26 the dominion of other powers; of fered affiftance to the rebellious of every country; deceived their own people with the name of liberty; fent off the legal conftitutional reprefentatives of the nation into banishment without proof of their guilt, or even trial, and imprisoned a printer for invectives against their war minifter? The chancellor of the exchequer rofe: he expreffed difappointment that the concurrence of the house upon fuch a fubject as was now fubmitted to their confideration, fhould not be unanimous, and much furprise at the propofed amendment of the honourable baronet. The continuance of the war was to be afcribed alone to the implacable animofity, to the infatiable ambition, to the unwarrantable pretenfions of the prefent frantic government of France. Was it the bufinefs of a British parliament to content itself with mere lamentation of the miseries of war, forgetting that it was the duty of the reprefentatives of a great nation to ftate the fource of thofe miferies, Our calamities proceeded from the rancorous fpirit of the enemy; and to them, not to us, the guilt and refponfibility of future extremities were to be imputed. Minifters had exerted every endeavour to procure peace; and from the commencement of the negotiation to its final rupture, the whole of the intermediate delay was owing to the evafive conduct of France. Mr. Pitt reprobated with much farcafm what he called the tenderness of the honourable baronet, who chofe rather to difguife the truth, than risk the tremendous evil of offending fuch an enemy, by ufing language which might difplease them; compromifing the character of the country, leaving it doubtful to Eu rope to whom the rupture of the negotiation was to be afcribed, and fearing to pursue that manly conduct which truth and dignity required, left we fhould cherish a fpirit of endless animofity. inference, the very reverfe was the So far from this being the proper cafe: he who fcrupled to declare had acted in direct contempt of that the government of France every principle of juftice; he who blinked the difcuffion of this important point, deprived us of the moft confolatory reflection which calamity and neceflary war. It was we could enjoy amidst inevitable from the confideration that it was France, who were to blame, that the government, not the people of we now might indulge hopes of a ftances. Was there a word in the more favourable change of circumaddress which breathed the spirit of the contrary, his majefty affured the endlefs animofity? Surely not! on people of this country, he declared did not forego the hope of pacificato France and to Europe, that he tion, and that he was prepared to whenever the enemy fhould difrenew his endeavours to effect it ing to his own. Nay more, whilft cover a temper more correfpondthe declaration difclaimed all enmity against the French nation, it profeffed to have no objection to treat even with those who exercised at present the functions of governfucceffes which had crowned his ment. Even after the diftinguished majefty's arms, he was willing to conclude a peace with that very government, upon thofe moderate terms which he propofed in the moment of our greateft difficulty. Mr. Pitt then went over all the grounds of the negotiation, which, ther place, would be tedious and as they have been detailed in anounneceffary unneceffary to relate: he avowed in very strenuous terms the fincerity of minifters, fully proved (he faid) by the conceffions which they had made, merely to obtain peace: we had offered to France all that we had conquered in the West Indies, the ftrong Ifland of Martinique, St. Lucia, Tobago, that part of St. Domingo occupied by our troops; in the East Indies, Pondicherry and Chandernagore, with all their fettlements and factories in that quar. ter. And in return for what were all thefe facrifices offered? for peace alone! to an enemy too, whofe forces had never feparately met the military ftrength of this country without adding to our national glory and renown-an enemy whofe fleets had never encountered ours, but to increase the lift of their defeats - an enemy whofe commerce was extinguished, whofe navy was annihilated, whofe financial diftrefs, however palliated by their partifans here, was loudly proved in the groans of the people, in the contentions of the councils, and in the acts of violence of the executive government. Of the allies, Spain had felt the war into which fhe had been compelled to enter, only in the triumphs fhe had added to this country, and her own difgrace. One island had been taken from her by us, for which, in the circumstances fhe ftood, fhe could have no claim for compenfation: but the island Trinidad was claimed on another ground, as a condi. tion of our guaranteeing the cellion of the Spanish part of St. Domingo to France, which, by folemn treaties, could not be given up without the confent of this country. To Holland we offered to restore all the fources of her commerce, every thing valuable to her profperity; and only required that which would have enabled France to fubjugate the other poffeffions of Holland, and to harafs our own establishments in the Eaft. All that we demanded was, to fecure what we already poffeffed, that which was effential to our ancient establishment and naval power. On re viewing the state of the two countries, let the world judge the value of the conceffion on one