HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



43 



to give the stipulated supply ; but 

 I cannot help lamenting, that there 

 is not the smallest probability of 

 any good arising from Sweden 

 continuing to persevere. We are 

 told that the King of Sweden 

 deserves our support the more, 

 because he refused the overtures 

 made to him from Erfurth, rela- 

 tive to excluding the Spaniards 

 from the negotiation. Perhaps 

 he deserves the applause of man- 

 kind for his bravery and perse- 

 verance ; but what good, I may 

 ask, can he thereby render to 

 Spain or England i When this 

 vote Df supply was proposed last 

 year, I ventured to say, that the 

 most prudent use Sweden could 

 make of the money, was to pro- 

 cure a peace for herself, as it was 

 totally impossible for her to resist 

 her enemies, or be of the least 

 advantage to her allies. Nothing 

 can be more hurtful to us in the 

 eyes of the world than endeavour- 

 ing to involve the smaller coun- 

 tries in Europe in hostilities with 

 France. The immense superiority 

 of our naval power, our com- 

 merce, and prodigious wealth, 

 enable us to look to a long con- 

 tinuance of war, perhaps with 

 safety ; but what is that to the 

 powers of the Continent? Their 

 resources are not great; they 

 have no means of offence against 

 France ; and what advantage can 

 we derive from the misfortunes of 

 other countries ? Instead of being 

 the arbiters and protectors of the 

 Continent, we should, by so doing, 

 be holding up ourselves as the 

 cause of the ruin of other na- 

 tions." 



Mr. Ponsonby having said thus 

 much of what came under the 



notice of the house in the speech, 

 proceeded to make some observa- 

 tions on what the speech omitted 

 to state, namely, what related to 

 the United States of America; — 

 but he had no desire to disturb 

 the unanimity of the house on 

 the present occasion ; though he 

 thought it his duty to state dis- 

 tinctly his sentiments on the va- 

 rious topics to which he had ad- 

 verted, and for the full discussion 

 of which, other opportunities 

 would arise. These topics wei-e, 

 the disgraceful Convention of Cin- 

 tra ; the conduct of ministers with 

 regard to the Spanish war ; and 

 also their conduct with respect to 

 America. 



Lord Castie)-eagh then rose. 

 The declaration, he said, of Mr. 

 Ponsonby, that he would not op- 

 pose the address, and his former 

 declaration that the various points 

 on which he had briefly touched, 

 were to become the subjects of 

 subsequent discussion, released 

 him from the great and irksome 

 task of entering minutely into 

 an examination into the state- 

 ments which the right hon. gen- 

 tleman had ventured to make. 

 Whatever might have been the 

 want of vigour in his Majesty's 

 present ministers, so much com- 

 plained of by the right hon. gen- 

 tleman, he believed the country 

 would not have much more to 

 hope for if the reins of govern- 

 ment should fall into the hands of 

 the right hon. gentleman and his 

 friends, who, when they were in 

 oflSce, had deserted all those who 

 were then in alliance with this 

 country for the defence of the 

 cause of Europe. With respect 

 to the military force, sent early 



last 



