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-have experienced the fame treatment as now. He obferved, that he had differed on many occafions from Mr. Fox, but there had been no lofs of friendship between them; but there was fomething in the curfed French conftitution that envenomed every thing. Mr. Fox whispered that there was no lofs of friendship. Mr. Burke replied: There was-he knew the price of his conduct: he had done his duty, and their friendfhip was at an end. Mr. Burke earnestly urged the right honourable gentlemen, who were the great rivals in that house, that whether they fhould move in the political hemifphere, as two blazing ftars in oppofite orbits, or walk together as brethren, they would preferve the British constitution, and guard it against innovation. He concluded with moving an amendment on lord Sheffield's motion-That the words of the motion, after "differtations on the French conftitution," be omitted, and the following inferted in their room" tending to fhew that examples may be drawn therefrom; and to prove that they are infufficient for any good purposes, and that they may lead to anarchy and confufion, and are confequently unfit to be introduced into fchemes of government, are improper to be referred to, &c."

Mr. Fox rofe to reply; but the agitation of his mind was fo great, as to deprive him for fome time of utterance. He faid, however events might have altered the mind of his right honourable friend, ftill he muft fo call him; becaufe, grating as it was to any man to be unkindly treated by thofe on whom he had bestowed obligations, it was ftill more grating to meet with fuch treatment from thofe by whom he had been highly obliged, and whom, notwithstanding their harfhnefs and

severity, he must still love and esteem. Almott from a boy he had been in the habit of receiving favours from his right honourable friend, and they had lived on the most intimate terms for twenty-five years. He hoped, therefore, that notwithstanding what had happened, the right honourable gentleman would think on paft times; and, whatever imprudent or intemperate expreffions of his might have offended him, would at leaft believe that fuch was not his intention. He repeated his reasons why Mr. Burke's introducing the French revolution, in a debate on which he had been charged with republican principles, appeared to be done with an intention to injure him. It was the first time, he faid, that he had ever heard from a philofopher, that the best way of praising the British conftitution, was by abufing every other. For his part, he had ever thought that the British conftitution, in theory, was imperfect and defective; but that in practice it was excellently adapted to this country. He had often faid, that because he admired the British conftitution, was it to be concluded that there was no other part of the conftitution of other countries worth praifing, or that the British conftitution was not ftill capable of improvement? As a proof that it had not been thought quite perfect, he reminded the houfe of the two late projects of reform; that propofed by Mr. Pitt for the reform of parlia ment, and that of his right honourable friend for the reform of the civil lift. Mr. Fox alluded to the expreffion Mr. Burke had made ufe of, difciplined troops; and added, that if this was meant to convey an infinuation that any improper influence was exercifed on the minds of gentlemen, fuch an imputation he utterly difclaimed. To fhew further

that

that the British constitution was not perfect, Mr. Fox mentioned the vote of the year 1780, "That the influence of the crown had increased, was increasing, and ought to be diminifhed." To this vote his right honourable friend had affented; and in 1783, when his majefty, on the lofs of America, lamented in his fpeech the fate of the provinces, in being deprived of the advantages refulting from monarchy, Mr. Burke had ridiculed the idea, and compared it to a man's opening the door, after he had left the room, and saying, "At our parting, pray let me recommend a monarchy to you." He faid, if we did not with a monopoly of that liberty which we prized fo highly, we must rejoice in the eman cipation of France. Feeling the prefent temper of Mr. Burke's mind, he faid, he fhould keep out of his way till time and reflection had fitted him to think differently of the fubject; and then if their friends did not endeavour to re-unite them, they would not act as he had a right to expect.

The conceffions of Mr. Fox made but little impreffion on Mr. Burke. -He faid, that the tenderness difplayed in the beginning and end of his fpeech, had been completely counterbalanced by what occurred in the middle of it; and complained loudly of Mr. Fox taking advantage even of his jokes and most carelefs expreffions, to prove him guilty of inconfiftency. It had been faid that in fome points the British conftitution might be amended; but had he ever faid that that or any other human conflitution might not? It had been faid, that, in order to praise the British, he had thought proper to abufe every other conftitution; but had he ever difplayed any fuch fpirit? He would not even have brought forward the

French conftitution, had not attempts been made to introduce the monfter into this country. Libels, he faid, had been circulated against the conftitution, by focieties calling themselves conftitutional. He faid, when he faw the new French conftitution, he wept: it was the work of Goths and Vandals, where every thing was out of place, disjointed and inverted. He mentioned many of the enormities which were com mitted in France, and particularly the religious perfecution to which the non-juring clergy had been fubjected; and which, he juftly obferved, was a cruel violation of the principles of toleration. His opinion of the American revolution did not militate against his opinion of the French, as the Americans had fome reafon for the conduct which they had purfued.

