Star. — London, England, 1805-01-16 00:00:00

PAIRLIAMENTART PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, TUESDAY. JANUARY ti. This day, about three o'clock, His Majelly came down in State to the Houfe of Peers, and opened the Minns of Parliament. His Majetly being arrived, and arrayed in the Royal Robes, the Gentleman Ulher of the Black Rod was fent to the Commons, to re qaire the attendance of %kat Houfe. The Speaker, accompanied by feveral Members, forthwith attended at the Bar of this Houfe, when his Majelly delivered the following Speech from the Throne " NT LOADS •ND CANTLIPAIN, •• Sim:efts End of the lilt Scams. the preparations of the ene my for the Javan= of this king / don have been continued with in. critint adtivity ; but no attempt has been made to carry their re. ptated mtnaces into effea. " The 001 and intrepidity of my navy—the refpediable and formidable Rate of my army and Militia—the unabated zeal and itorroared Welchem of a numerous Volunteer force, and the gene rd mlioer manifelbed by 'lidera of my-fubjeas, have indeed been forioent to deter them from In prefumptuous and defperate an enterprise. While this fpirit continues to animate the reentry. aid its volnntarythertions for its own defence fulthit in their fun vigour, we need not fear the coniquenees of the molt powerful effuru on the part .f the enemy. net let einem forget that our fecurky has ar.fen from the refointion with which we have met and provided againft the danger, and that it can be preferred Only by (toady parketten. end unremitting adtWity. " The conduit of the Court of Spain, evidently, under the pre dominant influence end comrout of France, compelled me to take prompt and aecifive stusfures to guard againft the effeas of Mal ley. I bite. at the lune time, endeavoured, u long uit was pof nble,to prevent the necdhty of a rupture; but, in cOnfequence of the Waal of a fatisfadtory explanation, my Milliner quitted Ma drid; and war baste= been declared by Spain spina this country. " I have direded a copy of the Manilas which I have mut ed to be prcptrod on this occafion, to be laid before you, together with facts rapers mare nereffary to explain the difcutbOes which have taken plate between me and the Court of Madrid. You will, I trult, be convinced by them that my forbearance has been carried to the utmost extent which the intcrels of my dontiQpits would admit ; and while I lament the fituatlon of Spain, involved in hoftilities contrary to its true interefts, I rely with confidence on your vigorous rapport in a contett, which can be attributed only to the unfortunate prevalence of French councils. N The general coeds!! of the French Gerrenument on the Con tinua if Imola has Men marked by the utwoit violence and out rage, and has (hewn a wanton defiance of the Rights of Neutral Territoeies, of the acknowledged Privileges fit Accredited Mild' Rees, and of the eat:Weed principles of thsLar• of Nations. Notwithilanding thefe tranfaaidas, fa remnant to every ft:nth:tent of moderation and jultice. I MA" rceetwed a Communication from the French GoirwiquOteosimfoing pro kllons of a Pacific difrodon. . • - • • " I have, in confoqueneeoteprefed my Wine oloire to em brace the deft opportunity et reitoring the tdentip of Peace on &eh grousidtge ybe fnuEdent with the immanent &fay and interellt of any ; but I am confident you will agree with Me, that thole objects are cloddy cooneded with the gene :al fecurity of Europe. I have therefore not thought it right to enter into any more particular exphuiation without previous communication with thole Powers on the Continent with whom l am engaged in confidential intercom& and minnettiou, with a view to that important obJc i, aid efpeehlly with the Emperor of Ruffle, who has gives the ftrongeft proofs of the wife and dig. sided fentiments by which he &animated, and of the warminte reft he takes in &childy and inkispenelenee of Europe. " OINTLIMANOIPTIR nor usa - wit_posaloNa. I have diroßed the -,iftes for the public ferrite to be hid before yet. I regret the neatlity of any additinal burdens being imputed on my people; but I am hue you will be fallible how much their future fafety and happinefs depend on the vigour of our exertions, and that in the mode of railing the fupplies, yos will continue to thew rim anxiety for the rapport of public credit, and for reitraining, as much as pollible, the accumulation of the National Debt. " YT LORDS AND DINTLAWIN, M in amfidering the great Mona and &wined which the nature of the caitiff moires, it is a peculiar fatiabietion to me to ob.. raw the many proofs of the internal wealth and profperity of the Country. It will; lam fare, be your great eked to main tain and improve theft advantages, and at the fame time to take all tech meafures as, by enabling me to profecute the war with vi. slur, may a ff ord the belt profped of bringing it to a Life and ho aeurable termination." When his Majelly and the Commons hid retired, Lord SIDNOUTH was introduced by the Lords STD asir and WINTWORTII, with