Star. — London, England, 1805-02-15 00:00:00

deft 'might give tire to fears of diftontent and cold. Deis on the part of AnAria. The difcontent might liecome exarperated, and dm coldnefs might degene rate to refmtment by means of the intrigues of our enemies. }fence the inetrtitude as to the duration a.peate, yet irevr and imperrealy fettled. Hence the fear of feeng rekindled a defol4ting war, af i!iaing even for, the conqueror. Far from our new inftitutions producing fuch lamentable effe.h, the Emperor of Germany and Aultria has teen, as he ought, in the enablif6ment of the Imperial Monar chy, in favour of a new dynafty, a guarantee given to his Crown, and a motive fnr a doter alliance.— It is in the organazation of our empire that Francis the Second has found a new pledge of fecurity and ;'ace ; a reafon for removing his armies from our frontiers and thole of our allies, and for not keeping his forces on a war eflablifbmrnt. In fine, from all the clouds which je.ilnufy, hatred, fear, or hope had Tu ;fed, nothing has refuhed but happy explanations, f lid afurances of the duration of peace. and the maintenance of harmony between the two Empe- MT` . Bavaria, Saxony, Here Calle', Baden, Wurt teinberg, the Elellor of Ratiomn, all the reigning petty Princes of Germany, and the Equrflrian Order, have given his Majelty multiplied proofs of interek attachment, and Aeon. The Drakes, the Spencer Smiths, and the Taylors, have been driven away, as foon as it was known that their diplomatic charafter, Thamefully profaned by them, ferved to mark the o e n anal mow rdious proceedings, and that the ob ject of their intrigues was war; the dangers of which the prefent seneratinn, fatigued with battles, and de firous of rerife, whiles not to encounter, dreading, as it does, its misfortunes, and abhorring its exciters. ,‘ Having Pruffia and Autlria for Allies, where, Gentlemen, are we to look for the elements of a eon tinenzal coalition ? Is it in Sweden f The young Prince who reigns over that State, endowed with a warmth of head, and with an exalted imagination, (lamentable gifts for Kings when reafon does not controul them), has not known how to mature his deftgns by prudence, has negletted to call to his councils the Sages with whom'Sweden abounds, and to enlighten his experience by the eifdoin of his old Minitters. Thus this blonarch has failed In the refpett due to France, and in the effervefcence of Ids refelutions, he has kept no meafures with her. But, at the fame time, his imprudent boldncfs has not ufe3 more management towards Atifltia, and he has proved the inconfillency of bis conduet, that his prcfpefts were without calculation, his pro jab without maturity, hie defires without reflec tion, eta his paffinns without guides, he had medi tated a treaty of futilidy with England. He bad demanded of the Cabinet of St. James 48.000,000 (byres) in exchante for twenty thottfand foldiers; but the Engfilk Micifler, trafficking for Men in Europe as to Mercbanclize in Alia, valued the Swedes like Sepoys, and would give but Sewn millions, and thus the Treaty was not concluded. Prsffia betides interpofed in the negotiation, decla, ring, that the conelidion of it would be the fignal for his entrance into Pomerania. And though the rage prudence of the Cabinet of Berlin Ihould not have defended the King of Sweden from his own er rors, the blood of the Swedes does not belong to him who barters and fells himfelf to intrigue or to tyran ny.—ff France formed a pretenfion contrary to the interells and to the honour of Sweden, Stockholm would fee the dettendants of the foldiers of Gliftavus arm for their enun:ry ; but the would alto find them irritited At feting their blood let up to auftion, ex chanzed for EnAlith guineas, and proving by their indignation, that the swedith warriors, whore fathers filled the armic:. of Charles XII. are not made to linty to fuch bafe:.efs and meannefs ! " Where. then are the elements, the centre of this coalition to be found?—Will ir be in Ruffia f—The King . of England himfelf announces that no tie ex alts with that Power. He (peaks of a correfpondence, but a cuire%iondence begun is not an alliance con eluded. 