BRITISH AND FOREIGN HISTORY For the Year 1795. CHAPTER I. Great Britain. Meeting of Parliament. Speech from the Throne. Debate on the Addrefs in the House of Lords. Debate in the House of Commons on the Sufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Act. On the Office of third Secretary of State. Debate on the Addrefs. Mr. Wilberforce's Amendment in favour of Peace. Negatived. Refumed Debate on the Sufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus A. Debates on the Bill for continuing to fufpend the A& of Habeas Corpus. Debate on the fame Subject in the House of Lords. N periods more distinguished by national profperity than the prefent, when the enjoyment of peace, and the advantages of uninterrupted commerce raise a bulwark round the established government, and place an infuperable bar to the efforts of faction, our domeftic hiftory prefents but few fcenes to intereft curiofity, or to invite fpeculation; and an interval of months is commonly found to elapfe before any public tranfaction occurs deferving of being entered on our annals. But in times when every year is an epoch, and when almoft every hour is pregnant with fome important occurrence, our annual volumes become a more connected feries; events fucceed each other with a rapid pace; and the unfinifhed ftory is only broken off by the neceffity of adopting fome regular periods in the arrangement of our labours. Our last review of British history concluded with the termination of the memorable state trials in December 1794; and we have now to call the attention of our readers to the meeting of parliament which took place on the 30th of the fame month. In the fpeech from the throne, his majefty urged the neceffity of perfifting in the war, however unfortunate it had been, and noticed the rapid decay of the resources of the enemy. The Dutch had, he obferved, from a sense of present difficulties, entered into a negotiation for peace with the prevailing party in France; but no established government could derive fecurity from fuch a negotiation. The most effectual means had therefore been employed for the further augmentation of the forces, on whofe valour, as well as on the public fpirit of the people, his majefty profeffed he had the ut A 2 moft moft reliance. The fpeech ended with mentioning the acceffion of the fovereignty of Corfica to the British dominions, the treaty of amity and commerce with America, the conclufion of a treaty of marriage between the prince of Wales and the princefs Caroline of Brunfwic, for whofe provifion his majefty doubted not of the .concurrence and fupport of both houses. His majefty's addrefs to the houfe of commons was, as ufual, fhort. In it he exhorted them to make a timely and ample provifion for the pub. lic fervice, lamented the neceffity of laying large additional burthens on the fubject,-but obferved with fatisfaction the ftate of credit, commerce, and refources in this country. Both houfes were flattered by the profpect of ultimate fuccefs from their perfeverance in the war, and that their prefent exertions and facrifices would be rewarded by fecurity and peace at home, and the falvation of Europe. The addrefs in the house of lords was moved by earl Camden, and feconded by the earl of Befborough. Both their lordflips ftrenuously urged the neceffity of profecuting the war, however unfuccefsful the laft campaign might have been, This temporary want of fuccefs rendered the prefent the moft improper conjuncture for making peace, that could poflibly be chofen, even if negotiation were practicable. A peace, made under fuch circumftances, had not the leaft chance of being permanent, and must be purchafed, on our part, by conceflions difgraceful to the country. The comparative fituation of France and England was thought, by lord Camden, to be greatly in favour of the latter. His lordship noticed the law for enforcing the maximum, and the circulation of affignats, as meafures on which the French had placed their utmost reliance, but which they had been compelled to abandon. The ftate of France was, he faid, equally deftitute of internal comfort and fecurity, provifions and refources; while in this country the forces both by fea and land exceeded all that Great Britain had ever known: we had every refon to hope for affiftance from Auftria; the feceffion of the United Provinces, fo far from being difadvantageous, would reftore a large portion of our forces which might be more ufefully employed; the ftate of our revenue was in the highest degree flourishing, and our refources infinite. From all these circumftances, his lordfhip argued that the feafon was peculiarly unfit for attempting to negotiate a peace. The addrefs was warmly oppofed by the earl of Guildford, who thought, that, before any man could' affent to the language of the fpeech and of the addrefs, he must be fatisfied of the wifdom of entering into the war, the neceflity of perfevering in it, and the prudence and policy of thofe who, by the uniform difafters which had fol. lowed their counfels, had brought the country into its prefent melancholy fituation. All this, his lordfhip faid, he denied, and he believed all Europe would concur in