GENERAL 
cure to this country the continu- 
ance of peace, so long asit can be 
maintained consistently with the 
honour of his majesty’s crown, 
the security of his dominions, and 
the faith to be preserved with his 
majesty’s allies.” 
This motion was followed by 
a number of speeches from both 
sides of the House, of which it is 
unnecessary to enter into the 
particulars. A passage, however, 
in lord Castlereagh’s reply may 
be worth quoting, as it affords a 
tolerably clear view of the real 
determination of the English ca- 
binet at that period. He said, 
“It might be thought that an 
armed peace would be preferable 
to a state of war, but the danger 
ought fairly to be looked at : and 
knowing that good faith was op- 
posite to the system of the party 
to be treated with, knowing that 
the rule of his conduct was 
self interest, regardless of every 
other consideration, whatever de- 
cision they came to must rest on 
the principle of power, and not 
that of reliance on the man.” It 
was scarcely possible after sucha 
declaration to doubt that war 
would be the final result ; but 
that, in the choice of evils, this 
was generally regarded as the 
least to be dreaded, was apparent 
from the division on Mr. Whit- 
bread’s motion, which was reject- 
ed by 220 votes against 37. The 
address was then passed without 
further opposition. 
A direct attack on the ministers 
on account of the escape of Buo- 
naparte from Elba, and the poli- 
tical circumstances which led to 
it, was made in the House of 
Lords on April 12, when the Mar- 
quis of Wellesley rose to call the 
HISTORY. 
attention of the House to the trea- 
ty entered into with Buonaparte 
at the conclusion of the late war. 
He said, that regarding that per- 
son as the main spring of the 
system against which this coun- 
try had waged war, he conceived 
thatno controversy couldbe raised 
upon this proposition, that the 
two objects for consideration at 
the time when the allies were in 
possession of Paris, were the ex- 
clusion of that person from power 
and the provision of adequate 
means against his return to pow~ 
er. It was then the duty of our 
ministry to have taken a leading 
part in the arrangement, and not 
to have passively acquiesced, as 
the minister on the spothad done, 
in the engagement made by ano- 
ther power before his arrival. 
The marquis then proceeded to 
shew that the relative situation of 
the allies and Buonaparte at that 
time did not in any degree render 
it necessary to comply with his 
inconsistent demands ; that the 
treaty was contrary to policy ; 
that there was no necessity for 
concluding it ; and that no due 
measures were taken to enforce 
its performance. He particularly 
censured the part we took in 
the treaty, by consenting to the 
most objectionable points in it, 
the granting to Buonaparte the 
sovereignty of Elba, and the set- 
tling of the Italian duchies upon 
his wife aud son, whilst we re- 
fused to be pledged to the per- 
formance of the part relative to 
the payments to be made to him 
and his family, which, though 
highly improvident if brought to 
effect, gave a plausible ground 
of complaint when not fulfilled. 
With respect to his escape from 
[13 
