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CHA P. VI.

Negociation and Convention with Spain concerning Nootka Sound, &c. War in India with Tippoo Sultan. Diffolution of Parliament. Meeting of the New Parliament. His Majefty's Speech. Address moved and carried. Papers prefented relative to the Convention with Spain. Further Communications moved for. Debate on that Subject. On the Convention. Debate on that Suljet in the Lords. Ways and Means for the Expences of the Armament. Debate on the Queftion, Whether Impeachments abate by a Diffolution of Parliament? Debate on a Motion relative to abandoning tertain Articles of the Charge against Mr. Haflings. Motion to petition the King against proroguing the Parliament till the Evidence should be closed on the Impeachment. Debate in the Lords on the Impeachment. Debates on the Indian War.

IN

N our preceding volume we have ftated, as fully as circumitances would admit, the grounds of the difpute with Spain relative to Nootka Sound. The first event of importance, therefore, which prefents itfelf in our domeftic hiftory, is the pacific adjument of that difpute in the latter end of the year 1790. In the volume alluded to, we ventured to exprefs our doubts concerning the prudence and good policy of the armament which was voted on that occafion; nor has any thing fince occurred to us of fufficient force to exonerate the miniftry from the charge of precipitation at least. That the object itself was not worth a conteft, nor even the three millions which the armament coft, no perfon we prefume will be inclined to doubt but what is fill more fur"prifing is, that the views of Spain appear from the flate papers relative to that tranfaction to have been from the very first pacific; nor can there be much question, but that if we had only firmly infifted on what we conceived to be our right, we might have obtained it without the expence of an armament. The unanimity indeed which was fhewn upon this occafion will appear not a little furprifing, unless we take into the ac

count the temper of the nation, and the flate of parties at the period in queftion. A paffion for war is, unhappily for the country, too much a characteristic of the English temper; and of all wars a Spanish war has from the reign of Elizabeth been the most popular. In parliament, oppofition faw a diftant intereft in coinciding with the fentiments of the minister on this occafion; and the minifter himself, it is commonly fuppofed, was impelled by fronger motives than any which were fubjected to public inveftigation. Thus all parties agreed in the propriety of lavishing the treafure of the nation; and fcarcely an individual was found manly enough to tell the public a falutary truth.

Spain from the first had declared that he was willing to fubmit the right of trading to that part of America to be determined entirely by the exifting treaties; and when Mr. Fitzherbert arrived at Madrid, in the latter end of May, with plenipotentiary powers to adjust the difpute, the first notice he received from the court was a unanimous and decided refolution of the Spanish miniftry, to avoid if poffible a rupture with Great Britain. Such was not the tone of the British ministry.

With a haughtinefs, which was probably grounded on a knowledge of the inability of their adverfaries to purfue hoftile measures, they infifted on full fatisfaction to the British traders previous to the difcuffion of the point of right; while the Spaniards pleaded the neceffity of first determining the right, fince the indemnification demanded by the traders ought to depend chiefly on the legality of their proceedings. On thefe principles the negociation was protracted to the latter end of July; when Spain, finding herself in no respect able to refift the requifitions of Great Britain, confented that the fatisfaction and indemnification claimed by the English ambaffador fhould be confidered as a preliminary to the determination of the question. Such a declaration we conceive ought to have been confidered as the fignal of peace, and as a notice to difarm; but however unaccount able it may appear, Great Britain ftill continued its armaments with inceffant vigour, and the public treafure was fill lavished with a prodigal hand. The negociation was again protracted, wherefore we have never been fully informed, till the 28th of October; when the meeting of parliament approaching, and a different object offering itself to the ambition or the refentment of minifters, it was thought proper to terminate the difpute, and a convention was figned.

By this convention the restoration of the buildings and veffels, and the reparation of the loffes fuftained by the British fubjects, were fecured; the right of navigation and fishery was equally conceded to both nations; illicit commerce with the Spanish fettlements was however prohibited, and the British fishing, veffels or others were restricted to

ten leagues distance from the Spa

nifh coaft; thofe parts of the N.W. coafts of America, which are to the north of those now occupied by Spain, were left free; and those to the fouth of the prefent Spanish fettlements were declared to be the exclufive property of that ftate.