The chancellor of the exchequer explained that part of his former fpeech, which Mr. Fox had confidered as charging him with republican principles. He faid, that when that gentleman propofed an elective instead of an hereditary council, he conceived that he (Mr. Fox) was inclined to think that a larger infufion of the republican principle than at prefent fubfifted in the British conftitution, was beft adapted to the new government of Canada; but that this was a fentiment to which he (Mr. Pitt) could not poffibly agree. With this explanation Mr. Fox declared himself fatisfied; and concluded this tumultuous debate with intimating, that at a future day he had no doubt of exculpating himfelf from every charge of republicanifm.

The debate which followed on the fame bill, on the 11th of May, took a milder and more temperate courfe. Mr. Fox declared himself an advocate for the British confti

tution,

tution, and for hereditary honours, fuch as exifted in this country, which were frequently incentives to patriotifm and virtue: he granted, however, that his principles were fo far republican, that he wished to give the crown lefs power, and the people more, in every government, old or new; and added, that he was decidedly of opinion, that the conftitution of this country was more liable to be ruined by an increase of the power of the crown than of the people. Mr. Burke denied that he had ever imputed democratic principles to Mr. Fox, with a view to hurt him; and if he had pushed him to a declaration of his principles, the fpeech which they had juft heard from him would prove how far he was likely to have attained his end. He confidered himself as forfaken by his party; but he had done

his duty to his country, in warning it againft the pernicious French principles, at a time when there was not merely a plot, but open and avowed attempts to fubvert the conftitution.

Thus concluded an altercation, which has produced a fchifm ftill evident in the politics of the oppofition party. How far the later proceedings in France may tend to abate the ardour of contention, which the French revolution first excited in this country, it is difficult to fay. To us it appears, that they are too likely to unite all fenfible and well difpofed perfons in a condemnation of the prefent measures of the popular party there, how ever they may have differed as to the principle of the Gallic revolu tion.

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Meffage from his Majefly. Difpute with Ruffia. Armament voted. Debates on the State of the Nation, and on the Probability of a War with Ruffia. Debates in the Lords on thefe Subjects. Committee of Finance. Budget. Debate on the Report of the Committee of Finance. Finances of India. Debate on the Repeal of the Test Act, as far as regards the Church of Scotland. Scottish Burghs. Prorogation of Parliament. Rists at Birmingham.

WHIL

WHILE feveral of the topics which we have juft noticed remained in agitation before the British fenate, the attention of that body was called to another object, not lefs important to the interefts and welfare of the nation. On the 28th of March a meffage was deli vered from his majefty, importing that the endeavours which he had used, in conjunction with his allies, to effect a pacification, not having proved fuccefsful, his majefty judged

it requifite, in order to add weight to his representations, to make fome further augmentation of his naval force.

As foon as Mr. Pitt had moved "that the meffage be taken into confideration on the morrow," Mr. Fox rofe, and deplored the circumftance of their having fallen into a fituation fo unfortunate and fo unexpected. Referving himself for the confideration of the meffage, he afked the chancellor of the exche

quer,

quer, whether he meant only to move a fimple addrefs of thanks to his majefty for the communication, or whether he meant to include in the vote an approbation of the meafure? If the latter were to be the cafe, he trufted the doctrine of confidence had not yet proceeded fo far, that they would haftily profefs themselves ready to fupport the king's expences, without having before them any ground of information whatever. Mr. Pitt anfwered, that it had not been ufual to delay the confideration of a meffage from his majef longer than a day; and in the prefent cafe, there were many reafons why the bufinefs ought not to be deferred. He intimated alfo, that a vote of fupplies would be included in the answer to the meffage.

