been either misconceived by the government of France, or ill explained by them to the people of that country: that we therefore humbly beseech his majesty, that he will be graciously pleased, without delay, to adopt such measures as may appear to him, in his royal wisdom, most efficacious for removing every misconception which may have been entertained by the Directory of France, by the French nation, and by all Europe, relative to the sincerity of the intentions, by which the government of this country was actuated in making overtures of peace to the Directory of France." Mr. Pitt said :-When I consider the motion of the hon. gentleman, and advert to the arguments which he has adduced in support of it, it will only be necessary for me to trouble the House with a few words to show that no practical benefit can arise from adopting it. The hon. gentleman began with lamenting the evils attendant on war; but until he shall have found a remedy for those evils by new modelling human nature, or have suggested some practicable system by which wars may in future be totally excluded, I am apprehensive the distresses and calamities of war will continue to exist. If the war had been undertaken or conducted upon principles of aggrandizement, or motives of ambition. The hon. gentleman might have dwelt upon the miseries which it has inflicted with more propriety; but as no war, in a civilized nation can, be under the duke of Wirtemberg and Brunswick, the Landgrave of Hesse, and, lastly, with the king of Prussia, in his capacity of elector of Brandenberg. 3. The complete evacuation of Italy, including Savoy and Nice. 4th, A reservation in favour of Russia, by which that court may interfere at its pleasure as a contracting party for the peace. 5th, The same to Portugal, and by which likewise France is to be precluded from demanding a sum of money as the price of peace from that court. 6th, Great Britain contests the validity of the cession by Spain to the Republic of the Spanish part of St. Domingo, as contrary to the peace of Utrecht. 7th, The restitution of the property of the emigrants forfeited or sold is obscurely, they say, and indirectly demanded, though in language and terms so ingeniously ambiguous as to leave matter of endless discussion. What is the second memorial?-For Holland, the British ministry demands a complete restoration of its ancient form of government, the demolition or annihilation of all the treaties between France and the Batavian Re taken, I trust, before the causes and the consequences of it be well considered, such arguments tend to no practical be nefit. Every evil of war is, or ought to be, viewed on the comparison of alter natives; and the wisest mode of prevent ing the accumulation of them, is to enter into an impartial investigation of their causes, and to inquire whether the imme diate evil was smaller than the more re mote. Without such a comparison a fruitless lamentation over the misfortunes incidental to a situation of difficulty, is calculated to counteract the exertions of any country, however justifiable or necessary those exertions may be. The hon. gentleman next came to the discussion of the change in the situation of this coun try, since the return of lord Malmesbury from Paris, after the rejection of the overtures for peace. And here, Sir, I must tell the hon. gentleman, that whatever might be his anxiety for peace during the negotiation of that noble lord, my anxiety was not less ardent than his. The hon. gentleman says, he has reason to suppose, that, suffering as the French people must do under the inevitable horrors of war, they must earnestly desire peace, and on that ground, he assumes, that a paragraph which appeared so long ago as the 24th of Deceniber in a French paper tending to shake off from the Directory the odium of the breach of the late negotiation for peace, and to throw it on this country, must have been an official manifesto, and public; lastly, the restoration of the statholder to all his dignities, offices, and possessions. And what does England offer as the price of so many concessions, restitutions, and humiliations, on the part of France? The restoration to Holland of all her colonies? The indemnity to the Dutch for the past?—No! She offers only a partial restitution of the Dutch colonies, reserving to herself the Cape of Good Hope and Ceylon. Finally, that if France will not consent to annul her treaties made with the Batavian Republic, she is in that case to make over or cede to the Emperor all Holland has ceded to France in the late treaty between the two countries. The Directory then asks. Is this a fair treaty?