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on the authority of the vote of credit, were not paid on the faid authority." (Negatived.)

Mr. Fox propofed a third amendment, to add at the end of the first propofed amendment, the words,

Although no documents have been laid before the House to prove either the neceflity or the expediency of the faid measure." (Negatived.)

On Mr. Fox's original motion the Houfe divided, and it was rejected by a Majority of 285 to 81.

It was refolved, finally, "That the measure of advancing the feveral fums of money, which appear from the accounts prefented to the Houfe in this feffion of Parliament to have been iffued for the fervice of the Emperor, though not to be drawn into precedent but upon occafion of fpecial neceffity, was under the peculiar circumftances of the cafe a juftifiable and proper exercife of the dif cretion vested in his Majefty's minifters by the vote of credit, and calculated to produce confequences which have proved highly advantageous to the common caufe, and to the general interefts of Europe."

ON

N the 17th of December, 1796, Lord Grenville brought down to the House of Peers the following meffage from his Majesty.

George R.

His Majesty thinks proper to acquaint the House of Peers, that he is at prefent engaged in concerting measures with his allies, in order to be fully prepared for the vigorous and effectual profecution of the war, if the failure of his Majesty's earnest endeavours to effect a general peace, on fecure and honourable terms, should unfortunately render another campaign unavoidable. And his Majefty will not fail to take the first opportunity to communicate the refult of thefe difcuffions to the Houfe. In the interval his Majefty conceives that it may be of the greatest importance to the common caufe, that his Majefty fhould be enabled to continue fuch temporary advances for the fervice of the Emperor as may be indifpenfably neceffary, with a view to military operations being profecuted with vigour and effect at an early period; and his Majefty recommends it to the House to confider of making fuch provifion as may appear to them to be most expedient for this purpose. G. R.

A fimilar meffage with the above was prefented to the House of Cominons by Mr. Pitt on the fame day.

In the Houfe of Lords, on the 20th of December, Lord Grenville moved an addrefs of thanks to his Majefty for his meflage, which was agreed to nem. diffent.

In the House of Commons, on the 19th of December, Mr. Pitt moved,

That an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, to return his Majesty the thanks of this House for his moft gracious meffage: to affure his Majefty that this Houfe will immediately enter into the confideration of fuch measures as may appear to them to be moft expedient for enabling his Majefty to continue fuch temporary advances to the Emperor, as may (if the failure of his Majefty's earnest endeavours to effect a general peace on fecure and honourable terms fhould unfortunately render another campaign unavoidable) be neceffary, with a view to the profecution of military operations, with vigour and effect, at an early period.

Sir William Pulteney moved as an amendment to the above addrefs, that the whole thould be left out after the words, " take the fame into confideration." (Negatived without a divifion.)

Mr. Sheridan then moved the following amendment:

Your Majesty's faithful Commons having thus manifested their determination to enable your Majefty to give fuch affiftance to your Majefty's ally, the Emperor, as may be indifpenfably neceffary in the unfortunate event of an unfavourable iffue to the prefent negotiations for peace, cannot omit this occafion of expreffing their deep regret, that your Majesty's minifters fhould, in recent inftances, have prefumed to iffue fimilar affilance to the Emperor, without any previous application to Parliament to enable your Majefty fo to do; thereby acting, as your Majefty's gracious meffage appears in a great meafure to admit, in defiance. of the established practice, and in violation of the conftitutional privileges of this Houfe. (Negatived without a division.)

The original addrefs was then put and carried.

ON

N the 26th of December the following meffage from his Majefty was delivered to the Houfe of Peers by Lord Grenville. George R.

It is with the utmost concern that his Majefty acquaints the House of Lords, that his earneft endeavours to effect the reftoration of peace have been unhappily fruftrated, and that the negotiation in which he has been engaged has been abruptly broken off by the peremptory refufal of the French government to treat, except upon a bafis evidently inadmiffible, and by their having in confequence required his Majefty's plenipotentiary to quit Paris within 48 hours.

His Majefty has directed the feveral memorials and papers which have been exchanged in the courfe of the late difcuffion, and the account tranfmitted to his Majefty of its final refult, to be laid before the Houfe.

From

From these papers, his Majefty trufts, it will be proved to the whole world that his conduct has been guided by a fincere defire to effect the restoration of peace on principles fuited to the relative fituation of the belligerent powers, and effential for the permanent interefts of his kingdoms, and the general fecurity of Europe: whilft his enemies have advanced pretenfions at once inconfiftent with thofe objects, unfupported even on the grounds on which they were professed to reft, and repugnant both to the fyftem eftablished by repeated treaties, and to the principles and practice which have hitherto regulated the intercourfe of independent nations.

In this fituation his Majefty has the confolation of reflecting, that the continuance of the calamities of war can be imputed only to the unjust and exorbitant views of his enemies; and his Majefty, looking forward with anxiety to the moment when they may be difpofed to act on different principles, places in the mean time the fulleft reliance, under the protection of Providence, on the wisdom and firmness of his Parliament, on the tried valour of his forces by fea and land, and on the zeal, public fpirit, and refources of his kingdoms, for vigorous and effectual fupport in the prosecution of a conteft, which it does not depend on his Majesty to terminate, and which involves in it the security and permanent interefts of this country, and of Europe.

G. R.

A fimilar message was brought down to the Houfe of Commons on the fame day by Mr. Dundas.

