the love-tokens and symbols that we have been vain and light enough to accept,—­all the bracelets, and snuff-boxes, and miniature pictures, and hair devices, and all the other adulterous trinkets that are the pledges of our alienation and the monuments of our shame.  Let us return to our legitimate home, and all jars and all quarrels will be lost in embraces.  Let the commons in Parliament assembled be one and the same thing with the commons at large.  The distinctions that are made to separate us are unnatural and wicked contrivances.  Let us identify, let us incorporate ourselves with the people.  Let us cut all the cables and snap the chains which tie us to an unfaithful shore, and enter the friendly harbor that shoots far out into the main its moles and jetties to receive us.  “War with the world, and peace with our constituents.”  Be this our motto, and our principle.  Then, indeed, we shall be truly great.  Respecting ourselves, we shall be respected by the world.  At present all is troubled, and cloudy, and distracted, and full of anger and turbulence, both abroad and at home; but the air may be cleared by this storm, and light and fertility may follow it.  Let us give a faithful pledge to the people, that we honor, indeed, the crown, but that we belong to them; that we are their auxiliaries, and not their task-masters,—­the fellow-laborers in the same vineyard, not lording over their rights, but helpers of their joy; that to tax them is a grievance to ourselves, but to cut off from our enjoyments to forward theirs is the highest gratification we are capable of receiving.  I feel, with comfort, that we are all warmed with these sentiments, and while we are thus warm, I wish we may go directly and with a cheerful heart to this salutary work.

Sir, I move for leave to bring in a bill, “For the better regulation of his Majesty’s civil establishments, and of certain public offices; for the limitation of pensions, and the suppression of sundry useless, expensive, and inconvenient places, and for applying the moneys saved thereby to the public service."[47]

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Lord North stated, that there was a difference between this bill for regulating the establishments and some of the others, as they affected the ancient patrimony of the crown, and therefore wished them to be postponed till the king’s consent could be obtained.  This distinction was strongly controverted; but when it was insisted on as a point of decorum only, it was agreed to postpone them to another day.  Accordingly, on the Monday following, viz.  Feb. 14, leave was given, on the motion of Mr. Burke, without opposition, to bring in—­

1st, “A bill for the sale of the forest and other crown lands, rents, and hereditaments, with certain exceptions, and for applying the produce thereof to the public service; and for securing, ascertaining, and satisfying tenant rights, and common and other rights.”