nation were employed in examining
witnesses to prove the ruinous consequences of the maritime war.
Merchants were called as witnesses by the opposition peers, who proved
that they had sustained heavy losses from the war; while, on the other
hand, government were provided with other merchants, who showed that
new sources of commerce had been opened since the commencement of
hostilities; and, that considerable captures had been made. The Duke of
Richmond opposed the arguments derived from the testimony of government
witnesses. The prizes taken and distributed to British seamen, he said,
so far from being a balance in our favour, added to our loss; for if we
had not been at war with America, the value of all these cargoes in
the circuitous course of trade, must have centred in Great Britain.
The propositions were disposed of by the previous question, and other
motions made by the Duke of Richmond for ascertaining the number of
troops sent to America, as well as the expenses incurred by the war,
though they occasioned long and warm debates, were equally unsuccessful.
A similar motion was made in the commons by Fox, on the 11th of
February, but it was evaded by a motion for leave to report progress. It
was, perhaps, judicious in ministers to resist the production of papers
called for by the opposition, for in almost every instance it would
have let the enemy into dangerous secrets: secrets which they would have
turned to their own advantage.

LORD NORTHS CONCILIATORY BILLS.

It is a singular fact that while Lord North sternly advocated war, he
was at this time so adverse to a continuation of the contest that he
had expressed a wish to the king to resign office. This appears from a
letter addressed to him by his majesty on the 31st of January, in which,
after appealing to Lord North's personal affection for him, he writes:
--"You must remember that before the recess I strongly advised you not
to bind yourself to bring forward any plan for restoring tranquillity to
America; not from any absurd ideas of unconditional submission, which my
mind never harboured; but from foreseeing that whatever can be proposed
will be liable, not to bring America back to her attachment, but to
dissatisfy this country, which so cheerfully and handsomely carries
on the contest, and has a right to have the struggle continued, till
convinced that it is vain. Perhaps this is the minute when you ought
to be least in a hurry to produce a plan, f