1795. 
confidered the meafure in queft: on as cri- 
minal and unconftitutional, and the de- 
ence fet up as extremely weak. 
The Houfe then divided; for the re- 
folution, 1643 againit it, “8. Majority, 
106. 
On the x2th of December, Mr. Secre- 
tary Dunvas brought down a Meflage 
from the King, containing a propofal re- 
lative t to the in ‘mediate commencement of 
hoftilities with Spain. He aifo brought 
up a copy of the "Declaration of War by | 
the Spanifh Court; and notified, that the 
anfwer to this declaration would be laid 
before the Houfe the next day. Accor- 
dingly, on che 13th of December, Mr. 
Dunpas prefented the anfwer that had 
been diawn up by his Majefty' Ss com- 
mand, to the Declaration of War by 
Spain againit this country. cis Majefty’s 
Meflage relative to the War with Spain, 
was then taken into confide ration, and 
an addrefs was ordered to be prefented 
by fuch members of the Houfe as were 
gt the Privy Co nei}. 
At this moment, ‘tho Legiflative and 
Executive Powers of this country ap- 
peared to be at iffue—a great point was 
about to be tric 5 Whether the Execu- 
tive Government could, of its own au- 
thority, difpofe of the public treafure, 
and apply the money of the people to 
fuch fervices as they may think proper, 
without « the conient of che Legiflature, 
even during the fiiamg of Parliamenc ? 
On the rath of December, a Common 
-Hall of the Liveryisen of the city of 
London was affembied, foc the pur “pofe 
of taking into coniiceraticn the condué 
of Minilters m fending money ue the 
Emperor, without the confent of Parlia. 
ment; and a majority, of at leaff thirty 
to one cf the Liverymen, gave a decided 
vote againtt the conduct of the Minifters 
in this jo‘tance. 
Mr. Fox, inthe Houfe of Commons, 
on the fame day, rofe to make his pro- 
mifed motion, re! pecting the condudt of 
his Majetiy’s fervants. in fending money 
to his Imperial Majefty, withoyt the con- 
fent of Parliament. “After an excellent 
Introduction. on the true conftitutional 
mode of granting fums of money for 
votes of credit, and ‘extraordinaries of 
the ar ny and navy, he referred to 
the precedents of proceedings in the 
Houis of Commons, coile€ted by Mr. 
Hatssi.; whence he pointed oot, in 
numerous cafes, and from the cleareft de- 
duéticas, that the meaiures of the Mi- 
nilter, then under difcuffion, were fub- 
verfive of the conftitution of this c country, 
Public AffairsxGreat Britain, 
993 
‘© When' the Minifter,” faid Mr. Fox, 
s* determined, about a year ago, to furnifa, 
fupplies to the Prince of Conpr, why 
was not that circunftance ftared to this 
Houfe ? It wouid be a miterable aafwer, 
indecd, to fay, that the amount of the ex- 
penditure could not be made out; for 
this fame anfwer might be given in many 
cafes of votes of credit, and extraordina- 
ries of the army and navy. It appears, 
that fome of the money that has beea ap- 
eae) was sap ict fo long ago ag Decem- 
er, 17953 dome was tent in Vebruary, 
1796. eck hence, it might be reafon- 
able to f{uppof«, that this money was paid 
out of the vote of credit of 17953; ng 
fuch thing! the expence was paid out 
of the vote of credit of 1796, which vote 
was not paffed till February laft.’’? | Mr, 
Fox then faid, that he had not Nene 
ed the exaét amount of the money which 
was {ent during tne recefs, but he knew 
that the fum of four hundred thou- 
fand pounds had been ifiued fince, the 
meeting of Parliament. ‘ Why (added 
he) did the Minfter keep this from 
their knowledge? certainly, either to fix: 
a precedent againft the Conttitution, or 
upon a conceited opinion that he was a 
better judge of the iubject than the Par, 
hamenr.”’ 
Mr. Fox next made his motion; the 
purport or which was, ** that his Ma- 
jefty’s Minifters, in fending money for 
the fervice of the Emneror and the. 
Prince of ConpDE, without the confenr, 
and during the fitting, of Parliament, 
have aéted contrary to their duty, and 
the truft repofed in them, and have vio 
lated the principles of the Conftitution, 
aid the privileges of this Houte.”’ 
Mr. Prrr made a long defence, which 
he refted entirely upon a feries of prece- 
dents, which he produced, from the for- 
mer proceedings of Parliament. 
’ Mr. SHERIDAN, ina fpeech replete 
with fentiment and wit, controverted the 
arguments of Mr. Pirr, and fhowed, 
that out of all the Picea cited by 
him, not one of them applied either to 
the remittances of money previous to the 
palling of the vote of credit, or to the 
circumftance of money being remitted 
during the afiual fitting of Parliament. 
On “the divifion, the numbers were, 
For Mr. Fox’s motion, 8x 
Againtt it, ° - 285 
List of the Mrnoriry, for a dire&t Ccn- 
fure on Minifters, for advancing money to the 
Emperor, and the Prince of Condé, without 
the confent or knowledge of Parliament —T. 
Anion, ae ft: Aubrey, J. Baker, sir C. Bam~- 
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