year, the negotiation could have been brought to a conclufion fooner? Whether in the prefent disjointed ftate of the continent, and the difficulty of communication, the negotiation could be concluded in a fhorter period? The hon. gentleman feemed to charge it upon his majesty's minifters, that they had not had the negotiations in a more forward ftate at the commencement of the feffion, fo as to be now more ripe for communication; but the houfe would recollect that it was about that time that the court of Ruffia became fatigued with its friendly interference, in the multiplied breaches of treaties by the French government, and an opening of profpects was made for continental co-operation. The hon. gentleman had argued that, if his majefty's minifters were not prepared to advife him to bring a detailed communication before the houfe, parliament fhould continue fitting till fuch communication could be made. The adoption of the hon. gentleman's motion would betray a jealoufy of his majefty's minifters, that they would not be difpofed to affemble parliament, if a neceflity fhould occur. The vote would not fetter parliament as to the difcuffion of the queftion at its next meeting. The proceeding would be novel and unufual, and might have a very material effect upon the councils of the powers with whom we are negotiating, it has no precedent in the hiftory of the country. The noble lord recapitulated the principal points to which he had adverted, and, contending that the hon. gentleman had made no ground for his motion, concluded by expreffing his intention to give it a negative.

Mr. Windham was of opinion that the queftion to be confidered on this occafion was not, as the noble lord who had juft fat down had stated it, whether the amount of the fum propofed to be voted was neceffary, or whether that fum would be properly applied; but whether, under all the circumftances of the country, it would be proper that parliament should be prorogued. It was not meant to be argued, nor had any thing of the kind been faid by his hon. friend who opened the debate, that minifters could or ought to make any communication to the houfe at prefent, with regard to any negotiations they might be engaged in with foreign powers. But this he would maintain, that in order to afford the opportunity of making the earliest poffible communication upon that important fubject, parliament fhould not be prorogued; that was the practical queftion at ifue. But the objection to comply with the motion was, it

feemed,

feemed, that such compliance would imply a want of confidence in his majefty's minifters. To that, however, he would fay, that the confidence demanded was more than they or any other minifters were entitled to claim. What! that parliament fhould feparate, leaving the country in fuch a ftate, furrounded with fuch menacing dangers, and to inadequately provided to meet them! Every man out of doors muft feel furprife that the thought could be entertained for a moment at fuch a crifis. Every man muft fay that we are at present in fuch a fituation that it was impoffible to conceive what plan of proceeding government had in contemplation: at what point their policy was levelled, or to what it was likely to lead, whether to peace or the ferious profecution of the war, nobody could tell or divine, though all were naturally anxious to afcertain their object. At a time, then, that fuch doubt and anxiety prevailed, and that there was fo little difpofition to confide in the difcretion of his majefty's minifters, could it be feriously urged that it would be wife in parliament to feparate? If the perfonal convenience of members were offered as a ground for prorogation, he would fay with his hon. friend, that fuch a confideration was not to be put in competition with the reafons that preffed upon the houfe to continue fitting. The confideration of perfonal convenience was indeed unworthy to be alleged in that house against the performance of a great public duty, when, to say the leaft, the affairs of the empire, upon a general view, were in fuch a fituation that pariiament ought to continue in a state of immediate fuperintend ence. To continue would not, he maintained, imply any undue want of confidence in his majefly's minifters. But they profeffed to be of a different opinion, and appeared principally to reft their oppofition to the motion upon that batis. The claim to confidence upon the part of minifters on this occafion, naturally led him into an examination of the grounds upon which their title was fuftained, and this examination he conceived to refer to topics which must have a double operation, firft, with refpect to the motion before the house, and, fecondly, with respect to the fituation of the country. Now as applying to both thofe topics, it was to be obferved that there was a remarkable difcordancy between what had taken place fince minifters came into office, and what they promifed at the time they accepted office. They certainly did not fulfil what they fo frequently promised respecting the army, the inefficiency of which was

the.

the prominent feature of the charge urged against their predeceffors. Still the army, which generally formed a material ingredient in war, was, in this peculiar war in which the country is engaged, almoft wholly neglected, that is with regard to a provifion for its permanent fupply. Upon this head minifters had certainly rather broken their pledges to parliament and the country, and this was the more deferving of notice when it was recollected that the inattention of their predeceffors to the army was the principal caufe of their removal from office, and the principal article of accufation too exhibited against them by fome of the prefent minifters. This marked inattention to the army he confidered quite a fufficient ground, at least of diftruft, in his majefty's minifters; and it undoubtedly occafioned much gloom and difcontent throughout the country. On this fubject he cautioned the house against the exaggerated statement which the noble lord had made as to the amount of our force. He did not mean that this statement was exaggerated by the noble lord; but he wished to imprefs on the houfe the propriety of analyzing such statement before it attached much importance to it. The noble lord had faid that our difpofable force had received an increafe within the year of no less than 35,000 men. But the question was, of what kind was that increase? We had heard of a transfer of from 15 to 16,000 men from the militia; but of what fort were the remainder of the augmentation? Were they of fuch a defcription as the corps talked of at New Brunswick or Ceylon? If they were, they furely formed no material addition to a regular army, although they might fwell a ftatement. As to the addition which the army received from the militia, they could claim no credit for that addition who frequently contended that the militia were as efficient and as material to the ftrength of the country as the regular army. But in point of fact, however minifters might vaunt of the increase which had taken place in the regular army, there were no means adopted that promifed a regular and efficient fupply. This was the general complaint. The militia had furnished a temporary refource-10,000 men had been obtained from Hanover. But then no permanent refource was provided: the men the army had got were not procured by recruiting, nor by any fettled fyftem that was likely to continue productive. No; the means by which the army was augmented furnished the extent of their

