Star.
London, England, 1801-03-26 00:00:00

ITATII OF THY NATION.

Mr. Gl= then rote and (poke in fubftanceas fol-
lows: I rife, Sir, in conformity to the notice I
have fo often given, to move that this Houfe do
refolve itfelf into a Committee of the whole Houfe
to inquire into the State of the Nation. lam
fenfible that, in the prefent circumftances of this
unhappy country, I impofe upon myfelf a talk
arduous in the extreme. In fubmitting mo-
tions of this nature to the Houfe, either when
any great danger threatened us from without,
er upon any alarming emergency at home, it
has been ufual to take a general view of our
fituation, and our profpeds. I therefore feel that
it will be incumbent upon me on this occafiou to
call your attention to a great variety of impor-
tant fubjeds, to confider the conduit of the war,
cur relations with foreign powers, the internal
state of the country„ and thole other circumftances
evhich at the prefent moment combine to make
our fituation fo difficult, fo dangerous, and fo
alarming. Wherever we turn ourfelves, things
wear a menacing afped ; we fee nothing but
danger and difficulty, and every part of our
fituation urgently preffes upon us for difeuffion.—
The field is indeed wide, and I tremble to enter
upon it. But I am animated by fentiments of
public duty, and a firm convidion that it is only
1) an inquiry of this nature that the country can
bt. laved. Thefe animate my courage, and thefe
I hope will fupply my deficiencies. If ever inqui-
ry was neceffary, it is riceeffary now. If in the
tal times of our Conftitution, when the principles
freedom and found policy were well underflood
and uniformly aded upon, as often as the country
was in perilous circumftanccs, Parliament has in-
:. ated ar. invcftigation into the caufes of our mif-
-I,,rtnia.s and the belt means to remove them.—
tkat invelligatirm now be rtjeded I know,
that of late a difierent line of conduit has been
Tit-Card, and that during the prefent war, for the firft
r:m2ln.,cc the Revolution, inquiries have been uni-
f .rmiy oppofed. Sir, I ((multi be furry to fay any
thing which might :offend the Members of this
linufe, but I mull obferve that the prefent is the firft
war in which no part of the condud of Government
has h.: inquired into or tincenfured; and it will
hardly he Paid that it is tile only war in which no
blunder has been committed. I do not decide up-
on the motives of Honourable Gentlemen, but I
-..0u1d have them to rerled whether this lupine-
l'ek may not have mutt alined in a high degree to
um' precept t..ilatnitics. A new mode of argu•

THURSDAY; M.

