the negociation with good faith, who has fuffered no impediment to prevent his profecuting it with earnestness and fincerity, has now only to lament its abrupt termination; and to renew, in the face of all Europe, the folemn declaration, that, whenever his enemies fhall be difpofed to enter on the work of general pacification, in a fpirit of conciliation

and equity, nothing fhall be wanting on his part to contribute to the accomplishment of that great object, with a view to which he has already offered fuch confiderable facrifices on his part, and which is now retarded only by the exorbitant pretenfions of his enemies. Westminster, Dec. 27. 1796.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Dec. 16.

AFTER a ballot had taken place for a

Committee to try Mr Tierney's Petition against the Southwark Election, Mr M. A. Taylor rofe, and complained of a libel upon him in The Sun Paper, purporting to be a fpeech delivered by him in that Houfe, and which the Editor had made the compleateft nonfenfe, for the purpose of raising a laugh againft him. Though he fhould not, the first time of his offence, move any profecu tion against the infulting Editor, he fhould expect in future the full protection of the House.

Marquis de la Fayette.

A very long debate now took place on a motion of General Fitzpatrick to addrefs his Majefty to intercede with the Emperor for the liberation of General La Fayette, Meffts. Latour Maubeuge, and Bureau de Pufy, who were kept in close confinement in the prifon of Olmutz, as fuch imprisonment was injurious to the caufe of the Allies.

The General drew a melancholy picture of La Fayette and his companions in their captivity. The right to imprifon them, he faid, could be justified by no law of any civilized nation whatever. It was as unjuft as their treatment had fince been barbarous and cruel. The undeferved fufferings of Madame La Fayette he painted in the moft pathetic terms. After feeing her mother, fifter, and other dear relations, fuffer under the axe of Robespierre, fhe had the fortune to elude with her two daughters the vigilance and fury of the tyrant. Inftantly fhe flew to the fuccour of her husband, and with fome difficulty obtained an audience of the Emperor, who did not hear her tale of woe without emotion. She afked leave to alleviate her husband's fufferings by sharing his confinement, and hinted a hope of his liberation. To the firft the young Sovereign confented,

but faid as to the General's liberation64 the bufinéfs was complicated—his hands were bound upon the fubje&t." Here General Fitzpatrick drew a deplorable picture of the state in which the and her daughters found, and continued with her husband in the prifon. Fed on unwholfome food, in vile cloathing, and in a loathfome cell, her health in three months was loft, and fhe folicited leave to repair to Vienna from Olmutz, for medical affiftance.-The Imperial Minifters faid, "fhe might do fo, but it must be on condition of returning to her husband no more." The amiable woman and young females preferred death to fuch terms; on the refined cruelty of which the General failed not to remark ; and, obferving that the Administration of this country ought to be glad to adopt every measure to free them from a fufpicion of being parties in enforcing and compelling the rigour of the Emperor, made his motion, which was feconded by Mr Sheridan.

Mr Pitt oppofed the motion on two grounds: firft, as he could not believe all the facts ftated; and secondly, as his Majefty had no right whatever to interfere with the Emperor respecting his prifoners, or his promifes refpecting them; for as well might any other nation interfere in our private concerns, and with our State prisoners, had we any. He thought it neceffary to obferve, the words quoted as ipoken by the Emperor could not apply to this country, and folemnly to declare we had bound him under no obligation or condition whatever refpecting La Fayette.

Mr Fox, with great warmth and eloquence, fupported the motion; Mr Windham, Mr Dundas, and others oppofed it. Mr Windham was particularly fevere on the conduct of La Fayette, throughout his whole life, and feemed to confider him as the fountain and prime agent of the American and French re

bellions

and population increafed from the temptation which increased profperity held out to people to leave other countries, and to fettle in that. From an increase of population an increase of revenue followed of courfe, becaufe there was a greater demand for every article of confumption in the country. He then remarked, that this year near 400,000l. had been expended, agreeably to the juft and humane laws of Parliament, in relieving thofe officers of the Company who had long laboured nnder age, fick nefs, and infirmity; that the expence of our conquells of Ceylon, Batavia, &c. had been defrayed by the Company; and that though from the vigilance of our Navy none of the Eaft India fhips had been captured, yet on account of the war the expences of freight had increafed one million; but, notwithstanding these heavy deductions, he ftill hoped the million to be appropriated to the nation would be found forthcoming.

Mr Dundas finally oblerved, that the trade of the Company had last year increated four millions, and as it was not probable they fhould long have a rival in that quarter of the globe, it was not likely their trade would foon be diminished. Their prefent capital allowed them by Parliament to traffic with, would therefore be inadequate, and it must be enlarged. The Right Hon, Gentleman then made feveral motions founded on his statement.

Mr Biddulph, Sir Francis Baring, and Mr Huffey, made feveral obfervations, tending to fhew that the Company's affairs were not in the flourishing situation now represented; and were replied to by Mr Scott (Chairman of the Court of Directors) Sir Francis thought the Cape would be an incumbrance to us; it, he faid, annually coft the Dutch 500 ocol. a year to maintain it. Mr Huffey infifted, it would turn out, that were all the Company's effects converted into money, it would not have enough to pay off all demands; the former he calculated at 6,734,000l. and the latter would amount to 7.780.ocol.

