fhould be fubjected to the fword of the law, which was, in other words, that they should be put to death. The noble lord proceeded to state, in his memorial, that the divine vengeance feemed not to have been tardy. Upon this, Mr. Sheridan faid, he had only to ob ferve, that we were engaged in a war, which, for our fafety, we had purfued to the accomplishment of its avowed object; and with refpect to the divine vengeance, from motives of refpect, decorum, and piety, we ought to be filent *. Were * Memorial prefented on the 5th of this month by the British and Imperial minifters to the states-general.. Hauts et Puiffans Seigneurs, Il eft connu que, vers la fin du mois de Septembre de l'année derniere S. M. Brétannique, & V. H. P. ont donné de concert l'affurance folemnelle, que dans le cas, ou le danger imminent qui menaçoit dés-lors les jours de L. M. Très-Chrétiennes et de leur famille fe réalifat, S. Majefté, & L. H. P. ne manqueroient pas de prendre les mefures les plus efficaces, pour empêcher que les perfonnes qui fe feroient rendues coupables d'une crime auffi atroce, ne trouvaffent aucun aiyle dans leurs états refpectifs. Cet événement, qu'on preflentoient avec horreur, a eu lieu ; & la vengeance Divine, paroît ne s'être pas long-tems fait attendre. Quelques-uns de ces déteftables régicides font déja dans le cas de pouvoir etre foumis au glaive de la loi. Les autres font encore au milieu du peuple, qu'ils ont plongé dans un abîme de maux, & auquel le famine, l'anarchie & la guerre civile préparent de nouvelles calamités. Enfin, tout ce que nous voyons arriver, concourt à nous faire regarder comme prochaine la fin de ces malheureux, dont la démence & les atrocités ont pénétré d'épouvante & d'indignation tous ceux qui tiennent aux principes de religion, de morale & d'humanité. En conféquence, les Souffignés foumettent au jugement éclairé & à la fageffe de Vos Hautes-Puiffances, fi elles ne trouveroient pas convenable d'employer tous les moyens qui font en leur pouvoir, pour défendre l'entrée de leurs États en Europe, ou de leurs Colonies, à tous ceux des membres de la foi-disante convention nationale, ou du prétendu Confeil Exécutif, qui ont pris part, directement ou indirectement, au dit crime, & s'ils étoient découverts & arrêtés, de les faire livrer entre les mains de la juftice pour fervir de leçon & d'exemple au genre humain. Fait à la Haye, ce 5 Avril, 1793. (Signé) AUCKLAND, LOUIS C. DE STAHREMBERG. High and Mighty Lords, TRANSLATION. It is known, that, towards the end of the month of September, last year, his Britannic majefty and your high might ineffes gave, in concert, a folemn affurance, that, in cafe the imminent danger which then threatened the lives of their moft Chriftian majefties, and their family, fhould be realifed, his majesty and your high mightineffes would not fail to take the most efficacious meatures to prevent the perfons who might render themfelves guilty of fo atrocious a crime from finding any afylum in their respective dominions. This event, which was forefeen with horror, has taken place, and the divine vengeance feems not to have been tardy. Some of thefe deteftable regicides are already in such a fituation that they may be fubjected to the fword of the law. The reft are still in the midst of a people whom they have plunged into an abyfs of evils, and for whom famine, anarchy Were we, he asked, at war with the French nation at this moment? If the principle on which we proceeded to the war was followed, he would fay, that we were not at war with the French nation. The object we profeffed to have in view was accomplished, and we should negotiate with thofe who had the direction of the public force. But if we countenanced the memorial of lord Auckland, we should fay, that the whole national convention, all the members of the diftricts, in fhort, about eight or nine millions of people, muit be put to death, before we can negotiate for peace. Mr. Sheridan then proceeded to examine the late partition of Poland, nor did he omit to deal out his invectives again ft the emprefs of Ruffia, the king of Pruflia, and the emperor of Germany, for their conduct in it: nor did he think that any robbery had been committed by the most defperate of the French, or that any of their acts had exceeded in infamy the injuftice and tyranny of those fovereigns. After obferving on the fituation and difpofition of the French nation, and fupporting his opinion, that their opinions could not be extirpated by the fword, he returned to the me morial of lord Auckland, and recommended the most folemn difavowal of the views and difpofitions it appeared to announce. He then reprefented, that the fate of the country was fuch as to trade, revenues, and general refources, that it became the most urgent duty of the minifter to avail himself of every fortunate occurrence, to extricate Great Britain from the alarming evils of war. He concluded his fpeech with moving, "That an humble addrefs be prefented to his majefty, to exprefs to his majefty the difpleasure of this Houfe at a certain memorial dated the 5th of April, 1793, prefented to the itates-general of the United Provinces, figned by the right honourable lord Auckland, his majefty's minifter at the Hague; the faid memorial containing a declaration of the following tenor Some of thefe detefiable