tion; but it was the province of those who did not, to act in con formity to the dictates of the Conftitution, and the well-being of the State.

With respect to the clamours raifed against the mode of Reprefentation, thofe he would difmifs after a few obfervations. If any Gentleman, who had oppofed a Parliamentary Reform, was now convinced of the neceflity of the measure, he should chearfully avow his fentiments, for there was infinitely more merit in retracting an error, than wilfully remaining in darkness. He lamented in common with the country, that Government entrusted, or were obliged to entruft, fome men with their votes, merely on account of their infignificance.

If men were oppreffed with taxes, and run down with war, how, he asked, could it be fuppofed that they would not murmur? If the Minifter was to fay, let finecures and pluralities be abolifhed, it would have more effect in conciliating the people, than all the affociations that have met, or the plaufible language that can be used by thofe in power. If the people called for a Parliamentary Reform, he thought the Houfe of Commons, inftead of throwing open four doors to hear their complaints, fhould open four hundred, if poffible, to hear them conftitutionally state their grievances.

The Marquis conceived, that Parliament fhould be cautious how it fanctioned a war, either to indulge the whim or caprice of a Minifter. If treaties were found inimical to the public intereft, he thought that we should not wantonly, nor without much deliberation and caution, carry them into effect. He called the attention of the Houfe to the treaties of Utrecht and Aix-la-Chapelle, which met with much abufe, and from which we afterwards incurred the charge of ingratitude. It therefore behoved the Houfe to beware, how it fulfilled a treaty which might have for its defign, not the fupport of the ally, but merely the oppofition to a nation whofe politics Government probably diflikes. It was a good maxim in politics, that the bulk of mankind feel, but that it falls to the lot of the few to fee; that lot fell to their Lordships, and he trusted they would attend to it.

He was of opinion, that if grievances did exift, that they fhould be corrected. The people were too enlightened to be blindfolded by the declamation of the wifeft. Suppofe, he continued, I was to fay to the People of Ireland, I am opulent, I feel all the comforts, without the hardships or inconveniencies of life. I live in luxury and eafe, while you live in mifery, and under oppreffion. Was it natural that they thould applaud my candour, and that they fhould groan under their misfortunes, because I had no feeling for their diftrefs, and profited by their misfortunes? Thefe were circumftances that required confideration, and to pro

mote

mote tranquillity, Reformation, and not Oppofition, was the beft remedy. He thought the beft way was to hear and examine into grievances, and if they did that, it would be the beft anfwer that they could give to all those who called for Reform, and the only true way to know whether any, and what grievances'really exifted. His Lordship then touched on the fituation of the Roman Catholics of Ireland, with great liberality, and hoped that Ministry would turn their attention to the petitions of that respectable body. He made feveral obfervations on the treaties relative to the Scheldt, and deprecated the idea of a war, unless the principles on which it was to be grounded would ftand the teft of wildom, and the foundeft policy. He faid whatever favourable idea he might entertain of a Reform, the mode of bringing about that Reform, was a queftion of the first magnitude, and ought to be agitated with the utmoft prudence and deliberation.

Lord Grenville entered into a defence of the conduct of Adnsiniftration in calling forth the Militia; he then gave a fhort account of the Militia act, and the principles on which it was enacted, and contended, that if it was fairly conftrued according to the spirit and the intention, it would be found Executive Government had neither more nor less than discharged their duty. In fupport of thefe affertions, he faid, he held in his hand not lefs than ten addreffes, prefented to the National Affembly by the fubjects of this country, and, if the Houfe would, for a fhort time, fupprefs their indignation, he should read them a few extracts from thofe addrefles, which his Lordship did, making his obfervation on each as he went along; he alfo made feveral obfervations on the anfwer of the Prefident of the National Convention to thofe addreffes, for the purpofe of fhewing, that notwithstanding his Majefty had declared his neutrality with regard to the inferior tranfactions of France, yet the French had not observed the fame rule of conduct with regard to this nation. The King of this country, in all tranfactions with foreign Courts, was the reprefentative of the people, but this prerogative was infringed by thefe

addreffes.

