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grown great, profperous, and flourifhing, from the moment that the quitted all commercial connexions with France. The felection of a diftinguished member of oppofition, whofe knowledge of commercial affairs had given no fmall trouble to the minifter in the preceding feffion, for the negociation of this treaty, and the fingularity of the time of its commencement, were the objects of much pointed raillery. By the articles of the peace of Verfailles, a treaty of commerce was to have been fettled between this country and France on or before the first of January 1786, and from that day all negociation was to be at an end: but now that the time of negociation was paft, the board of trade were bufy with the subject, and were about to fend out a negociator. The fame unfeemly, but more criminal mifmanagement, had marked their conduct refpecting the treaty between France and Holland, against the conclufion of which fir James Harris was directed to prefent a memorial to the ftates, but unfortunately feveral days after it had been ratified. The like prepofterous arrangement of public bufinefs had also taken place in the projected fettlement with Ireland; when, after the commercial propofitions had been tranfmitted by his majefty's fervants from that country, and just as the British parliament was called upon to vote them,. the board of trade proceeded to enquire whether the propofitions were, in fact, fuch as were fit for either country to accept.

Upon this fubject, Mr. Fox remarked with fome triumph, the flat contradiction which the event had given to the arguments ufed by the

minifter and his fupporters, upon the propriety of firft taking the fenfe of the Irish parliament, in order to afcertain their expectations, before the English parliament was called upon to confider the subject. He put the chancellor of the exchequer in mind of the confidence with which he had again and again told the houfe, refpecting the relative fituation of the two countries, that it was impoffible things could remain as they were; and defired to know, what was the meaning of that part of his majesty's fpeech which related to this fubject, if it was not that things must remain as they were?

Mr. Fox, finally, took a concise view of the affairs of India, infifting principally on the alarm, the difguft, and indignation, which certain regulating clauses in Mr. Pitt's bill had justly occafioned amongst the company's fervants in India; and upon the extraordinary orders fent out by the board of controul for refloring to the Nabob of Arcot the collection and management of the revenues of the Carnatic, which lord Macartney, from the conviction of the neceffity of taking them, not out of his hands, but out of the hands of his agents, British usurers, who plundered the natives and robbed him, had vefted in the company. It was owing, he faid, to this order, that lord Macartney had refigned his government, and that the company had been deprived of the fervices of that able and uncorrupt noble

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fpoke laft had certainly made none. He could not avoid bearing teftimony to that peculiar and almost inftinctive dexterity with which that gentleman was enabled, on all occafions, to leave out of the difcuffion fuch parts of the subject as were unfavourable to him; and he had on the present occafion an opportunity of equally admiring a fimilar talent in him, of introducing, however foreign and unconnected, fuch matter as he expected would be favourable. He did not mean, however, to follow him in those deviations from the fubject. The right hon. gentleman had affumed the liberty of speaking of foreign politics without reftraint, on the ground of his not being a minifter; and he for his part fhould avail himself of the delicacy and caution requifite in that character, and fhould not fuffer himself to be diverted from it.

Mr. Pitt then acquainted the houfe, that the treaty with the emprefs of Ruffia was in a state of great forwardness, and he had every reafon to hope would be completed in fuch a manner as to give general fatisfaction. With refpect to the Germanic confederacy, it was a measure, he said, with the merits or demerits of which his majesty's ministers had no concern; and he defired to have it understood, that Great Britain was by no means committed by any league lately entered into by the elector of Hanover, but was in the prefent inflance, what he always ought to be, perfectly unconnected with the politics of that electorate. He was clear and explicit upon this point. Accident, he faid, had placed the fovereignty of that country and of this in the fame hands; but it by

no means followed that the interefls of each muft neceffarily be the fame, though perhaps it might be for their mutual advantage to make their interefts as reconcilable to each other as poffible. He pointed out the inconfiftency of Mr. Fox's apprehenfions of our being involved in difficulties through the means of his majefty's German territories, and yet his expecting that the administration of thofe territories should be fubordinate to, and regu lated by, the minifters of Great Britain; as if that very circumftance would not bind this country on all occafions to affift and protect the electorate: whereas the only way for Great Britain to avoid embroiling herfelf in quarrels for Hanover, was by our government being kept, as much as poffible, independent of Hanoverian politics.

