i744] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
hadnodifficultyin assenting though 
perhaps he would not agree with 
the minister as to the extent to 
which that principle might be car- 
ried. The present question was 
not, whether any minister, under 
any circumstances, should have the 
confidence of the house, duriug a 
negociation, but whether the pre- 
sent minister, under the present 
circumstances, should possess that 
confidence ? A motion was made 
for peace, by an honourable gentle- 
‘man (Mr. Wilberforce) two years 
ago. What was the language then? 
«© Do not vote for this proposition, 
but trust in me.” He prevailed 
with this house to do then what he 
asks you to do now ; to confide in 
his sincerity. After a considerable 
Japse of time, anegociation was at 
‘last attempted, through the medium 
of Mr. Wickham, and afterwards 
carried on by the embassy of lord 
Malmesbury. This negociation be- 
came a subject of discussion in this 
‘house, which was told, after every 
means had been made use of to 
evade all measures that could lead 
toany serious negociation, that there 
was not a heart in England so 
“« profligate as to wish, not a hand 
so dastardly as to sign, nor a man to 
be found so defrenerate, as to be the 
courier of a commission to be sent 
to France, to stipulate for peace.” 
We have tried our executive go- 
vernment enough, said Mr. Fox, to 
be confident we can dono good to 
cur country, by trying such means 
any longer. Let usnow try means 
that we havenot tried. My opinion 
is, that, let who will be the negoci- 
ators for peace, certainly, still more 
if the present ministers are to be 
the negociators, the chance of ob- 
_taining it will be infinitely increased, 
if parliament should give that nego- 
ciation the sanction of its vote, 
But it seems the French will be en- 
couraged if this house should in- 
terfere and dictate to the executive 
government. Will they reallythink 
worse of your energy, if they find 
that you are determined to take your 
own affairs into your own hands, 
instead of confiding to the present 
ministers ? Will they really expect 
to make better terms of peace with 
the people of England, speaking to 
them through the medium of repre- 
sentatives, than with the present 
executive government? Do they ex- 
pect more real care of the interest of 
the people of England fromareign- 
ing faction, than from the people 
themselves, speaking through the 
medium of their representatives? [ 
apprehend the contrary; and that, as 
we should expect more justice from 
the French people themselves, than 
we do of any faction among them, 
so would they from the people of 
Great Britain; and, in that view, I 
should hope, that neitherthe repub- 
lic of France would be hostile to 
Great Britain, nor the limited mo- 
narchy of this country be hostile to 
the just claims and true interests of 
the republic of France. I wish to 
know what better pledge you could 
give of sincerity to France,in your 
desire for peace, than to tell them, 
by a vote of the house of commons, 
that you are willing to negociate: 
and what is more likely to lead toa 
restoration of tranquillity, upon a 
solid and permanent foundation? 
Colonel Fullarton observed, that 
the present question, stripped ofall 
diplomatic ambiguity, stood exactly , 
thus: Is this country prepared to 
admit, that Belgium shall not be re- 
stored to the emperor, and that the 
Rhine shall be the boundary of 
France? If not, the French will. 
answer, 
