480 British Parliament: Financial Report. What bafe refiftance thwarts his great defigns How Folly fickens! and how Envy pines! This fears fuccefs, and blafts a rival's name. Vol. 59. More vigorous móves, where terrors mot And ftill colicas new courage, as it goes. E'en though in chains, it triumphs to the laft: BRITISH PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS. FINANCIAL REPORT. ous confequences of the Bank Directors not acting as merchants, but as politiMay 16. Mr Greg, in conformity to notice, cians and flatefmen. Though the morofe to fubmit feveral refolutions to the tion he intended to fubmit was directed Houfe, founded on the proceedings of the chiefly against the Chancellor of the ExSecret Committee of Finance, with a view chequer, yet it was not his intention to to criminate the Chancellor of the Exche- exempt his coadjutors from the refentquer. Nothing, he faid, but a fenfe of ment of an injured and almoft ruined napublic duty, could have induced him to tion. By the fame perfidious fyftem, a undertake the ungrateful task of arraign- great portion of our rights had been deing the conduct of the hon. gentleman, troyed, our liberties abridged, America whofe mal-adminiftration had produced loft, the country brought to the brink the fufpenfion of the operations of the bank, deftroyed public credit, and plunged the country into a war unjuft in its principle, ineffectual in its object, and ruinous in its confequences. After this exordium, the hon. member proceeded to confider the Report under two heads: 1. The neceffity of the Order of Council of the 26th of February; and 2. The caufes which produced that Order. On thefe points he differed from the majority of the Committee of Fi nance. He was of opinion that there was no neceffity for that order, and affirmed, that the calamity apprehended was increased rather than diminished by the interference of government. In this opinion, he faid, he was fortified by the progrefs and refult of the investigation. In order to lay the foundation for the refolutions which he intended to fubmit to the Houfe, he read the fubftance of the Reports of the Finance Committee, which alone would occupy a volume, and commented on the evidence, as he proceeded, with great ingenuity and trength of argument. He then applied his reafoning to the effect produced upon the bank and public credit. He took a review of that company from its eftablishment, and pointed out the mifchiev of ruin, negotiation refufed, and Ireland, perhaps at the moment he was speaking, independent of this country! He concluded a fpeech of three hours, oy moving a ftring of refolutions, of which the following only was read from the chair: "That the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank did, at various times, reprefent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer the danger to the Bank, from the diminution of its specie, &c." Mr Pitt faid, he did not conceive it neceffary to go into any great length upon this fubject; he should therefore confine himself to the most prominent points of Mr Grey's fpeech. The queftion, in his view of the fubject, was, whether the neceffity of the occurrence, prior to the 26th of February 1797, justified the proceedings of government. On the fubject of advances from the Bank, he must admit that there had been remonftrances from that body to him, and affurances from him to them. It was for the House to determine whether thofe affurances were not fincerely given, and whether every poslibie ftep had not been taken to carry them into effect. They had been delivered after as exact an efti mate of expences as could be formed in fuch an empire as this, and had been COUR British Parliament: Financial Report. July 1797. counteracted only by demands which it was impoffible to forefce. It was well known that for the last two years he had been deceived as to the amount of the public expenditure. It was probably from the time taken in winding up the accounts of the British army, after their return from the Continent, that the bills from Germany had exceeded his expectations; and the Weft India bills furpaffed it fo much, that he was not yet able to account fatisfactorily for their a mount. His expreflion of a hope that he fhould be able to ftop a drainage, continued only from fuch unexpected calls, could not be quoted as a proof of infincerity. The fteps taken to reduce the debt to the Bank were fuch, that in four months it had been lowered from 2,100,000l. to 500,cool. a fum to which it would have been afterwards restricted, but for unforefeen demands. From January 1795 to the fame month in 1796, not lefs than eight millions had been paid to the Bank. He might therefore well admit the promifes alluded to in the motion, and yet aflert his fincerity both in making them, and endeavouring to fulfil them. The opinion that remittances to Germany had materially injured our financial affairs, Mr Pitt oppofed by obferving, that when thefe were in their greatest frequency, the courfe of the Exchange rofe; and denied that either the advances from the Bank to Government, or thofe from Government to the Emperor, had led to the neceflity for the late fufpenfions of payments at the Bank. In 1783, advances of the former fort had been made to very little lefs amount than in 1795; in December 1783, the total amount of Bank-notes in circulation was only fix millions. Here, therefore, were two periods in which advances from the Bank were the fame, and yet the amount of Bank notes and the other effects of thofe advances were different; fo fallacious was it to fuppofe, that an increafe of notes was neceflarily produced by fuch meafures.