-Does it not demand from France the entire restitution of all that France has conquered during the war, without restoring all that England has acquired? Does it not stipulate by induction, and by infallible, though indirect and ambiguous means, the return of the emigrants. the restitution of their estates, the destruction ofour constitution of 1795, and ensure a counter revolution?" he farthermore thinks, that something ought immediately to be attempted to do away any impression which the statements in that paper may have on the people of France. Now, Sir, let us examine upon what principle this House is invited to adopt a mode of proceeding so extraordinary. It is invited, not upon any given authority that the statements are actually true, or that they are actually official; not upon any clear and explicit measure proposed, whence only any real advantage can be derived; not upon any solid declaration that specific terms of negotiation on the part of the enemy either have been or will be offered; but it is invited upon a deduction of probable or conceivable facts, and from an uncertain inference of probable or conceivable facts, it seems it may be desirous to address his majesty to adopt such measures as may tend to refute those arguments if they have been mistaken, or to rectify them if they have been misrepresented. It is impossible for any one not to perceive that the hon. gentleman, by quoting from the paper he has referred to, has been misrepresenting the whole proceedings of the late negotiation; for, by passing over some circumstances, and perverting others, he has inferred, that the Directory were conscious, if they published that declaration, considering it, as the hon. gentleman had considered it, to be the true state of the case, that the ministers of this country could not afterwards appeal to the judgment of their countrymen. That the Directory had misrepresented the intentions of this country was evident; and, after treating the overtures as they did, it would surely be asingular ground for parliament to ground any parliamentary proceeding upon, and thereby expose the nation to additional insult. But, above all, it would be singular by a manifesto to refute a declaration which it had no authority to prove official. If any means can be found for restoring tranquillity upon a safe and honourable basis, I trust I am not only sensible of my duty, but impressed with an earnest idea of carrying that sense of duty into execution. If, then, upon minute investigation, it shall appear, that no practicable measure for obtaining a speedy and honourable peace has been omitted; I trust the House will agree with me, that, if the hon. gentleman be neither prepared by his argument nor his specific motion to do what government is prepared to do, [VOL. XXXIII.] the one would be superfluous and the other dangerous. I cannot point out the precise effects of any endeavour on the part of this country towards the attainment of peace; but this I think I may be permitted to state; that the prospect of a speedy and honourable peace depends upon a conduct on the part of this House, directly the reverse of that encouragement which would be given to the enemy by the motion of the hon. gentleman. It should never be forgotten, that peace without security is worse than war, and that if the energies of the national character be once lost, to make overtures for ne gotiation will only be to court renewed indignity, and to lay the foundation for additional insult. I cannot enter into detail, I have, however, no hesitation in de claring, that the disposition of his majes ty's ministers goes beyond the purpose of the motion, and that in consequence of the dispatches which have been received from the court of Vienna, that the enemy had made distinct overtures for a separate peace with his imperial majesty, which he, conformably to his uniform character for good faith, rejected, upon the ground, that he would not enter into any negotia tion in which Great Britain was not included, steps have been taken to render this opportunity available for the purpose of renewing a joint negotiation. In consequence of this resolution having been formed, his majesty has determined to send a confidential person to Vienna, with instructions to conduct farther negotiations in concert with his allies. Farther than this I cannot go. But after what I have said, I think the hon. gentleman will be disposed to withdraw his motion, rather than to persevere in a measure, which would tend to defeat the end which it purposes. Colonel Porter distrusted the sincerity of ministers in any negotiation they might undertake, and considered the present as a mere bugbear to delude the public. The motion could do no harm, and therefore it should have his support. Mr. J. H. Addington said, he had flattered himself that, after what had passed, the hon. gentleman would have withdrawn his motion; but as that was not the case, he should trouble the House with a few observations. The hon. gentleman had grounded his motion upon the statements which appeared in a French paper. With respect to the two grounds contained in that paper, viz. our being the cause of the [2 D] had been the case, who was there among the minister's friends that would have ven tured to defend him? If it had termi war, and the insincerity of the British go- have been still worse; for the succeeding same view was their last offer to that mo-couraged the people as