ceffion of Lampedofa, and by tacking the poor King of Sardinia to the end of the projet, which contains two articles which may be either admitted or not, as the French Minifter for foreign affairs chooses to receive them. Whether, however, the menace of war or the proffer of peace was confidered, the whole conduct of Minifters to that unfortunate Prince appeared equally difgufting. Now as to the direct fubject of Malta. He could not but think that a total want of policy with regard to Ruffia had been difcovered by Minifters, while negotiations were going forward on this fubject. Ruffia is allowed on all hands to have been the principal power on which Minifters relied for the guarantee of Malta at the time the tenth article of the treaty was formed. Now, what happened while fuch was the avowed with and defign of Minifters? Minifters figned a treaty, by one article of which Ruffia is to be invited to be one of the guarantees of the independence of the island of Malta; and this Minifters do, while at the very moment they were making this requifition, they were confcious that fuch a guarantee would be directly contrary to a previous arrangement betwixt this country and Ruffia-[Here the right hon. Member read an extract from Count Woronzow's Note on the 12th of November, ftating this fact.]

The history which he had now to prefent to the Houfe on the fubject of Malta was fhort and fimple, unless the note to which he had alluded was a direct forgery, which there was no reason whatever to fuppofe. The language of the Emperor of Ruffia to the Minifters of this country, or to the French Government is " You with me to be one of the guarantees of Malta, agreeably to the tenth article of the Treaty of Amiens, which I am far from withing to undertake; but if I were willing, I cannot accept the invitation; it is not in my power, as you, the Minifters of Great Britain, must be perfectly aware. You know that I have already entered into an agreement with your Court relative to Malta, in its nature entirely contrary to the guarantee you require. Is it really true that the King's Minifters knew that fuch was the fituation of the Emperor of Ruffia with regard to Malta; and did they really form an article which they must have been confcious at the time could never be fulfilled. Thofe who objected to the article originally, did fo on the ground of the difficulties which could not fail to attend its being carried into execution. How much stronger reafons had Minifters to entertain fuch an opinion. They knew that it

was

was contrary to the wishes of the Emperor of Ruffia to undertake the guarantee. They knew further that it was impoffible he could, confiftently with a former folemn engagement, undertake it, and yet with fuch knowledge they conclude the treaty, and gravely call for the guarantee. In the whole annals of diplomacy, he believed, it would be difficult to find any paralel to the conduct of Minifters in this point; of a piece with this was the manner in which they had acted with refpect to the fale of the priories of the Order of Malta in Spain. They knew, that without revenues the restoration of the Order was utterly impracticable, but, at the very time when the Definitive Treaty was figned, they had every reafon for thinking that in Italy, in Bavaria, and in Spain, the revenues of the Order were either confifcated, or on the eve of being confifcated, in these feveral countries. After all this knowledge, they come forward and call for the guarantees, to pave the way for the restoration of the Order. He was anxious to hear what account Minifters would be able to give of these circumftances, to which he had now alluded. If they were false, he thould rejoice to find that this was the cafe. If, however, on the other hand, they were not false, how was it possible for any man to conceive that Ministers ever could have entertained the remotest idea of the restoration of the order of St. John of Jerufalem in Malta? Before he concluded, he withed to occupy the attention of the House a few moments on the fubject of the Cape of Good Hope. Of the importance of the Cape as a naval ftation, no diverfity of opinion prevailed. All thofe whofe habits of life led them to form the most accurate ideas of its value, were those who fpoke moft highly of its importance. It was merely with the view of an abfolute neceffity of its furrender at the conclufion of peace, that the ceffion was ever attempted to be juftified. On this ground alone had the expediency of ceding the Cape been argued, both in the Preliminary Articles and the Definitive Treaty. With this impreffion powerfully operating on his mind, it was, he faid, with no small degree of furprife that he found, on referring to the French official papers, that the propofition for ceding the Cape originated with the Minifters of this country; that it was brought for- " ward even fo early as the fecond conference. He begged leave to prefs this on the attention of the Houfe, which in. the minds of many Gentlemen could not fail to excite very confiderable furprife. He recurred to the order for retaining the Cape, and on this fubject he made fome very pointed obVOL. IV. 1802-3. F fervations.

fervations. It was generally understood the orders for the retention were fent out on the 16th of October, with refe rence to the profpect of a war with France, on account of her unjustifiable interference with Switzerland, He would not now decide how far this was politic or wife. But this, however, he would fay, that, if the interference of France with Switzerland was a juft ground of war, the fame inter ference with refpect to Holland was a ftill more powerful reafon for hostilities. If the occupation of Switzerland by French troops was a fair ground of remonstrance, it furely was not lefs fo with regard to Holland. Now how did the cafe ftand here? Minifters on the 16th of October dispatched orders to retain the Cape of Good Hope, under an apprehenfion of the renewal of war, on account of the unjust a tempts of the French Government to impofe a form of ge vernment on the Swifs people. On the 14th of November they receive a difpatch from, the British Minifter at the Hague, which gives them no room to entertain any hope of the French troops being fpeedily withdrawn from Holland. Now what steps do they take on receiving this intelligence? Do they discover new jealoufy, and adopt new measures of precaution? On the contrary, they fend out orders for the evacuation of the Cape! He defired Gentlemen to contraft this with the order of the fame day on the preceding month, and then judge of the talents or the confiftency of Ministers. The right hon. Gentleman, after recapitulating and enforcing all his arguments, fat down by giving his cordial vote for declaring his Majefty's prefent Minifters unworthy of the confidence of Parliament, and unfit to manage the affairs of the empire at fo perilous a crisis.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer next rofe. I thould not, Sir, faid he, rife in the prefent difcuffion, were it not that feveral of the charges and obfervations that have been fo forcibly infifted upon by the right hon. Gentleman who spoke laft, feemed perfonally to be directed against me, and that I am but too fenfible of the weight they muft carry with them when they come under the fanction and authority of his name. Much, Sir, has on the present and on former occafions been remarked upon the Treaty of Amiens. I fhall now only repeat what I always have felt and faid refpecting it, viz. that confcientiously and deliberately I entertain the fame opinion of it as I did at the time it was immediately under difcuffion, and that opinion prompts me to pronounce, that it was a meafure not only wife, prudent,

