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[ Price ONE SHILLING.] B ♦ k i THE ^ ? i < SPEECH OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE W I LI A M PITT, IN THE HOUSE O F COMMONS, O N FRIDAY, February 21, 1783, I lb I LONDON: Printed for J. DE BRETT, (Succeflbr to Mr. Almon) oppofitc Builington-Houlc, Piccadilly, mdcclxxxUI. I ^ w--^^.^ ^■■i^wf^-^-- ■ ^p** HM 1 Z B5b ' ■ H O S E m o ? COMMONS FRIDAY, FEBRiiARY 21, 1783. T ORD John Cavendijh moved the following Re/olutions in the Hotife of Commons : I. That the public faith hath been pledged to the maintenance of the treaties with France and Spain, and of ' the T& H (6 ) theProvifional Treaty with the United States of Amelias this Houfe will in- violably aahere to thefe treaties, and faithfully fupport his Majefty in main- taining them. II, That this Houfe will concur with his Majefty, in improving and rendering permanent the bleffings of peace, to the encouragement of trade, and the advantage of his people. III. That in recognifmg the Inde- iDendence of the United States of Ame- rica, his Majefty had a6ted according to the powers veftcd in him for that purpofe, and conformably to the fenfe of Parliament, IV. (7 ) ■ JV. I'hat in the above treaties greiripr ''oncejjlons had been 7nade to the memics of this country y than they had any right to expeSi^ conjiderin^ the relative and comparative J} ate of Qtir affairs and theirs, V, That this Houfe will cohcur with his Majefty in making fuch com- penfation to fuch of the American Loyalifls, as (hall appear on due exa- mination to have deferved it. After a hng debate, Mr, Fox rofe in fupport of the Fourth^ a?td C07tcluded his fpeech in about tivo hours. Mr. William Pitt, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, rofe in reply ; and with a vehemence of eloquence, which re- minded l! ' ( 8 } minded the old Member s of the late, Earl of Chatham^ feized all the fa^ culties and atteJttio7t of the Houfe, Such u?2ited powers of voice and man- ner^ Jiich flajjjes of wit and depth cf reaJQ7iing^ were never before united in that Hotfe. This f^ctch can barely fret end to defcribe from memory, fame faint outlines of that aftoniping com" pofition. Mr. Speaker, ^ EVERING as I do, the great abilities of the honourable gen- tleman who fpoke lafl, I lament in common with the Houfe, when thofe abilities are mifemployed, as on the prefent queftion, to inflame the ima- gination, and miflead the judgment. I am ( 9 ) I am told, Sir, '' he does not envy Jne " the triumph of my fituation on this ** day:''' a fort of language which becomes the candour of that honour- able gentle.-nan as ill as his prefent principles. The triumphs of party, Sir, with which this felf-appointed Minifter feems fo highly elate, ftiall never feduce me to any inconfiftency which the bufieft fufpicion fhall pre- fume to glance at. I will never engage in political enmities without a pub- lic caufe : I will never forego fuch en- mities without the public approbation; nor will I he quejlioned and caft off in the face of this Houfe, by one vir- tuous and diffatisfied friend."^ Thefe B Sir, '■k' This is fuppofed to allude to Sir C— W— -y, Mr. P— ys, &c. m J i { ( lo ) Sir, the fober and durable triumphs of reafoM, over the weak and pro- fligate inconfiftencies of party vio- lence ; thefe, Sir, the fteady triumphs of virtue over fuccefs itfelf ; fhall not only be mine, in my prefent fitua- tion, but through every future con- dition of my life : triumphs which no length of time Ihall diminifh; which no change of principles fhall ever fully. The fatal confequence of Tuefday's vote, which I then deprecated and foretold, is already manifeft in this Houfe, and it has been thought ou all fides requifite, to give a new ftability •to the peace, which that vote had already \ o ifci n rp II ) already fhaken. But the proof which the prefent motion is about to efta- bli{h, dai nve are deter mined to abide by this pcacey is a declaration, that we have examined the terms, and have found them inadequate. Still lefs confiftent is this extraordinary motion with the language of Tuefdny. It was then urged,^ that no fufficicnt time had been allowed us to deter- mine on the articles before us ; and in the fhort fpace of two days we are ready to pafs a vote of cenfure on what we declare we have not had leifure to difcufs. This, Sir, is the firft monftrous produftion of that ftrange alliance, which threatens once more to plunge this devoted country into all the horrors of another war. B 2 I ( »2 ) It is not. Sir, an exception to any fingle article, if well-founded excep- tions fhould really exift, that ought to determine the merits of this iirea- ty. — Private interefts have their re- fpeftive advocates, and fubjedls may be eafily found for partial complaints. But private interefts muft bend to the public fafety — what thefe complaints may prove, is indeed yet unknown — For whilft the honourable gentleman alone is defcribing, with fo much confidence, the diftreffes and diffa- tisfacSions of trade, (he herfelf is approaching the Throne, with the eftufions of gratitude and affeftion.