1803.] 
the fame argument. Lord Temple pro- 
fefled himfelf friendly to peace, but was 
defirous the prefent adminiftration fhould 
be difmiffed, in order that their places 
might be occupied by his friends. On 
this declaration a very fevere comment 
was made by Mr. Fox, and the ridicule of 
the Houfe was very powerfully excited 
afain{t the noble orator. 
On the rf{t of December, the Secretary 
at War prefented the army eftimates. On 
the fame day, Sir Philip Stephens moved, 
that 50,000 men fhould be granted for the 
fea fervice for the year 1803, including 
32,000 marines, which was for the prefent 
agreed to, the report brought up, and 
ordered to be taken into confideration the 
foliowing day. 
On the 2d, the report of the Committee 
of Supply being read a firft time, on the 
firft refolution being put, relative to the 
employment Of 50,600 feamen, Mr. Tho- 
mas Grenville wifhed to be informed, why 
Minifters, if in June lait they conceived 
30,000 feamen a fufficient peace eftablith- 
ment, fhould new require 50,000. “The 
Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that 
af gentlemen looked at the fituation of 
Europe and this country, it would be ob- 
vious that a large eftablifament was ne- 
ceflary. . He compared the Britith naval 
force with that of France and Spain, and 
fhewed that we were greatly fuperior. At 
the clofe of the war, the whole combined 
force of all 4ie powers at war with us 
amounted to only 123 fail of the line ; at 
the fame period the force of Great Britain 
was 192 lailofthe line, 129 frigates,.200 
floops, and fmall veflels of force to the 
amount of 723. 
On the following day the Chancellor of 
the Exchequer moved, that, towards raifing 
the fupply of the year, five millions fhould ’ 
be raifed by loan on exchequer bills. This 
he explained to be in order to fill up a 
ehafm made by taking thofe charged in 
1801 out of circulation, By this meafure 
he would reduce the exchequer bills out- 
ftanding to fourteen millions, and fave to 
the public -800,cool. The motion was 
agreed to. without a divifion. This mea- 
fure was followed, on the 6th, bya fimi- 
Jar motion with refpect to the navy bills. 
Its obje&t was to take out of the market 
a certain clafs of thofe bills, which at 
prefent bear an intereft of 844, and to 
re-iflue them at 6d; by which a faving 
would accrue to the public of 90,000l. 
per annum. 
On the 8th of December, the Secretary 
State of Public Affairs in December, Y80% 549 
at War rofe to move the military efta- 
blifhment for the enfuing year. He ob- 
ferved, that while every method confiftent 
with honour fhould be employed for the 
prefervation of peace, ftill the country 
fhould be prepared to refift any aé& of ag- 
ereffion. He then noticed the immen‘e 
military eftablifhment ftill kept up in 
France, amounting, in the whole, .to not 
lefs than 427,g10 men; and concluded 
with propofing, for the prefent eftablifh. 
ment of this country, a force amounting 
to 128,999 men, including 17,000 cavalry, 
fix regiments of colour in the Weft Indies, 
amounting to 4,158 men, and the foreign 
corps of Swifs, &c. eftimated at 5,530. 
The total expence he ftated at four mil- 
lions. 
Mr. Banks and Mr. Wynne oppofed fo 
large an eftablifhment, as both unprece- 
dented and unconftitutional. 
Lord Temple approved a large efta- 
blifiment, as he afferted ‘*the ultimate 
object of France was the total overthrow 
and deftruction of this kingdom.” But 
he deprecated the trufting fo large a fups 
ply in the hands of the prefent minifters, 
“He approved of the meafure, but dif- 
approved of the men.” He fhould be told 
that he wifhed minifters out of their places, 
but was that any new difcovery? He con- 
feffed that he did fo; and the reafon was, 
that Mr. Pitt might be reinftated. 
Mr. Sheridan defended minifters in 
a moft able fpeech. He ftated however 
that he wasnot one of thofe, who thoughe 
that the character of Bonaparte ought not 
to be mentioned with franknefs in that 
Houfe. He {poke in terms of indignation 
of his conduét towards Swifferland, Louifi- 
ana, and St. Domingo. He had faid, in 
fact, though not in words, to the people 
of France,—** You fhall be mafters of the 
world, provided you will be content to be 
my flaves.””. This was the object of his 
prayer, to whatever Deity he addreffed 
himfelf, whether to Mahomet, Jupiter, or’ 
the Goddefs of Reafon. He was miftaken 
however, in his opinion of the people of 
England. He might make and cafhier a’ 
king of Etruria. He might place Italy 
in a go-cart, like a ricketty child. —Bue 
he could not impofe on the people of this 
country.—-He could not, like Lord Peter, 
place ftale crufts before them, and per- 
fuade them they were good mutton. Dur-- 
ing this part of his fpeech, Mr. Sheridan 
having received confiderableapplaufe from - 
what. he called the war party, he obferved 
this was the laft huzza he flould hear from 
4 Az thaé 
