2.50 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



tion, might: prove not inconsistent 

 with the views of the coalition. 



But thfse expectations having to- 

 tally failed, and the duration of the 

 war appearing now uncertain, a 

 determination to prosecute it until 

 the coalition had obtained its ends 

 seemed to have been adopted as a 

 principle never to be relinquish- 

 ed. Those who were averse to the 

 \f ar itself, professing great zeal for 

 the reputation of the British arms 

 and councils, resolved to exert their 

 abilities in the investigation of those 

 causes to which the late failures 

 were due. In pursuance of this 

 resolution, the documents relating 

 to the transactions of the last cam- 

 paign were moved for by Mr. Grey 

 and Major Maitland ; but 0£) being 

 refused the inspection of them. 

 Major Maitland, on the I8th of 

 April, proceeded in the House of 

 Commons to a retrospect of tb.e oc- 

 currences ot 1793. The transac- 

 tions at Dunkirk and at Toulon 

 were the objects of his animadver- 

 sions, together with the projected 

 expedition under Lord Moira. He 

 entered circiimstantially into the 

 particulars of these matters, by 

 movingf for a committee of the 

 House, to enquire into the causes 

 which led to the failure of the army 

 under the Duke of York at Dun 

 kirk, and to those which occasioneii 

 the evacuation of loulon under 

 Lord Hood and Genei al Dundas. 



In opposition to Major Maitland, 

 it was asserted by Mr. Jenkinson, 

 that no exertions had been wanting 

 on the part of ministry. Tlic bra- 

 very of the British troops, and the 

 prudence of those who guided our 

 all'aiis, were alike unimpeachable. 

 The attempt upon J)unkirkwasde- 

 featedbytheprodigiousstrengih em- 

 ployed by the French in its defence. 



No violation of agreement could be 

 imputed to this country in the af- 

 fair at Toulon. When the people 

 in that place stipulated for the coa- 

 stitution of irSP, they could not 

 certainly mean that of I/pi. Due 

 care had been taken, when that 

 place was evacuated, to provide the 

 means of safety to all who would 

 accept of them. 1'he succesr, of 

 the expedition commanded by Lord 

 Moira depended entirely on the 

 junction of the Royalists. Had 

 I hey possessed a harbour for bis 

 landing, he dmibtless would have 

 landed, and done hisntmost in their 

 cause. The object in the view of 

 government, was not to compel 

 the I'rench to embrace any parti- 

 cularform of government, but to put 

 an end to those ambitious projects 

 which the French repitblicans had 

 formed and pursued e\er since the 

 extinction of monarchy. "J'he Ja- 

 cobin system hadgenerated this rest- 

 less spirit, and till that iniquitous 

 scheme was destroyed, France would 

 neither enjoy peace itself, nor siifter 

 its neighbours lu tnjoy it. Not- 

 withstanding llie pretended imprac- 

 ticability of marching to Paris, thii 

 was the best plan that could be 

 adopted. France was full of ene- 

 mies to the Convention : were the 

 allies resolutely to move forward, 

 numbers would infallibly join them 

 on their way. 



Mr. Jenkinson was seconded by 

 Ford xvlulgrave and Sir James 

 Murray. The first spoke in justi- 

 fication 0: the proceedings at Tou- 

 lon, \\ here he was present. The 

 second, in vindication oF the British 

 cpmmanders belo'c Dunkiik, where 

 tiie iailure was attiibuted merely to 

 the immense force brought to its 

 rescue by the French, whose num- 

 bers were irresistible. The retreat 



