Mainwaring, and feconded by Mr. Carew, Mr. Fox, difclaiming any intention to oppofe, could not adopt the principles, nor give his fanétion to all the collateral obfervations advanced by the honourable gentlemen who fupported the addrefs. He proceeded to confider the object first notified in his Majefty's fpeech, the Spanish convention:He agreed in opinion with Mr. Mainwaring, that the convention was not a fit matter for confideration on that day, as the papers relating thereto were not yet laid before the Houfe. He declared, however, that, in his opinion, peace was preferable to war, under almoft any circumftances, and most efpecially defirable for this country in the prefent moment. He next, of course, adverted to what had been faid on the fubject of the Auftrian Netherlands:-It had been stated, that it was good policy in this country to promote the return of the Netherlands to the dominion of the House of Auftria, in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of another power, likely to prove dangerously inimical to this country. He conceived that the power alluded to must be France. But how had France fo fuddenly become a greater object of terror to us now than at any other period? The interference of the French nation, for obvious reasons, in the prefent conjuncture, was very little to be dreaded. With regard to the affairs of Europe in general, the interefts of different powers had taken fo new and fingular a turn, that it was the undoubted duty of his Majefty's minifiers not to overlook this circumftance, but to convert it to the public good.

If ever there was a period wher this country might pick and chufe her allies, it was the prefent. She had nothing to do but to afcertain what number of foreign allies it was abfolutely neceffary that we fhould have, and then proceed immediately to form fuch alliances, and on fuch conditions, as to their beft judgment fhould appear advifeable. As to India, no more was intended than to defend our ally when attacked: this line of conduct would meet with his hearty approbation. But if, under the pretext of a quarrel between two native princes, our object was to obtain for ourselves new territorial acquifitions, he should enter his determined protest against the injustice of fuch proceedings.

Mr. Pitt admitted, that to vote for the address did not imply an approbation of the convention with Spain. On the fubject of foreign alliances, he faid, his Majefty's minifters were neither fo idle nor fo inattentive to their duty as to overlook any favourable opportunities that might occur for the improvement of a former, or the promotion of a new treatise. As to the affairs of India, he did not determine it either juft or prudent to make war for the purpose of extending territory; but contended that, in cafe of a fortunate termination of the war, we fhould have a right to demand a reasonable indemnification for ourselves, and an adequate compenfation for our injured ally.

On the 3d of December, còpics of the declaration and counterdeclaration, exchanged at Madrid, July 24th, 1790; and of the convention with Spain, figned the 28th

of

Now we confented to the limitation of fettling in certain places only, and even there under various reftrictions. We were allowed, indeed, to form colonies on any part of the western shores of America, to the northward of the regions claimed by Spain; and to build temporary huts on the fouth of the parts already occupied by Spain. But the Spanih boundaries, beyond which fuch permiflions were granted, could not be accurately defined. And as it certainly was better than vague claims, however extenfive, his Majefty's minifters fhould have infifted, in the first place, on a precife line of demarkation, even at the expence of a few leagues of country, from fuch an account as Spain herfelf might chufe to give of the limits of her occupancy. He concluded, on the whole, that we had retained what was infignificant to ourfelves, but refigned what was of infinite confequence to Spain. That what we had retained was fo vague and undefined, and confequently fo liable to be again difputed, that we had conceded much more in point of right than we had acquired in point of fecurity.