regicides (meaning by this expreflion, the commiflioners of the national convention of France, delivered to prince Coburgh by general Dumourier) are now in fuch a fituation, that they can be fubjected to the word of the law; the reft are anarchy, and civil war, are preparing new calamities. In fhort, every thing that we fee happen, induces us to confider as at hand the end of thefe wretches, whofe madnefs and atrocities have filled with terror and indignation all those who refpect the principles of religion, morality, and humanity. The underligned, therefore, fubmit to the enlightened judgment and wisdom of your high mightineffes, whether it would not be proper to employ all the means in your power to prohibit from entering your ftates in Europe, or your colonies, all thofe members of the felf-titled national convention, or of the pretended executive council, who have, directly or indirectly, participated in the faid crime; and if they should be discovered and ariested, to deliver them up to justice, that they may ferve as a leffon an example to mankind. Done at the Hague, this 5th of April, 1793. fill in the midst of a people, whom they have plunged into an abyfs of evils, and for whom famine, anarchy, and civil war are about to prepare new calamities. In short every thing that we fee happen induces us to confider as not far diftant the end of thofe wretches, whefe madnefs and atrocity have filled with horror and indignation all those who respect the principles of religion, morality, and humanity, &c.' To acquaint his majefty with the fenfe of this Houfe, that the faid minifter, in making this declaration, has departed from the principles upon which this Houfe was induced to concur in the meafures neceffary for the fupport of the war, in which the British nation is at prefent unfortunately engaged, and has announced an intention, on his part, inconfiftent with the repeated affurances given by his majefty, that he would not interfere in the internal affairs of France and for which declaration this Houfe cannot eafily be brought to believe that the faid minifter derived any authority from his majesty's inftructions. : "Humbly to befeech his majefty, that fo much of the faid memorial, as contains the declaration above recited, may be publicly difavowed by his majefty, as containing matter inconfiftent with the wifdom and humanity which at all times have diftinguished the Britifh nation, and derogatory to the dignity of the crown of this realm, by avowing an intention to interpofe in the internal affairs of France, which his majefty has, in fo many declarations, difclaimed; and mingling purpofes of vengeance with thofe objects of defence and fecu rity to ourselves and our allies, which his majefty's minifters have fo often declared to be the fole object of the present war. "To reprefent to his majefty, that this Houfe has already expreffed its fenfe of the acts spoken of in the above declaration; but that as neither this, nor any other foreign ftate, can poffefs any cognizance or jurifdiction refpecting them, the only tendency of menaces against their perpetrators is, to compel this country either unjuftifiably to carry on war for the fubverfion of the prefent government of France, or difgracefully to feek peace by an ignominious negotiation with the very government whom we have thus infulted and ftigmatifed in our public acts. "That thefe threats muft tend to give to the hoftilities with which Europe is now afflicted a peculiar barbarifm and ferocity, by provoking and reviving a fyftem of retaliation and bloodthed, which experience of its deftructive tendency, honour, humanity, and religion, have combined to banish from the practice of civilifed war. "And finally, to reprefent to his majefty how deeply the reputation, of his majefty's counfels is interefted in difclaiming thefe unjustifiable, and, we truft, unauthorised denunciations of vengeance, so deftructive of all refpect for the confiftency, and of all confidence in the fincerity of the public acts of his minifters, and fo manifeftly tending at once to render the principle of the war unjust, the condu&tˆof hoftilities barbarous, and the attainment of honourable, peace hopelefs." Mr. Pitt expreffed his aftonifhment, that the motion of the honour able 1 able gentleman for a removal, and afterwards for an impeachment against lord Auckland, was only an invective against the empress of Ruffia, the king of Pruffia, and the emperor; and that when he came to fpeak, very fhortly, on the real queftion, he fhould make a direct attack on his majefty and the government of this country, on that House, on parliament, and on the fentiments of the nation at large. The hon. gentleman objected to the memorial delivered by lord Auckland to the States General, because, he faid, it amounted to a departure from the principles on which the war in which we were engaged was commenced; and the honourable member contended, from the words of the memorial, that this muft either be a war of extermination, or that we muft fubmit to a difhonourable peace. Now, neither the one nor the other of these imputations arofe out of the words of the memorial: nor was there a word in it that conveyed a with, that the war fhould be carried on till all those who had any concern in that horrible act, the execution of the French king, fhould be