T.Davies Or, GENTLEMAN's Monthly Intelligencer; For FEBRUARY, 1771.. LONDON: Printed for R. BALDWIN, at No. 47. in Pater-nofter Row; Of whom may be had complete Sets, from the Year 1732, to the prefent Time; ready bound or ftitched, or any ungle Month to complete Sets. PRICES OF STOCKS, &c. in FEBRUARY, 1771. Bank India Sou. Sea. Old S. S. New S. S. 3 per C.13 per C. | Stock Stock 26 146 213 Stock Ann. Ann. confol. reduced 1758. confol. per C.132 per C. 14 per C. 14 per. C. 4 per C. In. Bond. Long. Lottery 1756. Wind Weather 84 Navy. 2 7 Prem. Ann. Tickets 25 곱 27 Sunday 93 S. E. Cold 281 N. E. Cold 5906d bufhel 5s 6d buf91 g 5s bufh. 1ogal Hay per load 275. to 30. locs to oo Monmouth, London, THE LONDON MAGAZINE: For FEBRUARY, 1771. DEBATES OF A POLITICAL CLUB. The Speech of Caius Tarquinius in the Upper Alfembly, concluded from our laft. Differ entirely in opinion from the noble lord; I do not think the measure he propofes either honourable to the fages of the law, or juft with regard to ourselves.- -Honourable to the judges it cannot poffibly be, for it is trying them upon anonymous accufation-Juft to ourfelves it cannot poffibly be, because we are here aflembled not to debate upon rumours, but to determine upon facts; if every idle, if every impudent report, which may be circulated through the channel of our news papers, is to be made a matter of debate in this illuftrious affembly, we fhall have but little time to enter upon the real bufinefs of the nation; the prefent, my lords, is a very alarming crifis, and we fhould rather endeavour to prepare ourselves againit a foreign enemy, than study to foment our domeftic animofities. But the views of fedition are too plain, too palpable; pretended patriotifm is a weed which never grows in a ferene fky; it, thrives only under the howlings of national difunion; and our political reformers difcover errors in the ftate, merely through a hope of being in trufted with the reformation. The more we confider the nature of the propofed enquiry into the conduct of the judges, my lords, the more your lordships muft fee the fallacy of that argument, which talks of it as neceffary, nay as reputable for the character of the venerable fages; if their characters are to be rendered immaculate by a parliamentary vote Feb. 771. in their favour, will they not be made equally fpotlefs, when parliament declares that the charges against them, are fo evidently malicious, fo fcandaloufly groundlefs, that they do. not merit the minuteft examination?" Is it not more honourable for the courts of law to treat their accufers with contempt, than to give a serious ear to the accufation? Undoubtedly, my lords; and give me leave befides to afk, whofe doubts of the judges integrity we are to remove? The doubts of the people.only who are interested in afperfing them; the doubts of the people who have already pronounced both houfes of parliament corrupt; and who declare, that all our proceedings are determined by a venal majority. Will men of this ftamp, my lords, pay any regard to our teltimony in favour of the judges, even if we go into the enquiry propofed? By no means, we fhall be branded with the groffeft epithets ourselves, unless we decide agreeably to the prejudices of popularity; they will call us the abettors of guilt, for voting in conformity to the dictates of our confcience; and the judges, fo far from receiving any benefit by the fevereft fcrutiny into their conduct, will only experience an additipal hare of reproach. Seeing therefore in the first inftance, that no pofitive charge is brought against any one of the judges, and feeing in the next, that the propofed enquiry cannot be productive of any good confequences, flatter myfelf your lordships will not mifemploy your own time, nor infult the purity of our courts, by deeming the partial voice of faction, a sufficient ground for impeaching their integrity, Very little of confequence was farther faid upon this fubject; the quef H 2 tion I remember that the noble lord, who is fuppofed to direct public affairs, and is at least the offenfible minifter, urged the great number of the papers now lying on your table, as an argument against fubjecting them to your inspection. The reafoning, to be fure, was not conclufive; becaufe the difficulty of an undertaking ought never to preclude an attempt, except when that difficulty amounts to a palpable impoffibility. But tho' it did not fhew the abfurdity of all inquiry, it certainly fhewed the abfurdity of engaging in fuch a meafure, without due time and previous deliberation. Where a multiplicity of important facts and circumstances are to be difentangled, too much care and circumspection cannot be einployed. If any judgement about the matter can be formed from the minifter's former language, and from the external appearance of the papers, this must now be the cafe. They muft contain many words, however they may be deficient in matter.-in order therefore to enable the mem bers to judge of their contents with accuracy and precision, I move that they be published in the Gazette. The people, to whom we certainly owe fomething, expect this opennels and fincerity, this mark of conscious innocence, at the hands of the miniftry. If there is nothing dark or myfterious in their conduct, let them now fhew it, by appealing to the public, and feeling its pulfe.-When the papers have been read, and examined by the nation at large, we hall have, an opportunity of knowing its fentiments, and of explicitly declaring whether we are, or are not, reprefentatives, by approving or condemning the opinion of our conftituents. Mucius Scævola (L-d N-) anfwered thus: Mr. President, WHAT my opinion might have formerly been, I cannot precitely recollect. Perhaps my memory is not fo tenacious as that of the honoura- Horatius Cocles replied: SINCE the noble lord does not chufe to fatisfy the houfe, or the people with the publication of these papers, I hope he will allow them to lie on the table, and confent to adjourn the confideration of them till we have had time to give them a thorough examination. The confufion naturally produced in the mind, by the first reading of fo many different letters, will neceffarily render cur ideas obfcure, and our determinations erroneous. Let us therefore have full leifure to make every due preparation, to fift and canvas the matter before we pafs a final fentence. Mutius Scævola rejoined: THE fame reafons, which induce me to think that there is no neceffity for publishing thefe papers, force me to conclude, that they ought to be immediately read. There is nothing in them complicated or abftrufe. Neither the thoughts, nor the expreffions, are numerous. The weakest underftanding, and the most treacherous memory will not here complain of being put to the torture. therefore the house is full, and gentlemen feem to have purpofely attended on this bufinefs, I do not fee any good reafon for baulking their expectations, or trifling with their time. As Horatius Cocles upon this withdrew his intended motion; and the clerk of the |