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cord against us, and will justify Spain in the eyes of all Europe for taking up arms against us, whenever he finds herself in a condition to do it with fafety and effect; that the Spanish minifters had formerly attempted to make this right a matter of difcuffion; but that the minifters of that time had too tender a regard for the rights and honour of the nation, to admit its being in any manner

made a matter of doubt.

Thus, it was faid, that the prefent convention was fo contrived, as to be equally unfafe and difgraceful; fo that instead of having provided a reparation for former hoftilities, or a fecurity against future, it contained in itfelf the genuine feeds of hoftility and war. That it is as difhonourable to the crown itself, as to the nation; and that admitting the language, which it feems fashionable now to hold, that the dignity of the former, and reparation to it, are the only objects of confideration, it will be found as fhamefully deficient in this respect as in any other, and that the honour of the crown has not been fet by it upon a par with the honour of inferior kingdoms. In fupport of this affertion, the conduct of France in the cafe of Mandrin was cited; in which that Monarch, for a fmall violation of territorial right, in the purfuit of an outlawed fmuggler and murderer, thought it neceffary to fend an Ambaffador Extraordinary to the King of Sardinia, to apologize for it in the most folemn and public manner. A late and fimilar infance was alfo quoted, in which we were ourselves a principal party, when our fleet under Admiral Bofcawen, in the pursuit of our ene Vo1. XIV.

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mies, deftroyed fome French fhips upon the coaft of Portugal, upon which occafion we fent an Ambaffador Extraordinary to the court of Lisbon, to make reparation in honour; Can it then be pretended that the prefent convention is a reparation in honour, equivalent to that made by France to Sardinia, or Great Britain to Portugal? or if it is not, that the honour and dignity of the crown have been provided for.

That we have been fhamefully trifled with in the courfe of a protracted negociation, fo that the affront is rendered doubly injurious by the delay; and after four months arming and negociating, and being put to an expence of three millions, we are to fit down where we were, without any fatisfaction for the injury, or the fmalleft recompence for the enormous expence. That upon this fyftem, it is in the power of any petty state to ruin us, by offering repeated infults, and putting us to immenfe expences in preparations; while we are in the fingular fituation of experiencing all the evil confequences of a war, without a poffibility of reaping any of its benefits, till our trade is entirely ruined, and our public funds, by defigned and repeated fhocks, are fallen a prey to the rapacity of foreigners, and to the defigns of fharpers and jobbers at home."

It was objected to the declaration, that the reftitution in it is confined to Port Egmont, tho' Spain herself originally offered to cede Falkland's Island; and that as the violence fhe committed was under pretence of title to the whole, the reftitution ought therefore not to have been confined to a part only; [D]

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nor fhould it have been accepted, in narrower or more ambiguous words than the claims of Spain, on which that act of violence was grounded, and than the offers of reftitution which the originally made. That it appears that the court of Madrid had difavowed the act of hostility, as proceeding from particular inftructions, but justified it under her general inftructions to her governors; under the oath by them taken, and under the established laws of America; that this general order has never been difavowed or explained, and that no explanation or difavowal of it has been demanded by our minifters: and that this juftification of an act of violence under general orders, established laws, and oaths of office, is far more dangerous and injurious to this kingdom, than the particular enterprize which has been difavowed, as it evidently fuppofes, that the governors of the Spanish American provinces, are not only authorized, but required, without any particular inftructions, to raife great forces by fea and land, and to invade our poffeffions in that part of the world, in the midft of profound peace. That therefore, a power fo unprecedented and alarming, under which the Spanish governor was juftified by his court, rendered it the duty of our minifters to infift upon fome cen are or punishment upon him, as well to demonstrate the fincerity of the court of Madrid, and her defire to preferve peace, as to put fome check upon the exercife of thofe exorbitant powers faid to be given to her governors; yet though they were authorized to call for fuch cenfure or punishment, not only

by the acknowledged principles of the law of nations, but also by the exprefs provifion of the 17th article of the treaty of Utrecht, their negligence, pufillanimity, or ig norance of the first principles of public law, have been fo glaring, that they have been totally filent on fo neceffary an article of public reparation.

