18 
from twenty-three millions, the 
highest which it had ever reached in 
any preceding year, to twenty-seven 
millions and a half, to which it ar- 
rived this year. He thought the 
right hon. gentleman would find it 
difficult to prove to the house that 
a state of war was the best for our 
internal security. He believed, in 
his conscience, that the disposition 
of the nation was the same as that 
of his majesty’s ministers ; that they 
anxiously wished for peace, but 
were not afraid of war. There 
could be no wish in any body to lay 
the country at the feet of France ; 
but he saw a wish in some people to 
inflame the two countries to hosti- 
lity, without any definite object. 
He felt that war, without any de- 
finite object, was the greatest of all 
evils; but still he should prefer it, 
at any time, to the sacrifice of our 
‘honor; he should be ready, onany 
future occasion, to enter minutely 
into the principles of the govern- 
ment, both at the conclusion of the 
peace, and to the present moment. 
Mr. Thomas Grenville said, that 
after the turn which the debate had 
taken, his tacit support of the ad- 
dress might be construed into an 
assent of propositions,- which he 
could by no means allow. His sen- 
timents, on the present address, co- 
incided exactly with those of his 
right hon. friend (Mr. Windham). 
The details which the chancellor of 
the Exchequer had given of the re- 
yenue of the country,.were no an- 
swers to the arguments that had been 
adduced. He could not allow that 
the makers and approvers of the 
peace were equally pledged to main- 
tain it.. The approvers of it had 
only acted on the assurances that 
they had received, of the beneficial 
ANNUAL’ WEG FSTE R. 
1805. 
consequences which were to result 
from it. Those assurances, how- 
ever, had now completely failed ; and 
therefore those who had merely ap- 
proved of it, were no longer bound 
to support it. The fact was, that 
the peace had never been thorough- 
ly discussed, as to the tone and 
temper in which it was made. The 
tone of it had been taken on the 
mere word of ministers, and it was 
now found that they had either been 
completely deceived themselves, or 
had deceived others. ‘The treaty, 
in truth, was no sooner signed, than 
the disposition of the French govern- 
ment was found to be very different 
from what mimsters had affected to 
believe it. And that disposition 
was every day evinced more plainly. 
No sooner had the treaty been 
signed, in May last, than we heard 
of Piedmont being annexed to 
Trance; in August we heard of 
the plan agreed upon by France 
and Russia, tor the destruetion of 
the Germanempire. And yet, by 
the treaty of Westphalia, this coun- 
try guaranteed the German empire ; 
but now we were to be told, in the 
language of The Moniteur, ‘ that 
we had the treaty of Amiens, and’ 
nothing but the treaty of Amiens.” 
In September, the unhappy fate of 
Switzerland arrested our attention ; 
and in October the duchy of Parma 
is irrevocably united to France. 
These are the first indications of 
the friendly disposition of the firs, 
consul. ‘lhe very words of the ad- 
dress shew, that the sentiments of 
administration are changed. It was 
on that account, and because a 
high military establishment was re- 
commended, that he gave his hearty 
concurrence to the address. 
Lord Castlereagh defended the 
conduct 
