direction, of all fuch military forces, as it might be neceffary to employ in the fuppreffion of such disturbances.

Right Hon. T. Townshend faid, it had been his intention to Right Hon have moved the Houfe that day, "to vote on thanks to Sir T. TownSpend. Fletcher Norton, Knt. for his faithful, diligent and able difcharge of his duty as fpeaker, for the laft ten years;" but as he heard a noble Lord [Lord North] was not well enough to attend, he had done himself the honour to enter into a correspondence with that noble Lord upon the subject, and though he did not find the noble Lord meant to oppofe his motion, yet he would poftpone it till a future day, when the noble Lord was likely to be present.

Lord Mahon called the attention of the House to a fact, which Lord Mahe thought merited their ferious notice, and he faid, he would bon. the rather ftate it then, as he faw the noble Lord, at the head of the American department, was prefent, who, he prefumed, was the best able to give the Houfe full information refpecting it. The fact he alluded to, according to his information, was this:

"That upon the 9th of August laft, one English fhip of the line, fix frigates, and a cutter, went to the island of St. Martin's, belonging to the Dutch, (fituated, as gentlemen well knew, not far diftant from the ifland of St. Euftatia) and that the English commanding officer was faid to have debarked troops upon the said Dutch island, and had demanded, in the moft peremptory manner, that feven American veffels which had taken refuge in that neutral port, fhould be inftantly delivered up, as alfo fuch parts even of their cargoes which had already been carried on fhore, fold to the Dutch, and ftored in the Dutch warehouse. That the fame information faid, that the English commanding officer had threatened, that in cafe of refufal, he would lay wafte the Dutch island of St. Martin, by fire and fword. That the Dutch governor of the island, infinitely furprized at such an extraordinary proceeding, but unable to refift fo fuperior a force, had required of the English commanding officer, that he should give him a written declartion that he acted in this manner by orders, under the authority of his court; and this being complied with, (as the fame information faid) the Dutch governor had found himself compelled to fubmit to this flagrant and moft unjustifiable act of violence."

The fact he had flated, his Lordship faid, was a daring violation of the law of nations, So notorious an infult to a neutral power, his Lordship reprobated in very strong terms. He

afked

afked if this country had not enemies enough to cope with at present? Whether America, France, and Spain united, did not give the arms of Great Britain fufficient employment? Whether it was wife or politic to offend any of the neutral powers, who had now a very refpectable naval force afloat? These were queftions, his Lordship faid, which every man muft feel the force of; every man befides muft know, that we should treat others as we wished to be treated ourselves. We ought to do as we would be done by; he therefore called upon the noble Lord to give the House fome fatisfaction on the point he had mentioned, and to tell why minifters had fo unadvisedly authorized the most unjuft and impolitic breach of the law of nations, which he had stated.

Lord George Lord George Germain faid, the noble Lord had fuppofed, Germain. that his fituation in office, gave him a full opportunity of knowing the affair, to which he had alluded; he begged leave to remind the noble Lord, that the transaction was altogether of a maritime nature, and that the official account of it, if any had arrived, was to be had from the Admiralty, and not from him. No account of the affair, he could venture to fay, had arrived at the Admiralty, unless it had come that morning; but as he happened to have heard of the matter from one of the Weft-India iflands, though he was far from admitting the doctrine, that he or any other man in office was obliged to rife and answer any queftions put to him by any honourable member ftanding up in his place, he would now, as he was ready to do at all times when he had it in his power, to fatisfy gentlemen, state what he knew of the tranfaction. He had heard it to have happened in this manner: fome of Admiral Rodney's fleet came in fight of feveral veffels, which from their making away from them, they discovered to be enemies; they purfued, and the American fhips that were chaced, made the beft of their way for that part of the island of St. Martin which belonged to the Dutch. As foon as they got into the harbour, they hoisted their American ftripes, and affumed an air of triumph and defiance; upon this, the British commander ordered in a part of his fquadron to cut them out; whereupon the Dutch governor fent word, that if the British commander perfifted, he would fire upon his fhips, the English officer's anfwer to which was, that his Admiral (Admiral Rodney) had given orders for what he was doing, and that if the Dutch governor offered to fire, the Britifh fhips fhould return it upon the port. His Lordship faid, he had not heard that any mention was

made of Admiral Rodney's having orders from home for any part of his conduct in the affair, neither had he heard that the Dutch governor requested to have the British commander's reafons, for his refolving to cut out the fhips, ftated in writing. A full reprefentation of the affair had already been received in Holland, where the matter had been complained of, and a representation of it, miniftry knew was drawn up in Holland, and was to be fent to them. It had not yet come over; when it did, and it was ascertained in what manner the Dutch ftated the facts, alluded to by the noble Lord, our court would in confequence give an anfwer, and the House then might proceed upon it, as they thought proper.

