Sir William Pulteney confidered it meritorious in any Gentleman to fhew a defire of giving every information which might occur to him relative to any improvement that might be made in plans propofed by Government, and in that light he was inclined to confider what had fallen from an Honourable Gentleman (Tarleton). He liked the plan that had that day been offered to the Houfe, although he could have wifhed that a fimilar one had been brought forward at an earlier period. But it was not yet too late: and for the lateness of it, the country had only to ufe greater exertions, and fubmit to a greater degree of labour; and even at the prefent moment, extraordinary thanks were due to the Right Honourable Gentleman for the measures which he fo ably fubmitted to the confideration of the Houfe. With regard to the opinion of the Honourable General, he agreed with him fo far as to fay, that the metropolis ought to be guarded with a very great force; but all the other great towns throughout the Kingdom ought to be guarded alfo. Every thing therefore that had been faid, was an argument in favour of the plan; and he was fure that the spirit of a free people would be roused to a pitch that must remove every idea of danger. The example of that glorious fpirit which lately difplayed itself in Switzerland, together with the behaviour of the French towards the virtuous inhabitants of that country, ought to animate every man in Great Britain; and he believed it would have that effect. There never was a period in which the fituation of the Swifs might be fuppofed to be more defperate than that in which they were placed at prefent. Surrounded on all fides, affifted by no one, attacked by a country fo fuperior in population, yet with all thefe difadvantages Switzerland had not funk under her fituation. Five times had the rallied against the French troops; and the French General himself had spoken in terms of admiration and wonder at the opposition made by this gallant people, who had not been engaged in wars for two hundred years. This fhewed what the fpirit of a free people was. But how could the people of this country fhew it? Had they any means of doing it before this plan? But what was it that had put Switzerland in a fituation of danger, but a falfe fecurity, from which they did not conceive it neceffary to adopt precautionary measures of defence. The Swifs had been told, four years ago, by an able politician (M. Neckar) · what it was incumbent on them to do, and were warned against the future attempts of the French; but he was confidered as a falfe prophet, and no attention was paid to him. His own opinion was, that the French would not have attacked them, if they had been prepared for refiftance. Yet, notwithstanding all their misfortunes, he hoped they would fill be fuccefsful in defending

defending their country. If a nation was armed, and was determined to make a vigorous refiftance, no force, however great, which might invade it could be fuccefsful. When an invafion of this country was talked of, which he had always 'been of opinion would be attempted, was it not plain that the fuperiority of numbers was a great advantage? and how could that fuperiority be obtained, if the force of the country were not called forth? The Right Honourable Gentleman had evinced great abilities in the drawing out and detail of his plan. Under the circumftances of an invafion, it must be clear that fuch a variety of duties and occupations would he found neceffary as to requre great precautions; and every body muft know that when an invading enemy was to be oppofed, a great number of men must be employed in various ways befides fighting. But when the people were not called forth, they could not know that they were wanted.

With regard to the affertion of the Right Honourable Gentleman, (Mr. Dundas) that there was a large body of people in the country who wished to favour the defigns of the enemy, he did not believe any fuch thing; he was fure that there were not any poeple of fuch a defcription; and if there were, they must be very few. Whatever opinions might have been once entertained concerning the French, by numbers of people, he would venture to fay that they were changed, and that fcarcely any perfons thought favourably of them at prefent. He knew alfo that many perfons in a moment of warmth would fay things of which they afterwards repented; and that thofe, who, from their expreffions might have been fuppofed to be favourable to the enemy, would come forward in a moment of danger, and defend their country. There was no circumstance that could ferve to roufe the fpirit and indignation of the country more effectually than the recent example of Switzerland: that indignation ought to be marked in the ftrongeft manner by fome public measure, and he was fure it would have a good effect both at home and abroad.

Mr. Nicholls faid it was not his intention to oppofe the motion that had been made. The detail and regulations would be to be confidered in future ftages of the Bill. But it feemed to him as if all that was proposed by such measures as the prefent, would be but of little effect, as long as his Majelly's Minifters were determined to perfevere in their fyftem of coercion towards Ireland. That fyftem must be done away; for there could be no chance of preferving the country from the power of the enemy, if with one hand we were to put down Ireland, while with the other we contended against France. Mr. Nicholls proceeded to take a review of the events that had

Laken

taken place fubfequent to the negotiations at Lifle, in order to prove the ncceffity of conciliating Ireland. Six months only had elapfed fince the negotiation had terminated, and yet, what events had taken place! Peace had been concluded between Auftria and France; France was to have the left bank of the Rhine; arrangements were making refpecting Germany, which must leave all the German powers, not excepting even Pruffia, in a great degree, dependent upon France. The French had the command of the Mediterranean. Another great event was, the completely revolutionizing of Holland. In the beginning, France employed the aristocracy of the cities to deftroy the power of the Stadholder. She had evinced a reluctance to deftroy the ariftocracy of the cities, but he had done it at laft, in order to render the power of Holland more immediately dependent upon her. The Papacy had been annihilated, and a Republic had been eftablished in the middle of Italy. Would any one affert, that at this hour Naples might not be revolutionized? Were not Spain and Portugal at the mercy of France? And might we not expect that the would bring all her fleets from the Mediterranean, to join thofe of Spain, for the purpose of acting against this country. Such were the events that had happened within fix months; and under fuch circumstances, had we any chance of successful refifttance but by uniting the two Inlands in oppofition to the enemy? Was it not obvious that the troops of Great Britain, and the money of Great Britain, were now employed for Ireland? Ought we, therefore, to fuffer things to remain as they were? The cafe of Switzerland had been referred to; he felt as much for the Swifs as any man ; but what was the chief caufe of their prefent calamitous fituation? Was it not that there was a principle of difunion among them? Warned by fuch an example, Great Britain and Ireland fhould be united; and that, he believed, would be the first means of obtaining peace. But if it did not procure peace, it would at least give the country the power of refifting every attempt of the enemy with fuccefs. Thefe obfervations he threw out now, when meafures of fafety and precaution were propofed to be adopted, and when fuch obfevations appeared to him to be feasonable. It was wished to avert a particular calamity, and he knew no other means of doing it, but by putting an end to the fyftem of terror and coercion in Ireland. It had been tried for years, and no good effect had refulted from it. What was the fituation of Ireland three years a ago? Nothing, compared to what it was at prefent. It was thefe measures that had forced the people to fuch affociations, and therefore he felt himfelf warranted in faying, that if the present system was to be perfevered in,

