trouble; but I also write, lest my silence should make you doubtful what to do, to inform you, Sir, that we have just now finished all the papers and evidence, which has been lengthened out to this time, I won't say by a useless, but by a worse than useless, by the most artful, premeditated string of questions, calculated for a particular purpose, which I trust in God will be defeated, notwithstanding the combined force which is to act in support of it. Of that combination we have had a proof to-day, if any was wanting after what you saw the other day, by a thorough union between the late administration and those who call themselves Lord Bute's friends, on a Scotch election. (')

On Monday it is determined to proceed to the debate, on which I think the fate of this country and its dominions depend; so that till then you may enjoy the air and quiet of Hayes. My father begs his respectful compliments to you; and I have the honour to be, with great truth and respect, Sir,

Your most obliged and

devoted humble servant,

GEORGE ONSLOW. (2)

- too

"The other day, the ministers had a contested election in the House of Commons, and got it but by eleven votes small a majority to carry any thing!"- Lord Chesterfield. (2) On the 13th of February, Mr. Gerard Hamilton thus writes to Mr. Calcraft : — " To-day it is again strongly reported, that the ministry have once more attempted to prevail on his Majesty to send for Mr. Pitt, and that they received for answer, that when they found themselves incapable of carrying on the

:

GEORGE ONSLOW, ESQ. TO MR. PITT.

DEAR SIR,

Saturday morning, February 15, 1766.

IN obedience to your commands I have endeavoured to procure you a copy of the evidence on the American papers, which ended on Thursday night; but the length of it has made it impossible to finish till to-night, so that I cannot to-day have the honour of sending it to you. However, Sir, I cannot help inquiring after your health, which I hope to God is no worse than when I saw you on Wednesday, nor could I suffer myself to have even the appearance of what I am incapable of, any neglect of your commands.

Though we have finished our evidence, Mr. Grenville has some to examine, which will certainly employ all Monday, and perhaps Tuesday;

public business, his Majesty would, without their assistance, consider of proper persons to succeed them. Your friends are extremely busy in negociation, and the truth of the matter is, that every body seems whipping and spurring to get to court as fast as possible. If you succeed, I hope you will, in a phrase that is equally applicable both to horsemanship and politics, bring one in handsomely in a good place. The terror of passing next summer out of employment seems universal. Langford, the auctioneer*, grows more and more unreasonable, and I think the last day in the House has raised the price exceedingly. The old ministry got the start of you; but at the rate you seem now to be getting on, I think you will overtake them. I despair of being able to send to-morrow night an account of the debate of the Lords, the House will probably sit so late. But you shall at all events hear from me by the post on Saturday."

* Seats in parliament were at this time disposed of by public auction.

for I have the pleasure of telling you, that those who are friends to the Stamp-act, have no reason to wish for the day of debate on that subject. (')

(1) The following interesting account of the proceedings in the House of Lords on the American Declaratory bill, and also on the bill for the repeal of the Stamp-act, are contained in letters from Mr. Gerard Hamilton to Mr. Calcraft: :

"Saturday, February 15, 1766.

"The House of Lords, though it did not sit so late as it was apprehended it would, sat however late enough to make me so stupid, that I was utterly unable to write to you last night. You know that two bills were sent from the Commons to the Lords. The first, declaratory of the right of this country to tax America; and the second, for the repeal of the Stamp-act; and it was upon the former of these two only, that all the debates of yesterday turned.

"The following persons spoke in the order in which I have mentioned them: - Lords Buckingham, Shelburne, Pomfret, Camden, Mansfield, Egmont, and Denbigh. The only material parts of the debate lay between Lord Camden and Lord Mansfield. They each of them spoke twice, and spoke for a long time together. Lord Camden began by answering the speech which Lord Mansfield had made a month ago, in support of the right. This sort of conduct Lord Mansfield affected to consider as a great compliment to him, and valued himself that any thing he said could not be answered without a month's premeditation. He ridiculed the set speech which Lord Camden had made, compared it to the words which are spoke in Nova Zembla, and which are said to be froze for a month, before any body can get at their meaning. He then dropped a few hints about the want of quickness in his Lordship to make an immediate reply; and intimated, that Lord Camden never had said, and never could say any thing, which he would not, and which upon the former debate he did not, undertake to give an immediate answer to.

