CHAP. XII.

Mr. Grenville fucceeds Lord Bute. The opinion which the Minority entertain of the new Miniftry. The forty-fifth number of the North Briton published. The Printers and Publishers apprehended by a general warrant. Mr. Wilkes apprebended. His house entered: bis papers feized. He is carried by violence before the Secretaries of State. Committed a clofe prisoner to the Tower. The writ of Habeas Corpus evaded. Difcharged by the Court of Common Pleas. The opinion of that Court.

A

Few days after LordBUTE's refignation, the Right Hon. Mr. GEORGE GRENVILLE was appointed First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer he was the first who had held these two great employments fince the death of Mr. Pelham; and by the union of them in his perfon, he was confidered as the Minifter: the Earl of

SAND

SANDWICH was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, in the room of Mr. GRENVILLE.* Several other changes were made, particularly at the public Boards. But the plan of Administration, and the measures of Government continued, as laid down by the late Minifter. From this uniformityof Complexion, the opposition, who likewife remained in the fame fituation, very pofitively affirmed, that the new Ministry were no other than the subftitutes of the Favourite, who had only

*Lord Halifax, upon his return from Ireland, had been made firft Lord of the Admiralty, in the room of the late Lord Anfon; and the right honourable Mr. George Grenville, who had fucceeded Lord Bute as Secretary of State, upon the advancement of his Lordship to the Treafury, made an Exchange of places with Lord Halifax, previous to the peace. So that in this last change above-mentioned, there was no alteration in the Secretaries of State; Lord Egremont continued for the fouthern, and Lord Halifax for the northern department; and it was given out by authority, to all the foreign Minifters and others connected in public affairs, that his Majefty had placed his government in the hands of the right honourable Mr. George Grenville, and the Earls of Halifax and Egremont, that in all matters of importance they were to act in conjunction, and to them all applications of bufinefs were to be directed.

retired

retired to a place of fafety and fecrecy, in order ftill to govern, tho' by other hands. The fubftance being thus driven away, they said, it is not probable the fhadows can last long. To oppose them, therefore, is to oppose him. For they afked, who are thefe men? Are they not the fame who supported him in all his odious measures, particularly the late Peace and the Excife? Are they not the dregs of the last Admi→ niftration? Are they not deftitute of Parliamentary interest ? Are they poffeffed of any confiderable property in the kingdom? Is it not clear, therefore, to demonftration, that having no strength or solid foundation of their own, they must be obliged to act in fubferviency to a concealed influence, and confequently is not this fcheme of clandeftine adminiftration,an infult upon the understandings of the Public? This language,and a great deal more tothe fame effect, with which every news-paper and other publication were replete, andthe truths which it manifeftly conveyed, operated fo univerfally among the people,

K

that

that though the advocates of the Admi nistration repeatedly denied their being under the influence of the Favourite, yet no one was convinced by their affertions.

The North Briton, which had ceafed upon the refignation of Lord BUTE, and had gained a complete victory over that Minifter, menaced his fucceffors, in an advertisement which appeared on the very day (April 13) that the new Minifters kiffed hands; and on Saturday the 23d day of April, appeared the famous fortyfifth number of that paper. It was an attack upon the King's speech made at the clofe of the feffion, and produced such a series of fingular and extraordinary tranfactions, as perhaps are not to be equalled in the annals of any civilized nation. Upon the appearance of that paper, the Administration instantly deemed it a libel. In all probability, they who had for a confiderable time fmarted and trembled under the lash of this writer's pen, rejoiced at this attack (as they officioufly christened it) upon their Sovereign; and under his

fhield,

fhield, there is no doubt but they refolved to avenge what they called their own injuries. And this is all that can be faid in palliation for the enormity of that rage and malice, which were fo apparent in the fubfequent violations, of not only the rights of Englishmen, but the facred privileges of all mankind, again the supposed author.

The facts of this important and interesting affair shall be candidly stated, with truth, and the stricteft impartiality; and with as little reasoning upon the several points, as a narrative of such events can poffibly admit; for all the arguments which arose, either fpontaneously at the time from the obvious illegality of the proceedings, or were afterwards the refult of mature confideration, the curious reader will find, in the political publication of that date, a fhort mention of the best of which is in the note*.

The

* A letter to the Earls of Egremont and Halifax, on the Siezure of Papers.