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which had, doubtlefs, been urged on the in bringing matters to the laft extremity part of the United Provinces, were cau- were there faithfully recorded, and the tiously retained, not one of thefe had juftice or injuftice of the war might rebeen produced. How then could the ceive an immediate and certain decifion Houfe form a juft and impartial idea by reference to that paper only. His what party had been wrong, in ultimate Grace bad afked, Why the answers which ly producing thefe unfortunate hoftili- had at different periods been prefented ties, if they were deprived of the power to the court of London, from the Statesof taking a complete view of the whole General, in reply to Sir Jofeph Yorke's proceedings; of comparing the original repeated memorials, had not been inclucomplaints with the replies that had been ded in the number of those papers which returned to them; and determining, by were laid before the Houfe? There fuch a prospect, whether they had been was the plaineft and the most fatisfactory juft, or we infolent? Before he could reply in the world to that question: undertake to pronounce decifively one None had been received; their High way or another, he should not only think Mightineffes had not condefcended to it neceffary that all the papers, in any tranfmit anfwers to these reiterated rerefpect relative to the queftion, fhould be monftrances; they paffed them over in fubmitted to their inspection; but that filent neglect, and persevered in their indue time fhould be allowed for confider- juries and injustice, without an attempt ing them with attention, and for forming at explanation or defence. The papers their determination with care and deli- which had that day accompanied his Maberation. This was no time for empty jefty's meffage, were, if properly perucompliment; and if there was ever a fed, and attended to, entirely fufficient on fubject that required the most serious at this fubject. With their Lordships pertention, that was it. He would there- miffion he would juft ftate in a brief fore read the motion he intended to manner, the leading tenor of the various make; and begged leave to apprife their intermediate fteps that had been adoptLordships, that if he finally found it need with respect to the republic before the ceffary to urge it, the Houfe, by his recent rupture took place. A treaty reading it, would be fairly put in poffef- had been made in 1714, ftating, as the fion of it; and his motion would there- predominant and ruling principle which fore have the firft claim to be decided it contained, that if either of the two upon, whatever fubfequent one might nations fhould be attacked, the other be propofed by any other Noble Lord in fhould immediately fufpend all amicable the course of the debate. His Grace's intercourfe with the state which was the motion was to this purport, that instead aggreffor, and in two months be bound of the addrefs which he expected to be to fupply its ally with certain ftipulated moved for, the following fhould be put; fuccours. Now, continued his Lord"That an humble addrefs be prefented fhip, when the hoftilities commenced beto his Majefty, requesting him, that he tween this country and France, we neiwould be graciously pleased to give or- ther infifted upon the one or the other of ders, that the several memorials, mani- these conditions. Though the Statesfeftoes, &c. which have been prefented General were bound by the exprefs terms to the court of G. Britain, from the of a pofitive treaty, we yet indulged them States-General, from the first commence- in the liberty of trading with the power ment of the American war till the rup in enmity with us, and made no requifiture between these two nations, be laid tion of the stipulated supply. When before the House." Spain had also united in the perfidious confederacy that was formed for the purpofe of darkening the fplendor, if not of annihilating the political exiftence, of this country, we then thought it neceffary to make fome application to our ally, But even at that time we did not attempt to preclude every species of their commerce, but only to prevent their affifting our foes with the illicit property of naval ftores. We received no answer to thefe applications; no thanks for these indul

Lord Stormont followed the Duke of Richmond. His Grace, his Lordship obferved, had faid, that the papers which had been read to their Lordships were defective, that more were wanting. In his opinion, if no papers had been produced before the Houfe but his Majefty's declaration alone, that would have been fufficient for the formation of their opinions upon the fubject in queftion. The different caufes which had united

gences.

they were fupplying them with the materials which were the finews of their power, the means without which they could not have fought at all. Under these circumftances, injurious, treacherous, and aggravated as they were, his Majefty was ftill reluctant to violate the amity which had fubfifted between the States General and this country, and which had been deemed by the greatest ftatesmen of each nation of reciprocal advantage to both. - Mutuality of obligation is certainly the grand basis of every national compact, but fo little had the Dutch been difpofed to practise a concurrence in this opinion, that their treachery increafed with our fidelity, and their injuftice with our indulgence. The immediate caufe which had induced his Majesty to take the step that he had fo long refrained from, was the difcovery of a moft unjuft and iniquitous treaty between the province of Amfterdam, and the Congrefs of the American Colonies, now in rebellion against this country. The copy of this agreement had been laid before the Houfe, and their Lordships had heard the injurious tenor of its contents. Wicked and unprece dented as they were, however, what was the fatisfaction which this court received, when application was made, through the medium of our ambaffador, for redress and punishment? - After having deferred for fome time paying any attention to our repeated remonftrances, we were at last answered, that the States General had left the matter ad referendum; which was as much as to fay, they did not care whether any regard was to be paid to it or no. The grand principal on this occafion, the Pensioner Van Berkel himself, when he was interrogated for fuch a conduct, had the impudence to avow it, nay, not only to avow it, but to defend and glory in it. The inhabitants of Amfterdam, which now conftitutes the reigning faction of the nation, were daring enough to inform the general affembly of the States, that they looked upon this treaty with the Americans as the execution of an indifpenfable duty, and that they neither could nor would make any atonement for what they had done, unless compelled to it.

