would be disposed to follow him. I cannot disguise or conceal from you, that I find his name in this green book*, as associated with Mr. Pitt and the (* Mr. Erskine read the following minutes from Mr. Pitt's hand-writing.) Thatched House Tavern, May 18th, 1782. At a numerous and respectable meeting of Members of Parliament, friendly to a constitutional reformation, and of members of several committees of counties and cities, The Duke of Richmond Sir C. Turner Lord Surry Lord Mahon The Lord Mayor Hon. Wm. Pitt Mr. Withers Mr. Bodely Mr. Sheridan Mr. Alderman Turner Mr. Thecothick Mr. Vincent Mr. Taylor Mr. Amherst Mr. Duncombe Mr. J. Martin Rev. Mr. Bromley Mr. Disney Fitche General Hale Mr. B. Hayes Sir J. Norcliffe Dr. John Jebb Major Cartwright Mr. Churchill Mr. Frost Mr. Trevanion Mr. Green &c. &c. &c. Resolved unanimously, That the motion of the Honourable William Pitt on the 7th instant, for the appointment of a committee of the House of Commons, to inquire into the state of the representation of the people of Great Britain in Parliament, and to report the same to the House, and also what steps it might be proper in their opinion to take thereupon, having been defeated by a motion made for the Duke of Richmond, at the Thatched House Tavern, in St. James's Street; that I find him also the correspondent of the former, and that I discover in their order of the day, it is become indispensably necessary that application should be made to Parliament, by petitions from the collective body of the people in their respective districts, requesting a substantial reformation of the Commons House of ParJiament. Resolved unanimously, That this meeting, considering that a general application by the collective body to the Commons House of Parliament cannot be made before the close of the present session, is of opinion, that the sense of the people should be taken at such times as may be convenient this summer, in order to lay their several petitions before Parliament early in the next session, when their proposition for a Parliamentary reformation, without which neither the liberty of the nation can be preserved, nor the permanence of a wise and virtuous administration can be secured, may receive that ample and mature discussion which so momentous a question demands. Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this Meeting be given to the Honourable William Pitt for moving, John Sawbridge, Esq. for seconding, and the 141 other Members who supported, the motion for a committee to inquire into the state of Parliamentary representa tion, and to suggest what in their opinion ought to be done thereupon; as well as to the Duke of Richmond, Lord John Cavendish, Mr. Secretary Fox, and every other Member of the present ministry, or of either House of Parliament, who has in any way promoted the necessary reform that was the object of the foregoing motion, WM. PLOMER, Chairman. And they resolved to have another meeting at the same place on Saturday, June 1. publications on the structure and conduct of the House of Commons, expressions, which, however merited, and in my opinion commendable, would now be considered not merely as intemperate and unguarded, but as highly criminal *, DEAR SIR, (COPY.) I am extremely sorry that I was not at home, when you and the other gentlemen from the Westminster Committee did me the honour to call. May I beg the favour of you to express, that I am truly happy to find that the motion of Tuesday last has the approbation of such zealous friends to the public, and to assure the Committee, that my exertions shall never be wanting in support of a measure, which I agree with them in thinking essentially necessary to the independence of Parliament and the liberty of the people. I have the honour to be, with great respect and esteem, I have received the favour of your note, and shall be proud to receive the honour intended me b the gentlemen of the Middlesex Committee, at the time you mention. I am, with great regard, Sir, Your most humble servant, John Frost, Esq. Percy Street. W. PITT. Gentlemen, the fashion of this world speedily passeth away. We find these glorious restorers of equal representation, determined, as ministers, that, so far from every man being an elector, the metropolis of the kingdom should have no election at all; but should submit to the power or to the softer allurements of the Crown. Certain it is, that, for a short season, Mr. Frost being engaged professionally as agent for the Government candidate, did not (indeed he could not) oppose this inconsistency between the doctrine and practice of his friends, and in this interregnum of public spirit, he was, in the opinion of Government, a perfect patriot, a faithful friend to the British constitution. As a member of the law he was therefore trusted with Government business in matters of revenue, and was, in short, what all the friends of Government of course are, the best and most approved ;—to save words, he was like all the rest of them,—just what he should be. But the election being over, and, with it, professional agency, and Mr. Frost, as he lawfully might, continuing to hold his former opinions which were still avowed and gloried in, though not acted on, by his ancient friends, he unfortunately did not change them the other day, when they were thrown off by others; on the contrary, he rather seems to have taken fire with the prospect of reducing them to practice; and being, as I have shown you, bred in a school which took the lead in boldness of remonstrance of all other reformers before or since, he fell, in the heat and le vity of wine, into expressions which have no correspondence with his sober judgment ;-which would have been passed over or laughed at in you or me, but which coming from him were never to be forgiven by Government. This is the genuine history of his offence,--for this he is to be the subject of prosecution, not the prosecution of my learned friend, not the prosecution of the Attorney General, -not the prosecution of His Majesty; but the prosecution of Mr. Yatman, who wishes to show you his great loyalty to the state and constitution, which were in danger of falling, had it not been for the drugs of this worthy apothecary. With regard to the new government of France, since the subject has been introduced, all I can say of it is this-that the good or evil of it belongs to themselves;-that they had a right, like every other people upon earth, to change their government ;that the system destroyed was a system disgraceful to free and rational beings, and if they have neither substituted, nor shall hereafter substitute a better in its stead, they must eat the bitter fruits of their own errors and crimes. As to the horrors which now disfigure and desolate that fine country, all good men must undoubtedly agree in condemning and deploring them, but they may differ nevertheless in decyphering their causes ;-men to the full as wise as those who pretend to be wiser than Providence, and stronger than the order of things, may perhaps reflect that a great fabric of unwarrantable power and |