Star.
London, England, 1803-03-12 00:00:00

the! are fairly entitlzd to according to the fpirit
of the Contlittition. I hope I do not allot an,
improper a:MI, in flaring, that a certain dere,
of confidet.ce null always be given to Govern
trent. All that Minitters prefumc to a::: is, tha
they may be candidly dealt with, and th it the+
Gentlemen who have hitherto laid up to the pre
fent hour," we have given our confidence to you."
lb.-flint,: all at one.. withdi AIX it fiont thein,crpt,
ju.!gc th,m lint ii the refult of their conduct (hall tr
fftliv known. I Majeity's fit rant, at e aware ot the
tliflico'ty of the fituation in which they are placed:
and the: reel it a duty which they owe to their
and country, to lay b6,re Parliament the
whole of their proceedings, and the motives
of their conduCl, at a feafonable time. In
II ,e mean time, they merely with to (land upon
the opinion of the crl:ntry and of Pailiament.
—I now, Sir, come to notice the amendment
rropoCed by the Honourable Gentleman (Mr.
Dent t, for adding to our naval efiablilhment
twenty-five thoufand feamen. I cannot recon-
concile myfelf to believe that it is one iiroyet for
tl:e Houle to adopt. It has ever been ufual in loch
cafes, to adopt the refolution brought forward on
the part of Government ; for this plain and fatif-
fiCtory reafon that Government only can afcertain
the nature and extent of the force, adequate to
meet the prefTure and exigency of the danger which
may threaten the fafety of the country. If, how-
ever, Gentlemen had reafon to find fault with the
propolition, it was the cuflom to offer an amend-
ment, which went to the reduCtion of the efirmate
contained in the vote, not to the increafe of it. It
has been always very uncommon to propofe an
augmentation of the numbers deemed by Govern-
ment equal to the importance and urgency of the
occation. In the prefent cafe, I can dircover no
reafon why the number of feamen ftated in the re-
folution fhould be increafed, as the ten thouland
feamen propofed in the vote, when added to thrice
already granted for this branch of the public fervice,
will give a total effeCtive force of 60,0c0 men.
Mr. Fox rote to explain. " I beg leave to cor-
rect a miftake which the Noble Lord has made in
reprefenting an opinion of mine. When I fpnkt
before, the Noble Lord underitood that in voting
for this armament, I thought I fhould pledge my-
fell to the war. This miftake is, however, to be
attributed to a flip of my tongue, for I meant to
fay, that I pledged myfelf to the armament only,
and not to the war. By this vote we now make
ourfelves parties to the difcuflions pending between
France and this country, and give importance and
weight to them. But at the fame time, when we
vote an Armament, his Majefty being in poffer-
fion of the Supply and the Armament, may go
to war with them without our concurrence. It is
therefore, I contend, extremely important for the
Houfe to confider, that they are voting in the
dark, as they know nothing of the nature of the
difcuflions to which his Majefty alludes, and which
conftitute the grand motives for the prefent mea-
Cure. It is in the recollection of every Member
who hears me, that a Right Hon. Gentleman ( Mr.
T. Grenville) formerly brought forward a refolu-
tion, Rating, that it was the duty of the Houle
to enquire into the necelifity of the cafe, whenever
it came under confederation to impofe new burdens
upon the people. The motion, I confefs, was loft,
but the author of it will, no doubt, have tome
weight in the Houle. The fanetion of Parliament
is now called for to a 'mature, of which, in its
caufes and origin, they know nothing. Yet the
Conflitution of England tells us not to vote away
the money of our Conftituents, but upon good
grounds, and I confefs myfelf ignorant of any
which can authorife my affent to the Refolution."

Lord Hawzissultv explained.—" I have, Sir,
no objeition to grant, that if his Majelly had Rated
nothinv, in his Menge but the existence of difcuf-
lions between him and the Government of France,
and then anted for the armament which is now
propofed, it would become a quetlion, whether the
Houle fhuuld agree to it or not ? but when we are
informed that not only important difeuffions are
carrying on, but that armaments are preparing in
the ports of France and Holland, which mutt in-
evitably be turned againft us, if the difeuffions tail
in producing the defired effect, I put it to the
Houle whether this combination of circumstances
does not form a fuflicient caufe for our placing the
country in a Rate of defence ?"
Mr. Ezt.tor.—tt Sir, I truft there is no man who
will not zealoufly concur in fupporting the motion
before the Committee, becaufe it goes to fupport
the honour and feeurity of the country. It is a
matter of fey ions regret that the country has not
been already placed in a Rate of preparation ; but
I do not complain of this only, I have Alf° to corn.
plain of the uniform darkness which has been loi-
tered to obfcure fume of the moR important exter-
nal interells of the country. I with to have it
afeertained by a proper enquiry, why it happened,
that many parts of the treaty of Amiens were ful-
filled on our part, while the Powers we had been
treating with were making the greateft
preparations, and doing the very things we now ,
make a fubjeCt of complaint ? I am de:in:us of in• I
vefligating why many places were given rap by us
at the very moment when thefe Powers 'hewed dif- •
paitions as hoe ile as they do now ? And I leave ,
it to the Houle to determine why his Maj'Ry's
Ministers did not then eutfue the. line of cenduCt
which they at relent adopt ? With le speCt to the
refolution before the Committee, I have to tb-
ferve, that it is unprecedented, not being lane •
tioned by ft:fficient information."
Mr. CANNING (Aid, it was not his intention to
trefpafs on the attention of the Houle many mi
nutes, b❑t he could not help obferving, that he
thought the Miniiler ought to have laid helm the
Houle better gtour.ds for this meafure than lie al-
ready had done; and though a better explanation
was neceffiry can filch an importart question, yet
lie was lure every Member would fupport it with
thee:Joiners, when tie country was in d:,ng He
td been told that there is a great armament car-
txini, on, on the nther fide of the water, and there-
f re we reeriired au additional miiitary ant! n.ttal
flreneil: to deft nd this country : he thetight it Wa%
theretoic proper, that we thottol receive
non the fubjell. He begged leave to i
call to tl.c recolleCti'm of the Houle tl.e period I,