Star. — London, England, 1815-05-03 00:00:00

it he. mider out out a p r io r i facie case for inqui ry, i f not ders'an, if it did not become his (L or d Castle -1; ', - 4 0 , 5 ) duty to enter into an exposition of the views :hi s Majesty's Ministers with reference to the case before them. Before the Governm,:in entered their defence, i• was essential for there to be in • „i on of the points of attack, anti he w as t h e 77:i n d t iced to press a calm investigation of this ect , from a full conviction that he w ou ld b e pre. . a 1., ) , before the House the most intelligible enable them to come to issue on the mat ., wi t h one or two objections, rather of an indivi. ul c i ! lracter, he could not but adm:t the abl e , ai d methodical manner in which the question b u s' liaroduced—(Hear, kar,)—and w hi c h ena .J t ,, bring the circumstances fully before the irtise . it WAS unnecessary for him to sapthat in en. i„ :0 If e relations between Murat and 'this ‘votild disclaim taking any distinction .-a,:en premises which had been given, and the n• which had been claimed, he would not de n j t he ilkiViSetS of the Crown upon any such techni. ' o: t ies, it the country had admitted the claim of the ,esent Government of Naples in the first instance, .ec.f.l ,it cavilling upon the quantum of aid which 3t R u l er was to have afforded, they would have beand to maintain his tight. The Noble Lord • r i e ntered into the political engagedents which ,ll•een made with Murat. On his llth of January, • 1 , A ire.ity had been entered into between Aus., :.1.1:1.! Naples, in which the laver agreed to place the ~ i s r osAl of the Allies a force of .50,000 men. • m imication of this circumstance had been made William Bentinck, who was thereby autho ....i enter into a suspension of hostilities with that ;; previously, however, to Lord William's re t:cis communication, he had consented to an on the Sd of February, which is, in fact, r and-work of the present enquiry. Here the ;: or.: :e341 his instructions •to Lord William ;.; ~c t., ti.tteJ Chatillon, 21st February, which ex. ;; an asietit to thexecognition of Murat on two ;:v. One, that he ( Murat) should effectually ;r:..lus pledge of a cordial and faithful co-operation the Allies for their common purposes; and the :,,T, that he should tender a suitable indemnity to !:iag of Sicily. In this engagement there was c ni trAventiOn of the alliance subsisting between •,,,,, L thitain and the King of Sicily, for although it-rte to a certain extent bound to the latter, yet connection did not amount to a :lingua am, re ..,te LI the Sovereignty of 'Naples. Sicily had a right to reckon, but not in anise. on the :J,: Zagland. in obtaining for her the restoration .:Nylcs—she had no obligation of good faith which :lull be put in competition with the general adjust :tnt of the afFairs of Europe.. When in August, i;iJ, Austria intimated her wish to enter into a sti. oiation with Murat, the British Government, rarigii Lord Aberdeen, consented to it, but not so 1,15 to securing to that offices the Neapolitan terri rr, but a certain equivalent for such services as he ...Id perform. On the t J of October, Murat re .!,e,l to listen to any terms short of his recognition .:Napies. Here it was necessary to consider the :iii . ortance of securing Austria at that moment, from .e power of the Neapolitan troops iu the Sloth of it.t:y, and, if possible, to embrace their active aid, providing for Sicily a proper indemnity. I:fic gc , lians, it Was true, protested against thefidmission 1 any indemnity, and upon that point no blame :said attach to Murat. The only material juin then, consider was, the quota of active co-operation ir!iich he tendered iu pursuance of the Austrian treaty. To slkw its keel iuetlicieocy, the Noble Lord read extracts from Lord William Bratinek's Jispotches, roundiy asserted the insincerity of Naples. On tine 25th of March, Lord Btntinck and" Marshal Deliegarde discussed the merits of co-opera. lion, and agniel that so far from thiowing his weight into the scale, his occupation of certain positions in Italy, savoured more of a perinanent than a temporary c::a:acter ; sad, finally, that no person south of the Po pi any reliance upon his sincerity, as all concurred L. the 0,;:,tioo, that he was watching circumstances, and ate,ii.t in ti :.t end to throw his weight into thestrongest Tot.se ;pinions could not have eritaititted from I "4d-cluorters, for at that timmi o distrust was there ,sse.i of his character. In the letter which he (Lord