I take my leave abruptly, as I am just told your G→ has wifely taken the alarm, and intend to retire; if 'tis true, moft heartily congratulate my K and my country--and hope no one will disturb your retreat. I am fure they will not envy you the perfon with whom you chufe to make it. POLITICAL MANOEUVRES Nov. 25, 1768. IN confequence of repeated folicitations on the part of the Earl of Chatham, a moft cordial, firm, and perpetual union this day took place, with his noble brother-in-law, Earl Temple. It is not doubted that this friendship will produce the most folid advantages to the public, whofe interefts have, fince thefe noble lords were jointly in office, been occafionally betrayed and neglected. Mr. Grenville has heartily acceded to this union; fo that it may be prefumed, there are now the faireft hopes of feeing this country rescued from the ftorm that for fome years has been gathering with a moft threatening afpect. In like manner, previous to the late war, when by ignorance, folly, and corruption, the public affairs were reduced to the moft deplorable fituation, this family, and this family only, refcued the kingdom from the fate that feemed inevitably to await it; and from being the most abject and defpicable, it became, in their hands, the most powerful and refpectable nation upon the face of the globe. It has been afferted, by the friends of administration, that the Earl of Bristol's acceptance of the privy-feal, in the room of the Earl of Chatham, was with that noble lord's confent: but it now comes out, that no fuch confent ever exifted, notwithstanding any unwarrantable ufe which may bave been made of his lordship's name, by fuppofed friends. There 334 There is the best authority for affuring the public, that the Earl of Chatham has ftrongly declared his disapprobation of any intended measure to expel Mr. Wilkes. For the POLITICAL REGISTER. IT is no lefs certain than remarkable, that on Thursday m The KINGS' SPEECH at the Meeting of the PARLIAMENT, on Tuesday the 8th. Nov. 1768. My Lords, and Gentlemen, THE opportunity which the late general election gives me of knowing from their reprefentatives in parliament, the more immediate fenfe of my people, has made me defirous of meeting you as early as could be confiftent with your own convenience. ་ The fhortness of the laft feffion of the late parliament prevented their profecuting the confideration of thofe great commercial interefts which had been entered upon in the preceding feffion. You will, I am perfuaded, agree with me in opinion, that your deliberations on thefe very important objects ought to be refumed withcut lofs of time; and I trust that they will terminate in fuch meafures as may be productive of the most considerable and effential benefits to this nation. It would have given me great fatisfaction to have been able to acquaint you, that all the other powers of Europe had been as careful as I ever have been, to avoid taking any ftep that might endanger the general tranquility. I have conftantly received, and do fill receive from them, the strongest affurances of their pacific difpo- . fitions towards this country. No affurances however fhall divert my conftant refolution ftedfastly to attend to the general interests of Eu rope; rope; nor fhall any confideration prevail upon me to fuffer any attempt that may be made derogatory to the honour and dignity of my crown, or injurious to the rights of my people. At the close of the laft parliament I expreffed my fatisfaction at the appearances which then induced me to believe, that fuch of my fubjects as had been mifled in fome parts of my dominions were returning to a juft fenfe of their duty; but it is with equal concern that I have fince feen that spirit of faction, which I had hoped was well nigh extinguished, breaking out afresh in fome of my colonies in North America; and, in one of them, proceeding even to acts of violence, and of refiftance to the execution of the law. The capital town of which colony appears by late advices to be in a state of difobedience to all law and government; and has proceeded to meafures fubver five of the conftitution, and attended with circumstances that might manifest a disposition to throw off their dependance on Great Britain. On my part, I have purfued every meafure that appears to be neceffary for fupporting the conftitution, and inducing a due obedience to the authority of the legiflature. You may rely upon my steady perfeverance in thefe purposes; and I doubt not but that, with your concurrence and fupport, I fhall be able to defeat the mifchievous defigns of thofe turbulent and feditious perfons, who, under falfe pretences, have but two fuccefsfully deluded numbers of my fubjects in America; and whofe practice, if fuffered to prevail, cannot fail to produce the most fatal confequences to my colonies immediately, and, in the end, to all the dominions of my crown. Gentlemen of the House of Commons, The proper eftimates for the fervice of the enfuing year I have ordered to be laid before you, fully relying on your readinefs to grant me the neceffary fupplies. Indeed I cannot have a doubt of finding in this houfe of commons the fame affectionate attachment to my perfon and government,, as I have always hitherto experienced from my faithful commons. My Lords, and Gentlemen, It is with great fatisfaction that I now find myself enabled to rejoice with you, upon the relief which the poorer fort of my people are now enjoying, from the diftrefs which they have fo long laboured under from the high price of corn. At the fame time that we are bound devoutly to acknowledge the gracious interpofition of providence, it will become us to apply the best precautions that human wifdom can fuggeft, for guarding against the return of the late calamity. In the choice, however, of