Bourbon; but I agree with him, and go farther, for the Houfe of Bourbon is not only our natural enemy, but even the States of Holland are leagued against us in an open offenfive alliance, which includes the three fint maritime Powers in Europe, and no one ftep has been taken by our Ministry to form any alliance that can counteract that alliance. I have feen fome time after this treaty was figned, our Ambaflador, Sir James Harris, prefented a memorial at the Hague, requesting the States to keep themfelves difengaged, as overtures from England were to be made to them. I must confefs, 1 never fuffered more confufion, than to see a perfon of that gentleman's refpectability and confequence in fo aukward and ridiculous a fituation. years ago a crifis happened in the affairs of Europe, of which our Ministry failed to avail themfelves. The ceffion of the Crimea to the Ruffians by the Turks, was that period; but now Ruffia, though on the point of renewing her commercial treaty with England, is entering into another of equal confequence with France, who are in poffeffion of the part of Gottenburgh, in Sweden.

Two

France

harraffed a fituation. This the Ministry ought to have done, and ftrove by that means to induce the Court of Vienna to look for our alliance. He then entered into a difcuffion of Indian affairs, relative to the return of Lord Macartney, and the reception of Mr. Pitt's bill. He next adverted to Ireland, which, he faid, from the misunderstanding between this and that country, was like two countries at war, as the Irish rejected all that was offered-He concluded with afferting that India was in a diftreffed, deplorable ftate.

Mr. Pitt oppofed his affertions relative to the infignificance of the furplus intended to reduce the national debt; he afferted that he would produce, at the proper period, an account, at which the public should rejoice.

Mr. Martin praised the economy of Minifters, but defired to know whether they reconciled this with the appointment of unneceflary officers-particularly of Lord Chesterfield, who had been two years Ambassador to Spain without reaching the place of his destination.

Mr. Chancellor Pitt faid, he was appoint

The question was put, and the amend-
ment negatived without a divifion,
The Addrefs was then agreed to.
JAN. 25.

Mr. Smith having brought up the report from the Committee who had been appointed to draw up an Address of Thanks to his Majefty for his most gracious fpeech from the Throne,

Lord Surry stated, that as it had been faid in the speech that the burthens to be this year laid on the public would be very small, he begged to know whether these were intended to make good the non-effective taxes; in that cafe he would not oppofe it; but if it was meant to extend farther than this, he certainly would.

las encreased her marine ftrength to a pitched because they believed that Spain had apof magnitude which the never could have pointed a Minister to come to this country; rained, if there were any power by land to but that not being the cafe, Lord Chesterdivert her attention from that object, and field was recalled. which the must continue to augment, whilst fhe has no oppofition on the Continent. The vague account in the Speech relative to the permanency of peace in Europe, I would have explained; whether it be an allufion to the quarrel lately made up between the Emperor and the Dutch, or does allude to the German League, to which his Majefty has acceded as Elector of Hanover? If to the former, the importance is but small tour; if to the latter, there is a confequence Wich is not immaterial. The greatest and not formidable power, however, which France has to fear by land, is that of Austria. That Court is difobliged by our being bound by the conduct of the Hanoverian Minister, who has made our Sovereign its enemy by the concurrence of the British Ministry. And this decifion has left us no choice; for can bebold his Majesty's German dominions the victim of war, and follow our own intereft? were fuch a thing to happen as a negociation between the Courts of Vienna and London, when in confequence of the German League, Hanover must become the enemy of England, and the Prince who rules both must be at war with himself. Though the ruler of both dominions is diftinct in law, he is one in fact; and the loyalty of this country would fooner induce it to facrifice its immediate intereft, than fee that Sovereign, wife family preferved its liberties, in fo

Mr. Fox rofe, he faid, under fome degree of concern from what had been stated in last night's debate by the Right Hon. Gentleman, in relation to the politics of this country, as contradiftinguished from those of Hanover. It required, in his opinion, no great forefight to predict what the conduct of this country would be in cafe that Electorate were attacked or invaded. We were tied down to the politics which had been adopt. ed right or wrong, without having an option which fide to espouse in the event of a German war; and we were reduced to this predicament by a tranfaction in which the executive power had no concern, for which