Casth!reagn) transtUmed to Lord W. Ben-, Li.cl Lunt Dijon, on the Sd of April, he endeavoured 1 (' at life d..wn the idea of Murat's insincerity, be ne telt it his duty to appear to treat with more outikleuce th in they really felt, the individual whose acw-tance toey sought lo obtain s and that an excess of confilenke rather than excess of jealousy should be r•;,..,:rvett fin such an occasion. Oa the 31st March, E.: Ashes entered Paris, which city he himself en tred early in April. It was at this time that the liter of Lord W. Bentinck received from an authen t. source (although he could not disclose it) a con°. irali.'n Amounting to a moral conviction, and left nt doJbt that Murat Lid not fulfilled his engage mars. This information was of course sent to the Government at home—and he (Lord Castlereagh) also made a communication of his dissat slation to Priace Cognate, as well as to the Duke of Campo chiaro at V 'stria ; at the same time intimating, that qoestion was st ill open f or t h e consideration of Here die Noble Lord quoted his own d;Tatel, td the 25th of January, enclosing a note from the Dtike of 'Campochiaro, and explicitly stating, t" at notwitlistat:ding the conduct of Murat, the point A S still in reservation for a future moment. The Ltt was, the case ot Naples was a most embarrassing t two representatives from the Kiug of Sicily Were then at Congress, and ii nothing had occurred shake Murat's sincerity, there could be no doubt It • Itotild have been entitled to the benefit of his sti-' Gelation ; but in cider to effect what could be done !; 11. s subject, wit::oot giving offence to France and 'Vain, who wore so nearly allied to Sicily, or with ';'t casting of Murat, whoa aid was still important, had been d-termined by Congress that the atfairs 1 4 Naples should remain over for their last act, and pursuant to this decision, nothing further was done 1 9 to tie uoment when Murat commenced unprovo thed ;Tgression. In co n se q uence o f b e i n g pres s ed by 'ralteyrand to come to an explanation of the nature of Murat's claims, he felt it his duly to solicit Ifni that personage a statement of his .views, which vas accordingly given. Soon after the Duke of COM.. tlit.tro sent in a detailed justificatory memorati ::.m embracing the whole conduct of Murat, from e battl e of Leipsic downwards. did not shake t' 4 teuviction which be bad already fogad relative to the conduct of the Ruler of Naples • hut he thouget it right, notwith s t an di n g, to re f er this docu ment for the opinion of one of the ablest and best in funned °dicers, who w as acqua i nte d, f rom hi s s i tua- 1 eon in the Austrian service, with the whole transac- i tiro—he meant G e n era l Nugent, who tevietved the! paper step by step, ani paragraph by paragraph—re- ' futed, by a reasoned detail, both the facts which that paper contained, and the inferences which had barn deduced from them—and further %hewed that. Mu. rat, by a skilful effort, bad : in truth, deleate4.l the ob ject of the campaign. He (Lord Castlereagh) did not even rest there, but called for an official report from Lbrd W. Bentinck, which was inntliediateiy given, and was decisive on the point of (quiet's duplicity, and that his object was to play such a game as wouli, under any event, secure to him the states of Italy, south of the Po. When Prince Talleyrand argued the question, he did not confine himself to the mere terms of tbe Treaty, but he adduced irrefragahle evi dence to shew, that on the very eve of his Treaty with Austria, Murat had been negotiating with 80.. naparte k r his Italian territory, and_ that the latter, who had not then so humble an opinion of his for tunes as he afterwards possessed, ridiculed the de mand, and asked bow he, Murat, could think ot effec ting that in the Papal territory, which he ,himielt had tailed to accomplish I So late as February, the Queen of Naples was in correspondence with Bone. parte —it could not be supposed without the concur. rence of her husband ; and he (Lord Castlereagh) had had convincing proof at Paris. that Murat would never have signed the Treaty with Austria, if Bona parte had sooner acceded to his views. As to the rea. sons why he had not joined the Viceroy, these were evidvnt —the two characters were, in point of interest, in dircet variance. Here the Noble Lord warmly de precated the mode in which Ministers were put upon their trial, from partial and unautheaticated docu ment ; and put the case, whether he would be justi fied, from motives of pusillanimity, in advising the Crown to do an set of ratification towards a party, of whose insincerity he had moral proof ? For the purpose of securing every means of information Alija lay within his reach upon this subject, he en treated Prince Talleyrand to cause a search in the bureau at Paris, for any documents which might have passed between Bonaparte and Naples. It appeared that a very extensive correspondence had taken place. certified copieSof which he had officially received.