proper means for that purpose, you cannot proceed with too much circumSpection. I have nothing further to recommend to you, than that, in all your deliberations, you keep up a spirit of harmony among yourselves. Whatever differences of opinion may prevail in other points, let it appear, that wherever the intereft of your country is immediately concerned, you are all ready to unite. Such an example from you cannot fail of having the beft effects frum the temper of my people in every part of my dominions; and can alone produce that general union among ourfelves, which will render us properly refpected abroad, and happy at home, For 1; For the POLITICAL REGISTER. An obliging correspondent has fent us the following fenfible paper. He fays there are two circumstances which make the publication of it neceffary and interefting at this time. One is the plentiful harveft, fo graciously taken notice in his majefty's fpeech; and he thinks that a parliamentary attention to the plan here laid down will be a great means of continuing that plenty; without keeping the ports open for the importation of corn, which in a little time, he fays, will certainly drain this country of its cafh; befides the great injury thereby done to agriculture. The other is, the request that will, and muft neceffarily be made, for a confiderable fum to difcharge the arrears of the civil lift, and perhaps provide for certain contingencies. A fum, which, if levied on the people by a tax, may have difagreeable confequences, and if extorted from any particular body of men, must be alarming to public property. He adds, that the plan here offered to the public, affords ample provifion for this unfortunate circumftance; and concludes with an opinion, which, indeed, feems to be not ill founded, that a very great advantage to the nation in general, would be the necellary and infallible confequence of putting this plan into execution. A Propofal for felling Part of the Forest Lands and Chaces, with a few Reflections on the public Advantages of fucb a Meafure. HE foreft lands when depopulated by William the beafts of this country, than to his conquered fubjects; were at the time, fome of the beft cultivated in the kingdom. New Foreft in Hampshire, was covered with numberless vilJages for thirty miles in extent, and had thirty mother churches, befides many fubordinate ones within that district. Enfield chace, and Epping foreft, and feveral other forefts and chaces, which are at prefent, in a manner, ufelefs; would become of very confiderable advantage to the kingdom, if properly cultivated. The only public advantage that could arife from these lands lying wafte, was from the timber they produced for the royal Navy. But the timber, and even the young trees are fo abfolutely deftroyed in moft places, that no benefit of the kind is to be expected from the greatest part of them. 40, or 50,000 acres of the best wooded parts of the different forefts, and chaces properly inclofed, and preferved, would produce more timber than the whole does at prefent. The I The feveral forefts, and chaces are computed to contain above a million of acres. But fuppofing this estimate to exceed by one half, and that they contain 500,000 acres ; there would still remain 250,000 acres for royal parks, 1 chaces and timber. The property of thefe lands has been long vefted in the crown, with a right of commonage by cuftom to the borderers. There are alfo grants from the crown of feveral lodges, with certain lands, and privileges annexed. It is not proposed that any perfon fhould be deprived of the right or property he is legally entitled to in them, without an equivalent. The lands appropriated to the different lodges,, might be fuffered to remain as at prefent; and the value of the right of commonage, or other privilege any perfon may claim, left to the determination of a jury, and paid out of the money arifing from the fale. As for numbers of cottagers, who have erected hutts on these lands, and fupport an idle life, by letting a few half starved cattle range for a fcanty fubfiftence in the forefts, and by ftealing wood, deer, or game; they can have no pretenfion to redrefs; but ought rather to be repressed, as nurferies of villainy and idleness. If the widening of narrow paffages, and opening convenient ftreets, can be deemed fufficient motives by the legiflature, for obliging perfons to quit their habitations, and difpofe of their properties at a price fixed by a jury, it may be expected, with much greater reason, that a law of this nature, which carries a public benefit of fo much higher importance along with it, fhould readily be affented to by parliament. The confent of his majefty, as a fupreme part of the legiflature, and chief proprietor of thefe lands, is abfolutely neceffary to the paffing a law for this purpose. And to his hight honour, it cannot even be doubted, but he will moft readily give his confent to any measure, that appears to be for the public good. More particularly to a law of this nature. Enfield chace, and Epping forest, when divided into small lots, would undoubtedly, from their vicinity to the metropolis, fell at a good price, and when inclofed and cultivated, would probably be worth 2 guineas an acre, which is given for worse lands; for thefe being quite freth, would yield a very great increafe, with lefs expence of cultivation; and be of infinite benefit to London, by fupplying its markets with corn, hay, ftraw, poultry, and many commodities of which there is an apparent fcarcity, fince the town has been fo greatly enlarged. I fhould imagine the whole quantity proposed to be fold would produce 15s. per acre; and 25 years purchafe, one with another, which would produce 4,787,500l. and that 787,500l. would be fully fufficient to answer the va Vol. III. XX |