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254 GRATTAN. simple assertion. “Will you,” said he, “rest it on that? Will you maintain it is only a simple assertion ? I do not assert only, that, I have heard it commonly said, and spe cially stated; the sums, the persons, the circumstances; but I said I never heard it out of these walls denied. It is a crime as generally known, and as publicly reported, as any thing, which is not yet reduced to special convic tion; it is a crime we offer to prove; we come here to arraign the ministers of the crown. I will read the charges which I make against them.” He then read the following paper:— “We charge them publicly, in the face of their coun try, with making corrupt agreements for the sale of peerages, for doing which, we say they are impeachable; we charge them with corrupt agreements for the disposal of the money arising from the sale, to purchase for the ser vants of the castle, seats in the assembly of the people; for doing which, we say they are impeachable; we charge them with committing these offences, not in one, nor in two, but in many instances, for which complication of offences, we say they are impeachable, guilty of a syste matic endeavour to undermine the constitution in viola tion of the laws of the land. We pledge ourselves to convict them. We dare them to go into an inquiry. We do not affect to treat them as other than public malefac factors. We speak to them in a style of the most morti fying and humiliating defiance. We pronounce them to be public criminals. Will they dare to deny the charge? I call upon, and dare the ostensible member to rise in his place, and say on his honour, that he does not believe such corrupt agreements have taken place. I wait for a specific answer.” After some pause, Mr. Secretary Hobart re plied, that if he could think the right honourable gentle man had any right to ask him the question he had pro posed, and were he alone concerned in i t , h e should find n o manner o f difficulty i n answering him; but a s i t was a question, which related t o the exercise o f his majesty's undoubted prerogative, i t would i l l become him, upon the