140] 
were betrayed and suld.— Away 
then with your interference for the 
Porte with Russia.” 
Mr. Gray was seconded by other 
speakers, whose arguments were 
much of the same purport as those 
antecedently alleged on the sub- 
ject in agitation. 
The principal answer to them 
proceeded from Mr. Dundas ; who 
maintained with his usual dexterity, 
the justness of the conduct ob- 
served by ministry, in every part of 
their transactions ; forcibly urging 
every argument to invalidate those 
that were adduced on the part of 
opposition. As to the paperbrought 
forward as the production of the 
Grand Vizier, he treated it as a 
mere fabrication, visibly destitute of 
authenticity. 
The debate closed by an ad- 
journment of the question to the 
following day. 
The debates on the firstof March 
began with an observation made by 
Mr. Martin; which was, that 
wherever much secrecy prevailed, 
either in public or in private affairs, 
much fraud and deceit might be 
expected; pursuant to this maxim, 
he would vote for the motion of mi- 
nisterial censure. 
He was followed by Mr. Francis, 
who spoke sharply on the same 
side of the question. From his pe- 
rusal of the papers, he had, he said, 
discovered more, he believed, than 
they were intended to reveal. 
They empowered him to demand, 
whether ministers were not engaged 
in a Prussian, rather than an Eng- 
lish quarrel? Ifsuch were the case, 
the maxims they followed were 
very different from those that were 
uppermost on his first entrance into 
public life. Continential connec- 
tions were then held in aversion, as 
vary speculations, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
the bane of this country. German 
alliances were paticularly dreaded, 
as attended with endless as well as 
unprofitable expences. But the 
times werealarmingly changed; and 
such maxims would no longer be 
tolerated. The English character 
was now, to throw aside all steadi- 
ness in politics and national pur- 
suits, and adhere only to pecuni- 
The balance of 
Europe, he observed, had been held 
out by ministers, as a sufficient rea- 
son for their conduct respecting 
Russia :—allowing that its preser- 
vation was an indispensable duty, 
why should it be consigned to the 
care of this country, more than of 
the nations on the continent of 
Europe, who were no less deeply 
interested in it than ourselves? Mr. 
Francis concluded by remarking, 
that to the altercation with Russia 
was due an injurious delay of se- 
veral commercialadvantages, which 
might have been obtained from that 
power, and which were of the 
highest importance to the trade of 
this country. 
Mr. Fox rose next. The ques- 
tion concerning the balance of Eu- 
rope, was, he noticed, involved in a 
cloud of intricacies. The system 
was of so complex a nature, that it 
was easily disturbed and deranged: 
some ofits parts were at such a dis- 
tance from us, as to merit little of 
our attention, and might rather 
amuse our curiosity, than alarm our 
interest. In this light the honour 
of Great Britain was much more 
deeply engaged in the business of 
Oczakow, than any other national 
concern. . Its value, which in itself 
was nothing, had acquired import- 
ance only through the imprudence 
of adininistration; which ought 
therefore never to have made it 
an 
