66] 
lacious and illusory accounts, and 
to investigate the ministerial state- 
ments with the severest strictness : 
this would shew, that in many cir- 
cumstances, they were not to be re- 
lied on. Mr. Grey went into a 
variety of particulars, in proof of his 
own assertion. Notwithstanding the 
Joan of twenty-five mullions, in- 
terest had not, he said, been pro- 
vided for the outstanding debts. 
He warned the house to beware 
of giving credit to the assevera- 
tions, so regularly brought before 
it, of French distress, and incapa- 
city to maintain the contest. To 
such delusion the war was owing, 
together with its fatal protraétions,. 
He concluded, by asserting, that if 
a fair investigation was made, by a 
committee of inquiry, it would ap- 
pear that provision had not been 
made, as stated, for the interest of 
the public debt. 
After an answer from Mr. Pitt, 
justifying his assertions and state- 
menis, and controverting those of 
Mr. Grey in the most essential par- 
ticulars, Mr. Fox took up the sub- 
jeét with great animation. He co- 
incided with the assertions of Mr. 
Grey, and treated, with marked 
asperity, the idea, that a people 
plunged, as the French were de- 
scribed, in the gulph of bankruptcy, 
should compel the British ministry 
to demand such endless supplies of 
money, and call upon the people 
of this country for so enormous a 
sum as twenty-five millions within 
little more than a year. Tle no- 
ticed, with’ equal severity, the ar- 
rears due in a variety of depart- 
ments, particularly the retention of 
the small allowance to the emi- 
grants, who had shewn such con- 
fidence in our generosity, and who 
had no other means of subsistence. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1796. 
Other members spoke on each side 
of the question. On putting the 
resolutions moved by the minister 
in favour of the new loan, and ade 
ditional taxes, they were carried 
without adivision of the house, 
The mortality that had so fatally 
prevailed among the British troops 
in’ the West Indies, and the in- 
adequateness of the successes ob- 
tained there, to the expeétations 
formed from thé sums expended on 
the expeditions against the French 
islands, were topics of general con- 
versation and complaint. Opposi- 
tion ascribed the disappointments 
that had happened in those parts 
to the incapacity, or ill conduét, 
of ministry, and demanded the pro- 
duétion of the papers relating to 
those expeditions. 
On the21stof April, Mr.Sheridan, — 
after many striétures on the conduét 
of ministry, moved fora return of the 
men carried off by disease and fa- 
tigue in those countries. So shame~ 
ful, he asserted, was the negleét 
of the troops, that, on their arrival 
in that destructive climate,they were 
destitute of shoesand stockings. Had 
not diseases ravaged the enemy’s 
forces, our own must have fallen an 
easy prey into their hands. The 
hospitals were crowded with the 
sick and wounded, for whem neither 
medicines nor bandages were proe 
vided, Such was the inhumanity 
they somenmes experienced, that# 
nivety, or a hundred, of these unef 
happy men, were once left to pass® 
a whole night on the beach, in cone 
sequence of which only seven orf ® 
eight survived. With such motives & 
for an inquiry, bow could it be de-§ & 
clined ? Herequired it, together with = 
an account of the force employed§ } 
under lord Moirain 1794 and 1795,8 © 
and which ought to have been dise§ & 
patched 