part, and the force of the claim upon the other compare the mutual means of offence and refiftance, the power of the French to take from us, and the ability of this country to retain ; and upon that comparifon decide whether the projet of his majesty did not manifeft proofs of fincerity and moderation? The chancellor of the exchequer proceeded here to make a ftatement of the arrogance and the duplicity of the French. Endlefs delays enfued, he faid, to give a colour of attention to the withes of their nation for peace: time was confumed in fending for inftructions to Madrid, and to the Hague; and the confideration of the dif ferent points ftudiously protracted: after the negotiation had affumed this fhape, what was done, what progrefs was made, when every pretence for delay was removed? They then required that we, whom they had fummoned to treat for a definitive treaty, fhould stop and difcufs preliminary points, which though difcuffed and fettled, we did not know but the next moment might be wholly laid aside. They led the conferences to vague and fecondary points; infifted that his majefty fhould refign the title of king of France a harmleis feather at leaft, which his ancestors had fo long worn on their crowns; they demanded reftitution of the fhips taken at Toulon, or a com penfation; penfation; and a renunciation of any mortgage which this country might pollets for the loan to the emperor. The French plenipotentiaries were immediately informed that this country had no.fuch mortgage; that there could be no conceffion where there was no claim; and that the point was not worth talking about. We next were called upon to fubfcribe as a preliminary, that we were prepared to give up every thing we had acquired during the war. Such a preliminary could not be admitted by any man who was not difpofed to adore the idol of the French power in proftrate bafenefs. His majesty did not hesitate in refusing to comply with fuch infolent demands. The directory, however, did not then adhere to the extravagance of them; a long delay to amufe their people took place: they pleaded it as a proof of the fincerity of their pacific intentions, and pretended that they were under the neceflity of fending to their allies an account of what paffed, that they were endeavouring to prevail upon them to put an end to the calamities of a war into which they had brought thofe allies, and who have ever fince been in a fiate of abject fubjection to them, whatever importance they affected to give them in this negotiation. They then directed their plenipotentiaries to in form Lord Malmetbury that they had obtained an anfwer, but it was not fatisfactory; and they were obliged to fend another metlenger. It was thus they concealed their infincerity till the dreadful cata. ftrophe of the 4th of September; and even fome days after that violence broke out in Paris, they promifed to produce their projet, ftill pacific in their profeffions, and inimical in their defigns. The step which they took after this laft affurance was, to renew in a more offenfive form the demand which had been rejected by lord Malmesbury two months before; in which rejection they had acquiefced, and we in the interval had been waiting for the propofais which were to come from them. This demand was, that lord Malmesbury fhould thow to them his powers, his inftructions, and the ufe he was to make of them: as an inducement to comply with this modeft requifition, they affured him, that though this demand was made, it would never be urged to carry it into effect. Mr. Pitt faid, there appeared little reason for cenfuring minifters-for not trufting fuch affurances from fuch an enc my. He would leave others to imagine what was likely to have been the end of a negotiation in which it was a preliminary to refign every thing-in which it was demanded to reveal every thing required; that our ambassador fhould make known, not only his powers but his inftructions, before even they had explained a word of theirs; and whilft they informed us, that we were not to expect to hear what their powers were until we profeffed ourfelves ready to accede to any thing which the directory might pleafe to dictate. Lord Maimebury returned for anfwer, that his powers were ample: they then went no further than to say, if he could not fhow his inftructions, he fhould fend to England for the power; to which he replied, that he fhould not have it, if he fent. In this they feemingly acquiefced, and amufed us for two months; at the end of which time the plenipotentiaries fay, not what they faid before-fend to England for powers to accede to propofals which you power or domeftic happinefs, we hall refift thefe demands with indignation. There was not a man (he faid), let his enjoyments be ever fo confiderable, who ought not to facrifice any portion of it to oppofe the violence of the enemy; nor one whofe ftock was fo fmall that he should not be ready to facrifice his life in the fame caufe. We owed it in gratitude to Providence, whofe goodnefs had placed and caufed us to be the admiration of Europe, with most of the governments of which ours was a happy contraft. The means of our fafety were ftill in our hands; our blethings were many; and the prefervation of them was our highest duty. He trusted that we never fhould abandon it, to whatever extremity we might be driven; but cheerfully enter into a pledge for the fincere