ment I know has been adopted, and doubts arc
thrown out with regard to the propriety of ftich
a motion. It is laid, if you leave any thing to al-
ledge againfl Minitiers, bring forward your charge
by a dillin& fpecitic motion. If you are of opi-
nion that any thing in our fituation is particularly
alarming, niove that a Committee may be form-
ed for the exprefs purpofe of confidering it. I
think, Sir, I Ifictild fiy enough againft this rea-
foning, when I fay that it is completely at vari-
ance with the praffice cf the Hottfe ; but I will
add, that the praftice thus cenfured is confonant
to convenience, and that by following it we can
bell difcharge our duty to the public. I have been
told that, by agreeing to filch a motion, the Houle
would exprefs a doubt of the propriety of the mea-
lures of Government. Such an argument, lam
well affured, I than not hear this night. If there
is any one who will (land up and affirm that lie is
perfealy fatisfied with the ceconomy wiiidr Mi-
nifters have exercifed in the expenditure of the
public money, with their vigour and forefight in
carrying on the war, and with the prudence,
firmnefs, and dignity they have diiplayed it-.
their treatment of foreign powers ; if there is
any man, Sir, bold. enough to alien that lie has
no doubt of the propriety of their condita, I
confent to waive my motion ar,l to abaain from
all the ohfervations I mean t,.) make in fupport
of it. There is another general obje&ion which
I (hall advert to. It has been not unufual to urge
it, and it may not improbably be urged on the
prefent occalion. An appeal was made to the
good fenfe of the I look, and an eloquent pane-
gyric is delivered on unanimity. Retrofpe&s,
is faid, are ufilels ; let us not add to our difficul-
ties by difcord, but unite our efforts to confider
the moll effectual means to refeue the country
from the dangers which fiuround it. This com-
mon place advice has about it an air. of generolity,
but it is miserably deficient in true wifdont. In
politics, as in morals; there is not ii fore a way
to prevent the future commilion of errors, as, by
expoling thofc which have been committed, and
carrying home conviaion and repentance to the
minds of the authors of them.—Without this pro-
cefs, reformation mull he precarious, and a fpeedy
relapfe will prove that it was built on no solid
foundation. At the prefent moment we mutt in-
quire, not only into the caufes of our misfortunes,
but we arc bound to inquire into the profile& we
have of furmounting them. We are now, Sir, in
the ninth year of a war againll France, and we are
threatened with a war againll all the maritime
States of Europe, if we are not actually involved
in it. We have added two hundred and feventy
millions to the capital of our national debt, and
above feventeen millions to our annual taxes. We
find ourfelves oppofed to France, extended in ter-
ritory beyond the hopes of her moll fanguine
friends, alionifhingly increafed in population, with
refources progreffively improving,andfupported by
all the ftates of the Nortb. We are oppofed to her
with diminifhed means, our llrength exhatilled,
llript of every Ally. Is it not then incumbent, Sir,
on the Reprefentatives of the People to enter upon
a serious and folemn inquiry into the moll likely
means to retort to us (murky, tranquillity, and
happinefs i I myfelf, and feveral of my friends,
have made motions with regard to the condus of
the war, the rejeition of overtures for peace, the!
conduta of Government to Foreign Powers, the
economy in the expenditure of the public money,
the internal Rate of this country, and the fitnation
of the filler kingdom. All thefe fubjedls call loudly
for difcuffion now, and I fhall fay a few words upon
each of them in their order.

A Right Honourable Gentleman oppofite to me'
(Mr. Dundas) has often Paid that he is anxious the
war Should be feverely ferutinized. Every part of
it, w hen occafion offers, be will boldly defend year
after year, month after month, week after week,
nay, and hour after hour. That occafion has not
hitherto offered Will; and whether it ever would,
had he continued in office, I (hall not take upon
me to determine. But now the Right Honourable
Gentleman's Sincerity is put to the proof. The
opportunity he defired has arrived, and he will
eagerly embrace it if his proteftations were not
empty boats. His conduit isblamed by the army,
by the public, and by all the world; and it mutt
be inferred that it is blamed with juftice if he Shall
now Shrink from the inveftigation of it. In detail
to go through the various operations of the war
would now-be impoffible. When we go into the
Committee I Shall bring them under confideration
by fubftantive and dahlia motions. At prefent I
mull confine ngfelf to a few leading features. The
Right Honourable Gentleman afferts, that this
war has been eminently fuccefsful. Sir, I want to
know the way in which fuccels is to be eftimatcd.
I The only juftifiable objet of war is to Secure an
honourable peace. Compare, then, the caufes for
which we at &ft entered into the war, with the
caufes for which we now carry it on, and fay it has
been fuccefsful. The war has been moll difafirous,
not only in the general ref-nit, but in the particular
operations of it. Sir, if this has been a fuccefsful war,
seas there ever a war unfuccefsful ? If victory has
produced fuch deplorable cads, what would have
been the confequence of defeat? It will be Paid, we
have effeded important conquefts. There were fume
who I believe went into the war upon principle,
and lam lorry that they arc now abfent. (The
Ex-Secretary of War was not in his place.) lam
certain that they would rejea the idea of click con•
quells being any balance to the lolies the war was
undertaken to prevent. In the narrow view lam
by no means difpcifed to attribute to them this fop-
poled confequence. They Served to extend, di-
vide' and weaken our force. To attempt them
was highly impolitic in Minifters upon their own
principles.
,Whatever force was lent to the Ea&