350) 
with theprésent ministry; he meant 
not, however, to covet their places ; 
frequent ministerial changes he 
strongly reprobated, and thought 
that country the best governed 
where ministersremained such; while 
their abilities, their diligence, and 
their honesty, stood unimpeached, 
A variety. of historical passages 
were adduced by lord Mulgrave, on 
this occasion, in favour of the mit 
nisterial determination to persist in 
thewar. The French, he observed, 
had frequently met with the most 
signal reverses of fortune, after ob. 
taining the most astonishing succes- 
ses. Lewis X]V. was a remarkable 
instan¢e of this inthe last, and inthe 
beginning of the present century ; 
no monarch had been mere vittori- 
ous, but none was finally reduced to 
more distress. ' In the memory of 
living witnesses, the French had 
begun with triumph, and ended 
with disgrace ;\ as particularly in 
the warof17gg. It was unmanly, 
therefore, as well as unreasonable, 
to look on the present progress of 
the French as irresistible, What- 
ever were our sufferings, they ought 
cheerfully to be borne, sobbed it was 
reflected, that we were struggling 
for our ‘national preservation. In 
speaking of Corsica, he noticed the 
intrinsic unimportance of Minorca 
and Gibraltar, which, however, by 
their local situation, were highly 
useful to Great Britain. 
Lord Stanhope seconded, with his 
usual emphasis, the amendment 
moved by lord Guildford, and was 
replied to by lord} Mansfield. This 
speaker represented the pecuniary 
resources of France. as totally ex- 
hausted. The expenditure of France 
in the last campaign amounted to 
one hundred and forty-four millions 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1793. 
sterling ; the assignats, ina€tual cirs 
culation, were two hundred and 
forty millions, and the quantity of 
forged assignats was immense ; hence 
they were altogether sodepreciated, 
that no person would take them but 
at an incredible discount, reducing 
their value almost to no:hing. 
“It was remarked, on this subjeét, 
by Jord Lauderdale, that if the fis 
nances of France were in reality so 
reduced, the French would never 
retain so haughty a style; nor cught 
they to be so heavily charged \ with 
ambitious views, when it.was well 
known they were, at that time, so- 
liciting peace from one of the co- 
alesced powers; and. had serupu~ 
lously observed the stipulations with 
neutral states. . He dwelt severely 
on the prospe&,: held out. by lord 
Spencer, of the most -formidable 
navy, ina few months, ever put to 
sea; while, at the same time, the 
admiralty were not apprized, that 
the French were masters of thé ens 
trance of the Channel. He cen. 
sured the ministry for not sending 
out a larger force to the West in- 
dies, where the French were: most 
vulnerable; and ascribed to their 
weakness, in rendering the public 
a security for the Imperial loan, the 
facility with which ir was procured 
by the Austrian agents, 
The arguments, that had been 
alleged for and against the con. 
tinuance of the war, were res 
viewed by lord Grenville, who con- 
cluded for the prudence and pro- 
priety of continuing it with ad- 
ditional spirit. The marquis of — 
‘Abercorn, and the duke of Leeds, ~ 
rejected the amendment; though 
they refused to bind themselves with 
the ministerial party to the “Support 
of the war, h 
The 
