tendency of his paper was of a mischievous nature to this country. It must be evident to their Lordships what was the meaning of the paragraph; it did not ftand alone. It was not a fingular paragraph, unlike thofe which generally appeared in the paper. It was one of a chain of experiments made to try what their Lordships would bear; and if they paffed it over in filence, Mr. Perry might well fay, now let them find fault if they dare. His Lordship paid many compliments to the Bishop of Durham, for his exertions in the caufe of morality, and concluded by oppofing the Amendment. Lard Minto replied, and perfifted in the neceffity of making an example. Lord Grenville vindicated the moderation of the House on the prefent occafion; after which the Houfe divided: when there appeared, For Lord Minto's motion, Majority, 69 II 58 On which Mr. Perry and Mr. Lambert were ordered into the cuftody of the Black Rod. MOTION FOR THE DISMISSAL OF MINISTERS. When ftrangers were admitted, we found that the Duke of Bedford had rifen to make his motion for the difmiffal of his Majefty's Minifters. His Grace's fpeech was to the following effect: It will not, My Lords, require much detail of facts, or a great deal of argument, to prove that, in the career which they have purfued, the present Minifters have been fupported by your implicit confidence, and have been uncontrolled by your interference; that they have been ftrengthened by every kind of concurrence which could give energy to their operations, and have never upon any occafion been thwarted by an oppofition, on the part of this Houfe, that could obftruct their fuccefs in the fyftem upon which they acted. Whenever you have been called upon to inquire, not only into partial measures, but into the whole conduct of Adminiftration, you have uniformly refufed that inquiry. They were left at liberty to follow the plan which they had embraced, and' were furnished with the moft ample means to carry it into execution. If, then, in the courfe of what I fhall ftate to your Lordships, I fhall be able to fhow, and I have little doubt of it, that with all the confidence which his Majefty's Minifters may have, much of our calamitous fituation (and it will not be denied, I believe, we are in a calamitous fituation) is attributable to their mifmanagement; if, my Lords, I fay, I fucceed in proving this, I trust they will not charge me with harfhnefs in withing your Lordships to No. 18. ** 5 M adopt 1 adopt what I fhall conclude by propofing, and in declaring, that the only remedy we have for the falyation of the country is the difmiffal of the prefent Minifters. "I fhall not at prefent detain you, by entering into a difcuffion of the origin and causes of the war. It will not, however, be impertinent or unreafonable again to remind you, that, prior to the commencement of the war, Minifters were charged, by those who were friendly to peace, with purfuing that line of conduct, which infallibly led to hoftilities, and that the war was the natural confequence of the policy upon which Minifters had long acted. My object now is to fhew you that the only remedy for your calamities is to remove the men to whom they are to be afcribed. So far as regards the criminal accusation which the fubject might fuggest against Ministers, from this, for the prefent, I fhall forbear. This fubject will be better fuited to a moment of calm and fafety, when men shall be able to view their fituation as it really is, and when the abfence of danger will enable us more coolly to enter into the inveftigation of guilt. "With whatever fentiments Minifters may have been fuppofed to contemplate the profpect of a war, and whatever means they may have employed to prevent it, yet it will be recollected that the declaration of war, on the part of the French, was a matter that excited the most lively joy. They could not conceal their fatisfaction that the French feemed to have committed the firft aggreffion, and furnished a pretext for war. It was viewed not as a matter of melancholy and regret, but of triumph and exultation. Thofe, however, who thought that greater exertions and a different conduct ought to have been employed to prevent a rupture with France, left no effort untried to put an end to the evils in which we had been involved, and as far as poffible to retard their progrefs. Remonftrances were made against the meafures which Minifters purfued. It was contended, that, by a firm, a manly, and an open conduct, France might still be turned to peace, and that the ground of difpute might be removed. Parliament was called upon to declare that this country would not interfere in the internal affairs of France; and afterwards, when the warlike views of Minif⚫ters became more fyftematic and lefs difguifed, Parliament was called upon to addrefs his Majesty to enter into no treaties with foreign powers, which would form an argument against peace, and embarrass the attainment of that object. To this no anfwer was made, but that fince we were embarked in the conteft, it was neceffary to go on, and that every exertion ought to be made to ftrengthen the country, and secure ultimate fuccefs. Again, to remove all misunderstanding of the objects objects and views entertained in the profecution of the war, Parliament was called upon to fay, that the war was not undertaken for the purposes of aggrandifement, but upon the moft benevolent principles of general intereft; that as the French were then defeated, and reduced within their own territories, this was the moment to come forward with offers of peace. To this it was anfwered, in the eiation of profperity, that being embarked in the contest, we ought to persevere till the exifting Government of France was replaced by a better fyftem, and that the moment of fuccefs was not the moment to fue for peace. Such was the language with which every attempt to oppose the progrefs of the war was refifted. Minifters indeed had not then developed all their schemes, and avowed all their objects. They had not then mounted their lofty war-borfe which they afterwards beftrode. They did not with to alarm the country with too extenfive a plan of warfare, left they should be diverted from its profecution, and inclinedto peace. They wished to lead us on gradually till it was impoffible to retreat; every effort to prevent the progrefs of the warlike fyftem was ineffectual. But if we had feized that opportunity of making peace, we fhould fcarcely have felt the preffure of the war, for we had not then incurred a debt of more than fix millions, nor had a greater annual charge been fixed upon the country than 250,000l. "The next Seffion of Parliament opened with a Speech from the Throne, in which Minifters (for I take the Speech from the