his opinion. He reverted to the fituation in which we flood three years ago, and compared it with the prefent ftate of diffter. If this was not a fituation in which we ought to fue for peace, he thought it a pity that the noble lord had not given advice to his friends in office when our fituation wore a different afpect. What, he asked, was the confolation held out by his majefty's majefty's fpeech, and that of the two noble lords; but that after all the ravages of war, and all the calamities we had fuffered, the profpect of peace was as diftant as ever? The gratuitous engagements into which we had entered with other powers, were, his lordfhip faid, not fo much for fecuring allies to aflift us, as to pay them for allowing us to become their friends in the conteft with France. They were framed to ferve the interested and ambitious purposes of mini, fters; we were bound by them not to make a peace without the confent of all parties; this tended to pro, long a war, upon which indeed the existence of minifters themselves in their prefent fituation depended. Such treaties might alfo, be for the intereft of Attria; but Holland could only be faved by a peace. There might, his lordship faid, be fome objections to an immediate peace; but he must infift on the impracticability of carrying on the war, if conquering France, or dictating a government to her, was the ob ject. It was a poor confolation to Englifhmen, to tell them, that though their resources were nearly exhaufted, the enemy was in a worfe fituation, and that, her victories had coft her fo dear: he would ask what our defeats and difafters had coft us? After taking a review of the bad fuccefs of our military operations from the divifion of the army after the taking of Valenciennes to the end of the campaign, his lordship attributed all the failures to the ignorance, the obftina cy, and the weakness of minifters. Maritime affairs. except the victory of the first of June, had, he said, been equally difaftrons. In negotiations, minifters had failed equally alfo; and his lordship pathetically reprobated the application of British money for the deftruction of Polish liberty. He then noticed the conduct of minifters at home, in exciting alarms which had placed Englishmen in fuch a fituation that no man was fafe in his perfon and property; though a British jury had proved that there was no pro bability that any occafion foralaru had exifted. His lordship concluded by moving an amendment, advising his majefty to take the earliest means of fecuring a peace, and requesting that no obftacle might arife to it from the nature of the French government. The earls of Morton and Kinnoul ftrongly objected to the amendment, which was fupported by lord Derby, who afked what was the oftenfible caufe of the war in its origin, and in the arguments of miniftry in the courfe of the laft year? The 'fafety of the Dutch, and to prevent the navigation of the Scheldt, neither of which were mentioned, in the fpeech of this year. His lordfhip condemned the war both in its origin and continuance, and requested to know upon what documents the affertions concerning the failure of the French refources were founded. He ftated, upon the evidence of feveral officers, the fuperior difcipline of the French armies, and asked whether it was from their uncommon energy and exertion, and their abundant fupply of cloathing and provifion, that the failure of their refources was inferred? His lordship confidered the poffeffion of Cortica as attended only with expenfe and inconvenience to this country: he thought the fhips employed on this account would have been more ferviceable in the Weft Indies, where it was generally understood the enemy had a force, on the whole, for every practical purpofe, fuperior to ours; A 3 and and their ships now almoft blocked up the chops of the Channel, to the great annoyance and danger of our trade. Corfica could never indem nify the expense it would inevitably create, nor was this the object for planning or accepting its feizure, but to afford places for perfons to be provided for, whofe penfions must come from this country, but who would increafe the enormous lift of minifterial dependants. He thought the couniry incompetent to raifing men at fuch immenfe bounties (25 guineas) as were given in fome counties. Formerly the manning of the navy was facilitated by the admiffion of one third landfmen: now the wonderful exertions made for the land fervice muft cripple the navy; and he doubted that foon both landfmen and feamen would be found equally fcarce. His lordfhip added his opinion, that a change of minifters must precede a negotiation for peace, as France would undoubtedly not treat with the prefent minifters. A vigorous continuance of hof tilities was recommended by lord Spencer, who ftated that next year we had every reafon to hope that we should have the moft formidable marine that this country had ever fent to fea, though he admitted that the recruiting of the army was injurious to the marine. He denied the fuperiority of the French in the West Indies, but could not fpeak with certainty refpecting the formidable appearance of the French fleet in the Channel. His