tain that he was not wrong in fo doing. But he hoped that no perfon would thence infer, either that he was a friend to democracy, or approved of the exceffes which had been committed in France. With refpect to the former point, he declared himself equally the enemy of all abfolute forms of government, whether an abfolute monarchy, an abfolute ariftocracy, or an abfolute democracy, and approved only of a mixed government, like our own. But though he thould never lend himfelf to fupport any cabal or fcheme, formed in order to intrcduce dangerous innovations into our excellent conftitution; he would not, however, run the length of declaring, that he was an enemy to every fpecies of innovation, becaufe that conftitution, which we all revered, owed its perfection to innovation. He differed greatly from Mr. Burke in his opinion of the revolution of 1688, in which he conceived that many innovations had taken place, and he thought that cafe was certainly more parallel to the revolution in France than his right honourable friend feemed willing to allow. With regard to the fcenes of bloodshed and cruelty which had been afted in France, no man could have heard of them without lamenting them; bat fill when the fevere tyranny, under which that people had fo long groaned, was confidered, the exceffes which they committed, in their endeavour to thake off the yoke of defpotifm, might, he thought, be fpoken of with fome degree of compaffion; and he was perfuaded that, unfettled as their prefent itate appeared, it was preferable to their former condition, and that ultimately it would be for the advantage of that country.

After a fhort explanation from Mr. Burke, Mr. Sheridan rofe and faid, that the very reafons which Mr. Burke had given for expreffing the fentiments, which he had that day uttered, namely, an apprehenfion of being fuppofed to acquiefce in the opinions of thofe, for whom he entertained the higheft regard and with whom he had uniformly acted, operated alfo on his mind, and made him feel it a duty to declare, that he differed decidedly from that right honourable gentleman in almoft every word that he had uttered refpecting the French revolution. Mr. Sheridan added fome warm compliments to Mr. Burke's general principles; but faid, that he could not conceive how it was poffible for a perfon of fuch principles, or for any man who valued our own conftitution, and revered the revolution that obtained it for us, to unite with fuch feelings an indignant and unqualified abhorrence of all the proceedings of the patriotic party in France.

He conceived, he faid, theirs to be as juft a revolution as ours, proceeding upon as found a principle and a greater provocation, and vehemently defended the general views and conduct of the national affembly. He joined with Mr. Burke in abhorring the cruelties that had been committed; but what, he faid, was the awful leffon that was to be gathered from the outrages of the populace? What, but an abhorrence of that accurfed fyftem of defpotic government, which fets an example of depravity to the flaves it rules over and if a day of power comes to the wretched populace, is it to be wondered at, however it is to be regretted, that they act without any of thofe feelings of juftice or hu

manity,

been to exclude anti-monarchical men from civil offices; but he would ever reprobate fuch a procedure; it was acting under falfe pretences; its tendency led to hypocrify, and served as a restraint upon the good and confcientious only. Instead of a formal and direct oath of allegiance, there was an indirect, politi cal teft reforted to, by means of a religious teft; although the obligation of all direct political tests had been justly exploded by the practice of the country. Why not have propofed a monarchical test at once! It would have answered the end b far more effectually than the prefent teft; for the teft now given welt only to guefs at a man's opinior: it might admit thofe whofe politial fentiments might be inimical to the conftitution, while it operated drectly against others who were imongst its ftaunchest friends. Wih respect to the church, he ridiculd the opinion, that it might be endaigered by the repeal of the acts, is of all others the most unfounded and abfurd. The only danger that the church had to apprehend, was fron the fupine indolence of the clergy, and the fuperior activity and zeal (f the diffenters in the discharge of the duties of their facred functions.

