the advantageous defcriptions of France under the monarchy, he too, faid Mr. Fox, had travelled in that country, and could with truth affirm, that the circumftances of the peasantry were wretched and miferable to a degree, not exceeded by that of the pooreft inhabitants of any part of Europe. Dreading to be reduced to that deplorable fituation, could they refrain from in-. dignation and fury, when they were told that the powers in the coalition against France had taken up arms for the avowed purpofe of forcing them back to that state of mifery? In answer to Mr. Fox, it was alleged by Mr. Dundas, that the prefent rulers of France could not be viewed as poffeffed of any ftable power. If appearances could be credited, they were not lefs hated than dreaded by the generality of the people. Were thefe well affured of being fupported, it was the opinion of good judges, that they were ripe for an infurrection against the republican fyftem. It would, there fore, be wanting to ourfelves to omit the opportunity of trying what might be effected by embodying thofe numerous emigrants that had long teftified a defire of being employed in fome enterprize against the ufurpers of power in their own country, and to restore its ancient government. An enterprize of this kind was the more deferving of encouragement, that none could be fo well acquainted with the means of forwarding it in France: natives of that country, converfant in all its affairs, and in poffeffion of numerous connexions, united to them by relation or friendship, and above all, by an identity of feniments on the tranfactions of the times. But a motive, paramount to all others, for ufing our atmost efforts to compel France to change its fyftem of government was, that while it fubfifted, no other fyftem was fafe. As to the fate awaiting the emigrants, if unfuccefsful, they knew it, and had made up their minds for what might happen, undifmayed and fearlefs of events. No lefs than a force of 500,000 men had been mentioned as requifite for the fubverting of the French republic. Such a force would be highly acceptable to every one that fincere-ly wifhed for a fuppreffion of the enormities that had so long afflicted France and menaced all Europe; yet a more moderate number would fuffice for that purpose, and exonerate this country from the unhappy neceffity of lavishing so much blood and treasure for the accomplishing of fo defirable an end. Mr. Dundas was fupported by Mr. Burke, who declared it was more for the honour and benefit of the emigrants to accept of this opportunity of recovering their juft rights, than to linger away their lives in banishment and dependence. He then spoke with his ufual afperity of the proceedings and character of the French, against whom the coalition of all governments was, in his opinion, fair and lawful, as the foes of thofe civil and religious rights, hitherto enjoyed in the worst of times, and through all the viciffitudes of political events, by the various claffes of fociety, without disturbance or fear of deprivation. Under pretext of afferting the liberties of mankind, they fought the extenfion of their dominions, and the increafe R 2 of of their influence and power, in order, at the fame time, to introduce everywhere a conformity to their deftructive precedents. To these charges Mr. Sheridan replied, that it merited an enquiry, how far the iniquities of which the French had been guilty, were to be afcribed to the character and difpofition of the natives of France, or to the fentiments and examples they had imbibed and copied from their former government. . Other members spoke for and against the bill; which was carried after a long and tedious conteft. It was oppofed in the Houfe of Lords, on the fame grounds as in that of the Commons. Among other arguments, it was urged by Lord Albemarle, that it was bad policy to collect, under the fame tandard, men of different opini ons on the very fubject for which they were brought together. The French, who were to be enrolled for the fervice proposed, had emigrated at different times, and from different motives, and were rootedly averfe to each other's fentiments. Lord Hawkefbury, in defence of the bill, reprefented how little could be apprehended from fo in confiderable a body of men as 5000, no more being allowed by the bill to land in this country at a time; and they were not on any pretence to move beyond five miles from the fea. The Duke of Bedford contended with great animation against the compulfion exercifed upon the emigrants, who were called upon, under the penalty of difgrace, to take an active part in meafures that muft lead them to deftruction. Other ways of providing for thefe unfortunate people might have been discovered. Much had been held out by minifters about the little probability of Robespierre's con tinuing long in power: but his fall would at no time accelerate the fubverfion of the French republic It was founded on the confent and fupport of millions, and by no means depended on the life of one fingle man. The Marquis of Lanfdowne fpoke after the Duke of Bedford. He warmly reprobated the idea of reta liation, and reminded