HISTORY 
and necessity of the war, and on 
‘that ground, and that alone, sup- 
ported the address.. Te considered 
the mission of Sebastiani, as an 
act: incapable of explanation or re- 
paratio: He had always repro- 
bated the ate unfortunate truce, 
and wished now, that the contest 
should be continued, until real 
peace and tranquillity could be re- 
stored. 
Mr. Serjeant Best thought, that 
not only Malta, but the smallest 
island upon earth, would be suf- 
ficient ground for war; if demand- 
ed in the peremptory manner in 
which France demanded Malta. 
‘Although he admitted that France 
had given many other just causes 
for war, yet he did not blame mi- 
‘nisters for not being too ready to 
seize them. 
‘Mr. Canning, supported the ad- 
dress, but by no means conceived 
himself to be precluded, by so do- 
ing, from expressing his opinion 
fully, upon a future occasion, of 
the whole of the conduct of mi- 
nisters. As to the justice and 
necessity of the present war, he 
- thought it was altogether obvious; 
and whether ministers ought, or 
ought not, sooner to have made 
their stand against France ; yet he 
had no doubt, but that, under the 
circumstances which then existed, 
they were right, m refusing to give 
up Malta. The importance of Mal- 
_ ‘ta had been proved by this, that 
both the English and French expe- 
_ ditions, bound for Egypt, found it 
_ most conyenient to touch at Malta, 
in their passage. 
It was evident 
_ that, in the present state of Europe, 
Russia is the only neutral power, 
which could sufficiently protect 
Malta, but Russia had shewn no 
OF EUROPE. 
153 
disposition, either to garrison or 
guarantee it. 
Mr. Fox, felt it to be his duty to 
the people of England, to endea- 
your to rescue them from a situa- 
tion of great danger, and certain 
misery, whatever might be the suc- 
cess of the war. He differed from 
those wha had divided the question, 
as he thought the justice or injus- 
tice of the war must, in a great 
measure, depend upon the circum- 
stances of the conduct of ministers. 
He thought it was much better to 
vote for the amendment, respecting 
which there could be no difference 
of opinion, than for the original 
address, which certainly required 
much explanation. The hon. mem- 
ber took a review of the whole of 
the correspondence, in which, he 
thought, there was a great deal of 
shuffling, on both sides. He very 
much disapproved of the applica- 
tion of the first consul, to remove 
those emigrants, who had obtained 
the protection of this country $ as 
also that for abridging the freedom 
ofour press ; he thought, however, 
too much stress had been laid on 
the expressions, used by him, in 
the conversation with lord Whit- 
worth, which being given from me- 
mory, could not be supposed to 
be exact. He however saw no 
great pride or haughtiness in the 
consul, speaking ct the invasion, 
and confessing that the chances 
were an hundred to one against him ; 
and that he almost despaired of be- 
ing able to accomplish his purpese. 
The desire of Bonaparte to be pos- 
sessed of Egypt, was not, in itself, 
a sutlicient ground of war, or we 
should neyer have been at peace 
with the house of Bourbon. As te 
their generai system, of aggrandise- 
ment, 