there was no refponfibility. This ftruck his mind last night as it did now, as an inftance of inattention, for which he knew no excufe. He referred to feveral inftances which in the History of Europe tended to enforce this reatoning. Hanover had involved this country in hoftilities under a very cau. tious Adminiftration. And there was a time, when an invation was threatened by Swe. den, and but for a very providential defeat would have taken place, on this very account. What had been might be again. Nor would the language of office be able to prevent what the fituation of Great-Britain rendered unavoidable. He was therefore not a little anxious to understand the arrangement by which this obvious confequence could be prevented. How would the parliament be able to act with confiftency and dignity fhould the event be as he had ftated it? Who was anfwerable for fuffering the Government, the interests, and the honour of this country, to be implicated in a treaty concluded without the concurrence, the confent, or even, perhaps, the knowledge of its Minifters ? He did not fee any reafons of delicacy to forbid the most accurate attention to thefe circumstances. Thofe who were fhy of difcuffing the fubject, did not know the relative and proper fitua tion of Great-Britain, or were not aware of its confequence to her prosperity. He therefore hoped the Minifter would view the fubject in this important light, and give the Houfe and the public that fatisfaction which they fo much required.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer owned that he was not furprised to find the Hon. Gentleman occupying the ground he did. But he trusted the Houfe would not expect that, notwithftanding all they had heard, he fhould forget the difcretionary trust which was lodged by the constitution in the fervants of the Crown. The Right Hon. Gentle man's argument tended to deprive the Hanoverian Government of all independence and refponfibility, and to pledge this country in the deepest and moft univerfal manner for its prefervation in all refpects whatsoever; so that the Minifter on every emergency might alledge, that while there was a thilling in the British Treasury, or a drop of blood in the Empire, every nerve and power we poffeffed was to be exerted in its behalf. What did the Honourable Gentleman fay, but that notwithstanding the Minifter for the time had declared that this Government was not concerned in the late league which had taken place on the Continent, the country ftill was, and that the opinion of the executive power in that matter was not to be relied on. He had formerly obferved, that difcretion was equally the duty of public and private men, and that no good citizen would with to bring

forward matters, which, by being thus expofed, might interfere with the operations of Government, He defired the House would attend to what the Hon. Gentleman had himself stated concerning Ruffia. And he would appeal to every Gentleman prefent, whether what had fallen from the Right Hon. Gentleman at this time might not have its effect in retarding that defira ble bufinefs. But he would affure the Right Hon. Gentleman that he should not for the future be either invited or provoked to fay more on the fubject, whatever he might advance, either on his own authority or that diplomatique communication, to which the Houfe was probably indebted for what they had now heard.

Mr. Fox trufted the Houfe would indulge him in faying, that the Right Hon. Gentleman had not affected his argument. He denied that any thing had been faid by him which was not the subject of public notoriety. Would the Right Hon. Gentleman warrant the peace of this country, even fuppofing a war with Hanover? All that he could fay without this was only telling the world broadly, that they were blind because he would have it fo, and that this House ought to be guided in their conceptions of their duty by his mere unqualified affertion. He was not of that cpinion. Nothing, he believed, that could be faid in that Houfe could have much effect on the councils of foreign States. They did not want any information they could

obtain here.

He could not cope with the Hon. Gentleman in deceiving the world. He did not think mankind fo easily deceived. He called the attention of the Houfe to the language which the Minifter had held to Ire

land.-

Here he was called to order by the Speaker. He fubmitted to the Chair, but hoped there would foon come an opportunity of speaking fully to this point.

The Clerk then proceeded to read the addrefs, when just as the question was about to be put,

Mr. Sheridan rofe, and objected to that part of it which conveyed an answer to that of his Majetty's fpeech relating to Ireland. The anfwer he faid intimated an idea that the bufinefs was again to be taken up in Ireland, when it was on the contrary well known that the Propofitions had received in that kingdom a peremptory and contumelio us rejection.

The question being then put, the address was carried without a divifion; and it was ordered that thofe members who are of the Privy Council fhould prefent the fame to his Majefty. Adjourned.

[To be continued.]

POETRY.

An ELEGY on a FAMILY-TOMB.

+ After perufing the paper, Emma (as the reader may conjecture from the fequel) re turned it to the Author, after having written her name with a pencil at the close of the following line: "Weak my fufpicions, and unjuft my song."

COME, my dear girl, let's feek the peace- Lov'd by my friends, and deaf to vulgar

And truth and innocence are bought and REJOICE, O Man, in youth's fresh