lordship contended ftrongly for the importance of Corfica to this country, confidering its fituation in the Mediterranean, and its being capable of receiving a large fleet. The amendment was further oppofed by the marquis Townshend and 7. lord Boringdon, who, however, expreffed a fincere defire for peace, and declared his happinefs at the annihilation of that fyftem of terror which had tarnifhed the name of France, and had been a disgrace to the age. The marquis of Lanfdowne reverted to his uniform oppofition to the war, and noticed the improbability that noble lords poffeffing fome of the greatest property in the kingdom, and entirely unconnected, fhould unite to oppose the war from any other motives than a fenfe of public duty and public danger. Setting afide pompous, declamation and delufive words, it was neceffary to examine the objects minifters had in view, and the means of obtaining them. The inveftigation was melancholy. What had been called the finest army that had ever been feen in any war, was no longer to be found amongst men. In the Weft Indies our fituation was too melancholy to reflect upon. Though 100,000 men had been raifed, we had been effective nowhere; our armies had been recruited by old men and boys, the officers were children, and the grenadiers invalids. His lordship read a fummary of the laft campaign of the French, the authenticity of which was undoubted and undeniable. 23 fieges fuccefsfully conducted. 6 pitched battles decifively won. 2,803 pieces of cannon taken. 60,000 of the best troops of Europe compelled to furrender prifoners of war, either by capitulation, or in the field. 144 towns and cities captured; among them, many of the strongest fortrelles in Europe. This, he obferved, was inde pendent of the victories in Spain. If the French were fo formidable when when they had to combat with all the world, would they be lefs fo when they fhould have made a treaty with Holland, by which they might, through her active commercial fpirit, receive all forts of fupplies? When the comparative fituation of the French was confidered, it was monstrous to hear it afferted, that we might ftill conquer them by military force. The froft was fet in fo as to make the Waal paffable; and it was reported that the bridge at Arnheim was carried away by the floating ice; if this were fo, our unhappy cavalry, and the army there, were expofed to the utmost hazard. If their lordfhips looked a little further, they would fee in the Diet of the empire, that a great majority was for negotiating with France. Auftria was only endeavouring to gain time, so that the elector of Hanover was left in a feeble minority, diftinguished only by his violence in the fyftem of war. Was it likely, after this, that Germany fhould cordially co-operate against the common enemy? We had been as little fuccefsful in uniting our allies. Pruffia and Auftria could not truft each other; the former, he believed, had never been the enemy of France, and could not be fo:-the dismemberment of that country must be fatal to him. These powers were mutually and neceffarily rivals, and looked only to their private interefts. Each regarded their country with becoming feelings: they were not their own enemies; and not having a parliament to ftand between them and the people, their minifters were more careful of the advice they gave, as the confequences muft fall on their own heads. His lordship argued very ably upon the theories relating to national credit; but one 24 mil lions after another muft certainly in the end produce difficulty. Thofe theories had, he faid, originated in France under the old government; and yet France had not been faved. The marquis again ridiculed the idea of there not being a power in France with which this country could treat. When perfons wanted to make up a quarrel, the difficulty was done away when there was a fincere defire for conciliation on both fides. France, amidst all its change of parties, had not falfified its engagements, fince the revolution, with any foreign ftate. As to our invaluable conquefts which had been talked of, they were not likely to ftand in the way of a pacification. For the Weft India iflands he was much alarmed. With refpect to Corfica, his lordfhip read an account of it from M. Necker and M. Volney, in which the country was reprefented in a moft contemptible point of view. He believed the French would not treat with the prefent miniftry, but declared, in faying this, he had no finifter defign of occupying any of their places. He certainly fhould not force his fervices upon a prince against his inclination; fuch conduct was indecent in the highest degree, and inconfiftent with the character of a gentleman. He was perfonally, therefore, out of the queftion, and was fo far from approving of a frequent change of minifters, that, in his opinion, that country would be the best govern ed where the minifters were minifters for life, but refponfible for their incapacity, their neglect, or their want of integrity.. Lord Mulgrave, in an historical and argumentative fpeech, brought feveral inftances to prove, that though the French arms had in former wars made a gigantic proA 4 grefs, |