“HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
ing our superiority at sea, had, he 
said, been very injudiciously ma- 
naged, and our losses greater than 
during the Americancontest, though 
we were now confederated with 
those very powers at that time our 
enemies. The situation of Ireland, 
he observed, required no less the 
strictest inquiry: the extreme irri- 
tation of the great mass of the 
people ought to warn minisgers 
not to render themselves responsible 
for the very possible event of its 
dismemberment from the British 
empire, by the refusal of an inquiry 
into the discontents of its inhabi- 
tants, While rulers of such a de- 
scription as the present presided 
over our affairs, he was thoroughly 
convinced these would never pros. 
per; but before he would enter on 
the propriety of their removal, he 
would move for an inquiry into the 
state of the nation. 
Mr. Pitt, in reply to this speech, 
allowed the subjects proposed for 
inquiry to be of the highest im- 
portance; but this was not a sea. 
son to discuss them. So extensive 
an investigation demanded more 
time than the remainder of the 
session could allow; besides, that 
every subject alluded to had already 
undergone an ample discussion: he 
would advert, however, to some 
material errors: the loss of men, for 
instance, was tenfold greater with 
the enemy than with us; and the 
increase of manufaCtures was pro- 
digious, without the decrease of any 
particular branch. The numbers 
wanted for the navy and the army 
were great, and yet the exports for 
the last year had exceeded those of 
any preceding year of war. With- 
‘out justifying the conduct of Prussia, 
still he would recommend the stri¢t- 
est alliance with Austria, of whose 
Vo... XXXVII. 
from) that . quarter. 
£193 
finances we should readily supply 
the deficiency, in consideration of 
the auxiliary strength we derived 
He did not 
deny the rise of insurance; but at- 
tributed it to the extraordinary 
augmentation of our foreign trade; 
and, in a great measure, to the de- 
struction of the naval power of the 
French, which had induced them 
to convert the remainder of their 
marine into privateers, by which 
means they now carried on a pre- 
datory war: but methods, he af- 
firmed, would, ere long, be found 
to resist this new system of depreda- 
tion. He ‘complained of the pro- 
pensity of those who disapproved 
of the war, to lessen our successes, 
and to magnify our losses; but 
whatever changes, he added, might 
happen in the ministerial depart. 
ment, these were not the men in 
whom those who felt for the honour 
of their country would repose con- 
fidence. He concluded by moving 
the previous question, after strongly 
admonishing the house to wave all 
notice of the affairs of Ireland, as 
entirely improper at the present 
period, and productive of more per- 
plexity than service to either of the 
two kingdoms. 
Mr. Sheridan censured, with great 
asperity, Mr. Pitt’s answer to Mr. 
Fox, as totally irrelevant of the 
main subject. Mr. Canning asserted 
that the a¢tual situation of Ireland 
was a sufficient exculpation for des 
clining all discussion on the sub. 
ject. They were followed by Mr. 
Fox, who resumed the subject with 
great warmth andenergy. He was 
not surprised, he said, that ministers 
should object to an inquiry that 
would endanger their places: but 
was the nation thus to be sacrificed 
to their convenience? They had in- 
[Oo] sultingly 
