agree with me. This, however, is only my private obfervation on the expedition; and I fall only fay, that I am forry I was right, and that I hope fome of His Majefty's Ministers, and fome of the Directors of the Eaft-India Company thought as I did, and took their meafures accordingly.

Now, Sir, I fhall pafs from that long, awful and folemn fufpence which the nation laboured under; I fhall pafs, Sir, with the warmth of an Englishman to the feene of action-that scene of glory to the British arms-that fcene of confufion and dismay to the French-that fcene of wonder and delight to the unlettered and paralifed Arab---that feene of astonishment to the whole world!— Here, Sir, I will obferve on the immediate confequences of this victory as they ftrike me: from that moment the King of Naples felt eafy on his Throne, and ceafed to temporife with the Directory. The cold Ruffian grew warm in the common cause against the common enemy--the proud and ftately Porte forgot old animofities--their mutual jealoufics fubfided, their heart-burnings ceafed - they shook hands--the torfin was rung-the warwhoop was founded through their diffant regions with the rapidity of lightning and the tone of thunder-and thousands of armed men rufhed forth, panting to crufh an expedition engendered in horrible, diabolical ambition, concerted and carried on with hypocrify under the mafk of friendship, acted upon with extravagance and wildnefs of perfidy unexampled in the annals of hiftory-unparalleled fince the creation of the world. I know not any word to call the expedition by-and I fhall take the. liberty to Anglicize a word of their own for that purpofe;-the only one I think which can nearly reach its nature. Sir, I call it the laft, though not least, monftrofity of that horrid, unaccountable unfathomable Revolution.

of

Sir, I feel warm on the fubject of that revolution, and, wifhing to fay fomething of it-but, Sir, I will return to the point before us.-Now, Sir, I humbly pray that the Almighty may go forth with the combined fleets and armies, and that the prædatory army Buonaparte (and fuch I may infer they are, from their General's addrefs) may be cut in picces, and not one man faved to tell the tale in Paris; that the armament (of tranfports) may be wholly deftroyed, and that there be not a wreck left behind.

Sir, I have ever thought and faid in this Houfe, that I thought this a juft and neccifary war-I think it fill juft and neceflary, more than ever-upon that point I agree with His Majefty's Minifters; and I affure them, that when we have difagreed on other points, I have differed from confcience fake. My feelings are very warm on the fubject before us-and I have gone to a greater length

than I intended; and I thank the Houfe for permitting me to indulge thofe feelings thus far. And, Sir, I now vote moft cordially for your leaving the chair.

The House then refolved itself into a Committee, Captain Berkeley in the chair; and His Majesty's message having been read,

Mr. Chancellor PITT faid, he was fo perfuaded of the unanimous fentiment and wish of the Houfe on the motion he should have the honour to make, that he fhould confider it impertinent in him to detain them farther on the fubject; he would therefore move, "That it is the opinion of this Committee, that an annuity "of 2000l. per annum be payable out of the confolidated fund, "to Rear Admiral Lord Nelson, and to his two next heirs inherit❝ing the title, in confideration of his eminent fervices, pursuant to "His Majesty's message.”

Honourable GEORGE WALPOLE rofe to fecond the motion. He faid' the country would doubtlefs think with him, that Lord Nelson had most justly deserved this remuneration for his services; at the fame time he did not fee why the circumftance of his commanding a detachment of the fleet only, was a fufficient reason for withholding from him thofe ftill ample honours which His Majefty might otherwife have conferred upon him; it was, in fact, faying, that not the merit alone, but the rank of the perfon, was to apportion the degree of honour to be conferred.

Mr. Chancellor PITT faid, that on a subject of this nature he was unwilling to enter into any matter that might seem like a difference of fentiment. There could be but one opinion as to the tranfcendent merits of Lord Nelfon; and he was fure that the fentiments of pofterity refpecting him would be, not according to the rank which he held in the peerage, but the deeds he had performed; and he trusted that, as long as the name of this country endured, the fame of Nelfon would be perpetuated; and that it would not be whether the title of Baron, Viscount, or Earl, was conferred upon him, that would make any difference in the opinion of Europe or pofterity. He must also observe, that the beftowment, and degree of rank conferred, was a fubject that did not come within the cognizance of that House, but lay entirely in the breaft of him who was the fountain of honour.

At the fame time, if his opinion was afked on the queftion abAtractly confidered, he muft differ from the honourable General, if he fuppofed that the rank which a meritorious officer held in his profeffion was not to be taken into confideration, when honorary titles were to be bestowed; he rather confidered that the degree of VOL. VII.

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merit and the degree of rank were to be conjointly confidered. would, however, freely confefs that no honours which it was in the power of the Crown to confer, could add any thing to the luftre which Lord Nelson would derive from his own transcendent merits. The refolution was then put and carried nem. con.

Mr. Chancellor PITT moved the order of the day for the House to refolve itself into a Committee, to confider of a motion for granting a fupply to His Majefty; and His Majesty's gracious speech to Parliament having been referred to the faid Committee, Mr. Hobart in the chair,

Mr. Chancellor Pitt moved, that it be the opinion of the Committee, that a fupply be granted to His Majefty: the resolution was agreed to, and the Houfe being refumed, the refolution was reported, and ordered to be received to-morrow.

