Sh ANNUAL RE 
shut us out for ever from the Medi- 
terrancan, Wherever we turned our 
eyes, we must see the progressive 
agorandizement of France. He was 
decidedly of opinion that the sum 
which was demanded was too large 
for a peace establishment, arid yet 
too small cither for war, or to ena- 
ble us to interfere, with weight, in 
the affairs of the continent. 
The chancellor of the exchequer 
trusted that the house would not 
believe, that it was from any dis- 
respect, that he did not think it 
necessary to preface the resolutions 
with any observation. The right 
hon. gentleman and his friends, had 
a very short time ago felt, thatthere 
were sufficient reasons for a larger 
establishment, and they then called 
for it; but now, when an increased 
establishment is proposed, he was 
asked what was the reason for this 
excess? If he and_ his friends 
believed the descriptions they had 
hemselves given of the state of 
Europe, he should suppose no far- 
‘her reasons could be necessary, 
to them at least, for an“increased 
establishment. It seemed now to 
be agreed by every body, that a 
strong defensive force was neces- 
sary for this country, in the present 
situation of Europe. As to the 
increase of the Dutch navy, when 
it was considered how it had been 
reduced last war, it was no wonder 
that exertions were made to res- 
tore it: butif there was no supine- 
ness on our part, those exertions 
couldnot be tousinjurious. In the 
beginning of the last war the fleets 
of the enemy were as follow :— 
France had 105 sail of the line, 
Spain 79, and Holland 27; but at 
the conclusion of the war, this 
force was so reduced, that France 
GISTER, 
1803. 
had but 39, Spain 63, and Holland 
16. The British navy now exceeds 
the navies of France, Spain, and, 
Holland, by sixty sail of the line, 
and proportionally in frigates and 
sloops of war. Under those cir- 
cumstances, he did not think this 
country need feel any serious alarm 
from the naval exertions of the 
powers which France could influence 
to join her. His majesty’s minis- 
ters had no other wish than to be 
enabled to put forth, upon any emer- 
gency, a force sufficient to repel all 
danger from this country. 
Sir Sidney Smith expressed con- 
siderable regret, at the great re- 
ductions which were suddenly made, 
both in the king’s dock-yards, and 
in the navy in general. A prodigi- 
ous number of men had been thus 
reduced to the utmost poverty and 
distress; and it might be appre-: 
hended that they would be obliged 
to seek employment from foreign 
states. Whatever reluctance they 
might feel to this, they might, by 
dire necessity, be compelled to it. 
On this ground he wished the num- 
ber of seamen to be employed were 
considerably greater than it is; for 
he knew, from his own experience, 
that what was called an ordinary 
seaman, could hardly find employ- 
ment at present, either in the king’s 
or in the merchants’ service. He 
had himself been present at some of 
the changes which had taken place 
in France; they resembled more 
the changes of scenery at a theatre, 
than any thing else. Every thing 
was done for stage effect, and whe- 
ther it was the death of Caesar; the 
fall of Byzantium; or the march 
of Alexander, it seemed to French- 
men almost equally indifferent. If 
the invasion of Britain was to be 
produced, 
—— ee ee 