capacity

capacity once for all; and the army was abfolutely left in future to depend for fupply on accidents or thifts.

The noble lord, the right hon. gentleman obferved, had paffed on from the army to the navy, and gone into, as it were, the details of two years naval campaigns. But without following the noble lord through all, or any of his details, the general refult was before the eyes of parliament and the country, and upon that general refult every man could decide. Among all the viciflitudes of war, among all the gloomy and diftracting profpects which the prefent war prefented, parliament and the people were accustomed to hear and derive confolation from the thought that Great Britain had the dominion of the feas. But how did the cafe now ftand? The fleets of the enemy were out in various directions. A formidable force was gone we know not where, the ball was fhot, and where it might hit, time alone could tell us; but that it was likely to give our dominions a fevere wound, there was too much reafon to dread, Apprehenfions were entertained for Ireland, the Indies, &c. Public anxiety eagerly fought the enemy's deftination, but all was fufpence and uncertainty. The people were uneafy, and the government was ignorant. The right hon. gentleman expreffed a hope and anxious wifh, that notwithstanding the prefent ftate of things, particularly with refpect to the French ficet, the country fhould have nothing more in the end to complain of, but the mifmanagement of minifters, or to inquire about the efficiency or inefficiency of the fyftem of blockade. Every Briton muft naturally feel glad if the effect of the prefent alarming profpects fhould at leaft be reparable, and that it fhould not prove that we had an infecure hold of the dominion of the fea. But he could not help faying that the appearance of our affairs was by no means calculated to encourage confidence, fuch as the noble lord endeavoured to excite by a statement that, however it might tell at a court martial, could make but little impreffion upon that houfe, or the thoughtful part of the public.

The noble lord's view of our finances, the right hon. gentleman ftated his difinclination to enter into, because he did not think that part of his fpeech very material to the prefent queftion. But yet there was one thort remark which he begged to fubmit. The noble lord, in his endeavour to account for the non-performance of that minifter's promife,

who

who faid that for a certain period no increase of our debt would take place, ftated indeed, that the difappointment of the expectation excited by that promife (if any one did feriously rely on it), arofe from this, that the expenditure was higher than the fum provided. Why, it would have answered the noble lord's purpose quite as well to have faid that the income was not equal to the expenditure (a laugh). But the fact was, that both did not meet, and this fhewed that the minifter did not fulfil his promife. This of course furnished a further reafon for diftruft in ministers.

But the ftrongest ground for diftruft arose from the state of the army. If it were faid that this ftate was not wholly chargeable to the prefent minifters, he would admit it; for it would have been impoffible for them, fince their acceffion to power, to have repaired what their predeceffors had done, and to have fupplied what thofe predeceffors had left undone. But yet the prefent minifters might have put meatures in motion, and thofe meafures might have been now in progrefs, to remove the evil complained of. This, however, was not the cafe. The army was left to watte away, unless fome chance arofe, unless fome lucky God-fend offered to fupply it, unlefs fome other country like Hanover fell into the hands of the enemy, from which we might be able to obtain fome force. This was a melancholy confideration, for juft in proportion as our danger preffed, whether it was our object to conclude a peace or carry on a war with vigour, a formidable army was effentially neceffary. With all the noble lord's obfervations refpecting the propriety of cultivating a continental connexion, the right hon. gen tleman expreffed a decided concurrence. He remembered, however, when quite a different fentiment prevailed in that houfe, and when fome gentlemen juftified the peace of Amiens, in confequence of its tendency to put an end to fuch connections. But he was glad to witnefs the change that now appeared, and that gentlemen were become sensible of the propriety of continental connections for this country. Neccility was a harsh teacher, but then he was not a bad one. Much as the house had heard of the pride and honefty of ftanding alone, it was now found that folitude in danger was not a very confoling fituation. After having made ufe of taunting language, after having endeavoured, under the affectation of magnanimity and lofty profeffions, to cover the indifcretion, and even the treachery of deferting and infulting our continental friends, it was now felt

neceffary