many voters offering to poll for the faid Sir Thomas Halifax and Thomas Rogers, by the faid rioters and difturbers. And we, affisted by the magistrates and peace officers, endeavouring, by an exertion of all the power and authority vefted in us, and particularly having appointed 236 additi onal conftables, to preferve the peace, to fuppress the said tumults and riots, and to remove the faid obftructions, and to open a free access to the booth, for the voters on both fides to come up to poll, were, notwithstanding, riotously and forcibly affaulted and driven back, and otherwife ill-treated, to the imminent danger of our lives, and the voters were, by numbers and force, violently and illegally hindered from giving their votes, fo that out of two thoufand voters, and upwards, no more than eighty three were polled, and a free election could not be had; but we were, by means of the faid tumultuous and illegal force, interrupted and obstructed in the execution of the faid writ, and of our duty and office, and in making the faid election. For which caufes aforefaid, we did not caufe to be elected, nor could we caufe to be elected, two citizens of the faid city and county, according to the exigency, form, and effect of the faid writ. Given under our hands and feals, this fixth day of Oct. in the year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and eighty. THO. NOXON and THO. BULLER, Sheriffs,'

Ordered, that Mr. T. Noxon and Mr. T. Buller, late She riffs of the city of Coventry, do attend this Houfe upon Thursday fortnight, the 23d day of this inftant November.

Mr. Speaker reported to the House, that, when the House did attend his Majefty upon Wednesday laft, the first inftant, in the Houfe of Peers, his Majefty was pleafed to make a moft gracious speech from the throne to both Houses of Parliament, of which Mr. Speaker faid he had, to prevent mistakes, obtained a copy, which he read to the House, and is as followeth, viz.

My Lords, and Gentlemen,

It is with more than ordinary fatisfaction that I meet you in Parliament, at a time, when the late elections may afford me an opportunity of receiving the most certain information of the difpofition and the withes of my people, to which I am always inclined to pay the utmost attention and regard.

The prefent arduous ftuation of public affairs is well known; the whole force and faculties of the monarchies of France and Spain are drawn forth, and exerted to the utmost to support the rebellion in my colonies in North America, and,

and, without the leaft provocation or caufe of complaint, to attack my dominions; and the undisguised object of this confederacy manifeftly is to gratify boundless ambition, by deftroying the commerce, and giving a fatal blow to the power of Great Britain.

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By the force which the laft Parliament put into my hands, and by the bleffing of Divine Providence on the bravery of my fleets and armies, I have been enabled to withstand the formidable attempts of my enemies, and to fruftrate the great expectations they had formed; and the fignal fucceffes which have attended the progrefs of my arms in the provinces of Georgia and Carolina, gained with fo much honour to the conduct and courage of my officers, and to the valour and intrepidity of my troops, which have equalled their highest character in any age, will, I truft, have important confequences in bringing the war to a happy conclufion. It is my most earnest defire to fee this great end accomplished; but I am confident you will agree with me in opinion, that we can only fecure fafe and honourable terms of peace by fuch powerful and refpectable preparations, as fhall convince our enemies, that we will not fubmit to receive the law from any powers whatsoever, and that we are united in a firm refolution to decline no difficulty, or hazard, in the defence of our country, and for the prefervation of our effential interefts.

Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons.

I have ordered the estimates for the enfuing year to be laid before you. I fee and feel, with great anxiety and concern, that the various fervices of the war muft, unavoidably, be attended with great and heavy expences; but I defire you to grant me fuch fupplies only, as your own fecurity and lafting welfare, and the exigency of affairs, fhall be found to require.

My Lords, and Gentlemen,

I repofe an entire confidence in the zeal and affections of this Parliament, confcious that, during the whole course of my reign, it has been the conftant object of my care, and the with of my heart, to promote the true interefts and happiness of all my fubjects, and to preferve inviolate our excellent conftitution in church and state.

The Hon. Mr. De Grey moved, "That an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majesty to return his Majefty the thanks of this Houfe, for his moft gracious fpeech from the throne. To congratulate his Majefty upon the fafe delivery of the Queen, and the birth of another prince; and to affure VOL. XVIII.

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his

his Majefty, that we take a fincere part in every event that contributes to his Majefty's domeftic happiness.

"That we acknowledge, with the utmost gratitude, his Majefty's condefcending goodness, in his defire to meet his Parliament at this time, and his gracious expreflions of attention and regard to the difpofition and wishes of his people. That we are impreffed with a due fenfe of the difficulties of the prefent arduous conjuncture, when the whole 'force of France and Spain is combined and exerted to fupport the rebellion in his Majefty's colonies, and to attack all the dominions of his crown; and when it is but too manifeft to all the world, that the real views of this most unjust confederacy are to give a fatal blow to the commerce and power of Great Britain, in refentment for the fuccefsful efforts which this nation has fo often made to fave the liberties of Europe from the ambition of the House of Bourbon. That we have obferved, with great and just fatisfaction, that his Majefty, by the fupport of his parliament, and the fpirit and bravery of his fleets and armies, has, under the Divine protection, been enabled to withstand the formidable attempts of his enemies; and we offer our most cordial congratulations to his Majesty on the fignal fucceffes which have attended the progrefs of his Majefty's arms in the provinces of Georgia and Carolina, and in which the conduct and courage of his Majefty's officers, and the valour and intrepidity of his troops, have been so eminently diftinguished.

