and energy of the laws," an allufion was intended to be made to two extraordinary bills which had been paffed in the laft feffion of the laft parliament, he believed the allufion would be, indeed, unfounded; it was tranquillity, in his opinion, not at all to be attributed to fuch a caufe; he was convinced it was quite the contrary: thofe bills were held in abhorrence by the people, but who, at the fame time, held in the highest respect the wisdom and energy of the known conftitutional common law of the land. The noble earl then faid, that, conceiving a peace to be the greatest bleffing this country could at prefent with, he had readily and cordially come forward in fupport of the prefent addrefs; but he begged their lordships would underftand, that, by fo doing, he did not mean to preclude himfelf from the right he had to inquire, at any future period, into the caufes which had been the original occafion of the prefent calamitous conteft, and the conduct of those who had been the means of plunging us into it. Thefe were the fubjects of the firft magnitude, and would hereafter demand the strictest and most minute investigation; and, having thus made thefe obfervations and refervations, he would no longer trefpafs on the time of the house, but immediately conclude, by giving his hearty concurrence to the motion for the addrefs.

Lord Grenville forbore to enter at large into any argument on all the points on which the earl of Guildford had expreffed a difference of opinion; on two only he would make a very few obfervations. Alluding to what had fallen from his lordship concerning that part of the fpeech

from the throne, which ascribed the internal tranquillity of the kingdom to "the wildom and energy of the laws," he said, that, partial or conditional agreement was a tribute which he was as little accustomed as defirous to receive from any man; yet certainly every perfon was at liberty to indulge and exprefs his own opinion. For his own part, he was clearly of opinion, that the bills, passed last feffion, had contributed very greatly to reprefs the fpirit of anarchy, and had, therefore, tended highly towards the prefervation of the public and internal tranquillity. He retained all the opinions he had formerly entertained on the fubject, and experience had only ferved to confirm their propriety and juftice. As for the threatened inquiry into the causes of the war, and the conduct of thofe who had the management of it, he, for one, was ready to meet the trial, and to take his full fhare of responfibility for all its confequences.

A noble earl had ftated it as inconfiftent with the principles on which the war was undertaken, to treat with any other government in France than a monarchy. That the exiftence of a republic in France was an infufferable bar to negociation, and that monarchy was indifpentible, was a calumny which his majefty's minifters had every feafon found it neceflary to contradict. They had expreffed, what they still believed, that the beft iffue to the conteft would be, the re-establishment of monarchy in France, yet they had never pledged. themfelves, much lefs the parliament, to an opinion fo wild and extravagant, as, that, without the attainment of this object, there was no hope or poflibility of peace. It was fome

fecuring the balance of power in Europe, and the independence of all ftates, will continue to give his majefty a vigorous fupport, in afferting the general caufe of his majefty, and his allies, and for preferving the good faith, dignity, and honour, of the crown; in full affurance, that no steps will be taken inconfiftent with thefe principles, or with the future fafety and profperity of thefe kingdoms: and fhould the apparently hoftile difpofitions of the court of Madrid, inftigated by the intrigues and menaces of the common enemy, put his majefty under the neceflity of repelling force by force, his majesty may rely on the determination of this houfe to give his majesty the most ample fupport in defending, against every aggreffion, the dignity, rights, and interefts, of the British empire."

The earl of Guildford, though he did not oppofe the addrefs, but, on the contrary, felt great pleasure in being able moft cordially to agree with what had been fo ably moved by his noble friend, nevertheless found it neceflary for him to make a few obfervations on the fubject. The leading feature of the addrefs, as had been juftly obferved, was to "return thanks to his majefty for his moft gracious information, that he would immediately fend a perfon to Paris, with full powers to treat, and that it was his majesty's most anxious wifh, that the measure might lead to a general restoration of peace." If a fafe, honourable, and permanent, peace could now be obtained, he would fit down contented with all the obloquy and abufe which had been fo plentifully heaped upon himself, and thofe with whom he had the honour to act for the last three years. The atchieve

