an orderly and diligent accomptant, who is fit to undertake our affairs in this their most critical fituation. As they have at length done their own bufinefs on this point, I have done with them. The friends of government, now the friends of their country, expect nothing more from Mr. Pitt than (what they are very fure they fhall find) his old principles and his old fpirit. To co-operate with them, they defire no facrifice from him whatsoever. To be ftill that Pitt, whom Britain loves, Europe reveres, and our enemies tremble at, is all that they have to wish of him. Their advantage, and his reputation, are on the fame bottom.

AN OCCASIONAL WRITER.

An anfwer to the foregoing letter.

OUR correfpondent, the Occafional Writer, may not unfairly be fuppofed to have the ftamp of authority on his productions; and if the public have read his last letter in your paper of the 2d instant with even the smallest attention, I make no doubt but their furprize must have been equal to mine, to find that laboured performance, fo wholly deftitute of truth, fenfe and argument. To the first of these charges, which is all that is material to the public, I fhall confine myself. The two laft I

leave to the critics.

He says, fpeaking of Mr. PITT, and the prefent administration, that they "never have departed "from the generous and manly opinions, they held "in common with him;" that they "always loved "his perfon, adored his character, purfued his " ideas, &c.

In what manner have they pursued Mr. PITT'S ideas?—The patrons of this writer might very well judge, if ever they had the least knowledge of Mr. P-, (though for their own fakes, I will readily allow, the fuppofition of any knowledge to admit of

much

much doubt) that if he and his noble brother had been in the administration, the parliamant would have been called several months ago; and long before this very dangerous and critical period, they would have done whatever was proper and neceffary in the important affairs of America; and this being before the stamp act took place, fuch early, wife and prudent conduct, would, in all probability, have prevented the greatest part of the prefent unhappy disturbances throughout the colonies; and what is still worse, their denial and defiance of the legislative power; which the unpardonable delay of the prefent minifters has greatly tended to weaken, by giving the colonies time and opportunity to unite, and foment the fpirit of oppofition, to this now feeble government. And I will just add, that what might have been right and proper THEN, may not be fo now. THEY HAVE LOST THE

OPPORTUNITY.

But, fays he, a little lower, they have always fhewn a defire, or a wish, (I do not exactly recol'lect which is his word, for I have not this moment your paper before me) to follow Mr. PITT's plans. If this be true, and they have not put thofe defires or wishes in execution, which I will take upon me to affirm they have not, it proves to demonstration, that there is a fecret power which CONTROULS THEM. And I beg leave to afk the Occafional Writer, whether the late restoration of a certain commander was following any of Mr. PITT's plans, or ideas? And, whether, (notwithstanding all the falfe and empty boafts of this, and other writers, in the pay of the administration, that Mr. P-was their friend, that be approved of, and advised with them, &c.) they did not abfolutely defpair of him, when, in obedience to the Favourite, they denounced the rottennefs of their fyftem, and the defperation of their cafe, by taking that depraved and obnoxious ftep;

which will add, if any thing can, to the just abhorrence which all honeft Englishmen entertain of the prefent butal and ducal adminiftration. I will now trouble the reader with the mention of one other fact; only to fhew that the patrons of the Occafional Writer, have formerly, as well as latterly, DEPARTED FROM Mr. P-'s plans and ideas. When that minifter, with a fpirit that has gained him the applaufe of the world, and from a penetration which had aftonished and confounded our enemies, propofed the recall of Lord Briftol from Madrid, upon certain and authentic intelligence of the defigns of Spain, and upon which he grounded the fpirited meafure he had then fo much at heart, not a fingle perfon of the prefent administration joined him: by which the most glorious opportunity of humbling our enemies, and, in all probability, of terminating the war at one ftroke, was LOST. In this critical hour; the hour, that he was to be driven from the ftate, only his faithful, brother, friend, and confident, Lord TEMPLE, had the courage, virtue, and patriotifin, to adhere to his opinion. As many of the prefent administration, as were in the council, affifted the Favourite; whofe ultimate view it was, to rid his fovereign and the nation, of the prefence and councils of thefe two illuftrious perfo

nages.

But when the honour, intereft, and peace of the nation, had in many inftances been facrificed to the ambition, folly, and incapacity of a corrupt, infolent, all-grasping minion; and when, in confequence, diftrefs and ruin, began to prefent themfelves from every quarter; then did the fame invifible band, which had found means to deprive us of their fervices, fecretly attempt to restore them; and fuch was his continued love of power, and abfolute dominion over the whole court, that thefe propofed restorations, were not contrived upon a princi

ple

ple fo materially for the fervice of the country, as to fcreen him from the refentment of an injured people; to prop his tottering weight: and, upon the credit of their names, to fix for life, his fatal influence. But the cloven foot of this agent was fo confpicuous in the very outfet of the negotiation, that a regard for their own honours, the odium of his character, and the fickleness of his difpofition; would not fuffer them to take the lead of state, under fuch a dangerous and unwarrantable controul.

To put this matter clearly beyond all doubt, I will mention one or two FACTS, which are well known to those about the court. It was firft propofed to put the Favourite Lieutenant at the head of the Treafury. But the noble perfon to whom this condition was feparately offered, treated it as it deferved; yet, with all due refpect to the great perfon who proposed it. It was afterwards treated in Kent in the fame manner. In the fecond part of this negotiation, it was, among other things, infifted, that the Favourite's brother fhould be restored to office. And give me leave to add, that no abhorrence would have been equal to the deferts of Lord Temple and Mr. Pitt, if they had fuffered their names to have appeared in the fame Gazette with the Favourite's brother. But from men of their known, approved, and established characters, there was no reason to apprehend fuch a treachery to the public.

If these are not facts, they will be contradicted. But if they are, (and I can bring many more of the fame, and fome of a ftronger kind) I fubmit them to the judgment of the public, whether they are not clear proofs of a certain influence.

The ftate then went a-begging. Several perfons of high rank, and who fet a value upon their reputations, likewife refused it. At laft the prefent fet took it up. And in what manner have they afferted their independency? Have they difmiffed the Fa

vourite's

vourite's bofom friend? Can they, or dare they? and do not fome of thofe very friends fay, without a fcruple, that they confider the prefent adminiftration, as nothing but an additional buttrefs to their ftructure? Have they difmiffed any but his enemies? Does he not go at at all times, to a certain place? and has not very lately his name been, given as a toast in the minister's own house, in a great company, and by the great weather-cock? and to what can be attributed the disorder, and manifeft difference of opinions, which at this time reigns among them, but to the influence of the Favourite; whose interest it is to keep them in that fituation? But as to Lord Temple and Mr. Pitt they have ever fince their difmiffion, lived in such a state of the warmest friendship for, and entire confidence in each other, as does honour to the greatness of their minds, and that true love of their country, which is the only ruling principle of both their actions. And for the comfort and fatisfaction of the public, I will add, that the cordiality which fubfifts between them, is fincere and unalterable; not、 withstanding the many finifter and infamous attempts to divide them, contrived by the Favourite and the prefent minifters.

If there is any thing in this letter which should give offence to the patrons of the Occafional Writer, they may thank themselves for it. I do not wifh to quarrel with any of them. But I will not fit in filence while the faireft characters are flandered, and the public abufed, under their directions.-Qui ea quæ vult dicit, ea quæ non vult audiet. O. P.

A

Another defence of the adminiftration. MONG the many fingularities that characterize this nation, their behaviour to great men in and out of place, is none of the leaft remarkVOL. II.

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