ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



(Ires?, which he hoped would be 

 voted unanimously. 



Mr. Fox rose, not to object to 

 the address, nor to dispute the 

 statements of the mover and second- 

 er, but merely to advert to two 

 pohits, one of which was omitted, 

 and the other particularly alluded 

 to, in the king's speech. The first 

 was, the mediation of Russia, re- 

 specting which, he thought, the 

 house was entitled to information. 

 In the last session of parliament, a 

 noble secretary of state (lord 

 Ifawksbury) did expressly pledge 

 ministers not only to accept the me- 

 diation of Russia, if offered, but 

 even to solicit it, if it were not. 

 That noble lord had stated, that 

 ministers were ready to hear the 

 ideas of the court of St. Pctcrs- 

 burgh, and to state their own opi- 

 nion of the means most likely to 

 bring about a good understanding 

 between the two countries. After 

 ministers had been so pledged, and 

 that such an interval had elapsed, 

 he expected some intimation in the 

 speech, of the success of these ncgo- 

 ciations ; at least, it would be ne- 

 cessary to have such information be- 

 fore the time should come for the 

 discussion of that question. The 

 olhcr point to which he had alluded, 

 ■was the mention that had been 

 made of Ireland. As to the hope 

 that was held out of its permanent 

 tranquillity being restored, he could 

 not entertain any sanguine expecta- 

 tion of its being realized, at least, 

 while the present system is perse- 

 vered in in that country. He could 

 not allow that the late insurrection 

 had been brought about entirely by 

 French inlluence, when the leaders 

 nf it expressly disavowed such no- 

 tions, and disclaimed any connexion 

 ■with France. He should have felt 



great and sincere pleasure, if therd 

 had been any thing mentioned in the 

 speech which could induce a hope 

 that the system of Irish government 

 would be ameliorated. He warned 

 the house not to give too mucli 

 conlidence to the general asser- 

 tions that were made respecting 

 the loyalty of that people. It 

 must be recollected that those 

 kind of assertions were frequently 

 made in the last session, even up to 

 the day of the breaking out of the 

 insurrection. He concluded, by de- 

 claring that it was not his intention 

 to disturb the unanimity which 

 seemed so much to be desired on th« 

 present occasion. 



The CJiancellor of the Exche- 

 quer (Mr. Addington) admittctl that 

 Mr. Fox had accurately stated th« 

 pledge which had been given on a 

 former night by a noble friend of 

 his (lord liawkesbury). The fact 

 was, that Russia had olTcrcd its me- 

 diation, which was accepted, with 

 readiness and gratitude, on the part 

 of his majesty's servants. Discus- 

 sions were accordingly commenced , 

 but, he was sorry to say, that, in 

 their progress, they did not assume 

 suc'h a shape as to afford the least 

 probability of bringing about an 

 amicable arrangement M'ith France. 

 As to the other point, respecting 

 Ireland, he was perfectly convinced 

 that, however some few of the lead- 

 ers of the insurrection might have 

 disclaimed French alliance, yet that 

 many of them did look to a French 

 invasion as the means of carrying 

 their purposes into effect. He could, 

 with satisfaction and exultation, as- 

 sure the house, that the conduct of 

 his majesty's government in Ireland 

 had tended very much to improve 

 the loyalty of all ranks and de- 

 scriptions of people in that countrj'. 



Haying 



