The Sun.
London, England, 1801-11-06 00:00:00

mind, great and nobli exertions. So when the
,most unparalleled -danger threatened the Sister
;Kingdom, the feelings of a common cause between
`.lhe Peoole of both Colin Tries-had enabled them to
overcome prejudices, some. of .tbetil. perhaps lauda-
ble, at.d all of them deep-rooted, and led to that
happy Union, which adds more to the _power and
strength of the British Empire, than all the Con-
quests of One and Indiiisible France.. These 'were
consolations which he wished to recall to the recol_
legion of those who entertained gloomy apprehen-
sions about the Strength and Resources of Great
Britain. If any additional proofs were wanting to
prove her ability, to protea her honour, and main-
tain her .interest, let Gentlemen .look to the last
Campaign, and they would see Great Britain con-
tending against a powerful ConlederaCy in the
North ; they would see her fighting .for those
objets at once, in Egypt .and in the Baltic,
and they would see her saccessfUl in both. We
had
,shewn, that we' were ready to meet the.
threatened Invasion at Home, and could send Troops
to triumph over the French in, the barren sands..
of Egypt, before a man could escape from Tou-
lon to reinforce their blocked up Army.
We had met the menaced invasion by attacking
France on her own coasts ; and we had seen these
ships Which were destined-for the invasion of this
Country, moored and chained to their ,coasts, and
finding proteaion only in their batteries. These
were not only sources of justifiable pride,' but
grounds of solid security. Whatever might be the
future objea of the Chief Consul of France, he
knew not, but if it was to: exercise a. military
despotism, he would venture to prediae. that. he
would not selea this Country for the first objet of
his attack ; and if we were true to ourselves, we
had little to fear from that attack, let it come when
it would. Bat though he did not entertain appre-
hensions, yet he could not concur with those who
thought we ought to lay aside all caution ; if such
policy were adopted, there would indeed be ground
fbr most serious apprehenSions ; he hoped every
measure would be adopted which prudence could
suggest to do away animosity between the two
Countries, and. to avoid every ground of irri-
tation by sincerity on our part. This, however,
on the other hand was not to be done by paying
abjea court to France. We must depend for our
security only upon ourselves ; but if the views of
France corresponded with our own, we had every
prosper of enjoying a long Peace. lie saw some
symptoms that they were, but upon this he had no
certain knowledge ; but he would never rely upon
personal character for tile security of his Country,
He was inclined to hope every thing that was good,
but he was bcund to at as if he feared otherwise.
He concluded by giving assent to the Motion.
Mr. FOX began by saying, that he never gave
his vote with more heart-felt pleasure than he should
give it to-night. He advierted shortly to the man-
ner in which the 'Mover and the M:nisters had
spoken of the Peace, and confessed, that if the word
Honourable had. been introduced, he should not
have declined assenting to the Motion on that ac-
count. He conceived that the question had been
fairly divided into two parts, Ist, Whether this
Peace was preferable to a continuance of the War ?
and,- 2d, Whether a better. Peace could -have been
obtained ? The last point was not easy to be. ascer-
tained. Undoubtedty, if we could have had a
better Peace. without the risk of Continuing. the
War, we should have been very blameable in not
doing it. In speaking of the terms, he considered
Ceylon as a valuable possession. Some persons had
regretted that we had not kept the Cape.. 'He was
not one of those ; it would be better that it should
be a free port, than that we should beat the expence
of keeping did not, however ~agree with
Lord HAWKESBURY, that the Mediterranean was a
secondary point to Ceylon and Trinidad. He thought
Malta and Minorca of considerable 'importance,
particularly Malta, which, in any future war
might be rendered almost impregnable. Yet why,
he would ask, were we to suppose, that better
terms might have been obtained ? What pressure
upon France could have made her consent to better
terms ? The Noble Lord had said, wish great ac-
curacy, and it was that part of his speech which he
admired the most, that with respen to the unsatis-
factory state of the Continent, nothing gave him
much hope of mending it. It might be true :hat
France could not hurt this Country. Not hurt it !
The invasion of Great Britain he had always treated
as chimerical, but there were-many ()titer points
which he should not now discuss. Yet was any
man so fond of the Union, so wildly satisfied with
the measures that had been adopted, that he would
say the danger arising from the French being in
Ireland would not ,be greater, than would be the
danger arising from the.Eeglish being in France ?
The only question then was, whether• by pressure of
War, we could prevail upon France to cede Malta
and the Cape ? Could we prevail upon her by pres-
sure upon her Colonies ? that had been already done.
By pressure upon the territory of ? that was ab-
surd. By pressure upon her finances' Here he could
not help admiring Minis ters'foe not introducing into
the discussion that jargon of the ruin of the French
Finances; of their being in the jaws and gulph of
bankruptcy. They had too much good sense to do
it. He came now to the question, whether the War
should be continued, or whether these Terms should
be accepted ? A Noble Lord, who sat on the same
.side with him, had talked of the Peace as a capitu-
lation of our safety, but yet he discovered that-that
Noble Lord begged to be understood as not prefer.
big' another year of War to this complete surrender.
These expressions, therefore, lie could' not help
considering as little more than oraorical ex egge_
ration. For 'his own part he .had believed himself
to be the last person who coul,i bear the drought of
Moodier year of war ; yet he found • now that
was really warlike, compared with that Noble,
Lord. Though he could not, however,- go so.
far as he did; yet, still, he could not concern.,
plate another year of war-without dread and horror..
He would ask Gentlemen, what had been the state,
of the poor for two years ? . What had been seen.
in every parish ? Each poor man forced- to depend
upon alms and churity.. charity did he call it ?
One of the, worst parts of the present times was,
that charity leosa its nature ; that the necessity was
irresistible ; .the industrious and the dissolute were
forced t 9 be relieved in the same manner. Should he