man, who has this night taken occafion to cenfure his Ma jefty's Minifters for the peace they had concluded, seems to forget his own declaration on the iubject of that peace, upon a former occafion. He then gave it his approbation, and faid, that, confidering the ftate of the world, and the fituation in which this country food, it was the best that could be obtained, and he hailed it as fuch; while another right hon. Gentleman, whom I will call his new ally on the present occafion, deprecated the peace, and condemned it as a moft mifchievous and ruinous measure. Th fe difficulties I thall leave for thofe great statesmen to fettle at the next cabinet they hold; but putting the authority of the one against the other, I will afk, what fort of congruity the country can expect from a junction of both? For the peace which was concluded, every British heart acknowledged gratitude to his Majefty's prefent Minifers; and to them is entirely owing the unanimity of the whole empire in fupport of the prefent war-an unanimity worth all the foldiers that were disbanded at the conclufion of the peace. But the hon. Gentleman allows no excufe to his Majefty's Ministers for recommencing an unavoidable war; but charges them with involving the country in danger. I fhould be glad, Sir, if his talents had been always roufed to action by a fenfe of his country's danger. I should rejoice, Sir, to remember, that his vigilance and his energies had always been excited by a sense of the danger of that country for which he now profeffes fo much alarm and folicitude. But, Sir, when public danger threatened this country on a former and no very remote occafion, how did the hon. Member manifeft his folicitude? Was it by deferting his duty in this Houfe? (Hear! hear!) When the annihilation of the naval power of the country was menaced by the mutiny, where was the hon. Gentleman? Not at any place where his duty fhould have preffed him. (Hear! hear!) So much for the hon. Gentleman's zeal, and his alarm at the public danger. I have no charge to make against his confiftency in fupporting the peace, because, during the whole of the war, he was ready to make peace upon almoft any terms: and therefore I might fuppofe he would be as ready on the fame principle to fupport peace again. But how will he reconcile this principle to the right hon. Gentleman who goes along with him in this meafure, and who has repeatedly declared that peace to have fo funk the fpirit of the country, and the hearts of Englishmen, that they have not courage to raise their hands againft France? I know know how much the arrogance and acerbíty with which that peace was condemned, and the character and courage of the country traduced, may have contributed to excite the enemy to new defigns of hoftility against us; but certainly, if Bonaparte felt any difpofition to infult and attack this country, I know of nothing fo well calculated to induce him to believe he might do it with impunity, as the language held on that occafion by the right hon. Gentleman. But now that this fallen, difpirited, and pufillanimous nation, is again difposed to affert itfelf, and fhew its fpirit against the common enemy, his Majesty's Minifters are attacked for renewing the war, and condemned through every veftige of their proceedings in conduct. ing it. Sir, I fay it would be an act of the utmost rafhnefs in this Houfe, at fuch a crifis as the prefent, to move for the difmiffil of his Majefly's Minifters, or agree to any motion. neceffarily leading to fuch a measure, without well confidering what would be likely to follow, and who to fucceed them to confider a little the difpofition of thofe fucceffors; and if we only examine a little the confiftency of their principles and politics, we fhall find but little caufe to rely on the fuccefs of their meafures.-Here the right hon. Gentleman proceeded to recapitulate several of the statements of the public force, in vindication of the vigilance and activity of Minifters, which he argued were never furpaffed by any Ministers of this country, at any period of our hiftory; and added, that their exertions in the courfe of the last year, amounted, prima facie, to a conclufion in their favour, having within that period raifed the public ftrength to the utmoft pitch of which it was capable in so thort a time.-We are told, continued the right hon. Gentleman, that our country is in a ftate of fiege; and how does it appear?-why, in our fleets blockading the ports of the enemy! It is faid, that we are degraded in the eyes of all Europe! I fhould be glad to know the name of that nation, which, among the furrounding countries of humiliated Europe, can, from its proud and elevated dignity, look down upon the prefent humble, proftrate ftate of degraded England!-If, indeed, the powers of the Continent felt that England, crouching with terror within her own ports, felt alarm only for her own fafety, they might feel fentiments of contempt for her fituation; but viewing her as the only nation able to cope with the gigantic power and ambition of France, which has humbled all the rest of Europe, and the only rallying point to which Europe can turn for the hopes of its emancipation; I am at a lofs to con VOL. II. 1803-4. 4 G ceive 1 ceive what is meant by this degradation. I recollect, indeed, the vaunts of the enemy; the threats of our annihilation ;. the Delenda eft Carthago; the affertion that France and England could not both exist in the fame hemisphere; and the menaces of Bonaparte of our utter destruction: but we have seen him afterwards crouch to a peace with this country, and to purchase that peace by furrendering the territories of his allies; and how does he now menace our destruction Why, by fleets that dare not quit his fhores beyond the protection of those batteries that line his coaft from Dunkirk to Boulogne. From an union, fuch as the motion of this night propoles to effect, in fucceffion to his Majefly's prefent Minifters, no unity of fentiment can be expected. In a cabinet compofed of fuch oppofite principles, indeed, no union can exift. I think it extremely probable, for instance, that one of the first measures that would be propofed by the right hon Gentleman oppofite to me (Mr. Fox) would be a peace with Bonaparte, and probably through the mediation of Ruffia. But, I afk, is it to