ment of that republic fhould not have been adjusted by Pruffian troops; and no interpofition in this cafe could have been honourable to Great Britain, but that which should have given the Dutch nation a fair and full opportunity of establishing that mode of government, which was thought by themselves to be most conducive to their real interefts.

It has been fuppofed by many, that maxims of policy were a fufficient apology for our conduct refpecting Holland. But no maxims of policy can justify transactions that are flagrantly unjuft; and I believe that the interefts of nations, as well as of individuals, would eventually be best promoted by an adherence to the rules of justice. Whatever may be the politics of the stadtholder's court; whatever may be the private attachments of the prince of Orange and the king of England, from their confanguinity;

VOL. III.

D

there

there is no reafon to believe, that any friendship is established between the British and the Dutch nations; and, if a war should take place, we shall probably derive little effectual affiftance from the navy of Holland.

As the foreign politics of Mr. Pitt do not appear to be entitled to much commendation, neither do I think that he has any juft claim to applaufe for his conduct respecting the internal government of this country. His administration has, indeed, been very far from being favourable to the interefts of public liberty; and on various occafions he has evinced, that he has little attachment to its principles. When a motion was made, by Mr. Powis, in 1786, in behalf of the inhabitants of Quebec, for leave to bring in a bill to amend the Québec act, and to render the government of that colony more confonant to the principles

of

of the English conftitution, the motion was ftrenuously oppofed by Mr. Pitt. But the fame year a new and very pernicious clause being introduced into the mutiny-bill, by which a greater number of perfons than formerly were fubjected to military law, that claufe found in Mr. Pitt a defender, and was accordingly carried. The eloquence of the chancellor of the exchequer was also very zealously employed, in 1787, in fupport of the bill for farming the tax on poft horfes, which was accordingly paffed into a law, though extremely adverse to the principles of the English conftitution.

WHEN a bill was brought into parliament by Mr. Marsham, "for fecuring the "freedom of election, by excluding per"fons holding places in the navy and the

• Debrett's Parliamentary Register, vol. XXII. p. 190, 191, 198.

"ordnance from voting for members of parliament," it was very vehemently opposed by Mr. Pitt, who was of opinion, that though the influence of the crown, before he came into power, was too great, and had been very properly diminished, yet that there was now no occafion for any fresh diminution. The influence now, we may prefume, had paffed into very good and fafe hands, and there could be no reason for any farther doubt or diftruft upon the fubject. It was in 1786, that Mr. Pitt brought in his bill for fubjecting wine to the laws of excife; and on that occafion hẹ opposed a motion which was made by Mr. Beaufoy, and which would have rendered the act somewhat lefs pernicious," for

66

giving to the fubject, in all cafes of an "information exhibited in pursuance of "the bill, an optional right of being tried

" by

"by a jury of his peers "." But this would have been too great a compliment to the principles of liberty, and to the spirit of the constitution. The arguments employed by Mr. Pitt against the clause were remarkably fophiftical; but the house were too complaisant to confider any arguments of the minister in that light, and the clause was accordingly rejected.

THAT the present chancellor of the exchequer poffeffes eminent abilities cannot reasonably be questioned; but that these abilities have been employed for the benefit of his country, I can perceive no evidence. The bulk of mankind are too apt to be deceived by fpecious appearances. A man may have acquired a habit of speaking plaufibly, and even eloquently in parliament, and be able to defend his measures

• Debrett's Parliamentary Register, vol. XX. p. 335, &c.