to the total ruin which was threatened to the Spanish trade.  I believe, Sir, the noble lord soon saw his way in this business.  But he did not rashly determine against acts which it might be supposed were the result of much deliberation.  However, Sir, he scarcely began to open the ground, when the whole veteran body of office took the alarm.  A violent outcry of all (except those who knew and felt the mischief) was raised against any alteration.  On one hand, his attempt was a direct violation of treaties and public law; on the other, the Act of Navigation and all the corps of trade-laws were drawn up in array against it.

The first step the noble lord took was, to have the opinion of his excellent, learned, and ever-lamented friend, the late Mr. Yorke, then Attorney-General, on the point of law.  When he knew that formally and officially which in substance he had known before, he immediately dispatched orders to redress the grievance.  But I will say it for the then minister, he is of that constitution of mind, that I know he would have issued, on the same critical occasion, the very same orders, if the acts of trade had been, as they were not, directly against him, and would have cheerfully submitted to the equity of Parliament for his indemnity.

On the conclusion of this business of the Spanish trade, the news of the troubles on account of the Stamp Act arrived in England.  It was not until the end of October that these accounts were received.  No sooner had the sound of that mighty tempest reached us in England, than the whole of the then opposition, instead of feeling humbled by the unhappy issue of their measures, seemed to be infinitely elated, and cried out, that the ministry, from envy to the glory of their predecessors, were prepared to repeal the Stamp Act.  Near nine years after, the honorable gentleman takes quite opposite ground, and now challenges me to put my hand to my heart and say whether the ministry had resolved on the repeal till a considerable time after the meeting of Parliament.  Though I do not very well know what the honorable gentleman wishes to infer from the admission or from the denial of this fact on which he so earnestly adjures me, I do put my hand on my heart and assure him that they did not come to a resolution directly to repeal.  They weighed this matter as its difficulty and importance required.  They considered maturely among themselves.  They consulted with all who could give advice or information.  It was not determined until a little before the meeting of Parliament; but it was determined, and the main lines of their own plan marked out, before that meeting.  Two questions arose. (I hope I am not going into a narrative troublesome to the House.)

[A cry of “Go on, go on!”]