--That a Bank should be expected to keep cash or bullion adequate to the whole amount of their notes in circulation, was contrary to every principle of banking inftitutions, and to that useful fyitem which had fo greatly tended to the profperity of this country. The ultimate caufe of the ftoppage at the Bank was not a dif truft of their notes, but a want of money, occafioned by the drain from Ire 481 land, and the alarm on our coaft. The Mr Fox faid, he should not detain Mr W. Smith spoke on the fame fide. ABANDONING ST DOMINGO. 18. Mr St by faid, the fcenes which S: Domingo exhibited of the fcourge of war and peftilence, ex eited upon. He fhould therefore move an humble addrefs to his Majefty, "that he would be pleased to give directions that the British troops fhould be forthwith withdrawn from the ifland of St Domingo." cited in him the most ardent wish to ref cue from that land of death the fmall remains of our gallant army. Were there no other motives to induce the Houfe to concur with him in a motion for that purpose, than the two papers upon the iable, namely, the account of the bills Mr Secretary Dundas faid, it had been drawn upon the Treafury, and the af- the uniform policy of all preceding adficting lift of the mortality among the miniftrations to attack the enemy's cotroops, he flattered himself that he thould lonies, as the most effectual means of degain his object; but the feceflion of a fending our own; and our colonial acnother potent ally from the confedera- quifitions enabled us to make a more cy, leaving us to act fingle handed with advantageous peace. One of the objects the enemy, it became abfolutely necef- of the war, he faid, was to diminish the fary to concentrate our forces for the navy of France, which principally rested defence of our country and our liberties. on St Domingo. From authentic infor At the period when we firft fitted out mation, the exports from St Domingo an expedition, at Jamaica, against St Do- amounted annually to nearly ten mil. mingo, the colonial force of the enemy, lions fterling; and before the disturbanexclufive of 4c,oco revolted negroes, ces, the whole produce of the island was who were ready to join either party, a one-third more than the produce of all mounted to 25,oco effective men, inured the Weft India iftands, including Jamaito the climate. At the commencement ca. From its windward fituation, its poof the war, the planters were animated pulation, and excellent harbours, Jamaiwith the fame fpirit of liberty that ani- ca was expofed to great hazard from inmated France. It was therefore obvi- vafion; every foldier, every ship, thereous, that our forces would not receive fore, fent to St Domingo, formed an adany effectual co-operation from them. dition to the defence of Jamaica. If St Here the hon. gentleman entered into a Domingo had been left to the unconhiftory of the proceedings in St Domin- trouled power of tae infurgents, propergo from 1791. The general refult of ty in Jamaica would not have been this invefligation was, that, after the lofs worth one year's purchase. of nearly nine thousand valuable lives, Mr Bryan Edwards entered upon a deand an expenditure of nearly four mil- tailed account of the origin and progrefs lions and a half, we poffeffed nothing in of the difcontents, in the Weft Indies, the island, except Port-au-Prince, that and reprefented the ravages of the yelwe did not conquer in a few days after low fever as the vifitation of Divine venthe first debarkation! In return for this geance, for our interference with the coenormous expenditure, it did not ap- lonies. He expatiated on the grea: impear that the inland had produced a portance of the poffeffion of Cape Nicofingle penny to this country. But if the expence was an objection to the continuance of this fyftem, the lofs of fo many lives was infinitely ftronger. All the reinforcements we had fent, can with difficulty keep up the number. It appeared that up to the 30th of September Jaft, there died of the British forces 8co men; of thefe not above Ico had fallen by the fword. The reft fell victims to the yellow fever, which, though not always mortal, thofe who furvive the firt attack are liable to a recurrence Mr St John replied, after which a diof it, fo that troops can never bé conti- vifion took place. For the motion 31 dered as feafoned to the climate. AS Against it 116. minifters did not feem to have any con- 19. Mr Pitt moved, than an addrefs troul over the expenditure, and no dif- of congratulation should be presented to position to terminate the murderous fyf- their Majesties on the happy nuptials of tem they bad adopted, the interference the Princefs Royal with the Prince of of the Houfe was emphatically called Wirtemberg.