gences. When the increafing exigency were actually fighting for its foes; for. of our affairs required more direct and more urgent demands, our ambaffador had orders to make them, but with all due decency and refpect. No effect followed;-they ftill continued to furnish the ftates at open war with their ally with every kind of ftores neceffary for their conducting it, and even took off the duty from several naval articles, in order the more effectually to expedite their importation to the hostile countries in queftion. They have lately attempted to reconcile their conduct by an affertion, that though the conditions of the treaty of Breda were by no means to be difputed or controverted, yet that the particular inftance in queftion was not a cafus fadesis, and that therefore they were not in any refpect affected by it. Nothing could be fo abfurd: the literal terms of the treaty were, That the obligation on the one power should inftantly commence, when the other was inimically affailed from any quarter whatever. Was it poffible to fay, that we had not been attacked unprovokedly by France? was it poffible to fay, that we had not been attacked in a fimilar manner by Spain? What then could they mean by a cafus fæderis? If thefe inftances did not come under that defcription, none ever would or could. Nay, as a full proof of the reprehenfibility of their conduct in this refpect, the French had conceived themfelves under an obligation to pay fome attention to a fimilar article. In the treaty of Utrecht, between that country and this, the fame condition was inclu ded as that juft mentioned as conftituting one article of the treaty of Breda. When the fubjects of America first thought proper to revolt from their due allegiance to the parent-ftate, and when France of courfe became amenable for the condition alluded to, they, faithlefs and unjuft as they were, confidered themselves bound to pay attention to it; and though they affifted the Americans privately, never dared fo far to forget the decency of respect due to a folemn treaty, as to give them open and avowed fuccour. Yet the Dutch had done this; they had received an American pirate into their ports; they had permitted him to mount guard in one of their towns, and had patronized and protected him; - they had made it their daily practice to supply our enemies with naval stores; and at the time that they were under the moft pofitive engagements to affift this country, they

His Lordship was here interrupted by the Duke of Richmond, who spoke to order. He said, the Noble Viscount had no right to refer, in his official capacity as a minifter, to papers which were not B 2

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before the House. That paper, containing an account of the proceedings of the States General on this occafion, ought, beyond all difpute, to have been fubjected to the inspection of their Lordfhips; but as the Noble Lord had not thought proper to do that, he was not authorised in introducing any allufion to it at all.

Lord Stormont contended, that he was in no respect out of order; becaufe, in the first place, he had alluded to nothing that was not fpecifically mentioned in his Majefty's declaration; and in the fecond, the whole hiftory of the tranfaction in queftion had been published in the gazettes of Holland, which might certain ly be looked upon as fome foundation for an affertion refpecting matters wherein the States-General themselves were fo intimately concerned. The Noble Lord now refumed the thread of his argument, and said a few words as to the policy and expediency of the war with the Dutch. It had been moft erroneously reprefented, that the queftion upon this occafion was, in fact, this: Is it or is it not politic to quarrel with the States-General? Is it or is it not wife to make that power at this time our enemy? This he faid was entirely a mifconception. We have not been able to prevent the Dutch from being hoftile to us; they have been our enemies for some years back, in fpite of every indulgence, and every jutt motive to the contrary. Since, then, the making them amicable, as experience has fufficiently evinced, is perfectly out of our power, the queftion becomes merely and fimply this: Is it better to have them fecret or avowed enemies? Enemies they will be; and it is for your Lordships to determine, fince that must be the cafe, which state of enmity you would prefer, the open attack, which you may prepare yourfelves to refift; or the dark blow, which brings death before difcovery. His Lordthip urged fome other argments for the expediency and neceffity of the measure which had been purfued; and, after expreffing a ftrong with, that it might have been practicable to have punished the province of Amfterdam, where the great and governing faction of the ftate manifeftly refided, concluded with moving an addrefs to the following purport:

"That the thanks of this Houfe be given to his Majefty for his moft gracious meflage:That their Lordfhips lament with his Majefty the difagreeable necef

fity under which he has been of making an hoftile declaration against the StatesGeneral of the United Provinces; but that they are perfectly conscious that he has exerted every poffible expedient for the prevention of it; and that the prevarication, injuftice, and violation of treaty, of which the States have been guilty, were the fole causes which influenced his Majefty in the ftep he has taken. Convinced as they are that this war is neceffary, as well as for the honour of the crown, as for the eflential interefts of the people, their Lordships efteem it their duty to affure his Majesty, that they will readily and willingly affift him with their counfels and fupport, and ufe their endeavours, in conjunction with him, for effecting an honourable and permanent peace."

