a poor cottager was not to be talked to in that ftrain, he must maintain that he was; and notwithstanding the preffure of taxes under which the lower order of people in this country laboured, yet it was a comfort to him to hear that the was the balance of power, and the protector of the liberties of Europe. This it was that enabled him to bear his poverty with chearfulnefs, and to feel the fatisfaction, amidst all his diftrefs, of reflecting on the thought of his being one of the fubjects of a free country, whose characteristic it was to balance the power of Europe.

Mr. Powys alfo rofe in answer to Mr. Wilberforce's addrefs to him as a country gentleman, and faid, the country gentleman who thould govern his public conduct by mere confideration of private intereft, was a miferable animal indeed. No impreffion arifing from the circumftance of the land-tax being four fhillings in the pound, or even more, fhould induce him to vote upon a matter of great public importance differently from what he confcientioufly believed would be moft for the good of the country. It was upon that impulfe that he had voted against the refolution of Monday, and the fame motive would direct his vote that night.

Mr. Alderman Watson was against the treaty, as running too great an hazard when we had fo much to lofe. He begged the committee to recollect to what an aftonishing height of profperity our commerce had rifen upon its old and established principles. In the year 1677 we had but one veffel, with lingering fails, a fingle folitary bottom, that went to the Baltic; in 1786 we had feyeral hundreds. He

commented on this difference, and argued that it proved in how flourishing a ftate the trade of this country now is, and at the fame time fhewed how cautious we should be in taking any ftep that might affect it. He further remarked that France and America were in connection; that the latter fent her produce to France, and was fupplied from France. France, therefore, by the commercial treaty with Great Britain, might enable herself to fulfil all her American commiflions at the expence of British credit. This, he conceived, deferved their most ferious confideration.

On the part of administration, the treaty was defended by Mr. Dundas. He had heard, he said, a great deal of excellent political fpeculation, but he did not conceive in what manner thofe arguments could be brought to bear upon the prefent treaty. He could not fee what relation they had to it, being fully fatisfied that there was nothing in the treaty that in the fmalleft degree tended to throw a difficulty either in the way of this country's taking any political part against France that the thought proper, or of entering into an alliance with any other power. What was the treaty, but a measure calculated to enable her to circulate the manufactures of her own artizans in a much greater degree than ever fhe could do heretofore, by opening to her one of the most extenfive markets in the world; and in doing fo where was the danger? He contended that it was wife in this country, during a time of peace, to take advantage of the circumftance and, by extending our commerce, to reduce her debts and to fill the coffers of the state. It was the firft object of a minitier

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of this country, that he fhould not be afraid of faying to a French minifter, "If you want to make war "with this country, begin when "you pleafe, and where you pleafe; "if in the eaft, you will find an army ready, and a full treasury; "the fame in the weft, and the "fame in Europe."

*

Before the question was put, Mr. Fox moved, by way of amendment, that the following words be added to it: "That the duties on the importation of Portugal wines "fhould at the fame time be low"ered one-third." This, Mr. Fox obferved, would be an effectual means of preferving the Methuen treaty in full force, fo far as related to our part of the obligation, and would enable government more advantageously to negociate the pending treaty with Portugal.

This motion was negatived without farther difcuffion, by 91 to 76, and the original refolution put and carried.

The day following Feb. 16th. Mr. Fox made his laft effort to induce the house to take fome step for fecuring the continuance of the Methuen treaty and averting the danger, to which he contended it was expofed by the refolution they had come to the preceding night-a refolution, which, if not followed by fome correfpondent propofition refpecting Portugal, would manifeft a difregard to that nation little short of a direct affront.

He had been defcribed, he faid, on the former day, as a perfon fond of talking of alliances with foreign courts, of treaties, and of negociations. He did not conceive how he could avoid in that houfe frequently difcuffing topics of that nature, un

lefs they were to take the advice that one member had given, and no longer to confider themselves as politicians. Till then he muft be excufed if he continued to think that it became him and every gentleman, who fate within those walls, to confider himself as a politician, and to direct his opinions and condu&t accordingly.

