Parliament met on the 5th of December, when the king announced from the throne, that in pursuit of a general pacification, he had offered to declare the American colonies free and independent states, by an article to be inserted in the definite treaty. This was against his majesty’s wishes as is evident from the following remarks which he made in continuation. He said:—“In thus admitting their separation from the crown of Great Britain, I have sacrificed every consideration of my own to the wishes and opinion of my people. I make it my humble and earnest prayer to Almighty God, that Great Britain may not feel the evils which might result from so great a dismemberment of the empire; and that America may be free from those calamities which have formerly proved in the mother country how essential monarchy is to the enjoyment of constitutional liberty. Religion, language, interest, affections, may, and I hope will, yet prove a bond of permanent union between the two countries: to this end neither attention nor disposition shall be wanting on my part.” Among other topics in his speech, his majesty alluded to the valiant exertions of the army and navy; the economical reforms which would be necessary after so expensive a war; and the attention which the concerns of Ireland and India demanded. There was no regular opposition to the address in either house, but in the commons Fox suggested that it would be better to recognize the independence of America at once, and not to reserve it as one of the conditions of peace. Some severe remarks were also made in the house of lords, on the inconsistency of the minister, who, at a former period, had so strongly opposed the recognition of American independence; but who had now expressed his readiness to acknowledge it. In reply, Lord Shelburne said that he yielded to necessity, and that the full recognition of independence was still dependent on the conduct of France; if France did not consent to peace, it would be withheld. Several warm debates followed on the subject; and on the 18th of December, a division took place on a motion made by Fox, for copies of all the parts of the provisional treaty that related to American independence; which was lost by an overwhelming majority. After voting 100,000 seamen and marines for the service of the ensuing year, on the 23rd of December, the house adjourned for the Christmass recess.
A.D. 1783
PRELIMINARIES OF PEACE.
It was a prevailing opinion that negociations with France, Spain, and Holland would yet fail, and that a general peace was yet a distant event.
Nevertheless, during the recess, negociations came to a pacific conclusion. Preliminary articles of peace were signed at Versailles on the 20th of January; and the arrangements of the whole were as follow:—Great Britain acknowledged the thirteen United States as free, sovereign, and independent States, with advantageous boundaries, comprehending the countries on both sides of the Ohio, and on the east of the Mississippi. The right of fishing on the banks of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence was also granted to the Americans. The right of navigation on the Mississippi, from its source to the ocean, was declared common to both powers. In the treaty, the loyalists were merely recommended to congress; but it was agreed that no new confiscations or persecutions were to take place. The right of fishing on the coast of Newfoundland, from Cape St. John on the east, round the north of the island to Cape Bay on the west, was likewise ceded to France. That power also obtained the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon and St. Lucie and Tobago in the West Indies; Senegal and Goree in Africa; Pondicherry, with other districts in the East Indies, were in part restored, and in part ceded, to France. The article of the peace of Utrecht, relative to the fortifications of Dunkirk, were moreover abrogated. On her part, France restored to Great Britain the islands of Grenada and the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Christopher’s, Nevis, and Montserrat. In Africa, she likewise ceded the possession of Fort James and the River Gambia. Spain obtained the island of Minorca and the two Floridas, as the price of her exertions; but she gave up Providence and the Bahama islands to Great Britain: his catholic majesty, also, guaranteed to English subjects the right of cutting logwood in the bay of Honduras. Holland agreed to a truce, with the understanding that there should be a mutual restoration of conquests between her and Great Britain; but the exact terms of pacification were not yet arranged.
RE-ASSEMBLING OF PARLIAMENT.
Parliament re-assembled on the day appointed, and for a day or two was occupied in debates on the affairs of Ireland. The preliminaries of peace were laid before the house on the 24th of January and the debates which followed led to the overthrow of the ministry. This had been indeed determined upon beforehand; for Fox and Lord North, whose sentiments were as opposite as the poles, had previously entered into a coalition for that express purpose, to the astonishment of the whole nation. The struggle commenced on a motion made by Mr. Thomas Pitt, for an address of thanks to his majesty for ordering the preliminary articles of peace to be laid before the house. This motion, which was made on the 17th of February, the day fixed for the debate, was seconded by Mr. Wilberforce, and called forth all the rancour of contending parties. An amendment, withholding such approbation, yet assuring his majesty of their firm determination to adhere to the several articles for which the public faith had been pledged, was moved and supported by the combined adherents of Lord North and Mr. Fox; and, after a stormy debate, was carried by a majority of sixteen; the numbers being two hundred and twenty-four to two hundred and eight. An amendment, similar in principle, was moved in the house of lords, which was rejected by a majority of thirteen; the numbers being seventy-two to fifty-nine. Debates on the advantages and disadvantages of peace still continued; and on the 21st of February, Lord John Cavendish, among other resolutions, moved, “That the concessions made to the adversaries of Great Britain by the provisional treaty, and the preliminary articles, are greater than they were entitled to, either from the actual situation of their respective possessions, or from their comparative strength.” It was well known that Fox, with all his abilities, could not have succeeded in obtaining better terms of peace; and that he had expressed a readiness to make concessions equally ample as those made by Lord Shelburne. His whole party, also, had repeatedly declared that a high price must be paid for the inestimable blessing of peace. Yet now, he with others, men who had threatened Lord North with the block for persevering in the war, endeavoured, by all the means in their power, to depreciate the treaty which would bring harmony to the world. In the debate on the amendment he had condemned nearly every concession made; and he now set forth the desperate condition to which France, Spain, Holland, and even America, had been reduced by the war, as an argument why such ample concessions should not have been granted. He was answered by Pitt, who defended the treaty article by article; and vehemently condemned the “ill-omened and baneful alliance” which had been formed between the parties of Fox and Lord North. The chief subject of the debate was, in truth, the coalition of these parties; some condemning it, and others defending it from the hot attacks made upon it. There was full evidence that there existed no patriotism or principle in the matter: and that the sole object of those in power was to retain their places, and of those out of office to obtain power. The latter were successful: on a division, Lord John Cavendish’s resolutions were carried by a majority of seventeen, and Lord Shelburne instantly resigned.