ition now stepped in to
keep up the ball. Charles Fox declared, that a serious and direct charge
having been made, the question was now at issue--either the speaker
had misrepresented the house, or he had not, and the question must be
decided by the house. Fox accordingly moved:--"That the speaker of this
house, in his speech to his majesty at the bar of the house of peers, on
Wednesday last, and which was desired by this house, _nem. con._, to be
printed, _did_ express, with just and proper energy, the zeal of
this house for the support of the honour and dignity of the crown, in
circumstances of great public charge." The speaker now declared, "that
he would sit no longer in that chair than while he was supported in the
free exercise of his duty: he had discharged what he conceived that duty
required of him, intending only to express the sense of the house; and
from the vote of approbation with which he had been honoured, he
had reason to believe that he was not chargeable with any
misrepresentation." Lord North, perplexed at the dilemma to which the
heat of the courtiers had brought him, besought the speaker to rest
quiet, and the mover and supporters of the question to let it drop;
asserting, that no censure had been intended, and that though the
speaker might have made some mistake, it could only be attributed to the
hurry of an extempore address, and not to his judgment. The withdrawal
of the motion was refused, and then, still hoping to evade a division,
ministers moved an adjournment.

Opposition, however, maintained, that if the motion were not carried,
the speaker could not safely remain in the chair for another moment;
that he would, on all future occasions, be liable to disgrace whenever
he fulfilled his duty; that the dignity of the house would be at an
end if the chair should be degraded; and that the step which the
court-faction had taken was an attempt to render the representatives of
the people despicable in the eyes of their constituents. Ministers and
the court faction were compelled to bow before the storm. The motion
for an adjournment was withdrawn. Mr. Rigby made some concession, by
declaring that he meant no reflection on the character of the speaker,
and that he merely meant to express his own private opinion, according
to the privilege possessed by every member; and then Fox's motion was
put and carried unanimously.

LORD CHATHAM'S MOTION FOR CONCESSIONS TO AMERICA.

Towards the close of