Though these treaties were, in fubftance, the fame as the preliminary articles of peace, ftill there were fome differences, which, though not of a very important nature, were nevertheless beneficial to the country, and marked the attention of his Majefty's Minifters to the interefts even of individuals, as well as of the public; ftipulations were made in the definitive treaty with France, in favour of the British fubjects who held lands, &c. in the ceded ifland of Tobago, whofe interefts feemed to have been overlooked in the preliminary articles; and the gum trade, of fo much confequence to the nation, was much more fatisfactorily fecured than it was by the preliminary treaty. He did not mean, in mentioning thefe circumftances, to caft any reflection on the late Adminiftration; his object was only to fhew that the prefent Minifters attended even to the moft minute interefts of this country. The fpeech recommended to the serious attention of the House, the prefent ftate of the affairs in India; this was furely an object well worth the confideration of Parliament: our poffeffions in the Eaft were now become the brightest and most valuable gem in the British diadem, and confequently they ought to be the objects of the greatest care; how they became the property of England would astonish the world; that a company of merchants fhould conquer the greatest and most valuable part of the Mogul empire, was an event in itself fo extraordinary, that it ftood unparallelled in the annals of the world. The wifdom of Parliament fhould exert itself to fecure conquefts fo unexpectedly acquired, and which contained refources to which this country might look with fingular fatisfaction. He trufted that the wifdom of that Adminiftration, who fo properly brought forward the fubject to the notice of Parliament, would fuggeft fuch a scheme for the government of India, as would fecure the advantages of thele territories, and restore our name to its former brilliancy in the Eaft. The fpeech touched upon the ftate of public credit, and of the revenue; this furely was a fubject, than which fcarce any could be more important, or with more propriety be recommended to the Houfe by his Majefty. Delivered as we were from the calamities of an unfortunate war, it would well become Parliament to deliberate on the means moft likely to restore public credit, and maintain it. Our honour as a nation was concerned in preferving inviolate the faith pledged to the creditors of the public; and this could be beft done by making fuch arrangements as fhould appear moft advifeable to check

the

the growing evil of fmuggling, and confequently to raife the revenue to fuch a degree, that it fhould be found not only fufficient to defray all the expences of the different eftablishments that muft neceffarily be kept up, but alfo to produce an overplus that might be applied towards the extinction of some part of the national debt. The honour of the British nation, even in the midst of the moft ferious reverfes of fortune, had not been fullied the late war, which he was happy to fay was now finally terminated, had been remarkably unfortunate to us; but ftill it ferved to place the British character for martial deeds in the higheft point of view; no nation was ever involved in a more arduous ftruggle; and no nation ever maintained one with fo much firmnefs and fo much valour; the deeds achieved by British arms during this war, would be recorded in the book of fame; and while intrepidity, virtue, and patriotifm fhould be revered among men, the names of the illuftrious chiefs who had fignalized themfelves in the war would never be forgotten. The confequences however of the ftruggle would fill be felt; the deficiencies of the taxes laid on to fupport it must be made good; and even now that we were at peace with all the world, we must impose fresh burdens on ourfelves: the funded and unfunded debt must be provided for; the public faith was pledged; and he made no doubt but the Houfe would heartily concur with his Majefty's wishes, in finding out means, which, while they fhould maintain the faith, and uphold the credit of the nation, might be as little burdenfome as poffible to the people. Such were the great objects of the King's fpeech; the address that he fhould have the honour to move, would pledge no man to any thing more than to agree with his Majefty in the importance of thefe objects, and to affure him that the Houfe would give them the moft ferious confideration; the addrefs had no retrofpect to any meafures of former Minifters; and it had a profpect only to fuch as every member must be convinced were abfolutely neceffary. His Lordship concluded by moving,

"That an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, to congratulate him on the birth of a princefs, and the fafe recovery of his moft amiable Confort; and to thank him for the paternal care and fatisfaction he expreffed in having concluded the definitive treaties with the courts of France and Spain, and with the United States of America: alfo for having ratified the preliminary articles with the States General of the United Provinces; and the affurance he has given that

B 2

Sir Francis
Baffett.

that there is no doubt but that all thofe powers agree with him in a fincere inclination to keep the calamities of war at a great diftance.

"Affuring his Majefty that we will give every affiftance in our power to maintain and improve the valuable advantages derived from our Indian poffeffions, and to promote and fecure the happiness of the native inhabitants of thofe provinces.

"That the fecurity and encrease of the revenue in the manner leaft burdenfome to his fubjects, will be amongst our firft objects; and as in many parts it has effentially fuffered by dangerous frauds that have prevailed, and alarming outrages that have been committed; and although exertions have not been wanting to reprefs the daring fpirit, yet no pains fhall be fpared to enquire into its true caufes, and to provide fuch remedies as may be found wanting for the accomplish ment of purposes in which the material interefts of this nation are fo deeply concerned.

"To thank his Majefty for having made a reduction in all his establishments as low as prudence will admit; and to affure his Majefty, that his faithful Commons participate with him in the fatisfaction he feels in its being a step towards the relief of his fubjects; and to affure his Majesty, that he may rely on that fortitude which has hitherto fupported this nation, under many difficulties, and for bearing thofe which the prefent exigencies require, and which are so neceflary for the fupport of the national credit.

