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become the subjects of future in noble example of the vigour of a quiry.

people who understand the blessings It was on this ground that lord of independence, and who are resola Grenville asked their lordship’s ved to maintain it. support to the address, As to the With regard to what had fallen question whether his majesty had from lord Hawkesbury respecting been well or ill advised in dissolving Prussia, Iord Grenville assured him, the last parliament, sacred as he held that he was very much misinformed, every prerogative of the crown, he if he supposed that previously to considered his majesty's servants as the mission of lord Morpeth, there answerable for the advice which existed any means of communica. they give his majesty for the exer. tion between that and this country. cise, or abstaining from the exercise, From the moment of his majesty's of every one of them. In no case declaration against Prussia until did he conceive the exercise of lord Morpeth proceeded to the this undoubted prerogative to have continent, there did not remain for his been more wise, more salutary, or majesty's government any means of more attentive, on the part of his communicating, or of acting in cona majesty, to the feelings of his peo. cert with Prussia. At the same time, ple than the dissolution which had had there been any disposition in the lately taken place. When a nego- court of Berlin to communicate with tiation, by which his majesty's en. this country, means were not want. deavours to restore the blessings of ing for that purpose, on their part, peace, not merely to the people of The Prussian minister having been enGreat Britain, but to the nations couraged to stay until the end of Auof Europe, had failed of success, it gust, was recalled by his court, pur. was surely a wise measure in his posely that there might not be, majesty, to appeal to the sense of through him, any further communicahis people, to refer to them the tion. The plain fact was, that Prussia conduct of his servants, and there. had gone on from year to year, from by to call upon them to pronounce, month to month, and at last from in the eyes of the world, their week to week, under the same illu. sense as to the farther prosecution sion as to her safety from. France, of the contest. From the exercise and still pursuing the same selfish of the royal prerogative in calling policy, until she found that she was a new parliament on the late occasi. placed in a situation of the most on, the empire had gained this great imminent danger. Then she disa and important advantage, that the played as much precipitancy as she degree of unanimity which had been had before evinced of indifference to manifested by the people from one the fall of Europe, and acted with eod of the united kingdoms of that want of caution and foresight Great Britain and Ireland to the that had brought on all herdisasters. other, on the subject of the war, on

If lord Grenville stated all this re. the necessity of vigorous exertions, specting Prussia, it was not for the and the determination to persevere purpose of reproaching that power, in the struggle, had given strength, nor for drawing a parallel between

, confidence, and spirit to the govern. her conduct and that of other coun. went, aod exhibited to the world a tries. But, as obse tions had been

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made on this subject for the purpose appointed to prepare and bring in the of withdrawing the confidence of same; which was accordingly done. the people of this country from On the same day an address, in his majesty's ministers, it became a

consequence of the speech from the duty he owed to his own character, throne, was moved for in the house and that of those with whom he of commons by the honourable acted, to throw off all disguise, and William Lamb, son of lord vis. to avoid those imputations which count Melbourne, who after prefaconcealment only could sanction. tory observations on the awfulness At the first moment when there ap- of the present period, the importance peared any serious disposition in of the present meeting of parliament, Prussia to co-operate with Russia and the qualities which ought, and, against the common enemy, his ma- he trusted, would distinguish its dejesty's ministers thought it their duty liberations, remarked that in his to shew that this country would not majesty's most gracious speech, be wanting in fidelity to its ally, or in which had just been read from the any efforts that might advantageouse chair, their attention was princi. ly be made for the safety of Europe. pally drawn to two topics. The

It had been asked, why lord first was, the fruitless negotiation Morpeth was not sent ou his mission with France. Nothing could be until October ; or, if it was right not farther from his intention than to to send him until that time, why did revive political differences, now al. henot remain? Why did he return in most lost in the disasters in which we November? Why he was not sent were so nearly interested. But he until October, he had already suf. thought, that without any hazard of ficiently explained. And as to the such a revival, he might say, whether

of his return, he asked the pacific system so strongly recom. why he ought to have remained ? mended during the last war was prac. The king of Prussia did not remain; ticable or not, that when the adro. his army did not remain.

