24

HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

ciiap.

xxv.

juyy.

new dispute had begun. The address had scarcely beenmoved when the House called for copies of the papersrelating to Kidd’s expedition. Somers, conscious of in-nocence , knew that it was wise as well as right to be per-fectly ingenuous, and resolved that there should be noconcealment. His friends stood manfully by him, and hisenemies struck at him with such blind fury that their blowsinjured only themselves. Howe raved like a maniac.“What is to become of the country, plundered by land,plundered by sea? Our rulers have laid hold on our lands,our woods, our mines, our money. And all this is notenough. We cannot send a cargo to the farthest endsof the earth, but they must send a gang of thieves afterit.” Harley and Seymour tried to carry a vote of censurewithout giving the House time to read the papers. Butthe general feeling was strongly for a short delay. Atlength, on the sixth of December, the subject was con-sidered in a committee of the whole House. Shower under-took to prove that the letters patent to which Somers hadput the Great Seal were illegal. Cowper replied to himwith immense applause, and seems to have completely re-futed him. Some of the Tory orators had employed whatwas then a favourite claptrap. Very great men, no doubt,were concerned in this business. But were the Commonsof England to stand in awe of great men? Would notthey have the spirit to censure corruption and oppressionin the highest places? Cowper answered finely that as-suredly the House ought not to be deterred from the dis-