HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



65 



Upon a division of the house, 

 there appeared for the previous 

 question ^03. 



For Lord H. Petty's motion 

 153. 



Adjourned at six o'clock on 

 Wednesday morning. 



The campaign in Spain, on 

 which so many strictures had been 

 already made, incidentally in both 

 Houses of Parliament was formal- 

 ly brought under the consider- 

 ation of the House of Commons, 

 February 2i, by 



Mr. Ponsoriby, who began a 

 long, elaborate and clear, or well- 

 composed speech, with a brief view 

 of the state of Europe, when the 

 Spanish nation rose in arms for 

 resisting the attempts of France, 

 and of the spirit which was excited 

 by that event in this country in fa- 

 vour of the Spaniards. This spi- 

 rit called in a most particular 

 manner, for the attention and in- 

 quiry of those by whom our go- 

 vernment was administered. And 

 never did any government, on any 

 occasien, meet with a more gene- 

 ral and unfeigned desire on the 

 part of the people to second that 

 course which it might be expe- 

 dient to pursue in aid of the Spa- 

 nish cause. The feelings of the 

 people ran before the wishes of 

 the minister. He had only to 

 command, and every Englishman 

 was forward to obey. If consult- 

 ed one by one, there was univer- 

 sally to be found a disposition to 

 sacrifice, a resolution to act, and 

 a promptitude to determine in 

 favour of the Spanish insurgents. 

 Ministers had only to consider, 

 and inquire as to the best means 

 of directing and rendering effec- 

 tive this ardent and unanimous 

 feeling. With them it rested to 

 Vol. LI. 



consider the nature and tendency 

 of the insurrection, and in what 

 manner it was possible to promote 

 its object. With them it rested — 

 to them the duty, in a most im- 

 perative manner, belonged, of ex- 

 amining the state of Spain, and 

 of ascertaining how far it was 

 practicable, with the resources 

 they possessed, to give effectual 

 assistance to that country. The 

 circumstances of England and 

 of Europe forcibly demanded this 

 examination ; because it must 

 have been felt, that upon their in- 

 terference would depend the most 

 important consequences— either of 

 the depression, or the aggrandize- 

 ment of the power of France. All 

 the great powers of the continent 

 were at the time in a state of 

 comparative humiliation, owing to 

 the inordinate power and over- 

 bearing influence and authority of 

 the enemy. England alone was 

 still able to defy his power ; and 

 it most materially behoved those 

 to whose direction the resources 

 of England were committed, to 

 take care at least that they should 

 he so employed, that, if the ter- 

 mination of the contest should be 

 disadvantageous to Spain, it should 

 not risk the character or endanger 

 the safety of England, as upon 

 that safety rested the fate of the 

 world. In this country alone was 

 to be found the power, the spirit, 

 and the determination to maintain 

 resistance to France. Austria 

 having been plunged into the third 

 coalition, against the opinion of 

 its ablest advisers, was merely 

 struggling to preserve the strength 

 which her conqueror and our ene- 

 my had permitted to survive his 

 victories. Prussia subsisted upon 

 his courtesy, and Russia had em- 

 I'' braced 



