\ aa their licences, or deputatious 
me-keepers, then they should 
“Belize tofind substitutes. He ob= 
_ served th at gent'emen might smile 
at the idea of raising a force by such 
means, but that smile would be con- 
vetted into surprize, when they 
heard that the number of persons, 
who had taken out those licences, 
were seven thousand. ‘Nhe whole 
number of cav alry which he propo- 
to raise, by the means he had 
entioned, was twenty thousand. 
“«Thus,” said the chancellor of the 
exchequer, “have I pointed out 
ise fifteen thousand men, to be 
divided between the land and the 
a service ; to raise a supplemental 
> litia, and twenty thousand for the 
cavalry.”” He concluded with mo- 
ng, “* That a bill be brought in 
for raising a certain number of men 
"in the seyeral counties of Great 
Britain, for the service of his me- 
“desty.” 
_ Mr. Sheridan expected that the 
inister would have accompanied 
his statement of defensive opera- 
ions with some explanation of the 
_ reasons, why it was necessary to take 
any such measures at all? There 
was something extremely peculiar, 
he observed, in the mode of announ- 
cing the attempt apprehended in his 
jesty” s, that is, the ministers, 
speech, on which this gentleman 
bimselfhadbestowed such abundant 
praise. ‘Ihe words, “ manifested 
the intention,” were vague and in- 
efinite. [ am afraid, said Mr. She- 
dan, that the resolutions, now 
roposed, are calculated rather to 
invite than to prevent an invasion ; 
~ that they tend to frighten this coun. 
ry, but not to frighten France. 
*- hey proclaim to the enemy, thar, 
HISTORY OF EUROPE, 
{12} 
till the new force; which it ‘is pro- 
posed to collect and to train, is 
brought into action, we are not in © 
a proper state of defence, and thus 
point out the intermediate time, as 
the proper period for making a suc- 
cesstul attempt. Mr. Sheridan did 
not mean to oppose the resolutions ; 
he wished only to have some farther 
explanation, and to be informed, 
whether the real object of all our 
military preparations was not the 
extension of our colonial posses- 
sions in the West Indies? ° 
Mr. Dundas said, whether the 
preparations that have been made 
wiliend in a descent on this coun- 
try, or no, itis impossible to decide. 
There are appearances of a dispo- 
sition to make an attempt, which is 
sufficient to justify ministers for 
wishingto put the state in a posture 
of defence. In his opinion, it de- 
pended upon theconduct of bis ma- 
jesty’s ministers, in regulating or 
adopting the precautions proposed, 
whether the projected invasion 
should, or should not, be carried 
into exgcutiun. If, Mr. Dundas 
added, the present negociation 
should be unsuccessful, this coun- 
try should not. be tied up from 
offensive operation: for, in the 
event of prosecuting thewar, ourde- 
fence at home may depend upon the 
ability we possess to attack the ene- 
my abroad, I think it, therefore, of 
essential importance to augment our 
regular force, forthe defence of these 
kingdoms, and, if necessary, to car- 
ry on the military operations, as cir- 
cumstances may dictate, against an 
enemy that hag evinced a disposi-- 
tion to destroy our commerce, and 
disturb our inteinal tranquillity. 
Mr, Fox, though he did not con- 
sider it to be the duty of any man 
to make any opposition to the mea- 
sure 