brought to punishment. That there fhould be made an example, if poffible, of those who were guilty of that horrid act, he believed to be the fincere with of all good men. But we did not engage in the war with that object, because it was not politic to enter into war for vengeance, on account of crimes which were not committed in this country. But although this was not the profeffed object of the war, we were not toabate in our vigilance for the fafety of mankind and as this was one of the moft horrid crimes, it ought to be made a fingular example of vindictive juftice; fo that even diftant ages might feel, when they reflected on this horrid act. That Houfe had agreed to afford no affiftance, no protection to those who fhould be guilty of it; and this was done before we were at war with France, and even before it was known that we fhould be at war with that nation; and if it happened, that we were at war with France for other caufes, was it lefs proper to exprefs that juft indignation, which might have been done in time of peace, againft a tranfaction which had excited the deteftation and abhorrence of all Europe? It was faid, that we could not treat with thofe whom we had branded with opprobrious epithets. If that was matter of charge against lord Auckland, it was alfo a charge against that Houfe. Would any man fay, that the act of delivering up to juftice any of the French regicides carried a ftronger reproach than the language contained in every meffage from the crown, and inevery addrefs which had taken place on this fubject. Mr. Pitt faid, he could not poffibly comprehend how it could be fuppofed, that the memorial went to the extermination of eight or nine millions of men, when there was not one word faid on the fubject. As to the meaning of the paper on which the hon. gentleman propofed to fupport a criminal accufation against lord Auckland, he could not difcover any thing in it which could juftify fuch an intention. It was ob ferved, in the memorial, that fome of thofe who were concerned in the death of the king were now in a fituation, in which they might be brought under the fword of the law; and then the honourable gen tleman's tleman's inuendo was, that the five commiflioners who were fent to Maeftricht were defignated; tho' it did not appear, that they then were, or were likely to be in the cuftody of the Dutch. The natural fenfe of the memorial was, that lord Auckland thought that fome of thofe perfons, who were guilty of the murder of the late king, might foon be in a fituation, if a counterrevolution (which, from the conduct and promifes of Dumourier, was then expected) had been eftablished, and tribunals of juftice erected, to be brought before fuch tribunals. Befides, it must be in every one's recollection, that there was a time, when an English ambaffador applied to the States-General, and applied with effect, to deliver up certain regicides. To this country they were brought; in this country they were tried, and in this country they were executed. They would be guilty therefore of duplicity, if they were to accufe lord Auckland, who had only acted on their own principles, which had been previously declared; and when they were ftated, not a word was uttered against them. After a warm panegyric on the character and fervices of the noble lord, Mr. Pitt urged the neceflity of carrying on the war with that vigour and effect which might lead to an honourable and permanent peace. Mr. Fox, in a very energetic fpeech, fupported the arguments of Mr. Sheridan, when the House divided on the motion. Ages 36-Noes 211. On Monday, the 17th of June, earl Stanhope brought foward a motion on the fame fubject in the Houfe of Lords. He denominated the memorial a moft ferocious and unwarrantable paper; and he fhould have introduced it to the Houfe at an earlier period; but underflanding that the noble ambatfador was to take his feat as a peer before the end of the feffions, he had waited for his prefence. He faid, they were called upon by every fentiment worthy of enlightened men, of politicians and christians, to exprefs the abhorrence of a paper, fo abominable in its purpofe. The cruelties of Herod, of Nero, and Caligula, had for ages been the fubject of abhorrence; but they had none of them left, on record, a proclamation fo bloodthirty as this. He did not accuse lord Auckland of a production fo infamous; but his paper was of the fame caft; it was difgraceful to the country: it was a piece of ftudied ribaldry, and industrious impertinence, and it was as nonfenfical in defign, as it was injurious in its ftyle; for the noble lord ought to have known that nothing was fo eafy as to make use of invective; that there was no argument in abufe; and that a man ought not to make ufe of hard words when he cannot make ufe of hard blows. The term "Malheureux" "Wretches," applied to men who were fo formidable as to put the world in arms, might be natural enough in the mouths of the poiffardes of Paris, or of the fifhwoinen of Billingsgate, but was infinitely too grofs for the mouth or the pen of a reprefentative of his Britannic majefty. His lordship continued a moft violent fpeech against minifters, in which he involved every subject and people connected with the war; and concluded with moving, that the Houfe having taken into its moft ferious confideration a memo |