Star.
London, England, 1801-05-19 00:00:00

SUBSIDY TO PORTUGAL.

Lord Hawaii:ay moved, That the Houle
thould refolve itfelf into a Committee of Supply,
to take into confideration his Majelly's Metrage
relative to the Subfidy to be granted to Portugal.
The SPEAKIII having left the Chair, and the
Meffage being read,
Lord HAWMIBUiIr Paid he hoped the Meffage
of his Majefty would not meet with any general
oppofition. Whatever might have been the opinion
of Gentlemen relative to other Subfidies, this was
one which he thought could not be oppofed upon
any ground. Whether Subfidies in general were
right or wrong he fhould not now take up the
time of the Houfe in arguing : but thus much be
would fay, that in all the wars in which this
country was ever engaged thofe were the moft be-
neficial where the granted fubfidies. The Ameri-
can war, where fubfidies were not granted, was
the molt unfuccefsful this country ever few. There
might be a difference of opinion as to the fubfidies
granted to Rutfia, Praia and Auftiia—but a
fubfidy to our ancient and faithful Ally, Portugal,
who for upwards of a century bad adhered religi-
°tiny to its treaties with this country, he thought
there could not be an objeftion te. He hoped the
Houle would do every thing in their power to pre-
vent its being over-run by the French for its at-
tachment to this country, which was the only ob-
jedion to Portugal making a peace. It was not
the with of his hhjelly's Minifters to prevent Por-
tugal from making a peace for itfelf; but if a fife
peace could not be made, it was their with to
grant that Power fuch relief as might enable her
to defend herfelf againft her enemies. His Ma-
jelly had a right, if he thought proper, to abfolve
Portugal from all treaties, if a juft peace could be
obtained, but that was extremely doubtful. As
proof of it, he fhould refer the Hours to the con-
duet of the French at Naples. The fulificly was
I not abfolutely intended for the purpofes of refift-
ance, but if driven to that extremity, it would put
her into a fituation to defend herfelf. It might
be Rated to the Houfe, that the (urn was too (mall
to be of any etfential fervice. He admitted that
the furn was not as large as under other circurn-
fiances he might have been inclined to aid that
country with, but the large fums of money fent
out of the country for the purchafe of Corn, had
made it necerary to withhold a larger fupply to
Portugal. He, however, begged to obfcrve, that
in Portugal the furn was not fo very inconfider-
able, fince it would enable that country to fup-
port an army of 20,000 men for fix months. He
then moved "That the funs of 300,0001. be granted
to his Majefty as a fubfidy fur Portugal, to enable
her to defend berfelf againft the mvafion with
which The was threatened."

Mr. Gass, Paid, no reafon had been alfigned by
the Noble Lord for the Subfidy the Committee
wu called upon to vote. He, however, had no
with to expofe an old and faithful Ally by with-
holding the fum demanded, if he confidered it
would have the defired etre& ; but this he very
much doubted. He did not mean to contend that
fubfidies were in all cafes unwire ; they depended
entirely upon circumilances. He hoped his Lord-
' (hip did not mean to follow the example of his
Majefly's late Mufflers, whom he confidered to
have fquandered a great deal of the public money
in unneceffary fubfidies. For what purpofe, he
would elk, was this fubfidy to be granted ?—if it
was to enable Portugal to make a fuccefsful
fence, he doubted its being fufficient ; and if it
was to buy a peace, it was literally putting money
into the coffers of Bonaparte. The threat ;spina
Portugal was not of a new date. This country
muff have for a long tisne expoffed the Attack of
Portugal) fusee lan limner, General Berthier
was lent from France to Spain, for the purpofe of
concerting meafures againil Portugal; at the clofe
of Leff year, Bonaparte's brother, attended by a
French General, went alfo to Spiin upon the
fame errand. At this period, a great army wu
colleSed for the invafion of Portugal, and yet no
application for a fubady was made to that Houle;
but the Houfe is now applied to for aid for that
country, when the hope from refdlance caamot

