ion had asked
if those gentlemen who thought the present peace not sufficiently
advantageous to Great Britain, considering her circumstances, could
consent to pay the amount which another campaign (twenty millions) would
have put us to, for the degree of advantage they might think we had a
right to expect? In answer to this, he declared, for one, he had rather,
large as the estimated sum in question was, have had it stipulated in
the treaty, _that Great Britain should apply it to making good the
losses of the Loyalists_, than that they should have been so _shamefully
deserted and the national honour so pointedly disgraced_ as it was by
the fifth Article of the treaty with the United States."

_Mr. Secretary Townsend_ (afterwards Lord Sydney) said "he was ready to
admit that many of the Loyalists had the strongest claims upon the
country; and he trusted, should the recommendation of Congress to the
American States prove unsuccessful, which he flattered himself would not
be the case, _this country_ would feel itself bound _in honour to make
them full compensation for their losses_."

_Mr. Burke_ said: "At any rate, it must be agreed on all hands that a
vast number of Loyalists had been deluded by this country, and had
risked everything in our cause; to such men the _nation owed protection,
and its honour was pledged for their security at all hazards_."

_The Lord Advocate_ said: "With regard to the Loyalists, they merited
_every possible effort on the part of this country_."

_Mr. Sheridan_ "execrated the treatment of those unfortunate men, who,
without the least notice taken of their civil and religious rights, were
handed over as subjects to a power that would not fail to take
vengeance on them for their zeal and attachment to the religion and
government of this country. This was an instance of _British degradation
not inferior_ to the unmanly petitions to Congress for the wretched
Loyalists. Great Britain at the feet of Congress, suing in vain, was not
a humiliation or a stigma greater than the infamy of consigning over the
loyal inhabitants of Florida, as we had done, without any conditions
whatsoever."

"_The Honourable Mr. Norton_ said that 'Under the circumstances, he was
willing to approve of the two former (European treaties with France and
Spain); but on account of the Article relating to the Loyalists, he felt
it impossible to give his assent to the latter."

_Sir Peter Burrell_ said: "The fate of the Loy