i 



1797°] 
houfe had been induced, from their re- 
peated declarations to fuppofe. The in- 
fincerity of the overtures for peace which 
had been made, was to be inferred from 
Minifters’ infifting’on the furrender of the 
Netherlands by France, which they thought 
proper to term a frze qua non, &c. 
The amendment enumerated the many 
fair opportunities which ‘had prefented of 
concluding an advantageous peace with 
France, which the puerile arrogance of the 
Minifter had induced him to rejeét in the | 
moft contemptuous manner; and concluded 
with thefe words :—* Your faithful Com- 
mons wil] therefore proceed to inveftigate 
the caufe of that mifconduéi, on the part 
of minifters, which has involved the na-. 
tion in thefe misfortunes.” 
Mr. DunbAs, with much apparent 
emotion, declared, that he never heard from 
the moft envenomed oppofitionift fuch in- 
flammatory and mifchieyous fentiments. 
In his ufual unpolithed language, he faid, 
that for twelve years paft Mr. Fox had let 
flip no opportunity of -lugping into the de- 
“bate topics of a fimilar tendency, bur his 
fpeech on this occafion, followed up by his 
amendment, was more dangerous than any 
thing that had fallen from him during that 
period. 
He then proceeded to follow Mr. Pitt, 
in an elaborate vindication of Minifters, in 
the conduct of the late negociation ; .and in 
reply to an obfervation which fell from 
Mr. Fox, refpecting the ceffion of the Cape 
of Good Hope and the ifland of Ceylon, 
repeated what he had faid on a former oc- 
cafion, He had exprefled a with that it 
might remain in our poffeffion for ever, but - 
Mf in the event of a negcciation we wer 
obliged to ‘cede it, he fhou!d regret the 
circumftance, which could only be the re-_ 
fult of neceffity. He obferved, that ir 
was not the intentton of his Majefiy’s Mi- 
nifters to exclude the Dutch, or any orher 
nation, from enjoying the sdvantages of 
“the Cape; but it would be the height of, 
impolicy to fuffer it to be in the -hands-of 
a weak power, who could not defend it 
againft a ftromger, as it might be an eafy 
conqueft to fome maritime power, to the 
prejudice of this country. 
Mr. Grey fpoke at confiderable length 
in fupport of the amendment, and went 
over nearly the fame train of arguments 
with Mr. Fox. Uae 
The Houfe at length divided, when 
‘there appeared, for the amendment, 37, 
againft it, 212. Theoriginal motion was 
then put, and carried without.a divifion. 
In the debate in the Lords, a fimilar 
amendment was propofed, and moft ably 
MontuLty Mac, No. XIII. > 
Public Affiirs—Great Britain . .. dreéland, 
05 
fupported, by Lord Guildford, the Duke of 
of Bedford, &c. but it experienced a fimi- 
lar fate. 
Mr. Lone, onthe 29th of December, 
brought up the Poor ‘Relief bill. The bill 
was read a firft and fecond time, and or- 
dered to be committed on Saturday. 
The Houfe of Commons met again on 
Saturday, the 31ft of December, and ad- 
, Journed till February the 14th, 1797. 
It was no fooner made known to the 
Minifter that the French fleet, which fail- 
ed from Breit, in December, was defigned 
for the invafion of Ireland (/ee the article 
Ireland) than the news arrived that it 
had been difperfed in a ftorm, and the in- 
tent of the expedition fruftrated. After 
this event, the moft fanguine expectations 
were entertained that the Britifh fleet, un- 
der Lord Bridport, and the reft of his 
Majefty’s fhips which were cruizing near 
that quarter, would fall in with and cap- 
ture the French vefiels in their return to 
their own ports. How far thefe expeéta- 
tions have been difappointed, will be feen 
by the following account of the fhips taken 
from the enemy on that occafion. The> 
fleet under his immediate command had 
not the good fortune'to fall in with any of 
the enemy’s fhips, but'a few detached vef- 
fels have been taken by other cruizers. . 
Onthe sth of January, his Majefty’s 
fhip the Polyphemus, capt. Lumfdaine, 
captured and brought into the Cove of 
Cork,’ La*Porttie) a French frigate of 44 
guns, 625 men, including traops. 4 
Captain Sterling, of his Majefy’s thi 
Jafon,’ took, in December, Le Suffrein, a 
French vefiel, armed en flute, with 230 | 
treops; arms, &c. on board. an 
‘On'the 13th of January, Sir Edward 
’ Pellew, ‘captain of his Majefty’s frigate 
Indefatioable, difcovered a French fhi 
tS) 3 
‘near the French coatt, with two tier of 
guns, with her lower deck ‘ports hut, and 
no poop. He, in company with the Ama- 
zon frigatc, atcacked the French veffel ; 
bur, after an aétion of fix hours, the In- 
defatiyable was fo difabled, as to be obliged 
to-fheer off.—The next morning they dif- 
covered the French veffel lying on her 
bread-fide, and the furf beating over her. : 
The Amazon was not to be feen at that 
time, and it fince appears that fhe was_ 
alfo wrecked. Her crew, as well as tha 
of the French fhip, were faved. 
IRELAND. 
This kingdom has been lately thrown 
into a dreadful ftate of alarm, by the ap- 
pearance of a French fleet off Bantry Bay, 
and other parts of the coaft, witha defign 
to invade it, 
K This 
