Star.
London, England, 1807-04-16 00:00:00

enemy of tl-e kingdom was triumphing over his Conti,
nental enemies, and extending his power with a rani;
dity unknown in the annals of modern warfare, wis
it not of the highell confequence that we fissuld he
cautious, that the power of this country fhauld be
entrufled to thofe who were bell qualified to employ,
it to advantage ? In fuch hands, that power WAS hap-
pily repofed, until the late change took place in his
Majefly's Councils. He would not fay that the late
Minillers ltad done every thing ; but they had per.
formed, he would venture to affert, as much as could
be reafonably expelled of them in the (hart period
of their public fervices. They had ably drawn forth
the refoutces of the empire, and all hands and hearts
were united in one common bond of union to fupport
them. Should the Houfe, under Inch citcurnflances,
fubmit to their exclulion from Adminiftrati n with-
out explanation and without acmonffrance ? Was it
to be laid, that the finances of the country were info
flontifhing a condition, that no prudence was necelfary
in their management ? Were the appearances in the
Sifter )(land fo tranquil, as not to require caution ?
With regard to the &it, a fy em had been propofed,
which afforded the only me ins of probing to the bot-
tom the deep wour.ds of the State. There had been
a laxity in that department, which became of great
confequence to corred, and at all times the Commons
of England had confidered the moll vigilant attention
to the public purfe, amongil the molt effential parts
of its duty. The ffrength of the enemy was leen to
be progreffively increaling, his refo trees to be ra,
pidly multiplying ; and in this fituation, Miniflers
retorted to every meafure to render Britain formi-
dable; but before they employed the powers with•
which they were inverted, by the confidence of the
nation, and of their Sovereign, they made propofals to
France to give peace to this kingdom arid to mankind,
and which the enemy would bare accepted, 101 he
really been difpofed for conciliation. Difappointed
in this honntirable projcd, they had not indulged in
complaints;idle they had not condefcended to coal fe
accirfation ; but they had prepared 'themfelves MAO.
fully to oppofe farce with force. With regard to the
army, was it nothing, that for its better regulation
they had adopted a courfe of proceeding more fuited
to the charar'ter of human nature, which would ren-
der it the obj :CI of national gratitude and refped ;
and which, by infpiring confidence, would add to the
Ilrength of the empire ? Some frifpicions were enter•
tained that a porti n of what had been recommended
was not likely to be beneficial : certain, however, it
was, that the intentions of the late Miniflers were
good, that their defign was to give vigour and fpirit
to this important refource for the national defence,
and that they had had the thodeily at all times to
Wien with patience to whatever might be fuggeffed
to improve the public force. As to the prefent Mi-
niflers, they had feen little of them. [4 cry of Hear!
[fear! from the Minillerial Benches.] It was very fin-
guitar that they fhould behave in that manner, as if
clamour were the bell expedient to acquire the confi-
dence of the nation. What was the brit fpecimen
they had given of their merits ? It was this, that
they had brought to the bar of the Houfe the Sove-
reign himfelf. [Cry of hear, hear ! loudly repeated.)
—They had thus concealed themfelves behind the
Throne, and fhrunk from their Conflittitinnal refpon-
fibility. He was as flrongly impreffed with a fenfe
of duty to his Sovereign as any one on the other fide
of the Houfe, but he would (hew this obedience by
loyalty to the State ; and he fhould be glad to learn
if any reafoning could be employed that would ren-
der the latter inconfiffent with the former. He might
indeed coned from the conduit of the prefent Mini-
tiers, that they confidered them perfedly diltind and
incongruous. It was the more proper to itiftify the
condua of the late fervants of the Crown, fince y
bad been alfailed by libels and intlifcriminate anufe ;
even into the public ntwlpapers were introduced the
minutes of the Cabinet, communicated by fume pn. -
jured Counfellor for the mere purpofe of mifrepre.
fentation. The Honfe had alto feen, that a fanati-
cal cry had been raifed from one end of the countr y
to the other, to operate on the public feeling, and
tithe Chancellor of the Exchequer had himfelf ven-
tured to give the watch word to it. So lately as
Thurfday lall the Members were moll indecently
threatened with the diffolution of Parliament, if they
would not accede to what was propofed to them, or
rather impeded upon them. How often were they
to be fent back to their Conflituents at the good
pleafure of Miniflers ? Was it jolt, was it reafonahle ?
He was not fent here to cabal with Placement and
if he were to be difmiffed to his Conflitnents, he
would proteff againil filch a pervezfion of the power
referred by the Britifh Conulitution. By the belt
principles of that Conflitution, the vote he had given
the other night was fandioned, brit after the rent.
ante given to it, it was difficult to fay what benefi-
cial propofition would not be rejeded. What be had
to recommend to the Houfe would derive from him
very little authority ; he had nothing to offer but a
eharadet yet unreproached, and he hoped irre-
proachable; what he propofed Was with the purest
wifhes for the public good, and becaufe he thought
that a tefolution of the kind he should immediately
flare ought to be recorded. It was
" That this Houfe, confidering a firm and vigilant Adrhinlitta-
tion indifpenfable to the prefatt pollute of public affairs. has fern
with the greateft regret the late change In his ISdajedy's Coun-
cils."
Mr. HIBBERT rote to fecond the motion. Al-
though he had, in the measure renarding the Slave
Trade, uniformly oppofed the late Adminilfration,
yet he was happy now in giving them a proof of his
fincete approbation of their general conduit. His
Hon. Friend had given a compreherfive view of the
grounds on which the refolution was founded. He
prefumed that whatever difference of opinion there
might be on fume fubjefts, there was no difagreement
as to the State of alarm in the preterit trills of public
affairs. To Alert fuch a propofition was to procure
immediate convidion of its truth. The Gentletneen
on the other fide had Paid, that the late Miniflers
tended a bed of role:, when they entered into power ;
but he did not think, now they oßeupied the fame