Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

fand men, penetrated into Amfterdam, he would then have been in a fituation in which the duke of Brunswick faid he would bid defiance to all Europe. Lord Mulgrave would negative the motion as it was a question of climate, wind, and weather.

Lord King, in his firft fpeech in parliament, faid, that as minifters had declared their determination to continue the war, it became the duty of that houfe to inveftigate their conduct in the laft expedition, in order to ascertain whether they ought to be farther intrufted with the profecution of hoftilities. If he referred to the test of experience, and the evidence of facts, the favourite phrafe of adminiftration, there were still greater grounds for the neceffity of an inquiry: for the incapacity of minifters had already been manifefted, by the expeditions to Corfica, Toulon, Quiberon, and Oftend. With refpect to the ftate of the weather and unfavourable winds, his lordfhip infifted that that confideration could not be urged in defence of its failure, as minifters had fufficient time to make every preparation. The object was clear and precife, and lay at the diftance of only forty-eight hours fail. And was it not the duty of adminiftration to run as few rifks as poffible? If there appeared to be but a faint chance of failure from any inclemency of the weather, why was not the expedition undertaken in the months of June and July, when that chance would have been confiderably leffened? The houfe could not forget the two inquiries which had been inftituted during the American war; and at prefent the grounds for a fimilar proceeding were much frengthened, finco

administration, being poffeffed of unlimited means, both in a financial and a military view, was of course more refponfible for the use and application of thofe

means.

Lord Holland, in reply to lord Mulgrave, afked if fir Ralph Abercromby might have fecured the fuc cefs of the expedition with fifteen thoufand men, why more were fent? The inquiry would inform us what probability there was of fuccefs at that time, and how far the fending reinforcements to fir Ralph Abercromby, and the delay occafioned by thele reinforcements, tended to incrcafe that probability. The only argument that appeared to lord Holland of any force against the inquiry, was, the danger of difclofure; but this danger might be avoided, in that houfe, as it had been more frequently in another, on former occafions, by leaving the names blank: and even if difclofure was infifted on, by preventing any queftions being put, or documents produced, which might tend to create this danger. Lord Holland concluded this reply, or fecond fpecch, with drawing a contrast between the manner in which we had been received by the Dutch, in our firft invafion of their country, and that in which the French had been received in their fecond attack on Holland. When they overran the whole country, and with deducing from that contraft, the inference, that we had little ground to applaud the information, or the judgement of minifters, in undertaking an expedition which depended for its fuccefs on the cooperation of the people, when it appeared that they were wholly indifpofed to our attempt.

Lord

Lord Grenville approved of the motives which prompted the earl of Moira to endeavour to put an end to the difcuffion; yet faid, he fhould be forry that the prefent motion fhould be difpofed of by the previous question, left it thould imply, that his majefty's minifters would be inclined to refufe an inquiry, were fufficient grounds for it laid down. To him it appeared that no ground whatever had been made out. He therefore hoped that the noble lord would withdraw his motion for the previous queftion, as he should otherwife have to oppose it, in order to give his negative afterwards to the original motion. The earl of Moira reftated the motives which had induced him to move the previous queftion. However, if lord Grenville thought that his motion would admit of any unfavourable conftruction, he was willing to withdraw it. The previous queftion was accordingly withdrawn. The whole houfe murmured approbation and applaufe of the delicate fentiment, found judgement, and noble candour of lord Moira. The houfe then divided on the original mo

Navy Army Ordnance

Mifcellaneous fervices
Intereft due to the Bank

Deficiency of the ways and means of 1799

tion, by lord Holland, for which there appeared 34: against it 51.

We come now to the great teft and fanction of all the great measures of adminiftration, the granting of the fupplies. In the house of commons, the twenty-fourth of February, being in a committee of ways and means, Mr. chancellor Pitt faid, he would not detain the committee with any preface to the account of the fupplies that had already been granted, or that remained to be granted, for the fervice of the current year; but fhould proceed directly to ftate, generally, the feveral heads of which thofe accounts confifted. The fupply which he deemed requifite amounted to thirtynine millions and a half.*

Mr. Pitt, in detailing the means for raifing his fupply, eftimated the income-tax at 5,300,000l. after the deduction of intercft payable for the borrowed fum of 13,500,000. But he thought it highly probable that it would produce a greater fum in the courfe of the prefent year than it had done in the last, as he intended to propose fome regulations calculated to augment its efficacy. He had negociated a loan of 18,500,000l.;

£.13,619,000 11,350,000 1,695.000

750,000

816,000

447,000

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

but the affignment of 1,700,000l. out of the income-tax to the payment of a part of the intereft, rendered 313,000, futficient for the remainder. This laft demand was anfwered by a new duty of 5 per cent. on all kinds of tea, fold at 2s. 6d. each pound, and by a small augmentation of the duties on rum and brandy. The whole of the ways and means for raifing the fupplies, are stated below.