The debate on the 29th was opened by Mr. Pitt, who lamented that his majefty's endeavours to refore peace to Europe had proved ineffectual; yet while they felt the advantage of that fyftem of defenfive alliance, which had been fo generally countenanced, he trufted they would admit that a temporary expence might be wifely and judiciously incurred, to prevent any alteration taking place in the relative condition of the affairs of Europe. With a view to the fate of thefe affairs, he faid, an additional force had been kept up after the late armament; and a further addition was now neceffary. He ftated, that if defenfive alliances were to be maintained, it was our duty to adhere to thofe alliances. The influence of the Turkish empire, he faid, was of great effect in the general fcale of European powers; and its prefent fituation was fuch, as to afford juft caufe of apprehenfion to all the other powers, whofe interefts were at all liable to be affected by a

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diminution of that influence; and to Pruffia in particular it must be highly injurious, to fuffer the Turkish empire to be diminished in force and confequence. He therefore moved an addrefs, to thank his majefty for the communication, and to affure him that the house would make good the expences, &c.

Lord Wycombe observed, that, on first hearing this report, he had met it with a pofitive difbelief. In a commercial view, there were no benefits to be hoped for from the meafure, in any degree equivalent to the mischief attending hoftilities. In a political view, he could not think a difpute concerning the frontiers of Turkey was a fufficient motive to engage this country in a war. At all events, he should refift the measure, till he was poffeffed of a more adequate fhare of information on the fubject.

On the fame grounds the motion was oppofed by Mr. Coke, Mr. Lambton, Mr. Martin, Mr. Vyner, and others; and it was fupported by Mr. Steele..

Mr. Fox declared, that he was not againft a neceflary fhare of confidence in miniftry; but he obferved, at the fame time, that neceffary confidence was only a neceffary evil; and ought, therefore, to be always the leat that the nature of things would permit. To admit fimply that the king, by the advice of his minifters, had ordered an armament, and that the houfe muft pay the expence, was not in all the gradations of rational confidence; and the house of commons which entertained the propofition, betrayed its duty and infulted its conftituents. The right honourable gentleman who moved the addrefs had enveloped himself in mystery and importance, but explained nothing. When the balance

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was not fo, why did we not prevent the war, if we thought we had any concern in its iffue? Would fir Robert Ainflie fay, that he had been inftructed to divert the Porte from attacking Ruffia? In all his majefty's former fpeeches, he had regretted the war on principles of humanity; but always added an affurance, that no danger was to be apprehended from it to us. What then had fince happened to involve us? The difpute between the emprefs and us he believed to be this: She offered to cede all her conquefts between the Nicfter and the Danube, and proposed to retain only thofe between the Niefter and the Don; while we infifted that the fhould furrender all her conquefts without exception. Such was the propofition which we held out to Ruffia; while in India, in our own cafe, we infifted that, fhould we be fuccefsful against Tippoo Sultan, he should not only make reparation, but alfo furrender as much as we could conquer of his temi tories, as a fine for having made the first attack. Our whole ground of quarrel with Ruffia was, therefore, the tract of territory he had mentioned; unprofitable and worthlefs to any power, except for a fingle place contained in it, and this place was Oczakow. Now had Oczakow been taken in the prefent year, it might have been faid to have produced a change of circumtances; but it was taken in 1788,

and in 1789 his majefty again alfured parliament, that the fituation of affairs was fuch as promifed us a continuance of peace.

Whatever confidence, he observed, might be claimed by minifters, none could be due where they had betrayed incapacity; and this the prefent minifters had done in their continental connexions. In the negociations at Reichenbach, when they found the emperor difpofed to peace, they had neglected the opportunity of engaging the empreis by the fame arguments which induced him to confent, and which were then in their power. They had ftimulated Sweden to attack Ruffia; prevented Denmark from aflifting her; and then neglected Sweden. If the armament in the Spanish difpute was equipped with any view to Ruffia, deceit and falfehood were practifed upon the house. After the termination of the difpute, why did we difarm, if we knew that we had fill occafion for an armament? Accidental caufes, and particularly the ftate of France, had contributed to our profperity. how miferably had we abused thefe advantages! By the abfurd pride of interfering in the affairs of every fo reign ftate, we had involved ourfelves in expence, and obtained only the hazard of war. Neither had we been fuccefsful in any but the inftance of Holland. We had not lowered Ruffia; we had not raised Sweden; and between the emperor and his Belgic fubjects our interfe rence had been ridiculous. The allied powers had made certain flipulations with the emperor in behalf of the provinces; and when marshal Bender was about to enter the Netherlands with an armed force, their minifters at the Eague wrote him, that he muft optill certain preliminaries were adjuited. His antwer

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