breast, He prays to God, and finks to balmy reft. Smil'd on by thee, I icorn thole worldly fools, [rules, Who ftrut by precept, and go wrong by Who each mean art to heap their tore employ; [joy : And feek for riches which they can't enFor though I'm poor I blithely pals the day, [gay. Am free tho' frugal, prudent and yet Whatever fprings for life's unfettled scene, Yet is mine heart at eale, my mind ferene; Thus can no pleasure's fweet deftructive [bounds; founds Lead me aftray from Reafon's fober And thus e'en hills a pleafing atpect [bear. For what I cannot fun I've learnt to July 1803. wear, SONNET To catch its fragrance, or to praise its But should fome curious florist's Linnæan SINCE epigrams all think fome point eve row green, [teen, Behold it where it lonely blooms un'Neath the thick tangles of fome hedge[tie. No more its native charms unnotic'd So thou, the Herfchel of portic skill, Ingenious Liott, haft two twin ftars reveal'd, [til, Which but for thy true critic eye might By their own modeft luftre, lain conceal'd. [thewn; Thanks for the favour thou haft kindly Thy name with gratitude the Mute fhall own. Rofs, Herefordfire. THE DOUBLE MISTAKE. FROM THE FRENCH. LITTLE Love, the other day, More than moderately gay, To his mother archly faid, "Welcome Iris! lovely maid!" Venus, turning fharply round, Work'd a miracle, and frown'd. fhould contain, JOURNAL OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE SECOND PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. (Continued from Vol. XLIII. Page 474.) MONDAY, MAY 23. HOUSE OF LORDS. O the motion of Lord Moira, the Pancras Workhoute Bill was rejected. On the order of the day for confidering the King's Mellige, Lord Pelham faid, the great question to decide was, whether there were fufficient grounds for the two Mellages? VOL. XLIV. JULY 1803, and in his opinion there never existed grounds fo strong and clear. He expreffed the ardent defire of Minifters to maintain Peace; but confidered War to be inevitable; and, in order to thew its neceffity, he took a view of the different papers, from which he proved the fpirit of aggrandifement and ambition manifelted by France fince the I figning of the treaty. In fupport of his propofition, he enumerated all the proceedings that had taken place relative to Malta, to the freedom of the Prefs, the removal of the Emigrants, &c. &c.; and concluded with moving an Addrefs, expreffive of the indignation of the Houfe at the conduct of the French Government, and the affurance of their fupport in the ftruggle in which we were involved. The Duke of Cumberland addreffed the Houfe in an animated strain, to thew that we had now to decide whether England was to exift as a free ftate, or be reduced to the fame degraded rank as the rest of Europe. He confidered the First Conful as the natural enemy of this country, and was convinced that he ought to be ftrenuously refifted. His Highnefs then took a general view of the arbitrary conduct of Bonaparte in different parts of the world; and finished with expreffing his confidence that the fingle arm of England was fufficient to check his injuftice and ambition. Earl Stanhope hoped that all party diftinctions would be buried, and thought that the country could only be faved by temperate deliberations: he was forry to fee Malta the principal ground of quarrel; but thought we had an invincible ground in the interference of the French as to the liberty of the Prefs. [In the courfe of his fpeech, his Lordship hinted, that we might give the ifles of Jerfey and Guernsey to France, for permiffion to keep Malta!] The Duke of Clarence confidered the prefent as one of the most important queftions that had ever been difcuffed; and although he gave his fupport to the Treaty, yet he always doubted the inclination of France to maintain amity. Viewing the different points in contention, he drew the fame interences as to the conduct of France as thofe expreffed by the Duke of Cumberland. He confidered the late ceflion of Louisiana to be owing to the vigour of Great Britain; and was convinced that the elult of the conteft would be honourable for this country, and fortunate for the world. Lord Mulgrave went over the points of aggreffion on the part of France, expreffed his wifh for unanimity in the conteft, and paid many compliments to the lentiments of the British Princes. Viscount Melville" declared he had been in continual apprehenfion of the abandonment of Malta to France; but hoped the question was now beyond a doubt: being convinced that there was no protection for the Maltefe people except from Britain, and also that it was the palladium of the Mediterranean, he hoped we fhould fecure it by our fleets and armies, and that it would be henceforward confidered only as a British poffeffion. The Duke of Richmond was averse to a war for the fake of Malta; and was anxious that the door to farther negociation might not be closed. The