performance of it, declaring our determination to ftand or fall by the laws, liberties, and religion of our country. have already rejected, but go to England yourself for powers to obtain peace. Such was the manner in which the profpect of peace was to be opened and broken off; for the grois attempt to deceive all Europe by the affectation of moderation, in ordering the French minifters to remain at Lifle for ten days, was unworthy a comment: they faid they expected an embaffador to return; they knew it was impoffible he should after their status fo high in the fcale of nations, ing as a fine qua non, that we should throw ourselves at their feet for mercy before we knew what terms they fhould be in the humour to dictate to us. But it is effential that we should know (continued Mr. Pitt) the real aim of the enemy: it is not our commerce, it is not our wealth, it is not our colonies in the weft, or our territories in the eaft, nor is it our maritime great nets, or the extent of our empire: No! the object is our liberty! the bafis of our independence, the citadel of our happiness-our conftiru tion! They themselves have declared it openly avowed that our government and theirs cannot fubfift together, and their endeavour is to deltroy it. Should they come amongst us, they would bring with their invading army the great peftilence to man, the genius of French liberty, which contains in it every curfe to fociety. In the place of our glorious principles and equal laws will be a hideous monster whom nothing can content but the annihilation of the British empire. And are we under circumflances to be afraid or ashamed to declare in a firm and manly tone, that we will defend ourselves? are we to fun the truth, and forget the energy which belongs to Englifhmen? If therefore we value property, liberty, law; if we value national Mr. Pollen, after complimenting the minister on his eloquent and able speech, profeffed his belief in the fincerity on our part during the late negotiation; he imputed its failure folely to the French government, whofe power the fudden return of peace muft inevitably have overthrown. Of many of the paft measures of the miniftry he had difapproved, but he now felt the neceflity of throwing a veil over the paft: when we looked forward, the profpect was too ferious to permit us to waste time in vain regrets: we now were called to a fituation which required all our intrepidity and all our firmnefs. There was no longer a question of confuming our ftrength in an unavailing struggle to maintain the balance of power and the former fyftem of European politics. politics. Mr. Martin much applauded the fpeech of Mr. Pitt; it was more convincing, he faid, than any he had heard upon the fubject: indeed, if the French would have acceded to any reasonable terms, it was his opinion that they fhould not be rejected; but when he faw they were determined to dictate the conditions, we ought not to permit ourfelves to be trampled on, but evince the fpirit which became a great nation. He thought the prefent amendment unneceffary, and that the original addrefs was more confonant to the nature of our prefent circumstances. Mr. N. Edwards rofe to fay, that in bis county, Rutlandfhire, the beft poffible difpofition prevailed ainongft the inhabitants, and that the lord lieutenant of it was diftinguifhed for the inftitution of the yeomanry corps. In many of the villages he knew, from perfonal ob fervation, and from repeated affurance, that the people were ready to make every facrifice for the defence of the country. There were a body of villagers, to the number of more than a thoufand, prepared to come forward whenever danger threatened, and to defend our frontiers: this, perhaps, might be deem ed a piece of information of too private a nature to be mentioned in the houfe; but he brought it as a symptom of the zeal and alacrity which animated that part of England. Mr. Lloyd rofe to exprefs, he faid, his deteflation of the perfidious conduct of the directory: and although the county of Flint, as a mineral county, fuffered in a particular manner from the continuance of the war (it having almoft entirely put an end to the lead trade), yet there would not be found in the kingdom a fet of men more ready to oppofe the tyrannic rulers of France, or more willing to repel their attacks, than thofe men whom he had the honour to represent. Lord Carysford cordially concurred in the fentiments of the addrefs: the French fyftem was fet up for the annoyance of Europe, and Europe could bear witness to the moderation and juftice of our caufe. Our refiftance was pointed against the exorbitant pretenfions of the enemy; and it was in unifon with the principles upon which we had acted from the beginning, as we had uniformly declared, that whatever form their government might affume we would not decline entering into any negotiation confiftent with the honour and fecurity of this kingdom. To this pledge we firictly had adhered; and the fyftem of moderation upon which we had proceeded fhould unite all men of every defcription in a cordial and vigorous defence of our laws, rights, and conftitution. Such an unani. mous co-operation would have the double good effect of filencing the calumnies which were circulated abroad by the enemy, and of reviving our fpirits at home, if indeed they were permitted to droop. — There was nothing in our fituation to |