trusted, that these were virtues 
which our country had not to learn, 
_ England had never shewn itself de- 
ficient in firmness and magnanimity; 
~ it was unrivalled in resource, it was 
foremost in exertion, and it had 
only to maintain its accustomed 
vigour to effect the restoration of 
general tranquillity, upon terms 
consistent with the dignity of the 
_ character, and the security and in- 
_ terest of Europe. 
Mr. Fox said a few words in ex- 
_ planation, in which he complained 
that Mr. Pitt -had misrepresented 
his argument, respecting the time 
for negociation. He did not argue, 
that, because it was right to neyzo- 
ciate now, it was right to nego- 
eiate at any former: period, but, 
- (and he had not altered his opinion 
from any thing he had heard) that 
if it were prudent and wise to send 
an ambassador to Paris now, when 
- the French had carried their arms 
into the heart of Germany, it would 
not have been dastardly and pusil- 
lanimous to have adopted that mea- 
sure, when they had not ofe foot 
of that territory. He said, that 
he still retained his opinion re- 
 Specting the new laws; and when 
he voted for the address, he did 
_ not include them in his construction 
vof that part of it, in which, men- 
” tion is made of the wisdom and 
) energy of the laws, against the 
~ two odious and degrading acts, he 
_ considered himself bound, by every 
) tie of interest and duty, as an Eng 
% ~ lishman, and as a representative of 
' the people, on every occasion, 
loudly to remonstrate: they had a 
> Girect tendency to change the genius 
_ of the nation, as well as the spirit 
» and even fon of government. If 
> there was cause to be uneasy about 
the threatened evil, we had reason 
PPLE he 
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ee fat 
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to tremble at the operation of the 
remedy. In all innovations, the 
remote and unforeseen consequences 
are, usually, of more importance 
than the immediate effects. Could 
those consequences be foreseen, they 
would, in many cases, be imme- 
diately resisted. By the time they 
are perceived, custom and habit 
have rendered them less odious and 
intolerable. Authority rises into ab- 
solute dominion by slow degrees: 
by encroachments, each of which, 
singly considered, seemed to be of 
little importance: the vanity’ of re- 
sistunce at last breaks the spirit of 
the people, and disposes them to 
unreserved submission: the political 
importance of the people being 
wholly gone, they are degraded 
more and more, and subjected to 
greater and greater oppression and 
insult, But, when the tendency 
and bent of national opinions and 
manners is ouce formed, it is easy 
for government to give it impetus 
and direction. Tyranny of govern- 
ment Is not to be exercised without 
degradation of the people. These 
two principles mutually promote 
the growth and strength of each 
other: just as in certain diseases, 
the derangement of the body pro- 
duces debility of mind, and the de- 
bility, thas induced, increasesthe bo- 
dily disorder from whence it sprung. 
The question, on the address, be= 
ing put, was carried unanimously, 
On the eighteenth of October, 
the house of commons resolved itself 
into a committee, to take into their 
consideration, that clause of his ma- 
jesty’s speech, which alluded to the 
intention manifested by the enemy 
to attempt a descent of these king- 
doms; the clause being read, the 
chancellor of the exchequer, after 
some prefatory matter, which it 
{1 4] could 
