Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

a difficult country to march, and many intervening obstacles to furmount before it could come to the encounter; and the fame embarraffinent in the way of reinforcements? Thus then were we reduced to our own military efforts against France. The hon. Secretary at War had faid, that France had vulnerable points. He would ask him where were thofe vulnerable points? [A laugh from the tr. afury bench.] Gentlemen, he said, might divert themfelves if they pleased, but he believed they would find themselves at a lofs to defcribe any means we could have of a direct attack. He would even defy the hon Secretary at War, fuppofing his 50,cco difpofable men to be now in readiness, to find a fingle point where he could place these troops, and not with immediately to have them back again What, let him afk, would be the purpose of this war upon France, after its hips and colonies were captured? It would, perhaps, be faid, that Bonaparte was unpopular. It might be fo; he would be the last to become his panegyrift; but did it follow that he must be unpopular in France, b caufe he was an object of terror to ourfelves? A univerfal and indignant cry of No! no!] Was he not at least an obje& of our apprehenfion? [The exclamation of No! no! reiterated on all files.] He might, perhaps, he faid, have gone too far-but though Bonaparte was at leaft an object of our hatred, that did not prevent the people of France from being ready to obey him. He might be, and probably was, disliked by many perfons; but the generality of the people were willing to fupport him, to prevent the return of that anarchy, by which they were fo long and fo grievously afflicted It might therefore be relied on, that the Firft Conful would endeavour to keep this country in perpetual alarm, and would continue to threaten invasion, ́ though he might never be able to effect it; but we fhould continue to block up his ports, though we might be unable after a while to do him any further mischief. The revenue

of France was now 22,000,0rol. net money, all flowing from is interior, and out of which the received no more than 1,3 0,0ccl. by fea. So far then from making any impreffion on her finances, if experience had not hewn that already to have been a very bad criterion of fuccefs, the war would rather relieve them; for inftead of paying her troops from her own regular refources, Bonaparte would take care. as ufual to quarter them upon neutrals: with us, however, the cafe was exceedingly different. This country depended on its commerce, and whatever temporary or univerfal advantages

[blocks in formation]

might arife, trade mufl eventually fuffer by the war, and be inevitably followed by a proportionate diminution of credit and of finances. It was an error to fuppofe that England could in the end be gainers by war. The advantages we poffeffed in point of trade had arifen from the destruction of the produce of St. Domingo, and fome of the other French colonies, and the total ftagnation of moft or all of its manufactures. The next view he should take, would be of the state of our own finances, and in what manner they were calcu lated to fupport the preffure of a long and expenfive war, fuch as we should have reafon to expect. The Minifter expected to be able to carry on the war this year at the expence of 26,000,ocol. out of which he calculated on a furplus of 2.500.000l. In this boafted furplas, of two millions and a half, he deceived himself and the country, (not wilfully he allowed), but it was a fatal deception. He then proceeded to ftate, that in the prefent year, in which were five months of peace and seven of war, the expences would amount to 30,590,000l. and if in the five months peace there had been the fame eftablishments as during the feven, the increafed charge would have been 6,500,cool. That taking our navy and army only on the fame increase as that of last war, the whole expence of the year would be upwards of 44 millions; and he had no doubt but the next year the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be obliged to have recourfe to a loan of 27. millions for the two countries [A cry of hear! hear! from the Chancellor of the Exchequer ] He might cry hear! but he was perfuaded that his calculations would come nearest the truth. Such then were our profpects-without being able to gain a fingle point by the war to counterbalance this large expence. The right hon. Gentleman had faid, that the inelinations of the country was one great inducement with him to conclude the Trea y of Amiens. Was it not likely, that before the end of three years, a fimilar difpofition would be manifefted by the country, and peace mult again be conIcluded with the ftrength of the enemy unb oken; but it might be faid," what could be done?" He would propofe that we should avail ourfelves of the mediation of Ruffia. He was proceeding, when he was called to order by

Mr. Pitt, who faid that the prefent queftion was merely as to the best mode of arming to refift the enemy; and he. appealed to the Houfe, if going into a long hiftory of the negotiation for peace was at all to the point in queftion.

Mr. Johnftane faid, part of the bill related to the more

vigorcus

profecution of the war, and he therefore thought he was perfectly in order in giving his fentiments on fuch parts as related to the attack of the enemy, for which this force was in fome events to be applied.

Mr. Pitt claimed the opinion of the Speaker..

The Speaker faid, it had for fome time appeared to him, that the hon. Gentleman was taking an extreme latitude. It was always difficult to fay how far Gentlemen would go in illuftration of an argument, but he left it to the hon Gentle man to confider whether he had not greatly deviated from the question then before the House.

Mr. Johnstone then faid, that after hearing fuch high au thority against him, he should not purfue that train of argument any further. While he exhorted the Government to avail itfelf of the mediation of the Emperor of Ruffia, he was far from recommending any pufillanimous meafures, and only withed to referve our ftrength till the powers of the Continent have so far retrieved their affairs as to feel ememboldened to afford us their affiftance. As to the measure itfelf, all he had to fay was, to exprefs his hearty approbation of it. [This declaration feemed at firft to excite furprize, which was foon converted into a peal of laughter.] He, how ever, maintained, that there was no incontistency in what he faid; for though he approved of this as a defenfive measure, he did not fee how it would enable us to break the power of France.