Mr Dundas contradicted this ftatement, and fhewed that the Company had almoft enough to pay their perfonal debts out of their perfonal effects, and if to these was added their old property, not only would they be able to pay to the amount of their capital at the end of their Charter, but be a rich fociety indeed, were they to divide the furplus among them, if, he added, they should be

fo ill advised as to adopt fuch a determination.

After fome further converfation, the Refolutions were put and agreed to; and the House being refumed, the Report was ordered to be received to-morrpw.

22. Mr Biddulph, understanding that fome important alterations had been made in adminiftering the Criminal Laws in our Provinces in India, moved that copies of the letters from India to the Court of Directors, which refpected Courts of Juftice, fhould be laid before the Houfe.

Mr Dundas and Mr Pitt oppofed the motion, as no reasons had been given upon which it was grounded, as it would be difficult and expenfive to be complied with, and as the difcuffion of the fubject did not properly belong to that House. The motion was negatived without a divifion.

26. Mr Secretary Dundas delivered the following Mellage from his Majefty: GEORGE R.

"It is with the utmoft concern that his Majefty acquaints the House of Commous, that his earnest endeavours to effect the restoration of Peace have been unhappily fruftrated, and that the nego. ciation in which he was engaged has been abruptly broken off, by the perenptory refufal of the French Government to treat, exept upon a bafis evidently inadmiffible, and by their having, in confequence, required his Majefty's Plenipotentiary to quit Paris within 48 hours.

"His Majefty has directed the feveral Memorials and Papers which have been exchanged in the courfe of the late difcuffion, and the account tranfmitted to his Majefty of its final refult, to be laid before the Houfe.

"From thefe Papers his Majefty trusts it will be proved to the whole world, that his conduct has been guided by a fincere defire to effect the reitoration of Peace on principles fuited to the relative fituation of the belligerent Powers, and effential for the permanent interefts of his Kingdoms, and the general fecurity of Europe, whilft his enemies have advanced pretenfions at once inconfiftent with those objects, unsupported even on the grounds on which they were profef fed to reft, and repugnant to the fyftem eftablished by repeated Treaties, and to the principles and practice which have hitherto regulated the intercourfe of independent nations.

"In

"In this fituation his Majefty has the confolation of reflecting, that the continuance of the calamities of war can be imputed only to the unjuft and exorbitant views of his enemies. And his Majefty, looking forward with anxiety to the moment when they may be difpofed to act on different principles, places, in the mean time, the fulleft reliance, under the protection of Providence, on the wifdom and firmnefs of his Parliament; on the tried valour of his forces by fea and land; and on the zeal, public fpirit, and refources of his Kingdoms, for vigorous and effectual fupport in the profecution of a conteft which does not depend on his Majefty to terminate, and which involves in it the fecurity and permanent interefts of this Country, and of Europe. G. R."

Mr Dundas moved, that his Majefty's Meffage be taken into confideration on Thurfday, which was agreed to.

Dec. 28. Printed copies of the Memorials and Papers exchanged between Lord Malmetbury and Delacroix, on the fubject of the late Negociation, were prefented, and ordered to lie on the table. (See Ed. Mag. for Nov. Dec. Jan. and Feb. laft.)

30. The Order of the Day being read for taking his Majefty's Meffage into confideration,

Mr Pitt began by ftating, that various and important confiderations would arife from the difcuffion of this fubject, and a variety of opinions would, no doubt, prevail; but all muft concur in fentiments of regret at the abrupt failure of the negociation, and the neceffity of perfevering in a conteft undertaken, however, in confequence of complicated aggreffions on the part of the enemy, for the independence of Great Britain, and the general fecurity of Europe. Thele feelings of regret and disappointment were, however, he trusted, unaccompanied by defpondency.

If it should appear that Minifters were fincere and defirous for peace, on principles which ought to render it adequate and permanent, the attempt, though unfuccesful, would not be loft. It would convince Europe, that the enemy was the fole caufe of the prolongation of the war; it would tend to unite England and to divide France.

After the proposals had been made, and terms founded on equitable grounds had been offered; after refusing to fuffer thofe terms to be difcuffed; after the

infulting order for his Majefty's Minifter to quit Paris; and after (he would not call it the femblance, but the mockery of negociation on the part of the Enemy) this country had no alternative as to the ultimate line of conduct it ought to adopt.

Mr Pitt then entered into a general review of all the circumftances attending the overtures that had been made in order to a pacification; beginning with Mr Wickham's correfpondence with Monf. Barthelemi, at Bafle, and going through the whole of the State Pipers. This he did in a moft able, candid, and manly manner; and from them he thewed that the conduct of the French Directory was inconfiftent not only with their own profeffions, but with the very Conflitution on which they pretended to rely; that at all events their demand of an Ultimatum was as improper, as it was unprecedented, and calculated for no purpofe but to put an end to the Negociation. As to the great point, the fine qua non of the reftitution of the Netherlands, he remarked that lefs we could not afk for, at the commencement of a negociation, for our Allies, without the confent of the Emperor, and no fuch confent had been obtained. In the fubfequent ftages, however, even this ftipulation might have undergone certain modifications by conceffions elsewhere. We likewife infifted upon the evacuation of Italy by the French troops; but Savoy, Nice, and Avignon did not come within the scope of this defcription.