His Lordship adverted to the Motion for a Parliamentary Reform at the conclufion of the laft Seffion of Parliament; this would ferve as a developement of the fubfequent difcontents. In confequence of this notice, Societies had been formed over the whole kingdom, who, by their communication with the National Convention, profeffed a difpofition to fuperfede the Parliament, and establish a new fyftem of things. His Lordfhip called the atten-. tion of the Houfe more particularly to two paragraphs inferted in M. Condorcet's paper at Paris, afferting, that the people of this Country were determined to fhake off Hereditary Succeffion, and to establish a Convention, as the only genuine organ of representation,

B 2

fentation, the whole of which put together authorized him to fay, that fuch a correfpondence with a foreign power by the natives of this country furnished juft apprehenfions of alarm, and this opinion was ftrengthened by a refolution of the National Convention, that they were ready to extend fraternity and affift ance to every nation that fhould be found willing to recover their liberty. His Lordship infifted, that it peculiarly behoved this nation to maintain the faith of treaties; hitherto they had preferved that character inviolate, and he hoped they would continue fo to do in that part of the country, with which his Lore fhip was most converfant. Pamphlets of a feditious nature were fold at twopence each, and Societies were established for the fubverfion of the best and most perfect fyftem of Civil Liberty that ever was enjoyed by man; the Authors feem to afpire to fame, by endeavouring to leffen in our eftimation the bleffings we enjoy under the mild and beneficent reign of his prefent Majefty, who poffeffes, in an eminent degree, every virtue that can adorn the Monarch or the Man.

He then took a view of our relative fituation to the powers of Europe, and contended that the British Court had perfevered in a frit neutrality until the French fleet covered the Mediterranean, her Armies ravishing Provinces, and fubverting Governments wherever they came: that the conduct of England had been liberal in the extreme; and now that the arrows of ambition were levelled at our own bofoms, it was incumbent on every wellwifher of his Country to range under the banners of the Conftitution, and repel the machinations of their enemies.

The Duke of Clarence protefted that he totally and wholly coincided in the fentiments which had fallen from the Right Hon. Secretary (Lord Grenville); he had already in private made an offer of his fervice to his country, and he was glad of the opportunity of exprefling the fame fentiments in public; it was plain the French were directed by ambition, and aggrandizement; they had already annexed the Duchy of Savoy to their dominions as the eighty-fourth department, and if they conquerred Holland, he fuppofed it would be the eighty-fifth; as a feaman, he was proud to fay, that the British navy was the pride of this country, and the envy of our enemies, but if the French feized on the Dutch navy, a fuperiority of force was a ferious confideration; this was a matter that ought to be duly weighed independent of every other confideration, Their Lordships would recollect that when he laft troubled them, it was in a conference with the other Houfe on the Slave Trade. On that business he had taken pains to obtain local information, and had then difapproved of the affociations in all parts of the Country against it, because they tended to deceive the people on a fubject iney had no knowledge of. He was pleafed that the Noble

Noble Secretary had argued in a fimilar way to-night refpe&ting affociations. He concluded by faying, that as he confidered this to be only a continuation of the debate on the King's Proclamation laft feffion, fo he hoped the difcuflion would terminate with the fame unanimity and approbation.

Lord Stormont thought that Minifters fhould have foreseen these events, and prepared for them by a fhort prorogation. He was not of a defponding difpofition, but he could not help declaring that there was ferious caufe of alarm in that part of the country in which he was most interested, feditious pamphlets had been circulated with unceafing induftry, they had been fold for two-pence apiece, which in fair trade would be a great lofs to the vender; it was no difficult matter to difcern that this flowed from fome secret hand, and he fuppofed the Right Hon. Secretary knew that hand. He knew Condorcet in his happier hours, and as his name had been mentioned, he would read two paragraphs from a paper, of which he was the avowed Editor; the first was addreffed to the Dutch, whom he called Batavians, in which he faid, that true liberty would never be founded on the basis of reason, as long as the earth was foiled by Kings; the next was, that the beams of Republican truth were pervading the breafts of English men. The propriety of a war either on account of treaties, or any other pretext, he referved for a future difcuffion.