be very ',leafing. What, he Aced, could Porte.
gal do againft the whole army of Spain, aided hy
from so- to 30,000 French troops, unatliited h)
this country, except by a fnbfidy of 300,0001. He
thought Portugal ought not to have been left in i,
prefent defencelefs (Late ; and he thought his Ma.
jetty's late Minifters highly culpable in withdraw.
ing the troops from Portugal at a period when the
molt flood in need of them. \Vita France had
occafion for all her men, we fent Generals Stewart
and Frafer with a large army to defend Portugal ;
but when 'France had fubdued all her enemies on
the Continent, and had a large army, and had no
employment for it, Portugal is found to be with-
out a fingle Briti(h foldier. He concurred in the
unanimous vote of Thanks to the Army in Egypt,
but he anted how it came to be employed there ?
He mutt agree with his Hon. Friend (Mr. Jones),
that if the Treaty of El Arifch had been confirm-
ed, there would not have been any neceflity to
have Cent our brave troops to that country. Much
blood and treafure would have been fpared, and
•thofe men could now have rendered elfential tier.
vice in defending our faithful and ancient Ally
Portugal. He thought his Majelly's Minifters
highly culpable in having fent the whole of on:
dilpofable force to Egypt, the conqueft of which
he confidered very doubtful; and by leaving P( 7.
tugal unprotected, the country was expofcd to as
event which might be as great an ohttacle to Peace
as Eygpt. The prefent fubfidy was confluent with
the conduft of his Majefly's late Minifters, who
were always too late in their aids and fubfidiec;
and he was perfuaded no man in that Honfe, or
the Country, would fay, it would obtain the ob.
jed intended : at belt it could only buy off the enemy.
Mr. Parr-14 In the notice which I feel myfelf
called upon to take of the obfervationa that have
fallen from the Honourable Gentleman who ob.
jeds to the vote propofed by my noble Friend, I
beg leave to affure the committee that I (hall no:
trouble them at any length.—l think, if ever I
I heard a plain diftind ftatement, on clear ground,
laid intelligibly before the Houk, fo as to leave
no doubt what we are called upon to do, either
in point of Faith, Policy, or Honour, it was the
ftatement of my noble Friend ; but -I mutt fay,
that the Hon. Gentleman in the courfe of his
fpeech, went into an argument that proceeded to
the extreme, although in the beginningcf his fpeech
he maintained, that it is a llibjed on which the
Extreme will not apply, that each cafe of a Sub.
fidy fhould be decided on its own eircumftances ;
and yet he thought fit to fay, that all the Grants
of Parliament on that fubjed, were without any
motive except the pleafure of granting Subfidici,
that this pleafure was to us a fufficient reafon to
grant a Subtlety, and that we never looked at the
confequences—Now, Sir, I will fay, that if an;
Gentleman will look back to the Hiftory of this
War, he will find, that whatever has been the
fate of the Continent, we have given to the dif-
ferent Powers the bell chance for their lafety, and
that the money we have laid out on there occa-
fions, was the bull way of laying it out, and con-
ftituted the cheapell bargains on our part in the
prefent War. I am perfedly ready to go into
that Queflion with the Honourable Gentleman
whenever he pleafes.—The Honourable Gentle.
man lays, he has no objedion to make 'Tahiti the
particular Subfidy now under the confideration
of the Houfe ; but under the femblance of difcat:
fang this gseftion, he takes an opportunity of re-
newing his attacks upon his Majefty's late Mini.
tiers. He takes the opportunity of collaterally
making charges againft us, though notice has
been repeatedly given of a fpecific Motion on Oa;
fubjeft, which Motion has never yet been brought
forward. I do, Sir, moll ftrongly prote( agatna
the injultice of fuck proceedings, but I will nu.
ther be drawn by there kind of obfervations to do
a thing fo irregular to the Houfe, nor fo unjufi to
my Colleagues and myfelf, as to make their con-
do& and mine, upon this important Qpeftion, the
fubjed of collateral Debate.—lf thefeT.ve.ntlemen
really think they can fubliantiate their charges
aging us,they flandpledged to the Houfe to bring
them forwar d,and they cannot want an opportunity
of fo doing; but I contend that they do not do their
duty as Members of Parliament, they do not 20
with candour to us, when they depart from the
fubjea in Debate, and either compel us to violate
the orders of the Houfe by following their exam.
pie, or by our (Hence to appear to acquiefce in the
Jolliet of the accufation. I fhould rather prefer
the latter, and I hope Gentlemen will take Come
regular opportunity of bringing forward thole
Charges. With refped to the fituation of Pcr•
to ,he conneds it with the Expedition to Egypt.
and rays, that if the latter had not been attempted.
Portugal would have been fate; but in the latter
part of his Speech he rays, that even if the Eg) P'
tian Expedition had not been undertaken, he would
not recommend that the Forces engaged in it
fhould be employed in defence of Portugal.
Leaving then the importance of Egypt out of
his conlideration, he makes it a charge againft
the King's late Minifters, that we are prevent-
ed from alEfting Portugal, becaufe fo large a
force has been fent to -Egypt ; and he lays,
that if that force had not been fent to Egypt,
would not recommend their being employed
ia the defence of Portugal. This is the en-
%htened, the vigorous and Statefman.like pallyy
uhich he would recommend in oppofition to that
SIM ployed by the late Adminiftration, who, from
delays of which they were guilty, he flays, tli'
y failed; but who, I fay, notwithftanding
Ilbas Melt):, and their uniform failures, have Come
Weise sier contrived, amid( the wreck of E-n-
-=lse defolatioo of Europe, to deprive our
of almoft all their Colonial PolfeCfions--
ea reduce, alsnoft to annihilation, their Maritime
ilennstb—to deprive them of, and to appropriate
torfelves, the whole of their Commerce. end to
maintain in fatuity our Territories in every part
lithe Globe, nide, Sir, are the fucceEcs with
vi rich the late and tardy efforts of the left Ad:M-
alik-atlas have been crowned. It is to theft Sue•
ries that the Hon. Gentleman owes the oppocr-
alty he now makes ufe of, to talk in this place with
retrof_piselive criticifm of the conduit of the War.
But I with to a& the Hon. hew are
geoid avoid fending a force Cc:Ural& "