ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



towards Spain was justifiable on the 

 grounds of policy,; justice, and libe- 

 rality; and also to shew, that such an- 

 augmentation had been made in the 

 military force of the country, in 

 troops of the line, militia and vo- 

 lunteers, that we had at this moment 

 600,000 men ready to take the 

 field. 



His royal highness the duke of 

 Clarence spoke merely to the same 

 effect as lord Carlisle, and thought 

 it would be more consistent with the 

 humanity and magnanimity of this 

 great nation, to have employed 

 double the force it did in the deten- 

 tion of the Spanish ships, which 

 might have prevented the unhappy 

 accident that had occurred. 



Lord Grenville also expressed his 

 general concurrence in the address, 

 but referred the two main points, 

 already taken notice of, for future 

 discussion. 



The duke of Norfolk expressed 

 his disappointment at not finding 

 any notice taken, in the speech, of 

 the final emancipation of the Roman 

 catholics of Ireland, which was ex- 

 pected to be one of the first acts of 

 the present government, as inability 

 to carry it into effect was the reason 

 generally assigned for a right ho- 

 nourable gentleman (Mr. Pitt) and 

 his friends before retiring from ad- 

 ministration. If the Roman catho- 

 lics were already satisfied, he should 

 urge the subject no further ; but if 

 not, it must form the subject of a 

 future discussion ; for he was eon- 

 vinccd that the best mode of secur- 

 ing peace, and maintaining our re- 

 spect abroad, was by conciliation 

 and unanimity at home. 



After^a few words, in which it was 

 understood that the papers con- 

 nected with the several points in his 

 !Rlajesty's speech would be pre- 



sented on an early day^ the address 

 was agreed to. 



On the same day, a similar ad- 

 dress was moved in the house of 

 commons, by the honourable Henry 

 Augustus Dillon, who, after barely 

 adverting to the rupture with th« 

 court of Madrid, and the late com- 

 munication from France, and refer- 

 ring them for future discussion, ex- 

 pressed his delight and satisfaction 

 at having proofs of the just sense 

 the emperor of Russia entertained 

 of the oppressions and outrageous 

 conduct of France, praised the at- 

 tention of the present administra- 

 tion, for the state of defence in 

 which they had placed Ireland, 

 which France considered as our 

 most vulnerable point. 



Mr. Fox said, that though he did 

 not mean to propose any amend- 

 ment to the address, there were 

 some things which he could not 

 suffer to pass unnoticed. In the 

 first place, he di(l not see how he 

 could approve of his majesty's de- 

 termination not to explain himself 

 further on the French communica- 

 tion, until he consulted certain 

 foreign courts, unless he knew what 

 thp nature of the intercourscbetween 

 his majesty, and those foreign courts 

 was. If hedidknowit, heraight per- 

 haps approve of it; but, circumstanced 

 as he was, he could give no opinion. 

 He next adverted so the omission of 

 the claims of the Roman catholics of 

 Ireland, to which he understood the 

 right honourable gentleman (Mr. 

 Pitt) stood pledged ; and then pass- 

 ed on to another omission, of a not 

 less important, but mosc surprising 

 kind. On former occasions, wheu 

 parliament took measures for in- 

 creasing the power of the country, 

 it was usual with his majesty to com- 

 pliment them (when be thought often 



they 