and

and neceffary at the time it was adopted, but that it has fince been productive of the most beneficial confequences; nor will I hesitate to affirm, that I fhould not have now to Congratulate you, Sir, the Houfe, and the country, on the fpirit, the vigour, and the unanimity, which the present emergency has called forth, were it not for that very treaty which is fo loudly arraigned and fo feverely ftigmatized. Of the wisdom and beneficial confequences of that treaty, not only do I continue to retain a hardened fenfe, but I am ready, Sir, now to go further, and to affirm that it was also wife and defirable to endeavour to maintain it; and until the caufes have occurred which produced the prefent rup ture, caufes which have been ftated with all poffible truth and accuracy, it was the firft wifh of my heart, Sir, and I think I may venture to say that it was likewife the first with of the hearts of my colleagues in office, that the peace might have been maintained, if it could be maintained confiftently with the honour, the dignity, and the interefts of the country. But fince our anxious withes in that respect have been fruftrated, and war has neceffarily arifen, I truft, Sir, I am prepared to meet the crifis with the feelings of an Englishman; and, anxious as I was to fheath the fword, I fhall now be found no lefs determined to unfheath it, until it appears that the honour of the country remains untouched, and that its fafety and independence are more effectually fecured.

Let me now, Sir, be permitted to advert to what has been rather harshly obferved, respecting the temper which his Majefty's Minifters are faid to have borne with the conduct of the French Government. Their defire of peace had, no doubt, induced them to manifeft no inconfiderable fhare of patience and forbearance; but they felt that the fituation of France itself, and the circumftances in which was placed the perfon who held the chief rule in that country, called for fome allowances. Thefe circumstances might feem, perhaps, for a time to juftify the conduct of that perfon. His mind was fo pampered with victories; it was fo dazzled with the additional fplendor that was thed upon his name, that it might not be fair to expect he would immediately fit down quiet, and Toberly examine what might beft belong to his new fituation. Under that impreffion it was judged wife to obferve a certain degree of forbearance with refpect to what fhould otherwife be noticed in the French Government at other times and under other circumftances. A defire to make thefe allowances produced the forbearance

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forbearance wh ch had marked the conduct of Minifters; a conduct, Sir, to which i feel is now owing the fpirit and the energy which the country feems prepared to difplay. That forbearance which fome Gentlemen are fo prone to cenfure, Minifters, I think, Sir, have reafon to boast of. It has produced no bad confequences, if we are to go to war; it has neither delayed too long, nor has it brought it on one hour too foon. If it had been brought on fooner, we fhould not be actuated by that fpirit and courage which, under the guidance of Providence, will, I truft, enable us to get through a conteft with honour and fuccefs I will again repeat it. I am free to confefs, the conduct of his Majefty's Minifters has argued throughout, an uniform (pirit of forbearance, which might appear, perhaps, to have been carried to an extreme; but I am at the fame time warranted in afferting, that in no inftance has it exhibited a fingle proof of unmanly and unbecoming conceffion; and in no inftance has it been marked by any one act of that defcription. Let me next, Sir, briefly advert to the language which I am faid to have held upon different occafions. I have been charged, Sir, by the right hon. Gentleman of holding out expectations of the continuance of peace, which expectations have fince been proved not to be juftified by circumftances of the moment. His Majefty's Minifters have alfo been charged with withholding from Parliament thofe communications which Parliament had a right to expect, and which it was their duty to have made. As far, Sir, as my recollection will bear me back, I am ready to reftate the expreffions to which the right hon. Gentleman feems to allude. My noble Friend (Lord Hawkesbury) alfo expreffed himself in the fame language. We ftated that we had no reliance at any time on the continuance of peace, but fuch as arofe from a view of the fituation of the enemy, and the confcioufnefs of our own ftrength. France might have difcovered the fame reftlefs fpirit of ambition that has ever marked her character. Yet, on the occafion to which the right hoa Gentleman feems to refer, I did say, that the peace might laft as long as any other; and I then alfo added, that the only chance of its continuance arofe from the energy of our strength, and the impregnable security of our refources. I was of the fame opinion when the preliminaries were difcuffed. The fame language have I held in the debates of Jaft feffion. But the right hon. Gentleman obferves, that the conduct of the French Government fhould have inspired different apprehenfions. I am fure, Sir, I am not very much

difpofed