-Agreed to, nem, con. las Mole, which in fome degree commanded the homeward navigation from feveral of the islands. Mr Fox remarked, that the defence of Jamaica had coft a vaft deal more than in former wars, and thought it advifeable to surrender St Domingo by capitulation, and suffer the French to take care of it themselves. It was abfurd to employ British lives and treafure out of kindness to the enemy, and therefore he fhould vote for the motion. A A congratulatory address was likewife moved, and agreed to nem. con. to her Royal Highness and his Serene Highnefs, on the fame occafion. DISMISSAL OF MINISTERS. Mr Alderman Combe, in conformity to the notice he had given, founded on the inftructions of his conftituents, rofe to make a motion for the difmiffal of minifters. In doing this, he took a review of the tranfactions of the war, the juftice and receffity of which he denied, and afcribed the failures and calamities which had marked its progrefs, to the incapa city and misconduct of minifters. He concluded by moving, "That an humLle addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, praying that he would difmifs from his prefence and councils his prefent minifters, as the most likely means of obtaining a speedy and permanent peace." The debate was a mere repetition of the facts and reasonings, which are, already before our readers. A divifion enfued, when there appeared for the motion Ayes 59 Noes 242. REPEAL OF TREASON AND SEDITION ACTS. 23. Mr Fox, in conformity to notice, rofe to move for a direct repeal of the two Acts of the laft Seffion. His reafons for withing them not to remain on our Statute Books were, firft, because they extended our treafon laws, which the wildom of our ancestors had narrowed by the 25 Ed. III. and thereby destroyed that reverence which their timplicity impreffed on the minds of the people, and fo far from giving additional protection to the life of his Majesty, they were calculated to produce a contrary effect. lle appealed to thote who recollected the imofities that prevailed when Mr Wilkes was under profecution, when many well-meaning perfons thought they paid the chief magiftrate a tribute in villifying and afperfing the character of that gentleman; and asked, whether any man doubted the fart, that if this law then exiled, Mr Wilkes would not have been fent to Botany Bay on the fecond conviction? If fuch an event had taken plice, the city would have lo't an active magiftrate, the world a literary character, and the crown one of its molt zealous defenders! To thew the readinefs with which miniters would act upon a law of fo barbarous a tendency, he inftanced the exccution of the fentence of the Court of Jaliciary in Scotland, whereby perfons had been doomed to end their days in degradation and mifery, for exprefling a love of the British conftitution. He next proceeded to remark upon the operation of the Bill of Rights, and contended, that it went to circumfcribe, in a very extraordinary degree, the inherent fundamen tal right of the fubject to petition the King. He pointed out a variety of inconveniences that had lately arifen in different parts of the country, from the abridgment of this right, and to fhew the inefficacy of coercion, adverted to the fituation of the fifter kingdom. In 1794 they paffed their Convention Bill, and the higheft encomiums were beftowed on its falutary effects. From the reports of both Houfes of Parliament, it appeared, that the first correspondence with the enemy was traced to 1795, the very year after the bill paffed. It was obvi ous, that in proportion to the difficulties ́ put in the way of free difcuffion, the people were driven to the expedient of traiterous correfpondence and treafonable practices, and in that proportion the national energies were weakened, becaufe liberty was the fafeguard of or der and tranquillity. The conftitution al spirit of Englithmen was not to be annihilated; if it was checked it would deviate into other channels; every attempt to abridge the rights of the people would increafe the danger in a hundredfold degree; the courfe of the ftream was going another way. In proportion to the diffution of knowledge and learn ing in a country, ought the people to be entrusted with liberty and coudence. Instead of damming the freany a wife government would open treth channels, to prevent the torrent from overwhelming them. fie concluded by moving that the acts alluded to fhould be read; and this being done, he moved for leave to bring in a bit to repeal