— He should now read to the House many extracts of the correspondence which had been found, that pass ed at that time between the Princess Borghese, Ba. naparte, and the King and Queen of Na-tles. He should also read extracts to prove the opinion of the French constituted Authorities on his conduct. From the first letter, which was from the Princess Burghese to Bonaparte, dated Lucca. February lath, he read the following extract :—.6 The King of Naples is in a state of great agitation. He is asuinisheu that the Viceroy should have retired from the banks of the Adige, and hopes that he has not forgotten the buie hts he had received from your Majesty." The 2J letter which he should read, was from Bonap ale to the yucca of Naples, and was dated Naiii..is, the 1701 of kebruary. 4'7' the time this 1. tier w IS written, Bonaparte did. not despair of his fortune, and treated Murat in the stile of a master. This letter contained the following expression s:—" Your lite.l.and is a brave man in the field, but more cowardly than a woman or a Monk when he has been a mouth is om i it. He has no moral courage. He should know that what he has he rein only hold by me, and wi,., nw. When he quitted the army without orders, and ever -slam he has been doing me as much mischief as be could. I may,towever, yet pardon him. Rccal him to a sense of his duty, and let him watch for a la-, "Towable moment to shew me that 1w is not as un- grateful as he has been pusillanimous." He should next re-ad an extract from a letter from Fouche to Bonaparte, dated Lucia, February 18th. Tiiis letter stated, a that the King was sick with grief: that he felt thoroughly the circumstances in which lie was placed, and that the English and Austrians reproach ed him with too much attachment to his Imperial Majesty." He then read an extract of a letter from Eugene Beauliarnois to Bonaparte, dated the 2ith of February. This letter expressed . 4 that the Viceroy had the strongest hopes that the King of Naples would not add to the wrongs lie had been guilty of towards his Majesty, by tiring at his troops." He next read an extract of a letter from the French Consul at Ancona, which had no date, but was certainly written about the same time. That letter stated the substance of the conversation betvieeu him and Murat. 66 The King of Naples told him that necessity alone compelled him to join the Allies. The maritime strength' of England was always threatening his states with invasion, and his people were discontented at the stagnation of trade. He said that it was agreed that his army was never to tight against Frenchmen." The next letter which be had to read was a very curious document: it was a letter from Bonaparte to Murat, giving him au ac coutit of ltis successes over the Austrians on the 10th, I lth, and 12th, and threatening him with the effects of his displeasure if lie did not change his cooduct. He, however, addressed him with some degree of courtesy, in still giving him the title of a King. This curious instrument began in this manner—" Sire, my brother, your conduct has been diametrically opposite to your duty. That, however, belongs to the weak ness of your character. You are a good soldier in the field of battle, but elsewhere your conduct has been most pusillanimous. I still rely upon your con trition, to repair the faults you have been guilty of. If it s hould win out otherwise, you may repent it. I hope you are not one of those who think the lion is dead, and—'.' (Lord Castlereagh said he did not know how to read the next phrase in English, but be would give it to them in the original—e. et que Pou pent pisser sur lui."—(Loud laughter.)