The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-04-02


IL was impoible that the reaions might be good
for this determination. II was impofiiblc that,
when he thoud be acquainted with thofe rea-
ions he thould conlider them as ftrong as thofe
who had adviied his majelty to declare it. But
he would not advife the Houfe of Commons to
ianetion by its appreciation fuch a determina-
ton, whiif 70 totally in the dark refpccfing
the reafon' upon which it was founded. As
TO the omii!ions in the fpeech, there was one
which excited IN him much furprize. when
he had heard the name of the hon. gentleman
who was to move the addrefs, when he called
10 mind all the circumstances under which the
Catholic queftion had been loft three or four
years iince, he had expected that fomc recon-
snendation on the iubject would have been con-
tanned in the fpeech. He had expected that
he hrlt advice to his majefty, at leaft from
Tome of his prefent miniflers, would be to re-
commend to his parliament this meafi:re, 70
effsntial to give full effe6t TO the union Of the
empire. Without the adoption of this meafure,
the meafure of the union mutt fail to produce
any oil ITS boahed benefits. He had therefore
entertained fanguine expectation, that the
meaiure would now be brought forward ard
that expectation had been conliderably increafcd
when he heard the name of the hon. mover of
the addrefs. He was disappointed, however,
in finding that there was not Jingle expreiiion
in the fpeech TO ibew that it was the intention
fubjeet. And if the fuhje6t lhould moi be taken
into confederation, no honeit man could b- of
opinion that the lituation of the empire would
be prosperous, or its tranquility fable. He
thought 1t extraordinary that the hon. mover
had not even adverted to it. AS to what the
hon. mover had faid of all that had been done
for the defence of Ireland, he was ready to a.
gree that its military and naval defence fhould
be placed on the moft Respectable footing but
the belt defence of any country would be the
complete union of the people who compete its
inhabtants.-Wth refpe6t to the other omiffi-
on, which was perhaps of more importance
he thought it right to fay, that, on all former
locations, when great meafures had been enact
ed by parliament, for the welfare ard fecurity
OF the country, it had been ufual for his maiei-
ty in his fpeech, at the opening of the felton,,
to pay Tome compliment TO their efforts, by fa-
ting the fuccels that had attended their mea-
iures.-Though he was one ofthofe that were
of opinion that his compliment was fometimes
not deierved, yet when he recolle6trd the ma
ny nights he had fat up in the dfcu.1ion of the
meafure of the lah feGion, for rafting an addi-
tIonal force when he called to mind that that
was the tirf meafure of new administration,
as io'He coniidered 1t, but which Others AS fire
nuoully denied it to be when he reflected that
this msafure was the only difference between
that Administration and one that bad been, per-
haps jju.tly, ftigmatized for its imbecitv, and
that it did not profefS to be a meafure for the
improvement Of diGcipline, but forthe creation
OF great difpofeable force, he had reaion to
think that fome account of the fuccefs that had
attended it would have been communicated in
the fpeech from the throne.
From all he had been able to obferve, the
meaiure had not only failed in the common &C
ceptstion, viz. of the fdnguine expectations en-
tertained from it, hut altogether for it had
NOT, according to all that he could dfcover, an
iwered any one end propofrd to be accomplish
ed by If. From this failure, one or two confe-
quences would necelarily follow, either that
we no longer want that great difpofeable force
which had been on all hands allowed necelIarv
to the public fecurity, or that fome other mode
of procuring it would be necefIary.-Which of
the two the cafe he knew not, but he
could not avoid expecting his furprize that no
notice had been taken of the fnbiecf in his ma
jefty's fpeech. He hoped however, that this
matter would be satisfactorily explained and
he was confident 1t ought when he called to
mind all he had himfelf fad when the meafure
was hrf under difcuf1ion when he recolleded
the fuegeftions that had been thrown out on the
fubject, by members who had not the honor to
be in the higheft favor with the houfe--when
he reflected that it had then been reprefented as
meafure that ought not to originate with anv
Jingle individual, but to be the refult ofthe col
lected Wifdom OF the houfe when he reflected
that the representations of thofe who fupported
the propofition for taking the fenfe of the houf,
had nearly convinced it of the propriety of that
couffe of proceeding, and that their arguments
had all the effect of conviction, he thought that
as this meafure had been the only one of the
new administration, fome alluGon ought to have
been made TO it in the fpeech. He granted the
meafure had produced great debate, and afor-
ded an opportunity for the difplay of the talents
of thofe who had engaged in its dfcul1ion, but
fill it had failed in its Object. One word he
fhould fay on the fubjeGt of that tranfaction,
respecting which his majefty had given directi-
ons to lay certain papers before the Houfe As
it was impoflible to anticipate their contents,
it would be but TO PREJUDICE the queftion to fay A.
ny'thng now on that fubject. Yet he could
not but admit, that on the frft view, the CAP
ture of the Spanilh frigates, appeared MA
fure unfeemly TO the honor of the nation. If
that could be done away by ftatement of facts.
he lhould rejoice in the circumfance. But he
was fure their never had been time when it
was more necelIary that the honor and integrity
ofthe nation ihould be maintained pure and in
violate. In the fpeech, the outrages committed
by the French government had been adyerted
TO, and he was ready to admit that the outraees
were undoubtedly, and fuch as could not fail
to call forth the unqualified difapprobation of
every one who let any value upon the laws of
nations, and the eftabfhed rights of civilized