Selected Speeches on British Foreign Policy 1738-1914

Selected Speeches on British
Foreign Policy
by Edgar Jones

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1738-1914, Edited by Edgar Jones
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Title: Selected Speeches on British Foreign Policy 1738-1914
Editor: Edgar Jones
Release Date: February 8, 2004 [eBook #10990]
Language: English
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SELECTED SPEECHES ON BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY
1738-1914
EDITED BY EDGAR R. JONES, M.P.

This volume of 'Selected Speeches on British Foreign Policy' was first
published in 'The World's Classics' in 1914

PREFACE
A selection of speeches made for the purpose of illustrating the best
rhetorical form of British Oratory has already been published in 'The
World's Classics'. The governing principle of this volume is not
rhetorical quality, but historical interest. Speeches have been selected
from the earliest days of reporting downwards, dealing with such
phases of foreign policy as are of exceptional interest at present. They
have been chosen so as to cover a variety of international crises
affecting various states.
In such a selection some very interesting speeches have had to be set
aside, because they represented temporary or individual and sectional
views rather than permanent national and official views, and in order to
avoid disproportionate reference to the same situation or country.
It is to be hoped that the selection, such as it is, may, through the words
of the statesmen of the past, help to prepare our minds for the sound
and worthy consideration of the problems of European re-settlement
which will arise at the termination of the War.
EDGAR R. JONES.

CONTENTS
WILLIAM PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM (1708-78) The Convention

with Spain (House of Lords, March 8, 1738) The Defence of Weaker
States (House of Lords, January 22, 1770)
RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN (1751-1816) The Partition of
Poland (House of Commons, April 25, 1793) The Prussian Subsidy
(House of Commons, February 5, 1795) Grant to the Emperor of
Germany (House of Commons, February 17, 1800)
WILLIAM PITT (1769-1806) Overtures of Peace with France (House
of Commons, February 3, 1800)
GEORGE CANNING (1770-1827) Negotiations Relative to Spain
(House of Commons, April 30, 1823)
SIR ROBERT PEEL (1788-1850) Portugal--Don Miguel (House of
Commons, June 1, 1828) Belgium (House of Commons, July 16, 1832)
Russian Dutch Loan (House of Commons, July 20, 1832)
LORD JOHN RUSSELL, afterwards EARL RUSSELL (1792-1878)
The Annexation of Cracow (House of Commons, March 4, 1847)
VISCOUNT PALMERSTON (1784-1865) The Polish Question (House
of Commons, March 1, 1848)
HENRY, LORD BROUGHAM (1778-1868) Italian Affairs (House of
Lords, July 20, 1849)
EARL RUSSELL, previously LORD JOHN RUSSELL (1792-1878)
Denmark and Germany (House of Lords, June 27, 1864)
LORD STANLEY, afterwards EARL OF DERBY (1826-93) Austria
and Prussia (House of Commons, July 20, 1866)
JOHN BRIGHT (1811-89) Principles of Foreign Policy (Birmingham,
October 29, 1858)
WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE (1809-98) The Neutrality of
Belgium (House of Commons, August 8 and 10, 1870) [By kind
permission of Mr. H.N. Gladstone and Messrs. Wyman & Sons, Ltd.]

Right Principles of Foreign Policy (West Calder, Midlothian,
November 27, 1879) The Aggrandizement of Russia (West Calder,
Midlothian, April 2, 1880) [By kind permission of Mr. H.N.
Gladstone.]
BENJAMIN DISRAELI (1804-81) Denmark and Germany (House of
Commons, July 4, 1864)
BENJAMIN DISRAELI, EARL OF BEACONSFIELD (1804-81)
Treaty of Berlin (House of Lords, July 18, 1878) [By kind permission
of Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co.]
SIR EDWARD GREY (1862- ) Negotiations (House of Commons,
August 3, 1914) [By kind permission of Sir Edward Grey and Messrs.
Wyman & Sons, Ltd.]
HERBERT HENRY ASQUITH (1852- ) Infamous Proposals (House of
Commons, August 6, 1914) [By kind permission of Mr. Asquith and
Messrs. Wyman & Sons, Ltd.]
DAVID LLOYD GEORGE (1863- ) International Honour (Queen's
Hall, London, September 19, 1914) [By kind permission of Mr. Lloyd
George and Messrs. Methuen & Co., Ltd.]

WILLIAM PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM
MARCH 8, 1738
THE CONVENTION WITH SPAIN
You have been moved to vote an humble address of thanks to His
Majesty, for a measure which (I will appeal to gentlemen's
conversation in the world) is odious throughout the kingdom. Such
thanks are only due to the fatal influence that framed it, as are due for
that low, unallied condition abroad, which is now made a plea for this
convention. To what are gentlemen reduced in support of it? First, try a
little to defend it upon its own merits; if that is not tenable, throw out

general terrors--the House of Bourbon