the House of the confequences it had produced in America. Some of the emigrants, he noticed, had expreffed their hope that they would be joined in France by large numbers of the peafantry on the lands and eftates formerly their own: but was it likely that men, who had fo grievoufly felt the oppreffions exer cifed upon the rural claffes under the ancient government, would for. get them, in order to return to the arbitrary fubjection and fervitude in which they were held by their former mafters? He had lately converfed with perfons of probity and information, who had, not long fince, had occafion to travel over many parts of France; and they pofitively afferted that the country was in a more flourishing state of cultivation, and the people in better circumftances than before the revolution. He concluded by de claring himself an enemy to the erection of barracks and the intro duction of foreign armies. Other Lords expreffed themfelves for and against the bill. Lord Stanhope, in particular, took occafion to speak with great acrimony of the flight and contempt with which fome perfons of exalted rank rank affected to treat the Rights of Man. It was, he faid, to the fpirit with which thofe rights had been maintained in this country, that thofe perfons owed their exaltation. Whenever that fpirit was departed, their greatnefs would ceafe, as liberty, its only foundation, would be no more. The debate now came to a terminatiou, by a divifion of 54 for the bill, and of 7 only against it. CHAP. XIII. Treaties concluded between the British Minifter and the feveral Members of the Coalition. Motion against it in the House of Commons. Debates thereon. Motion by Lord Stanhope in the House of Peers, for abftaining from farther Interference in the Domeftic Concerns of France. Motion by Lord Hawkes bury, for the Employment of British Seamen difcharged from the Navy in Time of Peace. Motion by Mr. Gray, relative to the Failure of the British Arms at Dunkirk and Toulon. Debates thereon. Finances of India. A Meffage from the King to Parliament, concerning a Pecuniary Subfidy to Prufia. Debates thereon. Difcontents and Jealoufies entertained by the North American Provinces of Great Britain. Moderate and wife Councils of the Americans. Differences between thefe Powers fettled. Motions and Debates refpecting thefe in both Houses of Parliament. Motion in the Houfe of Peers, by the Duke of Bedford, for terminating the War with France. Motion to the fame Effect, by Mr. Fox, in the House of Commons. Debates thereon in both Houses. WHILE thefe various matters induced oppofition to make them a were in agitation, divers treaties concluded by adminiftration, with the feveral princes forming the coalition, the expences which thefe occafioned, and the obligations contracted, were objects of fo much magnitude, that great alarm at their confequences to this country, had filled the minds of multitudes, not otherwife unfriendly to the meafures of government, than as they thought it too precipitate in listening to the demands of its allies; who had objects to accomplish, which, however be neficial to themselves, did not interest Great Britain fo deeply as to authorize the degree of exertion which they expected from the British miniftry. The complaints to which thefe demands gave occafion, fubject of parliamentary debate. An addrefs to the King was moved by the Houfe of Commons, on the 6th of March, by Mr. Gray, for the purpofe of expreffing their con cern that he should have formed an union with powers, whofe apparent aim was to regulate a country wherein they had no right to interfere. The King of Pruffia had not taken up arms against France in confe quence of the defenfive treaty by which he was bound to affift Great Britain, in case of an aggresfion from that power; but a coali tion had been formed with him and others against the French, who were not the aggreffors in this war; by which this country was involved in enterprizes injurious to its interest, and to the liberties of Europe. He R 3 tup fupported this addrefs by a variety of arguments. The views of Auftria and Pruffia, he afferted, were evidently ambitious and unjuft. Their conduct towards Poland fufficiently proved their intentions towards France. Whatever our declarations had been for the conftitution accepted by the late King of France, it was not approved by Auftria. There was no faith in either of thefe powers. Had their firft invafion of France been fuccefsful, the balance and freedom of Europe must have been loft. The views of the combined pow. ers were juftified by Mr. Jenkinfon, who stated, that the main object of the war was, to recover from the French the countries they had taken. The means employed to obtain this end were entirely proper. We could not be too folicitous in preventing the French from extending their dominions. The cafe of Poland, however blameable the conduct of the powers interefted in the tranfactions relating to that ftate, was nowife applicable to the prefent war. In reply to Mr. Jenkinson, it was afferted by Mr. Fox, that both moral and religious confiderations fhould induce us to contraft the benefits derivable