fence; that, difmiffing every previous prepoffeffion, they would inveftigate the true nature and colour of the tranfaction, and not hastily affix on a public man, like fome members and their conftituents, criminality before they have heard his defence, or become properly acquainted with the fubject.

"The maxim laid down," faid Mr Pitt," of the right of the House of Commons to difpofe of the public money, I admit without any qualification; that all grants of money for the public fervice mult proceed from Parliament is an undeniable propofition; but in point of fact, it would be impoffible to profecute a war, to encounter any emergency, or to provide fuitably for the public fervice, unlefs extraordinaries were allowed. On this point I defire to quote the hiftoty of the whole fucceffion of Adminiftrations, from the reign of King William to the prefent period. It will be found, that in proportion to the difficulty of the crifis, and the dangers with which the 'country was threatened from the ambition of France, it has been found neceffary to increase the rate of extraordinaries. I reft then the juftification of the practice not on one or two folitary precedents, but the uniform practice of the government of the country. The power of the Houfe of Commons over the public purse is not cramped by any rigid, arbitrary, and unvarying rules. It is a power which is guided by a found difcretion, and which admits in its exercife all thofe modifications which are confiftent with a prudent and well-regulated ufe of the public money. On this point then I have to defire you to look, not to the recorded book of the Conftitution, but to the unwritten law of Parliament, the spirit and letter of the Conftitution, and to the tenour and context of the whole hiftory of the country. I ftate this in order to fhew how the beft principles of the Conftitution, if not taken without the due modifications which have been introduced by the wisdom of time, and fanctioned by the practice of the moft enlightened and virtuous Adminiftrations, may be carried to fuch an excefs as to condemn every deviation which may be found indifpenfible for the ordinary purposes of Government, and which in particular fituations may not only be neceffary but laudable."

Mr Pitt repeated, that he grounded his defence on the practice now complained of being the unavoidable practice of all his predeceffors, and he quoted a Ed. Mag. Feb. 1797.

number of precedents on the Journals that bore analogy to the prefent cafe, in which the molt eminent Minifters in all the reigns from King William to his prefent Majefty, had, when neceffity urged, adopted, without cenfure, measures fimilar to that for which he was now fo violently arraigned. It was in precedents fuch as thefe, arifing from a zeal for the public service (a zeal which neither hope nor fear fhould induce him ever to fupprefs) that he refted his defence, for he would not take fheiter even under the aufpices of the moft glorious victories of Auftria.

He moreover obferved, that a vote of credit more than twice the fum advan ced the Emperor, had been granted Minifters, which he contended was applicable to any fervice the exigency of affairs might require. The money appropriated was of an affignable nature, and came within the fpirit and letter of a vote of credit. He was aware that reponsibility did exift for the difpofal of money fubject to the controul of Parliament. To juftify to the House then the meafure he had adopted, he would ap peal to the ftate of affairs when he made the firft diftribution of the money. He had at that time confulted the firft commercial men and bodies, who declared that the attempt at that period to negociate a loan for the Emperor would be attended with the most difaftrous effects to the country, and occafion a scarcity of fpecie of the moft diftreffing nature; yet the expediency of fome immediate aid to be granted to our brave and faithful ally was evident from the then fituation of the hoftile armies, from the rapid progrefs of the French into the heart of Germany, and the unfortunate, tho' heroic, retreat of the Auftrian army. By it, in part, the turn was inftantaneoufly given to the tide of affairs, the af tonishing victories atchieved by that gallant army, and their rapid purfuit of the enemy, demonftrated the utility of the meafure. Who would put nine or even twelve hundred thousand pounds in competition with thefe fucceffès produced by British money? Whatever this country had tranfmitted, it was only lent; but even if it had been given to a much larger amount, the fervice has amply repaid us.

U

Mr Pitt, after begging the House to view the fubject in the aggregate, and with all its concomitant circumftances, threw himself upon its candour and juftice, declaring, however, that he had ra

ther

ther fink under its cenfure (fevere as it would be to him) than have the painful reflection of having facrificed, through timidity, and from fear of perfonal confequences, the interefts of his country.

Mr Bragge entered at great length into the fubject; followed the arguments of the Chancellor of the Exchequer ; was of opinion that no improper ufe had been made of the Vote of Credit; but profeffed a defire that the Houfe fhould be jealous and watchful upon all applications of the public money, as being the peculiar duty as well as the privilege of the Commons. To fecure that privilege, as well as to thew that the House thought the prefent measure juftified by the neceffity of the prefent cafe, he moved the following amendment ;

the cafe, a juftifiable and proper exercise of the difcretion vefted in his Majefty's Minifters by the Vote of Credit, and calculated to produce consequences which have proved highly advantageous to the common caufe, and to the general interefts of Europe."

