reflect that the very mortar which drove the King’s troops out of Boston was permitted to fall into the hands of the Provincials through inattention and neglect. I do not see the noble Lord [Lord Townshend] who presides at the Board of Ordnance, this day in his place; but I am informed, that if he had com-plied with the application made to him, this important loss would never have happened. I think the name of the transport was the Nancy, or the Peggy, the master of which, as soon as he learned that this mortar was to be put aboard him, immediately waited on the Master-General of the Ordnance, [the noble Lord before alluded to,] and acquainted him with the defenseless state of his vessel; adding, that if attacked only by an armed boat, he must submit. To which the noble Lord returned no other answer, but referred him generally to the Secretary of State. This, among many others of a similar nature, is the fullest proof how little attention was paid to this service. I will not pretend to impute the fault to any particular person; but it is matter of melancholy consideration, that, through negligence or incapacity, more than one-half of the implements of war sent to that country should be suffered to fall into the hands of the enemy; and, what is still worse, that they should be employed in the expulsion of the very troops for whose use they were intended.

The Earl of Sandwich. I entirely agree with the noble Earl and noble Viscount who have stated their reasons, showing the impropriety of complying with the present motion. I should not have risen, however, were it not to explain and answer a fact or two, urged by a noble Lord on the other side, [Lord Shelburne,] and the noble Duke who spoke last. The noble Lord says that contradictory orders were sent to Sir Peter Parker; that he was delayed by those orders; that he was sent out at an improper season; and that his fleet was blown away to the West-Indies. I do assure the noble Lord that he is totally misinformed as to some of his assertions. Sir Peter Parker received no contradictory orders, nor any orders* but those under which he sailed. I had no hand in advising that expedition; nor am I at all answerable for the event. I am convinced it was wisely and ably planned; but I am likewise convinced that it will never answer the expectations first formed on it. As to the matter alluded to by the noble Duke relative to the mortar which has fallen into the hands of the Rebels, I have nothing to charge myself with. The transport aboard which it was shipped, sailed under convoy. She parted company, and again fell under convoy; and so a third time, till at length she was blown on the coast of America, where she was made a prize of by the Rebels. These are accidents, against which no human foresight can provide; and which, 1 am persuaded, the noble Duke is fully satisfied it is impossible to prevent.

The Duke of Bolton. The noble Earl has certainly misunderstood me. I never meant to say that the transport and mortar had been lost for want of a convoy, because I knew the contrary. I spoke of a fact which cannot be contradicted. I spoke of the application made to the noble Lord, and the neglect of not attending to it. I say, that if the transport had been armed, that very mortar which drove the King’s troops out of Boston would have been employed