Mr. Wilkes’s censures on the King’s Speech, seconded by Dempster.-- The Debate on continuing the War.--Speeches of Beckford, Cust, Harvey, Forester, Pitt, and George Grenville.--The Queen’s Dowry voted.--Ministerial Manœuvres on the secession of Mr. Pitt.-- Meeting at the St. Alban’s Tavern.--Discussion on the Militia Act.--Speech, in the House of Commons, of Charles Townshend, Secretary at War.--Policy of the Court.--Fox’s Faction.--Debate on the War in Germany.--George Grenville’s desertion of Pitt.-- Pitt’s Reply.--Walpole’s Reflections on that Statesman. On the 13th of November the Address to the King was moved in the House of Commons by the Lords Middleton and Parker.[127] Mr. Wilkes,[128] a man of whom much will be said hereafter, passed some censures on the King’s speech, which, in the language of Parliament, he said, he was authorized to call the speech of the minister; though of what minister he could not tell. The extraordinary Gazette, he said, which had vaunted the pacific disposition of Spain, had been contradicted by facts: it had appeared that we were rather in a state of war with that Crown. Yet no notice had been taken of those transactions in the speech, though all mankind was apprised of their notorious insults. He himself had seen a Spanish memorial, that had been delivered by a French agent. Unless some communication was made to Parliament, how could Parliament lay the state of the nation before his Majesty? As little mention, he observed, was made of the militia, though the ground on which the war had stood. Dempster,[129] a young Scotch member, seconded Wilkes, though less peremptory in opposition; for though he pleaded for the extension of the militia to Scotland, and said the militia had felt the heavy hand of administration, yet he censured the German war, as having neither object nor end; condemned faction, and said, he was pleased to see that his Majesty had emancipated himself from the chains that had been prepared for him.