the nasal formalities, and took the cullomary oaths and his feat. Shortly after four, the LORD CHAIICILLOR read, from the Woolied, a copy of his Majefty's moil gra cious Speech to both Houfes. It was again read to the Houfe by the Clerk at the Table ; when Lord ELLIOT rofe to move an Addrefs of thanks to his Majefty. His Lordfhip began by laying, rofe on the prefent occafion to have the honour of moving their Lordlliips to concur with him in an humble addrefis to his Majefty, in anfwer to the gra cious communications his Majefty had condefcended to mike to the Honk; in doing which he moved it in compliance not only with the ufual prattice of the liontk,but infupportof principles the molt clofely con naked with the intereft and good policy of the empire. Witft'refpea to the grit points to which the Speech alluded, it matt be impoflible for any amongft their Lordthips to withhold the &ilea concurrence. The nnceafing exertions of the enemy to increafe his force, and advance his preparations for the menaced inva fion of this country, mull be obvious to all Europe ; and confident be was, that every one of their Lord (kips tuna concur in the proud feeling, that the vigo rout exertions of his Majefly's Government, the fOrtaidable and unparalleled !late of his forces by lea and lapd, and particularly the exigence of that gal hut lininch of our prefent force, heretofore alma unknown ist our country, and now formed by the fpontaneoas energies and patriotic fpirit of the Bri. da nation, had proved not only adequate in the tul le& degree to our krauity and defence, but to the complete fruftration of the enemy, to whole menaces we owed our fafety. To that vigour and thofe ener giit we owed the refult communicated in the Speech this day; a refult in which every Enghthman mull feel proud exultation—namely, that the haughty and intuiting menaces of invafion and annihilation to this country, which commenced the prefent war, on the part of the enemy, &mild be fpeedily changed to pa s& overture-ratairrefragable proof that the enemy wan confcious of his own inadequacy to carry his me mints even to the flightell chance of fuccefs, againft the formidable force and unanimous fpirit of the En tifh nation. It was equally impotfibk, in his opinion, to withhold concurrence from the fentiments of mo deration expreffed by hisMajefty with refpea toSpain; or from the prompt and neceffary matures of vigour his Majefty had been pleated to adopt towards that country, unhappily for berfelf, involved in a condie with this, through the mifchievons influence of French councils : but as the neceffary documents re• fpeiling the circandiances which led to this new con tell, were not yet laid before their Lordlhips, it would be premature now to go into any difcullion upon the &him% .farther than to e refs his confidence that the' ihnia principles of m ' and wife policy which bad heretofore governed his Majelty's fares, with eefpee to that nation, would be found ta r jullify the war into which we were now forced. He felt he did not fay too much on this head, ern re= fped to a country whidt, though not in a Ante of open and avowed hollility towards us at that diste was yet pouring her treafures into the lap of France; in maintenance of all the warlike menaces avowacl i againft us. Whatever were the difpofitions for pt.., cific overtures now profefld by the enemy, experi ence alone could prove his fincerity; and fincerely defirous as his Majefty had expreffid himfelf for the reaoration of peace and tranquillity to his fubjeftseed to Europe, yet every man who viewed the statlitie of the conceit in which we are engaged, and the cha rafter of the enemy with whom we have to contend, mull concur, that the only fare mode of obtaining fuch a peace as his Majelly had defcribed, a .peace compatible with the permanent intereft, honour, and fecurity of the Britith empire, would be, the ef fedual fupport of his Majefly in carrying on the war with unabating %Pigott - 1.. He concluded by moving the 'dual addrefs. Lord GWYDIR, in a thort fpeech, feconded the motion of Lord Elliot. Lord CARLISLE Co perfeely concurred in the Addrefs moved by the Noble Lord, that he heard not a tingle lenience in it from which he could dif fent : he, therefore, gave it his hearty concurrence ; nor timid he have nfen tosinterrupt the proceedings of the Houfe by (eying a word on the fubjeft, but for one or two obfervations which had fallen from the Noble Lord who moved the Addrefs ; firft, with Write to the new war in which we were involved with Spain ; and, fecondly, with refpeft to the very flourithing, formidable, and effedive Rate of our pub lic force. With refpeft to the former, it was true, that having no documents before the Honfe whereon to judge of the ground of hankies, any arguments upon the fubjeft at prefent would be premature ;--.1 but as the Noble Lord had indicated a with that the Houfe mull give his Majefty's Minißers credit for the juftice of the quarrel on our parts, alilictigh no documents were before them, he