Upon the whole, he contended, that the offer to France was fair, juft, and liberal; an offer, which thewed our anxiety for a speedy restoration of peace, and merited a fair and candid difcuffion from the enemy.

He commented at great length on the Confidential Memorial delivered on the peace with Spain and Holland, and allo on Lord Malmesbury's converfation with the French Minifter for Foreign Affairs on this fubject.

Holland, confidered with a reference to its former connection with this country, and its transfer to the fcale of France, must render the restoration of any of the Colonies conquered by Great Britain from her gratuitous. What France had extorted from Holland (the Dutch Ne, therlands,) if reftored, might be the means of fecuring the Netherlands, and might form a useful barrier to Holland itfelf; but Holland being connected with France, France had no right to demand

any

any of those conquefts in behalf of Holland.

Whether there was any thing fo intemperate in the deportment of Lord Malmesbury, or so very extravagant and unreasonable in his demands, as to warrant the ftrong and infulting measures adopted by the Directory, he would leave to the common juftice, even of the greateft advocates of France to decide. Yet on the monient of our Minifter's withdrawing, they propose a new basis of their own, refusing to treat on our projet, or to give one of their own; and after rejecting Negociation with our authorifed Minifter, defire to negociate by means of couriers. And here again was a ftudious refinement upon infult, in which the Houfe would mark a perverfenefs new and unexampled.

Alluding to the propofition of annexing to France all her conquefts by an internal law, Mr Pitt faid, that it was too abfurd for even the moft infatuated friends of France and French conduct to fupport. No one would be fo infane as to contend that all the treaties, laws, and relations, which bound together the various nations of Europe, were to be preliminarily furrendered at the feet of that country.

In the phrenzy arifing from fome idle report of a defcent upon Ireland, it was fortunate they did not think of annexing that country as a department to France; it was happy they did not think of annexing the City and Liberties of Westminfter to indivifible France.

He believed, and indeed he was fure, that there was not a man in his Majesty's Councils who would ever yield to fuch difgraceful humiliation as fuing for peace in the mode prefcribed. He hoped there were but few in the British Parliament who would agree to it; and he trusted, that there was not one Subject in his Majesty's dominions, who, knowing the difgrace of fuch a measure, would agree to be the Courier of it.

Impreffed with thefe feelings and conviction, he would move an addrefs to his Majefly, which he did to the ufual effect that is, echoing the Mcffage.

Mr Erfkine role to oppofe the Addrefs, and was entering into a detail of the hiftory of the war, when he was taken fuddenly ill, and fat down, unable to proceed. Mr Fox lamented, that after a war of four years, in which 200 millions of money had been expended, 6,000,000l. added to the annual taxes, and more blood thed than at any period on record, Mi

nifters were come to this point, to com plain of the haughty and inadmiffible demands of the French government. He entered into an examination of the papers before the Houfe, of the arguments adduced by the Minifter, ridiculed the renewed affertion of France being again on the verge of bankruptcy, and cenfured a principle of anticipation hitherto fo fallacious and fatal to the country. The Directory, he contended, had in every measure of this Government inconteftible proofs of the infincerity of its proffered amity, and without fome grounds of mutual confidence, no negociation could prove fuccefsful; there could be none between the French Government and his Majefty's Ministers; and if Gentlemen had perfonal motives for preferring the Minifter, and should think every hazard of war ought to be incurred to deftroy French principles, they must choose between the Minifter and peace, for they were incompatible. Could the French Directory believe perfons to be in earnest to conclude peace with them, who had declared the country was in danger the moment peace arrived from the influx of French principles? Unless Minifters difavowed the principles of the war, there could be no hopes of peace. Mr Fox, after difcuffing a variety of fubjects introduced in Mr Pitt's fpeech, entered into a full examination and hiftory of the negociation. He infifted upon the abfurdity and imbecility of Lord Malmesbury's miffion; who was fent to treat on fubjects on which he had no power to conclude any terms, and with powers to come to a definitive conclufion on subjects of which he was not empowered to treat. The terms propofed to France left her nothing, and were not fuch as the Allies were juftified by their compa rative circumftances in demanding. The Minifter excelled in artifice and fophif try; but these were not the qualities now wanted to give repofe to Europe. The Houfe, by affenting to the Address, affented to the profecution of the war till Belgium was reftored to the Emperor.He called on Gentlemen, if convinced of the propriety of fuch a principle, to avow it, and act openly, and not go into the country with falfe pretences of having voted for peace; Parliement were not in that credit with the country, and they did not deserve to be in that credit.

[Here Mr Fox was interrupted by Mr Yorke, who called to order. After fome obfervations from Mr Yorke, Mr Serj. Adair, and the Speaker, Mr Fox refum

ed