"To affure his Majefty, that it is our earneft defire to direct all our deliberations to the honour of his crown, the fafety of his dominions, and the profperity of his people."

Sir Francis Baffett feconded the motion. He faid he had very little to add to what the noble Lord had faid upon the fubject. He congratulated the Houfe on the happy circumftance of having the definitive treaties concluded, and upon his Majefty's affurance in his moft gracious fpeech that all the late belligerent powers agreed with him in the fincerity of their wishes to keep the calamities of war at a great diftance. He enlarged on the bleffings of peace; and faid, that on its long continuance depended the future welfare and profperity of the kingdom. In compliance with cuftom, he would make a few remarks on the addrefs, which was an anfwer to the King's fpeech: firft, it called upon the Houfe to thank his Majefty for having concluded the definitive treaties; to this no one could have an objection, as the treaties

were

were in fubftance the fame as the preliminary articles, which had been figned during the laft feffion of Parliament; he faid nothing of the merits or demerits of thefe articles; but having been once figned, the public faith was pledged, and it of courfe became neceffary to fign definitive treaties; and the alterations the latter contained were fo much for the better, that he was fure that to this part of the addrefs there could not be a diffentient voice. The ftate of India was recommended from the throne, and the Houfe was called upon to thank his Majefty for this recommendation. He believed that the great importance of our poffeffions in India appeared fo obviously to every member, that the House could not enter too foon upon that great bufiness. They were become our laft and beft refource; and, if properly governed, might become the great fupport of the finances of this country. He made no doubt but his Majefty's Minif ters would bring forward fuch a fyftem of government for that quarter of the world, as would be found productive of the most folid advantages to the ftate. Hitherto India had been looked upon as the place, where the ambitious man could gratify his most unbounded wishes to accumulate wealth, and where the luxurious fpendthrift might beft repair a fhattered fortune; the unfortunate inhabitants became a prey to both, and might well deteft a government that could countenance fuch proceedings. For the fafety therefore of these invaluable poffeffions, it would be neceffary to pay the greatest attention to the intereft and happiness of the native inhabitants; this was an object to which the addrefs would bind the Houfe to turn their thoughts; and furely no man, who understood the intereft of his country, and wifhed to promote it, would feel any objection to bind himfelf on fuch an occafion. The ftate of the revenue was another great object of confideration: the frauds committed by fmugglers were now grown to fuch an enormous height, that the interpofition of the legislature was become abfolutely neceffary. During the war, the fmuggling veffels warmed on the coaft; the Humber was full of them; they carried to the enemy intelligence of the failing and arrival of our fhipping, and did us inconceivable damage. Thefe veffels were manned principally by natives of Great Britain and Ireland: he could fpeak of the mifchief they did, better than many other gentlemen, becaufe living in a maritime county, he had opportunities of being frequently a witness to the proceedings of the fmugglers. He remembered that a fmug

gling

Sir Jofeph
Mawbey.

gling veffel having been carried into a Cornish port during the war; he found that though fhe was French, there were, out of 40 hands on board, 25 men who were fubjects of Great Britain. To check the progrefs of the growing evil of fmuggling, ought to be an object near the heart of every man who wished to encreafe the revenue, and fupport public credit; and therefore he was fure that, to that part of the addrefs which promifed that the Houfe would seriously attend to that object, there could not poffibly be any oppofition. The nation had juft been freed from a war, which had been truly calamitous; but ftill its honour had been moft gloriously maintained; the diftinguished characters of the war would never be forgotten; the names of Rodney, and other gallant commanders, both by fea and land, whenever mentioned, must keep up the memory of British glory, nobly won in the most hazardous war in which any nation had ever been engaged. Our calamities had been great, and our expences enormous; it would be our duty to avail ourselves as much as poffible of the happy return of peace, to put our finances in fuch order, and raife public credit to fuch a height, as would enable us to recover our ftation of refpectability in the fcale of Europe, as a formidable nation: poft varios cafus, poft tot naufragia portum; we had after the calamities of war got into the haven of peace; it would be the duty of Parliament to fecond the wishes of his Majefty, in adopting fuch measures as fhould be found most likely to preferve the credit of the nation, and maintain its faith. He concluded by faying, that if the noble Lord who had preceded him, had thought proper to apologize to the House for having taken up their time, it was much more neceffary for him to make an apology for having remained fo long upon his legs, when he had nothing to offer which had not been anticipated by the noble Lord.

Sir Jofeph Mawbey caught hold of the poft tot naufragia portum, quoted by Sir Francis, and took from it an opportunity to fpeak his fentiments of the coalition. He faid, that if the portum meant the coalition, he could not thank his Majefty for bringing us into fuch an haven of peace, for he detefted the coalition. It was not an haver of peace; but on the contrary, a port more to be dreaded than the Bishop and his Clerks (a fet of rocks) -it was made up of fuch heterogeneous matters; and he never could have confidence in the measures of a ministry, one half of which had for twelve years together fhewn their incapacity to govern. He paid.

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