degree of equitable condefcenfion then, would have been received by our fifter island, as the most friendly kindness, and acknowledged with the moft lafting gratitude; whereas, the greatest facrifice of her commercial and political interefts which this country can now make, inftead of being confidered as the grant of favour, will be regarded as the mean conceflion of fear.

The fame conduct, they faid, which prevailed in Europe, was to be traced in every other part of the world. The enemy had, at one fweep, carried every thing that was English away, through the whole extent of the African coafts. The dominion of the fea, was no lefs effectually, they faid, though much lefs difgracefully, loft in the Weft Indies, than in the narrow feas and the channel. Our brave commanders and feamen in that quarter, determined that the British name, and their own profeffional character, fhould not be funk under the fatality and difgrace of our public counfels; but they were unable to support her power against the fuperiority of the enemy. The French flag reigned as triumphantly in the gulph of Mexico, as in the European feas; and the fame unhappy and difgraceful feafon, fhewed the downfal of our naval power in every part of the world.

Our Weft India islands, they faid, had been more properly delivered up to the enemy, than fubdued by him. It made no difference in the nature of things, whether our poffeffions were furrendered or fold, by a public or private treaty with France, or whether they were left fo naked and defenceless, that the enemy fhould

have nothing more to do, than to fend garrisons to take poffeffion of them. This they infifted to have been the cafe with respect to the iflands we had loft; and those that remained, they defcribed, as not being in a much better fituation. Jamaica, in particular, they faid, the most valuable now of our colonial poffeflions, and the principal fource of our remaining trade and wealth, was most shamefully abandoned; and was at that moment in the most imminent danger, if not already loft.

This course of invective was wound up by declaring, that the omiffions and defects which produced all these calamities, went fo much beyond any thing which could be allowed for impotence and imperfection of mind, that they seemed under a neceffity of charging their conduct to direct treachery. That final ruin, or a total change of fyftem and of men, was the short alternative to which we were now reduced. The fhort fentence of New Counfels and New Counsellors included, they faid, all the means of our national falvation, and expreffed the fentiments of every intelligent and independant man in England; it was the univerfal language out of doors, and of those within, when they went out.

The fpeech itself underwent its fhare of cenfure, with refpect both to matter and omiflion; and the acknowledgment in the propofed addrefs of the lords, of the bleffings enjoyed under government, afforded an opportunity for much feverity of comment and obfervation in that houfe. It was freely afked, whether that recognition of public happiness was founded in truth? Whether it was not an in

fult

fult to parliament, when applied to the minifters? Whether there was a noble lord prefent, of any defcription, who could lay his hand to his heart, and fairly congratulate his majefty on the blef fings enjoyed under his government? A majority might indeed grant a vote; but they could go no farther; they could neither clofe the eyes, nor warp the opinions of mankind. Such an approbation, given in defiance of public notoriety, and the evidence of every man's fenfe and feeling, muft not only fail of its intended, but produce a very contrary effect; it would only ferve to excite contempt and ridicule in the first inftance, and tend to the degradation of parliament in the fecond. For themselves, they faid, that no motive whatever fhould induce them to the vain and fcandalous attempt, of giving a fanction to fo grofs a fpecies of delufion and impofition, by the acknowledg. ment of bleffings which did not exit, and a recognition of the merits of government, in direct contradiction to experience and fact.

The minifter oppofed, in the Houfe of Commons, the indirect charges of treachery which were made on the other fide, with temper and firmness. He obferved, that fuch charges or infinuations feemed of late to become a favorite topic with gentlemen in the oppofition, who perhaps hoped to derive fome great advantage from the frequent repetition; but if they were not entirely vague and unfounded, and calculated merely to ftir up or nurfe difcontent and fufpicion abroad, why did they not come forward like

men, and purfue their accufations? Why did they not follow them up with fpecific and defined proofs; thereby to fix the guilt, and bringing it home fairly and directly to its proper object, compel the mifcreants, whoever they were, or where-ever found, to undergo that fate which treachery deferves? In allufion to what had fo repeatedly been faid, of the general opinion and difcontent of the people, he eagerly exclaimed, "God forbid, that there should be a voice in the nation, stronger, louder, more peremptory or decifive, than that of parliament."For himself, whenever his accounting day fhould come, and that day, he faid, muft come, he should meet it without fear. There were laws for the protection of innocence, and if his accufers adhered to the laws, he fhould be fafe. His innocence would be his fhield, and the laws would render him invulnerable under that protection.

