Seymour declared that, much as he disapproved of the manner in which the administration had lately been conducted, he could not concur in the vote which John Hampden had proposed.

"Look where you will," he said, "to Ireland, to Scotland, to the navy, to the army, you will find abundant proofs of mismanagement.
If the war is still to be conducted by the same hands, we can expect nothing but a recurrence of the same disasters.

But I am not prepared to proscribe men for the best thing that they ever did in their lives, to proscribe men for attempting to avert a revolution by timely mediation." It was justly said by another speaker that Halifax and Nottingham had been sent to the Dutch camp because they possessed the confidence of the nation, because they were universally known to be hostile to the dispensing power, to the Popish religion, and to the French ascendency.
It was at length resolved that the King should be requested in general terms to find out and to remove the authors of the late miscarriages, [549] A committee was appointed to prepare an Address.

John Hampden was chairman, and drew up a representation in terms so bitter that, when it was reported to the House, his own father expressed disapprobation, and one member exclaimed: "This an address! It is a libel." After a sharp debate, the Address was recommitted, and was not again mentioned, [550] Indeed, the animosity which a large part of the House had felt against Halifax was beginning to abate.

It was known that, though he had not yet formally delivered up the Privy Seal, he had ceased to be a confidential adviser of the Crown.