"That we confider his Majefty's earneft defire and folicitude to fee the war brought to a happy conclufion, as the ftrongest proof of his Majefty's paternal regard for his people; but we entirely agree with his Majefty, that fafe and honourable terms of peace can only be fecured by fuch powerful preparations and vigorous exertions as fhall convince our enemies that his Majesty and his Parliament are united in a firm and stedfaft refolution to decline no difficulty or danger in the defence of their country, and for the maintenance of their effential interefts. To affure his Majefty, that we are thoroughly fenfible that these ends cannot be effected without great and heavy expences; and that we will grant his Majefty such supplies as the lafting security and welfare of his kingdoms, and the exigency of affairs fhall be found to require. That his Majefty may rely with entire confidence on the most zealous and affectionate attachment, of his fathful Commons to his perfon, family and government; and that we acknowledge, with the livelieft fentiments of reverence and gratitude, that the constant tenor

of.

of his Majesty's conduct fhews, that the object of his royal care and concern are to promote the happiness of his people, and to preserve inviolate our excellent conftitution in church and state.",

Mr. De Grey fupported his motion by taking a curfory view of the present pofture of American affairs, which he contended, was far more desirable than memory could trace it at any period fince the convention of Saratoga; the fplendid fuccefs of Lord Cornwallis in the fouthern colonies had enhanced the reputation of British valour, and intimidated our enemies. Carolina was univerfally reduced to the obedience of our arms, and the friends of Britain there no longer feared to avow their fentiments. He complimented the brave general, by whofe conduct and fortitude thefe advantages were derived, in the higheft ftrain of panegyric; Colonel Tarleton too, and the other officers in the fouthern army, had their tribute of applaufe. With refpect to the propriety of affuring his Majefty, that the Houfe would supply the means of profecuting the war with energy, he con tended that our fituation precluded every profpect of honourable peace, but through the medium of victory. it is no longer, faid he, a queftion of allegiance and independency between us and our Colonies; but whether we fhall relinquish those valuable provinces in favour of the House of Bourbon? No lover of his country can hesitate to depreciate fuch an acceffion of ftrength to our natural enemy; and no friend of America can with we fhould refign her to the yoke of an arbitrary fovereign.

He next contended, that by confenting to the independency of America (fhould a measure fo humiliating be pro pofed as the basis of that peace, fo fervently to be wished for). we must endanger the lofs of all our tranfmarine poffeffions, and fink the native confequence of this kingdom to a mere nothing in the fcale of Europe. The profecution of war then, until it might be terminated on better and more honourable grounds, was effential to the political existence of Great Britain; by the example of other nations, wife and powerful, we might learn never to defpond; but expect the happy effects of fortitude, even in the moft adverfe fituation. Upon these and various other grounds he recommended the address, which echoed as ufual every paragraph of the King's fpeech, with profeffions of attachment and affurances of support.

Sir Richard Sutton feconded the motion, and prefaged the Sir Richard future fuccefs of our affairs in America; faid he had been Sutton.

Mr. Grenville.

always fanguine in his expectations that the issue of the war would be fortunate, and was now as confident as ever; but fhould any gentleman think lefs favourably of our fituation than himself, still what measure but the profecution of hostilities would now be adviseable? Should we give up America, and expect conditions of peace from France and Spain; or fhould we withdraw our arms from that continent, and contend folely with the House of Bourbon? The latter alternative could probably not be in our option; for America was bound, he thought, by every tie of policy and honour not to defert her allies, or leave them exposed to our collected efforts in a war commenced for her advantage.

Mr. Grenville, profeffing his loyalty and dutiful regard to his fovereign, rejoiced fincerely in every event that encreased the felicity of the King and the Royal Family; he therefore heartily acquiefced in the first part of the address proposed, which congratulated his Majesty on the happy delivery of the Queen, and the birth of a Prince. He declared that he was ready to go as far as any man in supporting the essential interefts of his country; but whether the profecution of the war in America ought to be reckoned among thofe interests was the question. The conjuncture in which we ftood was indeed, according to the phrafe in the fpeech from the throne, arduous. A moft powerful and dangerous confederacy was formed against this country, and every Englishman wished to break its power. But was that practicablé ? Could England alone, without a single ally in the world, contend fuccessfully against America, France, and Spain? He represented the ftrength of those confederated powers, and contrafted that with the decayed trade and nearly exhaufted resources of this country. Unable to carry on the war under the disadvantages which we felt, and which he enumerated, we ought perhaps to recall our troops from all unavailing efforts in America, and to direct our whole force against the House of Bourbon; but certainly we ought to do the former; for experience had taught us, or might have taught us, that all attempts to fubdue America under the government of this country were as vain as they were ruinous and oppreffive to this languishing nation.

At the commencement of the war, miniftry, he acknowledged, had fome pretext for pursuing the coercive measures which they adopted. At that time, it was faid, that the voice of the nation was for war; the high spirit of this country being unwilling to give up our foreign and moft valuable dependencies without a struggle. A struggle had

been