thought fit; and the anfwer was, that if he was bound to profecute the war, we must come ourselves under the fame reftriction. We were now told we could not make peace without our allies. The manifeftation of a fincere defire to make peace would, he contended, be highly popular in this country, and grateful to all Europe: and could it be thought that we fhould make worse terms of peace with France because they know our defire to be fincere? Was it not, on the contrary, to be feared, that the mutual alienation of affection, and the mutual diftruft which has fub. fifted between the two countries, would create more difficulties in the way of negotiation, than even the terms that might be propofed. In former wars, the obftructions to pacification had uniformly arifen more from the temper of the adverfe countries than the fpecific terms brought upon the tapis. This was obviously the cafe in the glorious war of the fucceffion. Such had been the afperity difplayed on both fides in the prefent conteft, that the temper of governments would occafion a difficulty no lefs formidable than any which might arife in the difcution of terms; and this difficulty, Mr. Fox thought, would not be removed by fome parts of the minifter's fpeech. It might be faid that the conduct of the directory was fimilar to our own; but this conduct did not justify ours. The affertion, that the motion would fo cramp and humiliate governnas to render an honour able negotiation impoffible, had been fo often made that it had loft its force. When it was propofed to declare the government of France in a negotiable fituation, the propofition was fcornfully re

jected; and now this very declaration was made at the commencement of a negotiation. As to the royal prerogative of making peace when and how his majefty pleases, none could doubt it; but none, on the other hand, could doubt the prerogative of the commons of England to advife his majesty both on the time and the terms of páci fication. It was faid by lord North, in the American war, that it was the height of indifcretion in the parliament to interfere with thè prerogative of the king in making peace. This argument was wifely rejected; and by the declaration of parliament, the hon. gentleman and his affociates were enabled at that time to conclude a peace. There were, he observed, certain bugbears which had ever been held out by minifters to parliament, and which had been difpofed of according to its good fenfe at the time. Fortunately for the people, their conftituents had not always paid that attention to them which on fuperficial obfervation they seem to claim. However wild the fentiments of the directory of France might be concerning peace, thefe fentiments ought not to deter us from offering terms. Let us meet their demands with reasonable over tures, which would have a greater effect than the most strenuous re fiftance, in relaxing their exertions. He knew, he faid, reafon had lit tle effect in the government of mankind, and that justice and moderation often yielded to power and lawless might. Poland was one example of this; but there were examples of a contrary na turę. -One of thefe was, when a war was meditated against Ruffia, by England, at fea, and Pruffia by land, which was entirely fubdued

by

by reafon and moderation."Let us, Mr. Fox faid, manifeft to the world a fpirit of moderation, and this night addrefs his majefty to commence a negotiation with the republic of France. I fay, republic, for there is more in names than we can imagine." He noticed the great care with which minifters ufed the term French rulers, perfons exerciting the goverment of France, &c. and that they had fent an ambaffador to the court of Louis XVIIIth. Could they imagine, after fuch infults, they should be treated with, without a previous acknowledgement? He argued, that the motion was calculated to ferve minifters in forming a negotiation. With respect to the relative fituation of Great Britain, Mr. Fox did not wish to fpeak. He was lit tle inclined to defpondence: but if any thing could make him defpond, it would be that fpecies of reafoning, when, after being told of the increased national debt, the taxes, &c. he was defired to look at the ruined finances of France for comfort, which were quickly hurrying that power to the precipice of deftruction; fo that in proportion as the enemy retreated from the common abyfs which would fwallow both up, we were encouraged to be under no apprehenfions for our own fafety. The French might be in more distress than the people of this country but it appeared to him poor comfort to the afflicted, to hear that their enemies would fall before them. Were we to fucceed in the most romantic hopes of establishing a government in France, it would not indemnify us for the evils of war which we had experienced already, and which, if peace was at that hour to be made, we must feel, day after day, year after year, nay, age af

ter age. Allowing, however, all that could be urged, could any man be bold enough not to wifh peace because the finances of France were more deranged than our own? Rather than continue the war for another campaign, independent of moral reasons, he would not give up honour, dignity, or liberty, but he would give up every question of etiquette, of ambition, or national vanity. He wifhed not, he faid, for a dishonourable peace, or a peace on any other terms than fuch as were worthy the character and fituation of the country; but fuch he entirely thought might be obtained. On the divifion of the houfe, there appeared for the motion 50, against it 189.

In a few days after the above difcuffion, viz. on the 26th of Febru. ary, general M'Leod addreffed the houfe of commons refpecting a let ter which had appeared in a morn ing paper, ftating that there had been an importation from Cuba to Jamaica of 100 blood-hounds, attended by 20 Spanish chaffeurs, for the purpose of hunting the Maroon rebels; and that they had proceeded into the woods, where, it was the opinion of the inhabitants, they would produce the defired effect. The circumftance, he obferved, muft recall to the remembrance of the houfe the atrocities formerly com mitted by the Spaniards in the island of Cuba, where they bunt ed down the original proprietors of the land. He fincerely hoped the government of Jamaica had not fent to Cuba for these means of exterminating the Maroons, the proprietors of a part of the foil; but thought, for the credit of the nation, that parliament was interested in difcovering the truth of the narration.

Mr. Pitt faid that nothing could

Any cenfure on any commander or officer, but merely for official papers. The general concluded by moving for an addrefs to his majefty, praying that he would give directions for laying before the houfe whatever has been received refpecting the mode of carrying on war against the Maroons.

