The cry for Economical Reform, which had taken its rise in the distresses of the country, drifted more and more, as impelled by party spirit towards distrust of the Crown. See, it was exclaimed, both in and out of Parliament, how vast the influence, how irresponsible the power, which that army of inferior placemen can command! Mr. John Crewe, member for Cheshire, brought in a Bill which had once been Mr. Dowdeswell's, to disable revenue-officers from voting at elections; he was supported both by Fox and Conway; but on the motion that "the Bill be now committed," he found himself in a minority. Sir Philip Jennings Clerke renewed his motion of a former year, to exclude contractors from the House of Commons, unless their contracts were obtained by a public bidding. His Bill passed the Commons almost unanimously; but in the Upper House, the active exertions and the able speeches of Lord Chief Justice Mansfield and Lord Chancellor Thurlow procured its rejection. Activity likewise, though not ability, might on that occasion be justly ascribed to Lord Hillsborough. Certain it is that, at no other period of our annals, did the abuses of the contract system flourish in such rank luxuriance. At no other period were they so highly detrimental to the public service. Thus, to give only one slight instance, Colonel Simcoe, a most active officer in our later American campaigns, speaking of this very year, 1780, complains of the "miserable contract "hats which had been sent from England."* Even now, after so much has been achieved by way both of safeguard and reform, we may sometimes still feel the truth of that caustic remark made by Pepys two centuries ago: "I see "it is impossible for the King to have things done as cheap 66 as other men!"**

It was on the 6th of April that the rising jealousy of the executive power was, both in and out of Parliament, most conspicuously shown. There was held that afternoon a

the Chancellors, vol. vi. p. 136; the last containing an account of Wedderburn's speech as derived from the first Lord Melville.

* Journal of the Queen's Rangers, by Colonel Simcoe, p. 92. ** Pepys's Diary, July 21. 1662.

1780.

RESOLUTIONS MOVED BY DUNNING.

13

meeting of the people of Westminster, where Fox appeared and delivered an harangue, supported by his two friends, the Dukes of Portland and of Devonshire. At the request of the Middlesex magistrates, and from the apprehensions of some popular disturbance, a body of troops had been drawn out and kept ready in the neighbourhood of Westminster Hall. How far from ill-founded were those apprehensions was abundantly proved by the events in London, only a few weeks afterwards. But meanwhile the timidity, as it was termed, of the Middlesex magistrates exposed them to most vehement invectives from the Opposition chiefs. Burke, in the House of Commons, called them "reptiles," "the mere 66 scum of the earth.” “If,” cried Fox, "a set of men are to be "let loose on the Constitutional meetings of the people, "then all who go to such meetings must go armed!"

Within the House the business of the day was begun by the presentations of further petitions in favour of Economical Reform―petitions so many and so large, that, according to the strong expression of a contemporary writer, they seemed, not so much to cover, as to bury the table.* Then, with the House in Committee, Dunning rose. Clearly, boldly, and with the utmost bitterness of language, he reviewed the conduct of the Ministers with regard to Burke's great measure of reform: at first, he said, that they had received it with a show of candour, and a kind of mock approbation, but had afterwards declared themselves fundamentally opposed to every one of its leading objects. Other measures of that Session, tending to the same end, had been in like manner either defeated or eluded. What, then, remains, said Dunning, but for the House to bind itself, and satisfy the public by putting forth a clear simple proposition, and voting the words which he concluded with moving:—“That "it is the opinion of this Committee, that the influence of the "Crown has increased, is increasing, and ought to be "diminished."

* Annual Register, 1780, p. 165.

Sir Fletcher Norton, full of spleen against Lord North, eagerly availed himself of the Speaker's privilege of speaking in Committee, and strongly supported Mr. Dunning's Resolution. So far did his rancour overpower his judgment, that we find him insist on a point most unseemly for a Speaker to urge that if Honourable Members should now vote the petitions of the people unfounded, he wished them much joy of going down to their constituents with that opinion. Lord North, in reply, spoke with his usual talent, though scarcely with his usual temper. He reminded the House, as he might with perfect truth, that he had never insinuated that his abilities were equal to his post, and had constantly declared himself ready to resign it; but still, he said, he had maintained himself, in spite of the exertions of those who had formerly contended against the rights of the people, and who were now pursuing measures likely to overturn the Constitution.