11,-fides, Ruflia is a great Power without doubt; hut (he can do nothing againll ftc French em pire. I go farther, if the Woronzoffs and the Marcoffs could entertain the idea of felling the force and in fluence of Ru(Ga to the Engliffi Cabinet, Alexander has wifer Counfellors, and forms more prudent Tern lotions. He has not forgotten how the Ruffians were left war treated by England, theirally, and how were terminated, tin Switzerland and Holland, expe ditions undertaken by great Generals and brave foldiers, but undertaken with plans that could not be executed, under the influence of a difaftrous Rae. In fine, the coldnefs between the Cabinets of the Thudkries and St. Pcterlburgh is not enmity. They have neither of them any real fubjetl of zhifunderfian ding, and what has palled within there three months between the two Governments, thews fufficiently that England would, in that ctinjunCture, have conceived vain projetiv, and (peculated upon falfe hopes, if the thought of converting her correfpondence into a coa lition. Woronzoff may have conceived filch a hope ; but who does not know that Woronzoff is 1.11 a Ruf fian than an Englilhmen ; that, refiding in England, he wifhes to fix himfelf there, and that a foe, and dif approver of Paul the Firlt, he is equally fo of the great Catherine. el The Cabinet of St. Peterfburgh is acquainted with the true inserells of its country ; it will have always before it the audacious infult of Lord Nelfon, wifhing to dictate laws in the. Gulph of Finland. It cannot difremble that the attack committed' in the Mediterranean by the Englifh againft the Spanifh fri gates, againft an almell unarmed regiment, againfl defencelefs women and children, menaces alfo, on every tea, the (hips and fubjefta of the Czar. It can not d:ffemble that that attack proceeds from the fame !pith and the fame principles that produced the at tack upon Denmark in her capital, which may pro duce an attack upon the Ruffian fquadron in the Me diterranean, or in the Baltic; a (Writ of fury and in toxication which, pervading the Englifli Cabinet, in duces them to defpife all the Rowers of the Conti nent, to make no allowance for any one,and to coat • der themfelves as of the focial !late, and the great civilifed family of the world. " There exits, then, no threatening or poffible coalition; but the Clued guarantee of the French empire againft all fear, is, that could one have been formed, the Emperor would have attacked, beat, and broken it—and after eittory, would hare pt npGied peace—he would have written to the King of England that letter, in which he invites humanity to the aid of redo*, and the ichereft of the Eng lilt people. Let as repeat it th en. Gentlemen, one fentiment, and the• moil honourable of all, could alone have led the Emperor to take the glorious Rep he has done with rcfpea to England. This fent.- ment is the fame which, in other fi tuations, dictated to his Majefly the difpatch he wrote before the paf fage of the Saave and the Drave. It is the fame that infpired that letter to the King of England, fume months before the battle of Marengo. It is the fame that, after the viEtory, made the Conqueror offer peace to Aultria. In fhort, it is the fame fentiment which, at the Peace of Luneville, made his Majefiy refolve to facrifice immenfe conqueßs, and upwards of twenty Millions of inhabitants, who had fubmitted to the French arms. It is the focial love of order, the love of the country, the facred love of humanity, fo often profeffed in vain fpeeches, and fo rarely carried into aellon, and which, always ref Bed by the Em peror, always taken as the guide of his fieps,has been tke pledge and confolation of his fuccefs. " You will find, Gentlemen, the touching and auguß expreffions in the letter I am abcitt to read to you.—[He then read the letter, and Lord Mut oft av a's anfwer.]—Shall I compare at prefent, Gen tlemen, the two monuments of what Liftory is al ready in poffeßion ? Shall I remark to you in the French document, elevation, franknefii, and force ; in the Englifh, cunning, duplicity, and weaknefs ? Here every thing wears a noble air, every thing bears the Ramp of dignity and grandeur ; warfare is menacing, but generous; warfare is menacing, but regulated by the guidance of that rare courage which facrifices the charm of conqueß, the fplendour of viaory, the illufions even of glory, to the cry of humanity, to the tears of a hundred thoufand national or foreign families. who call out for peace to Flis• v ea, and their monarclis. There every thing is un certainty and hefitation, fuppofitions are given as an fwers to fags; the uncertain and equivocal future is oppofed to the prefent, white no clialbt exills ; to a frank overture is oppofed the polEhility of a coalition, which even did it exill, would neither intimidate the nationnor her Emperor; which whether it continues to aft, or is vanquifhed, would neither encreafe or re traft their pretenlions, neither add to or take from the conditions written down in