ments of the archduke Charles, he faid, were noble and fplendid in the extreme, and, he firmly believed, they had been the means of faving the house of Auftria, and the whole of the Germanic body, from a state of the greatest humiliation. If these fortunate atchievements fhould operate, as he hoped they would, to ferve as an advantageous means of cool, temperate, and rational, negociation, they ought to be confidered as omens of great happiness to us nd our ally; if, on the contrary, they fhould have the fatal tendency of reviving the inaufpicious hopes formerly entertained, and cause the parties to rife in their demands, fo as to be the means of prolonging this milerable and unavailing conteft, then they would, and ought to, be looked upon as evils and misfortunes of the deepest dye; and he was afraid they would be felt as fuch, not only by people. of the prefent day, but by their pofterity, for a length of time to come. His lordship then faid, there was one part of what was contained in the address, as well as in the fpeech of the noble mover, which he could not fuffer to pafs without making a comment; it was this: "That the internal tranquillity of the kingdom had remained undisturb ed, and the endeavours of perfons to introduce anarchy had been repreffed, by the wisdom and energy of the laws.' It was very true, his lordship faid, that the tranquillity of the kingdom had remained undisturbed; and it was with the greatest pleasure he could give his teftimony to this truth. He believed alfo, that this had been owing to the love and reverence the people entertained for the laws of their country; but if, by "the wildom

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and energy of the laws," an allufion was intended to be made to two extraordinary bills which had been paffed in the last feffion of the laft parliament, he believed the allufion would be, indeed, unfounded; it was tranquillity, in his opinion, not at all to be attributed to fuch a caufe; he was convinced it was quite the contrary: those bills were held in abhorrence by the people, but who, at the fame time, held in the highest respect the wisdom and energy of the known conftitutional common law of the land. The noble earl then faid, that, conceiving a peace to be the greatest bleffing this country could at prefent with, he had readily and cordially come forward in fupport of the prefent addrefs; but he begged their lordships would understand, that, by fo doing, he did not mean to preclude himself from the right he had to inquire, at any future period, into the caufes which had been the original occafion of the prefent calamitous conteft, and the conduct of those who had been the means of plunging us into it. These were the fubjects of the first magnitude, and would hereafter demand the ftricteft and most minute inveftigation; and, having thus made thefe obfervations and refervations, he would no longer trefpafs on the time of the houfe, but immediately conclude, by giving his hearty concurrence to the motion for the addrefs.

Lord Grenville forbore to enter at large into any argument on all the points on which the earl of Guildford had expreffed a difference of opinion; on two only he would make a very few obfervations. Alluding to what had fallen from his lordship concerning that part of the speech

from the throne, which ascribed the internal tranquillity of the kingdom to "the wisdom and energy of the laws," he said, that, partial or conditional agreement was a tribute which he was as little accustomed as defirous to receive from any man; yet certainly every perfon was at liberty to indulge and exprefs his own opinion. For his own part, he was clearly of opinion, that the bills, paffed laft feffion, had contributed very greatly to reprefs the fpirit of anarchy, and had, therefore, tended highly towards the prefervation of the public and internal tranquillity. He retained all the opinions he had formerly entertained on the fubject, and experience had only ferved to confirm their propriety and juftice. As for the threatened inquiry into the caufes of the war, and the conduct of those who had the management of it, he, for one, was ready to meet the trial, and to take his full fhare of refponfibility for all its confequences.

A noble earl had ftated it as inconfiftent with the principles onwhich the war was undertaken, to treat with any other government in France than a monarchy. That the exiftence of a republic in France was an infufferable bar to negocia tion, and that monarchy was indifpentible, was a calumny which his majefty's minifters had every feafon found it neceflary to contradict. They had expreffed, what they still believed, that the best iffue to the conteft would be, the re-establishment of monarchy in France, yet they had never pledged. themselves, much lefs the parliament, to an opinion fo wild and extravagant, as, that, without the attainment of this object, there was no hope or poflibility of peace. It was fome

what ftrange, in the noble earl, to infer, from the opening of a negociation, that the worft terms would be concluded. He faw nothing in the ftate of this country that fhould lead us to embrace any other than juft, honourable, and fafe, conditions of peace.

The earl of Abingdon fpoke against the addrefs, particularly againft what referred to the two odious bills, paffed in the laft feffion of parliament. The people of England poffeffed rights which were not derived either from king, lords, or commons; and which neither king, lords, nor commons, could take away.

The earl Fitzwilliam faid, that though he never had afferted that minifters made the restoration of monarchy in France, a fine qua non towards making peace, yet he thought, that, while they encouraged and engaged thofe, from whofe efforts the restoration of monarchy was to be expected; this was, in fact, implied, as the with, intention, and object, of the British councils.

Lord Grenville afferted, again, that miniftry had never faid that the formation of any government in France would preclude them from negociating for peace, when an opportunity occurred that they thought would be favourable to the interefts of this country.