to take away the narch. These offers were rejected with a spirit which we had hitherto manifested, spirit that did the highest honour to the then indeed it was time to beg pardon of royal faith and magnanimity of our ally- the French, and to throw ourselves on of that ally whom we had been called upon their mercy. But he was sure there was to desert. As long as there was no regu- no such despondency in the country. lar government in France-no government Some little gloom there might be, but it that could have afforded us any security had not pervaded all ranks of men. Much for a peace-ministers acted right in not had been said of the calamities of war, attempting a negotiation. But the first and of the comforts attending a state of moment that a government was established, peace. Nobody but a madman could hethat appeared capable of maintaining the sitate between the two, if left to his free accustomed relations of peace and amity, choice; but if compelled into the war, his majesty declared from the throne, that then all this was mere declamation, tenda favourable change had taken place, ing only to unnerve the arm of the counwhich might lead to a negotiation. This try. The House of Commons were was followed by a message from the throne, anxious for peace, and so were the minis declaring that the principal bar to nego- ters. He only hoped they would not retiation was now done away. It was un- tard it by their anxiety to obtain it.-It necessary to recall to the recollection of had been asked, what we had gained the House the proposal of Mr. Wickham by this war? Those who asked that quesat Basle, or the negotiation of lord tion should recollect, that this was a deMalmesbury; of which last he should only fensive war, and, therefore, that was not observe, that the French had never a proper question. But we had retained thought proper to contradict the state- our character; we had achieved great ment given by that noble lord. If, under conquests; we had made a fortunate disthe present circumstances, we were to covery of easy and successful means of make any application, the enemy might preserving internal tranquillity; and we suppose we were driven to it from the re- had found out a good mode of manning cent circumstances relative to the Bank. the navy. We had nearly destroyed the It had been said, that the members of marine of France, and had given a severe that House had lost the confidence of blow to that of Spain; and in all our other their constituents. How did that appear? naval transactions, the glory of our flag What was the cause of it? Was it from had been carried to a higher pitch than doing too much or too little with respect ever it had been before. We had, in a to the internal defence of the country? great degree, quashed those dangerous for ministers had been accused of both. principles which were abroad, and secured Was it for the satisfaction they expressed, our honour, our liberty, and, he trusted, when the negotiation opened to them the our constitution. These were some of prospect of a peace? Or was it at the the advantages we had gained by the war; concern they manifested when those ne- and on these grounds he should vote gotiations were broken off? Looking, against the motion, and move the order of then, at the situation of the country as he the day. did, conceiving her to be possessed of Mr. Fox said :—It would be difficult for abundant wealth, notwithstanding our tem- me, consistently with my duty, to give a porary embarrassments, he was satisfied silent vote upon the question. After all we had only to act with spirit, and we that this country has suffered, and after should find ourselves strong and rich. On contemplating the calamities that are imthe other hand, if we displayed unseason-pending, we have to consider whether we able parsimony or pusillanimity, we should find ourselves both weak and poor. He hoped they would not adopt a policy, which would only tend to degrade the character of the country. He should always be of opinion, that interest was inseparably connected with honour. He trusted that the commerce and wealth of the country would not induce them to adopt timid measures. If the burdens under which we now laboured had so dis will address the throne for the purpose of facilitating peace, which I think, which I trust this House, which I know this country thinks, is the only means of repairing our misfortune, and averting our ruin. What is it that is now stated to the House by those who oppose this motion? What does the minister himself, who has had so large a share in producing your present calamities, and who, therefore, ought to feel for them, propose to you this night? nection between haughtiness and mean. ness; and under the terms he was sent, it was as impossible to obtain a good peace, as if he had not been sent to Paris at all.But there is another point to be consider. ed with regard to that embassy: it took What, but that you should continue that ed, and he continued at Paris until that • Mr. Wilberforce, See Vol. 32, p. 1. |