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against the treaty ; one of the speeches is reported in Debrett’sParliamentary Register, but I have no memorial of the other,except a general kind of recollection, that it was employed inproving, that in our trade with all the world, there had been, onan average of the last fifty years, a balance in our favour of twomillions a year, and that I thought it impolitic to risk the per-manence of such prosperity, by entering into a commercial treatywith France , which might aggrandise our enemy, and ruin ourally in Holland. I then added, as a kind of prophecy, If France shall ever, by force or by fraud, unite the marine of Holland to herown, there will be an end of our history as a great people ! Falsussim vates!
The opposition, on this occasion, paid me great attention, tillI told them that they must not consider me as joining theirparty; that I approved of and should support Mr. Pitt, but thaton questions of great importance, I never would be attached toany party.
I saw the Chancellor, (Thurlow,) a day or two after I hadspoken ; he told me that he liked very much all I had said,though he could not agree with me in my conclusion againstentering into the treaty. I said there Was one point which I hadbut just touched, for fear of saying too much upon it, which, if itwere likely to take place, would reconcile me in a great measureto the treaty, and that I hoped it had been thoroughly discussedi'h the cabinet. He asked what it was; I answered it was thechance of our becoming, in a great degree, the carriers of the pro-