Marquis of Lanfdowne was of the fame opinion: he thought the aggrandizement of France on the Continent more nearly concerned Auftria than Britain: as to the miflion of Sebaftiani, it was nothing more than every country was in the habit of doing, for the purpofe of acquiring information. The Duke of Norfolk delivered his fentiments, which were in fubftance fimilar to thofe of the two laft speakers : he recommended that any future mediation fhould not be refused. Lord King was for prudential meafures, and propofed an Amendment, the object of which was, to omit thole expreffions in the Addrefs which imputed to France the guilt of the infraction of the treaty; and infinuated the propriety of accepting a speedy reconciliation. Lord Ellenborough observed, that the aggreffions of France were so numerous, that it was impoffible for any one to diffembie their exiftence: he fpecified many inftances of the confifcation of our fhips for having articles on board of English manufacture; adverted to the different papers to prove a fyftematic infringement of the treaty; and, after evincing the neceffity of war, appealed to the abundant refources of the country, called on the Houle to abolish party views, and reminded them that the heroes of Acre, Alexandria, Aboukir, and St. Vincent, ftill lived to fight our battles. The Earl of Moira thought the amendment (hould be agreed to; and though Minifters might have acted culpably, they had fufficient grounds for their prefent proceedings. The mifchiefs, however, infeparable from war, fhould induce the Houfe to paufe before they gave it their fanction, particularly as the fate of a defenceless multitude The multitude was in their hands. remainder of his fpeech tended to fhew, that it was the enormous power of France, rather than the poffellion of Malta, that excited fuch intereft; that if the war was vigorous, it would be effential; but if protracted, it would be ruinous: in thort, if it were ill conducted, Minifters need not trouble themselves about how they thould conduct another. Earl Spencer faid a few words in defence of the caufe in which we were engaged; and was followed on the fame grounds by the Earls of Rofslyn and Warwick, and the Marquis of Sligo. Lord Grenville exprefled his fatif. faction at the general refolution to fupport the content; but the question was, what conduct should be first purfued, to enable Great Britain to become fuperior to France? Taking a view of the conduct of Minifters, he afferted that the grounds of war, with refpect to Malta, exited the day after the figning of the treaty, and that the point might then have been adjusted by proper negociation: he proceeded to fhew the neceflity of our abandoning any timid or temporifing policy; and concluded with declaring, that he did not think the war would be thort or light, but it would demand all the facrifices that the country would be disposed to make in defence of its liberty and independ ence. Lord Gwydir fpoke in favour of the war; after which the question was put, that the words in the Addrefs propofed to be omitted by Lord King do itand. -Contents, 142; Non-Contents, 10. WEDNESDAY, MAY 25. After much routine business was difpofed of, the Houfe proceeded to St. James's with their Addre's. Lord Hobart prefented a Meffage from his Majesty, ftating, that he had judged it neceffary to adopt every means in his power for defending his faithful people against the defigns of their enemy. A correfponding Addrefs was moved by Lord Hobart, and agreed to. Lord Pelham prefented feveral additional State Papers. FRIDAY, MAY 27. Some converfation took place between the Lord Chancellor, and Lords Alvanley, Auckland, Limerick, and Carleton, on the Bill for regulating Law Proceedings in Ireland; after which the Bill was ordered to be read a third time. Lord Pelham prefented the general additional State Papers; after which the House adjourned to WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1. Lords Rivers and Berwick were fworn in.-A great number of Bills were brought up from the Commons; and after hearing Counfel on fome of them, an adjournment took place. THURSDAY, JUNE 2. Earl Fitzwilliam began a motion on the conduct of Minitters, by difclaiming all perfonal hoftility; but in proof of their having incurred the greatest refponfibility for not having laid before the Houfe the evidence of the hoftile fpirit of the French, he adverted to all the acts of aggreffion and aggrandizement on the part of the French Government fince the Preliminaries of Peace. He contended, that remonftrances ought to have been made on each separate act, and particularly at the time of the invafion of Switzerland, as well as that of Sebaftiani's return from Egypt: in short, by the whole conduct of Minifters, the people had been kept continually in fufpenfe; and it was not till the Meffage of the 8th March that they were able to form a conjecture as to their real