He next adverted to Mr Fox's remarks on the affairs of India, and defended the obnoxious claufe in the India bill against the invectives with which it had been treated, as militating against the trial by juries. He contended, that there might be tribunals established in certain cafes that would be found to answer equally all the purpoíes of public juftice; and he confidered the prefent as refembling in its conflitution the best fort of special jury, and as totally exempt from the imputation of hardship, fince no man became fubject to it but by his own choice. With refpect to the orders relative to the nabob of Arcot, he remarked, that though the policy of the meafure was with lord Macartney, yet the good faith of the nation required that the facrifice fhould be made.

Having followed Mr. Fox through thefe parts of his fpeech, he took

notice of the contemptuous manner he had treated that part of his majefty's speech which refpected the flourishing ftate of our finances. He was, however, glad to find that he had changed his fentiments a little fince the laft feffion, and that in ftead of the great deficiency he had then foretold, he had now declared that no perfon could have ever doubted but there must be some furplus. He then declared, that it would fhortly appear, that the furplus was confiderable and impor

tant.

He lafly turned to Mr. Fox's obfervations upon the subject of Ireland, and condemned in the ftrongeft terms the impropriety of speaking on a subject of fuch delicacy in the unguarded and inflammatory manner they had juft heard. He recapitulated the arguments used in the laft feffion in defence of thofe measures; and concluded with lamenting their failure, and expreffing his fincere regret, that while this country had to contemplate the prefent profpercus ftate of her affairs, and the pleafing profpect before her, she had not been able to extend the bleffings ftill further, by communicating thofe of her commerce to the fifter kingdom.

Mr. Pitt's idea that Great Britain was not committed by treaties made by the king, as elector of Hanover, was ridiculed by Mr. Fox with great fuucefs. He put a variety of cafes, in fome of which the fovereign might, with one part of his forces, endeavour to fupport a particular caute, and with the other attempt to pull it down; in others, Great Britain might be called on to act against the electorate, and lend a hand to ftrip their king of his hereditary dominions; nay, a British

army might be directed to act hof tilely against troops, led in perfon by their fovereign, as elector of Hanover.

Before the house rofe, Major Scott (member for Weft Looe, and agent to the late governor general of Bengal) obferving Mr. Burke in his place, begged leave to remind the houfe that Mr. Haftings had been arrived in England fome months; and he therefore called upon that gentleman to produce the charges which he had pledged himfelf in the preceding feffion to bring forward against Mr. Haftings, and to fix the earliest day poffible for the difcuffion of them. Mr. Burke replied to the major, by relating an anecdote of the great duke of Parma, who, being challenged by Henry the fourth of France" to bring his forces into the open field, and inftantly decide their difputes;" anfwered with a fmile, "that he knew very well what he had to do, and was not come fo far to be direct ed by an enemy."

Feb. 27.

The firft object of importance that engaged the attention of parliament in the prefent feffion, was a meafure which originated with the duke of Richmond, the mafter general of the ordnance. It was a plan for fortifying the dock-yards at Portsmouth and Plymouth.

The house of commons had in the preceding feffion expreffed their unwillingness to apply any part of the public money for this purpose, before they were made acquainted with the opinions of fuch perfons as were beft able to decide concerning the utility and propriety of fuch a measure. In confequence of this intimation, a board of military and naval officers was appointed by the

king, with the master general of the ordnance as their prefident; and the propofed plan of fortifications was referred to them for their opinions and advice. After they had inveftigated the fubject, and had made their report thereon, the plans recommended were laid before a board of engineers to make an estimate of the expences necessary to carry them into execution.

This estimate, which amounted to no less a fum than 760,0971. Mr. Pitt laid before the houfe on the 10th Feb. 10th of February 1786, the day on which the 1785. reft of the ordnance eftimates were brought forward; and it was originally intended by Mr. Pitt that it should be debated and decided upon, together with the latter eftimates, as a mere collateral question. Lieutenant-general Burgoyne, who was one of the board of officers that made the report, expreffed his defire, that before the bufinefs was further proceeded upon, so much both of the report it self, and of the inftructions upon which it was founded, as could be made public with safety to the state,

fhould be laid upon the table of the house of commons. The reason alledged by him was, that the house might otherwise unwarily be led to think that the report fanctioned the plan of fortifications propofed, more than it really did.