Alderman Curtis, Lushington, and Anderfon, (the other three Meinbers for the City) faid they should not, like their co!-league (Alderman Combe) be guided by the refolution of the Common Hall of Livery, that day, which meeting, they remarked, 'did not confift of one-fixth part of the Livery-men-but they would vote according to their own fentimentsfor the amendment.

The amendment was alfo fupported by Mr Wilberforce and Col. Gascoigne ; and warmly oppofed by Mr Sheridan, Sir W. Pulteney, Mr W. Smith, Mr Taylor, and others. But on a divifion, at half paft three o'clock in the morning, it was carried,

Ayes 285-Noes 81Majority in favour of the amendment,

D'

From the London Gazette Dec. 20. Downing Street, Dec. 20. ISPATCHES, of which the following are extracts, have been received from Robert Craufurd, Efq; by the Right Hon. Lord Grenville, his Majefty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs:

Head-Quarters of his Royal Highness the Archduke Charles of Auftria, Offenburg, Nov. 23, 1796.

My Lord,

I have the honour to inform your Lor 'fhip, that, in the night from the 21ft to the 22d, the trenches were opened before Kehl, on the right bank of the Kin zig. The firft parallel of this attack, with its communications, proceeding from the right and left flank of the right wing of the line of contravallation, were fo far completed during the night, that be

fore day break the men were tolerably covered. The enemy did not attempt to hinder the work, nor had he yet fired a fingle fhot upon the trenches; but early fudden attack upon the left wing of the yefterday morning (the 228) he made a line of contravallation, and after an ac tion, than which nothing could be poffibly more fevere, was driven back into his works with very great lofs.

The enemy having, in the course of the night, from the aft to 22d brought over a large body of troops from Strafburg, formed his columns of attack clofe behind the chain of his advanced pofts with fo much filence, that they were not perceived. Juft before the break of day (which, however, was rendered extremely obfcure by a very thick mift that lafted the greater part of the forenoon,) thefe columns began to advance. The inftant the Austrian videttes and centries

gave their fire, which was the only nofice of the approaching attack, the enemy's infantry rushed on with the utmoft impetuofity, without firing a fhot, and in an inftant they were mafters two redoubts of the left of the firft line. The village of Sundheim was attacked in the fame manner, and with equal fuccefs; after which, coming in the rear of the curtain that connects the village with the first redoubt to its left, the enemy immediately carried that work, one face of which was not quite finifbed. Upon this, large bodies of their infantry rufhed through the openings in the curtains on the whole front of this wing; and, whilft part advanced against the fecond line, the others endeavoured to make themselves mafters of the remaining redoubts of the firft; but thefe, though perfectly left to themselves for a confiderable time, entirely furrounded, cut off from every affiftance, and attacked with fury by the enemy, who frequently got into the ditches and attempted to climb the parapet, were defended in a manner that reflects the highest honour on the officers and troops that were in them. The lofs in all these redoubts was confiderable, and in one the artillery drivers were at laft obliged to fire the guns, but all the attacks were repulfed,

The enemy's right column, after occupying the two works which they had carried, pufhed on between the dykes to attack the left of the fecond line; but Prince Frederick of Orange (whofe gallant and judicious conduct cannot fufficiently be praised, having rallied his brigade, placed a part of his infantry be hind the dyke, which connects the third redoubt from the left of the firft line with the work which is on the left of the second, and in this fituation he refifted the moft fevere attack that can be imagined upon his front, whilft those bodies of the enemy's infantry, which had pierced between the redoubt of the firft line, were actually in his rear, he not only maintained his poft, but completely checked the enemy's progrefs on his flank.

A great part of the troops of the left wing had been working in the trenches on the right of the Kinzig.-Gen. Latour, who commands the army of the Sieg, formed three of these battalions, which happened to be just returning from work, and retook the village of Sunheim, which he maintained, though the enemy made great efforts to diflodge him. Lieut.-Gen. Staader (who commands the

left wing) drove back the enemy, who had advanced against the right of the fecond line of it, and retook the redoubt on the left of Sundheim: and the Prince of Orange, advancing between the two dykes, defeated the column with which he had been fo feverely engaged, and recovered the redoubts it had carried. The enemy then retired into his entrenched camp.

The lofs of the Auftrians amounted to forty officers and about thirteen hundred men killed, wounded, and miffing, which, confidering that not more than half the left wing was engaged, is certainly confiderable; but that of the French muft have been much greater. The ground round the works was in fome parts covered with their dead bodies, and I am very much within bounds in ftating their lofs at two thousand men. During the time the French were in poffeffion of the redoubts on the left, they found means to carry off five pieces of cannon. The others were all retaken.

