iamentary struggle in this session, took place on the
ministerial motion for 20,000 seamen, as in the preceding year. The
opposition argued that it was absurd to talk of peace and yet keep up
such an establishment, and they called upon ministers to state how they
had disposed of the supplies voted in the last meeting of parliament for
the navy. This motion, however, was carried without a division. On the
part of the opposition two motions were made and negatived: the
first being that of Alderman Sawbridge for shortening the duration of
parliament, and the second, that of Sir George Saville, concerning the
Middlesex election, and the infringement of the rights of electors.
Ministers, however, were not so successful in their opposition to a
motion made by Sir Edward Stanley, to bring in a bill for rendering
Grenville's Controverted Election Act perpetual. Experience seems to
have proved its utility, and though Lord North appeared at the head of
the opposition, many of his friends forsook him on this occasion, and
the bill was passed by a large majority, and received the royal assent
before the end of the session. From this period disputed elections
have been tried with the same scrupulousness and solemnity as any other
titles: while previous to it, as Dr. Johnson observed, "the nation
was insulted with a mock election, and the parliament was filled with
spurious representatives."

THE BOSTONIAN PETITION.

It has been seen that the assembly of Boston had voted a petition to
the king for the removal of their governor and deputy governor. This
petition, together with attested copies of the letters, were transmitted
to Dr. Franklin, the agent for the colony, or house of representatives
of Massachusets. These were delivered by Franklin to Lord Dartmouth, who
presented them to the king, and his majesty signified his pleasure that
they should be laid before the privy council.

In the mean time the affair had been the cause of bloodshed. Mr.
Whately, secretary to the treasury, to whom the letters had been
originally addressed, had recently died, and a sharp correspondence
took place between his brother, a banker in Lombard-street, and Mr.
John Temple, lieutenant-governor of New Hampshire: the former wishing
to avoid the charge of giving up the documents, and the latter that
of purloining them. The dispute ran so high that a duel was the
consequence, in which Mr. Whately was dangerously wounded. The event
caused great exc