had been used by himself in addreffing their Lordships, previously on the fubject, in every word which he uttered must have been irregular alfo.

Lord Suffolk obferved, that he knew the propriety of the different rules which had been adopted by their Lordships, as points of order, and was as ready to comply with them, as any noble Lord in that House. He had often been called to order, but had not ever but once been proved to be out of order.

Earl Grofvenor appealed to the Chancellor.

The Lord Chancellor obferved, that in point of fact not one of their Lordships had spoken ftrictly to order. The propofition was to addrefs his Majefty for his gracious message, and give him an affurance that efficacious means would be taken to fupport him in the measures recommended for the fecurity of the kingdom and the profecution of the war. The noble Secretary of State, who moved it, was rather out of order in ftating what the plan was, but he thought he fhould have deferved animadverfion if he had interrupted him. The course adopted by the noble Mover had led to a difcuffion, to limit which was beyond his power.

Lord Carsfort expreffed his furprife at what had just fallen from the noble and learned Lord, and from the noble Earl who first started the fubje& of order. The noble Secretary of State had ftated the outline of a plan proposed to be adopted, in conformity to the fentiments expreffed in the metage; and be thought it was perfectly competent to every noble Lord to deliver his approbation or difapprobation of that plan, without being liable to the charge of being either irregular or out of order; and he conceived their Lordships being told fo was an infringement on the privileges of the Houfe, and of the freedom of debate.

The Lord Chancellor again left the woolfack, and denied that in any thing that he had faid, he had infringed in the fmallest degree the privileges of the Houfe. The noble Earl had been called to order, and, in his opinion, very properly, for having deviated from the question immediately before the Houfe, which he again infifted was folely relative to the addrefs, and that the difcuffion with regard to the plan itself, ought not regularly to take place till the day appointed for the confideration of the fame.

The Duke of Clarence declared the great deference he paid to the opinions of the learned Lord on the woolfack, but read

read that part of his Majefty's meffage which expreffes a wish that their Lordships would concert measures "for the defence and fecurity of the united kingdom," and observed that the noble Lord was only following up the defire expreffed in his Majesty's most gracious communication, by pointing out what means appeared to him inoft likely to carry the object of the message into execution.

Lord Carlife faid, that as to the point of order, he should fay nothing, but he thought that any noble Lord rifing in his place, in that House, and giving his opinion, as to what general or generals fhould he appointed to commands, was certainly an interference with the prerogative of the Crown, in whom was vefted the fole power of making fuch appoint ments, either in case of peace or war.

The Earl of Suffolk faid, he would go to another point. He then mentioned the great utility of the marines, a corps that would be of the most essential service both at sea and on fhore. He recommended Government to employ as many of them as poffible. In the conclufion he approved of the addrefs, because no man could object to thanking his Majesty for his gracious meffage, and additional forces must be railed.

The Earl of Moira fpoke next.-In answer to the flattering compliments which the partiality of a noble Friend of mine (Lord Suffolk) has induced him to bestow upon me, I have only to fay, my Lords, that I am perfectly satisfied with whatever destination my Sovereign has been graciously pleased to allot to me, and that were his Majefty to call upon me to serve in the ranks as a private, I fhould in that fubordinate station unfheath my fword with the fame cheerful alacrity and ardent zeal as if I were called to the chief command of the most numerous and gallant army. While, however, I' feel eager to exprefs thefe fentiments, and to fecond with my beft endeavours whatever plan may be proposed for a vigorous' and effectual defence of the country, I cannot forbear faying, that as to the turn which the debate has taken, I do not imagine that there is any thing irregular in what has been obferved by my noble Friend (Lord Suffolk). The object of his Majesty's meffage, now under the confideration of your Lordships, is the most effectual mode to be adopted to prepare the defence and establifh the fecurity of the country; and on this fubject it calls for the fentiments and advice of your Lordfhips. In order, therefore, to chalk out that line of defence which it may be moft expedient to purfue, it is doubtless of VOL. IV. 1802 3. neceffity

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neceffity that your Lordfhips enter into the particulars of the plan propofed. Without taking these particulars into confideration, it must be impoffible for your Lordships to return any thing like a fatisfactory answer in the propofed addrefs to his Majefty. It is by no means indeed my intention to make any objection to it, for I perfectly agree with my learned and noble Friend on the woolfack, that it is impoffible for the House not to concur in it. Neither am I inclined to object to the measure which his Majefty's Minitters intend to propose, for I conceive it to be the duty of every individual, at a crifis like the prefent, to exert every effort to smooth away the dif ficulties that may ftand in the way of the executive power, and to furnill them with every poffible affistance in giving á prudent and energetic direction to the resources of the country. In that view, my Lords, I am thoroughly convinced that the hands of Minifters (hould be left unfhackled, and their power wholly uncontrouled; for more danger might be apprehended from haraffing them in the plan they laid down, than benefit could be derived from projecting a better plan, which could only protract the execution of the former. There is not a moment to be loft, and what I most anxiously apprehend is, that the noble Secretary (Lord Hobart) is not fufficiently aware of the expedition and difpatch which should be used in giving effect to his Majefty's most gracious meffage. I thould be forry indeed, my Lords, to ftoop to any thing fo mean as the mifreprefentation of what was advanced by the noble Secretary of State, in order to ground an argument upon that misrepre fentation; but to me ke feemed to have faid, that he looked forward to future parliamentary difcuffion with a view to improve and mature the plan, of which at prefent he had only fketched the outline. To fuchy procraftination, under füch circumstances, I cannot bring myfelf to affent. There is not an hour, not a moment to be loft. While your Lordships are debating the enemy is acting; while we are devifing plans of defence, they are executing means of attack; while we are idly preluding in a war of words, they will come on us in a war of action; they will furprize us unprepared, and overpower us flumbering at our fire-tides.