fituation. From thefe confiderations, he was justi fied in moving two Refolutions: fft, "That it appears by the King's Declaration, that the conduct of the French Republic towards this country fince the Peace has been a series of aggreffion and infult, &c.;” and, zd, "That Minifters, by not communicating to Parliament their knowledge of the conduct of France, have contributed to harrais the fpirit of the people, and to aggravate the difficulties of their fituation." Lord Limerick entered upon a general defence of the conduct of Minifters: he contended that they had preferved peace as long as the national honour would permit ; and that it would not have been prudent to come to hostilities till the French difpofition had been completely developed. Taking a view of the different points of the correfpondence, he drew the inference, that the whole conduct of Minitiers had been guided by moderation, combined with a proper fenfe of national dignity; and concluded with hoping, that a motion would be made for that I 2 approbation approbation to be bestowed on them of which they were fo justly deferving. Earl Grofvenor could not agree with those who thought the war fhould have been fooner commenced; and moved the previous question. The Earl of Darnley infifted that the nation had ftrong grounds of complaint against Minifters; and condemned their repeated concethions, by which we had been difadvantageously forced into a war. Lord Borringdon spoke nearly to the fame effect, and lamented the want of thofe great abilities which were now exiled from Government. The Earl of Fife highly approved of the conduct of Minifters, and oppofed no governments but thofe of the Stock Exchange and Leadenhall-ftreet, the former of which would foon ruin the country. The Duke of Cumberland, in reply to Lord Boringdon, defended the manner in which Minifters came into office. The Earl of Westmoreland alfo defended their conduct. Lord Mulgrave defended the Admi. ralty against the blame of dibanding the feamen, and moved an adjourn ment. The Earl of Caernarvon deprecated the peace, as effected by men who wanted capacity; and on viewing the negociation, he found they had acted neither with firmnefs nor capacity. Lord Ellenborough preffed for an immediate decifion on their conduct, which he eulogized in ftrong terms. Lord Spencer contended that the Peace was uncalled for, and was only fanctioned on the repeated affurances of its permanency. Lord Melville fupported the motion for an adjournment, on the ground that we ought at prefent only to difcufs the beit means for our fafety. Lord Hobart laid a few words in defence of the Ministry; and Lord Alvanley condemned the mode of bringing the charges. Lord Grenville laid much stress on the propriety of the method, and noticed the affairs of the Continent, in progreffion, to prove that Minifters were cenfurable for not having made proper remonstrances. The Lord Chancellor defended Ministers at fome length; after which the House divided on the net Refolution Contents, 18; Non-Contents, 106., On the fecond-Contents, 15; NonContents, 109. MONDAY, JUNE 6. After feveral public and private Bills had been forwarded in their respective ftages, Earl Fitzwilliam propofed fome additional refolutions relative to the conduct of Minifters: he adverted to the arguments lately brought forward, and combated them on precifely the fame grounds as have been already traverfed; after which he fubmitted the refolutions, which were in fubitance, "that no adequate reprefentations had been made on the aggreffions of France; that the conduct of Minifters had been of the utmost injury to the Nation; that they are unworthy of confidence; and that his Majesty ought to be petitioned for their removal." The Duke of Clarence, in an animated fpeech, defended Minifters; took a general view of the grounds on which the refolutions refted; condemned the conduct of the French, but admitted that he had only confidered the peace as an experiment. He could not allow the inability of the prefent Minifters, and would fupport them, in order that the late adminiftration might be kept out, whofe improper management and inability rendered their re-admiflion much to be deprecated. After a few words from Lord Coventry, in favour of Administration, Lord Minto made a fpeech of fome length, founded on the fame principle as the arguments of Lord Grenville and his friends, and having for its object the cenfure of the Treaty of Amiens and the whole conduct of Mi-nifters. He was followed on the fame fide by Lords Carysfort, Scarborough, and Grenville; the last of whom canvaffed the negociation through its whole progrefs, and concluded with condemning it, and fupporting the refolutions. The Lord Chancellor made an able fpeech in refutation of the charges of Lord Grenville; and Lords Pelham and Hobart briefly defended their conduct; after which the Houle dividedContents, 17; Non-Contents, 86. |