the Treaty of Amiens. If in the communication which file teems to announce, England (peaks a language more worthy of the over ture the has received. peace may be reftored. But if this only opportunity whiCh Teems to be offered by the Matter of all Empires, of re-eftablifbing the peace of the univerfe, is left unimproved by England, all Europe will fee that the Cabinet of London only has deft fed, does dare, and will alone dellre, the conti finance of war. 46 And if, on the anfwer by which the King In England, in the Bth yeai, rejetted the noble over tures made by his Majefty, judgment be paired ; if, with refpeet to the conduit of England, at that pe riod, the prefint generation is, as it were, pofterity ; if a portion of the great profperity of France, and of the erifis in which England is now placed, refult from that refufal to enter into negociation ; I am warranted in thinking that a fintilar cattle will pro. duce fimilar effees ; that a frefli refufal, no lets cri minal than the former, will open to us new advan tages ; and that pofterity, which in this fecond enter gency swill pronounce upon the Englifh Government; will all° pronounce between the Emperor of France and the King of Great Britain ; nor is that potte city far from us. If, on the other hand, fo worthy and fo honourable a ufe of the power with which the people have insetted Napoleon ; the firtt will call forth in the empire an unanimous fentiment of gra titude anal love. " On that occafion, at leak we (hould be bound to give thanks to that Britifh Cabinet, who, by the equivocal publicity given to the mod candid of com munications, has induced the necelky of that feletnn explanation, of that unreferved declaration, of the Emperor towards his people ; we Sall congratulate France on having acquired the proof, that by be- Rowing the throne on Napoleon,French citizens have given themfelves a father, jealous of their happinefk, Iparing of the treafures of the State, and equally (paring of the blood of their children." The Prefident made the following reply t Gentlemen. Orators of the Government, the Tribunate have long Ihared iu the fentimenta of indignation which Europe mutt feel at the infatlable cupidity of the Engliib Government, who Without daring to own it 14 a formal manner, attempt to number among their prerogatives the abfolute and eaeluive empire of the leas, and the right of arrogating to thendelves the commerce and induftry of ail nations. We muff not, therefore, be 'Roadbed, that they elude every kind of overture of peat..—that they multi ply (Macke—that the molt moderate propofitions mould appear to them inadmiffable ; and that their politica fbould be inch:clan and ancenain. The Government mutt be well convinced that the Tribunate will concur with all its might, and with all its influence, iv the maintenance of the glory of the throne, and ache national honour, which has Men thus infuhed." The fpeech of Sr. Jett d'Amany, and that of the Prefident. were ordered to be printed; and a Commitfimi was appointed to report upon the com munication of the Government. DUTCH PAPERS. Scotts:um, FEB. s.—The following is an extra& from a private letter, written on board the Batavian fquadron, commanded by Vice Admiral HALTSINct, in the road of 11.1t4Via, dated July 3, 1804, and re ceived at Flulhing : Afterhaving performed a cruise of two months againft the pirates, we returned to this Road on the t7th tilt. All is well here, and the fcinadron in good condition. Since our arrival in the Indies, we have not loft a tingle officer. We are utterly ignorant of What is paffing in Europe ; fo that we know nothing of the fituation of our Country, nor of the progrefs of the war." We hear that General MAIMOIIT has at length left Paris • and that, on his road to Utrecht, he will infpeß th e garrifons of Maeflricht, Bois le Due, Graaf, Nimegnen. and Arnheint. Corks NAGE'', I's..3.—The Royal Decree has been publillied here, by which the remains of feudal fervitude have been perpetually aholilbed, and, with out any exceptions, in the Duchies of Holitein and Slefwig. This liberation of the peafantry commenced on the ill utt.; fence which even the contrail hitherto tolerated, which admitted a man, born free, to fell his liberty, is totally fet aficte, as is alto the neeedity for a peafant's making leave of his Lord to marry, or learn a trade. The instrument which thus frees them is Paid to have been promulgated, in confequence of a refolution agreed to by the liThops, the Nobles, and other proprietors of land, t . thy Duchies of HA(lein and Ski% is. PARLIAMENTARr PROCEEDINCL ITSDSE OF LORDS, THURSDAY, FEB. 14. The Aldred Taxes, Commiffioners SRI, the Exchequer Bilk BW, and the annual Indemnity Bill, paffed through Committees, and were reported. The fecund reading of Langham's Divorce Bill wa4 pottponed till Monday. The Houfe adjourned at Half pall Two; after which their Lordihips proceeded to St. James's to prefent their Addrefs to hla Maj:fty. HOUSE OF COMMONS. An Account was prcfentcd from the Treafory, Mating how the Money railed in 1804 wu difpotcd of.