ty^i' Parliajnentary Proceedings 149 



which it was plain they were ignorant, by their afking for 

 them ? Were they fure, that in obtaining them they would not 

 gain too much, and by expofing thofe minatias of inveftigation 

 and ncgociation which had taken place, run the riik of offend- 

 ing that wife fenfe of honour which fo eminently uiftinguifhed 

 that country with which we had been involved in difpute. 



Lord Fielding fupported the motion. 



Mr Martin thought it his duty to enquire, before he could 

 decide upon the merits of any peace, however delireable. No 

 fatisfa<ftory reafon had been afligned why information Ihould 

 be now withheld ; therefore he fupported the motion. 



Mr Fox rof.' juft as the Speaker was putting the qucftion, and 

 in a fpeech of conliderable length, in which, however, he addu- 

 ced no new argument, he ran over the whole that had been ad- 

 duced by the different fpeakers on hisowr. fide of the qucftion, 

 placing the.r arguments in different points of view, and enforc- 

 ing them with his ufual warmth of elocution. He reprefented 

 the arguments of the opponents of the motion as highly uncou- 

 ftitutional, anddeftrudtive in their ccnfequences, it" admitted. 

 Rather than acquiefce in fuch reafoning, better, faici he, would 

 it be to recur to the ancient defpotifm of the kingdom, in the 

 moft arbitrary times, and confider themfelves as met there to 

 vote away the money of their conftituents, v/ithout mquiry. 

 He then took a rapid view of the arguments that had been ad- 

 duced by his opponents ; reprefehting them one after another 

 as abfurd, contradiftory, inconclufive, and highly pernicious 

 in their confequences, if acquiefced in by that Houl'e. Formerly, 

 faid he, the firft duty of every member of the Houfc of Com- 

 mons was, that he (hould regard every act of adminiltration 

 vi'iXh jealoufy, and watch their condud with the mof: vigilvit 

 attention. Now, blind confidence was held out as ti:e great 

 fundion of that Houfc ; and they were delired to vote away 

 millions of the national money, without iufpeding in '.vhat 

 manner it had been expended. He reprefented the deiire to 

 withhold the ncceffary information on that occalion, as pro- 

 ceeding from confcious guilt alone ; and concludea this animat- 

 ed harangue with a (hort fummary of t'ne wh-jle. 



The Chancellor of the Exchequer, who had fcemingly referved 

 himfelf for this occalion, ;)ow rofe, and in one of thole mafterly 

 fpeeches for which lie is io eminently confpicuous, endeavoured 

 to take oft" the impreflion that thefe oblervations might have 

 made. This fpeech, indeed, deferved not to be held ud to view 

 as a nji.fterly piece of reafoning, but merely as a mafterly piece 

 of argumentation, as being well adapted to produce the effeft 

 intended. After an exordium of foir.c length, in whicli he pro- 

 feffcd great alacrity and readinefs, to meet, in the moft dirc(5l 

 terms, all the arguments of his opponents, and relied upon the 

 candour of the Houfc, to lay atidc all pcrlonal confidL-rations, 

 He dcfircd that this attention might be dire<fted folely to the 