It was faid, that by taking no notice of the Manilla ransom in this convention, all claim to it has been tacitly relinquished; by which the captors have been indirectly robbed of their indifputable property, which had been guarantied to them by the public faith of the kingdom at the last peace; and which was doubly due to our gallant failors and foldiers, becaufe their humanity was equal to their courage, and proved as ferviceable to the inhabitants of Manilla, as it was honourable to their country that this was no lefs an injustice to the conquerors, than to the common interests of mankind; which must fuffer the moft dreadful confequences in future wars, from a recollection that there is no faith to be expected from the enemy, nor no hope of fuch vigour, juftice, or gratitude in government, as would exact it.

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Many other objections were made, which either related to the convention, or to the conduct of the ministers previous to it.The having neglected to make timely reprefentations to the court of Spain; the having neglected to make timely preparations;-the having totally omitted many parts in their original demand of repåration, effential to the honour of the crown and the rights of the people; particularly in having neg

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lected to demand fatisfaction for the affront offered to the British flag, by the detention and taking off the rudder of his Majesty's fhip; that they had not, in any part of the negociation, afferted his Majefty's right to Falkland's Iflands, or even to Port Egmont; but had been so totally inattentive to that right; as to neglect laying in the claim thereto, in oppofition to the claim of the Catholic King, which was afferted by the Spanish Ambaffador in his declaration, and which extends to the whole of those inlands; and that no explanation of the principles of this exclufive claim of fovereignty had been required, though there are good reafons to believe, that these principles will equally extend to reftrain the liberty and confine the extent of British navigation. The whole tranfaction was therefore defcribed as a standing monument of reproach; disgrace, and difhonour, which after an expence of fome millions, fettled no conteft, afferted no right; exacted no reparation, and afforded no fecurity.

On the other fide it was faid, that the fatisfaction given, was equal to what the nation had a right to expect, or the King to ob tain; that our difputes with Spain were on a point of honour, not a matter of right; that Spain having offered an affront to England in difpoffeffing her of a fort and island in time of peace, the national fa tisfaction to be demanded was reoration of what had been taken, and difavowal, on the part of the Spanish King, of the enterprize of his governor; and that both thefe points having been obtained, the honour and dignity of England bave been fully fupported and fatisfied.

That the claim of title to Falkland's Islands has been a matter of difpute, and never once allowed, from its being first fet up; that the claims on either fide are fo equivocal and uncertain, as to afford room for endless difcuffion, while the queftion of moral or legal right may be for ever unfettled; that the doctrines held at prefent by the Spaniards upon this fubject are nothing novel; their language and temper were at all other times the fame in regard to it; we accordingly find, that when the first intended expedition to those iflands had been planned under the aufpices of Lord Anfon, the court of Spain oppofed the meafure then, as they have done fince; and our government thought proper to relinquish the defign, and let the claim continue dormant.

That the firft infult had in reality been offered by our people, who had warned the Spaniards to depart from their habitations on an island which they confidered as their own, and in which they res garded us as rude and violent intraders: That Spain has now given up the island, without infifting on her right, and what farther fhould we expect from a war, fuppofing it fuccessful? And that nothing could be more humiliating on the one fide, and more compleat in regard to fatisfaction and the fup port of dignity on the other, than the circumftance of the Spanish King's being obliged, in the face of all Europe, to difavow the act of his officer in the execution of his own orders:

That in the prefent complicated ftate of interests, commerce, and intercourfe between the different ftates of Europe, if they were to [D] a

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enter into punctilious niceties of honour upon every matter of difpute or difcuffion that must continually arife between their refpective fubjects, the whole world would become a conftant scene of devaftation and flaughter. That our dignity being fecured, our intereft, above all nations, requires us to live at all times upon the moft amicable terms with Spain; that we are connected by the clofelt ties of commerce, and the strongest bands of inclination. That forcing a war in the prefent inftance, would immediately have joined France to Spain in a common cause against us, which would neceffarily cement that union between them, of which we are already fo jealous; but that by the prudent conduct which has been observed, the flacknefs of the former in offering its affiftance upon a cafe of fuch emergency, may probably and naturally produce a coldness and dislike between the two powers.

