(CONTINUED.)

FEBRUARY, 1788.




SPEECH

IN

OPENING THE IMPEACHMENT.

THIRD DAY: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1788.


My Lords,--The gentlemen who are appointed by the Commons to manage this
prosecution, have directed me to inform your Lordships, that they have
very carefully and attentively weighed the magnitude of the subject
which they bring before you with the time which the nature and
circumstances of affairs allow for their conducting it.

My Lords, on that comparison, they are very apprehensive, that, if I
should go very largely into a preliminary explanation of the several
matters in charge, it might be to the prejudice of an early trial of the
substantial merits of each article. We have weighed and considered this
maturely. We have compared exactly the time with the matter, and we have
found that we are obliged to do as all men must do who would manage
their affairs practicably, to make our opinion of what might be most
advantageous to the business conform to the time that is left to perform