Mr. Fox then proceeded to ftate the immenfe importance of the object he brought before them; a fure market for our manufactures to the amount of near a million annually, and principally for a fpecies of manufacture faleable in no other. He next adverted to her importance to us as an ally; and remarked, that but for her we should not have had in the last war a friendly port from Gottenburgh to Gibraltar.

Having ftrongly stated thefe facts, he contended, that if the houfe did not come to an immediate refolution "That the duties on the wines of

"

Portugal fhould be lowered one"third," they not only virtually broke the Methuen treaty, but paid France a compliment at the expence of Portugal, by holding it out to all the world, that during the courfe of their proceedings France was preferred, and her interests first attended to.

Nor was there, in due parliamentary form, any grounds whatever, upon which they could decently fufpend an act expreffive of their readinefs, to comply with the Methuen treaty. They had indeed heard of negotiations pending with Portugal, and they had heard of grievances complained of; but they neither knew the grievances nor the state of the negotiations, and therefore, as a houfe of parliament, they had no grounds whatever to induce them

te

to act otherwise than as if no negotiation was pending, nor any complaints or grievances exifting. He concluded with moving an inftruction to the committee on the commercial treaty to the purport he had before mentioned.

The motion was fupported with great ability by fir Grey Cooper, and opposed by Mr. Pitt, as interfering by a premature refolution in a matter delegated by the conftitu, tion to the executive government. With respect to what had been faid of the houfe having no parliamentary knowledge of a pending negotiation, he afferted that a declaration delivered by him in his place, and as a minister, that such a negotiation was pending, was entitled to be confidered as formal parliamentary information. He concluded with repeating his declaration, that he had every reafon to expect the negotiation would prove fuccefsful; if, however, it should not fucceed, he would lay before the houfe, for their judgments, the grounds upon which it had failed.

relation to each other in which they ftood in the year 1778.

The refolution reípecting a reci-. procal duty of 30 per cent. upon beer occafioned fome converfation, in which Mr. Whitbread, the most eminent brewer of this country, gave it as his opinion, that when it. was confidered that to this import duty were to be added the existing: internal duties in each country, which in England were very highand in France very low, the terms upon the whole were in our favour.

The duty of 12 per cent. upon cottons was objected to, as not fufficient to protect the home manu-: facture, and more especially as fo much of the raw material was purchafed from foreigners, who might charge it with what duty they pleafed. The French, it was faid, had: already fhewn a difpofition to throw, this obftacle in our way, by a treaty they were endeavouring to negotiate with Portugal, to purchase allthe Brazil cotton wool, and by layingan additional duty of five-pence per pound on that of her own colonies. In anfwer to thefe objections it was afferted, that the fuperiority of our manufacturers, both in industry and: ingenuity, was fo manifeft, as to leave no room for any apprehenfions of their fuffering by any competition; and that the thort duration of the treaty, which was only for twelve years, was a fufficient fecurity against the dreaded emigration of our manufacturers. With refpect to the raw material, our purfe would always command it; and fome gentlemen conceived we might foon be able to fupply ourfelves from our own iflands.

With refpect to the article of glafs, it was objected by fir M. W. [F] 4 Ridley

2

Ridley, that it would entirely ruin the British plate-glafs manufactory in England. For, he faid, a glafs of ninety inches would coft one hundred guineas, whereas in France a glass of the fame dimenfions might be purchased for forty; to this if twelve and a half per cent. were added, it would ftill leave the French almoft one half cheaper than the English. Our home duties on glafs were fo high, that twelve and a half per cent. fcarcely amounted to one fourth of the duty that would be fufficient to protect that article.

Mr. Pitt obferved in reply, that the twelve and a half per cent. were not the only duties that would be payable in future on French plate glafs imported, a right being referved by the treaty to lay on duties to countervail the internal duties of excife paid on the glafs manufactured in the country into which the importation fhould be made.

Mr. Fox allowed, that if France would confent to understand the treaty in this light, and admit the diftinction between the nominal and internal duties, it would do very well; but the treaty would not bear that conftruction.

Mr. Grenville faid, that the two countries, intending to act with good faith and plain dealings towards each other, would take fuch measures as should remove all doubts on the fubject.