Was it cates for that system came into powthought that lord Morpeth ought, er, it was at a time when their hopes merely for the glory of the affair, to of carrying it into effect, must have have remained on the field of bat- been considerably diminished. Al. tle ?'The fact, however, was, that not though at an earlier period France only before the battle of Jena, but might have been successfully re. even after it, lord Morpeth found sisted by ,

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pursuance of a it impossible to get any satisfactory pacific system, yet the case became answer from the king of Prussia, or far different when so many rivals his ministers, on the subject of his lay at her mercy; when their rea mission.

sources were exhausted; when Lord Hawkesbury begged leaveto their territories were dismembered ; observe, that not a word had fallen when their armies were overcome ; from him in the least disrespectful and when their spirits were abash. to lord Morpeth, of whose merits ed and dismayed before the over.. he entertained the highest opinion. whelming superiority of France.

The question being put on the U.der these inauspicious circummotion for an address, it was car. stances, so little calculated to proa ried nem, diss, and a committee was duce a pacific disposition on the

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part of France, or to produce a disastrous events, succeeding each corresponding inclination the other with unexampled rapidity. part of other powers, the negotiation Still it might be reasonably permite was begun. It was begun because ted us to hope, that although Russia ministers advised his majesty to take might not be able to re-conquer advantage of the opening presented kingdoms and re-establish thrones, by the enemy, in order to put a stop, she might yet have the power of if possible, to those encroachments prescribing a boundary to that in. which a state of hostility had only ordinate ambition which had swal. increased, and to collect what might lowed up every government within be called the relics of the continent, its reach. and, by peace, give to various powers

The other point in his majesty's an opportunity of recruiting their speech to which Mr. Lamb had al. strength, with a view to future ex. Juded as pressing itself on the attenertions for self-liberation from tion of the house, was the burthens the oppression under which they demanded by the present posture of groaned.

affairs, and the internal state of But it was discovered that, if any the country, which enabled it peace consistent with the honour of to bear them. On these topics this country could be made, France Mr. Lamb expatiated in the usual would soon find it her interest to manner, and concluded with moving, break it, or at least to indulge in “That 'an humble address be pre. farther aggrandizements, wich must sented to his majesty,” &c. &c. eventually lead to its rupture. His The motion for an address was majesty's ministers, therefore, ha. seconded by Mr. John Smith, who ving in the first place so far relied on following the course of his majes. the good sense of the people of this 'ty's speech, illustrated and enforced country, that they would not allow the different points it contained, as themselves to be buoyed up by false is usual on such occasions. Speak. hopes, made an attempt at pacifica. ing of Prussia, he observed, that tion : but finding that those terms on " to fill up the cup of her misery, which alone a peace ought to be in the answer of the French goconcluded, could not be obtained, vernment to the manifesto of the they preferred war, with all its ca. king of Prussia, who to a generous lamities and burthens, to a peace foe would now be an object of which, by the abandonment of our compassion, that unhappy monarch allies, must eventually prove more is cruelly and insolently taunted destructive to the country than suc. with the degrading submissions and cessive years of active 'warfare, temporizing policy which his un.

This account of the origin, pro. feeling tyrants had so long ex. gress, and issue of the negotiation, acted from him.” Of Buonaparte's, appears to be candid, clear, and blockade of the British isles he satisfactory. It is in substance, observed, “ that the arrogance of what was said again and again, this threat of blockade could be when it became a subject of discuss equalled only by its absurdity. The sion in parliament. The failure of consequence of the declaration only the negotiation had, it was too well had been well described by a known, produced a series of most person whom it might be hardly

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decorous to nime in that house, such an humble individual as himself, the vassal king of [lolland. This vassal to throw out suggestions to govern. king, in his address to his unfortunate ment without the slightest intention subjects, himself told them, that the of thwarting it, or without the most prohibition of the trade of neutrals remote tendency to hurt the feelings would give a death-blow to the alrea. of any of the members of which it dy expiring commerce of Holland.” was composed.” This and not a lit

Mr. Canning, after a full decla. tle more being premised concerning ration of the state of his mind, his himself, Mr. Canning proceeded to feelings on the present oecasion, the a consideration of the address. Mr. candour, the principles, and the ends Canning's speeches in parliament, that directed his public conduct, notwithstanding somewhat of an air professed, according to his manner, of self-importance, and excessive ver. with amplification, his confidence bosity, generally displayed accyrate 6 that there existed in this country information, as well as good obser. resources amply sufficient to meet vation and sense. Neither were they and brave, all the difficult struggles, altogether destitute of vivacity, and to avert all the impending by which however, it was evident, dungers with which we could pos. sometimes, that he laboured to sibly be threatened ; -a perfect distinguish them. They were and sincere confidence; a also, on all subjects, very long fidence founded not on rashness, and very diffuse.