But though Great Britain was thus happily refcued from the horrors of war in this quarter of the globe, accident or ambition involved our Indian poffeffions in contest and in blood. At fo remote a distance it is difficult to judge accurately of caufes and motives; but as nearly as a diligent enquiry has enabled us to collect the truth, the following ap pears a fair statement of the leading facts:

Of all

The ufurpation of Hyder Ally, and the military prowefs of his fon and fucceffor Tippoo Sultan, are facts too recent and too well known to require any repetition. the native princes of India, Tippoo was the moft formidable to the Bri tifh government, and the most hostile to its authority. The peace of Mangalore in 1784 had, it was fuppofed, fecured his fidelity by very feeble ties; and the fplendid embaffy which not long after that event he dif patched to France, afforded much reason to apprehend that fome plan was concerted between the old government of that country and the tyrant of Myfore, for the annoyance of Great Britain in its Indian poffeffions: but this plan was happily defeated by the French revolution.

The increafing power of Tippoo was not lefs formidable to the Dutch than to the English; and the vicinity of Cochin, their moft flourishing fet tlement on the continent of India, to the territories of that afpiring monarch, made them tremble for its fafety. That tagacious people, however, have feldom been without their refources. Befides Cochin, the Dutchy

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were poffeffed of two other forts, which were fituated between Myfore and their favourite fettlement; and one of them, Cranganore, had been a place of fome note while in the poffeffion of the Portuguese, From the Portuguese it was conquered by the Dutch, who retained quiet poffeflion of it till fome time in the year 1779 or 1780, when it was taken by Hyder Ally and garrifoned; but when the war broke out in 1780 between Hyder and the English, he was obliged to evacuate his garrifons on the Malabar coaft, to employ his force in the Carnatic; and Holland and France being foon after united with Hyder against the English, the Dutch embraced the opportunity of clandeftinely taking poffeffion and re-garrifoning the fort; a measure which greatly offended Hyder, and of which he loudly complained. By the mediation of the French, however, a compromife took place; but upon what terms is uncertain.

From the vicinity of Cranganore and Acottah to his boundary, and their fituation within the territory of an acknowledged tributary to Myfore (the rajah of Cochin), the poffeffion of them was a moft defirable object with Tippoo: in the month of June 1789, therefore, he marched a formidable force towards Cranganore, with a profeffed intention of making himfelf mafter of it, upon a claim chiefly founded upon the tranfactions which we have juft related. Unable therefore to retain the poffeffion of the forts themselves, and fearing for a fettlement of much fuperior value, the Dutch readily entered into a negociation with the rajah of Travancore for the purchafe of them. It is faid that Tippoo of fered a more confiderable fun than they obtained from the rajah; but as the latter was the ally of Great

Britain, who was bound by treaty to affift him, that politic people ea fily faw, that by placing them in his hands they erected a most powerful barrier, no less than the whole force of Britain, against the encroachments of their ambitious neighbour upon their fettlement at Cochin.

The imprudence of the rajah, in entering upon fuch a purchase while the title was difputed, drew down upon him the heaviest cenfures from the government at Madras; and he was repeatedly cautioned, both by fir Archibald Campbell and Mr. Holland, his fucceffor in the government, not to proceed in the ne gociation. Such however was the ardour and temerity of the rajah, in making this acquifition, that he not only concluded the purchase with the Dutch, but even treated with the rajah of Cochin, without the privity of Tippoo, though he was the acknowledged tributary of that prince, for fome adjacent territory. The bargain was concluded in July 1789, though it was not till the 4th of Auguft that the rajah informed the Madras government, through their refident Mr. Powney, that he was on the point of making the purchase.

It was not probable that Tippoo would remain an indifferent spectator of these transactions. He infifted on the claim which he retained over these forts, in confequence of their being conquered by his father, and in confequence of the fubfequent compromife. He afferted that, in virtue of the feudal laws, no transfer of them could he made without his confent, as fovereign of Myfore; and alleging as a further caufe of com, plaint against the rajah, that he had given protection to a number of his rebel fubjects, he affembled a confiderable force, and on the 29th of De cember made a direct attack uponthe lines of Travancore. On receiving a

remon

remonftrance from the British government of Fort St. George, however, he defitted, and even apologised by affirming "that the attack was occafioned by the rajah's people having first fired on his troops; that notwithstanding this, he immediately ordered his troops to discontinue the attack, and fent back the people whom they had captured." From the 29th of December to the 1ft of March 1790, Tippoo Sultan remained perfectly quiet, ftill afferting his claims to the feudal fovereignty of the forts; but, it is confidently affirmed, offering to fubmit the difpute to any impartial arbitration.