—l defeated the Austrians yesterday. Another victory will re. store my affairs. You have done me all the harm you could, ever since you left the army at Wilna. The title of King has turned your head. What you have written to me is at variance with your actions. I shall see by your conduct at Ancona whether your heart is truly French. Recollect that the kingdom , which you possess is only your's for the benefit al those who gave it to you. I made you a King only for the benefit of my system." Ile thought that those documents pretty plainly skewed the light in which his conduct was considered by the French. His object was to get possession of the whole of Italy south of the I'o, This object he solicited from Bonaparte, who then considered it a most absurd claim, and treated him with the utmost contempt. It was not until he was convinced tha. he bad no hopes of ob i taining his object from Bonaparte that he closed with the Allies, with whom he had been previously nego. ciating for many manths. He afterwards shewed throughout, that his only object ins to secure what he laid chins to, and that he was not disposed to 1 co operate seriously with the Alli es . By t h e int er f e re nce of his troops at Reggio, a considerable body of French I troops were suffered to escape that: would otherwise have been prisoners. After he had so completely violated his engagements with the Allies, they were all of ophrion that he had ao claims to their intetfe- rence for his protection. France and Spain strongly pressed at the Congress the displaciag him from the throne of Naples. He would, however, state most confidently, that if Murat had acted fairly in the corn mon close. his claim to the kingdom of Naples would have been supported not only by this country, but by AgStri4 9 ROSSI 3, and Prussia. These would then never have been a question about whether there hid been a regular treaty entered ion.) with him or not. If he had acted like a man of honour and spirit, his claim would have been as lolly suppot ted, as if it had been formally covenanted by a treaty. The rin cipal Allied Powell, however, knowing that he had torfeted all claim, found it a greater difficulty to resist die pressing solicitations of France and Spain. It was, however, reserved for the Congress to deter mine on the grounds of policy ttal the general inte rests of Europe, and no deterininati.in had been made, nor had the subject been taken i n to the consideration of the Congress, at the time that he resolved upon war. The Noble Lord then oixscrvett, that about the time that Bonaparte left Elba, there was a very re makable and important alteration took place in the ptTricy of the Government of Naples.. Murat took occasion then to complain of the notch Government, and demanded a free passage for 80,000 men through that part of the country in It ly wai - • •1 1- tti. the Austrian dominion, for the purpose of marching diem into France. His previous conduct had for some time strewn that he was in possesdon of what had taken place at Elba, and that added to his de:nand of marching his troops through the Marches of Ancona, gave a considerable alarm to the Austrian Govern ment. They, however, gave a peremptory refusal to, and declared they would oppose the march of such an army, as they would equally refuse the march of a French army through their territory to attack Naples. When Murat was informed dirt Bonaparte had arrived in Paris, he (Murat) placed his troops in such a situation, as to enable him to give assis tance to his former master, and immediately fixed hir head quarters it Ancona, and resumed his title of Joachim Napoleon, which he had voluntarily dropped Irons the time that Bonaparte abdic tied his Throne. —On the 31st of March, without making any com munication to the Austrian Government, he put his whole army in motion from Ancona, in an offensive manner against the Austrian Government, and en deavoured by his Proclamations to excite :he people of Italy to join against the Alließ. In his Addresses to the Italians he spoke in the most favourable terms of the English, in order to draw thO luau the belief that this Nation V4 . '4S favourable to his views. It v..as of course preposterous to suppose the Allies were bound to keep any terms with hum after he had openly attacked the Austrians. He had no objection to pro- .duce the Papers moved f ; and if they did not sa• tasty the Honourable Members who wished to have them, they would have it in their power to toting tOrward any question respecting them which they might think proper. He was desirous to do this, in order to clear himself from the charges which had been so numerously, uncandidly, and, in his opinion, unfairly made against him ; and the aspersions of which he wished to make evident, not only to the, Government, but to the whole Country. 