—Ordered to lie on the Table. A Bin vra: brought in, enabling the Proprietors of the Manche!. ter Canal to borrow rnorey to complete that work.—Read a Brit and ordered , to be read a fecund time. The London Coal Merchants Indemnity Bill was read a third time and paired. - - Mr. H . . mow prefented an Account of the Exchequer Bill% outftanding of thole which had been iffued under the 44th of the Kior, entitled an At For railing adocojool. on Exchequer Bills.— Ordered toile on the Table. Mr. Iliptitisbou brought up the Report of the Committee of Supply. The refolutions were read and agreed to, and Bills ordered. The Loyalty Loan Bill was reported and ordered to be read a time The Greenland Whale Fiihery Bill W3l read a third time and Paired. ADDRESS TO HIS MAJESTY. Lord GEORGE THYNNE attended at the Bar, at three o'clock, and informed the Houle that His Majelly had been waited upon, with a view to learn when he would pleafe to receive the Addrefs, and that His Majelly had appointed that day, at half pit three o'clock, for that purpofe. In confequence of this, the Houle, after difpatching fome private hurt nefs, adjourned till four o'clock. They then proceed. ed to St. James's with the Addrefs, as is ulual on fuch occafions. About half pall four o'clock the Members return ed, and a Houle was formed. The Speaker, as foon as he had taken the Chair, informed the Houfe, that this Houfe bad waited upon His Majefty with the Addrefs, and that His Majefty had been pleated to return the following waft gracious anfwer Gentlemen—l return ;WI my warmett and moll fincere thanks for the dutiful and loyal Addrers which you have now prefented Your entire concurrence In the motives by which I have been ac tuated in the nirgociatiors with Spain. affords me the hlghelt fatis fzdtMn. The cordial and zealous affurances which you have given of your firm and active cuppoit on this oceaGon, juitity the hope that I than be able to bring u.:s new conceit to a Life and honour able termination. Sir JAMES FITZGERALD moved, that the ac counts relative to the Irith Revenue, which had been laid on the table in compliance with an order of the Houk of Tait Seffion, should he printed.—Ordered. Mr. FOSTER prefented the annual Petitions from the Foundling Hapita , the Orphan Hofpital, the Roman Catholic Seminary, the Protettant Schools, the Royal College of Surgeons, and other public in ' flitutions in Ireland, praying for aid from Parliament. Ordered to lie on the table.—He then prefented an eilimate of the expences of paving and lighting the Rreets of Dublin, which was ordered to lie on the table. The eftimates of the expences of the other iaßitutions he promifed far to-morrow. IRISH HASE•S CORPUS ACT. Sir EVAN NEPEAN moved the order of the day for the fecund reading of the Bill for further fufpend ing the Habeas Corpus AO in Inland for a time to be limited. Lord HENRY PETTY rote and obferved, that this was the fecond time, during the film t period he had had the honour of a feat in Parliament, that the Houle had been called on to pars a meafure of this lint, in refpeel to Ireland. He could not but lament that the Houle fhould be called on the prefent occa lion, to adopt a meafure of this nature upon fuch cut aordinary grounds, or rather upon the abfence of all ground whatfoever ; for all enquiry as to the ne• ceflity of palling loch a law had been peremptorily refufed. He would not pretend to fay there was no poilible cafe that could exill in which the Hoefe could be warranted to adopt fuch a bill without enquiry, as Certainly a cafe might occur in which the notoriety of public danger was fo palpable to every man as to lupercede all necelEty for enquiry : but did fuch a cafe cull at this moment ? If it did exill, it muff exift in the dark ; and if there was (edition in the country, it mull be in fecret : and bef 're the Houle was called upon to pats a Bill for fufpending fo important a branch of the conllitutional law towards the people of Ireland, it was incumbent upon thole; who brought it forward, to prove that necessity, and upon the Houle to go Into enquiry, before it was induced to adopt the meafure. If danger or fedition did lurk in any part of Ireland, it did not follow, that a meafore of fo much feverity ought, therefore, to attach up on the whole country; but his Maj efty ' s Minifters had adduced no proof that the nachief had exift ence in any part of that country. Without due proof of fuch evil exiling, the Houle was called up on to refufe the meafure ; and if any ill consequence Ihould occur from fuch refufal, the blame ought not to attach upon Parliament, but upon his Majeity's Minifiers, who fltall not have brought forward the proofs neceiTary to . 