ed rivals, or determined enemies; besides was it even prudent on our own account, to unlock the English cabinet in this manner to all Europe, we have, as yet, no right to betray the secrets of the Spanish court; they are now treating with us confidentially; they are now induced to negociate by a reliance upon our discretion, whereas a rude publication of what they communicate to us under the sacred seal of secrecy, must, at once, put an end to all amicable intercourse; must at once open a scene of carnage, and spread all the horrors of war through two extensive empires, who may still be fortunately reconciled, by a fatal effusion of blood.

When I say this, my lords, it is very far from my wish to insinuate any fear of commencing hostilities, any dread of engaging in a war with Spain, should the necessity of such a measure become unavoidable; but when I recollect, that in the most successful, the most glorious wars this country ever carried on, the nation was still a sufferer; when I recollect that conquests are seldom, if ever made without an expence exceeding, greatly exceeding their intrinsic value; when I, moreover, recollect the blood of numberless fellow subjects, which must be poured in rivers at the altar of victory; I own a war brings horror to my imagination; and I wish to procrastinate the period of calamity, as long as honour will justify the delay.

Having mentioned the word honour, my lords, suffer me to observe, that by national honour, I do not mean the raving of the rash, or enthusiasm of the prejudiced; by national honour, I mean a prudent preservation of our territories; à spirited exertion of our independence, and a rigid fidelity to our engagements; this is my criterion of national honour; and I can boldly affirm that by this criterion, the present negociation with Spain will not only be regulated, but concluded; do not however complain that negociation is fruitless, till there is sufficient time allowed for negociating; the claims of kingdoms are nice, intricate, and important; they must be clearly understood, to be positively granted; realms and oceans are not so readily traversed as the vehemence of misjudging zeal may wish: nor can we fasten the wings of the winds, by the strongest act of parliament: I am on these accounts, my lords, for the previous question; I see many evils attending the motion before us, but cannot even guess at the most distant

those whom the royal confidence has particularly appointed to transact this weighty affair, are in possession of all the necessary knowledge, and as their conduct has hitherto been honoured by a powerful parliamentary support, there cannot exist a reason for supposing that upon the present occasion they will act unworthy of their master's good opinion, or injuriously to the true prosperity of the people. The Duke of Richmond:

My lords; notwithstanding the arguments urged by the noble lord against the motion with which I presumed to trouble your lordships, yet I flatter myself that when this House has heard the grounds upon which it is made, the independent part, at least, will honour it with their sup port. Facts are stubborn things, and can boldly face all the oratory of administration. On the 3rd of last June, the Tamer sloop arrived at Plymouth, and brought an account that a Spanish squadron had appeared off Falkland island, and ordered our people to depart; this was a clear commencement of hostilities, my lords; from the 3rd of June, to the 12th of September, (above three months) when our garrison arrived on board the Favourite, it does not appear that the ministry took any step for obtaining redress, or to put the nation in a state of defence; the first orders for equipping a fleet were given on or after the 12th of September; and this armament, such as it is, has not yet produced any visible effect; since the 12th of September, near three months are elapsed, and still we are told, "that the affair is in negociation, that the negociation is still pending;" in that time three messengers have arrived from Madrid, and particularly one last Monday; and although three days have since passed, no communication has yet been made from the court of Spain. The terms of the motion, my lords, plainly obviate the objection made by the noble lord, since I did not call for any papers of a date subsequent to the notice received by the ministry of the hostility being actually committed; consequently my motion cannot reach to any letters written, or received, or to any negociation entered into, after the receipt of that notice; I mean only to obtain for the House some accurate information of circumstances leading to, and accounting for a fact which is itself notorious, and undisputed. I wanted to avert our disgrace and infamy

in suffering the honour of the crown, and the rights of the people of England to be so long the subject of negociation;-I wanted to prove the folly, or treachery of the King's servants, in not accepting of the augmentation of seamen proposed and urged by the lords in opposition, early in the last session, when a proposal for strengthening the hands of government had been rejected, merely because it came from that quarter ; -I wanted to prove their supineness, or treachery, in not arming early in June, when they heard of our people being warned to quit the island, by a military force threatening compulsion; —and lastly, I wanted to prove the feebleness and slow progress of the armament they have made, and the disgraceful situation of the King, who stood with a public affront, and dishonour fixed upon his crown, and without any attempt made, in the course of six months, to wipe it away. The hostile intentions of Spain, my lords, were not only declared by the open hostility itself, but confirmed by two extraordinary facts; after the Spaniards had taken possession of Port Egmont, they did not suffer the garrison to depart immediately, but took away the rudder of his Majesty's ship, and detained her by force for the space of 20 days;-supposing they had a claim to the island, they had none to the King's ship; and detaining her was an express violation of treaty, by which, even in the case of an open rupture, six months are allowed to the subjects of each nation to remove their persons and property from the dominions of the other. The other fact, my lords, is still more important. I have intelligence not to be doubted, that at this moment, there are in the several Spanish prisors not less than 3,000 British seamen, (particularly at Ceuta on the coast of Africa), who have been taken out of our merchant ships by Spanish guarda costas, and condemned to perpetual slavery, or confinement. To confirm this assertion, my lords, give me leave to inform you that five of our seamen have been demanded by one of our admirals, and been refused by a Spanish admiral, and governor, who indeed expressed a willingness to oblige him, but alledged that it would be a breach of their orders, and instructions.

These were the principal materials of his grace's speech. The several parts were filled up with judicious, and pointed observations, expressed in clear, nervous language, and delivered with plainness and dignity.

