158] ANNUAL REGISTER, 179%. 
ceived at the request of the inhabi- 
tants, who had desired to be taken 
under the protection of his Britan- 
fic majesty. Mr. Fox concluded 
his speech with moving, as an 
amendment to the address, that,after 
the words returning his majesty 
thanks for his gracious message,” 
there be inserted the following : 
“ That this house has learnt, with 
inexpressible concern, that the ne- 
gociation, his majesty lately com- 
menced, for the restoration of peace, 
has been unhappily frustrated. 
‘© In so ewful and momentous a 
crisis, the house of commons feel it 
their duty to speak to his majesty, 
with that freedom and earnestness 
which becomes men anxious to pre- 
serve the honour of his majesty’s 
crown, and to secure the interests of 
his people. That, in doing this, 
they sincerely deplore, that they are 
under the necessity of declaring, 
that, as well’ from the mafner ‘in 
which the late negociation has been 
conducted, as from the substance: 
of the memorial, which appears to 
shave produced. the abrupt termina- 
tion of it, they have reason to think 
his majesty’s ministers were not sin- 
cere im their endeavours to procure 
the blessings of peace, so necessary 
for thisdistressed country ; and that 
all prospect of pacification seems 
‘intirely removed from their view ; 
for, on the one hand, his majesty’s 
ministers insist upon the restoration 
of the Netherlands to the emperor, 
as a sine gua non; from which they 
have pledged his majesty not to 
recede; while, on the other, the 
executive directory of the French 
republic, with: equal pertinacity, 
claim the preservation of that part. 
of their conquest, as a condition 
from which they cannot depart. 
© That, under these circumstan- 
4 
ces, this house cannot help lament- 
ing the rashness and injustice of his 
majesty’s ministers; whose long- 
continued misconduct has produced. 
‘this embarrassing situation, by ad- 
vising his majesty, before the bles- 
sing of peace had been unfottu- 
nately interrupted, to refuse all’ 
negociation for the adjustmetit of 
the then subsisting differences, al- 
though, at that time, the Nether- 
lands, now the main obstacle to the 
return of tranquillity, so far from 
being considered as an object of 
contest, was solemnly renounced, 
and the peace of Europe offered 
into his majesty’s hands, upon the 
basis of that renunciation, and upon 
the security and independence of 
Holland, whilst she preserved her 
neutrality towards France. 
“That this house has farther 
deeply to regret that, soon after the 
commencement of the war, when, 
by the vigour of his majesty’s arms, 
with the assistance of those of his 
allies, the republic of Holland had’ 
been rescued from invasion, and the 
greatest part of the Netherlands 
had been recovered by the empe- 
ror; ata time, too, when most of 
the princes of Europe, with ré- 
sources yet unexhausted, continued” 
firm in their alliance with Great’ 
Britain, his majésty’s ministers did | 
not avail themselves: of this high 
and commanding position,’ for the’ 
negociation of an honourable peace, 
and the establishment of the politi- 
cal balance of Europe; that, on the ’ 
contrary, without auy example '‘ia'’ 
the principles and practices‘of this’ | 
or any othernation, it is with pain 
this house recollects, his’ majesty’s | 
minister refused to set'on foot’any’ 
negociation whatsoever with the’ 
French republic, not upon'a real or’ 
eyen alleged unwillingness on' his 
part 
