GENERAL HISTORY. 
Smith, his displeasure at their 
conduct; and imploring his Royal 
Highness to cause the most effica- 
cieus steps to be taken to obtain 
the liberation of the persons who 
may still be confined in conse- 
quence of the violation or refusal 
of the asylum which they had 
sought in the British territory. 
In the debate which ensued, it 
was generally admitted by the 
Opposers of the motion, that the 
conduct of gen. Smith had been 
indefensible, but that he had been 
misled by imperfect acquaintance 
with the practice on similar oc- 
casions. Sir James Duff was 
more directly defended; and it 
was held that he had done nothing 
improper in giving information to 
the governor concerning the per- 
sons who had taken refuge in 
Gibraltar, leaving it to himself to 
determine what course to pursue. 
Others who did not undertake to 
justify the proceedings of either 
the consul or the general, thought 
that the reprimand in lord Bath- 
urst’s letter was a sufficient pu- 
nishment. Very different opinions 
were maintained by the speakers 
on the other side, some of whom 
indulged themselves in strong 
expressions of contempt and ab- 
horrence of the character and go- 
vernment of the king of Spain, 
which incurred reprehension as 
indecent and impolitic. On a di- 
vision, the motion was negatived 
by 69 against 51. 
The constitutional question con- 
cerning the keeping of the militia 
embodied in time of peace, which 
had been decided in favour of the 
ministers in the autumnal session, 
was revived in both Houses by 
motions introduced by the same 
members in each, Earl Fitzwilliam 
[3 
and Str Samuel Romilly, on Feb. 
15, and 28. The arguments em- 
ployed were repeated from those 
in the former debate, with the ad- 
ditional advantage on the side of 
the motions, that the treaty with 
the American; States had since 
been signed, so that no enemy to 
the country was now remaining. 
This, however, was repelled by 
the observation that the ratifica- 
tion of the treaty in America was 
not yet known, and that hostili- 
ties were still carrying on in that 
quarter. No danger of invasion 
from thence could, indeed, be 
possibly apprehended; and the 
real cause for a retention of a 
part of the militia was the present 
unsettled state of the continent 
of Europe, where a large portion 
of the English regular army was 
still detained. The motions in 
each House were negatived by 
great majorities. 
The circumstance of the trans- 
fer of the republic of Genoa to the 
dominion of the king of Sardinia, 
contrary to the expectationsraised 
in the Genoese of the restoration 
of their independence, in a pro- 
clamation by lord W. Bentinck, 
had been lamented by the English 
ministers as an unfortunate ne- 
cessity, and was likely to be re- 
garded with feelings of equal re- 
gret by all who were acutely sen- 
sible to every thing affecting the 
honour of their country, as well 
as the cause of general justice. 
The subject was first mentioned 
in parliament on February 13 by 
Mr. Whitbread, ona motion of the 
Chancellor of the Exchequer for 
postponing the committee of sup- 
ply, when the former gentleman, 
after some remarks on the parti- 
cipation of the British minister at 
[B 2] 