The Earl of Hillsborough :

My lords; though the noble duke has been pleased to give this House what he thinks a narrative of very great importance; a narrative at which he imagines your indignation must be instantly roused against the insolence of the haughty Spaniard, I do not, by any means, conceive that his arguments, even admitting the authenticity of his facts, can be decisive on the present question. A negociation is now opened relative to the hostilities complained of between Great Britain and Spain; the court of Madrid disavows the behaviour of its officer; it promises every equitable satisfaction to this nation; and as the noble lord who first opposed the motion, has not judged it necessary to throw out any lights for the information of the House, I will take upon me to declare, that I am acquainted with the contents of the papers required; and I will farther venture to assert, that the object of dispute is in as fair a way of being amicably adjusted, as we can wish: nay, in so very fair a way, that nothing but the intemperance of party can possibly prevent its terminating to the honour, to the advantage of this kingdom.

My lords, the noble duke expresses a most vehement solicitude for the reputation of his country, and perhaps his grace may be as sincere as he is passionate in his declarations; but give me leave to say, that excessive warmth, though it may be a sign of truth, is no great evidence of discretion. His grace is so zealous for our national character, that he is for rushing into all the horrors of a precipitate war upon the slightest occasions. He seems in general an enemy to explanations; if the shadow of an offence is offered to the British empire, he will not enquire, whether that shadow is offered intentionally by the Spanish crown, or accidentally by the folly of a Spanish officer. A whole people must be made instantly answerable for the misconduct, possibly, for the misconception of an individual. Hostilities must at all events be commenced, and the whole European world be plunged into a war of years, to effect what may probably be effected by a negociation of a few weeks.

My lords, the noble duke will perhaps say that, according to this mode of reasoning, Spain, while she continues negociating, may also continue her depredations upon the dominions of Great Britain, and may perhaps politically protract

the negociation for the very purpose of making fresh encroachments; the noble duke may amuse himself with the supposi tion of this or any other absurdity; but I am satisfied the supposition will have no weight with this House; if the Falkland rock has furnished both kingdoms with so serious a matter of consideration; if Spain sees that we are not to be deprived of so insignificant an object, without satisfaction, and if she sees us already encreasing our armaments for the end of exacting any justice by force, which is denied to us by treaty; she must know that giving us a new cause of complaint, will be deemed a commencement of hostilities. She will therefore have a regard for herself, however she may wish to distress us; and will be cautious from prudence, if she is not even honest from inclination.

My lords, the noble duke expresses himself highly concerned for the honour of his country, and thinks that this honour has been infamously betrayed by administration; the folly or treachery of the ministers, says his grace, is surprizing, in not accepting of the augmentation of seamen proposed and urged by the lords in opposition, early in the last session; the supineness or treachery of the ministers is also surprizing, in not arming early in June, when they heard of our people being ordered to evacuate the Falkland islands; and above all, the feebleness of our armament, as well as the disgraceful situation of the crown, in tamely submitting to such an indignity, is surprizing; in fact, my lords, if his grace's word is to be relied on, the ministry have been all this time sacrificing the glory of their sovereign, and the happiness of their country; the two Houses of Parliament have been their confederates in the turpitude, and the King, together with a prodigious majority of the landed as well as the monied interest, have been industrious to sacrifice their own welfare, and open a long scene of misery for their unhappy posterity.

To set the noble duke however right in this point, who affirms so peremptorily, that the honour of the nation has been infamously neglected; I must beg your lordships' permission to inform him, that the moment certain intelligence arrived, of our having cause to find fault, a spirited resolution was taken to demand satisfaction. The honour of the nation, as well as the prosperity, made it necessary to demand this satisfaction peaceably; altercations often rise between kingdoms, through

the negligence, the ignorance, or the insolence of officers, where there is even no intention whatever of a quarrel between their governments. Our own officers have not, at all times, behaved so circumspectly, but our neighbours have had occasion to be offended; to maintain the honour of the nation, therefore, it was requisite to act with common understanding; it was necessary before we resented, to know how far we had a warrantable right to resent; it was necessary to know whether Don Francisco Buccarelli, or the Spanish court was to blame; when this point was determined, the system to be adopted was obvious; if the Spaniard was not to be argued into justice, he was to be com. pelled; with this view, administration, though willing to avoid the calamities of war if possible, prepared at all events for the worst; the preparations for war went hand in hand with the plan of negociating, and I again aver, that there is the most reasonable ground to expect a speedy accommodation, if the turbulence of patriotism does not prevent so desirable a circumstance, by rendering it impossible for the cabinet at Madrid to comply with our demands, and to gratify their own inclination.

My lords, the people of Spain have exalted sentiments of honour as well as the English; we know their general characteristic as well as our own, to be sensibility in the extreme, and bravery to extravagance; they are willing to be just, but like ourselves they will not be bullied into justice; they will not have that demanded as the concession of their fears, which should be required as the result of their probity; they will suffer distress infinitely sooner than dishonour; and if we talk only of forcing them into our mea sures, they will make that force indispensably requisite. Nations, my lords, in this respect, resemble individuals, affront their pride, and you oblige them to refuse the very satisfaction which you wish for; tell them, that you will chastise them into rectitude, and you make it absolutely impossible for them to do what is right: a breach in that case becomes mortal: the sword must be instantly drawn, and one or both of the parties be doomed to more than probable destruction.

The noble duke will here very likely observe, notwithstanding the very melancholy colours in which it is the fashion for popular declaimers to paint the present situation of this country, that, in a contest