tation of the perfons moft interefted in the fuccefs of the motion he was about to make that it was a subject of fome triumph and exultation to him, to fee thofe men, who on former occafions had acted with the moft violent hoftility towards him, defirous, notwithstanding, of entrusting their dearest interests to him. The argument which Mr. Fox chiefly laboured to establish was of this kind that religious tefts were justifiable only upon a fuppofition, that men who entertained certain fpeculative opinions, would be led by thofe opinions to commit actions. that were in themselves immoral and hurtful to fociety. Now it was unwarrantable, he contended, to infer a priori, and contrary to the profeffions and declarations of the perfons holding fuch opinions, that their opinions would produce acts injurious to the commonweal. To prefume to judge of other men's opinions, and to know the confequences of them better than themselves, was the conftant practice, and was of the very effence, of perfecution. How little fpeculative opinions were, in fact, to be confidered as difqualifications for being admitted into civil employments, was evident from various inftances. Those who were the most strongly attached to the prefent conftitution of the house of commons, would not contend, that the duke of Richmond ought to be difqualified from being matter-general of the ordnance, or Mr. Pitt from being first lord of the treasury, because they were of opinion that the prefent mode of representation was defective and called for amendment. For the fame reafon, he did not fee why the church fhould be fuppofed to be in danger, though Dr. Prieftley himfelf were at the head of it. The object of the teft laws, at firft, had

Mr. Fox then argued from the merits of the diffenters, first histori cally; and then contended generally, that the political principles they were fuppofed to entertain were lefs inimical to the British conftitution, than thofe of the high churchmen.

With refpect to French politics, he did not fee what the prefent queftion had to do with them. He reprobated the injuftice of imputing to any body of men the exceptionable conduct of a few individuals amongst them, and contended, that his motion ought to be decided upon

general

general principles. Yet he faw no reafon but the example of France ought to have its influence; the church there was now fuffering for its former intolerance. However he might rejoice in the emancipation of near thirty millions of his fel low-creatures, and in the fpirit which gave rife to the revolution; yet he was free to own there were fome acts of the new government which he could not applaud. The fummary and indifcriminate forfeiture of the property of the church came under this defcription. But the violence of this proceeding might, in fame measure, be attributed to fermei ecclefiaftical oppreffions; and, in particular, to the impolitic revocatin of the edict of Nantes. Before that period, there exifled no teft in Fance; proteftants and catholics wire indifcriminately admitted into cil and military offices: but by that rash meafure, liberality and toleation were thrown away; the ats and manufactures were driven into other countries, to flourish in a more genial foil, and under a milder fam of government. This fhould farve as a caution to the church of England; perfecution may prevail for a time, but it generally termi- ́ nutes in the punishment of its abet

tors.

After animadverting upon the conduct of the bishop of St. David's, who had, about that time, fent a circalar letter to the clergy of his diocefe, difluading them, in the ftrongeft terms, from giving their votes for a certain member of the houfe of commons, on account of his having fupported the petition of the diffenters,, and thereby attempted to overthrow our ecclefiaftical conflitution; Mr. Fox concluded an able, temperate, and judicious fpeech, by declaring, that he was fufficiently aware of the

unpopularity of the caufe he had undertaken; that he knew that fome of the perfons, whom he most valued and refpected, differed with him in opinion upon the fubject; that he had no particular connexion with the parties, who confidered themfelves as aggrieved, but, on the contrary, that they had been amongst his moft violent political enemies s but regarding their caufe as the caufe of truth and liberty, he should give it his warmeft fupport both upon the prefent and on every future occafion.

The act of the 13th of Charles II. "for the well governing and regu "lating corporations, &c." and the act of the 25th of Charles II. " for "preventing dangers which may

arife from popith recufants, &c." having been previously read at the table, Mr. Fox moved, That this houfe will immediately refolve itself into a committee of the whole houfe, to confider of fo much of the faid acts as requires perfons, before they are admitted to any office, civil or military, or any place of truft under the crown, to receive the facrament of the Lord's fupper according to the rites of the church of England,"

The motion was feconded by Sir Henry Hoghton, and oppofed in a long and able fpeech by Mr. Pitt. He began by expreffing his obligations to Mr. Fox for his clear and candid flatement of the precife object of the diffenters in their prefent application, and of the full extent to which his motion was intended to be carried. Whatever doubts he might before have entertained relative to the expediency of admitting any alteration in the acts, which had been read, he certainly could not hefitate a moment in oppofing their direct and total abolition.