difaffected perfons in Ireland never would have gone the lengththey did, had they not received fupport from this country; and he was forry and afhamed to say that too many Noblemen gave ftrength to thefe perfons and thefe focieties, by belonging to them; or, if they did not belong to them, gave them their countenance, which had in fome refpects the fame effect. Having faid this, he was prepared to give his decided negative to this Addrefs. He would not enter upon the general arguments of the Noble Duke, he fhould only fay, that the motion with which he concluded had only a tendency to damp the ardour of the people; and therefore, were there no other reafon against it, he thould give it his decided negative. Lord Rodney faid, that at fo late an hour of the night, he fhould not enter into the project now before their Lordships, but he should fay a few words upon it, and, in his opinion, a few would be fufficient, becaufe the real queftion lay in a small compafs. If their Lordships recollected what paffed upon this fubject last year, they would be affifted very much in coming to a conclufion on the matter now before them, for the fame point was then decided after a full difcuffion, and the question now was, whether what had happened fince that difcuffion altered the nature of the cafe? The Noble Lord who fpoke laft but one, had obferved, that the two wars were owing to the want of a Parliamentary Reform. Now he could fay, for he was in Parliament during the whole of the American war, that if ever there was a war put an end to by Parliament, the American war was fo put an end to. The fame Noble Lord had taken notice of the conduct of Minifters with regard to the Netherlands; there might indeed be fome difference of opinion whether the Netherlands ought to be made a fine qua non; but he believed there was not a single Lord among them all, that thought the Netherlands were to be out of the queftion. As to what had paffed laft year, and what had paffed fince, and indeed on the conduct of Minifters altogether, he declared that he expected a motion of thanks to Minifters, inftead of a motion for difmiffing them. He declared, upon his honour, that he thought they deferved the thanks of that Houfe, as he believed they had the thanks of the public for their ability, their diligence, and the care they took of the intereft of the State, in every part of their Administration, during the courfe of the prefent war. He had never confidered this as an unfuecefsful war. In no fpot upon the whole globe had we loft a fingle point. The enemy, notwithstanding all their gafconade, dared not attack us within a league of their own coaft--for they had not attempted it at Guernsey or Jerfey. But what had been been faid by the Noble Duke, of our Minifters, was applicable to the French, for they boafted in proportion to their weakness, as applicable to any offenfive operations against us; nor did he fee the leaft probability of danger to us from any thing they could do. He did not like to hear any difpiriting language ufed with regard to the exertions of the people of this country. We fhould remember the fituation in which we ftood last year, when we had fo many domeftic difficulties, and fo many domeftic enemies. How was the picture changed in that refpe&t? We now faw men of every defcription eager to fhew their zeal in their country's caufe, and to contribute to the fupport of the Government under which they had the happinefs to live. Did that shew that we should change Minifters, and that to make way for God knew who? The Noble Duke faid he would not accept of any office in Administration, and feemed to convey an idea that all those with whom he acted would not accept any offices-perhaps they expected an addrefs of that Houfe to befeech them to do fo. But to obferve on what had been done. The Spaniards came out with 22 fail of the line. We met them with an unequal force, and they confidered it as a miracle that they efcaped. Was that a reafon for changing Minifters? The most pleafing circumstance with him was, that we were at this moment more capable of carrying on the war than we were last year; and this he believed was owing to the wife policy of the Minifters of this country. It was matter of indifference to him who were Minifters, provided they did their duty; it was to the falvation of the country that he looked, and he declared that in the county in which he refided, the people there, (the County of Kent) were fo far from not having confidence in the Executive Government, that they were almost to a man ready to come forward to fupport it. He declared, upon his honour, that the people of the County of Kent were ready to fubmit to every measure of Government, and he had no doubt that in cafe of an invafion they would prove themfelves a great and powerful, because a free people. Not that they were perfectly unanimous, because uninimity to a man was not to be expected among a free people; difference of opinion would exift and would fhew itfelf among fuch people. It was only where the people were flaves that perfect unanimity would appear: fuch, for inftance, as in France; where men were forced into the fervice at the point of the fword; that was indeed one fort of unanimity, but thank God that was not the unanimity of this country. Upon the whole of the matter, he declared he did not think he should be a friend to his country nor to his intereft in it, if he did not give to the motion now before the Houfe, Houfe, his decided difapprobation. He was fo clearly convinced of this, that unless this motion was carried, he should propose a motion fimilar to that which was voted formerly, to approve of the conduct of Adminiftration in the progrefs of the war. But first, he should fay, because he thought it his duty to fay, that an officer who had done himfelf much credit (he meant Sir Charles Grey) who was as remarkable for his affability of manners as for his great fkill and experience in his profeffion, had done the public much fervice. He had kept the foldiers under his command in good order without any unneceflary rigour, and he was a perfon to whom the public were much indebted, and who by his general conduct had meritorioufly gained the esteem of every man in that country, from the highest ranks to the lowest. He concluded with reading the motion, which he faid he fhould bring forward after this was difpofed of; the substance of which was, That their Lordships, confidering the interest this country has at ftake, have feen, with peculiar fatisfaction, the zeal with which every rank of their fellow fubjects are animated; and that, animated with the fame fentiments, they deem it their duty, inftead of diftracting our counfels, to manifeft their attachment to the true intereft of their country, by declaring their firm adherence to that fyftem which has been adopted by his Majefty's Minifters in the profecution of the prefent war, which has