The Duke of Richmond now entered into a regular refutation of the arguments which had been urged by the Noble Lord. His Grace contended, in the first place, that the Utrecht Gazette was no authority to refer to for the authenticity of any circumftance that might occur in that House. How does his Lordship know we read thefe Gazettes ? May not fome of us refemble that Noble Lord's uncle? He never reads a newspaper of any kind, never, no never : why then does the Noble Lord prefume upon the certainty of the fact, that every other member of this Houfe actually does read them? As for the argument respecting the treaty of Breda, that could not in any reafon be fuppofed to have any effect in inclining the Dutch to amity: for as another treaty had been formed, difpenfing, in a certain degree, with the conditions of that preceding one, they very naturally felt themselves under a difficulty how to proceed; and as the fupplying the hoftile powers with naval ftores was a matter of advantage to them, they conceived themfelves guilty of no impropriety in pursuing it, as it was permitted to a degree in one agreement, though prohibited in another. - Repugnant terms in treaties almoft unavoidably deftroy the effect of each treaty; and, in this inftance, the fubfequent agreement of permiflion to trade, produced only a very common effect, by making the previous condition to the contrary perfectly nugatory. But, what was very extraordinary, continued his Grace, though we fee no tranfcript of it here, a memorial (unless I am very much de

ceived

ceived indeed) was fome time ago pre-

fented to the Dutch, telling them, that

if they did not comply with such and fuch

expectations, they would certainly be

confidered, in the estimation of his Bri-

tish Majefty, as nothing else than a mere

neutral power [42. 155.]. They did

not perform thofe things you expected;

therefore, agreeably to your own decla-

ration, they were reduced to a state of

neutrality, and all previous treaties were

of courfe abfolved and done away [42.

214.]. Is it then a fault in a certain

people, that they do not perform duties
in confequence of a compact, when that
compact has been destroyed, and deftroy-
ed too by the voluntary act of other
powers? After that memorial, all pre-
ceding engagements were fuperfeded,
and this country ceafed to have any claim
upon the States-General whatever. This
complaint, therefore, was no juft foun-
dation for a commencement of hoftilities;
nor would the other European powers
fo confider it. But why was not this
memorial, just alluded to, included in
the papers that had been laid before the
Houfe? It was of infinite confequence,
and no fair and impartial determination
could be come to without it.The
laft argument which had been urged in
defence of this war is deduced from the
league which is represented to have been
formed between the Penfioner of Amfter-
dam and the American Colonies. Here
I muft draw your Lordships attention
to a moft egregious blunder. The King,
by the ignorance and precipitation of his
minifters, has, with refpect to this bufi-
nefs, been led into an actual falfehood.
He tells you, that he has done fo and fo,
becaufe, for one reason, among others, a
league had been formed between the Co
lonies and the inhabitants of Amfterdam.
How did the fact ftand? What was the
title of this treaty, as defcribed in the
exordium of it?" A rough copy of a
league to be formed between the Ameri-
can colonies," &c. This, then, was on
the rough project of a league. Who

could be certain that it would ever have

been completed?-unfigned, unratified,

but merely the faint profile of a poffible

treaty; and that is to be a fufficient

caufe for violating an ancient amity, and

plunging us into a war under the exhauft-

ed circumftances to which we are now

reduced. To quarrel, therefore, with

the Dutch on account of such a treaty,

was wicked, weak, and abfurd; and it

was a violation of honefty on our part to

feize their fhips. It was a robbery, his

Grace faid, which nothing could war-

rant but the bad intention of minifters,

who meant to plunder the unfufpecting,

harmless, induftrious Dutchman. His

Grace recommended it feriously to the

House, to take all the dreadful confe-

quences of accumulated war into their

confideration; and after having lament-

ed the corruption which pervaded every

part of the political fyftem of this coun-

try, and pofitively affirming that he

would feldom, and perhaps never speak

in that Houfe again, fo long as the pre-

fent adminiftration continued in power,

he put the motion mentioned above, and

fat down.