Throne as the Speech of the Minifter) began to exprefs a different language. We were now told that we were engaged in the contest not merely for the defence of our allies and for repelling aggreffion, but we were embarked in a contest to refift the progrefs of anarchy, impiety, and irreligion; that it was impoffible to talk of peace till the monarchy of France was restored. Now it was that the fchemes of Ministers were developed-now it was that their wild and frantic fchemes blazed forth in all their fury. They hoped to rival by their exploits the proudest Minister of the proudest day that England had ever feen-They hoped, miferable men! to raise temples of fame and trophies of victory upon the mutilated carcafes of their fellow-creatures. They were difappointed. But you, my Lords, and the nation, contributed to produce this mifchef. You, my Lords, shocked at the enormities of the French, became unjust yourfelves; and fhrinking from the fcenes of horror and cruelty difplayed in France, you impiously affumed to yourfelves that vengeance, which a learned Prelate has fo truly told you belongeth not to man. But, my Lords, the advocates for peace, not daunted nor awed by thefe; as 5 great M 2 great friends to the welfare and profperity of their country as the proudest boafter, attempted to induce the Parliament to adopt a milder language. They told you, that if you hoped to deftroy France, it was a wild, a foolish hope: they told you, if you hoped to deftroy the rulers of France, the best way was by making peace. Other ideas, however, were entertained and adopted: ftill, however, thofe who kept the neceffity of peace in view perfevered. They heard that other alliances were formed: they endeavoured to advise his Majefty to extricate himself from them whenever peace could be made with honour. They said that there were no hopes of fuccefs in the continuance of the war-they were answered, that we had been fuccefsful; that our refources were adequate to every emergency; that though we might be fomewhat affected, yet that we were not like the miferable Government of France, obliged to have recourse to forced loans. Towards the close of that feffion, I did myself the honour to move certain refolutions to your Lordships. We had then been fuccefsful. I wifhed to call your Lordships attention to our fituation then, and to feize that opportunity for putting an end to the war. I likewife called upon you to advise his Majesty to abstain from any interference in the internal affairs of France; but that if you did mean to interfere, you would ftate fome precife points. I did believe that that would have produced fome advantage: for in the confused state of France then, the enemies of the exifting government would have known the particular objects which you wifhed to obtain. We were told-what! now, in the moment of fuccefs, fhall we treat, when we have fuch confident hopes of attaining all we with? No! Jacobinifm in France must be destroyed; not only the prefent rulers must be cut off, but all who entertain the fame principles and fentiments with them, must be deftroyed. We will never treat with men who have dyed their hands in the blood of their fovereign, and who have dared to call our king a tyrant. (Here Lord Grenville cried hear! hear!) Such was the proud and boastful language then employed by Minifters, and I am glad to find that the Noble Secretary feems now to remember what on many occafions he and his colleagues feemed to have forgotten. In the hour of profperity, indeed, their language was haughty and their tone determined. But did they perfevere in this temper? Did they discover a firmnefs in adverfity corresponding to their prefumption in fuccefs? Look at their conduct the next year, and fee how these pretenfions were juflified. The feffion then clofed, and if peace had then been obtained, we should not have experienced the financial difficulties under which we have fince laboured, nor have had to dread those with which we are threatened, threatened. The fum then added to the capital of our debt was about twenty-two millions, and the annual amount of taxes one million. "Next feffion the fentiments of the people had undergone a confiderable change. The profpects held out to them had been difappointed. The appearance of a war of extermination now threatened them, when it was doubtful which party would be its victim. When the French were to be the objects of it, the profpect was pleafing; but its afpect was changed when it turned against ourfelves. But not merely out of doors, but in Par liament itself, this change had taken place. It was necessary therefore to use fome management with those with whom the war was by no means fo popular. The distraction of the French Republic, the diforder and approaching ruin of her finances, the caufe of religion and focial order were infifted upon. Still, however, the defire of peace gained ground. In the Houfe of Commons, thofe who had uniformly exerted themfelves for the reftoration of peace, made new attempts to pave the way for that object. Upon this occafion, Ministers moved an amendment, in which it was faid, that we were determined to perfevere in the conteft till fuch a Government was established in France as might be able to maintain the accustomed relations of peace and amity. Not a word was faid to explain when fuch a Government was to be expected, or in what it would be allowed to confift. It was contended therefore by those who were friendly to peace, that it was neceffary to abandon that system which led to extermination, and to treat at a time when, if unfuccefsful, we were able to continue the war with vigour. Will you treat under the difficulties you now fuffer? it was faid. Will you throw this country at the feet of France, and recognize French fuperiority No, it was replied, we will not recognize the fuperiority of France, but we will prove that we diftruft the capacity of thofe who have involved us in our prefent difficulties. Will you treat with the Republic of France? (was it contended), and acknowledge that your King and Parliament are unfit to govern you? Will you agree to the furrender of thofe places which it has ever been confidered impoffible for the French to hold with fafety to this country? Will you give up your Weft India Islands, and furrender your commercial advantages? We were told too, that the finances of France were exhaufted, that it was impoffible fhe could maintain the confeft, and that our perfeverance would be ultimately fuccessful. How falfe thefe financial fpeculations were, we have fince experienced. Yet ftill, my Lords, Minifters did not talk of monarchy, in the language they had done formerly. We do not, faid they, want a monarchy in France; we only want fuch |