"After this introduction, he entered not only into every member, but almost into every sentence, of Lord Camden's argument, and, to my judgment at least, refuted the whole; but, I think, did not exculpate himself from a charge which Lord Camden brought against him, and supported very well,

The spirit in which you left the House has certainly increased rather than received any di

of having made a false quotation from a statute, in order to maintain a principle he had laid down in a former debate.

"You will hear, and particularly by your own friends, Lord Camden much commended, and he certainly spoke spiritedly and pleasingly; but then it was the sort of speech that would have done honour to such a man as I am, rather than the performance of a chief-justice, of a great lawyer, and of a man, who was fit to stand in competition with Lord Mansfield.

"When the altercation was over, in regard to the points which were in dispute between him and Lord Camden, Lord Mansfield entered at large into a discussion of the merits of the bill, which the House of Commons had passed for ascertaining the right of this country over America. He treated it with the utmost contempt. He not only said, but I think proved demonstrably, that it was from beginning to end an absurdity; that it contained many falsehoods; that it would render the legislature, if it passed unaltered, ridiculous and contemptible; and he suggested several particulars, in which it was defective, but declared he would in form propose no amendment whatsoever, but leave it to the choice of the administration, who were the patrons of the bill, to avail themselves, or not, as they thought proper, of the hints which he had thrown out. Lord Egmont spoke tediously, in defence of the bill, as the Commons had passed it. The Lords go into the committee upon it on Monday; and upon Tuesday the bill for the repeal of the Stamp-act, is to be read a second time.

“This is, I think, a general state of the debate, of which you wished to have an account. Dowdeswell moved, and Mr. Pitt seconded, the proposal for an alteration of the cider tax, and it was carried in the committee, without a division; but there are many doubts whether this plan will pass in the House of Lords. Yours most sincerely,

"W. G. HAMILTON."

"Monday night, February 17.

"The bill relative to the right, was committed to-day in the House of Lords, where nothing passed that was material.

minution, even of any one person. I say this with a view to the two Charles's ('), both of whom, I have

There was another altercation between Lord Mansfield and Lord Camden, upon the subject of that mis-quotation which I mentioned to you in my last: when I think Lord Camden did better, and Lord Mansfield worse, than upon the former day. One amendment only was proposed by Lord Pomfret of no importance, and which was soon given up. The bill will go back to the House of Commons, with one slight alteration proposed by Lord Dartmouth, at the desire of the ministry, and acquiesced in by the whole House.

"In the House of Commons, Lord Bute's people opposed very faintly the repeal of the cider tax, and in consequence of it, the laying a new duty, to be collected in another manner. Wedderburn made a popular proposition, that a committee should be appointed to review the Excise laws, which was overruled by a great majority. Nothing as yet circulates, with regard to an intended change; the ministry differ, I believe, more than ever among themselves."

"Wednesday, February 19.

"The question of the repeal came on yesterday, and the Lords sat between eleven and twelve hours, which is later than ever was remembered. Lord Coventry began the debate, and spoke very decently, and would I think with use, be a good performer. The Duke of Newcastle, Sandwich, and Halifax were all very indifferent. The Duke of Richmond was about his usual pitch; however, he stuck to Halifax upon the subject of secreting from parliament last session, some papers which he had been directed to communicate: but upon the whole, I think Halifax made a tolerable defence. What Shelburne said was, in my opinion, extremely well, though not directly to the question. "The best part of the debate was, upon this occasion as upon the former, between Lord Mansfield and Lord Camden; but, in my opinion, Lord Mansfield was far superior. He spoke with much pathetic and real eloquence against the repeal: Lord Camden talked a great deal about liberty and juries; but at the

(1) Charles Yorke and Charles Townshend.