An addrefs was acFeb. 13. cordingly moved for, to return thanks for the communication of the Spanish declaration ;. to teftify their fatisfaction at the redrefs that had been. obtained; and to affure his Majefty of their affectionate and zeal. ous fupport upon every occafion.

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It was objected to this addrefs, that it was to return thanks for the acceptance of an imperfect inftrument, which had not yet, and might poffibly never be ratified, and which had not been previoufly authorized by any full or fpecial powers which had been produced by the Spanish ambaffador; that it would be equally ridiculous and degrading to return thanks for an imaginary peace, while the refult

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might fhew us involved in a real war; and that it would be a direc infult on the understanding of the people, to affure them of the reftoration of tranquillity, whilst the greateft preparations for war were making, both by fea and land, and the practice of preffing continued (to the great detriment of their commerce) as in times of the moft urgent neceffity.

The gentleman who had moved for the Spanish papers, faid, that he thought, according to the eftablifhed courtesy of the Houfe, he would have been intitled to take the lead in any propofition upon what they contained; but fince that was not permitted, he moved for an amendment, by leaving out the latter part of the addrefs, which contained an approbation of the conduct of the minifters, and retaining only the former part, which returns thanks for the communication of the papers; in order, he faid, that an examination of the facts which appeared in the correfpondence and declaration, might precede, as in reafon it ought, any refolution either of approbation or of cenfure. He then read to the House a ftring of refolutions under thirteen heads, which were founded upon the facts that appeared in the papers, and took in most of the exceptions that had been made to the different parts of this tranfaction, all of which he intended to propofe, if his motion for the amendment took place..

It was faid on the other fide, that there was no doubt of Spain's ratifying the convention; that the putting the nation in a proper state. of defence, and the navy in a refpectable fituation, would have been in any cafe a neceffary mea

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fure, and it was ftrange now to find fault with it, after fo many complaints as had been made upon thofe heads; that the addrefs was couched in very modeft terms, and not a fulfome compliment to administration; and that it was particularly neceffary, to fhew Spain that we were fatisfied, and that the need be under no further apprehenfions of war. The question being at length put upon the amendment, in a very full Houfe,

it was rejected by a confiderable majority, there being 271 for the original addrefs, againft 157 who voted for the amendment.

The addrefs of the Lords was much fuller of approbation than that of the Commons, and was notwithstanding carried through with a much greater proportional majority; it was however productive of a moft nervous and argumentative proteft, which was figned by nineteen Lords.

CHA P. VI.

Motion relative to the Middlefex election. Transactions at Shoreham ş returning officer reprimanded; bill passed to prevent bribery and corruption in that borough. Bill brought in for an amendment of the Nullum tempus act; debates upon it; the bill rejected at the third reading. Printers fummoned, and do not attend; proclamation; are apprehended, and discharged. J. Miller apprehended by a messenger, who is taken into cuftody and obliged to give bail. Debates and refolutions upon the conduct of the city magiftrates. Motion for their being heard by counsel, over-ruled. Recognizance erafed. Lord Mayor, and Alderman Oliver, committed to the Tower. Special commiffion appointed by ballot; refult of their enquiry. Bill paffed, for an embankment at Durham-yard. Eaft India recruiting bill, rejected. King's Speech. Parliament breaks up.

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HE refolution of the Houfe of Commons in the laft feffion, to adhere to the fpirit of their former proceedings in the Middlefex election, and the refolution of the House of Peers not to intermeddle with that business, had left no rational hope of fuccefs to the oppofition, in their endeavours to prevent the cafe of Mr. Wilkes from being established as a precedent. Nothing but fome extraordinary change of difpofition in the Court could lay a foundation for fuch hopes; and that change was not at all probable. They thought themfelves however obliged in ho

nour to renew the difcuffion; which now began rather to be confidered as an annual proteft against the precedent, than a ferious attempt for redrefs. They thought it neceffary to give this affurance to the nation, that their fentiments of the dangerous tendency of that meafure remained the fame. Upon this principle, a gentleman of the first rank as to family and fortune, and ftill higher in the opinion of the public, from his acknowledged independence and probity, from the extent of his abilities, and his industry and knowledge in all kinds of public bufinefs, moved to bring

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