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180 
Addington’s administration with 
those who only valued it in propor- 
tion, as they considered it possessing 
his countenance, as it clearly evin- 
ced incipient, ifnot confirmed hosti- 
lity; while the masterly display’ of 
éloquence, on the part of those 
who attacked, contrasted with the 
feeble defence made by ministers, 
clearly proyed the latter depended 
Jess on argument than on numbers, | 
and awakened the country to a sense 
of the dangers to which it was expo- 
sed, by having the perilous condition 
of warfare entrusted to the hands of 
those, who had found, even in this 
short interval of peace, too frequent 
opportunitiés to expose their inca- 
pacity. 
As specimens of the mode of ar- 
gument made use of on those im- 
portant debates, we have selected 
and given, at more than our usual 
length, the masterly speech of earl 
Temple, and those of Mr. Pitt and 
lord Hawkesbury, as indicative of 
the expression of the feelings of the 
different interests, and the parts 
which each took upon the subject ; 
and it is but justice to say, that the 
manly and spirited manner in which 
the latter rejected the species of 
compromise, recommended by Mr. 
Pitt, heretofore his great friend 
and patron; and his calling on the 
senate for either direct acquittal or 
condemnation, gained, as it desery- 
_ed, considerable respect and ap- 
plause. The friends of Mr, Fox, 
in both houses, declined giving any 
opinion, or dividing on this occa- 
sion, with the exception of the per- 
son, we have already mentioned, 
now a minister; and of Mr. Hob- 
house, heretofore held up, as equal- 
ly obnoxious but with infinitely 
inferior abilities to that gentleman, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
and who from speaking, as well as 
voting with administration in this 
hour of trial, was supposed to 
be, as indeed it afterwards ap- 
peared, a convert, upon the same 
‘principles, and by proportionate 
means, to the antigallican opi- 
nions and measures of Mr, Ad- 
dington, 
Yet, although the old opposition 
stood aloof, in the present instance, 
from the new, as the latter had 
from co-operation with the former, 
on the motions severally made, 
by lord King and Mr. Fox, in their 
respective houses, tending to the 
disapprobation of the conduct of 
ministers, (the fate of which we 
have already seen) there was a 
similarity of feeling, a spontaneous. 
concurrence of sentiment, which 
approximated towards a perfect co-~ 
incidence of public conduct. Mr. 
Pitt, and his friends, hadalso taken ~ 
their ground, if not in declared 
hostility, at least in the most threat- 
ening position. Here then were 
three parties, confessedly including 
a vast proportion of the property, 
the abilities, and the patriotism of © 
the nation, who required but one 
common principle of action, and a 
mutual understanding to bear down 
every thing which could oppose — 
them, and establish such a go- 
vernmeat as the most enlightened 
statesman and sanguine politician 
could hardly, in any contingency, 
dare to have hoped for, or even 
imagine. ; 
What was here wanting, proved 
the safety of administration. In 
this disunion, Mr. Addington tri- 
umphed. And though, as we shave 
already stated, the credit of his. 
administration, and its future ex- 
istence, were points on which the 
. . mindg 
