for waiting until they had unequivocal ground for going to war. If they came to Parliament and told how the liberty of the prefs was attacked, how this palladium (when properly regulated) of English liberty, was menaced with deftruction; if they referred to Parliament the demand which was made relative to the transportation of the emigrant nobles, and their previous degradation, by not allowing them to wear their badges, would it not be faid, "You come here to disturb the harmony which would otherwise exist between both countries; you mean to rekindle war under any pretence."-He denied that the Minister had, on the 23d September, ufed the language attributed to him; on the contrary, his Majesty's fpeech contained these words, or words to the fame import: "It is necessary to look with vigilance at what shall take place on the continent," &c. alluding most certainly to thofe occurrences which it was deemed impolitic then to notice in a more open manner. What more could his Majefty's Minifters do? When they were required to fend the Princes out of this country, they answered with firmnefs and moderation, "We fhall make arrangements to remove those who are really obnoxious, and whose conduct is reprehenfible." But not complying to the full extent, was a caufe of war with Bonaparte and not with his Majelly's Government. We were called upon to fubmit to regulations of our Prefs.-The Minifters replied, that they would not. This furely was caufe for recommencing hoftility on the part of France. And, because she did not do so, are his Majesty's Ministers to incur the charge of timidity, irrefolution and inconfiftency? But this, I think, is the proper time for us, when Bonaparte has violated the treaty, when he tells us authoritatively we fhall evacuate Malta. He felt the full force and effect of many obfervations made by the honourable Members who had preceded him, but not one furely more than that which recommended unanimity and fpirit; in that recommendation he did most heartily concur; and trusted that every confideration of a private na ture would be poftponed to the general intereft and the fafety of the country.

Sir William Young fully coincided in the fentiments which had been avowed from all fides of the Houfe, touching the aggreffionary and hoftile fpirit of the French Government, marked towards this country, in every quarter of the globe, from the Treaty of Amiens to the prefent hour. This principle was evinced in the exertion of her power and influence VOL. IV. 1802-3.

D

to

10 exclude our manufactures from every country in Europe under her controul, in the wanton and rapacious feizure and confifcation of our fhips in her ports, in her conduct towards British fubjects at Martinique, on the furrender of that ifland, whom it obliged to quit the island, and all connexion therein, and fell off all their goods for what they would bring by a certain day-all marked her rooted and determined spirit of hoftility, which would allow this country to view that Government only in the light of an implacable enemy, bent on our ultimate deftruction. At the conclufion of the former war, a commercial treaty had been formed with France, under the aufpices of a right hon. Gentleman, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, which was hailed by this country. Under the

prefent Adminiftration, it did not appear that any fuch arrangement had been attempted, though it might have been done with so much reciprocal advantage to the commerce and mutual amity of both. To fuch an arrangement the First Conful had marked his averfion; and, in his mind, the true policy of this country to be adopted towards France, was to view it as a great military republic, headed by a man too formidable and too eminent in enterprize, to be defpifed or dif regarded; a man who, when he came to put into action his real defigns, would not be found intoxicated with loose, vague, and undigested projects, but prepared to follow up his real plans with the most determined and defperate fpirit. We must therefore be prepared against his attempts. It was of the very nature of a military republic to find conftant employment for its troops; without this it must ceafe to exist; and thus, fo long as France retained this form, it was immaterial whether Bonaparte, Moreau, or who elfe might be at her head; it would be her policy to vomit forth her troops upon every furrounding nation, which offered them enterprizes to intereft their avarice or ambition. He concluded by voting for the refolutions.

Mr. Fonblanque faid, that he had applied himself with the moft anxious attention to the confideration of the papers which had been prefented to the Houfe: and felt the most lively pleafure in being able to congratulate the House and himself, that Minifters are able to redeem the pledge they had given. The third charge urged against them is a ferious one indeed not that they withheld communications, but that they held forth delufive hopes: if they did fo, they have forfeited every claim to confidence; but he had not heard the charge fubftantiated. What were the aggressions?

Would

:not

not every one of them juftify his Majefty's Minifters in going to war? How ftands the cafe as to Switzerland? Were his Majefty's Ministers indifferent? Did they behold with apathy the independence and liberty of that brave but ill-fated people trampled upon? No: they fend a confidential agent, who interpofes and interefts himself as much as the circumftances of the cafe would admit; but becaufe complete fuccefs did not attend his miffion, are Ministers to be charged with incapacity to discharge the high truft repofed in them? But if Bonaparte be deemed arrogant, fo is England: he meant not to become his apologist, and he hoped this country would be long charged with that fpecies of arrogance. It was by afferting our rights and fupremacy at fea, that we grew to be the envy of the world. As to Malta, he confidered the poffeffion of it fo effentially neceffary to the existence of our commercial greatnefs and independence, that he thought it could not be given up on any account. Minifters are alfo

charged with having fubmitted to infults, and forborne to remonftrate with firmness against the conduct of France to Holland. But this is unfounded; for it is well known that their forbearance was at the inftance of Holland itself. They are likewife charged with abandoning the unfortunate Swifs. What could England do alone in fuch a contest? The powers of the continent refufed to interfere; and is their criminal indifference chargeable in this Houfe as a crime to his Majesty's Ministers? As to infults, he would state it as a caufe of exultation to himself, that the First Conful had fpoken of the freedom of our prefs, and found himself at length constrained to recur to the judicial decifions of the country. And as to Sebaftiani, he thought that if the French Government chofe to deny the object of his miffion, the Government, this Houfe, and the country, were abundantly fatisfied, and could not feel any longer an infult upon this point. He concluded with obferving, that hon. Members fubftituting affertions for facts, and their private opinions for official papers, they could not expect the fupport of the House.

