s, it leaves him in the possession of immense wealth,
however accumulated, and enables him to leave that office in security,
from which most of his predecessors have been precipitated by national
resentment, or senatorial prosecution.

There is no censure, my lords, made of his conduct, no charge of
weakness, or suspicion of dishonesty, nor can any thing be equitably
inferred from it, than that in the opinion of this house his majesty may
probably be served by some other person, more to the satisfaction of the
British nation.

Though it is not just to punish any man without examination, or to
censure his conduct merely because it has been unpleasing or
unsuccessful; though it is not reasonable that any man should forfeit
what he possesses in his own right, without a crime, yet it is just to
withdraw favours only to confer them on another more deserving; it is
just in any man to withhold his own, only to preserve his right, or
obviate an injurious prescription, and it is, therefore, just to advise
such a conduct whenever it appears necessary to those who have the right
of offering advice.

To advise his majesty, my lords, is not only our right but our duty; we
are not only justifiable in practising, but criminal in neglecting it.
That we should declare our apprehensions of any impending danger, and
our disapprobation of publick misconduct, is expected both by our
sovereign and the people, and let us not, by omitting such warnings,
lull the nation and our sovereign into a dangerous security, and, from
tenderness to one man, prolong or increase the miseries of our country,
and endanger or destroy the honour of our sovereign.

Lord HERVEY spoke next, in effect as follows:--My lords, this is surely
a day destined by the noble lords who defend the motion, for the support
of paradoxical assertions, for the exercise of their penetration, and
ostentation of their rhetorick; they have attempted to maintain the
certainty of common fame in opposition to daily observation; the
existence of a sole minister in contradiction to the strongest evidence;
and having by these gradations arrived at the highest degree of
controversial temerity, are endeavouring to make it appear that the
publick censure of the house of lords is no punishment.

If we take the liberty, my lords, of using known words in a new sense,
in a meaning reserved to ourselves only, it will, indeed, be difficult
to confute, as it will be impossible to understand us;