The motion was oppofed by Mr. Dundas, who stated that no information had reached minifters that thefe dogs were used for the purpofe of carrying on the war. He had never heard that the Maroon war had originated with us; he had, indeed, heard they were in a ftate of infurrection against the government and people of Jamaica without the smallest provocation. In the war, the inhabitants of Jamaica fuffered dreadfully from the Maroons, who, living in almoft inacceffible places on the heights, defcended in the dead of night, and after having maffacred whole multitudes, retired where the whole force of the island had been found inadequate to diflodge them. In this fituation the planters were obliged to be continually under arms; and finding many of their troops deftroyed by efforts to fupprefs them, though their numbers did not exceed 400 men, it was natural to adopt fuch practical means as appeared moft likely to crufh the infurrection. The use made of these bloodhounds in Cuba was, he said, merely to prevent negroes from running away, or to difcover the way they had taken. The grounds for the motion were, he contended, too imperfect to induce the houfe to acquiefce in the propofition. How far it could refolve on the propriety or impropriety of the measure which had been reforted to, was another queftion. If the complaint was true, the neceffary measures would certainly be taken to remove the

evil; and from the mere rumour. which had been received, minifters had fent off difpatches expreffing their difapprobation of the meafure, if any fuch had occurred.

The character of the governor of Jamaica (lord Balcarras) was vindicated by Mr. Barham, who ftated the Maroon war to have originated from the mild punishment inflicted upon one of these people, for a crime which, in this country, would have been punifhed with death. Mr. M. Robinfon thought the letter infufficient ground for the motion, had not the defence of Mr. Dundas admitted the fact of blood. hounds being employed in the war. The fmall number of Maroons, he obferved, was an additional reafon against the introduction of a means of war abhorrent to human nature.

Mr. Sheridan expatiated upon the horrors of this addition to the neceffary calamities of war. He prof. ffed himself forry to hear that the Maroon war was a war of extermination; which he underftood was the cafe, as it was ftated that Jamaica could not be fafe till the Maroons were deftroyed. Was it not ftrange, that the whole force of the island was inadequate to this end,, without the introduction of fuch abominable means? They had been driven to arms by oppreffion, the breach of treaty, and in vindication of their rights. One gentleman Mr. Barham) had afferted that they were not to be treated as Maroons, but s rebels. Was, then, the refiftance of an independent nation, with whom this country had figned a folemn treaty which it afterwards violated, to be considered as a state of rebellion? The tendency of fuch. measures was to drive them, by cruelty, to nourish fuch a reflection of their wrongs, as would render

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them

them in future incapable of preferving amity towards this country. Would it be faid that the Maroons, when in habits of intercourfe with the planters, were either ufel fs or intractable? The flight punish ment alluded to, had been that of publicly whipping through the town a poor Maroon, charged with stealing a pig. Such was the pride of this independent people, they preferred death to an ignomihious punishment. Nor had e a right to try him, "as, by an exprefs ftipulation in the treaty with this people, they were to be tried by a tribunal of their own." Complaints were made by the Maroon chiefs of this violation: we refufed redrefs; and thus, he faid, the war had originated.

Mr. Courtenay obferved that this measure appeared to have been defended, though indirectly. One gentlemen had hoped no improper ufe would be made of the bloodhounds. What proper ufe could they be of against men? Would they be inftructed not to hurt the men when they caught them? Fox-hounds, when fet on, would tear a man to pieces. As a poor woman, with her child in her arms, had ftood upon the beach in Jamaica, fome of the blood-hounds had faftened upon her, and could not be taken away till they were pierced with a bayonet. Such were the animals of which it was hoped no improper ufe would be made! In confideration of the affurance given by Mr. Dundas, general M Leod, after afferting that he would never abandon this fubject till he was fatisfied that government had really dispatched orders for terminating a practice fo injurious to the British name, confented to withdraw his motion. In the courfe of debate, the character of the

governor of Jamaica received from all parties great encomiums.

On the 13th of April, Mr. She ridan moved for feveral papers relative to the Weft India expedition, the production of which was ob jected to by the chancellor of the exchequer. The debate was res fumed April 21ft, when Mr. Sheridan obferved, that no reason had been offered for their non-production. This, he contended, was part of the plan of miniflers; it was calculated to conceal their blunders, and to hide their incapacity, and was a practice unknown to former parliaments-a practice which must effectually preclude any inquiry into the conduct of administration. The minifter had, he observed, last year regretted the latenefs of the feafon, which prevented him from entering into the merits of the war in the Weft Indies; and had declared his conviction, that it would redound to the credit of minifters, How was it then, that the motion was now oppofed? No man in that houfe, Mr. Sheridan faid, would, he was certain, affert that no blame was imputable to thofe who had the conduct of the war, or of the Weft India expedition. After the conquefls of fir C. Grey, what had been the treatment he received? From the hour of his departure to his return, not ope detachment, he believed not a fingle man, had been fent him. If, by this neglect, we had loft the greatest part of our conquefts; if, by the delay of equipments in 1794, men had been kept in floating peft-houfes till they pe rifhed with disease, was it, or was it not, a ground for inquiry? But how was this to be obtained without documents? He would, he said, undertake to prove that much blame was imputable to minifters in the expedition under admiral Chriftian,

and,