pers (and fuch filence almost implies it) it is a matter of indifference to the unfortunate person whofe house is plundered for them, whether the search and seizure are made under the authority of a general or a particular warrant: if a general warrant will not do, a particular one may foon be had a Secretary of State can never be many minutes in finding a Juftice of Peace to iffue a warrant for him. The question is, Is fuch a practice legal? The Minority would not fay, No. Many of them are supposed to approve of it, in certain cafes; as in high treason, &c. but they would neither tell the public what those cafes were, nor under what restrictions the practice ought to be put. They hung out a fpecious, but deceitful, appearance of Liberty, a kind of a will with a wifp, and intreated the public to follow it.---The evafion of the Habeas Corpus, and the close imprisonment, were wholly indefenfible, and would have afforded them most excellent queftions. Those transactions were clearly against law, and therefore ought to have been cenfured. Perhaps, with respect

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respect to the warrant, the right and best way of proceeding would have been to have moved a complaint against the Secretary himself; at least it would have been the most conftitutional, and most becoming the dignity of Parliament. But the Minority did not aim at doing justice to the laws of their country. The bent of their defires was to get into office.

The object of both parties, not half a dozen excepted, in fupporting and oppofing the determination of this question, relative to General Warrants, were, fingly and exclufively, the emoluments of office one to remain in poffeffion of what they enjoyed, and the other to seize those benefits for themselves.In no age, except that which produced the deftruction of the Roman Liberty, were venality and corruption fo prevalent as at this time in Britain. Those very few, who are really honeft, and are in a fituation of viewing the fcandalous tranfactions of the majority of the Great, cannot help looking with horror and deteftation upon two bodies of men regulating their whole con

duft

duct by the fingle rule of intereft; plundering, or wishing to plunder, an oppreffed, distracted and exhaufted country; and covering, or attempting to cover, their base designs, with the most folemn protestations of love for the public, and claiming the title of Patriots; a title which was formerly more honourable than any which a court could beftow, but which their repeated perfidy has now brought to contempt and reproach.

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CHAP,

CHAP. XIX.

Ineffectual attempt to relieve the Cyder Coun ties. The Minority broken. Difmiffions of the Generals Conway and Acourt. Mr. Webb tried for perjury, and Kearfly and Williams for publishing the North Briton.

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HE fecond great point of oppofition was the excife upon cyder. Upon the motion to renew the tax, an attempt was made to introduce "alterations and amendments;" but upon the question being put, it was carried in the negative, by 167 against 125. Then it was argued, and infifted upon, that an appeal to juries was neceffary; and would remove an effential part of the subjects complaints. Accordingly, on the 8th of March, 1764, a motion was made "for regulating the mode of collection by Excife, fo as to fecure to the subject their undoubted right of trials by juries; and to restrain, by penalties, any abufes of the

Officers of Excise contrary to law." But it was carried in the negative by 166 against 120. At the time of putting this question a very confiderable part of the Minority were abfent. The fact is, that several of them were for this Excife; and another confiderable part of them did not chufe to attend upon this occafion, because the Cyder Members had not affifted them upon the points they had fo warmly contefted. To this want of union in those whose indifpenfible interest it was to have firmly united, the Minister owed his majority upon both the General Warrants and the Excise upon Cyder. Two or three of the principals, finding themselves duped in their expectations of getting into offices, were fo foured and chagrined by that difappointment, that they began to give over all thoughts of oppofition, and to trouble themselves no further about it. Mr. PITT totally abfented himself; and Mr. CHARLES TOWNSHEND, immediately. upon the adjournment of the question upon General Warrants, went to Cam

bridge