It is impoffible to attempt to do juftice to the conduct of the Archduke; he animated the troops in retaking Sund heim, directed the attacks on the work that had been loft to the left of it, and under the heavieft fire, gave his orders with the greateft coolnefs and the moft perfect military knowledge.

Lieut. Proby, of his Majefty's 9th regiment of foot, (attached to Lieut.-Col. Craufurd's miffion,) was wounded by a musket fhot; but I feel great fatisfaction in being able to add that the wound is of a very flight nature, and will have no other confequence whatever than that of a very short confinement,

It is with much fatisfaction that I have the honour to inform your Lordship, that, after an interval of ten days without any advices from Italy, his Royal Highnefs the Archduke has this day received a report from Gen. Alviazy, the tenor of which is fuch as to confirm the hopes which his former difpatches infpired.

After the action of the 6th, near Bef fano, the enemy continued to retreat, abandoned even the ftrong pofition of Montebello without refiftance, and crof fed the Adige at Verona.

On the 11th, Gen. Alvinzy arrived near Villanova, and the fame evening a confiderable part of the enemy's army, commanded by Buonaparte in perfon, advanced from Verona, and took poft in the neighbouring mountains.

Early on the 12th Buonaparte commenced a general attack upon the whole line, which, though made with infinite violence, was refifted with the moft perfect fteadiness and bravery.

Whilft Buonaparte was thus employed, in repeated, though ineff &tual, efforts to force the front of the pofition, General Alvinzy detached a column agaiuft each of his flanks No fooner had these arrived at their point of attack, than the enemy retreated with precipitation; and a moft fevere and important affair was thus completely decided in favour of the Auftrians.

Two of the enemy's Generals were known to have been wounded, and a third was amongst the number of prifoners already brought in.

I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Rob. Craufurd, Head quarters of his Royal Highness the Archduke Charles of Auftria, Offenburg, Nov. 28, 1796. My Lord,

I have the honour to inform your Lordship, that after the affair of the 22d inft. nothing remarkable happened here till the night from the 26th to the 27th, in which the enemy made a fally, in confiderable force, against the first parallel of the attack on the right bank of the Kinzig. The enemy was inftantly repul fed, with the lofs of about forty killed and wounded. Amongst the killed was the commandant of a battalion.

The batteries of the firft parallel, as well as the guns in all the redoubts to the right and left of it, commenced firing this morning; and in the courfe of the forenoon the enemy's advanced pofts were driven out of the village of Kehl.

I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) Rob. Craufurd.

Head quarters of his Royal Highness
the Archduke Charles, Offenburg,
Nov. 27, 1796.

My Lord,

It is with much fatisfaction that I have the honour to inform your Lordship, that his Royal Highnefs the Archduke has this day received a report from Gen. Davidovich, dated Piovezana, Nov. 18, in which he gives an account of his hay

ing, on the preceding day, attacked and entirely defeated the enemy on the heights of Rivoli.

The attack commenced about seven in the morning of the 17th, and, after a moft obftinate refiftance, the enemy was entirely driven from his position, and purfued as far as Cambara.

Gen. Davidovich took twelve cannon, about eleven hundred prifoners, and many officers; amongst the latter are Generals Fiorella and Valette. He praites, in the warmest terms, the conduct of his Generals, and the difcipline and remarkable bravery of his troops.

The enemy having, in the course of the night from the 17tn to the 18th, received confiderable reinforcements, took another pofition on the heights of Cambara; in which General Davidovich attacked him the next morning, and drove him back beyond Peschierra.

When Gen. Davidovich fent off this report, (the evening of the fecond affair) he was encamped with his right towards the Lake of Garda, near Colia, and his left to the Adige; Pefchierra being in front of his right wing, and Verona in

front of his left.

I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed) Rob. Craufurd, Parliament-Street, Dec. 20. 1796. Dispatches, of which the following are extracts, have been received by the Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, one of his Majefty's principal Secretaries of State, from Major Gen. Gordon Forbes, commanding his Majefty's troops in the island of St Domingo, dated Port-au-Prince, Oct, 9. 1796.

I am happy to have the power of affuring you, that our fituation in St Domingo is by far more favourable at this time than fince his Majefty has been in poffeffion of any part of it. The fuccefs of the very judicious arrangements made by Major-General Bowyer at Jeremie, and the divifious among the enemy in the fouth part of the island, where almoft all the republican whites have been maffacred fince their defeat, has affured the

fafety of the important quarter of the Grand Ance.

The fame fpirit of discord prevailing alfo in the north, and the fuccefs of our troops towards the Spanish frontiers, have encouraged the remains of Jean Francois' army to co-operate with us; they have, in confequence, fought feveral battles with the republican party, and have fent us a number of prifoners.

St