Mr. Archdale profeffed his approbation of the conduct of Minifters through the whole negotiations. He thought they had been throughout animated with a fincere defire to preferve the peace, confiftent with the honour and the interests of the country. He earnestly recommended unanimity at fo important a crifis, and was happy to fee a determination ap¬ pearing to drop all party differences and diftractions. He D2

congratulated the Houfe on the important improvement which had taken place in the temper and difpofition of the people of Ireland. The conduct of the First Conful had opened the eyes of the deluded, and all ranks now detefted him as the common enemy of the independence and the liberty of mankind. Even at Belfast, if he fhould dare to make his appearance, he would meet with a very warm reception from the well-affected from principle; and from some of our Jacobins from revenge. [A laugh.] The hon. Member concluded by enforcing his recommendation to unanimity.

Mr. C. Wynne condemned Minifters ftrongly, for deluding the nation with hopes of peace, when every act of the French Government manifested a hoftile and dangerous fpirit,. which rendered any hope of continued peace abfurd. He was warmly in favour of the motion.

Mr. Courtenay expreffed himself willing to join iffue with those who supposed the aggreffions of France had forced the country into a war. At the fame time he approved of the plan of the hon. Gentleman (Archdale) who withed to reconcile all parties. He confidered the new oppofition o be refpectable and enlightened, because they fupported the war after condemning the peace, as it argued a meritorious confiftency. He was followed by another hon. Gentleman, whofe argument put him in mind of a fage legiflator of old, Hippocrates: he fays, if a broken leg in the fetting becomes crooked and distorted, the only way to regain its original beauty is by breaking it again. So Minifters had done with the Treaty of Amiens, and it was left to the Houfe to contemplate the skill and prudence with which the cafe would be managed. He had just faid fo much by way of faying fomething, and fhould fit down with one obfervation, namely, that he had nothing more to fay."

Sir W. Milner thought that the prefent motions were direct attacks against his Majefty's Adminiftration, while, in his opinion, thofe who compofed that Administration were men who had deferved the approbation of the country. He approved of their couduct in every inftance, and thought they had acted properly, in the manner they had followed, in order to get the better of the paffions of a man who was so actuated by pride and ambition, as the First Conful certainly was. If any fault could at all be affigned to them, it must be, that they had not gone far enough in their endeavours; for in his opinion we should not have valued any of the infults and indignities which had been offered to this country, if peacę

was

was to be the confequence. In his opinion, the prefent Administration had plainly fhewn to the country, that they liked their conftitution.

Sir T. Theophilus Metcalf thought the motion pernicious in itself, and particularly inexpedient, at a time when unanimitỳ was fo defirable. It might give information to the enemy [a cry of hear, from Mr. Windham and his friends], and unhinge the Ipirit of the country at home. He paid the right hon. Gentleman at the head of his Majefty's councils fome very warm compliments. He had loft an honourable fituation, where he was univerfally beloved and refpected, and accepting of the. commands of his Sovereign, had taken on himself the ma nagement of affairs at a very difficult crifis. Through that He had crifis he had conducted the country with honour. given us peace when it was infinitely defirable. He had used every means to preferve it, and now that the ambition of the enemy had forced us to renew the war, he trusted that he would conduct it with ability and fuccefs. He was certain he stood high in the confidence of the country, and thought that his conduct, and the conduct of his colleagues, deferved praise instead of being expofed to cenfure.

Mr. Gregor confidered the refolutions as neceffary, in order to investigate the conduct of Minifters: if the conduct of France has been a fyftem of oppreffion and infult to this country, he was aftonifhed we should have given up any of our conquests, which now would be of the utmost importance to us, or difembody our military and naval force. This did not argue much policy on the part of the Minifter, and, therefore, he did not fee but the House were justified in making it the fubject of remark.

Mr. Burland affured the House, that the people were fo well fatisfied with peace, that Mr. Pitt could not have carried on the war another year; and, from being a magiftrate of a very populous neighbourhood, he had an opportunity of knowing the fentiments of the people, who confidered the peace as a bleffing to them.

Mr. T. Grenville then rofe and faid, before he offered himself to the attention of the Houfe, he had been anxious to hear from Minifters fome anfwer in juftification of their conduct, which had on this and various other occafions been fo powerfully affailed. Perceiving, however, that the expectation of receiving this explanation, on which he wished to found what he had to fubmit on the subject of the refo lution moved by his hon. Friend was vain, he thould now'

beg