said he, "is intended
to convince mankind, that the treaty under our consideration is a
reasonable and an honourable treaty. But if a majority of twenty-eight
in such a full house should fail of that success; if the people should
not implicitly resign their reason to a vote of this house, what will be
the consequence? Will not the parliament lose its authority? Will it not
be thought, that even in the parliament we are governed by a faction?
and what the consequence of this may be, I leave to those gentlemen to
consider, who are now to give their vote for this address: for my own
part, I will trouble you no more, but, with these my last words, I
sincerely pray to Almighty God, who has so often wonderfully protected
these kingdoms, that he will graciously continue his protection over
them, by preserving us from that impending danger which threatens the
nation from without, and likewise from that impending danger which
threatens our constitution from within." The minister was on this
occasion deserted by his usual temper, and even provoked into personal
abuse. He declared, that the gentleman who was now the mouth of his
opponents, had been looked upon as the head of those traitors, who,
twenty-five years before, conspired the destruction of their country and
of the royal family, in order to set a popish pretender upon the throne;
that he was seized by the vigilance of the then government, and pardoned
by its clemency; but all the use he had ungratefully made of that
clemency, was to qualify himself according to law, that he and his party
might sometime or other have an opportunity to overthrow all law.
He branded them all as traitors, and expressed his hope, that their
behaviour would unite all the true friends of the present happy
establishment. To such a degree of mutual animosity were both sides
inflamed, that the most eminent members of the minority actually retired
from parliament; and were by the nation in general revered as martyrs to
the liberty of the people.

THE HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE UPON AN ADDRESS TO HIS MAJESTY.

The dispute occasioned by the convention in the house of lords, was
maintained with equal warmth, and perhaps with more abilities. After
this famous treaty had been considered, lord Carteret suggested, that
possibly one of the contracting powers had presented a protest or
declaration, importing that she acceded to such or such a measure, only
upon condition that the terms of that protest or d