In fupport of this mode of proceeding, Mr. Sheridan, Feb. 16th. on the 16th of February, moved" for a copy of the appointment of the board of naval and military officers, and of fuch parts of their inftructions, and of their report, as his majesty's difcretion might deem proper to be made public, with perfect confiftency to the fafety of the ftate;" but as the board in queftion had been conftituted by circular letters from the king, without any official commiffion or appointment, Mr. Pitt fubftituted another motion, the fame in effect as the foregoing, but more conformable to the fact, which paffed unanimoufly.

Thefe papers being laid before the house, Mr. Pitt, on the house, Mr. Pitt, on Feb. 27th. the 27th of February, introduced the measure in the form of a general refolution, to the following

* As the inftructions tranfmitted to the board, and the extracts from their report, are neceffary for the elucidation of the following debates, we have thought proper to infert them here.

GEORGE R.

Inftructions for our right trufty and right entirely beloved coufin and counsellor Charles Duke of Richmond, Lenox, and Aubigny, Mafter General of our Ordnance, whom we have thought fit fhall be Prefident of a Board of Land and Sea Officers, appointed under our royal authority, to investigate, and report to us on the proper system of defence, and on the expediency and efficacy of the propofed plans for better fecuring our dock-yards at Portfmouth and Plymouth. Given at our Court at St. James's, the thirteenth day of April 1785, in the twenty-fifth year of our reign.

UPON the receipt of these inftructions, you are to give notice to the members named in the inclofed lift, of the day on which they are to affemble at Portsmouth, and fix the hour and place where they are to meet,

As

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As foon as feven of our faid land officers, and five of our faid fea officers are affembled, they are to proceed to business, and to adjourn from time to time as they fhall fee occafion.

You are to appoint fome intelligent officer to act as fecretary, who is regularly to enter in a book the proceedings of the board.

In cafe of difference of opinion, the reafons for fuch difference are to be stated, either jointly or feparately, and are to be figned by each member present.

The matters treated of, and the opinion of the members, are not to be divulged without our royal permiffion.

As the inquiries neceflary to be made, to enable the board to give a well-informed opinion on this important fubject, muft branch out into a variety of matter, we have directed that they should be arranged under separate heads; which have been accordingly prepared for this purpose, and are hereunto annexed. On these the board are to report their opinion to us.

Under each head is added a fet of more minute and detailed questions and obfervations. The anfwers which the board will give to them, will form the basis of their more general conclufions. Thefe queftions, with the answers, as well as thefe inftructions, the feparate heads, and the report, are to be entered in a book, containing the proceedings of the board; which are alfo to be laid before us, that we may be able at any time to refer to the grounds on which their opinions have been formed.

If any other matter, not contained under thofe heads or queftions, fhould occur, and appear to the board to throw more light on this subject, they will add it to their report, with any farther obfervations they may think proper to submit to our confideration.

The first part of the fubject referred to the investigation of the board, is, in general terms, the proper fyltem of defence for Portfinouth and Plymouth; which will naturally lead them to confider, whether a system of naval defence alone; a fyftem of land defence, from troops alone; or a fyftem of naval and land defence combined, can be relied on for the protection of the dock-yards of Portfimouth and Plymouth; or whether fortifications are neceffary: if they are, the fecond part of the fubject referred to this board, viz. the expediency and efficacy of the propofed plans, will next require their attention.

But before they can agree on any fyftem of defence, it will be neceffary for them to agree on the nature and extent of the attack against which it is to be calculated, and on the circumftances to which the kingdom may be reduced by the events of war, when called upon to defend its dock-yards.

Note.--(Then follow fix data, ftating circumftances that may prevent the fleet from affording effectual protection to the dock-yards, the force of the enemy against which it may be prudent to guard, the number and fort of troops that may be had for the defence of thefe places, and the time it may require to collect the ftrength of the country from other parts of the kingdom. These fix data are omitted, because the matter they contain is not proper to be divulged, and because the board established two new data in place of the two firft, and confiderably varied two of the others.)

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