The motion for the addrefs then paffed in the affirmative.

A proteft againft this vote was entered in the journals, by the earl Fitzwilliam; to which, as it breathes the genuine fpirit first rouzed, and, perhaps, ftill actuated to a greater extent than was acknowledged by the British government, we have given a place among the State Papers in vol. xxxviii.

The addrefs to his majefty was

moved, in the houfe of commons, by the lord vifcount Morpeth. His lordship, after apologizing for his inexperience in public fpeaking, and expreffing his hope that he fhould experience the indulgence of the houfe on the prefent occafion, faid, that he confidered it as incumbent on thofe, who had the honour' of a feat in that houfe, to come forward, as foon as poffible, to give their opinions on public affairs. He trufted that the fentiments avowed in his majesty's fpeech would tend to reconcile that variety and oppofition of fentiment which had hitherto fubfifted; for, whatever opinions might be entertained refpecting the origin of the war, and the manner in which it had been conducted, it must give them fatisfaction to concur in a motion that had for its object an honourable peace. Thofe who thought that this war was juft and neceffary in its commencement, and neceffary in its continuance, and unavoidable in its continuance, muft rejoice that the period is arrived in which there exifted a French government of fuch ftability and permanence that might be treated with safely. He hoped, at the fame time, that we fhould not neglect to employ our resources in fuch manner as to fhew, that, while we are defirous of peace, we are nevertheless in a condition to continue the conteft. He' proceed to juftify the fpeech from the throne in all its pofitions: the flourishing state of our trade_and commerce, the valour of our fleets and armies, our dominion at sea, the bravery of our Auftrian allies, the wife and heroic conduct of the' archduke Charles, and our internal tranquillity. His lordfhip concluded his fpeech with a motion for an ad

drefs

drefs to his majefty, for his moft gracious fpeech from the throne. The addrefs correfponded, as ufual, to the speech, which it intirely approved. This motion was feconded by fir W. Lowther, who was unwilling to trefpafs on the time and attention of the house, by going over the fame grounds that had been fo ably difcuffed by lord Morpeth. He would only fay a word or two on one point: the internal fituation of this country. If the perfons now exercifing the powers of government in France were ferioufly inclined for peace, he was fully perfuaded that it would be obtained. But no time, he obferved, was more cordial than that period which had preceded the negociation. He begged the houfe to confider that nothing could impede the attainment of peace fo much as their own internal diffenfions; he trufted, therefore, that there would be none. He would no longer detain the houfe, but give his voice to fecond the motion for the addrefs. This being read by the speaker,

Mr. Fox role up, and faid, that if he were to give a filent vote on the motion which had just been made, his conduct might be fubject to mifconftruction. "The ftriking feature of his majefty's fpeech, faid Mr. Fox, is, that his majefty has at length been advised to do what it has fallen to my lot to advife his majesty's minifters to do repeatedly for the laft three years; namely, to open a négociation for peace. Of that ftriking feature I moft cordially and highly approve. I cannot forget how often I have advised this measure, nor how often, without fuccefs, I have preffed it upon minifters. But, however I may lament that the advice was not taken,

before a hundred millions of money was fpent, and thousands of lives devoted to the cruel conteft, yet, now that it has been followed, it muft draw from me, my warmest approbation. He who thought that the war was originally unneceffary, and that every moment fince its commencement was a proper moment for commencing a negociation for peace, cannot object to the meafure which his majesty has announced, that he has been advised to take in the prefent moment.

I will not fay one word about the particular and the fit time for fuch a meafure, all times appearing to me to be equally wife and falntary for endeavouring to reftore to the people the bleflings of peace. Nor will I recollect, much lefs retalliate, the perfonal invectives that were thrown against myself; that an attempt to negociate with fuch a people, was to lay his majefty's crown at their feet, and that it was a degradation of the honour and dignity of Great Britain, that to propole to open a negociation was in fact to fue for peace, and fuch conduct was neither dignified nor political. Such was the language of the laft parliament, and fuch was the animadverfion made on the advice which I then gave. I will content myself with repeating what I then faid, that " to propofe a negociation is not to fue for peace." It is at every moment dignified and proper to ftrive to restore the bleftings of peace; and it is certainty one thing, to propose a negociation in which terms are to be fairly and manfully difcuffed; and another, to fue to your enemy for peace. He who objects to this diftinction is not animated by that feeling which ought ever to be uppermoft in the