0114 Parliament on pall ing (such a law. But in the prefent cafe, at a no tice of twenty-four hours, the Houfe was called on to adopt the meafure ;—and when his Majef ty's Minifters are aficed to bring forward the proofs of the neceffity, they anfwer, proofs are not rte. ceffary! Depend upon it the danger ezills ! Depend upon it the powers conveyed by this Bill will not be abufed in the lenient hands of the prefent Chief Go vernor of Ireland. But was this, he would afk, a language for Minillers to hold to Palliament, or upon which that Houfe would feel itfelf warranted to aet, for the fulpenfion of the constitutional 116 es-tie of the people of Ireland ? He truHed fuch a fpecies of un proved reprefentation would never be admitted by that Houle as a juftification for placing the liberties of his Majefly's lubjeets at the arbitrary difpofal of any individual, however refpeetable ; and no man en tertained higher perfonal refpea for, or a more ex• alted opinion of the lenient character of the Noble Lord at the head of the Irifh Government, than he did; becaufe in the Adminiftration of filch powers as this Bill conveyed, it was morally impoflible that the four or five individuals who compote the Irith Government, could have time to exercile that due enquiry in each refpedive ebarge that Mould come before them, to warrant them in the application of this law to hundreds and thoufands of the peo- ple of Xi-eland, which a common jury of twelve men, in any one county, would find it neceffary to eiercife in the Cafe of any individual who came be fore diem, eves under poittive and palpable proofs offelt. It was extremely well known, that, ewn "der the mild and aboaKiitt adminidratiou of the Marris C rnwallir , cl.arancrired as it fo eminently was by cauti , n, by deliberation, and by lenity, yet many pet - lons tottered pm.iiiiinent under erifting pre judices, mitreprefentation, r tulle proofs, whole in nocence was afTer wards fully demonflrated ; as was intianced in the cafe of flit Rev. Mr. O'Neil, of Yougball, the mention of whole very revere fuller. logs did fo much honour, on a former occafion, to the feelings of an Hon. Member who noticed the rub jeft. Numbers of cafes were alto mare, even in the hifinry of this country, to thew that arbitrary power had rarely been placed in the hands of individuals, without being abufed : and even going nee farther than the adminiftration of the Alien Bill, how ukany hundreds of innocent individuals have Coffered even with the belt intentions of his Majefty's Airliners, through the falfe nr malicious mifreprefentation of enemies. And if Nett abufes could occur in difpen. ling a law to a few aliens, how much greater was the liability of loch abufes under a law attaching urn the millions that compote the population of Ireland. The Noble Lori did rot mean to deny the poflibilitr that lufficient caufe for fuch a Bill might exits ; all he meant to Will on was, that there were wanting the notoriety and publicity of anyerifting cattle that could warrant the Legiflature in palling loch a Bill. He • thould, therefore, whenever the Bill came into a Committee, move that its operation should be limited to two months, unlefs fatisfaetory proofs fhould be ad duced, to thew the necellity of its longer duration. Mr. KER Paid, that no man more ferionfly de plored than he did the neceffity for calling on Parlia ment to Ng's loch a Bill ; but he was (bit convinc ed, that neceffity was imperious and preffing. The Houfe would recoiled, that when a fimilar Bill was brought forward, in the year 1802, arguments pre, cifely timilar to thole offered this night by the Noble Lord, were oppofed to it by thole who could not bet induced to believe in the lurking (edition then brood ing in Ireland ; but, unhappily, the dreadful rebel lion which built forth in the Irith capital, in the rummer of 1803, but too ftrongly verified the appre. henfions of thrift who were advocates for the Bill, of which number he was one. It was for the want of fuch