84 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



it was their disposition to afford 

 her ail the limited assistance which 

 the state of the times put in their 

 power. There were also physical 

 obstacles in the way of making re- 

 mittances, which should convince 

 that power, that she was not to 

 place much reliance upon pro- 

 mises of assistance, even though 

 less restricted, from this govern- 

 ment. With respect to the bills, 

 they had been drawn by the Aus- 

 trian government without any au- 

 thority for that measure, on the 

 supposition, that the person au- 

 thorized to restore the former re- 

 lations between the two govern- 

 ments, would reach this country 

 time enough to explain the neces- 

 sity of that step. No time was 

 lost in transmitting to the court of 

 Vienna a friendly remonstrance on 

 the subject, pointing out the in- 

 convenience of the practice, and 

 stating that, if it was to be done 

 at all, it must be done with the 

 consent of parliament. 



Mr. Ponsonby was glad to under- 

 stand that ministers had no con- 

 cern whatever, in advising Austria 

 to engage in the present war. Had 

 they any influence, indeed, they 

 would have used it more wisely in 

 dissuading the government of that 

 country from any such proceeding. 

 — Mr. Whitbread thought it obvi- 

 ous, that no good could be done 

 by any eflbrt of Austria. Had siie 

 indeed availed herself of Buona- 

 parte's embarrassments, at the pe- 

 riod when some reverses of the 

 French inspired the Spaniards, 

 there might have been some chance 

 that Buonaparte would have been 

 considerably distressed and dis- 

 tracted: at least there would have 

 been better prospects of success 



time when Austria 

 hostilities, when, in 

 nearly subdued. 



than at the 

 commenced 

 fact, Spain was 



Austria, however, had not only 

 been defective in prudence, in the 

 commencement of this war, but 

 even in fidelity to engagements, 

 which should always bind a state. 

 Ministers should haveadvised Aus- 

 tria not to engage in the present 

 war. They were not ignorant of 

 her engagements and circum- 

 stances. It appears that they must 

 be fools and madmen, who persist- 

 ed in thinking that Austria could 

 succeed in a contest with France 

 by means of English gold. Of 

 the lottery, included in the table 

 of Ways and Means for the pre- 

 sent year, that was one of the 

 worst and last modes that could 

 be resorted to. How many were 

 the evils which lotteries occasion- 

 ed? What wretchedness, despe- 

 ration, and suicide? He was as- 

 tonished that the Chancellor of the 

 Exchequer, a devout man, and of 

 correct manner, should patronize 

 such a measiire. — Mr. Ponsonby 

 wished to know, on what proof 

 Mr. Whitbread rested the asser- 

 tion, that Austria broke faith with 

 France? For his part be was 

 quite of a different opinion ; that 

 Austria was in hostility against 

 France, because France was bent 

 on her destruction. — Mr. Canning 

 repeated, approved, and expatiat- 

 ed, on what had been answered by 

 Mr. Ponsonby. — The Chancellor of 

 the Exchequer presumed that Mr. 

 Whitbread took his faith respect- 

 ing the alleged good faith of 

 France and bad faith of Austria, 

 from the papers of Mr. Cham- 

 pagny. As to lotteries, it would 

 be for the house to determine on 



some 