If

Our being deftitute of allies, or, as it was called on the other fide, our being abandoned by mankind, was not to be attributed to any diflike on his fide to continental connections; but to the prevalent, though mistaken politics of other powers, and to the peculiar circumftances of the contest in which we are at prefent engaged. France had attacked any power upon the continent, others would have felt themselves immediately interested in the confequences and event, and would accordingly have taken an active and decided part. Our policy would have led us to a fimilar interference; and the reciprocality of interefts, with the fame object in view, would have been a common bond of alliance

and

and union. But Great Britain not being confidered as a continental power,, other states did not think themselves fo much interested with refpect to the prefent attack made upon her, or fo liable to be affected by its confequences, as if it had been made upon their more immediate neighbours. The contest was likewife, in its origin, merely colonial and domeftic; its objects were in another quarter of the world; and even fill, the operations of the war being either naval, or conducted at a vaft diftance, did not much disturb the internal peace of Europe, nor were the confequences confidered as affecting the general balance of power.

Our being left alone to encounter the vast fuperiority of the enemy, was not then to be imputed to any fault or neglect on the fide of the councils or minifters of the throne, but to the mistaken opinion and erroneous policy of other ftates; who had, from thence, blindly permitted the united houte of Bourbon, to bring their whole force, unmolefted and undisturbed, to bear upon this country. This was a mischief, which was as little to be foreseen as prevented by the minifters of Great Britain. They could not be accountable for the conduct of other states. It was not, however, to be doubted, that other powers would fpeedily perceive and rectify their error; and that, with a proper attention to their true intereft, as well as to the general system of Europe, they would interpofe to check the ambition of the house of Bourbon.

The fame argument applied with equal effect to that charge, on which all the eloquence of grief, and all the indignation of appa

rent paffion, had been exhaufted on the other fide; that of our naval inferiority, particularly on the narrow feas. It was impoffible for Great Britain alone, to oppofe an equal number of fhips to the whole united force of the houfe of Bourbon; but if the even equalled or exceeded them in point of number, ftill the wide arrangement of her naval fervices, which was indifpenfably neceffary for the protection of her numerous, expofed, and remote dependencies, muft at any rate, notwithstanding any skill or judgment in the difpofition, afford an opportunity to the enemy of obtaining a fuperiority in fome particular part. Yet with that vaft fuperiority which they actually poffeffed in the preceding fummer, it would be found, on due confideration, that the difgrace was on their fide, and not on ours. They had fitted out a great and formidable armament; and it was true, that they had appeared upon our coafts; they talked big, threatened a great deal, did nothing, and retired.

Two things were to be particu larly remembered, that the enemy were avowedly acting on the offenfive, and we as profeffedly on the defenfive. They came with a declared intention to invade us, we undertook to defeat the defign; they were therefore foiled; for they had not dared, even to make the attempt. Their immenfe armaments paraded, and paraded to no purpofe; and their millions were spent in vain. Had they landed, (and it were almoft to be wifhed they had) their reception would have been fuch, as would not only have added to their dif grace, but would have afforded

them

to crown the hiftory of their campaign.

It was denied, that the retreat of the British fleet, under Sir Charles Hardy, up the channel, could with any propriety be confidered as a flight. The whole conduct of that admiral, demanded no lefs the admiration than the applaufe of his country. To decline an engagement, when he expected a reinforcement, and when the enemy were fo vaftly fuperior in number, was the effect of prudence, and eminent profeffional kill; to have accepted a challenge, would have been the mad nefs of valour. It was not, however, in any degree a flight; he endeavoured, by feveral judicious 'motions, to have drawn the enemy up the channel, where, from its narrowness, and other circumflances, our fleet might have en-, gaged them with lefs difadvantage, and they might have been fubjected to much danger. The enemy did not chufe to venture far up the channel; but the defign was the refult of prudence and fuperior judgment. It was indeed true, that if the commander could then have poffibly known the internal flate and ill condition of the enemy's fleet, he would have eagerly fought an engagement, inftead of avoiding it; but as the knowledge was unattainable, he could not profit of the occafion.

