64 



A N N U A L R E G I S T E R, 1804. 



that he might be able to give it his 

 cordial and entire support. 



Mr. Grey supported the previous 

 question. He could uot brine; him- 

 SfK to return thanks even to our own 

 army, until it vras first ascertained 

 that their bravery and alacrity had 

 been exerted in a just war. 



Sir Theophiliis Metcalfe defend- 

 ed the war in India, as a just and 

 necessary one, and pointed out 

 those parts of it in which our suc- 

 cess appeared Giving, principally to 

 the excellent arrangement and com- 

 bination of the plan of the noble 

 marquis. In the course of his 

 speech, he was called to order for 

 entering, fully, into the grounds of 

 the war, when it was universally 

 understood, that they should not be 

 gone into on the present occasion. 



The previous question was then 

 put and negatived without a divi- 

 sion, and the original resolutions 

 were carried. 



On the 9lh of May, Mr. Fox 

 moved for an account of the trans- 

 ports employed by government, for 

 the purpose of bringing the Ifano- 

 verian army over to this country. 

 If it should appear, that ministers 

 had made no preparations, cither 

 to save Hanover, or bring away 

 the army, it would certainly be a 

 very strong imputation on their con- 



4ua. 



Mr. Addington did not resist the 

 motion. He considered, that the 

 treaties of Luneville and Ratisbon 

 ought to have been expected to be 

 sufljcicnt security to the north of 

 Germany. As for not bringing 

 away the troops, it would be found 

 that their exertions, for that pur- 

 pose, had been defeated by circum- 

 stances, which could not have been 

 foreseen. 



On the 11th of May, the mar- 



quis of Stafford rose, in the house 

 of lords, and said, that as he had 

 been informed, that a new admini- 

 stration had been appointed, which, 

 though not formed on the broad 

 and extensive basis that he could 

 have wished, yet as it included 

 a right honourable gentleman (Mr. 

 Pitt) who had turned his great mind 

 to the consideration of the best 

 means of national defence, he 

 should withdraw the motion, of 

 which he had formerly given notice. 



On the 12th, it was publicly an- 

 nounced, that Mr. Addington had 

 resigned the oiScc of chancellor 

 of the exchequer, and that Mr. 

 Pitt had been appointed to succeed 

 him. 



On the 18th of May, Mr. Pitt 

 took his seat in the house of com- 

 mons, upon being re-ele«'rted for the 

 university of Cambridge. 



The lirst business, of any impor- 

 tance, which took place after the 

 appointment of the new administra- 

 tion, was, the passing of the volun- 

 teer consolidation bill, about which 

 parliament had been occupied the 

 greater part of the session. The 

 principal discussions were upon 

 some amendments made in the lords, 

 which the house of commons consi- 

 dered as trenching on their privi- 

 leges. 



It seemed to be the generally 

 prevailing opinion of parliament, 

 that, although no great advantages 

 were to be expcdtcd from the bill ; 

 yet, as it contained much unexcep- 

 tionable matter, particularly the 

 provision for calling out the volun- 

 teers upon permanent duty, it was 

 deemed better, upon the whole, to 

 pa^s it as it was, than to re-com- 

 mence, at so late a period, the revi- 

 sion of so many disputed and com- 

 plicated details. 



CHAP. 



