The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-10 00:00:00

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long since to the full end of soteesslon ; diet
it was evident, that in proportion as they were
attady to conciliate, the French Consul was alert,
eager, and determined to take fresh advantatker:
of 'their. yielding natures. These.could be no o
chance then of saving the country, but assont-
ini • vigorous measures, and sheaving the First
Consul, decisively, that this -country would bear no
more concession. That they were not afraid of
meeting France even single-handed ; and that
sooner then disgrace themselves, or suffer the small-
est particle of the honour of his Majesty's crown, or
that of the nation.; to be tarnished, they were pre-
pared for the immediate recommencement of hosti-
lities. His Lorthltip solemnly protested that no
one' noble Lord was more sincerely desirous of *the
continuance of Peace: and so convinced was he that
nothing could more effe4ually establish and secure
she conservation of the peace than vigorous mea-
sures, that he should give his hearty support to the
nsolution, although he thought his Majesty's Mini-
ster's kid much to answer, for not having advised his
Majusty earlier to re:ornmend to Parliament the
Measure which was the great objea of his Royal
Message. 'There was one part of the noble secre-
tary of State's speech which it would have been more
satisfaa.ory to him, iralividually, if his Lordship had
ham' a little more explicit upon —he meant as to
the nature • and importance the discussiops
now • stibskting between his Majesty and the
French Government. The Message itself de-
emed them *to be of " great importance;" and
they must r.ecessarily have been so, or they would
not have been taken as the ground of so strong a
measure as that recommended in the King's Mes-
sage.
.But were they discussions that had newly
arisen, or were they discussions of long standing ?
Much depended upon that, as to the blame or praise
due to Ministers ; according to the faft in these points,
they ought to know the truth, or they could not
• pronounce upon them. In that case Ministers shrunk
from their responsibility. His Lordshipliii d great stress
on this particular, and repeated in terms of great satis-
faction, his complete approbation of the measure re-
commended in the Message, as one that might lead
to aline of conduit, which could alone' aitord the
country a chance of being saved.
. Lord GIIENVILLE observed, that though his
tentiments On such an occasion as this must be pret-
ty well known, he could pot content himself with
;silent vote upon such a proposition. He was glad
that his Majesty's Ministers had at length deter-
mined to 04 rid) more spirit than they had hitherto
manifested; for he never saw any reason to con-
clude, that the late peace could have been perma-
,nent, or of an; long duration. At the close of last
Session the same hostile dispositions, v.-hid'
were now made grounds of serious alarm, were
squally apparent. The tour and derwanour of
the First Consul. France had never changed
from the beginning. Experience had sufficiently
ahewn, that this .country could gain nothing
by that meanness and concession which had for
lonwtime been employed. Firmness and vigor were
the only means which Great Britain had to sustain its
dignity and its interests. He was sorry to observe
so little energy in the language and condu4 of the
Ministers of the Crown ; but though many advan-
/ages had been given up, it was not too late still to
Souse the generous spirit, and display those innume-
rable resources which the country was capable of ein-
ploying: It was indeed to be lamented, that from
the spirit of hatred, ambition, and aggression, al-
'ways evinced by our adversary, prudence had not
,suggested the propriety of meeting the event, which
now seemed to be inevitable, upon more advantage-
ens tevnts. We ought not, in his opinion, to have
met it with naval and military disarmaments, with

the cession of some of the most valuable of our con-
quered
p possessions, and the best military stations and
positions in time of war a but even a:. this late sits-1
son he was glad to see the resumption of some of
_that public spiiit, upon which, and its enterprise, the
,nation had ultimately to depend for its salvation.
:He acknowledged that he should have been much
better pleased, if the communications upon this sub-
jet`l had been more esplieit ; but taking it as it
.stood, he gave his hearts, concurrence to the Motion.
The E.nl of 141.0113:A said, that he could not •
simply give a silent acquiescence to a Motion like the
present. The mere he . considered the inordinate
,Umbitaon which the First Consul of the Fatnc,h Re-
public had uniformly displayed, the more was he
.convinced that nothing was to be effeetecfby a pusil-
lanimous forbearance on the part of this couniry.
\ "hawser some inible Loo,li may think of the res-
. p :daltat. ought to be shewn to tin: Chief Nho...listrate
•of a neighbouring nation, with which we were at
• .p2ace, he did not consider this at least to be a time
for theltrav;uage .e,l complaisance and courtesy. \\"e
;had too long seen'the insolence and aggression with
which this countrY lial been uniformly treated. We
~sawhostilepreparationson all that extentof coast with
which we were in a great measure surrounded. Our
.enemy, fur lie would not now hesitate to bestow that
_appellation on th e First Consul, had presumed to threa-
ten Great Britain with an army of 500,000 men. He
.bad further the vanity and audacity to boast, that
this country uaS no longer able to contend single-
banded against Erance. . He, on the other hand,
• .trust;~ that the answer to this insolent represents-
:lion would be a proof that this united realm was
.abl.., .in a just cause, to contend against the world in
-arras. What, he asked, :roust be the feelings of their
„Lordships, as well as of all the inhabitants of this
.country, if insults of .that kind were to be reczaved
-without mentment.? France had already 'o.x.pe.-1-
,e;wed, at the ha:1.4,6.01 some of our naval and mili-
tary leaders, ,sOme of svhotu he had the _pleasure of
seeing then in- their places, (lairds Nelson and
wha,were present„, ware supposed to be
'here alluded to) that England WAS never so much
".t.) be drea,led, as when .;:ingle-liancled, and left to
7:t; own native and :valoi ous.esertions. It was still.
t., -hew itself equal to every emergency, and,
„perhaps, inelk . rustible in its resources. had
...rill the same gallant Officers and troops, whose
scrxices had already achieved so, many laurels for
their country. 'The spirit of the country was still
unbroken, and, notwithstanding ate' recent eircum-
:stances. he was tatisSed then! rtmained very little,
.of aitydisaCeilion in the nation. • It .was idle to
.disgur= our situation, a: a time .viren we" were
_likely to contend,. not 1;or honour only, but for
the existence of the couwry. 'llaose were mistaken
who supposed that this country 'was secured against
that invasion which our envery was evidently medi-
tating ; secure, indeed, we were in some rt_lpesls on
,thitt head; with any vitr.9r of .subjtaraticia, t::e very
conten:plation of wh7A woulotfie too hum:liming
but let U 0 man ~,,esnive himself with the idea that an