Refolutions upon the feveral articles of the tariff were then moved and agreed to. Feb. 19th. On the Monday following the report of the committee upon the commercial treaty was brought up, and on the ufual motion being made, that the houfe do agree to the fame, notice

was taken of the omiffion of the mention of Ireland both in the treaty and the tariff; and it was atked, whether or no the was understood to be included in it? To this question Mr. Pitt replied, that Ireland was undoubtedly entitled to all the benefits of the French treaty; but it was entirely at her own option, whether the fhould choofe to avail herfelf of thofe advantages; for it was only to be done by her paffing fuch laws as fhould put the tariff on the fame footing in that country as it was ftipulated thould be done in this. Had the adoption of the treaty by Ireland been a ftipulation neceffary to be performed before it could be finally concluded on by this country, then this country would have been deprived of all the benefits refulting from it in the event of Ireland's refulal.

This explanation did not fatisfy Mr. Flood, who again afked, what fecurity Ireland had for her fhare of the advantages which the treaty held out to Great Britain, if any advantages were likely to arife from it, any more than the had that the court of Lisbon would extend to her the advantages of the Methuen treaty, of which it was well known fhe had refuted to fuffer Ireland to participate, in violation of the spirit and meaning of that treaty; of which breach of treaty on the part of Portugal,although it had been five years in negotiation, no redrefs had yet been obtained for Ireland? Mr. Flood ftated his conviction, that the commercial treaty was neither likely to be a benefit to Great Britain nor Ireland; and he thought a stronger proof of its defects could not be ftated to the friends of Ireland (and every honeft Briton must be the friend of Ireland, becaule her in

terefts

terefts were fo deeply involved and interwoven with the interefts of Great Britain, that they were infeparable confiderations) than the extraordinary pofition in which it would place the two countries of France and Ireland, with respect to England and to each other; by entitling France to commercial privileges and advantages in Great Britain to which Ireland was not entitled, and by entitling Ireland to greater privileges and advantages in France than the could obtain in

Great Britain.

This fpeech produced a warm reply from Mr. Grenville, 'who faid, that Great Britain had two years ago made a liberal offer to Ireland, which the parliament of that milled and infatuated people had been perfuaded to refufe; and that it ill became thofe who had principally ftood forward to perfuade that affembly to reject the offer, to be afterwards among the foremost to endeavour to prevent this country from carrying into execution a treaty with France, which was concluded with a view to the benefit of Great Britain, and in which Ireland was alfo included, if fhe chofe to avail herself of the benefit.

The report was finally agreed to, upon a divifion, by a great majority.

Feb. 21ft. We are now arrived at the last debate which this important measure gave rife to in the house of commons. It was upon an addrefs moved by Mr. Blackburne,member for Lancashire, to thank his majesty for the soli"citude he had been graciously pleased to evince, in forming a treaty of commerce between "Great Britain and France; affuring him, that the house con

"ceived that the moft happy effects, "would refult from it to his faith" ful fubjects, and that they would "take every neceffary ftep to render "the negociation effectual."

In fupport of the addrefs, he faid, that he had received letters from feveral of his conftituents, informing him, that a numerous meeting of the cotton manufacturers had been held at Manchefter, in confequence of a kind of remonftrance which they had feen in the public prints against the commercial treaty, from the chamber of manufacturers; and that, after a ferious deliberation, and a full difcuffion of the fubje&t, they confidered the treaty as highly beneficial to this country in general, and to the cotton manufacture in particular. They desired him alfo to inform the houfe, that they neither approved of the conduct of the chamber of commerce, nor had delegated any perfon to reprefent them in that body, when the peti-. tion, praying for time to confider the fubject, was carried.

The hon. captain Berkeley, (member for Gloucestershire) feconded the motion; and faid, that the treaty had met the approbation of many bodies of woollen manufacturers amongst his conflituents. It was in France only that it was condemned, as being too advantageous to England, and likely to ruin the French manufactures. The people of Abbeville in particular had already declared, that, if the treaty fhould be carried into effect, they must be inevitably undone.

In oppofition to the addrefs, Mr. Grey, the reprefentative for Northumberland,made his maiden fpeech, and aftonifhed the house by another of thofe wonderful difplays of oratorical abilities, which in the course of

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