owes to her navigation, her wealth, her consequence, her fame![1]
Lord North rose in explanation, and in a candid manner professed himself much inclined to do justice to Mr. Harrison. He said the papers might be had in twenty-four hours; exculpating himself from designed delays.
Mr. Burke answered, that nothing could be further from his idea than to be so ill a friend to Mr. Harrison's cause, as to irritate the noble Lord; that he meant no such thing, and assured the House that he wished only to induce the Treasury to be willing speedily to do the old.man justice.
The debate concludes with the proceedings of the Board of Longitude being ordered to be laid before the House.—Also that an extract of a letter from Captain Pocock to the Comptroller of the Navy, giving a favourable account of a Watch made by Mr. Kendal, on Mr. Harrison's principles, be read at the same time.—The immediate purpose of John Harrison's friends, or of the royal party, as we may call it, was the repeal of Lord Morton's Act, which had proved equally injurious to the
- ↑ The ardour of Mr. Burke, to whom the descendants of the Petitioner seem greatly beholden, was not likely to fail him on a theme which may be allowed to have been more than usually congenial to his cast of mind. It is the Author's persuasion, that had that Gentleman been debarred both politics and literature, and then asked whose fame he envied most?—he would immediately have answered—that of John Harrison.