-— The honourable gentleman, who fpoke laft, has fairly ftated the terms by which the merits of this peace are to ) — 1 ) ( »3 ) to be decided — the relative Jirength and refources of the refpeSihe powers at war.— I will immediately meet him on this iffue. I ftiall begin, Sir, with a moft im- portant fubjea, the ftate of the Bri- ^ tifh navy ; and ftiall refer myfelf for proofs of what I affert, to the papers now lying on your table. — This appeal, Sir, to folid and authen- tic documents, will appear the more juft and neceffary, when I acquaint the Houfe, that a noble Lord, from whom the honourable gentleman profeffes to receive his naval infor- mations, has varied in his ftatements to the Cabinet, no lefs than twenty fail ol the line. State { t4 r State of the Navy. : We arf) informed, Sir, from the papers before us, that the Britiftx force amounted nearly to one hun- dred fall of the line. — Many of thefe had been long and adively employed on foreign ftations. With dih'gent exertions, fix new fhips would have been added to the catalogue in March. The force of France and Spain amounted nearly to one hundred and forty fail of the line, fixty of which were lying in Cadiz harbour, flored and vidlualled for immediate fervice. Twelve (hips of the line, including one nevv'Iy built, by the United States, had quitted Eofton harbour under Vaudrcuil, in a ftate of perfeft re- pair. I \ ( »5 ) pair. — An immenfe land armament was collefted at St. Domingo. — - Thefe feveral forces, Sir, were united in one objeft:, and that objecl was the reduction of Jamaica. -— Who, Sir, can fuppofe with ferious confi- dence, that ifland could have long refifted a regular attack, fupported by feventy-two fail of the line ? Admiral Pigot, after his reinforce- ment from Europe, would have commanded a fleet of only forty-fix fail, and it has long been acknow- ledged in this Houfe, that defenjive war mufi terminate in certai?i ruin. Would Admiral Pigot have under- taken at this time offenftve opera- tions againft the iflands of the ene- itty? Thofc iflands on which Lord Rod- I if C '6 ) Rodney, fluftied with vI6lory, could not venture to attempt an impreflion ? Would Admiral Pigot, Sir, have re- gained by arms what the Minifters have recovered by treaty ? Gould he in the fight of a fuperior fleet have re-captured Grenada, Dominique, St. Kitt's, Nevis, and Montferrat? Or might we not too reafonably appre- hend the campaign in the Weft-In- dies w^ould have clofed with the lofs of Jamaica itfelf, the remnant of our pofleflions in that part of the globe ? Let us next confider our fituation in the Eaft. — A mere defenfive re- fiftance, however glorious, had enti- tled Sir Edward Hughes to the thanks of this Houfe ; — but his fuccefs, if it ( ^7 ) it may be termed a viflory, had not prevented the enemy from landing a greater European force than we a6lu- ally poffefs in India ; and who at this inftant are in conjunilion with Hy- der, fubduing and defolating the Car- natic. The profpedl is by no means ^ brightened when we look forward to the probable operations in the Chan- nel, and in the Northern Seas, during the courfe of the enfuing fummer. -— Thirteen new fai^ of the line would at that time have been added to the fleet of France ; and the Dutch force, as it has been accurately ftated by a great naval officer, * in this de- C - bate, * Coiimiodore Keith Stuart, ( i8 ) Hate, would have amounted to twen-* ty-five fail of the line. — What ac- ceffion the Spanifli force would have received Is not fufficlently known. — It IS enough for me to ftate, the fleets of Bourbon and of Holland would have doubled ours in our own feas. — Should w^e have feized the intervals of their cruize, and poorly paraded the Channel for a few weeks, to tarnilh again, by flight, the glories of the laft cam- paign? — - Or Ihould we have dared to rifque the exiftcnce of the king-* dom itfelf, by engaging againft fucH fearful odds ? !i What were the feelings of every one who hears me ? (what were my own II u ( 19 ) own feelings it is impoffible td dc- fcribe) when that great man Lord Howe fet fail with our only fleet ; inferior to the enemy, and under a probability of an engagement on their own coafts? — My apprehen- fions, Sir, on this occafion, however great, were mixed with hope ; I knew the fuperiority of Britifh (kill and courage might outweigh the inequa- lity of numbers. — But, Sir, in ano- ' ther quarter, and at the fame in- * ftant of time, my apprehenfions were unmixed with a ray of comfort. — - The Baltic fleet, almofl as valuable as Gibraltar itfelf, for it contained all the materials for future war, was on its way to England ; and twelve foil of the line had been fent out C 3 froi» ( /^^ ) from the ports of Holland to inter- cept them. — Gibraltar was relieved by a ikiil and courage that baffled fuperior numbers,- and the Baltic fleet was, T know not how, miracu- loufly preferved. One power, indeed, the honourable gentleman has omitted in his detail : -- But the Dutch, Sir, had not been difarmed by the humi- h'ating language of that Gentleman's miniftry. They were warmed into more adive exertions, and were juft beginning to feel their own ftrength. They were not only about to defend themfelves with eiffea, but to lend t(iTi fail of the line to the fleets of France and Spain. -■.