HISTORY OF EUROPE, 
~ and the repayment of it was secured 
‘on the fairest terms. 
Mr. Pitt then entered into a mi- 
nute discussion of the conditions pro- 
posed by the Austrian ministry, and 
concluded. by moving, that they 
should be complied with, as the 
safest» and most.appropriate line of 
policy that could be adopted by 
Great Britain, in the present situa- 
tion of public affairs. 
He was replied to by Mr. Fox, 
who reminded the house, thit he 
_ had foretold, when the Prussian sub- 
sidy was voted last session, that it 
would prove the prelude to other 
loans of a similar kind, and which 
probably would be attended with 
the same consequences. It was 
highly imprudent, he asserted, to 
quote as proofs of fa¢ts favourable 
to our views, the affirmations of 
members of the convention, that 
were contradicted by others. We 
had already been egregiously de- 
ceived in our calculation of the re- 
sources of France, and it were scan- 
dalous to repeat our mistakes at a 
time when it behoved us to look 
with a stedfast eye upon our remain- 
ing resources, and to compare them 
without exaggeration, to those of 
the ‘ formidable and, unyielding 
enemy, with whom we still continued 
a quarrel that threatened so many 
dangers. Butwas Austriathat firm 
fiend so this country, so warmly 
_fepresented? Had the conduct of 
_ Austria, during the last campaign, 
_ been wholly free from suspicions ? 
_ Was it wise to entrust such a mass 
of wealth as four, or perhaps six 
_ millions, to hands that might divert 
it to quite other purposes than those 
_ for which we were solicited to grant 
‘ ee esienee had shewn, that nei: 
Prussia nor ‘Austria were to be 
_ trusted, . Those who governed their 
'* - 
[urs 
councils had aéted with notorious 
perfidy, and. it were despicable 
weakness to treat with them in any 
expectation of meeting with honour 
and punctuality. The interest of 
the emperor. in this war, so strongly 
insisted on by ministers, was. cer- 
tainly a very dubious point. He 
had joined with the diet of the em- 
pire in concerting terms of peace, 
which, if they were to take place, 
would clearly preclude him from 
centinuing the war. How could 
he, in such a case, perform his sti- 
pulations with this country? at all 
events, his country was exhausted 
of fencible men, as well as of pecu- 
niary resources. , 
Mr. Fox advised a subsidy to the 
emperor, rather than.a loan; we 
could, if occasions warranted it, stop 
the payment of the former, but not 
of the latter, however emergencies 
mightrequire it, as the money would 
not remain at our command. The 
subjects of the emperor were so desi- 
rous of peace, that he might think it 
prudent to gratify their wishes; but 
were he willing to prolong the war, 
he could not do it without applying 
to this country for loans or subsidies : 
these would be regularly expecied 
and demanded every recurring year, 
and were we ina condition to com- 
ply with these demands, and to sup- 
port the war-establishment of Au- 
atria together with our own, to say 
nothing of the numerous claims on 
our finances by other members of 
the coalition? Mr. Fox detailed, 
with minute accuracy, the circum. 
stances of the loan required by the 
imperial ministry, and concluded, 
by moving for its rejeftion: but hie 
motion was negatived by amajority 
of nig. i 
A royal message of the same im. 
port was ‘delivered to the house of 
‘ Jords, 
