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upwards of 600,000l.; and this year we might calculate on a revenue of 1,500,000l. on tea. Mr. Dundas then read a string of resolutions, founded on the several statements, which were agreed to,

The house being in a committee, Mr. Dundas, on the 23d of July, opened his fecond India budget. Inftead of entering into a detail of the accounts prefented from the Eaft-India company, he expreffed his fentiments in the fhape of refolutions. He noticed the heavy and expensive war in India, which had

caused an addition to their debt, both at home and abroad; but had the fatisfaction to say, that their fituation was now better by 969,000l. than had been predicted by the eftimate of the laft budget; and, as peace was restored in that quarter, he had no doubt but India would experience a long and increasing profperity. He then went into the accounts of the three fettlements of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay; but as he touched but flightly on the details, we shall offer only the fol lowing

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is the amount estimated to be applicable in the year 1799-1800 to the purchase of investments, payment of commercial charges, &c.

GENERAL RESULT.

the} 565,988

The balance was expected to be against the company at the
clofe of the year 1799-1800, to the amount of
Whereas, notwithstanding the deficient receipt for the fale
of the goods, and notwithstanding the aid afforded to India
and China exceeded the estimate, by a fmall iffue of bonds,
by a lefs payment on customs and freight, and by the pro-
traction of the intended payments to the bank, the actual
balance proved to be in favour

Being better than estimated

D 4

493,322

969,310 Mr.

Mr. Dundasthen entered into a general flatement of the company's af fairs, in order to fhow that they were bettered in the thirteen years, from 1786 to 1799, in the amount of

11,882,000l. and concluded by moving his refolutions,, founded on the preceding statements, which were put and carried.

CHAP. III.

Overture from the Chief Conful of the French Republic. Its Reception. Melage from his Majefty to the Parliament on that Subject. Debates on it-In the House of Lords-In the House of Commons.

TH

HE clofe of the year 1799 was diftinguished by a remarkable revolution in the government of France, the particulars of which were detailed in our laft volume. One of the first measures of the new government was to folicit reconciliation and peace with Great Britain. With that view a letter was fent over by a special meffenger from the chief conful, immediately addreffed to the king of Great Britain, of which the following is the official tranflation.

"Buonaparte, Firft Conful of
"the Republic, to the King
"of Great Britain and Ire-
"land.

"Cailed by the wishes of the "French nation to occupy the firft "magifiracy of the republic, I think "it proper on entering into office "to make a direct communication "of it to your majefty.

"The war which for eight years "has ravaged the four quarters of "the world, must it be eternal? Are "there no means of coming to an "understanding? How can the two "moft enlightened nations of Eu"rope, powerful and ftrong beyond

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what their fafety and independence require, facrifice to ideas of "vain grandeur, commerce, pro"fperity, and peace? How is it that

"they do not feel that peace is of "the first importance, as well as the "higheft glory?

"Thefe fentiments cannot be foreign to the heart of your ma"jefty, who reigns over a free na"tion with the fole view of render"ing it happy. Your majefty will "fee in this overture my fincere "wifh to contribute efficaciously, "for the fecond time, to a general "pacification, by a step speedy, en"tirely of confidence, and difen"gaged from thofe forms which, "perhaps neceffary to difguife the "dependence of weak states, prove, "in those that are ftrong, only the "defire of deceiving each other.

"France and England, by the "abuse of their ftrength, may ftill "for a long time, for the misfor"tune of all nations, retard the "period of their being exhausted; "but I will venture to fay it, the "fate of all civilifed nations is at"tached to the termination of a "war which involves the whole "world.

"Your majefty's, &c.
"BONAPARTE."

Paris, 5 Nivofe,
8th year.,

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rather perhaps more haughty than prudent; it was conceived in the following terms. "Sir,

"I have laid before the king the "letters which you have trans. "mitted to me, and his majesty, "seeing no reason to depart from "thofe forms which have long been "eftablished in Europe for trans"acting business with foreign ftates, "has commanded me to return in "his name the official answer which "I fend.