Lord Bathurst explained to the Houfe,

that the Manifefto alone fully anfwered

every purpose that the House could want

a knowledge of. In reply to what his

Grace faid of corruption, his Lordship

begged leave to obferve, that it was the

corruption of the heart that was diftreff-

ing this country; for there were men

who, "difappointed in their ambitious

views, chagrined at not holding any em-

ployment under the crown, with malice

in their bofom, and inveteracy in their

envenomed tongues, were eternally en-

deavouring to ruin administration, even

at the expence of their country: a set of

men who were for ever extolling our

enemies, and depreciating ourselves; and

who took every occafion to harass and

diftrefs government, through a principle

of malice and envy."

The Duke of Richmond replied again,

and described the President of the Coun-
cil as a known Tory in political principle.

The debate now underwent a very
wide and extended difcuffion. The Earl
of Chefterfield and the Duke of Chandos
approved of the war with the Dutch;
the Marquis of Rockingham, the Earls
of Shelburne and Coventry, and Lord
Camden, condemned that measure; and
the Lord Chancellor defended it.

The queftion being then put upon the

Duke of Richmond's original motion,

there appeared

in

in the year 1777, was not included among thofe laid before the Houfe, tho' of great importance to their deliberations, as it was faid to have been the first caufe of the difagreement with the StatesGeneral, it being couched in terms of fenfive to the dignity of a fovereign power.

Lord North informed the Hon. Gentleman, that no papers were laid before the House, except thofe immediately referred to in his Majefty's Manifesto; and the memorial alluded to not being of that defcription, of course had not been included among the reft.

Mr Burke did not think this reafon fatisfactory, and condemned the conduct of adminiftration for commencing a war against Holland, without the fanction of parliamentary concurrence. The House, he faid, had been adjourned for a longer term than neceffary, merely to afford an opportunity of entering on this measure without the confent of the people; and though he denied not the prerogative of the crown in making war or peace, yet as the people were to bear the burthen of the war, they ought to be confulted previous to its commencement.It was true they had now an opportunity of exercifing their judgement on the fubject, but in a fituation widely different from that in which they stood before the recefs; for the queftion was not now, Whether we should go to war with Holland? but, Whether, being already engaged in hoftilities with that country, we fall leave our fovereign unfupported? This was a procedure in minifters which he could not but reprehend; for however unfafhionable it might be, he confefled himfelf fuch a foolish old man as to think that entering on a war was a very serious bufinefs.

The papers were then read by the clerk; after which Lord North rofe to elucidate the fubject of his Majefty's meffage, and propose an addrefs in anfwer to it. His Lordship premifed, that notwithstanding he faw the neceffity of thofe measures which had been taken with Holland, he viewed them with the deepest concern; being as well convinced as the Hon. Gentleman who fpoke laft, that the commencement of a war is a matter of ferious moment. If fuch an opinion were to ftamp the character of a foolish old fellow, he merited that appellation as much as any man; for nobody could be more deeply impreffed with it than himself;

but he should prefently submit to the Houfe thofe circumftances which rendered a rupture with Holland effential to the honour and intereft of this country. Mean time, as to the Hon. Gentleman's complaint, that hoftilities had been commenced during the recefs, he muft first obferve, that the adjournment was not fo much a measure of his own, but he would readily have acquiefced in a propofition for continuing longer the fitting of parliament, had any fuch been offered. However, it was not in the power of his Majefty's minifters to forefee, when the recefs took place, that future circumftances would require a breach with Holland before parliament could reaffemble. It was expected, on the contrary, with great ground of probability, that the United Provinces would not finally violate the principles of ancient confederacy, but attend to the juft complaints of our court, and alter that conduct which had been fo juftly deemed exceptionable. Deceived in this expectation, and fully apprifed of the defigns which actuated the councils of Holland, it became neceffary for his Majefty to take decifive and im mediate measures; for if war was to be fuftained, beyond a doubt it became our intereft to take the enemy in as defencelefs a ftate as poffible. His Lordship proceeded to a full detail of thofe tranfactions to which the Manifefto and Memorial referred. The alliance between Great Britain and the States-General was cemented by three different treaties; all providing for a mutual fupport against the incroachments of the House of Bourbon; and on the part of this country most faithfully adhered to ever fince their formation. By the firft of thefe compacts, each of the contracting powers engaged to declare war against any enemy that should invade the dominions of the other, within two months after the aggreffion, if required fo to do. By the fecond, that of 1684, it was provided, that the declaration of war might be difpenfed with by the party attacked, if thought proper, and a determinate fupply of naval and military force be accepted in its ftead. The laft treaty, that of 1714, explained the cafus feederis of both the former, to include that fpecies of hoftility in which either country is in danger of invafion, as when an enemy is drawing troops to the frontier or fea coaft.

By each of thefe confederacies his Lord

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