the flid acts. Mr Serieant lair oppofed the mo tion, and conreaded, that as the neceifity which gave birth to the measures had not fubfided, their continuance was cf ndal to the fcurity ma Senord inte refs of the country. He entered upon a detailed vindication of the acts. The pencies al'uded to were not, he oferted, confined to libels, but annexed to writings, which, if acted upon, would conftitute high treafon; and who, he afked, would fty that the punishment of transportation was too levere for an of fence fence of that aggravated nature. That ing on new calamities which rendered the Scotch judges had banished perfons the minds of men callous. With refpect to a distant country, which terminated to his endeavouring to make the Houfe in death, for expreffing their love to the contemptible, he certainly never did fo; British conftitution, was a circumftance for if it was actually defpifed by the pubwhich he had never heard stated before: lic, that must have been owing to the Did the adoption of the phrafes of the conduct of minifters, who had constantexecrable French convention, the ap- ly perfuaded the Houfe to adopt mea pointment of delegates to fuperfede the fures different from what he had recom. functions of the legislature, proceed mended. He was afraid, that in these from a love for the British conftitution? times the praifing of Parliament would That the acts repealed the Bill of Rights, not add to its authority. If mifters he pofitively denied; neither were they had been blameable, why did not the liable to the objections that had been ur- hon. gentleman who spoke laft inform ged against them. It had been faid, that the Houfe in what infances they were liberty was the fafeguard of order and fo, and how the majority had checked government. It would alfo be conceded and 'controuled them? Misfortune and to him, that liberty could not long ex failure certainly were not likely to proift in any flate, where it was not cherish- duce confidence. With regard to the ed and protected by good government. recommendation of the hon. gentleman, The learned Serjeant concluded by re- that he should go and defire the people marking, that he was for the continu- to be induftrious, he did not think that ance of the acts until the neceffity that to be the propereft admonition in the produced them had fubfided. prefent falling ftate of the country, to neglect their rights for the fake of their private bufinefs. If a popular government was the beft for this country; if it was beft calculated for adding to the ftrength of a nation, and reftoring its exhaufted reforces, was not telling the people to guard their country, the only means of faving it from ruin ĺ Sir R. C. Glynn and Major Elford feverally fpoke at fome length against the motion. Col. Fullarton confidered this motion as a tiffue of the web that Mr Fox had been weaving for the laft four years, which had tended to degrade this country in the eyes of foreign powers. But for thefe acts, he believed that the French national flag would have been hoifted on the Tower of London, and till we were affured of our internal fecurity, he hoped they would be continued in force. Mr Fox Spoke for fome time in reply to the feveral gentlemen who had oppofed his motion. He did not conceive that he could be charged with arrogance in moving for the repeal of a bill, and if to avoid fuch charges, he was never to make any motion of the kind, then there was an end of all freedom of opinion. He had never declared that he was more of a patriot than other members in that Houfe; if he was confidered as a patriot, he mutt have been fo by his actions, and not by declaring that he was one. In reply to the learned Serjeant, who faid the two bills had produced general tranquillity, he would admit that they were lefs thought of at prefent than they had been, and confequently people were lefs anxious for the repeal of them. But why fo? Because events had lately come on fo quick one after another, that people had not time to think of the bills. It feemed as if miniilers had contrived to make a diverfion on the subject, by bring 24. Sir Form Sinclair stated the object of the General Inclofure Bills, which he had introduced this feflion; one of them, he had the fatisfaction to ftaté, had met with general approbation. On the other hand, he was forry to remark, that the one for enabling perfons entitled to waite lands to divide, allot, inclofe, and hold in feverally, where the parties were not unanimous, met with confiderable op pofition. As the meature was of too extenfive a nature to admit of ample dif cuflion at this advanced period of the feflion, it was his intention to move the order of the day, with a view to its being difcharged. The order was read, and Sir John moved, that the bill be committed for this day three months. The Houfe then refolved itself into a committee on the other bill for dividing and inclofing, by agreement, and the report was ordered to-morrow, CORN |