American Affairs.--Re-election of Wilkes.--His Second Expulsion.--Payment of the King’s Debts.--Third Election and Expulsion of Wilkes.--Loyal Demonstrations.--Address of the Merchants of London.--Riots.--Lutterell appears as Candidate for Middlesex.--Wilkes again Elected and Expelled.--Lutterell declared duly Returned.--Excitement of the Country.--Meeting of the Freeholders of Middlesex.--Close of the Session.
The flame Grenville had kindled still blazed in the Colonies. The Assembly of New York declared by vote, that they had an internal legislature of their own, and for that vote their Assembly was dissolved. The English Parliament addressed the King against the refractory behaviour of the colony of Massachuset’s Bay. He answered, he would give the orders they recommended, as the most effectual method of bringing the authors of the late disorders to condign punishment. The Administration prepared a severe bill of præmunire against the Colonies, and even meditated taking away the charter of Massachuset’s Bay. The Chancellor was exceedingly alarmed at these authoritative plans, and looked on them as partly levelled at him, who must have contradicted himself ignominiously if he joined in them, or risked the loss of the Seals if he opposed them; but he prevailed on the Duke of Grafton to overrule the scheme, which had been the work of Lord Hillsborough, and it was laid aside. The Ministers, too, were sufficiently embarrassed with Wilkes.
He was once more rechosen for Middlesex, February the 16th, without opposition, being proposed by two members, James Townshend and Sawbridge. The next day Lord Strange moved the House that Mr. Wilkes having been expelled, was and is incapable of sitting in the _present_ Parliament. This Beckford strongly opposed; and Dowdeswell proposed that his crimes should be specified, as in the case of Sir Robert Walpole. Grenville seconded, and moved that mere expulsion should not be deemed a foundation of incapacity. When Sir Robert Walpole was rejected on his re-election, Parliaments were triennial; being now septennial, the punishment of Wilkes would be more than double. T. Townshend threatened the House, that the freeholders of Middlesex would, _in a body_, petition the King to dissolve the Parliament. On a division for amendment of the question on Dowdeswell’s idea, 102 were for it, 224 against it; and then the simple question of expulsion being put, it was carried by 235 to 89.[202] Wilkes, however, the very next morning persisted in offering himself again to the county of Middlesex, and dispersed handbills for that purpose.