On the 1ft of March 1790, the rajah's troops made an offenfive at tack upon Tippoo, who had continued quiet within his lines from the 29th of December. For this extraordinary ftep, the rajah alleged in excufe the hoftile preparations of Tippoo in the erection of batteries, &c. &c. An engagement took place; and war being thus com. menced, the British government conceived themselves bound to take an active part. However differently indeed philofophers or ftatefmen may think of the justice or policy of the war, no period appeared more favourable to humble Tippoo, if that was the object with the British adminiftration. With all the other native powers of India we were not only at peace, but treaties of alliance exifted between Great Britain and the two most powerful states of India, the Nizam and the Mahrattas; and both declared themfelves in perfect readiness to exert their utmost force to crush the rifing power of Myfore. Such was the ftate of affairs in the Eaft previous to the meeting of parliament; and fuch were the facts which appeared of fufficient importance to induce the miniftry of Great Britain to involve

the nation in the expences and calamities of war.

In purfuance of his majefty's intimation at the clofe of the feffion, the parliament was diffolved on the 11th of June. The elections in most places proceeded with a degree of languor, and the number of new members was not very confiderable. On the 25th of November 1799 the new parliament assembled; but no bufinefs was proceeded in except fwearing in the members, and electing Mr. Addington fpeaker. On the following day his majefty opened the feffion by a fpeech from the throne. He began with teftifying his fatisfaction that the differences with the court of Spain had been brought to an amicable termination. He informed parliament, that fince the laft feffion a foundation had been laid for a pacification between Auf tria and the Porte, and for putting an end to the diffenfions in the Ne therlands. He remarked, that a feparate peace had taken place between Ruffia and Sweden; but as the war ftill continued between the former of thefe powers and the Porte, he intimated an intention of employing the weight and influence of Great Britain in reftoring the general tranquillity. In the conclufion of his fpeech, his majefty remarked the hoftilities which had commenced in India; and called the attention of both houses to the ftate of the province of Quebec. On the 30th an addrefs was moved by Mr. Mainwaring, and feconded by Mr. R. P. Carew, which was, as ufual, an echo to the fpeech. On this fubject Mr. Fox rofe-not, he faid, with a view of oppofing the addrefs to his majefty, or of breaking through the unanimity which the mover and the feconder of the addrefs reprefented as fo defirable; but there were different modes of

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ftating the grounds on which the motion might be fupported. The honourable member who moved the addrefs, had declared that he would not have moved it, had he not been convinced of the important advantages which would in all probability be derived from the late convention. Mr. Fox defired to difclaim any fuch motive, declaring that he fhould vote for the address without any fuch conviction; and before he could bring his mind to that length, he must have much better grounds for decifion than any that had been fubmitted to the public. War, he faid, ought never to be undertaken to increase dominion, or add to the extent of territory. With refpect to the Netherlands, it had been faid that this country ought to promote their return to the house of Auftria, to prevent their falling into the hands of a neighbouring power. France, he had no doubt, was the power alluded to; but if fo, how came France fo fuddenly a greater object of terror than it formerly was? He had looked into the fpeech from the throne at the opening of the last feffion, and no mention was made of the Netherlands. The allufion to the Netherlands had indeed made much noife out of doors, and it had been conceived that fome new treaties of a very particular nature had been recently entered into. That paffage however of his majesty's fpeech he conceived might be mifinterpreted, and by the word "treaties" might be meant that of Utrecht, and the antecedent treaties, by which this country became guarantee to Auftria for the Netherlands; but if this was in reality the meaning of the fpeech, the fame obligation that now fubfifled to interfere with the Netherlands, had fubfifted in equal force laft year. The honourable mover of the address had taken oc

cafion to compliment the miniftry on the peace which had been cone cluded between Sweden and Ruffia; whereas Mr. Fox obferved, that had it depended on the mediation of this country, he apprehended the miniftry would have acted very dif. ferently from making peace between thofe powers.

On the fubject of India, Mr. Fox obferved, that it undoubtedly was our duty to defend our allies when attacked; but to extend the prin ciple fo far as to make a rupture between two native princes a pretence for carrying on a war in India, with a view to extirpate and deftroy any particular prince or nation for the fake of an acquifition of territory to the East India company, was against the principle of all the acts of par liament which had been paffed for the regulation of our territories in that quarter of the globe.

Mr. Pitt replied to Mr. Fox, and frankly allowed that voting for the addrefs did not imply any approbation of the convention, which would of itfelf become a particular object of difcuffion on a future day. With respect to India, Mr. Pitt declared that in fubftance he perfectly agreed with Mr. Fox; but though it could neither be juft nor politic to make war in that country merely for the fake of conqueft, yet if through ambition or violence any infult fhould be committed by any na tive prince, who was a reftlefs ty rant, on an ally of Great Britain, and we were forced by treaty to enter into hoftilities in fupport of our ally, and the war fhould terminate fortunately for us, were wę not to take the obvious advantage of the event, and make our ally an adequate compenfation for the in fult or injury he might have sus, tained, and repay ourfelves for the expences in which we had been

wantonly

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