HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



197 



improprieties in almost every at- 

 tempt unc'er their direcdon : they 

 had framed plans, without provi- 

 ding the raeins of execution. The 

 failure at Dunkirk, which proved 

 the origin of the many subsequent 

 disasters, was entirely owing to mis- 

 management. The advantages that 

 might have resulted from tlic pos- 

 session of Toulon, were lost by 

 want of decision, and by an unpar- 

 donable procrastination of what 

 should have suffered no delay. But 



waving these and other failures, 

 and adverting only to the fitness 

 of terminating this unpropitioiis war, 

 it ought to be recommended, as au 

 amendment to the address, that, 

 without further objections to the 

 system of government established 

 in France, ijie cro>vn should treat 

 with it for peace, upon safe and ho- 

 nourable conditions. On putting 

 the question, the addre-s, without 

 the amendiTierit, was carriedby 277 

 votes against 59. 



CHAT. XL 



MUitanj Preparations and Slrengtk of France and Great Britain in the 

 Course qf'iyg3. A Bodif of Hessian Troops arrive in the Isle of Wight. 

 This Measure censurcdiy Opposition in the House of Commons. Defended 

 by the Ministerial Parly. Motioiifir increasing the number of Seamen 

 for the Service of the Navy ; for refrriug to the Committee of Supply 

 a Treaty with the King of Sardinia. That the Land Fortes for the Ser- 

 vice of the current Year should consist of O'0,000 Alen. Conversations 

 aiulJJisputations that arise in consequence of these Motions. Supplies 

 for the Prosecution of the IVar New faxes. Act for reslrcinmg the 

 Payment of Money to Persons residing in France during the IVar. An- 

 nual Motion by Mr. fVilberforce, for Leave to bring in a Bill for the 

 Alolition of the Slave Trade, in the Hous^ of Commons. Carried. Pe- 

 titions against the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Motion by Mr. 

 Maitland, respecting French Ojjicers in British Pay. 



involved by the critical circumstan- • 

 ces of tdat period, ii> the disagree- 

 able necessity of interposing be- 

 tween tlie contending powers, in 

 order to preserve that equipoise 

 between them, on whicli its politi- 

 cal importance and commeicial 

 prosperity -so essentially depend. 

 Tlie naval' strength of the kingdom 

 consisted of no morethan foriy-tive 

 ships tit for service, of which one 

 third was of the line. They weie 

 manned by about 15,000 seamen, 

 Tlie army amounted to its usual 

 peacecstablishnieiitofaboul20,0(X). 

 But the vigour and activity of go- 

 'J ' vcniment 



THE attention paid by the 

 British ministry to the means 

 of proiecuting the war against 

 France, was equal to the import- 

 ance of which both they and the 

 majorily of the people seen.ed to 

 consider it. The Vrcnch, at the 

 close of 1793, were complete mas- 

 ters of the field on all theii fron- 

 tiers : they had expelled the .\ us- 

 trians and Prus.iians from th'jir 

 country: they liad taken possession 

 of ihe Nelherands, and menaced 

 Holhindwilh an invasion. Great 

 Britain, the principal guardian of 

 the twlance of Europe; saW itself 