Colonel Hutchinson faid, the hon. Gentleman who had just fat down, the Houfe, and the country, might reft alfured, that, from Ireland, this kingdom would derive the most cordial cooperation and moft effectual fupport. He had no doubt of the hoftile mind of the defpot of France against this country, but was convinced the prefent meafure was well calculated to make him repent of his ambitious and infolent attempts to invade its liberties, and to overturn its invaluable confti tution.

Colonel Archdale faid, the hon. Gentleman who opened the prefent debate, had taken fo circuitous a route, that he believed the Houfe would not be inclined to follow him, nor thank any Member for attempting fo entertaining a talk, There was, however, one part of the hon. Gently man's speech, which he had liftened to with confiderable furprize, when he faid, "that this country had lott the affections of one part of Ireiand, while they had not conciliated the other." How the hon. Member had become a reprefentative of Irish affections,

affections, he could not guess; he should be inclined to doubt the freedom and fairness of the election, and if a scrutiny were to take place, he thought it would not turn out quite fo pleafing as a late ferutiny, (a'luding to the borough), to those who with well to an established and conftitutional Government. He thought the only object with every one at the prefent moment ought to be, to join hand and heart in repelling the common enemy. He was well convinced this measure was intended to produce that fo much defired event; but as he did not fee it in the fame point of view with many who had fpoken in its favour, he begged the attention of the Houfe till he affigned a few reafons why he preiumed to differ from those who fupported it. He fhould not enter into its principle or its claufes. What every Government, under fuch circumstances had to provide for, was the fafety of the country without violating the conftitution. The opponents of his Majesty's Minifters reprefented the country as not fafe under the management of the prefent administration, though now and then they found occafion to fay fomething uncomfortably well founded. In his opinion, the Government did as much as a Government could do the country

elf mutt do the reft; as all the neceifary plans, or the greatest part of the plans, were already before it. They endeavoured to keep peace, as long as it could be maintained--and were not difpofed, like their opponents

"Propter bellum, bellandi querere caufas."

Much approbation of this plan was not indeed to be expected from thofe Gentlemen who reprefent the militia as children going to be breeched, as ufele's, unlets fupported by double the number of regulars-that all was apathy in the nation-that when fpirit and energy were moft wanted, there was a public abandonment of them, &c. This lan guage, to a perfon who talked in that manner of the failure of public fpirit, would be-

[blocks in formation]

At a time when we were threatened with invafion; when a great portion of the community are addicted to habits of pleafine, luxury, and the most fafcinating enjoyments; when to much depends on public impreffion, and more on public puit; when fome Gentieman had not fcrupled to hold out that the people were altoft in a state of abandonment, it was difficult for prudent men to difcufs in a prudent

manner

manner a warlike queftion like the prefent in a public affembly. There were two points to be confidered: Whether it was not likely this new levy would prove as good railed in this manner, as in any other? Whether it was to be railed as regulars or militia, it must be polifhed and fharpened by fome means or other before it could be used with effect. It will, at all events, have the advantage of being raifed more fpeediiv, and there was much indeed to be expected and hoped from calling in officers from the marines, which were certainly a corps that were held in the bighett ettimation from the promptitude, zeal, vigour, and bravery which had uniformly and pre-eminently diftinguished their exertions at all times, on all occafions, and in every quarter of the globe. The fecond point was, how far it was ufeful; and in this refpe&t, as it is to ferve in Ireland and the islands, its extenfion must be highly advantageous. He could wish, as the two countries were now united, to fee the whole militia of each made difpofable to ferve in both, as occafion might require. Though this country is always much inclined to lean to its navy, he was certain it would find the army in all cafes ready to exert their utmost efforts, and to die glorioufly in defence of their country, and their deareft rights. He had no doubt but the general indignant voice of the people of this country would penetrate into the inmoft recefles of the Thuilleries, and convince the lordly ruler there, that he would find it not the voice of a war faction, as he had been pleased to name it, but the united fentiment of a whole nation, ready to die in defence of its liberty, and to hurl its dreadful vengeance on all thofe who fhould attempt to invade, overturn, and destroy it.

Lord Blaquire rofe and delivered his fentiments in direct oppofition to thofe of the hon. Member who spoke fuft (Mr. Johnstone). He thought that fuch an opinion of mat ters, in general, tended to thew a defire of placing us again in the fame abject fituation in which we were in by the late Treaty of Amiens, and he thought that, from the whole tenor of that hon. Gentleman's arguments, he (Mr. Johnstone) ought not to have, ended by affenting to the bill. That hon. Gentleman, in his opinion, feemed to aim at nothing elfe than a furrender of every thing that was dear and valuable, and worthy of confideration by this country, to France. In his opinion, fo far from France being invulnerable in every point of view, fhe was completely vulnerable on many points; and he was convinced that there was not a

« ZurückWeiter »