and

and Ireland was to remain as it was, the most fatal confequences were to be apprehended.

Mr. Wilberforce faid, he conceived it neceffary for him to rife upon the prefent occafion to give his fupport to the measure. which had been laid before the Houfe; becaufe he perceived there were fome Gentlemen on the oppofite fide of the Houfe, who, although they did not directly oppofe the measure, and although they pretended to fupport it, yet gave it a kind of fecret oppofition. They fhould have felt that it was the duty of every man to be unanimous on an occafion like the prefent. He highly approved of the fentiments that had fallen from an Honourable Baronet, at the fame time that he found it neceffary to correct him in that part of his fpeech where he complained that thofe measures had not been fooner adopted. The fact was otherwife for the Honourable Baronet must recollect, that for thefe three or four years paft the fame plan was acted upon in fpirit, and that fimilar meafures, all tending to the defence of the country, had been adopted during the whole of that time. In that county which he had the honour to reprefent, he could fay that great numbers of people who had never been in the habits of understanding military affairs, had come forward long ago, and offered their fervices for the defence of the country. But now, when the enemy had openly declared their intention of invading it, it was neceflary to call out all the poffible force that could be raised; and he was convinced that there would not be found in the County of York any want of fpirit to fecond the efforts of Government. The people of that county understood and felt the bleffings which they derived from the happy conftitution under which they lived. They highly approved of the conduct of his Majesty's prefent Minifters, which they knew to be directed to the fafety and advantage of the country. The only queftion then was, how thofe perfons could be most advantageoufly employed. They only wanted to be inftructed in the means by which they could be moft ufeful. All thofe who poffeffled any property on the coafts were grateful to Minifters for the measures they intended to adopt in order to render it secure. He would not trouble the Houfe with any more obfervations; be found it neceffary thus to declare what were the fentiments of his constituents, as well as to express the fatisfaction he felt at hearing the prefent plan propofed; and he hoped it would meet with unanimous fupport, and be profecuted with vigour and expedition.

Sir William Pulteney, in explanation, contended that Mr. Wilberforce had miftaken his meaning. He had no objection to his panegyrics upon Minifters, though he thought them very improper at the prefent period. The Honourable Gentleman

had

had faid that his conftituents were fatisfied with his Majefty's Minifters, and therefore they would come forward. For his own part he afferted, that whether they were fatisfied with them or not, they ought to come forward at the prefent period. With refpect to the proposed plan, he again faid that it had not been acted upon before; that is, in the way in which he confidered it. It was obvious, that pay could not be given to all the country, if they were called out: his meaning was, that the country fhould be called out without pay, and that it should be feen what they would do in defence of their liberties and their independence..

Mr. Wilberforce declared, that Sir William Pulteney had mifunderstood him, if he conceived that he had taken occafion to praise Ministers. He had been merely ftating a fact; the people of Yorkshire were ftrongly impreffed with the bleflings they enjoyd; they were strongly impreffed with the wisdom, ability, and integrity of the prefent Administration, and that impreffion had made them more zealous to come forward.

Mr. Buxton faid, that a meafure fimilar to the prefent had been propofed by him in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, where it had been approved of, and it was determined that carts and waggons should be in a state of readiness to carry away the property of farmers living near the coaft. If there was any event that could juftify the whole conduct of Ministers during the prefent war, it was the recent example of what had happened in Switzerland. For there could no longer be a doubt but that if Great Britain had till this time remained in a ftate of inactivity, the whole united fleets of France, Spain, and Holland would have attacked her; they would not have been weakened by thofe glorious fucceffes gained over them by the British navy, and Britain would then have been in the fame deplorable state of weakness in which the Swifs were at prefent.

Mr. Secretary Dundas faid, that if the Honourable Baronet fuppofed that pay was to be given univerfally to the perfons called out, he was very much mistaken; but in certain cafes, where the bread of a poor family depended upon the labour of one man, and he was called away, the Honourable Baronet would not fay that they ought not to have fome compenfation. He was fure he could not mean to push his argument to that length; but it was by no means intended to create a system of pay. With respect to the zeal of the volunteer corps, the Hon. Baronet was much miftaken if he fuppofed they were influenced by pay. In many cafes they had declined the pay, where they - were entitled to it, and declared they felt themselves fufficiently rewarded if they rendered any fervice to their country. Mr.