from our politi. cal connexions with the ignominious confequences attending them. Neither the French Convention, nor Jacobin club, had produced inftances of perfidy fo criminal as that of the King of Pruffia to the Poles. After encouraging them to form a conftitution, he had in the lapfe of a year united with its difapprovers, and affifted in its deftruction, from the hope of fharing in the dilapidation of the Polish monarchy. The different ftyle in which the French and their armies were fpoken of, feemed to imply that the crimes of princes and of courts had a right to pass unnoticed, while thofe arifing from anarchy merited the fevereft condemnation, and demanded the heavieft punishment. What could be bafer than the conduct of Austria at the time of Dumouriez's defection? While the army that he had commanded was thought to adhere to his fchemes, Prince Cobourg's manifefto declared a resolution to aflift him in reftoring the French conftitution of 1789, founded on the principles of liberty. But as foon as that army had forfaken its General, that manifefto was immediately retracted. The treatment of that General after he had relinquifhed the fervice of the Convention, fhewed what others had to expect who should imitate him, and put their truft in the honour or the policy of the allies. Was it to Pruffia, to Auftria, or to Ruffia we could confide, when we recollected their refpective behaviour to Poland? But was France to be reduced, would the well known animofities among the allies permit them to fettle the affairs of that nation without broils and contests among themselves? Happily, however, for Great Britain, the demands of the coalition upon her were fo unreasonable and exorbitant, that all the impartial world muft exculpate her, were the to throw off so oppreffive and unneceffary a load. In answer to Mr. Fox, thofe arguments were urged by Mr. Pitt that had already fo often been adduced. It was happy, he faid, that fo many powers thought it their intereft to unite with this country against France; and it were ex tremely tremely imprudent to diffolve fuch an alliance. A peace obtained at any rate would endanger this country against much more than the continuation of war, which for our own fafety, ought not to be terminated but in conjunction with our allies. The refources of the allies were greater in the aggregate than thofe of the French. By patience and perfeverance they must ultimately prevail. Mr. Whitbread reminded Mr. Pitt of what had been effected by the Americans with far inferior refources to thofe of the French. The fame fubject was debated in the Houfe of Peers on the 18th of March. It was open ed by the Earl of Guildford, who obferved, that the Houfe had the cleareft right to advife the Crown against all engagements with foreign powers that might be detrimental to the kingdom. We were unhap. pily connected with fome that had formed the vain project of conquer. ing France; which, were it practicable, might not in the iffue prove fo beneficial to this country as to leave it unmolefted in the fettlement of its own concerns. Neutrality had once been reputed the wifeft measure we could embrace; and no fatisfactory reafon had ever been affigned for the change that had taken place in our councils. He was of opinion, with many others, that the four great powers with which we had coalefced against France, entertained each separate views: and yet we had bound ourfelves unalterably to fecond them, by confenting to no peace without their concurrence. Would they go the fame length in our favour? He concluded by making a motion fimilar to that made by Mr. Gray in the Lower House. Lord Hawkesbury acknowledged the right of the Houfe to dif cufs the propriety of treaties; but infifted on the good policy of adhering to thofe that had been framed at the present juncture. He fincerely wished that not a power in Europe had remained neutral. The invafion of the Auftrian Netherlands, and the attempts upon Holland, gave fufficient grounds for provocation, efpecially as France by the acquifition of the former, was become fo near and fo danger. ous a neighbour. The treaties viewed in this light were highly me. ritorious :-we could not frame too many when our fecurity was fo evidently threatened by an old and inveterate enemy, who, whatever his internal government might be, would probably continue fuch from a variety of motives. Lord Lauderdale obferved, that were the coalition to be profperous, a subject of difpute would probably arife concerning the government to be established in France :-herein the coalefced powers would in all likelihood difagree, and a difference of this kind would not be termi nated easily. It had been afferted, that government was obliged by no treaty to the re-establishment of the conftitution accepted by the late King in 1791; but this very conftitution had been made the ground of our reception at Toulon; and it would be a direct violation of the national faith, pledged by Lord Hood and the other commiffioners, not to infift on its restoration. Many benefits had been promifed from our fucceffes in this war; but one evil is certain-we should be loaded |