might neverthless, by authority of former statutes, be impressed. He ironically complimented the board of Admiralty for the high sense they seemed here to entertain of the honour of British sailors;—it might be illustrated by a very trite anecdote of Julius Cæsar; for, like his wife, the character of our seamen must be as clear of suspicion as just impeachment; they not only must not be deserters, but not suspected to be so.

The Attorney-General answered Mr. Sheridan, and concluded the debate, when the question was decided by a division;—

For the second reading 65; against it 73. The bill in consequence was thrown out.

JUNE 20.

ON THE BILL TO EXPLAIN AND AMEND THE MARRIAGE ACT.

Mr. Fox moved a clause by which persons were declared marriageable without the consent of parents and guardians at the ages, the woman at sixteen and the man at eighteen; and that all marriages solemnized at an earlier age of each of the parties should be null and void. An amendment was moved by Lord Mahon to alter the ages, to eighteen the woman, and twenty-one the man.

MR. SHERIDAN said, gentlemen were so inveterate against the marriage act, that in the heat of their zeal, they seemed to argue as if that act was designed to prevent marriages; when it was undoubtedly true, that to encourage marriages of a regular and proper sort, was its real aim and intention. He said his honourable friend, who brought in the bill (Mr. Fox), appeared not to be aware, that if he carried the clause, enabling girls to marry at sixteen, he would do an injury to that liberty of which he had always shown himself the friend; and promote domestic tyranny, which he could consider only as little less intolerable. than public tyranny. If girls were allowed to marry at sixteen, they would, he conceived, be abridged of that happy freedom of intercourse, which modern custom had introduced between the youth of both sexes; and which was, in his opinion, the best nursery of happy marriages. Guardians would, in that case, look on their wards with a jealous eye, from a fear that footmen and those about them, might take advantage of their tender years and immature judgment, and persuade them into marriage, as soon as they attained the age of sixteen. In like manner young men, when mere boys, in a moment of passion, however

ill-directed, or perhaps in a moment of intoxication, might be prevailed upon to make an imprudent match, and probably be united to a common prostitute. Mr. Sheridan said he was ready to admit, that the marriage act had some absurd clauses in it; but he could not agree, that the whole of that act was so impolitic, or so productive either of mischief or of inconvenience, as to stand in need of a total repeal.

To this Mr. Fox replied, that his honourable friend Mr. Sheridan had so much ingenuity of mind, that he could contrive to give an argument what turn he pleased; he considered not, therefore, when what he said was really in support of domestic tyranny, he should ground it on a wish to preserve liberty.

Ayes (for Mr. Fox's motion) 36; Noes (for Lord Mahon's amendment) 7.

NOVEMBER 27.

PROSECUTION OF THE AMERICAN WAR.

The King opened the session with a speech containing the declaration of the intention of government to continue the prosecution of the American war to the last extremity, notwithstanding the desperate situation of our affairs; and an address, framed in the usual form, was moved by Mr. Perceval. The attempt to pledge the house by the proposed address to the unqualified support of a determination so frantic and desperate, in spite of seven years' dear bought experience, and in the teeth of national bankruptcy and ruin; the audacity of holding such language at the very instant when the calamitous effects of the misconduct of ministers called for penitence and humiliation; were topics urged by Mr. Fox with great eloquence and ability; and followed by a severe reprehension of the principles of war :— of the delusions by which parliament had been led on, year after year to support it; and of the gross and criminal mismanagement that appeared in every branch of administration, and particularly in the marine department. To the negligence and incapacity of the minister at the head of that board, Lord Sandwich, he ascribed the loss of the army under Lord Cornwallis. Mr. Fox concluded a speech of great length and commanding eloquence by observing, that in his opinion no address whatsoever should be set up to the throne, until they had an opportunity of going down to their constituents, and consulting with them on the matter. He finally proposed an amendment which would give his Majesty the assurance of their loyalty and zeal; and would promise, in a more effectual way, to support the essential rights and permanent interests of his empire. Mr. Rigby having animadverted on the desire expressed by Mr. Fox, and others, to take counsel from their constituents, which he considered unconstitutional, if not illegal,

MR. SHERIDAN rose. He reprehended Mr. Rigby for the contemptuous manner in which he had spoken, and always did speak, of the constituent body of the country. He defended the

honourable member, Mr. Fox's, ideas on the subject; and argued very forcibly on Mr. Rigby's declaration, that the house were in possession of all the sense of the country. Mr. Sheridan then adverted to the aguments that had been urged to claim the confidence and support of the house at this juncture, which, he said, all went to prove that ministers were entitled to the support of the country, in proportion as they showed themselves unfit to govern it. He was particularly happy in his manner of handling what Lord George Germaine asserted, that he still continued to regard America as the brightest jewel of the crown.

The house divided on the amendment: Ayes 129; Noes 218. address was then agreed to.

