The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-07-18
Foreign Intelligence.
IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF coMMoMS, AprH 2sd, 1904.


MOTION ON THE DEFENCE OF THE NATION.
Mr.. ADpIaGToN, Chancellor of the Exche-
qicf-" Sir, / am induced to offer myfelf to
your notice at this moment, rather than at a
more advanced period ofthe debate, forthe pur>
pole of combating the arguments which the
hon. gentleman has argued at comfortable
length, in fupport of one of the mott extraordi.
nary motions, that, within my parliamentary ex-
perience, has ever been filbmitted to the con-
liberation of this Houfe.-I have another in
ducement alto, ariEng from fome incidental cir
cumftances in the fpeech you have jjuf heard,
for trefpafiing, at this early hour, upon the at
tention of gentlemeR.-Thc hon. gentleman has
alluded to the zeal and unanimity which at pre-
fent (even he is candid enough to confeis) per-
vades all ranks and clafies of fociety but his
appreciation is qualified by the obfervation, that
1t is a zeal and unanmity foley to be attribut-
cd to the fear of nvaiion, nferring thereby, that
his Majefty's minitters, neither by their mea-
fures nor their conduct, have conduced either
to excite or maintain 1.-THE hon. gentleman
has adverted TO fome difcufiions which took
place at the commencement of the war but il
mutt be In the recollection of gentlemen, that
the obfervations which fell from him on one of
| thoie occaGons, drew forth the reprehenfon of
the Houfe-on another queftion, had the be-
nett OF that hon. gentleman's fupport. When
motion was made, the tendency of which was
to cohtemn me and my colleagues for engaging
In the war, that hon. gentleman refnied to fup-
port IT. BY his vote on that queftion, he did,
IN the fulleit and mott unqualified manner, alb
iolve and acqut us entirely from the guilt of
having commenced that war-but, fir, we do
not depend for our publication on the acciden-
tai appreciation ofthat hon. gentleman, great as
the effect OF his appreciation might be. We
build it on much more fold and extended
grounds, the almof unanimous vote of this
houie, by which it has been fanetioned and con-
trmed. / come now to the hon. genteman's
preient motion, certainly one of the mott extra
ordinary that has ever been brought before this
houie; Tor which there is no precedent in the
parliamentary hiitory OF this country to which
there is nothing analogous in the parliamentary
ufages of this country, and which am well iuf-
tihed In defcribing as meaiure mott uncommon
and extraordinary, when coupled with the
ftfange and angular matter that the hon. gentle
man has contrived to mix with 1.-THE object
OF his motion is to appoint committee 10 re-
vile the acts that have been paflcd for the de-
fence of the country, and TO confider of and
provide adequate means for the protection of it
IN future. Sir, there is no man in this houfe who
more highly values the privileges of Parliament
than do, there is no man in the houie who is
more ready to afert and maintain them. know
that by the contribution it is inveted, and it is
hitting 1t fhould be, with very great and extern
five powers, and will not deny it's right to in
ititute committee for the purpofes that are
propofed. But, fir, while admit the power of
the houfe to DO this, think may fafely apply
to the diicretion of gentlemen, that they viii
not, by supporting the motion, countenance the
eitabhihment OF committee, which, in its pro-
ceedlngs and reiult mutt terminate and become,
n re md fNfao e
purely military nature. Such committee
would be rather novel and uncommon mode
otmanlfeiting either the authority or the pru-
dence of this hou1e, and one to which, am per-
fuaded, 1t will not eaiily recur, except upon
much ftronger grounds than the hon. gentleman
has brought forward in fupport of his motion of
this night. There is fonething peculiar alto in
the matter or the hon. gentleman's motion. For
reaions peculiar to himfelf, no doubt, but which
the honie will have little difficulty in gueiiing at
he has totally omitted all mention or alluion
whatever to the navy, and has wholly excluded
nom his confederation, the four hundred thou
fand volunteers, competing 70 effential part of
our means of defence. But this peculiarly is
not to be excluiively appropriated to the pur-
port or his motion, or the various details that il
Is intended to embrace. He has 70 yvorded il,
DIS to take in all descriptions of perfobs in this
houte, with all their floating and contradictory
opinions; one man Directing to too great an
eXtenhon OF one part of our force, another la
menting any attempt at its diminutioh fome
recommending greater and fome leIer add-
ton to the army, and Others who differ as to
that particular fpecies of naval force we fhould
employ fofne prefcrring large number of
tmall veiiels; all, all thefe, the hon. gentleman
has found means to crafty, in their Individual
caprlces, and to include them all within the
compass of this fweeping general motion. And
come now to another part of the hon. gentle
mans argument, in which he has iaid that he
did not attach much credit to the apprehension
OF ihvafon. The hon. gentleman, as Rated
before, has been pIeafed to declare, that the una
nirhity aroie entirely from the actual danger of
the country. ] know not by what dexterity of
argument the hon. gentleman will be able to re-
concile thoie two obfervations, that, as he fays,
there is no danger of invafon, and again, that
OUT unaEimity is intirely owing to it. Nor am
very foIicitOus ON that head, when recoeet
that during the ait war, that hon. gentleman
continually a1trted, that it was the ini"'. ICE of
that war which prevented us from being unani-
nous then. During that war, believe it can
not be imputed to that hon. gentleman, that he
ever came forward with any propolition TO avert
any danger with which the country might have
been fnenaced, nor during the actual hoftitv,
has he ever fayoured his maelty's minifters with
any project or fuggeftion of his, or given them
any way whatever the advantage of his great ia