It was invidious, they faid, on the other fide, to endeavour to deprive minifters and commanders of their due merits, in the protection of our trade, and in baffling all the defigns of the enemy, by afcribing folely to providence thefe napPy and important circumftances. VOL. XXIII.

acknowledge, that it required great fagacity, and no common abili ties, with no more than from thirtyfeven to forty fhips of the line, to amufe, fix the attention, and keep in continual motion for fo long a time, without their being able to gain any advantage, the vaftly fuperior fleets of the enemy, which counted no lefs than fixtyfix fhips of the fame rank and character. This judicious conduct produced the most falutary effects. An immenfe hoftile armament was kept together during the campaign, and its efforts directed to a point where they could be of no avail; whereas, had this vaft force been employed upon feparate fervices, and directed to fpecific operations in the western world, or, perhaps, other parts, befides the deftruction of our commerce, which must have been inevitable, we fhould probably, by this time, have been difrobed of fome of our most valuable poffeffios.

The minifter acknowledged, that it would have been a matter of no small moment, to have prevented the junction of the French and Spanish fleets; he likewife acknowledged, that we were much more forward in point of naval preparation than France; but he had every reason to believe, that it was not in our power to prevent the junction. The measure was in contemplation; and had the French continued in port, until they were in real condition for fervice, the junction would have been most affuredly prevented; but they perceiving our intention, rather chofe to flip out of Breft, as they were, while we were fill preparing, than to wait for proper equipment at [D]

the

the rifque of an encounter. If it was asked, why we were more nice with respect to preparation than France, the answer was obvious; we had another enemy to attend to; the naval force of Spain was in full equipment; our all depended on our fleet; we were therefore of neceffity cautious.

With refpect to Plymouth, the charge was partly denied, its force weakened, by alledging the conviction of government that no debarkation was there intended by the enemy, and the attention was called off from the past to the prefent ftaté of that place, by ftating the effectual measures which had been fince taken for its fecurity.

As to Ireland, the minifter obferved, that if it was diftreffed, and he heard it was, it was certainly entitled to relief. England would undoubtedly grant her every thing that could be given without injuring herself, and Ireland could not, with justice, afk more. Ireland could bear no refentment to the prefent administration, for the had received more favours and national benefits from them, than from any other during the forty preceding years. Her complaints were not directed against the prefent fervants of the crown; they were laid against the constitution of this country; for the great fource of their complaints lay in thofe laws, which were paft during the reign of Charles the Second and William the Third, impofing reftraints upon their trade. He did not believe in their diftrefs; and as he did not know the evil, he was not able to point out a specific remedy. But whenever her grievances appeared, he was well difpofed to redrefs them. Ireland,

fo far as his voice went, fhould have what was reasonable; and he was fo well convinced that fhe would be fatisfied, that he did not entertain the fmallest apprehenfion on that fubject.

He concluded, upon the whole, that our fituation was not by any means fo lamentable as it had been defcribed; that it was much more fecure and refpectable at prefent, than it had been at the fame season of the preceding year; our fleet was much stronger, and likely to be foon confiderably augmented; though he would not encourage too fanguine expectations, he entertained ftrong hopes that the_enfuing firing would open a brilliant campaign; and inftead of thofe fuppofed fymptoms of danger, which were faid to keep mankind at a distance, we fhewed fuch à fulness of ftrength, and growing vigour of preparation, that power in Europe could hefitate, on that account, at making a common caufe with us.

no

He obferved, with regard to the propofed amendment, that the language it contained was ftriatly parliamentary. It was the duty, as well as the right of parliament, to caufe the removal of evil minifters; but juftice required, that proof should first be made of their delinquency. To remove the fervants of the crown, without affigning any caufe for it; or attributing to them, without evidence or trial, thofe errors or crimes, which on trial would not be found imputable to them, would be equally unjuft and unprecedented. Therefore, though he admitted, to the fulleft extent, the right of that houfe to addrefs the throne for a removal of miniflers; yet, as there

was