Lord Arden moved, "that it is the opinion of this Cont mittee, that 120,000 feamen be employed for the Sea Service for the year 1799, including 20.000 marines."

Sir John Sinclair faid, that confidering the diftreffed fituation of this country in point of finance, and the diftreffed condition of the enemy's marine force, he could not help thinking that the number of feamen now propofed was much larger than was necellary: under all thefe circumstances 120,000 feamen! Why? 110,000 had been deemed fufficient at the conclufion of the American war, when the united force of France, Spain, and Holland, was no lefs than 140 fhips of the line; under thefe circumstances he could not help confidering the propofed vote a great expence and profution that could be avoided.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, it was not neceffary for him to take up much of the time of the Committee in Thewing why we thould have the number of 120,000 men voted for the naval fervice of the year. The hon. Bart. had faid, the vote fhould not be fo large; for which, however, he had affigned no reafon, unlefs an affertion, that 110,000 would be fufficient, as he called it, becaufe 110,000 had been faid to be fufficient at the conclufion of the American war, Perhaps that number was as great as the country at that time had the means of fupplying; but now we had the good fortune to know, that in confequence of the increase of our commerce, the means had been furnished for enlarging our marine force; and to that, together with the valour of our commanders and men, was owing all the unparalleled advantages with which we had been crowned. All the hon. Baronet told the Committee was, that 110,000 men were fufficient at the end of the American war; but would the hon. Baronet tell him, that 110,000 men were fufficient at the end of the American war to destroy the marine force of the enemy, and to proclaim, by decifive acts, the proud pre-eminence and glorious triumph of the Britith navy over the whole world. So far otherwife, that this country would not fecure to itself a fingle victory; for we were inferior every where to the enemy in naval force; and the whole of our fkill and valour had only the good fortune of avoiding the great difafter and calamity of a defeat, inftead of poffeffing, by the voice of all Europe, the most unparalleled glory. Under thefe impretions. he was perfuaded the Committe would not throw this country back to the fituation it was in at the conclufion of the American war. If the hen. BaraVOL. I. 1798.

K

net

net had any ground for his objection, he had certainly omitted to state it. He thould have fomething more than furmise to fupport his objection to the vote now before the Committee. It was true that formerly we had lefs naval power, but we had then too little. With fome perfons the advantages we had gained might be an argument for diminishing our force; but to wife men, perhaps it might appear better to follow up and improve our advantage, and in that condition to wait until a season should arrive, when 'fuch overtures fhould be made by the enemy for peace as might be fuitable to the intereft, the honour, and dignity of the British empire, and when we might find the relative fituation of all Europe most materially altered for the better. We found every where our navy thundering its fuperiority, and the wretched remnant of the enemy's naval force was reduced either to a state of confufion, or elfe blocked up in their own ports, not dar ing to come out to face us. Should we now flop fhort, and refufe to avail ourselves of the advantages which Providence had laid before us, and which indeed, to ufe a fentence from his Majefty's fpeech, leads to the general deliverance of

Europe? Did it become the character of the British nation, always renowned for valour and good faith to other powers, and whofe name was now fo confpicuously glorious, and was placed in a condition to become indeed the deliverer of Europe from the greatest calamity that ever yet afflicted this world, to relax in its efforts or diminish its force He believal the committee would think otherwife. He should have expected to hear why our naval force was to be reduced. Did the hon. Gentleman with, becaufe we had nearly annihilated the power of France in the Mediterranean, after its attempts to raise it's head after the capture of Toulon, we fhould now generously forbear hoftilities? Did he mean that we fhould remove the effects of our victories; that we fhould retain only the glory of our triumphs? that indeed we fhould enjoy, for it could never be cffaced while the world endured. But fhould we not avail ourfelves of fome fubftantial advantages which fuch victories threw in our way 2 Did the hon. Gentleman defire that we should now, on a fudden, hold out to the Ottoman Porte, that there was no reason to rejoice in the late victory, and that they ought to repent, of the vigour and promptnefs with which they de cided to take part against the common enemy? Did he think that the king of Naples, who had fo gloriontly manifefted a noble spirit to relitt injuftice, ought now to have his ardour

