committed, which
was likely to lead to the most disastrous consequences. This stormy
altercation, however, terminated by the house agreeing to the address of
the commons by a majority of nearly four to one. The king's reply to
the address was accompanied by a message to the commons, recommending an
augmentation to the forces by sea and land; and, in consequence of
this message, 2000 additional seamen and 4,400 soldiers were voted--an
increase altogether inadequate to meet the contingency; especially
as France was at this moment increasing her fleets, and getting many
line-of-battle ships ready for sea, which many members justly looked
upon with suspicion.

In pursuance of his plan, on the 10th of February, Lord North moved for
leave to bring in his bill for cutting off the commerce of New England
and their profitable fishery--excepting such persons as should procure
from their governors certificates of good and loyal conduct, and who
should subscribe a test, acknowledging the supremacy of the British
Parliament. This bill was warmly opposed in both houses, on the grounds
of confounding the innocent with the guilty--of destroying a trade
which perhaps could never be recovered--and of cruelly starving whole
provinces, and thus irritating the Americans to withhold debts due to
the British merchants. In support of the bill it was argued, that as
the Americans had resolved not to trade with England, it was but fair
to prevent their trading with other countries; that as they had
entered into associations to ruin British merchants, impoverish British
manufacturers, and starve our West India islands, it was a justifiable
act of retaliation to return their mischiefs upon their own heads; and
that, if any foreign power had only offered a tithe part of the insults
and injuries we had received from our colonists, the whole nation would
have been aroused to advocate revenge, and the minister who would not
have responded to the demand would have been inevitably ruined. The
charge of cruelty was denied, and the bill asserted to be one of
humanity and mercy as well as of coercion. The colonists had incurred
the penalties of rebellion, and had, therefore, rendered themselves
liable to military execution; but instead of proceeding to such
extremities, government only proposed to bring them back to a sense of
duty, by a restriction on their trade--that is, they were to be kept
without food instead of undergoing corporeal punishment. It wa