be expected such a peace would be propofed in fuch terms as his right hon. ally would be induced to agree to? I know there are many Gentlemen in this Houfe to-night, who may be induced to vote in favour of this question, even with a view to the removal of his Majefty's prefent Minifters, in hope that it might lead to form a miniftry, at the head of which might be placed the right hon. Gentleman under the gallery. I know his great talents and his exalted mind; and I know that great good must be attained for this country, under any government where he is placed at the head. But does any man imagine it possible he could ever unite with the hon. Gentleman oppofite to me, who has fo often arraigned his government, as an abomina. tion to this country; and the whole of his measures as the moft wicked, dangerous, and unconftitutional? who has arraigned him repeatedly as guilty of the vileft corruption and profligacy; and accufed him of wickedly and unneceffarily protracting the late war, and promoting the ruin of his country? Can it be poffible that the hon. Member over against me (Mr. Fox), now juft returning to this Houfe from that retirement he fought, in difguft, at the measures of the right hon. Gentleman under the gallery, will dedicate his first exertion to raise again to power that Minister whose former fway he confidered fo odious, and his miniftry the greatest calamity to this country? Sir, I cannot fuppofe fuch an object poffible. It may be imagined, that the right hon Gentleman Gentleman under the gallery is defirous of raifing to power the hon. Member over the way: this I think equally improbable. I do not fay the difgrace would be greater to one than to the other; but that it would be equally difgraceful to both. I am ready to give the right hon Gentleman under the gallery credit for every thing magnanimous, for every thing liberal, for every readinefs to facrifice political refentment or party pique, when at fuch a crifis they may stand in the way of his country's good; and I am fure he would feel it a load caft from his feelings. But I do not believe that he can facrifice the great principle of his confiftency; and I can never think that two men of principles fo totally oppofite, could meet at the fame council board, without fuch concealments or diffimulation as would render each defpicable in the eyes of the other, and both in their own. I beg to afk, if this could be confidered as a means of defending the nation; if ' it could be for the good of the country, that Adminiftration fhould continue in their fituations after the confidence of Parliament was withdrawn from them? And if they are to continue in place, would it not be madness for the Houfe to accede to this meafure? I beg to afk, is this a time to repeal the habeas corpus fufpenfion law in Ireland, or the martial law bill? Is it, I afk, a prudent moment to agitate the Catholic question? Is it a time to affimilate this homely conftitution of ours to that" exalted monument of human wif dom"-the Government of France? (Hear! hear!) The hon. Gentlemen who join in the purpose of the notion may vote for it, but it will become the wildom of the Houfe to paufe before they adopt it. I would conjure even the hon. Gentleman himself, by the many well-fought days of argument he has maintained in this Houfe; I conjure him by the memory of his departed friend Mr. Burke- would conjure him by a nemory he should, and he ought to refpect more. the memory of his departed felf-to ftop before 'tis too late, and before he figns and feals for ever his own inconfiftency. A Government, at the head of which fhould be placed a man, the enthufiaftic admirer of French principles-(Order! order!) Sir, I believe I am not out of order, and if Gentlemen with to put an end to the confiftency and congruity of Government, I am not to blame for endeavouring to ref cue the Houle from delufion. Mr. Windham had heard nothing from the other fide of the Houfe that was either inftructive or entertaining. The learned Gentleman, however, had determined to break the dullness that feemed to overfpread the Houfe, and had chaunted the funeral obfequies of the Miniftry in melodious ftrains. "He sang Darius, great and good, "And weltering in his blood." But he did not feem to think the cause altogether defperate; and as he proceeded, "He burst the bands of sleep asunder, "And rous'd him like a peal of thunder.” The hon. Member then proceeded to notice the arguments of the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General, and remarking on the latter, obferved, that he ought to have fhewn more feeling and regard to thofe with whom he was connected. He ought to have thought of a Gentleman, not more than four or five from him, and on the same bench, when he undertook to abuse coalitions, and attack men for union on any particular meafures. The learned Gentleman had been very lavifh of his advice to all fides of the House, and had cautioned them against taking any part in a Miniftry in which he and his friends were not interested. He had stated, that the queftion went to decide whether the prefent Adminiftration was to continue in power. He hoped. it did affect that queftion, as that was a matter of very great importance. The learned Gentleman had the credit of ftanding forth the champion of Administration, and certainly, as their advocate he was peculiarly well qualified, though, on the prefent occafion, he feemed to have become both advocate and client. He had no intention of going into the notion of a coalition, dwelt upon at fo great length, and with fo much warmth, by the learned Gentleman, who laid down for others principles which it appeared he could not make apply to the conduct of those who were fitting fo very near him.. Mr. Tierney did not imagine he was of fo much consequence as to be fo often arraigned. With respect to what had been faid, as to his inconfiftency, it was for the event to fhew how, on the fubject of parliamentary reform, he fhould a&. For the prefent let that be left ad referendum. As to accufations of entertaining French principles, he fhould take that as he always took it, in no ill humour. He had oppofed his Majefty's late Minifters, and certainly for one ftrong reafon among others, that the right hon. Gentleman oppofite was a Minifter in a military department. The pre . fent |