Mr. Pitt concluded his financial eftimates by laying, that he needed not to add any thing to a statement fo highly fatisfactory; which proved

Malt, fugar, and tobacco Exports and imports

Lottery

Tax on income

Renewal of the charter of the Bank Vote of credit

Surplus of the confolidated fund

Lean

to the committee, and would prove to the public, the growing profperity of the kingdom: and, by fhewing the refources we had for war, would be a means of enabling us to perfevere in the firuggle, until we could obtain a peace; until we could obtain a folid and permanent peace. The financial refolutions, propofed by Mr. Pitt, after a variety of ftrictures by Mr. Tierney, and a reply by the minifter, were put and agreed to, and afterwards, through the ufual forms, pafled into laws.

-

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

CHAP. VIII.

Union with Ireland.-Refolution of the British Parliament thereon tatifică bý the Irish Parliament.-Debates on this Subject in both Houses of Parlia liament. The Refolutions, with a few Alterations made in Ireland, ratified by the British Parliament, and paffed into a Law.-Sufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus.-Continuance of an A for preventing Mutiny and Sedition.-Corn and Bread Bill.-Other Bills-And Motions for Bills.-Prorogation of Parliament.

TH HE firft law of nature is a defire of felf-continuance, or felfprefervation, and a correfpondent horror of annihilation: a defire not only that the elements or principles of which this living and thinking being is compofed, may be preferved, but that perfonal identity fhould remain, a confcioufnefs of identity be retained, and that individuality, which diftinguishes one man from another, and makes him to be himself. The ancient Stoics endeavoured to confole man kind with the reflection, that, though the human frame would be diffolved by death, not an atom of its com ponent parts would be destroyed or loft. The earthy part would be reunited to earth, the watery to water, the fiery to fire, the airy and ethereal to air and ether. However perfonal identity might be difcontinued, the univerfe would remain the fame, unimpaired and eternal. The permanence, the order, and perfection of this, in which every one participated, ought to be ever uppermost in the mind of a wife man, and his confolation through life, and in the crifis of death. This

kind of immortality, however, is but cold comfort to the human heart. If a man is to be taken to pieces, and lofe confcioufnels of identity, he will make little account whether his elementary parts remain in any other form, or, if that were poffible, totally annihilated.

This confcioufnefs of identity, this anxious defire and love of felf-prefervation, that reigns fupreme in the breafts of individuals, is felt in different degrees by nations, and generally more or less according as they are fimple and virtuous, or corrupt, fenfual, and felfifh. The firft notice to any fmall nation of a formal propofal for an union and amalgamation with a great and powerful ftate, is, accordingly, an alarm for felf-prefervation. The powerful nation feels no alarm of this kind, becaufe it is only ftrengthened by fuch acceflions which it affimilates and tranfmutes into its own nature and form; but the fmall nation is loath to abandon its feparate existence, as a fovereign power, and be fwallowed up like a fiream in the ocean. This princip'e of human nature is to be recognised in the hiftory of

all

all unions, of all times: but, not to go too far back, or wander too far from our fubject, we shall only mention the difcontents, the tumults, and the violence of the Scots against the union of their poor coun-, try with England. The foil of Scotland might be improved, and the Scots might acquire more wealth, and more comforts; but Scotland, as a kingdom, would be no more. There would be no more any genuine Scotfmen: by the operation of government, they would be gradually mingled and melted down with Englishmen; the Scotch would ceafe to be a national character; their genius and manners would be formed by various objects of purfuits, various hopes and fears, common to them, with all the other inhabitants of the island.

A fimilar train of thinking, exactly, on the subject of the propofed union with Great Britain, prevailed in Ireland; and, as in Scotland, a majority of the men of property and political influence were induced, whether from selfish confiderations, or from views of real patriotifm, (for there certainly were many who acted from both) to exchange, as it were, in fome measure, the national identity and exiftence for a fhare in the British legislature; and the great mals of the people clung, with fond embraces, around their expiring parent, though he had been, in too many inftances, to them but a harth ftep-mother: fo alfo a majority of the men of property and political influence in Ireland were induced, from divers motives, no doubt, to favour and adopt an incorporating union between Great Britain and Ireland; and fo alfo the great mafs

VOL. XLII.

of the people of Ireland, though more harshly treated by their mother-country, that had fallen into a ftate of thraldom, and was under the fway of ftrangers, than even the Scots, ftuck faft by Hibernia in her laft moments. The Irish harp was attuned to ftrains of lamentation and complaint; but martial mufic would have aroufed the people to arms, if they had not been kept in fubjection, by an irresistible armed force, poured in upen them from England.

When the refolutions of the Britifh legislature, intended as a bafis for an union with Ireland, being remitted, with fome alterations, for the reconfideration of that country, in May, 1799, became a fubject of parliamentary difcuffion, the populace of Dublin, and many other towns, manifested an averfion to the union in every mode in which they could fhew it, fhort of an armed oppofition: from which they were reftrained only by a dread of the English foldiers, and the claymores of kindred celts; the Scotch Highlanders, many regiments of whom, fencibles and volunteers, as well as regulars, were ftationed in the provinces of Leinfter and Ulfter.

*

The Irish parliament having affembled,on the fifteenth of January, 1800, it was moved, by fir Laurence Parfons, in the houfe of commons, that they fhould, in their addrefs to the viceroy, declare their difapprobation of an incorporating union. This motion was negatived by 138 voices against 96. On the fifth of February, the whole plan of the union was detailed, in the houfe of lords, by lord Caftlereagh, principal fecretary of state, who, after difplay

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinua »