jygts Parliamentary Proceedings, 147 



*« to the fifliery carried on by Sritifh fubjeifts in the South Seas, 

 " together with the anf^vcrs that have been given to fuch claims 

 « and reprei'enrations, v.ilh the lelpedive tiates ti.ereof." 



Mr felham, before he feconded the addrefs, faid, it v/as ap- 

 prehended that fomr frirther defign was in view, than merely 

 preparations againfl Spain. — If holtihties were ftiU a[)prehend- 

 cd from any othci quarter, and the l";ime fecrccy v/as equally 

 neceffkry as before, which the increafc of the navy eftabliiliment 

 leemed to iatimate, he Ihould, ou rtceiviajj intimation to that 

 effecft from ininiiliy, move, that the inquiry in all its parts fhould 

 be poftpoiied till a more convenient feafjn. That alTurance 

 not being given, he feconded the motion for the addrefs. 

 : Mr Wuberforce defended adminiftration. Said that the motion 

 eould only be intended to fatisfy an idle curiohty, or to fijb out 

 fomething affording matter for accuhn:; the ninatry . In oppc- 

 iing the motion, he made ufe of fame expreffions that were not 

 thought either rcfpe<5tful to the Houfe, or proper for the occa- 

 fion. 



Mr IVyndham analyfed this fpeech, and with great force of 

 ifony endeavoured to hold it up to view as abfurd, and the 

 doctrines it inculcated as highly pernicious. He inliSled on the 

 propriety of that Houfe watchin;^ n.inilters, and not relying on 

 any of their afTcrtions as proofs without examination, The fe- 

 curity of the country depended up.m it. He contended that 

 war, bad as it always was for the nation, mi^cht Itill m iomt 

 cafes be bclti r t'lau a bud peace. The following i eah^ns; he faid, 

 might be fiitTicicnt to make us fufpecft ihe prcfent was a bad 

 peace : Firft, we were denied the rcqucft of having liberty of 

 inquiring into it ; fecondly, that created a fufpicion ; and laftly, 

 that fufpicion taught us to believe, that where fuch exill, doubt 

 raoft defervedly was attached ; and where we fixed doubt, the 

 very doubt fo founded, and the very fufpicion fo excited, in the 

 name of reafon, jufiified us in declaring that fuch a peace was 

 a bad one. The terms made ufc of by Mr Wyndhara, called up 



Mr Wilbirforce to explain. 



Sir H^il'.iam Young contended, that until proofs could be .ad- 

 duced, which authorife 1 gentlemen to carp at the confidence 

 in minilters, he thought tliey were fairly entitled to it ; and that 

 no fucli proof could be adduced in the prefent cafe he. endea- 

 voured to prove by a favourable rcvicvv of the condu<ft of ad- 

 iriniftration pending the treaty. 



Mr Jekyll remarked, that he was well aware that fevcral 

 pcrfons amongft both the reprefentatives and conftituents, were, 

 notwithftanuiiig that they did not appear inclined to caft a cen- 

 furc upon miniilers, extremely anxious to fee the pap.;rs now 

 mowed for, in order to know what opinion to form on the Con- 

 vention, and to afcertain how fo large a fum had been employ- 

 ed, as the expence of tlie armament amounted to, and what 

 were the objiCts acquired, and their relative value by fo long a 

 ncgociation, and fo e::pcnfive a preparation for war. Doubts 