damped

damped by the cold oeconomy of British councils? Did he mean to fay that we ought not to avail ourselves of the advantage we propofed, but that we should be fo generous as to withdraw our fquadrons, that are now blocking up the enemies fhips at Cadiz, at Breft, and at the Texel? Did he wish to release the remnants of the enemies force from the incapacity in which they are blocked up in their own ports, and allow them to come out, for the purpofe of hazarding an engagement between them and any fquadron of ours that may chance to meet them? That we might with fafety hazard the experiment, he could hardly deny; but he did not expect it to be the opinion of any man in that House, that confidering the prefent difpofition of the enemy, and confidering all the circumftances of the prefent war, we ought to forfeit the advantages which we now poffefs by the manner in which the enemy is blockaded? In none of these points were we to find the wisdom of the objections of the hon. Baronet ;-in our distant poffeffions? After what we had feen of the difpofitions of the enemy, that would be idle. If there fhould ever be a difpofition of the enemy at any time to proceed to India, did the hon. Baronet with that we thould there be naked and defencelefs? Or should they think of paying a vifit to the Cape of Good Hope, was it the wish of the hon. Baronet that we thould be not there ready to repel them? Or fhould they be difpofed to traverse the Indian feas, was it the defire of the hon. Baronet, that we fhould not be equal to them, thould we chance to meet them? Or was it the with of the hon. Baronet that the enemy might have an opportunity of flipping out fix or eight fhips (a circumftance. which nothing but a blockade could prevent), and proceed upon fome unexpected expedition? Or did the hon. Baronet with that Jamaica or any of the Weft India Iflands fhould be expofed to danger; and that it was wifer for us to take the chance of overtaking them, than the certainty of preventing their coming out? Or did the hon. Baronet with that Cape Clear, or the northern or the western coaft of Ireland fhould be left open to the enemy? Or was the hon. Baronet of opinion that it was not fufficiently heroic in us to keep poffeffion of all our fuperabundant fafety? Where would the hon." Baronet defire the reduction? Not, he believed, in any of the places he had enumerated... The Chancellor of the Exchequer recapitulated the names of all the places already mentioned; and concluded with obferving. that until the hon. Baronet had advanced fomething that had a tendency towards

the proof of his affertion, that 110,000 men are fufficient for this country at this moment, he thould take the liberty of faying that (the hon. Baronet himself excepted) there was not one individual in the Houfe who would give a diffenting voice to the vote now before them; and under this impreffion, he fhould not fay another word.

Mr. Tierney faid, that what diffenting voice the right hon. Gentleinan did, or did not expect, he could not fay; from him he thould not hear any diflenting voice upon the prefent refolution, becaufe he thought it a measure which the fitnation of public affairs required.

Having faid this, he must alfo obferve that there was one part of the fpeech of the right hon. Gentleman to which he could not atent; he had spoken difrefpe&tfully of economy; cold economy was a phrafe he could not affent to. Economy was an excellent thing, and it was much wanted, but it was not in the vote now before the committee that he wifhed to fee it introduced. The navy was the particular, and the beft, as well as the favourite, fervice of this country; it was a fort of fervice which every Englishman felt coming home to his feelings. He therefore had pleasure in voting for it; he thought this the only fervice that could properly fupport the commerce of this country, and was likely to curb the frantic ambition of the enemy. But he voted for this refolution with the more pleafure becaufe that that part of the fervice had been conducted in a manner that did the executive government credit.

Sir John Sinclair faid, he had heard a very capital fpeech, but he had not heard any thing that made him alter his opinion upon the fubject. He would confider on it further, and fay nothing more at prefent.

The refolution was then put and carried.

As were alfo the feveral refolutions to defray the expence of the above vote for thirteen months.

The refolution being reported to the Houfe, the report was ordered for the next day..

Agreed to go into a Committee of Supply on Wednesday

next.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, he had already given notice of bringing forward a meafure of importance relative to finance. He now gave notice, that on that day fortnight he fhould have the honour of making a statement of the whole of the Ways and Means of the year. The plan of the proceeding on Monday next was that of raifing,

within the year, a confiderable part of the fupplies. The principle of that plan had already received the approbation of the Houfe; but what he had to propofe would, he trufted, be done in a mode less exceptionable than that of the former. The principle, however, was the fame, and the advantage of it had been already felt, and so far was he from apprehending it would not be approved, that he expected a general concurrence. There was very little reafon for the Houfe changing the opinion it had formerly expreffed on that fubject, but great reafon for confirming it.

He fhould not now enter into the detail of the plan; he fhould propofe that the refolutions fhould be voted and a bill brought in in pursuance of them on Monday; he fhould then propofe that the blanks fhould be filled up, and then the interval of nearly a week fhould be taken to perufe it, and afterwards he should propofe the re-commitment of it; that he hoped would take place on Friday fortnight. The loan and the general means of the year, he propofed to bring forward that day fortnight.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

TUESDAY, NOV. 27.

LORD NELSON:

The Honourable Captain Berkeley moved the second reading of the bill for fettling and fecuring an annuity of 2000l. per annum on Admiral Lord Nelfon, and the two next heirs in fucceffion to whom the title fhall defcend, in confideration of the eminent fervices rendered by him to his Majesty and the public.

The bill was read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed the following day.

Mr. William Dundas brought in a bill empowering the Bank of Scotland to iffue fmall notes for a time to be limited, or to continue an act to that tendency which had been paffed laft feffion. The bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time.

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

Mr. Hobart brought up the report of the committee of fupply, in which it has been voted that 120,000 men be employed for the navy fervice for the year 1599, including 20,000 marines.