So that, except but on

the most mature reflec. in a very voluminous work, it would tion; a confidence founded on the be impossible, consistently with any experience of the past, on the review degree of symmetry among the parts, of the present, and on the anticipation to give even a brief analysis of them. of the future. He trusted that all Of his present speech, it may be obthat might be necessary for him to served in general, that it was a kind say in the course of the obserrations of panegyric on the last administra. which he should sake the liberty of tion and philippic against the presubmitting to the house, might be sent. As the great model of his considered with a reference to this oratory was the late Mr. Pitt, he declaration. But, with whatever did not fail to imitate him in what confidence he felt himself justified were very prominent features in the in looking to the state of our re- public speaking of that minister,sources, he also felt how incum amplification and sarcasm. Of the bent it was on him and on the former, which he carried to a dis. house, to look seriously to the situ- gusting length, a sample has just ation of the country,-to examine, been given. In his speech on the to deliberate, andto deterinine, whe- present occasion we have a specimen, -ther all that had passed in the con. and that not an unhappy one, of either duct of the state had been 'without his natural turn or acquired talent for error, or whether some reflections the latter.

the latter. A new parliament (he on what had been done, might not said) had been assembled, and they have a favourable influence on what were now, for the first time, about was still to do. Assuredly it was in to review the transactions of an ad. the power of any man, who had ministration, composed of men of turned his attention more' parti. 'great talents, who entered upon cularly to public affairs, even of office not ten months ago, with this

particulas particular and distinct declaration, hostile to the ambitious views of that all those who preceded them France. But the conduct of his had been in the wrong ; that they majesty's ministers had been the had « clubbed the battalion;" that reverse of this policy.

By that every thing required correction and conduct Prussia had been compelled amendment; that nothing was in its to act without our advice and assis. place; that our resources were cx- tance, and to plunge into a war of hausted, our credit destroyed, our which, if our advice could not have faith violated; that we were unable prevented it, our assistance might to maintain 'our own rank among at least have ameliorated the termithe nations of Europe, and much nation. The mere abstaining from less to assist others in regaining that interference in the quarrel between which belonged to them. What France and Prussia was a poor followed : At the end of ten ground of congratulation, and he months, these very gentlemen say was astonished that such a topic of that the resources of the country consolation could have entered the remain vpimpaired.—Those who head of any minister. It ought to but ten months ago, exclaimed that have been our care, that the differthey were in a state of the utmost ence between France and Prussia dilapidation, now tell us not that should not have been too suddenly they have been retrieved, not that blown into a flame, lest it should they have been re-established - have been too

too suddenly extin. but that they remain' unimpaired: guished. He by no means meant that is, that they never have to imply doubt of the justness of been impaired. It was certainly ve. his majesty's quarrel with Prussia : ry satisfactory to every man, that but, if France, by a nominal and there should be even this stale illusory transfer of Hanoverto Prus. tribute paid to those who had been sia, could plant a cause of dissen. formerly loaded with censure. But sion between Prussia aud Great surely it would be too much to ex. Britain, was not this a contrivance pect that any man who had ever, as of the enemy, which nothing but he had done, regulated his conduct the simple policy adopted by our by, who had followed the footsteps, government, could be blind to ? or who had considered the vame of France found Great Britain and Pitt, as connected with the glory Prussia in amity, with a tendency

, and happioess of England, could to coalesce. What was her object? pass this part of his majesty's To divide them, and by a pretended speech unnoticed.”

transfer to Prussia of the hereditary Among the various observations dominions of the king of Great made by Mr. Canning on the con. Britain, to create a war between duct of the late ministry, was what the two countries. follows. Prussia, unable to resist the There were so inany topics, Mr. power of France, encroached upon Canning said, on which an amend. us. We had however the option to pass ment to the address might be inover the just cause of complaint, traduced, that he preferred the subwhich we possessed in consequence, stitution of a new address altogether, and leave untouched the only power leaving it to the option of the house in Europe, which appeared capa. which to adopt. He therefore pro. ble of being the germ of an alliance posd by way of amendment, to

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