and various surmises, &c., yet I must hold an opinion, that it is neither for your Lordship's honour nor for ours to suffer ourselves to be sworn every day to keep our word. I hope for the honour of seeing your Lordship in town on Sunday, and am, with great regard, Your Lordship's most obedient and most humble servant, ROCKINGHAM. THE MARQUIS OF ROCKINGHAM TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM. Grosvenor Square, Saturday evening, 7 o'clock, MY LORD, I SHOULD be glad to know when your Lordship comes to town to-morrow, and will wait upon you if you come before dinner, that I may have the opportunity of some conversation with you prior to the meeting in the evening. Your Lordship would observe in my letter, that I mean to convey that the only doubt which I find among those friends I converse with is confined to the expediency of moving an address for dissolution, not on the expediency of the measure itself. Your Lordship's last letter putting the matter entirely on your Lordship's own opinion of the propriety of now moving the address, is I assure your Lordship of much more weight with me, and may be with others, than the argument in the former letter, where your Lordship in part put it on the necessity of clearing up some doubts which some have spread or attempted to propagate among the public. I have the honour to be, my Lord, with great regard, &c. ROCKINGHAM.(1) (1) On the 14th, Lord Chatham moved, in the House of Lords, "That an humble address be presented to his Majesty, most dutifully and most earnestly beseeching his Majesty, that, in the dangerous state wherein his kingdoms are involved, from the high dissatisfactions generally prevailing at home, and from the most alarming disorders which have unhappily manifested themselves in his American dominions, his Majesty will, in his great wisdom and necessary care to prevent more fatal mischiefs, be graciously pleased to take the recent and genuine sense of his people, by dissolving this present parliament, and calling, with all convenient despatch, a new parliament." His Lordship stated the public discontents in England, Ireland, and America; affirmed that the people had no confidence in the present House of Commons, who had betrayed their trust; and showed, from the situation of public affairs, the great necessity of having a parliament in whom the people could place a proper confidence. Instead of depriving a county of its representative, he said that one or more members ought to be added to the representation of the counties; in order to operate as a balance, against the weight of the several corrupt and venal boroughs, which perhaps could not be lopped off entirely *, without the hazard of a public convulsion. The motion was negatived without a division. No report of the debate, upon this occasion, which lasted till nine o'clock, has been preserved; written orders, on the motion of Lord Denbigh, having been issued to the several door-keepers to admit on no account whatever any persons but peers' sons and members of the House of Commons. "As to cutting away the rotten boroughs, I am startled at the idea of so extensive an amputation."- Junius, i. 287. MR. SHERIFF TOWNSHEND TO THE EARL OF MY LORD, CHATHAM. Austin Friars, May 23, 1770. I TAKE the liberty of enclosing to your Lordship his Majesty's answer (1) to our petition. The lord mayor made a reply to the King, which greatly disconcerted the court. He has promised to recollect what he said, and I fancy the substance will appear in the papers to-morrow. The commoncouncilmen are so much displeased with his Majesty's answer, that I believe there will be some difficulty to get an address on the birth of the princess. I am sorry to find from Lord Shelburne, that your Lordship's indisposition still continues. The committee appointed to present the thanks (2) (1) "I should have been wanting to the public, as well as to myself, if I had not expressed my dissatisfaction at the late address. My sentiments on that subject continue the same: and I should ill deserve to be considered as the father of my people, if I should suffer myself to be prevailed upon to make such a use of my prerogative, as I cannot but think inconsistent with the interest, and dangerous to the constitution of the kingdom." (2) The thanks of the common council of London, which had been voted to Lord Chatham on the 14th of this month, for the zeal he had shown in support of those most valuable and sacred privileges, the right of election, and the right of petition. See p. 464. have ordered the remembrancer to wait on your Lordship to-morrow, to know when we shall have the honour of attending your Lordship. I am, my Lord, with the greatest respect and esteem, Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant, JAMES TOWNshend. THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO MR. SHERIFF TOWNSHEND. May 23, 1770. SIR, I I AM honoured with the most obliging mark of your attention, in your letter transmitting to me the King's answer to the petition presented this day. I greatly rejoice to hear that my lord mayor asserted the city with weight and spirit, and am full of impatience for the papers of to-morrow. do not wonder at the dissatisfaction among the common council. Their feelings are just; but allow me, as a friend to the city, to offer you a sincere opinion; which is, that it would give much advantage against you to your enemies, if the usual compliment were not to be made, on the birth of the princess. I beg to return you, Sir, my best thanks for your kind remembrance of my health, which still continues very indifferent. This circumstance is made tenfold more painful from the delay it interposes between the reception of so high an honour. I HAVE the satisfaction of enclosing to your Lordship a copy of the address this day ordered to be presented to his Majesty, and a copy of the thanks to the lord mayor for his conduct on our late remonstrance. The leading men and the commoncouncilmen in general, i. e. of our friends, were against any address; which I hope will plead my excuse to your Lordship for having mentioned your Lordship's opinion to a few friends who have most influence, and were least inclined to the measure. The lord mayor was strongly of opinion for an address, and would have sent the enclosed copies to your Lordship, if I had not undertaken to do it. The lord mayor's speech in the Public Advertiser of yesterday is verbatim, the words "and necessary "being left out before "revolution," and is ordered to be entered on the journals of the court of common council. (1) (1) The following is a copy of this memorable speech, which |