'marks. It was a most beneficial contract, made in the dark, with a noted and highly-favoured contractor. The Treasury-board entered into a bufinefs with which they had no concern and were totally unacquainted, merely, to all appearance, upon that, and no other account. They had departed, in making the bargain, from all the fair and open rules of conduct, which had been laid down and established by the navy-board in the execution of the fame fervice. And all their boafted merit in at length lowering the price of freight fixpence in the ton, and cutting off one per cent. from their agent's commiffion, proceeded from a motive which had no relation to public good or œconomy. Their favourite contractor had, from the multitude of his beneficial bargains, brought himself and them within the notice of parliament. They were obliged, upon that account, after it had undergone a parliamentary difcuffion, to fubmit the flate and nature of his well-known rum contract to the inspection and decifion of feveral capital and intelligent merchants; and thefe gentlemen, who were pitched upon by themselves, reprobated the whole tranfaction in the moft decifive terms. Under thefe circumftances they thought it neceflary to curtail a part of the glaring exorbitances of the prefent contract, (which we find to be then done without any difficulty) and to make fome apparent tender of restoring the tranfport business to the navy-board; an offer which was, however, managed in fuch a manner, that its producing a refufal was well understood. The noble Lord at the head of the navy undertook the defence of the treasury, which he performed with his ufual ability. It was fated on that fide, that the fervice was new, and the neceffity irrefiftable. It was the first time that fuch an army had ever been maintained at fuch a distance. The troops must be fed at all events. Every thing depended on the promptnefs of the fupply. And notwithstanding the great exertions used for that purpofe, the letters from the commander in chief were frequent, urgent, and complaining. An infinite quantity of fhipping was to be procured, and must be obtained on any terms. The greatnefs of the demand neceffarily raised the price. The caufe of the Treafary's being obliged to pay higher for freight than the navy-board, was explained by Atkinfon's evidence. It appeared by that, that from effential differences in the two fervices, the owners of fhipping preferred that of the naval department, at a lower price, and that paid in navy-bills,, which were liable to a confiderable discount, to the Treasury service, at an advanced price, and ready money payment. No doubt, it was said, could be entertained, that every poffible economy was practifed by the Treafury. They undertook this troublesome bufinefs meerly to fave expence by the appointment of new> officers. They ftruck fixpence off the freight as foon as it could be done; and they even reduced the agent's commiffion one per cent. But they did not chufe that an army of Englishmen and friendly foreigners fhould be ftarved in a hoftile land, whilft they were haggling about freight. So that inlead of a vote of cenfure, they deferved the public thanks of their country for their zeal and alacrity in neceffary to our immediate prefervation, under all thefe circumftances, it became doubly incumbent on their lordships, both as an obligation of public and private duty, to look carefully into the expenditure of the public money, and by correcting the profligacy of minifters and public officers, to apply a fpeedy and effectual remedy to this crying and ruinous grievance. no The bufinefs of the prefent day, his Lordship obferved, went farther than to the novel conduct, and its confequences, of the Treafury Board, in departing from its proper line of bufinefs, and taking into its hands the unprecedented management of the tranfport fervice. But this was introductory to that thorough investigation, which he intended, of the public accounts in general. He acknowledged, ironically, that the whole of the expenditure which was to be the object of their immediate enquiry, amounted only to about 600,000l. which, to thofe who were in the practice of voting or paffing millions, without care or examination, might appear too trifling a matter to become a fubject of their ferious confideration. But when he had made it appear, as he would, that the lofs to the public in this comparatively finall expenditure,, amounted to no lefs than one fourth of the whole fum; when it was recollected, that the detection in this inftance afforded full room for a prefumption, that the fame wafte prevailed in the difpofal and management of thofe immenfe fums which were annually raifed upon the people; he trufted, however trifling or unworthy of their attention the lofs of 150,000l. in one article of expenditure might appear, their lordships would fee the propriety of fupporting him in the commencement of an enquiry, which tended to a general reformation, in a matter of fuch vast importance, and fuch univerfal concern, as the expenditure of the public treasure, It appeared (contrary as they ftated to the general courfe of offcial bufinefs) that the treafury going out of its proper department, and entering upon a tak to which it feemed totally incompetent, took the whole bufinefs of the tranfport fervice into its own poffeffion. That inftead of adhering to the practice of the navy-board, which was in continual exercife under their eyes, of publicly advertising for propofals, and without any regard to the price at which it then and ftill procured freight, they entered into a private bargain with a Mr. Atkinfon, in confequence of which they had for a long time paid twelve fhillings and fixpence a ton on an infinite quantity of freight, befides allowing him two and a half per cent. for his commiffion or agency. And that inftead of employing a proper officer from the king's yards, as a check upon this agent, to meafure the fhips, and afcertain their condition, thefe matters were left entirely to himself, who informed the Lords that he employed a furveyor for that purpose. Both the noble Earl, and the other Lords who fupported the enquiry, ftigmatized the whole tranfaction with Atkinfon in the most direct terms, as a jobb of the most difgraceful and fhameful nature. They faid, it carried about it all its proper and characteristical marks. a conftant topic of ridicule to mi- "tered into between that court " and the revolted colonies in "North America." The minifter directly moved the previous queftion, giving as a reafon, that the expofure of the papers demanded, would be a moft unpardonable and pernicious act of treachery, to thofe, who at the greatest rifqué, had communicated fecret intelligence to government. Mr. Grenville offered to prevent an effect which he abhorred, by inferting the words " or extracts," after, copies, in the motion; but the minifter infifted that no amendment could be received after the previous queftion had been moved. This conduct was, however, reprobated with fo much indignation on the other fide, and represented as an act of quibbling and chicane, fo unworthy of, and unfitting for that place, that the minifter with