66

"I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed) "GRENVILLE." Official Note.

"The king has given frequent 66 proofs of his fincere defire for "re-establishing tranquillity in Eu"rope. He neither is nor has been "engaged in any contest for vain "glory. He has had no other view "than that of maintaining against "all aggreffion the rights and hap"pinefs of his fubjects. For these "he has contended against an un"provoked attack, and for the "fame objects is ftill obliged to " contend. Nor can he hope that "the neceffity could be removed "by entering at the prefent mo"ment into negotiation with thofe "whom a fresh revolution has fo "recently placed in the exercife of "power in France; fince no real advantage can arise from fuch negotiation to the defirable objet of general peace, till thofe "caufes have ceafed to operate "which originally produced the "war, by which it has been fince "protracted, and in more than one "inftance renewed. The fame fyf"tem to which France justly a"fcribes all her prefent miferies "has alfo involved Europe in a destructive warfare, of a nature long unknown to the practice of "civilifed nations. For the exten

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"fion of this fyftem, and the exter"mination of all eftablished go"vernments, the re fources of France "have been lavished and exhausted. "To this indifcriminate spirit of "deftruction, the Netherlands, the "United Provinces, and the Swifs "Cantons, have fucceffively been "facrificed. Germany has been "ravaged-Italy has been the feene "of unbounded rapine and anar"chy. His majefty himself has "been compelled to maintain an "arduous conteft for the inde"pendence and exiftence of his "kingdom.

"Nor have thefe calamities been "confined to Europe alone: they "have been extended to the most "diftant quarters of the world, and "even to countries fo remote, both "in fituation and intereft, from the "prefent conteft, that the very ex"iftence of fuch a war was proba"bly unknown to those who fud "denly found themselves involved " in its horrors.

"Whilft fuch a fyftem therefore "prevails, and whilst the blood and "treasures of a powerful nation "can be lavished in its fupport, "experience has fhown that no "defence but that of open and "steady hoftility can be availing. "The moft folemn treaties have "only prepared the way to fresh "aggreffion, and it is to determined "refiftance alone that whatever "remains in Europe of ftability, "for property, for perfonal fafety, "for focial order, or the exercife "of religion, can be preferved. "For the fecurity, therefore, of these "effential objects, his majesty can. "not place reliance on the mere "renewal of general profeffions "for pacific difpofitions. Such "profeffions have been repeatedly "held out by all who have fuc"ceffively directed the refources of "France,

"Whenever he shall judge it can be "in any manner attained, he will "eagerly embrace the opportunity "to concert with his allies the "means of an immediate and ge"neral peace.

"France, to the deftruction of "Europe, and whom the prefent "rulers have declared all to have "been incapable of maintaining "the relations of amity. Greatly "will his majetty rejoice whenever "it fhall appear that the danger to "Unhappily at prefent no fuch which his own dominions and "fecurity exifts; no fufficient evi"thofe of his allies have been fo "dence of the principles by which "long expofed, has really ceafed; "the new government will be di"whenever he thall be fatisfied that "rected; no reasonable grounds of "the necefiity of refiftance fhall be "its ftability appear. In this fitu"at an end; that, after fo many "ation, therefore, it remains for years of crimes and miferies, bet-"his majefty to pursue, in conjunc"ter principles have prevailed, and "tion with other powers, thofe "the gigantic projects of ambition, "exertions of a juft and defensive "endangering the very existence "war, which a regard to the hap"of civil fociety, have at length "pinefs of his fubjects will never "been relinquifhed. But the con"viction of fuch change can re"fult only from the evidence of "facts.

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"The best pledge of its reality "and permanence would be the "reftoration of that line of princes "which, for fo many centuries, "maintained the French nation in "profperity at home and confide❝ration abroad. Such an event "would at once remove all ob"ftacles in the way of negotiation "or peace. It would confirm to "France the unmolested enjoyment "of its ancient territory, and give "to all other nations that tran"quillity, that fecurity, which they "are now compelled to feek by

"other means.