The order of the day to go into a committee of fupply was called for, upon which

Mr. W. H. Hartley rofe and faid, Sir, before you enter Mr. W. H. upon the business of fupply, permit me to requeft the indul-Hartley. gence of the House for a few minutes, and I take the liberty of doing it before you leave the chair, to exprefs my fentiments, which I have in common perhaps with other members of this House, who, anxious to take a part, that may give ftrength and vigour to the exertions of this country, are yet concerned at the fatal war that is carried on, and do not chufe to give their affent to all the measures which are purfued. Upon the general queftion of fupply, I am therefore now defirous to explain myself, that whether I fhall give my voice for the fums required or withhold my affent, I may not on the one hand appear unwilling to join in the defence of my country, or on the other, be fuppofed to approve the propriety of the war, and place a confidence in the conduct of those who have the direction of affairs.

It is matter of the greateft confolation to my mind, that ever fince I had the honor of a feat in this House, I have withstood as far as an unavailing vote would go, thofe measures which have proved fo deftructive to this country; what has contributed to the delufion, or where the fault has been, I wish not to enter upon at prefent, being free to give my opinion. whenever an inquiry fhall be made into the fubject. However, when we see the country in fuch a fituation, furrounded by fo many open foes, involved in a fatal war with those who were once our fellow fubjects, united by every tie, and with whom every perfon muft with a reconciliation to take place; when we confider thefe circumftances, it seems neceffary to take some different fteps to reftore us to peace and fafety. To extricate ourselves from thefe difficulties, reduced as we

are

are almoft to stand fingle againft the world, (the conduct of the neutral powers giving realon for alarm inftead of brightening the profpect,) the moft prudent councils, and the moft vigorous exertions are neceflary, as we must trust to our own powers for our defence. To avail ourselves in the best manner of our force, two things appear to me neceffary, to have the confidence and approbation of the country at home, and to lay hold of every opportunity, and take every method to promote peace, to fhew our fincere defire of reconciliation with our American brethren. We may then ftand upon firm ground: fhould France and Spain be defirous of agreeing to a fafe and honourable peace, that event may take place; but fhould their ambition and confidence in their power make them with to continue this deftructive war, our united force might make them lament their error, and America feeing the injuftice of their conduct, return to friendship and union with us. The advantage of unanimity has been often, and must be defervedly preffed as the means of carrying terror to our foes, and making other powers refpect us: where it arifes from a confidence of falutary measures being purfued, it will have that effect; but if it means only fupporting a fet of men, or a chain of meafures, the confequence of which has been detrimental to the interefts of the nation, it will be betraying our country, and only expofing our weakness to the enemy. It is hardly poffible to mention the name of ministers without being fuppofed from party motives, to be defirous either of attacking or defending them, acharge which is equally bandied about from one fide of the Houfe to the other. For myfelf perfonally, I can only fay, that if it were not for the measures that are pursued, it is matter of as much indifference to me how long the prefent minifters keep their places, as it is probably to them, what my opinion is upon the fubject. When we hear, however, the common topic, and what is moft infifted upon as a reason for fupporting them, that no one knows where to get better, one cannot help reflecting how juft the answer is, that if we are to be determined by facts, or the fuccefs even of their own plans, the country muft be unfortunate indeed, were there a poffibility of its being hurt by the trial. But though this reafoning may fupply the place of argument, what muft our country, our conftituents, think of this Houfe, when every action is attributed to party, and not even the appearance of virtue fuppofed to exift? How long will the independent members of this House fuffer fuch reproach? Why will not those who seek

not

not emoluments for themselves, and who, however they may have differed in fome points, have only the honor and intereft of their country at heart, come forward, and by that conduct which would make them refpectable, hold the balance their weight and confequence gives them, between the power of minifters, and thofe who might wish to obtain their places. folely for their own intereft? Were measures the criterion by which to judge of the men, no longer fhould we fee a minister fupported by those who do not approve his proceedings, because he tells them, those who might fucceed him would do worse, nor would any persons be afraid of giving countenance to other men, whofe prefent measures they might think right, left they fhould alter their conduct when in power, because they would be then equally juftified in oppofing them. The minifter, and the oppofition, which muft always exist in a free country, would be rivals in their attention to the interefts, in order to obtain the good will of the nation, which would -profit by fuch an event. But I fear, Sir, this is rather to be wifhed than to be expected, the voice of independence is too little heard, and the torrent of interested perfons bears down all before it.

I beg pardon of the Houfe for prefuming to take up their time, and hope they will receive as my apology, that, feeling the fituation I have defcribed myfelf in fo ftrongly, as defirous of fupporting my country, and yet difapproving the measures carried on, that I was unwilling to fit filent at this moment. I will conclude, Sir, with many thanks for the indulgence of the House, and with their permiffion, by reading as a part of my speech, the form of a motion for an addrefs, which, though I do not prefume to move, contains an explanation of my fentiments, better than, I fear, I have been able to exprefs myself, and which I fhould be happy to fee adopted.

The addrefs was expreffive of loyalty and affection to his Majefty, and declared that his Majefty's faithful Commons were ready to fupport the honour and dignity of the Crown, and to exert themselves to the utmost in defence of the dominions, and in the protection of the rights and liberties of this country. It declared, that the firft object of their attention, in which they doubted not they fhould receive his Majesty's concurrence, would be to maintain inviolate the principles of this free and happy conftitution, and preferve it from thofe dangers the corruption and neceffities of the times might expofe it to. And laftly, it declared, of how much confequnce it was to the ftate, and how beneficial it would prove to both VOL. XVIII, countries,

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