drew his motion, and the amendment was received. The previous question being then again moved, the minifter carried it upon a divifion by a majority of 231 to 146. On the following day, the Royal meffage, accom17th. panied by the French declaration, figned, on the 13th, by M. de Noailles, the ambaffador from that court, were prefented to the Commons by the minifter. The former, after mentioning the matter of fact, with refpect to the notification, acquainted them, that in confequence of that offenfive communication, his Majefty had fent orders to his ambaffador to withdraw from the court of France. Then ftating the juftice and good faith of his Majesty's conduct towards foreign powers, and the fincerity of his wishes to preferve the tranquillity of Europe, he trufts, that he fhall not stand responsible fponfible for the disturbance of that tranquillity, if he should find himfelf called upon to refent fo unprovoked and fo unjuft an aggreffion on the honour of his crown, and the effential interefts of his kingdoms, contrary to the moft folemn affurances, fubverfive of the law of nations, and injurious to the rights of every fovereign power in Europe. It concluded with a declaration, that, "his Majefty, relying, with the firmeft confidence on the zealous and affectionate fupport of his faithful people, is determined to be prepared to exert, if it fhall become neceffary, all the force and refources of his kingdoms; which he trufts will 'be found adequate to repel every infult and attack, and to maintain and uphold the power and reputation of this country." The French declaration feems to ftate the actual independence of the Americans, as it was declared by them on the 4th of July, 1776, as a juftification for confolidating, by a formal convention, the connection begun to be eftablifhed between the two nations, and the figning a treaty of friendship and commerce, intended to ferve as a foundation for their mutual good correfpondence. Under an infulting parade of cultivating the good understanding between France and Great-Britain, the knowledge of this tranfaction is faid to be communicated, accompanied with a declaration, that the contracting parties have paid great attention, not to ftipulate any exclufive advantages in favour of France; and that the United States have referved the liberty of treating with every nation whatever, upon the fame footing of equality and reciprocity. It is taken for granted, that the new proofs now given of a conftant and fincere difpofition for peace, will produce fimilar effects on our fide; and that his Britannic Majefty, animated by fimilar fentiments, will equally avoid every thing that might alter the good harmony fubfifting between the two crowns; and that he will particularly take effectual measures to prevent the commerce between France and America from being interrupted, and to caufe all general commercial ufages, as well as the particular rules fubfifting between France and England, to be obferved. It concludes with an intimation, that the French King, being determined to protect effectually the lawful commerce of his fubjects, and to maintain the dignity of his flag, had, in confequence, taken eventual measures for thefe purposes, in concert with the United States of North America. The minifter moved an addrefs to the Throne, which, befides echoing back and confirming the principal pofitions in the meffage, declares the highest indignation and greatest refentment at the unjuft and unprovoked conduct of France, which, in another part, it calls "that reftlefs and dangerous fpirit of ambition and aggrandizement, which has fo often invaded the rights and threatened the liberties of Europe." It concludes with the ftrongest affurances of the moft zealous affiftance and fupport; and a declaration of the firmeft confidence, that, in every demonftration of loyalty to his Majefty, and of love to their country, his faithful fabjects would vie with each other; and that no confidera tions HISTORY OF EUROPE. [*161 tions would divert or deter them from standing forth in the public defence, and from fuftaining, with a fteady perfeverance, any extraordinary burthens and expences, which fhould be found neceffary for enabling his Majefty to vindicate the honour of his crown, and to protect the just rights and effential interefts of these kingdoms. that an Mr. Baker moved, amendment, to the following purport, fhould be inferted after the words, "affurances of fupport," in the addrefs, viz. " hoping and trufting that his Majefty will be graciously pleafed to remove from his counfels thofe minifters, in whofe conduct, from experience of the pernicious effects of their paft meafures, his people can place no confidence in the prefent momentous fituation of public affairs. Sir George Yonge warmly feconded the amendment, and was himself as warmly fupported. The principal ground of argument was, the folly and danger of committing the conduct of the most arduous war, in which this country was ever involved, to thofe men, who had already fhewn themselves totally unequal to its government in the most profound quiet and peace; whofe pernicious counfels and measures had converted that feafon of happiness and profperity into all the horrors and mifchiefs of a most unnatural, cruel, and deftructive civil war; whofe ignorance and incapacity in the management of that war of their own Creation, joined to that incorrigible obftinacy, which, difdaining all counfel, and rejecting all warning, were at length the unhappy means, of for ever fevering the British empire, and of finally VOL. XXI. fent danger and calamity. plunging this nation in all its pre the prefent glaring and criminal But they dwelt principally upon inftance (as they termed it) of incapacity or negligence, in not being able, in a time of profound peace, and when intelligence was fo procurable as to be obtained by a private gentleman, to difcover court of France, until they were the defigns or tranfactions of the put in actual force and against us. open avowal quainted with these circumftances, Or if they were acthey were ftill more criminally culpable, they faid, in having taken no fingle meafure to guard against fo momentous an event, nor made the fmalleft provifion for the protection either of these kingwhich were every where, whether doms or of our foreign poffeffions, in the Eaft or Weft Indies, the Mediterranean, or at home, left defencelefs, and open to infalt and danger. Is then the fate of GreatBritain, they cried, in this critical feafon of danger, to be committed to the hands of fuch men? Is the difgrace, ruin, and difcomfiyears war, fingly with America, ture, which attended their three the motive for entrusting them now with the conduct of a war against the whole houfe of Bourbon, closely united with those cans? It was in vain, they faid, very Amerito talk of calling forth the spirit of the nation, by men who had loft all confidence with the people. They fidered as an adminiftration comwere univerfally and juftly conpofed of imbecility and deceit; no honeft and difinterested man would venture to entrust them with his property; and it was no detraction to their character to fay, that they [i] were |