Sir JOHN SINCLAIR wished to remind the House, that a fubject of confiderable importance to the revenue, and the Northern part of the ifland, had engaged a good deal of their attention during the laft Parliament, he meant the Scotch distilleries. The Committee which had been then appointed, had made confiderable progrefs in the bufinefs; he therefore apprehended that it could not be brought to a more profperous conclufion than to refer it to the fame Committee. He fhould therefore with for the re-appointment of the faid Committee.

Mr. Chancellor PITT agreed with the honourable Baronet; and as it was a fubject in which the revenue was materially concerned, he meant that it should be brought forward at an early opportunity.

Mr. WILBERFORCE BIRD took notice of the bill which paffed laft feffion, for legalizing the iffue of country fmall notes. That was an act profeffedly of a temporary nature, paffed in a time of public diftrefs, and whilft the Bank was fhut; as the act had been found falutary, and the restriction on the Bank still continued, he hoped that liberty would be granted for continuing the iffuing of notes under 20s. It was of great importance to the public to have an extenfion of the circulating medium; but he knew not whether the iffue of a new filver coinage had been agreed on : if affured that that was likely to take place foon, he should wave his intended motion; but if a new coinage of filver was not allowed, it would prove a very great inconvenience to traders and manufacturers, if notes under 20s. were not allowed in the country.

The act of laft feffion having been read by the clerk, Mr. Bird then moved for leave to bring in a bill to continue and amend the faid act.

Mr. Chancellor PITT was glad this motion was not made without fome previous notice, as it militated, in fome measure, against the established custom of the country. It was true, the reftriction on the Bank ftill continued, but the embarraffment which occafioned that restriction was not now the fame, nor was the circulation in the country more embarraffed now than formerly. As, therefore, the country was not now labouring under those temporary preffures which firft occafioned the act, the fubject of the motion' became a confideration of more general policy. As to the filver coinage, if there were a preffing demand, it would, indeed, be a wrong cause for delaying it on account of any proposed alteration of the ornamental part of it, to which the honourable Member had alluded; but a new filver coinage of a different standard was a matter of greater confequence, and required mature deliberation. He trusted, however, that this fufpence would not continue much longer, and that when the scheme could be properly matured, it would be found beneficial to the community.

Mr. BIRD ftated, it was not his idea that if this act was not renewed, that the country would relapse into the fame difficulties as formerly. He then moved that leave be given to bring in a bill to explain and amend the act of last feffion for permiffion to iffue in the country small notes, of value under 20s. Leave was given, and a bill ordered to be prepared and brought in accordingly.

Saturday, November 24.

The report of the Committee, to whom His Majesty's meffage refpecting Lord Nelfon had been referred, was brought up by the honourable Captain Berkeley. It ftated it to be the opinion of the Committee, that a clear yearly fum of 2000l. fhould be granted to His Majesty out of the confolidated fund, from the first of August 1798, to enable His Majefty to fettle the fame in the most beneficial manner for the use of Admiral Lord Nelson, and the two next fucceeding heirs on whom the title fhall defcend.

Mr. ROSE then moved for an account of the eftimates, &c. when the Houfe adjourned.

Monday, November 26.

navy and army

Mr. W. DUNDAS, pursuant to notice, moved for leave to bring in a bill to give power to the Bank of Scotland to iffue fmall notes. The claufes which he intended to introduce into this bill would be in fome refpects different from thofe of the former bill. He then moved, that the former act be read, which being done, he

moved, that leave be given to bring in a bill to continue the said ac for a time to be limited.

Mr. TIERNEY gave notice of a motion, which was, in his opinion, he said, of confiderable importance. It was his duty to move it; in doing fo he begged to be understood as acting as an individual merely, and not on the fuggeftion of any other perfon. He fhould therefore, without farther preface, fay, that on Friday next he thould move the Houfe to this effect:-" That it is the duty of His Majesty's Ministers not to enter into any engagements that may prevent or impede any negotiation for peace, whenever there fhall appear a difpofition on the part of France to accede to terms of peace that may be confiftent with the intereft and the honour of the British Nation."

After a few words from Mr. Chancellor PITT on the inconvenience of letting the matter stand for that day, on account of fome business of finance, which, he trufted, would be ready for the House at that time, the day was altered for this motion for Thursday fe'nnight.

The order of the day for the House to refolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to confider of a fupply to be granted to His Majefty, being read, the House resolved itself accordingly..

Lord ARDEN moved, that it is the opinion of this Committee, that 120,000 feamen be employed for the fea fervice, for the year 1799, including 20,000 marines.

Sir JOHN SINCLAIR faid, that confidering the diftreffed fituation of this country in point of finance, and the diftreffed con-dition of the enemy's marine force, he could not help thinking that the number of feamen now proposed was much larger than was neceffary under all the circumftances; 120,000 feamen! Why, 110,000 had been deemed fufficient at the conclufion of the American war, when the united force of France, Spain, and Holland, was no less than 140 fhips of the line. Under thefe circumftances he could not help confidering the proposed vote a great expence profufion that could be avoided.

and

Mr. Chancellor PITT spoke nearly as follows:-I shall not, Sir, nor indeed will it be neceffary for me to take up much of the time of the Committee. The honourable Baronet objects to the vote of fo large a force as 120,000 men; he thinks it would be more advifeable for us not to have fuch a number, but he has affigned no reafon for his objection, except that I 10,000 men were deemed fufficient, as he calls it, at the end of the American war, when the navies of Spain, Holland, and France, were united against us. Perhaps, Sir, 110,000 men were as much as the country