HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
houfe would be unanimons. At the 
_~ fametime, he could not avoid expref- 
fing a with that the mefiage had been 
more full; and particularly that it 
ought to have acquainted the houfe 
what our fhips were doing in thofe 
parts of America, when they were 
feized. Mr. Fox then remarked, that 
the minifter had given that houfe the 
_ moft flattering account of the pro- 
fperous ftate of the country ; and in 
ho part of his fpeech did he feem 
more confident, than in the affur- 
ances he gave the houfe of the prof- 
a of the continuance of peace. He 
knew at that time that the hips had 
been feized, and that the crews 
had been fent to a Spanish port pri- 
foners of war; he underftood that 
the Spanifi ambaffador had not 
only avowed the capture, but ac- 
_ companied it with a complaint and 
- requifition that his majefty would 
| * not fuffer his fubjects to trade on 
. thofe coafts, and fith in the fouthern 
| ocean. It was generally known 
_ that Spain was carrying on great 
| armaments. ‘The right honourable 
gentleman had better opportunities 
of knowing what the extent of the 
. armament was, than he could pre- 
| tend to; but when Spain was arm- 
ing, it was rot very reafonable to 
: 
think that we fhould be long at 
peace. He mentioned thefe cir- 
* cumftances not only as proofs of a 
ftrange inconfiltency in the minif- 
ter’s language, but becaufe the ex- 
travagance of the hopes holden out 
_ by mimifters had added greatly to 
the difappointment, the alarm, and 
the fears of the public, when they 
Suddenly found thofe hopes falfi- 
ied. Had not fuch fallacious ex- 
pettations been excited, he trufted 
that his majefty’s meffage wauld not 
Vou, XXXII. 
of 
it was now fcarcely a fortnight finee’ 
{97 
have had the effect on the public 
funds, and the minds of men, which 
it had produced. 
Mr. Pitt replied, that the right 
honourable gentleman was miftaken 
in his ftatement of the circumftances 
to which he had referred. He had 
faid; « We knew every thing when 
the budget was opened, that we 
know now.” The cafe was dire€tly 
the reverfe. We knew nothing of 
the facts in queftion, but what we 
had learned from the ftatement of the 
Spanifh ambaffador, whofe commu- 
nication was extremely vague and 
general, and related only to the 
capture of one of the veffels, and 
that without the particdlars. He 
had faid, we then knew the whole 
of the claim of Spain; whereas we 
did not know it diftinély, till at a 
period fubfequent to the budget- 
day. Neither did we know the 
extent of the preparations of the 
court of Spain in her feveral ports, 
till a very few days fince. But the 
right honourable gentleman would 
give him leave, in his turn, tomake 
a fingle remark on what had fallen 
from him. The right honourable 
gentleman had affirmed, that he for 
months had known of the arma- 
ments of Spain, and yet, in the 
courfe of the prefent feflion, he had 
argued on the spropriety of dimi- 
nijhing the forces of the country, 
and had exprefsly contended that 
we had nothing to. apprehend from 
the court of Spain. 
Several motions for papers rela- 
tive to the difpute with Spain were 
afterwards made by the members of 
oppolition, the objects of which were 
to afcertain, firft, the precife nature 
of the tranfaétion at Nootka Sound, 
and the value of the trade which ir 
was intended to ¢ftablith in tha: 
[ej past 