'fire infor mation of the Honourable Gentleman who made those charges appeared to have been . drawn from the secret 1 official sources of other countries, which were not the A most creditable • and he hoped it would prove a salu tary lesson to the Honourable Members on that side, , of the House, which would make them in future more cautious of bringing forward accusations to ca. lumniate the Government on authority so weak and inefficient, and abstain from bringing forward their attacks on Ministers till they could fairly try the question.—(liear, hear). Mr. WHITBREAD said, as this was not the night for entering at large into the papers, which the Noble Lord had promised should be produced, he would not trouble the House further thin to observe that those Honourable Members who had so Icitidly cheered the Noble Lord, and who thought that he ) contained in himself the whole government of this country, might find themselves satisfied by the long and able speech of the Noble Lord, but he could by no means do so. The Noble Lord had opened a scene of diplomatic treachery and baseness, which he, for one, could wish had no existence but in imagina tion. The Noble Lord had read a great many letters which, however obtained by the Noble Lord, and how strongly soever they might weigh with some, had not by any means convinced him that the Noble Lord's conduct was not still open to every thing that had been said of it. When the papers were laid upon the table, he should have en opportunity of delivering his opinion more fully. Lord CASTLEREAGH explained. Mt. PONSONBY said, the Noble Lord flattered himself in supposing that what bad fallen from him that night would prove a salutary lesson to himself and his Honourable Friends who acted with him ; for he believed that nothing the Noble Lord had said, or could say, would be deemed by any of them either instruction or authority. He thought it a base insinuation of the Noble Lord to endeavour to incul cate an idea that he and his Honourable Ftiends de rived their intelligence from the secret agents of foreign Governments. Lord CASTLEREAGH, in explanation, said, the Right Hen. Gentleman bad .misunderstood his argument. He begged, however, to know, what he meant by the expression of 4 . 1 „ base insinuation." Mr. PONSONBY said, he thought the Noble Lord had used language which he ought not to have done, when he attributed to him and his friends the deriving information from the secret sources of foreign Goverutnen i s. Lord CASTLEREAGH adverted to a letter which an Hon. Gentleman had received from Genoa. Mr. WHITBREAD —J , I am extremely happy to love an opportunity of stairg publicly to the House, the circumstance to which the noble Load alludes, to 'hew bow ridiculous is the Charge mil preferred against us. Several documents had appe teed in the public prints, not sent there` by me, bat on which I propos..l many questions in this House. I certainly, some short time since, received a lott-r i , purporting to come from Genoa, which I never an. swered ; and I remember having mentioned tiv cumstance to the Noble Lord some Rights ago i i the lobby. But at the same time I will never refuse to receive any infirmation, while I exercise my own dis cretion whether I shall use it or not." Mr. PONgONBY—. , I declare upon my word of honour, that I have never received any 401311, tioits, such as the Noble Lord alludes to, from the al;ettti of foreign powers." Lord CASTLEREAGH repeated his request of an explanation. Mr. TIERNEY......" This question is elsily settled, .if the Noble Lord declares, that he never intended to impute to the Gentlemen of this side, conduct in. consistent with their duty to the c.iuntry, my Right Hon. Friend can have no objection to disclaim any desire of personal offence." Lord C STLE REACH conceived communica ti,ms with Foreign 1 1 (.v.ers, and any indirect sources of inform:id:A, to be unconstitutional. Mr. IVIIITBREAIIig Does the Noble Lord mean to attach any harsh interpretation to that word • unconstitutional e does lie mean to imply anything of a tit:no:table correspo.d..oce ? It so, let him e!i ir 'e us openly with such conduct." The 6I'E . AKF.It.-- ,, I am persu Lied the ll ,, use will not permit the discussion to take such a direc tion. I ant cr.:.fi lent the Right Hon. Member will disclaim any interrion of using this word personally; he owes much an explanation to the House." Mr. PONSONBV.-- ,, There is no place where I should be so cautious in abstaining from all expres sion that could he deemed improper, as in this House. Bat I c ncriv; that I am not the first to be called on 1., an ex?i taation. It 'vas no: 1 w:to charged any Nlembe. ~"•ith a delinquency almost treasonable." Lord CASTLEREAGH.