- Here, Sir, let us paufe for a moment of ferious and folemn confideration ! Should \ \ ( -^3 ) Should the Min^'fters ha^^e perfevered from day to day, to throw the defperate die, whofe fuccefles had won us only a barren though glorious fafety, and whofe failure in a fingle caft would fink us into hopelefs ruin ? However fondly the ideas of national expeda- tion had diffafed themfelves amongft the people, the Minifters, Sir, could entertain no rational hopes. — - Thofe columns of our ftrength, which many honourable gentlemen had raifed with fo much fancy, and decorated with fo much invention, the Miniiters had furveyed with the eye of fober reafon, — I am forry to fay. Sir, we difco- vered the fabric of our naval fuperi- ority to be vifionary and bafelefs. % ll I (hall ( ^« ) I fhall next, Sir, w'th fubmiffion to the right honourable gentleman who prefides in that department, Hate, in few words, the fituation of the amiy. — • It is notorious to every gentleman who hears me, that new levies could fcarcely be torn, on any terms, from this depopulated country. It is known to profeffional men, how great is the diiference between the nominal and effective ftate of that fervice ; — - and, aftonifhing as it may appear, after a careful enquiry, three th uifand men were the utmojfl force that could have been fafely fent from this country on any ofFenfive duty. ---But, I am told. Sir, the troops from New York would have fupplied us with a force equal to the demands of every intended expe- dition. i » ( 23 ) dition, — The foreign troops in that garrifon we had no power to embark on any other than American fervice; »— And, Sir, in contradiction to the honourable gentleman who fpoke laft, and to that noble Lord whofe Ian- guage he afFe6ts to fpeak in this houfe, no tranfports had been pre-' pared, or could have been affem- bled for their immediate embar- kation. -— Where, Sir, ftiould they have dire6ted their ccurfe when they were at length embarked, but into the hazard of an enemy's fleet, which would have cruized with undifputed fuperiority in every part of the wef- tern world. No ( 24 ) . No preffure of public accufation, nor heat of innocence in its own de- fence, fliall ever tempt me to difclofe a fingle circumftancCi which may tend to humiliate my country. What I am about to fay, will betray no fecret of ftate ; — it is known, for it is felt throughout the nation. — There re- mains at this inftant, exclufive of the annual fervices, an unfunded debt of thirty millions. — Taxes, Sir, the mo/l flattering, had again and again bee a tried, and, inftead of revenue from themfelves, had frequently produced a failure in others, with which they had been found to fympathize. — But here. Sir, I am told by the honourable gentleman who fpoke laft, other na- tions would have felt an equal dijlrefs ; good J ' ( ^5 ) good God! to what a confequence does the honourable gentleman lead us i — Should I, Sir, have dared to advife a continuance of war, which endangered the bankruptcy of public faith; a bankruptcy which would have almoft difiblved the bonds of government, and have involved the State in the confufion of a general ruin ? Should I have ventured to do this, becaufe one of the adverfe powers MIGHT have experienced an equal dijlrefs ? The honourable gentleman who Ijooke laft has amufed theHoufe with various ftatements — on the different principles of uti pojfideth and reftitu- tion. The principle of thofc flate- D ments li ( a. -'i Boards. SIR WILEIAM HOWE^ NARRATIVE, rchtivd to his Condua during his late Command of t!)c Kinn's Troops m North America. Thivd EJirion. Price -s. ^ A candid and impartial N ARRATIVE ot'^thr Tn-^nfRc- ?''?^^l^TM^^ J^l'-M.''"^''"'' ^^^' <-^^'»'^'--- of LORD ViS- CUUN i llO\v !-., trrm the A.nval of the Toulon Sciua- dron on the Coaa of America, to the Time of his Lord- Ihips Departure for England. Second Edition. Pncc IS. Od. BEAKERS REMARKS on Commodore JohnfloneVs Ac- count ot his Engagement with Monficur dc SuflVcin a new Edition ; to which is prefixed a Plan of the Harbour With the StHiiulin!':, .i\. drawn on the Spot. Price ii. ' A EE'J'IER 10 ilu; Eull of Slitlburnc on the PEACE 3d Edition. Price is. A I.ETT1-:R 10 the Ear! of Siielhurnc, on the Subjea of All. Secretary iownlhcnd'. Letter to the Chairman of the .India Company, l^iu- ('.d. ,^ A WOXj; at I>AU 1 L\G ; i