of the loan.  He should more particularly have wished for such a declaration from the Imperial Court, which had, at all times, been proverbially distinguished by ill-faith.  He recollected on this subject a strong expression of a right honourable gentleman (we suppose Mr. Windham), who said, that since the capture of Richard I, the conduct of the Court of Vienna had been marked by an uniform series of treachery towards this country.  To guard against this treachery, he thought that nothing would be better than for the House of Commons to show themselves alive to their duty on the present occasion.  There were some men who, though insensible to the calls of honour, were yet not callous to the sense of shame.  Some men of that description might be found among the ministers of Austria.  It might, therefore, be of importance, by way of warning to them, to come to some resolution, expressive of indignation and contempt, with respect to the violation of faith on the part of His Prussian Majesty.  Mr. Sheridan here referred to that article of the treaty in which it was stipulated that sixty thousand Prussians should co-operate with the British troops, and that a commissioner should be appointed for the purpose of watching over the observance of this article.  From the scraps of letters laid upon the table, it appeared that no commissioner had been appointed for this purpose.  This, he contended, would not have been the case, except Ministers had been aware that the King of Prussia, from the very first, was indisposed to perform his duty.  He referred also to the memorial of the Emperor, which stated that the effective co-operation of the Prussians might have been the means of saving Brabant, and, in consequence, of preserving Holland.  Such were the effects stated by His Imperial Majesty to have resulted from the breach of faith in His Prussian Majesty.  In his answer to this memorial, addressed to the circles of the Empire, that monarch shows a degree of apprehension, that he should have even been supposed to have had the smallest disposition to keep faith towards this country after he had once received its money.  He should therefore conclude with moving this resolution—­’That it appears to this House, that the King of Prussia received from the treasury of Great Britain the sum of L1,200,000 in consequence of the stipulations of the treaty concluded at the Hague, on the 10th of April, 1794; and that it does not appear to this House, that the King of Prussia performed the stipulation of that treaty.’

RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN

FEBRUARY 17, 1800

Grant to the emperor of Germany[1]