In the course of this arduous debate, a diversion in favour of the Government was attempted by one of its ablest members the Lord Advocate. First, he moved that the Chairman should leave the Chair. But that motion, being understood as stifling the inquiry, was ill-received, and, by permission of the House, withdrawn. Next, he proposed to add, as an amendment to the original motion, the opening words, "it is now necessary to declare." Fox, as the Opposition leader, declared his acquiescence in the suggestion, and the motion of Dunning was put to the House in that amended form. Still, however, the Lord Advocate retained the liberty of voting, and he did vote, against the whole motion; while he had succeeded in his object, namely, to convert, as far as possible, a general averment into a temporary declaration which might, at some future period, be retracted or disowned.

Mr. Dunning and his friends had certainly some considerable instances to allege in support of their position. But they wholly overlooked the fact that if, on the one side, the influence of the Crown had been augmenting, there was, on the other, at least an equal relaxation of its prerogative. It is

1780.

THE RESOLUTIONS ARE CARRIED.

15

laid down as beyond all dispute, by a most judicious and impartial historian of our own time, that ever since the Revolution, there has been a systematic diminution of the reigning prince's control.* In all probability, however, such considerations decided but few votes. Many more were swayed by the argument at which the Speaker had so unscrupulously glanced, that the Parliament was now near closing the sixth year of its existence, and must, at no distant period, be dissolved. Under these impressions, the Resolution of Dunning was carried against the Government by a majority of eighteen, the numbers being 233 and 215. It is worthy of note that, of all the English county members, no more than nine appear in the lists of the minority.

His first Resolution being thus carried, Dunning forthwith proceeded to move a second, purporting that the House had the full right to correct any abuses in the Civil List Revenue. A third Resolution was added by Thomas Pitt, to the effect that it was their duty to redress, without delay, the grievances complained of in the petitions of the people. These latter declarations being likewise affirmed in spite of the efforts of Lord North, Fox, at past one o'clock in the morning, moved that all three should be immediately reported to the House. With good reason might Lord North protest against that course, as "violent, arbitrary, and unusual;" but Fox persisting as though desirous to leave the House no leisure for reflection, and the Government not venturing to try a second division, the Report was brought up and the House adjourned.

Exulting in his victory, Dunning was eager to pursue it. When next the Committee met, he brought forward other motions more in detail, respecting the Civil List and the right of certain members of the Household to sit in Parliament. On the division, however, he saw his numbers decrease; and they were still further lessened after an adjournment of ten days, which the Speaker's illness rendered necessary. The old supporters of Lord North, who had voted against him on * Hallam's Constit. Hist., vol. iii. p. 395.

the 6th of April, began to think that they had done enough for their own popularity at the General Election. They now paid less regard to their constituents and more to their convictions; and thus the current of their votes returned to its accustomed channel. When Dunning moved an Address, requesting the King not to dissolve the Parliament, nor prorogue the Session until proper measures had been taken to diminish the influence of the Crown, he found himself defeated in a full House by a majority of 51; another motion by Serjeant Adair, for withholding the Supplies until after the redress of grievances, was negatived without debate; and finally, on the 26th of May, when the House was again in Committee on Petitions, a technical motion that the Chairman should leave the Chair was carried against Dunning by a majority of 43. Thus, the important Resolutions of the 6th of April remained, as it were, alone upon the Journals; all their expected consequences, all the steps requisite to give them force and validity, having been rejected by the House. Deep was the disappointment and loud the clamour of the Opposition chiefs. Even their vocabulary ofinvective, though most ample and well tried, scarcely sufficed to their zeal. "It is shameful, it is base, it is unmanly, it is treacherous," cried Fox. On the other hand, Lord North who had never lost his good humour since his defeat, showed himself no less composed and equable at his return of fortune.

But within a few days of the close of these transactions, they were quite forgotten in a train new and wholly unlooked for of affairs. Then of a sudden, like a meteor rising from the foulest marshes, appeared those fearful riots, to which the most rank intolerance gave origin, and Lord George Gordon a name. Then the midnight sky of London was reddened with incendiary fires, and her streets resounded to the cry of an infuriated mob; then our best and wisest statesmen had to tremble, not only for their lives, but for their hearths and homes; then for once in our annals, the powers of Government and order seemed to quail and succumb before the populace of the capital in arms.