On Friday, the 30th of December, his Majefty's meffage to the Houfe of Peers was taken into confideration, and Lord Grenville moved,

"That an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, thanking him for his gracious meffage, and giving him the loyal affurance of their firm and fteady fupport in the further continuance of this just and neceffary war; his Majefty's difpofitions to peace having been unhappily fruftrated by the conduct of the enemy.”

The Earl of Guilford moved the following amendment to the above addrefs.

That after the words "returning his Majefty thanks for his gracious meffage," there be inserted the following:

"That this Houfe has learnt with inexpreffible concern, that the negotiation his Majefty lately commenced for the restoration of peace has been unhappily fruftrated.

"In fo awful and momentous a crisis, the Houfe of Lords feel it their duty to speak to his Majefty with that freedom and earnestnefs which becomes men anxious to preferve the honour of his Majefty's crown, and to fecure the interefts of his people. That,

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in doing this, they fincerely deplore that they are under the neceflity of declaring, that, as well from the manner in which the late negotiation has been conducted, as from the substance of the memorial which appears to have produced the abrupt termination of it, they have reafon to think his Majefty's minifters were not fincere in their endeavour to procure the bleffings of peace, fo neceffary for this diftreffed country, and that all profpect of pacification feems entirely removed from their view. For, on, the one hand, his Majefty's minifters infift upon the restoration of the Netherlands to the Emperor as a fi qua non from which they have pledged his Majefty not to recede; while, on the other, the Executive Directory of the French Republic, with equal pertinacity, claim the prefervation of that part of their conqueft as a condition from which they cannot depart.

That, under thefe circumftances, this Houfe cannot help lamenting the rashness and injuftice of his Majesty's minifters, whofe long-continued mifconduct has produced this embarraffing fituation, by advifing his Majefty, before the bleffings of peace had been unfortunately interrupted, to refuse all negotiation for the adjustment of the then fubfifting differences, although at that time the Netherlands, now the main obftacle to the return of tranquillity, fo far from being confidered as an object of conteft, was folemnly renounced, and the peace of Europe offered into hist 6 Majefty's hands upon the bafis of that renunciation, and upon the fecurity and independence of Holland, whilft fhe preserved her neutrality towards France.

That this Houfe hath further deeply to regret, that foon after the commencement of the war, when, by the vigour of his Majefty's arms, with the affiftance of his allies, the Republic of Holland had been refcued from invafion, and the greateft part of the Netherlands had been recovered by the Emperor; at a time too when most of the Princes of Europe, with refources yet unexhausted, continued firm in their alliances with Great Britain, his Majesty's minifters did not avail themselves of this high and commanding pofition for the negotiation of an honourable peace, and the establishment of the political balance of Europe; that, on the contrary, without any example in the principles and practice of this or any other nation, it is with pain this Houfe recollects his Majefty's minifters refufed to fet on foot any negotiation whatfoever with the French Republic; not upon a real or even alleged unwillingness on his part to listen to the propofitions now rejected by her, or to any other specific propofal of indemnity or political fecurity, but upon the arrogant and infulting pretence, that her government was not capable of maintaining the accustomed relations of peace and amity amongst nations; and that, on this unfounded and merely fpeculative affumption, his Majefty was advised to continue the war to a period when the difficulties in the VOL. V.

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way of peace have been fo much increafed by the defection of most of the powers engaged in the confederacy, and by the con quefts and confequent pretenfions of the French Republic.

That this House having thus humbly fubmitted to his Majesty the reflections which his Majefty's gracious communication im. mediately fuggeft, feel themfelves in duty bound, for the information of his Majefty, and the fatisfaction of an exhaufted people, to proceed, with unremitting diligence, to investigate the caufes which have produced our prefent calamities, and to offer fuch advice as the critical and alarming circumstances of the nation may require....

The above amendment was negatived by a majority of 63 10 7.

In the House of Commons, on the 30th December, his Ma jesty's message was taken into confideration, and Mr. Pitt moved the following addrefs:

That an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majesty, to return the thanks of this House for his moft gracious meffage, and for having been pleafed to lay before the Houfe the papers which have been exchanged in the courfe, of the late difcuffion, and the account tranfmitted to his Majesty of its final refult.

To affure his Majesty, that we cannot but deeply participate in the concern which his Majefty (from his conftant regard to the interefts of his fubjects) naturally feels in the difappointment of his earnest endeavours to effect the reftoration of peace, and in the abrupt termination, on the part of the French government, of the negotiation in which his Majefty was engaged; but that it affords us the greatest confolation, and the utmost incitement to our zeal and perfeverance, to obferve the abundant proofs that his Majefty's conduct has been guided by a fincere defire to effect the restoration of general peace, and to provide for the permanent interests of his kingdoms, and for the general fecurity of Europe; while his enemies have advanced pretenfions at once inconfiftent with those objects, unfupported even on the grounds on which they professed to rest, and repugnant both to the fyftem established by repeated treaties, and to the principles and practice which have hitherto regulated the intercourfe of independent nations.

That, in this fituation, perfuaded that the prefent continuance of the calamities of war can be imputed only to the unjust and exorbitant views of his Majefty's enemies, and looking forward with anxiety to the moment when they may be difpofed to act on different principles; we feel it incumbent on us, to afford his Majesty the most firm and zealous fupport in fuch measures as may be most likely to bring this great contest to a safe and honourable iffue; and we place the fulleft reliance, under the protection of Providence, on his Majesty's vigilant concern for the interests

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