could not let the Noble Lord's implicit reliance on Miniflers, or his declaration of the /office of the war, pals without Tome animadverfion. It was poffible the capture of the Spanifh frigates, which appeared to be the firft oftenfible aft of hoflility, might be juftified by cir cumllances on the part of his Majefty's Government, but it was not bocaufe a war was juftified by ionic circumilances, that it was therefore wife to run ratti ly into it, without, at leak fome endeavour to ob• tain redrefs by milder means. If, for instance, the conduft of Spain had appeared mylierious, infidious, or equivocal, was it not pollible to require by a cer tain day a fatisfaeory explanation, a refufal of which, beyond fuch a day ? might be confidered as an avow al of hoftile intentions. Surely, before afloat hoftili. ties were commenced by the capture of the Spanith frigates, fome fuels proceeding ihould have been had , It was not, perhaps, the kitties, fo much as the poli cy of the war, that was, under prefent eircumllances, the °Nee of confederation. Without documents, however, he did not with to examine the fubjeft far ther. With refpee to the formidable Ila , e of our public force, and particularly of the army, the Noble Lord appeared to hold a language very different in deed from that in which his Majefty's Miniflers fpoke of that part of the public force in the left Se%ons.— He then underflood, that the arms of the line in particular, was in a Rate of diffolution and decay, and that the utasoft poffible exertion, and a variety of new and extraordinary expedients, were indifpen fably neceffary to reftore it to any thing like an ar my fit to contend with the enemy. He (hould be glad, however, to be convinced that an improvement Co rapid and extraordinary had taken place, or to learn how it was fo fuddenly effected. Lord HAWKESBURY Paid, if ever there was a moment when unanimity was called for in that Houle, or a fubjeft upon which difcuifion was pre. mature, it was the preterit moment, and the topic upon which the Noble Earl had Oft made his ani madverfions. He believed the Houfe fully con curred with the fentiments expreffed in his Majefty'b fpeech, refpeeing the unceafing exertions of the enemy to carry into execution his menaced invafion to this country. He believed alfo, the Houfe mutt concur in the opinion, that we owed our fecurity againft thofe menaces, more to our own fpirit, and the unanimous exertions of the whole united empire, than to any difinclination, on the part of the enemy, to carry them into effect. He believed alfo, no* that the enemy was brought to declare a pacific dif pofition, his Majefty was fully jultified in that fpirit of moderation by which he had been guided through the whole of this costa, to fignify alto his defire of redoring peace to this country ; but on Inch terms only as were confiftent with the honour and dignity of his crown and empire, and the intercfts of thole powers of Europe with whom we are connected by amity and good faith. Under fuch conaderatious alone was peace deemed, by his Majefty's Govern ment, to be defirable ; and whenever peace could be permanently fecured upon fuch grounds, it would be cheerfully embraced. Upon any other foundation it was not defirable in the fenfe of the country at large. With refpee to the conceit in which we were involved with Spain at this moment, his Majefty, by his Speech, called for no opinion from the Rode, until the proper documents upon the fubjeft thould be laid before them, and had been fully confidered. But how was the Noble Earl war ranted in his conjedures. that the meafures previous to the commencement of holtilities with Spain had not been adopted- He could affore the Noble Earl, , that the condua of Spain had appeared to his Ma. jetty infidious ; 'that explanations had been demand. ed ; that his Majelly's Ambaffador had inftrueions, if fuch explanation was refufed by a particular pe riod, to demand his paffports, and take his depar. ture ; that he did in coufequence dimand and receive iris priffpotts, and had taken his departure fome time before the news of the capture of thofe frigates had reached the Strati& Court ; that the Conduit of that Court had long been viewed by his Majefty's Go vernment in a very objeitionable light ; that motives of policy had induced them to avoid meafures of hof tilityt as long as was confilleat with the honour and fecurity of this country, or the fair adherence to any treaties by which that Court was bound I and it was not until circumltances demanded meafisres of vigour, that they were adopted. With refpea to the other topic of the Noble Lord's animadverfion, namely, the force of the country, he tuna beg leave to remind him, that the quantum of that force, and its adequacy for our home defence, was never deni ed. The only objeEtion to it was, that not fo great a ' pet of it ores as difpofable as could be defiradr, foe the exigencies of general fervice. It would be pre nature, at prefent, to go into minute details as to the tia;e of the