- 
misToORY OF EUROPE. 
and the house must recollect the 
threats which had been held out, 
by the first consul personally, of 
his intention of possessing himself 
ef Egypt, sooner or later. 
The earl of Moira, considered 
war so serious a calamity, both to 
the government and the people, 
that he was not surprized, that the 
noble lord (lord King), had _pro- 
posed the amendment, although, 
for his part, he could not agree to 
it. The evils of war, fell not upon 
their lordships, but upon the poor, 
in the first instance ; it was there- 
fore humanity to give them the 
fullest consideration. He hoped, 
however, that there might be no 
division upon the question, as it 
was a time that the greatest unani- 
mity should be found in the coun- 
cils of the nation. He did not 
consider Malta as the only ground, 
or the principal ground of the war ; 
the many insults and aggressions of 
France were such, that, for his 
part, he did not consider Malta a 
sufficient satisfaction. The state of 
Holland, Switzerland, and Italy, 
were grounds still stronger, than 
that of Malta. The possessions of 
France were now enormous, and 
were employed in wounding and 
injuring us. He considered that 
the country was never engaged in 
a war more necessary than the pre- 
sent; nor was it ever more neces- 
sary to prosecute a war, with vigour 
and decision. If we carried it on 
: well, he had no doubt of success; but 
if we carried it on badly, he thought 
the country would never be troubled 
_ with managing another war, 
Earl Spencer, considered the 
war unavoidable, under the present 
@ircumstances. He did not wish 
The house to run away with the 
+ 
149 
idea, that this was to be but a short 
war, as it might well turn out to be 
otherwise. Ile wished the country 
to understand its danger, and the 
house to keep that jealous super- 
intendance of the management of 
the resources of this country, with- 
out which we could not hope for 
any important success. 
The earl of Rosslyn, although he 
agreed with a noble lord (lord Mel- 
ville), that Malta alone would be 
a sufficient ground of war, yet 
thought it evident, that the whoie 
system of France, since the peace, 
and her many breaches of good 
faith, amounted to an abundant 
cause of war, on our part. He 
considered the menacing language, 
held forth by Bonaparte to lord 
Whitworth, as a sufficient cause of 
war. He considered his whole con- 
duct, since he signed the treaty, as 
an uniform system of arrogance, in- 
sult, and injury. His views against 
the Turkish empire, which he did 
not take the trouble to concez!, 
were contrary to the letter of the 
treaty of Amiens, and therefore a 
ground of war. He wished that this 
should not be considered as a war 
likely to be short, but as one so ah- 
solutely necessary, that cur only 
wish should be, to carry it on with 
vigour and success. 
The marquis of Sligo, thought, 
the provocations, given to England, 
were such as made war incyitable. 
He hoped we should always retain 
Malta. 
After a few observations, from 
some other noble lords, 
Lord Grenville expressed _ his 
approbation of the address, which 
he thought was drawn up in terns, 
congenial with those sentiments of 
national honor and personal pride, 
L3 which 