—N When infirmation is received by any Member indirectly, I feel myselt justiti.t.l in alluding to it. The Right Hon. Member should 1•e :he last person to deviate from Parliamen tary_Usages.7 Mr. ko ItNER--" I bore I may be permitted to say a few words, as it w.:s from it warm defence of me, (tering my absence. that my Right Hun. Friend was in.luced to use the expression. The charge was C:!: ta . ;nl y A very severe one. and if the Auble Lord would disclaim any intention of implying an unjust:. c ,, tiduct on this side of the House, my Right H )s. Friend can h 11fe no difficulty in lamenting the lox of that vvmd." L rd CASTLEREAGH—" I did not mean to insiiiiiate that tl►: triode of intelligence was in anywise treaso.u...ble, but that.it WAS not such as Parliament could act upon." Mr. TIE,ItNEY conceived that the explanation removed ail difficulty. Mr. PONSONBY- 4, The charge was a very se.. yore (me ; I felt it warmly, and in the heat of my feelings did use an expr fLsion not warranted by the triage of Parliament. lam scary for it." Mr. WELLESLEY POLE thought that the Gentlemen opposite had profited by the lesson which they had received. Tbeir tone wa, greatly changed, and they could no longer sing out their usual charge against his Majesty's Ministers that through their fault a valuable ally had bee's lost. He praised the fairness with which the question had been brought forward, and thought it had peen proved that it was impossible to follow any other line of conduct than that adopted by Mi:.isters. Mr. PRO fiIEROE haviug remarked that the Honourable Member for Bedford had cast his eye, rather in a sneering manner towards him, on hearing some Gentlemen on his part of the House cheer the Noble Lord, he should take this opportunity of ex pressing aloud the satisfactory impression which that Noble Lord's defence had made upon him. Mr. HORNER, in reply, contended, that he had a right to seek to ()Irwin information in a constitu tional manner. The Noble Lord's speech had not altered the impression on his mind : though he ap. proved of his having reduced the question to one of good faith. He had directed the attention of the House to the reports of Military Commanders who had described Murat's conduct, but unless they made out it had been such in the campaign as could not be fairly attributed to the impetfection of all human efforts, they had not proved what was necessary to support their case. Tile Noble Lord had chiefly relied on a collection of letters, which were certainly cirri. ous, as they unfolded the private character and dis positions of men of whom one had heard so much; but they did not touch the question. They were all prior to the 4th of March, when the ratification of the Treaty had been signed on the part of Austria, and a month before we hid acceded to that Treaty. His conduct before he had entered into any final en gagement with the Allies, could be no ground of complaint, and the letters only applied to that period. It was only subsequently to the engagement that he could be guilty of a breach of faith. He also thought bat the manner in which some of the letters had been obtained, should be explained. There was a letter from Bonaparte to Murat, written at Nangis, and strange to say, afterwards foUnd at Paris by Prince Talieyrand. On this, however, he should not expa tiate. If his Majesty's Government could prove a breach of faith on Mural's oala l i ei f g a i r g i mtheenntsit withwas clear h theythat this, he contended, had not been done. The question was then put and carried. The Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at Twelve o'clock. It seems a mystery to many where BIM gets the immense number of Guineas that he displays in his %xindi.tws at Cc;rnhill and Charing-Cross; some per sons think he has a vcret order trom the Treasury on the Bank for what Gold he wants, but we cannot be lieve the Treasury would act thus partially to serve an itidtvidnal, whogewnly cL.im is having devised two of the best Schemes ever produced in Lottery annals; the last, where he sold all the Three Ptizts of £30,000, had 15,000 Ti:kets, drawn in three days; but the present Lottery, which has another ASO,OOO Prise, 3,Otk) more Guineas, to be paid on demand, with the itsaal now b r of 'other Capitals, yet only 5,000 tickets, and all them must'be drawn in one day, Saturdity, the 13th instant. * 1 ;:, lc :o h a t .r N til iL si Ii ;I- -c; Y. i; e- -111 . n to R ile 1j !.; Ic•- tlr C.(•` :.c ;:.. at:. all Imo