power in the hands of the Magiftrates that year, that (edition had gone fuch lengths, and would again gather new lirength, if not timely prevent ed, by renewing thole powers, which were not likely to be aborts' in filch hands as chore of the Nobleman now at the head of the Irifh Government, the moderation and lenity of whole meafures had (hone fo eminently confpicuous. In that part of the country with which he was more immediately con. neded, he was happy to know that the utmoft loy alty and tranquillity prevailed ; but he had lately heard that fome refolutions of the Magiflrates of the county of Waterford-had been Ablithed, in which they Itate their determination to apply to Gcvern ment to revive martial law, and free quarter there, if the feditious did not defift from their daring conduit. He thought it hi, ditty to make fome enquiry on this rubjed, and feveral Gentlemen allured him the ad vertifcment he alluded to did exit, and was called for by the fenfe of the Nlaginrates as to the Rate of the county. Such, he :as convinced, was the exiting neceflity which called for this bill, in many parts of Ireland, that many of thole who had been formerly moll clamorous against it, were now moll carnality anxious for its adoption ; and fo far from being deemed a grievance by the loyal inhabitants of the country, nothing more acceptable to them could be done, than to p a rs this bill. Sir JOHN NEWPORT Paid, be too had heard of the advertifement alluded to by the Hon. Gentle man; but Paid he knew, .from unqueftionable autho rity, that no fads existed in the county of Water. ford, that called for fuch a Bill, or to which the civil juttice of the country was not fully adequate; for out of three perfons charged with ads of (*edition there, two were fall in the county gaol, awaiting their trials at the next affizes ; and from the Rate of fads the Houfe would judge how far fuch a Bill was proved nccellary by any advertifment publith ed by a few Magiarates. He perfilled now as he did the &It day, in laying that no neceffity did exifi ; and that pofitive and public proofs, -or palpable notoriety, were indifpenfably neccitary to jullify the Houfe in adopting Inch a Bill. It was, betide, an egregious error to fuppofe, that this Bill, if paired, would operate merely as a fufpenfron of the Habeas Corpus Law. It would be carried much farther ; and having long lived in the County of Wa terford, he had feen the grofs abufes to which a Bill of this fort was liable ; abufes totally beyond the power and vigilance of the Lord Lieutenant to coo trout ; and knowing, as he did, that pains were taken to excite diffentions amongst the people, and efpeci ally dilrentions and difputes of a religious nature in that country, the molt mirchicrous of all, he fhonld always refill the adoption of fuch a meafure, until every necellity for it thould be fairly invatigated and proved. Mr. PITCHES too refitted the meafure, upon the fame grounds of defedive proof, and refuted enqui ry. By t h e t o tal omiaion of any mention of Ire. land, in his Majefty's Speech at the opening of the Seffion of Parliament, he was ifievitakly led to con clude, that no doubt whatever was entertain al by his Majelty's Miniiiers of the fettled lnyal.y and tranquillity of Ireland; but an Ad like this wets more likely to produce tumult, than prevent it. It was time to put an end to the scaation of imagina-y plots, generated in the fancy of bed-ridden dotage. It was no time now to play the tool with Ireland, or to treat her inhabitants like forward children. Th e belt policy would be to encourage in their minds a manly, natural, and independant fpirit ; otherwife the Union, which was defigned to unite their affec tion and energies with our own, mull prove not only inefficient, but afford a conflant fource of jealoury and diffention. The queftion that the 811 be read the fecund time was then put and carried without a divifion, and ordered to he committed for to-morrow. Mr. FOX now robe and laid, that as another quer lion, namely, the Slave Trade, Rood appointed for to-morrow, he wifhed to know from the Right Hon. Gentleman oppofite to him i I Mr.PITT) which of thofe fubjeas it was his intention ould have precedence? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQSER an fwet ed, undoubtedly the question for the fecund read. ing of the Bill on the Slave Trade : but his Hon. Friend, who introduced that Bill , meant , he under flood, to bring it forward in fuch a way as Dot to excite much difendion, on to-morrow evening, but to. defer the Debate to a future flags of the Adjourned. 4 I I t I