Occupat incautum, patriafque obtruncat adaras.

On the activity of Minifters it is not in my power to beftow any high-ftrained panegyric. On the 8th of March they brought down a meffage from his Majefty, intimating the hoftile projects of France, and they have fince laid upon your Lordships' table papers, which amply unfold the re

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peated infults and injuries which have been offered to this coun-; try by that power. If their feelings were at fuch thefe provoca tions, as no doubt thofe of your Lordships and the country, must be, must they not have foreseen that war was inevitable? muft they not, and have they not, conjectured that, event, from the, very confequences of the meffage which they then delivered, and from the character, with which they do not profefs themselves to be unacquainted, of the perfon who now holds the helm of French affairs? All this, my Lords, they must have been thoroughly acquainted with in the month of March, yet it is late in the month of June before they come forward to propose measures of fecurity; and even when they are thus late in propofing them, they would ftill advife protracting their execution, in the hopes of their being improved by parliamentary difcuffion. This furely is not the way of meeting fuch an enemy as that with whom we have to contend.

Under that impreffion, my Lords, it cannot be my wifh to enter into any detailed examination of the measure now brought forward: my anxious with is, that every poffible means of defence may be immediately reforted to; and I cannot but partake in the apprehenfions of the illuftrious perfon (the Duke of Clarence) who has fo ably difcuffed the queftion before your Lordships, that the measure in agitation. will not prove adequate to the emergency in which the country is now placed: it fhould open a wider view, a broader fcene of action; it should look to other points than those of mere internal defence. Dreadful, indeed, is the fcourge of. an hostile force invading our native foil, but next to it is the march of an hoftile army pervading the bofom of a friendly country. The enemy who thus threatens or ravages what we are most vitally interested in, we should endeavour to embarrass and annoy at every poffible point-we should more efpecially endeavour to affail him where every feeling groans under his tyranny, and pants to be rescued from fuch fervile fubjugation. Since I laft had the honour to address your Lordships on this topic, events have occurred clofely connected with theobject of his Majefty's meffage, and which must fill come more nearly home to the feelings of your Lordhips. Since that period his Majefty's patrimonial poffeffions have been wrefted from his paternal care and even fhould England be looked upon as difconnected with Hanover, ftill thould its lofs he deeply lamented. How much more should ...H.h2

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it affect us when all its relations are duly confidered, more especially when we behold the noble example of difintereftedness thus fet to us by his Majefty, who fo cheerfully refigns himself to the facrifice of his perfonal intereft, when he fees the interefts of Britons endangered, as they now undoubtedly are? But it were a fatal error to fuppofe that the interefts of this country were not connected with thofe of Hanover! If we are to lock unconcerned on the fate of that country, in what light fhall other countries be difpofed to confider us? Can Europe any longer look with confidence to the broad fhield of British protection? This was a point on which we are most effentially concerned; it is one on which your Lordships cannot beftow too much attention. Let your Lordships but confult the map, and you muft quickly perceive in what fituation we are placed. With the poffeffion of the coafts of Holland and Hanover, how can we now poffibly come upon the back of the enemy? It must therefore be no light charge againft Minifters that they have loft fuch a point; that they have deprived themselves of fuch a guard, and difarmed themfelves of means fo material to the termination of the war.

As to the caufe of the war, I must agree, my Lords, with the illuftrious perfon who could not permit himself to believe that it was the poffeffion of Malta. It has indeed aftonifhed me not a little that Minifters fhould have held it forth in that fhape. In their general conviction the real caufe of the war was, no doubt, the impoffibility of continuing to fubmit to the injuries and infults of the French Government. Tamely to perfevere in fuch a ftate of peace would be nothing fhort of inevitable ruin. We may have attempted incautiously to flumber under its fhade; but it has proved to be the thade of a poisonous tree, the droppings from which have blittered us into fenfe. But now that we feemed to awake to our fituation, what was propofed? A defenfive, a merely defenfive war! .From fuch a war could any fuccefs be rationally expected? What could be the effect of fuch a war but to wrap up the fpirit and energies of the country in the night-gown and flippers of routine? Were we not threatened with a danger of a nature and magnitude that never before hung over this nation? How was it to be warded off? By vigilance, by promptitude, by decifion. Yes; rife, rife, my country! rife, or you most perifh!-You have, no doubt, my Lords, the feelings of Britons; but you muft infpire them into others. British blood continues to flow in our veins, but its influence