"But it is not to this mode that his majefty limits the poffibility "of folid pacification. He makes "no claim to prefcribe to France "what shall be the form of her go"vernment, or in whofe hands the "fhall veft the authority neceffary "for conducting the affairs of a great and powerful nation.

His majefty only looks to the fecurity of his own dominions, of his allies, and of Europe.

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permit him to continue beyond "the neceffity in which they origi "nated, or to terminate on any "other foundation than fuch as

would contribute to the fecure "enjoyment of their tranquillity, "their conftitution, and their inde"pendence.

(Signed) "GRENVILLE."

The letter of Bonaparte and lord Grenville's answer were both communicated to the parliament by a meffage from his majefty; and on the 22d of January lord Grenville moved the reading of his majefty's meffage in the houfe of lords, which was to the following effect: "That copies of communications recently received from the enemy, and the anfwers which had been returned to them, fhould be laid before the house. That his majefty entertained the fulleft confidence, that these answers would appear conformable to the most important interefts of his dominions; and that, having no object nearer his heart than that of contributing to the tranquillity of Europe, and establishing the profperity of his faithful people on a permanent bafis, he relied on the fupport

fupport of his parliament to accomplish these ends; and on the zeal and perfeverance of his fub. jects in fuch meafures as would beft confirm the fignal advantages obtained in the last campaign, and conduct the conteft to an honourable conclufion,"

It was, however, the 28th of January before the queftion was taken into confideration. Lord Grenville then rose, and observed, that the question was one of the most momentous that ever came under the deliberation of parliament. Their lordships had demonftrated in their repeated addreffes, laid at the foot of the throne, their perfect acquiefcence in those measures which the fervants of the crown had adopted,

The fame unfortunate neceffity ftill exifted for perfevering in the conteft. Nothing in the state of Europe admitted a rational hope that there was any fecurity but in war. He would be understood to make his present appeal to thofe who concurred in his fentiments, not to those who never did admit the neceffity and juftice of the conteft; nor did he call on them for cooperation or fupport.

From the documents on the table, it was obvious that a hoftile mind still pervaded the conduct of the enemy; the fame pronenefs to aggreffion and difregard to equity. Peace with a nation at enmity with order, religion, and morality, would rather be an acquiefcence in wrong than a fufpenfion of arms in ordinary warfare. Hence it was incumbent on that house and the country to profecute their measures with renewed vigour, and to demonftrate to the world the fame undaunted and unyielding fpirit which had maintained Great Britain against the arms, and, worfe than the arms, the Levelling principles of France.

In thefe times, when the differences that agitated states were of no common origin, when indeed they were the offspring of a mad and maddening fyftem of innovation, the work of peace fhould be entered upon with caution, and purfued with jealoufy. To negotiate with established governments was formerly not merely eafy, but fafe; but to negotiate now, with the government of France, would incur all the risks of an uncertain truce, without one of the benefits of a temporary peace.

He deplored the fufferings of Europe; he deplored the lives of our brave Englishmen, who fell fighting the battles of their country; he deplored the diffufion of mifery in thofe ftates which were the feat of flaughter: but he knew not how to avert greater evils, otherwise than by perfevering in hoftilities against a power which fought the deftruction of the world. Until, therefore, the enemy evinced moderation and good principles, he muft, with all its horrors, prefer war.

M. Talleyrand had afferted in his note, "that, from the commencement of the revolution, the republic had folemnly proclaimed her love of peace, her disinclination to conquefts, and her respect for the independence of all governments." But how stood the facts? This love of peace had been difplayed in being at war, during eight years, with every nation in Europe, excepting Sweden and Denmark; and thete two northern powers had fuffered, in aggravated inftances, a feries of infults, injuries, and injuftice, from the cruifers of the republic, common indeed in war, but directly repugnant to the principles of recognited neutrality.

The disinclination to conqueft had been afcertained by marching armies to the Rhine, feizing the Nether

Jands,

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