Mr. Pitt obferved that, in the controverfy refpecting Falkland Iflands, the minifter of the time had indeed obtained a reparation for the injury received, but left the claim of right unfettled. On the prefent occafion, we had gained all that could have been expected on the point of reftitution, as the Spanish court had exprefly promifed to restore the lands of which we had been difpoffeffed, by the firft article of the convention; and our claim of right was acknowledged and adjusted by the articles fecond

and third. But it had been faid that the other articles were replete, not with acquifitions but conceffions, In anfwer to this allegation, Mr. Pitt observed, that we had not perhaps acquired new rights, but certainly obtained new advantages, We had a right before to the fouthern whale fifhery, and a right to navigate the Pacific Ocean, as well as to trade on the coafts of any part of North-weft America. Thofe rights however had been difputed and refifted; but by the convention were now fecured to us. Whenever a conceffion was made on our part, a ftipulation equally favourable to us had been made by Spain. As to the line of demarkation, he obferved, that it was judged moft expedient to leave that undefined, which it was impoffible at the prefent moment, with fufficient accuracy, to determine.

In the courfe of the converfa. tion which took place with Spain, feveral obfervations were made refpecting the extenfions of the Britifh navigation and commet. It did not appear to Sir William Pultney, that the commercial advantages gained by the convention were of fuch importance as by fome gentlemen had been stated. The trade in furs, he said, could not be very productive. The price of the commodity might be at firft very confiderable, but its value would foon decreafe; nor was Nootka the only quarter from whence this commodity might be derived. From a comparative estimate of the trade in the Southern Seas with that in Greenland, he contended that the fuperiority in every refpect lay on the fide of the former. Yet the fouthern whale fifhery, which had become a favorite adventure

with adminiftration, was not fupported without a bounty amounting to no less than ten per cent. on the produce of the whole. To the intercourfes of commerce which we had lately maintained in the South Seas, and which would be farther promoted by the convention. Mr. Montague afcribed the late improvements in navigation. He compared the difficulties which Lord Anton experienced in that navigation with the eafe with which it we effected by modern navigators. The whale-fifhery trade, he obferved, was beginning to be transferred from the North to the South Seas: and, while the number of ships fent to the one had of late years decreafed, that fent to the other had increafed in proportion. As to the bounty given, it might be confidered merely as an encouragement to navigation. The addrefs to his Majefty on the convention with Spain, was carried by a majority of 124.Ayes 247. Noes 123.

An addrefs to his Majefty on the fame occafion, and to the fame effect, was moved in the House of Peers, by the Duke of Montrofe, and feconded by the Earl of Glasgow.

Lord Rawdon, from the eulogiums which had appeared in the minifterial newspapers on the King of Sweden, accompanied with infinuations of the policy of fupporting him, and from the evafive anfwers given by minifters when queftioned on that fubject, fufpected that the fleet was destined to the Baltic, while we were bullying Spain, by whom no real infult had been offered to this country. His Lordship therefore moved the previous queftion; which motion was Tupported by Lord Porchester.

VOL. XXXIII.

The Marquis of Lanfdown was ftruck with aftonishment to underftand that minifters withheld any papers from the public eye that might reasonably be called for. The old fyftem of adminiftration feemed to be entirely destroyed, and a new and dangerous one fubftituted in its ftead. With regard to the negociation and convention now before the Houfe, his Lordship did not hefitate to cenfure the whole, from first to laft. The Spanish nation had a right to all the coaft on which Nootka is fituated, acknowledged fo far back as the reign of Elizabeth. The project of a fettlement on the north-western coast of America, was formed by Lord Sandwich; but that minister, on mature deliberation, thought proper to adhere to the long established fyftem, and for the wifeft reafons. He well knew that the treasures of Mexico and Peru found their way to England through the medium of Cadiz. The golden harveft of Potofi was exchanged for the manufactures of England: a treasure ftill greater. The Marquis then traced the late difpute with Spain to its origin. A few young men, whom he fhould call men of letters, for merchants they certainly were not, were determined to make difcoveries; and they happened to fall in with Nootka Sound. A veffel was fitted out under Captain Meares, which was to be joined by two others, to be alfo under his command, from India. This commodore (Meares) had a code of orders to treat every perfon well, natives as well as Europeans: but if any of them fhould give offence, they were to be carri❤ ed to Bengal, and there tried by a court of admiralty; though there never had been fuch a court at that