velling about in great distress for names, and that it has received a respite of ten days, in hopes of finding fome friends. Our club happening to fit later laft night than ufual, fell upon the fubject, and many of our members, fired with the love of liquor and their country, were led to take up the confideration of the propriety of fuch an address at this time, which brought on a very warm debate.

TOM BUCKSKIN, the breeches-maker, was the first who spoke. He infifted there could be no fuch Addrefs really intended; for he had traced it from lying under a crucible in the Parliament-fquare, through all its stages, to the place of its present lodgment with an obscure printer.—What, said he, with great vehemence (for he is a violent and a vulgar man), could an address really intended for a King be treated with fuch indignity, unless the royal water-closet wanted a fupply, and people knew not how to make a present of waste paper, without the aukward form of an addrefs. Befides, Sir, in one of our late papers, we were told, from the best authority, as was faid, that a Peer of the realm had figned this addrefs; yet, in the fucceeding paper, we were affured, that this information was a scandalous falfehood. Are thefe, Mr Prefes, the proceedings of gentlemen, acting for the good of their country? Sir, I fay, it must be fome vile impofition, and it is a fhame to this metropolis to allow it to be fuppofed to be real.

SAM.

SAM. BARK, who is one of the richest men amongst us, next rofe. He spoke fluently,-for he can multiply words amazingly. He went over the whole political ground for many years past.

HE faid, if we had peace with America, although we should thereby lofe half of the empire, and had incurred many millions of expence in her protection and defence, yet we would have raw hides much cheaper, and could fupply the markets with leather in greater quantities, and at lower rates, than in our prefent cursed ruinous fituation. He hoped much from the change of men and measures, and therefore wifhed well to the addrefs. He said it was a real address; for though he had not figned the address himself, yet two fine boys of his acquaintance, who were learning round text with Mr Mouldwarp, had figned it; and he advised the whole club, who could write, to follow their example *.

He was followed by ALPIN M'ALPIN, lately arrived from the heights of Argyleshire, and settled in the neighbourhood as a small grocer. This speaker, not being much mafter of the English language, and the club as little mafters of the Gaelic, it is difficult to give an account of what he faid. He feem

ed,

* It was said, that many school-boys had figned the addrefs, to make a show of names.

ed, however, to be in a violent paffion at the American war; for he had loft two second coufins, brď fallows, by it, who had never been mentioned in the London Gazette; and the late Ministry had never thought proper to make him a Commiffioner.He hoped better things from the new ones, and he would fign the addrefs; though it was his opinion, that it should have been written in Gaelic.

THE next that followed was WILL BARM, the brewer, a very great politician indeed! He went to the very root of the matter. He afferted roundly, that the laft Ministers were all a pack of claybeads! He fpoke of the Roman history,-contrafted the battles of Cannæ and Actium with that of Bunker's Hill and Rodney's late trifling advantage. He proceeded to prove, that America, although a part of the British empire, and protected at the expence of the Mother Country, and under the fame juft and equal laws, had no obligation to contribute any part towards the exigencies of Government, when she had arms in her hands, and a power to refift. He infifted, that the recent example of Ireland corroborated his argument, and, therefore, that the late Minifters, who had prefumed to preserve the empire entire under the fame laws, for the good of the whole, were fort-fighted, wicked, profligate, abandoned, blundering blockheads. He then proceeded to fhow how matters fhould be conducted, and that, if he had the management, no

thing could poffibly go wrong. He here took the command of the Grand Fleet, and, before he had brought it back to Spithead, he had burnt Paris, taken his Most Christian Majefty prisoner at Verfailles, and fent that great and good ally in a prefent to his friends, the worthy Congrefs.-He had made Holland a pool of water, and banished the Spaniards to Africa. He then allotted the mines of Potofi to pay the national debt; and concluded with taking the tax off malt and strong beer.

HERE the Prefes reminded the club, that they too much resembled the Houfe of Commons, by wandering from the subject, taking narrow partial views, and drawing the attention of the meeting to trivial extraneous circumftances, of no importance to the object of the debate. It was not proper, he faid, for gentlemen to be confidering their own little matters or connections, when the great bufinefs of the nation was the fubject of their confideration. Although fuch liberties were allowed in the House of Commons, they should not be permitted here, while he had the honour of fitting in the Chair. He defired gentlemen to keep ftrictly to the subject in debate.

THE next who rofe was Toм TOUCH-HOLE, the gunfmith, a blunderbufs of a fellow as ever lived. He faid he would fpeak ftrictly to the question of the addrefs; but, firft, fays he, Mr Prefes, What

is

is become of Lord Shelburne's arming plan*? The last speaker, Sir, in my opinion, has clearly proved, from the inftances of America and Ireland, that no country, when poffeffed of arms, and the knowledge of ufing them, fhould be under an obligation to obey any Government but what they please. This, Sir, is the glorious liberty of the fubject. Sir, I infift upon it, that, were the people of Scotland armed, affairs in this kingdom would have a very different afpect, and many manufactures, which are now at a low ebb (such as my own), would be greatly encouraged, and, confequently, much good would accrue to the country. The measure, Sir, is a popular one, and will meet with the approbation of thousands. When tenants, Sir, cannot pay their rents, and are threatened to be diftreffed by their landlords, they will present their firelocks, and tell them, they have no right to demand money from people who have arms in their hands. Are not the new Minifters, who are the ftewards of the nation, granting every thing demanded by America and Ireland for this very reafon? Sir, you may talk of law and justice as long as you please; but I maintain, that a gun and bayonet is the most convincing of all arguments.

* In the Edinburgh Evening Courant, June 10. 1782, the plan for arming the people is given at full length by the Sheriff of the county. The principal towns were to furnish a certain number of companies-arms and ammunition were to be furnished by Government-magazines for arms and ammunition were to be erected in every town and village, &c.