1820 Dec r 21

Rid Yourselves of Ultramaria

Introduction

To conclude this head - to the present purpose the material question is - at this

time of day, does the so extensively disputed claim of dominion over Ultramaria

present any better grounded expectation of advantage than the peaceable possession of

it did in the year 1786? In the opinions that you have seen, even the peaceable

possession was not at that time attended by any advantage. If the possession was not

then, what in the eyes of any person who can think,

what, if he can bear to think of it, can be the advantage of the claim without the

possession - or even the claim with the pssession - now?

Thus much upon a view thus general. Presently we shall come to take a particular

view of all the several shapes, in which in the nature of the case, it would be

possible that, from the source in question advantage to any amount should accrue.

By these preliminary explanations, you are, I hope, sufficiently prepared for the

view of the Tables themselves.

Whether, the advantage acquirable from the dominion supposing it in possession or

the possibility of reacquiring and resecuring it were considered, the view thus

presented to you of the state of your revenue and expenditure at this recent period,

could not, on the present occasion, be omitted. Had it not been for this

confrontation, it might have been supposed by some that in these accounts

respectively the profit from the dominon was at that former time underrated, or the

expence of supporting and defending it over-rated: or that in case of repossession

the probable net advantage from the dominion might at this time be greater than it

was at that time: or, in a word, that some how or other, so it is that neither the

opinions nor the facts of that time are applicable to the

present position.