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248 GRATTAN. Well, what are they not one public, constitutional, or wise regulation; there they s i t under the public eye; a blank, gutted, excavated, and eviscerated o f any one single, con stitutional, o r economic bill, principle, o r project, for the good o f the community. “Sir, I will give these gentlemen o f administration, o n this topic o f party, the greatest advantage they can i n their situation receive. I will draw a veil over the past, and forget the specific services which we have performed, and those which we are pledged t o perform for the good o f the country. I will also forget the injuries, which they and their abettors have a t different times inflicted, and are a t this hour inflicting o n the community; let u s start, a s i t were, anew, set name against name, and we will beat them down b y character. “I have submitted a description o f a party, which I conceive t o b e a public benefit. I will state t o you a description o f a party, which I conceive t o b e the public curse; i f party i t can b e called, which i s worse than a faction, and nothing more than a n impudent phalanx o f political mercenaries, coming from their little respective offices, t o vote for their bribe, and vapour for their cha racter, who have neither the principles o f patriotism, nor ambition, nor party, nor honour: who are governed not by deliberation, but discipline; licking the hands that feed, and worshipping the patron that bribes them. Degraded men, disgraceful tribe When they vote for measures, they are venal; when such men talk against party, they are impudent.” On n o occasion during the session did h e press the ministry more closely, than o n the 20th o f February, when h e opened upon them a new battery, for which they were not i n the slightest degree prepared. He rose unex pectedly i n the House, and, without any preface, thus accosted the chair:— “Sir, w e persist t o combat the project t o govern this country b y corruption. We have hitherto contended against those parts o f the system, which proceeded t o undermine the constitution, without a n apparent breach