Lord Rawdon made a very animated fpeech, difapproving of the conduct of Minifters in evading to anfwer the fimple queftion put to them by the Noble Duke, who had demanded where the infurrection was, which gave fanction to their precipitate measures? No fatisfactory information could be obtained on that head, and it was fair to infer that no tumults exifted; a mere apprehenfion of danger did not warrant the calling out of the Militia; and it would appear, that one error had been committed by way of apology for another. He argued ftrenuoufly against a war, and faid. it was the cause of Adminiftration they were going to war for, and no other. He approved of the French Revolution as originally juft, but detefted their enormities and crimes committed lately. He then went warmly into the cause of the Roman Catholics in Ireland; thought their petition was juft and politic, and that the intereft of Borough-jobbers, like a night-mare, upon their claim, always had prevented its fuccefs.

Lord Stanhope gloried that he lived under a conftitution, which in principle exceeded all others, ancient and modern. It provided against every poffible exigency, and rendered revolutions unneceffary, by furnishing us with the means of adding to its utility, or retrenching its fuperfluities as occafion may require. He deprecated the idea of a war; peace at home, and peace ought to be the wifh of every honest Englishman; executive government

ought

As a

ought to endeavour to preferve the peace and confidence at home; this was only to be done by a readiness to remove all juft caufe of complaint; an unfuccefsful war would have the contrary effect. At an early period of life, the Noble Lord faid, he had a turn for philofophical refearches, and, in order to purfue his ftudies, he was introduced to the most learned on the Continent; among others, he had contracted an intimacy with M. Condorcet, whole reputation he wifhed to refcue from the afperfions that had been thrown out against him by a Noble Lord (Grenville) relative to a paragraph in a Parifian paper. His Lordship read a letter from that Gentleman, declaring, in the moft unequivocal terms, that it was the height of folly, (demens) for the English to engage in any scheme which might fubvert the Conftitution of their Country, which was very justly filed the aggregate wisdom of ages. Citizen of the World, and a friend to Mankind, his Lordfhip ex→ preffed the moft heartfelt fatisfaction, that the officious interference and ambitious views of the Confederacy against the Liberty of France had been fruftrated. That Monster, the Duke of Brunswick, merited the execration of every man of feeling, for publishing a Manifefto of his intention to put half a million of his fellow-creatures to the fword; and had he realized this refolution, it would have exceeded the wanton ferocity of a Nero, or Caligula. The confequent malfacres on the 10th of Auguft, alluded to by fome of their Lordships, was imputable to this Manifefto, and if the Right Hon. Secretary had not a more authentic fouce of information, as to the affairs of France, than a public newspaper, little credit was due to his affertions.

The Duke of Norfolk declared, that Minifters exaggerated the number of fubfcribers to thofe Addreffes to the National Convention, extremely. Several Noble Lords intimated their intention of difcuffing the fubject of the Armament at a future day, and Question! Question! being vociferated from all parts of the Houfe, the Speaker put the motion for the Amendment, which was negatived without a divifion. The Addrefs was then put and carried in the affirmative.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Thursday, December 13.

About three o'clock the Speaker took the Chair, when Sir Francis Molyneux, Gentleman Uther of the Black Rod, delivered the ufual fummons from his Majefty, commanding the Houfe to attend him at the bar of the Houfe of Lords. The Speaker, accompanied by feveral Members, having attended his Majesty and returned, a bill for preventing clandeftine outlawry was read, pro forma, a first time, and feveral Members took the oaths and their feats.