The original

DECEMBER 4.

MR. BURKE'S MOTION TO ENQUIRE INTO THE CONFISCATION AND DISPOSAL OF THE EFFECTS, &c. OF THE INHABITANTS OF ST. EUSTATIUS, CAPTURED BY ADMIRAL SIR GEO. RODNEY AND GENERAL VAUGHAN.

MR. SHERIDAN said, he was very unwilling to trouble the house at so late an hour; but he thought it necessary to ask one plain question; and that was, Did the honourable admiral (Sir George Rodney) and the honourable general (Vaughan) consent to the proposed inquiry or not? For if they had no objection to it, and they neither of them had hinted anything that might lead the house to believe they had, there certainly would be no opposition to it. The noble lord (North) in the blue riband could not possibly be so good a guardian of their honour as the commanders themselves. He therefore desired to know if the honourable admiral and general had any dislike to the inquiry; and if neither of them gave any answer, he should take it for granted that they had not.

Upon a division there appeared for the motion 89; against it 168.

FEBRUARY 7, 1782.

NAVAL AFFAIRS OF 1781.

In a Committee of the house to enquire into the causes of the want of success of our naval force during the war, and particularly in the year 1781, Mr. Fox moved the following resolution :—" That it appears to this committee, that there

was gross mismanagement in the administration of naval affairs in the year 1781.” In the course of the debate, Lord North admitted "that many of our best officers were unemployed and disgusted; but that it by no means appeared they had any just cause for their disgust."

MR. SHERIDAN spoke with great energy, and commented on what had fallen from Lord North; particularly in the expression, that though there were many of the best officers disgusted, they had no cause for disgust. He condemned the noble lord, in pointed terms, for expressing such language, at a time when that house, and all the world, knew and felt the treatment which the veteran commanders of the fleet had experienced. The honourable gentleman, with most forcible expression, declared his abhorrence of language so disrespectful and unbecoming, after their shameless behaviour; by which their country had, in its worst moments, lost the benefit of assistance from such distinguished characters as a Keppel, a Howe, a Barrington, a Parker, a Harland, a Pigot, a Byron, and all who had been driven into retirement. He repeated many of the gallant actions of these men, and spoke in high terms of the just influence which they possessed in the navy, and the credit which they had with the people. The present was a time to speak out. Men must not now, from false motives of personal prudence, keep from the knowledge of their country, the reason which induced, or which constrained them to relinquish the service. There were several of these officers then present in the house; and hoped they would now rise, fired at the insult offered them by the expression of the noble lord in the blue riband, and explain fully and clearly the reasons which they had for withdrawing. One of those admirals (Keppel) had given that explanation. His reasons had been too evident to require disclosure; but there were other distinguished admirals in the house who had not been so explicit; and of whom all the world entertained the highest opinion. From their accounts the house would see whether there was either decency or modesty in the language of the noble lord; and also whether, after such behaviour to men so eminent, it would be either just or prudent to suffer the Earl of Sandwich to continue in place; for he was a man born for the destruction of the British navy.

For the motion 183; against it 205.

FEBRUARY 20.

MR. FOX'S MOTION, 66 THAT IT APPEARS TO THIS HOUSE THAT THERE HAS BEEN GREAT MISMANAGEMENT IN HIS MAJESTY'S NAVAL AFFAIRS IN THE YEAR 1781."

MR. SHERIDAN said, he was surprised to hear gentlemen differ on the present question. The public notoriety of our failure at sea, spoke at once for the motion, and to hear gentlemen urge, that if they voted for the motion, it ought to be followed by the dismissal of Lord Sandwich, was exactly similar to that which must for ever appear a disgrace to us, viz. voting that "the influence of the crown had increased, was still increasing, and ought to be diminished ;" and negativing the very first motion afterwards, grounded on that resolution. Surely, he said, we were not going to fall into the same error now. It had been strongly urged, that the reason why Lord Sandwich should not be removed now was, on account of his having laid his plans for the ensuing campaign, which would be all frustrated, if he did not continue in office. Good God! what good could be expected from the future plans of a man that had planned so badly before? Certainly nothing; and if that was to be the case, why was there a new secretary appointed a few days back? Had not the late one formed his plans? Surely, if it would hold good in one, it would in the other; but he wished there had been no plans formed by the late American secretary; for he dreaded to see the day, if ever the army should return from America;-it must be an awful day to England. No man could foresee the consequence of what might happen on the return of a large body of men, who had, for a series of years, been unnaturally employed to shed the blood of their fellow-subjects. He was heard throughout with great attention, and concluded with saying, that he dreaded making a peace till the marine of France was humbled. If peace was made while the house of Bourbon was equal in marine force to this country, he feared there would be an end not only to the commerce and prosperity, but also to the civil liberties of the kingdom.

For the motion, 217: against it 236.