fecured us the advantages of a free people, provided us against foreign attacks, and tended to the maintenance of our law, religion and conftitution." Lord Darnley thought that the Noble Lord fhould have proved that the French were capable of preferving the relations of peace and amity, before he had accufed Minifters of not having entered into treaty with them. The Houfe would recollect, that the question was frequently difcuffed, and as frequently decided against the opinion of the Noble Duke and his friends. His Lordship then went into the examination of the different negotiations, and inferred, that they were all fruflrated through the inordinate ambition, the infatiable temper, and over-bearing conduct of the French. The prefent Adminiftration, he did not prefume to fay, had always been right, as far as his apprehenfion went, but they were fo far right, he should think that he acted inconfiftent with his duty to his country, if he were to fupport the prefent Motion. The Noble Duke had infinuated, that he did not with to form part of any Administration that should fucceed the prefent one, if difmiffed; but it muft clearly be fo; for if the prefent Minifters were difmiffed, who were to fucceed them? No doubt there were many men who could guide the councils of the nation as well, perhaps better; better; but where was his Majefty to find them on the inftant? Clear, therefore, it was, that the Noble Duke and his friends must be the perfons. The queftion was then called for, and the Lord Chancellor began to read the motion for the purpose of putting the queftion. The Marquis of Lansdowne fpoke nearly as follows:-" My Lords, the queftion now before your Lordships being in fubftance a very plain one, I fhall confine myfelf to the matter of it; or, at leaft, I fhall endeavour to do fo as fuccinctly as I can. Whatever my opinion might be, as to the origin of the prefent war, I fhall abstain from delivering that opinion now, on account of the lateness of the hour, and for other reafons which I need not enumerate. "The fituation in which we are, and which every man's heart and hand fhould be ready to relieve if poflible, is, in my opinion, a very alarming one. The question before us is, whether his Majefty's prefent Minifters, as they have proved themfelves by their conduct (for it is by their conduct only they can be fairly tried), are capable or incapable of conducting the affairs of this country with advantage to its interefts; are fit or unfit to be trusted with its management in future? In this critical moment, I know of nothing whereby to judge of men, but by their conduct and their actions. They have had great experience of your Lordships, and you of them; they have had many opportunities of fhewing their talents; they have had the purfe of this nation entirely at their command, for now upwards of four, and indeed almoft five years. It is easy to put every man upon the right road, to come to his journey's end, in forming an opinion upon Minifters. We have only to examine what they have promifed-what they have undertaken-what they have done. And if they have promifed any thing which they have not performed, what reafons they can alledge for their failure: whether they have made good your expectations, or difappointed you in them. In God's name, if they be proved to have acted as wife men ought to have acted, let them not only be free from cenfure, but let them have your praife; for he must be a wicked man who would defire you to advise your Sovereign to difmifs Minifters who have acted wifely. It would be a bad thing to have the government of this country, at such a time as this, for only three days (more would not be neceffary) without an administration. If, on the other hand, it fhould appear they undertook what they knew they could not accomplish, or what they ought to know they could not accomplifh-if, from affluent circumftances, in every fenfe of the phrafe, they have reduced you to poverty-if, from the highestcredit, they have brought your finances to difrepute; and have brought brought you to that state in which they have often declared your enemies to be, and that by their negligence or incapacity; then, I fay, he would be a wicked man who defired you not to addrefs your Sovereign to difmifs them from his councils.. I speak not with party fpirit; there are men both in Administration and Oppofition for whom I have great refpect, for their talents at least. I have great refpect for the Noble Duke whofe motion is now before you, as well as for many others who generally agree with him; but it is not to one or two, or to twenty perfons that I lock. I think that worthy and able men are never wanting. I have feen enough of this world to know that Nature, ever true to herfelf, always produces that which is neceffary, and which man may always find upon fecking. I fhould with to bring this fubject into as fmall a compafs as poffible, confidering its importance, and to lay it before you with fuch fimplicity and clearness as may enable you to decide upon it without difficulty. Differing, as I know I do, from many Noble Lords; differing perhaps from the majority of your Lordships, upon this queftion; I think it is my duty to ftate that difference; and to lodge it with your Lordfhips, from which I am not without hopes fome good may arife; fince, if I am right, I fhall afford you an opportunity of becoming fo; and, if wrong, there is no man will be more forry for his error than I shall be. This queftion ought to be coolly and calmly decided, not by paffion and prejudice. In order to form a correct opinion on this head, I beg leave to call to the recollection of your Lordfhips what I full well remember was ftated to your Lordships by the Noble Lord on the crofs bench (Lord Grenville) at different times fince the origin of the war, on the subject of the important difference of the finances of the two countries. The war, my Lords, was begun, and whatever might be the various grounds which at different periods have been ftated by that Noble Lord, as the caufes of contention, I dare fay it will readily occur to your Lordship's memories, that the Noble Secretary always fpoke in terms of the higheft exultation on the prodigious dif ference there was in the ftate of the finances of each, and how greatly this difference preponderated in favour of this country. Soon after the commencement of the war, the Noble Secretary `boafted that it was impoffible the French could hold out even another campaign, for that their expenditure was fo enormous, and their finances fo exhaufted, that it was not in the nature, or almoft poffibility of things, that they could hold it out much longer. He talked of the amazing number of milliards of affignats, amounting, I think, to one hundred and forty millions fterling, which had been fabricated and expended in the courfe of the then laft campaign. Thefe, from the forced and coercive measures |