public force of the United Kingdom, at this moment. He could, however, Ohre the Noble Lord, that in troops of the line, militia, and volunteers, ready to take the field, it confiderably exceeded fix hundred thoufand men; and that under the operation of an At of Parliament paired the Seffions before lag, commonly called the Army of Referve Ad, the difpoftble part of that force had been inereafed to an extent, and with a rapidity be yond all expedation, and had proved fuperior to every other expedient. The Duke of CLARENCE concurred in the mo tion for the addrefs, and Aid, he was glad to hear that any meafure had been found adequate to a put pole fo defrable as that of increafing the difpnfable force of the country, to the extent Rated by the No. ble Secretary ; but as to the ridiculous and vexatious Ad of the lad Seffion, for recruiting the Army, it Teemed now to have turned out jolt as be had ex peeled ; and, he hoped, one of the firft ads of the prefent Sawn would be to repeal it. Lord GRENVILLE declared his molt hearty con currence in the addrefs, as well as his approbation of that part of the fpeech which related to the paci fic overtures made by the enemy, becatile it was a language precifeiy accordant to the principles he had ever profeffed and maintained in that houfe. He thought the firmnefs with which the Noble Secretary of State avowed his determination to negociate for peace, upon fuch terms only as were calculated to fecure the permanent fafety, honour, and profperity of the Brio& empire, as conneled with the general interefts and fecucity of Europe, efpecially of thole t powers with whom we are on terms of confidence ; and, in particular, that power with whom it was fo much to the honour and advantage of this country to cultivate a conflation of amity and mutual intereft, retleded upon the Noble Lord the higheft honour, and railed, in his own mind, the hope of Acing once more revived in this country the dignified language and principles by which we were wont to maintain our charader in the world. It was by fuch language and fuch principles that we mull retrieve our reputa tion with the tell of Europe, from the degrading eßi mation of a vanquillied nation, in which the enemy him Alf was taught to view us under the humiliating terms of the lea peace—and in voting an addrefs, to allure his Majefty of the vigorous fupport of the houfe, in carrying on the prefent war to that iffue, which is the ultimate purpote of all juft and legiti mate wars, namely, a fecure and honourable peace, they were doing no more than the bounden duty of a Britifh Houfe of Parliament; and concurring, he believed, with the unanimous fentiments of a Britith people, who had already (hewn, and were (till ready to prove themfelves, willing to encounter every dan ger, and endure every privation, for ends fo truly de tirable. With relped, however, to the contelt with Spain, he would give, at this moment, no opinion; as any opinion, wi bout the neceffary documents, mull be premature. Upon thofc documents the Houfe would, he hoped, have fpeedily an opportuni ty to form an opinion ; and it was poflible they might afford ground to jutlify the mealure. Indivi dually, he had fume reafon to think they might ; but from every thing which had already gone forth upon the Abjed, the general opinion was againft the war, as a meafure of precipitancy and rathnefs, which it would have been good policy to avoid. There was a particular expreffion of the Noble Secretary, which hadcaught his attention—it was,that our Ambatrador had demanded his pafpnrts, and taken his departure, before the news of the capture of the Spanilh frigates had reached the Court of Madrid. He hoped the Noble Lord did not mean by this to affert, that even the departure of an Ambaffador was to be confidered as a juttification for the commencement of hollilities : or even that a juft caufe of war always rendered it wife or politic to commence that war, without any means being taken to avert it by moderate meafures. However, at prefent, he defired not to be underftood as giving any opinion on the fubjed of the war with Spain, but declared his cordial concurrence in the Addrefs. The Duke of NORFOLK could not give his cor dial and implicit concurrence to an Addrefs, in an fwer to a speech on the firft day of this Seffion, which contained not the flighteff mention of a mea fure, which was very generally expetSted to have formed one of its molt prominent features, namely, the meafure ofjnal Emancipation to die Cadiolice of Ire land. When a Right Hon. Gentleman, no w at the head of his Majelty's Councils , formerly retired from power, it was avowed by him and his friends, and univerfally underßood, that he retired only becaufe he was not allowed to carry that meafure for which his adminifiration Rood pledged with the Catholics of Ireland. When that Right Hon. Gentleman re turned to power, every one naturally conceived, that one of the firft aft% of his adminißration would have been to bring that meafure forward. The advanced period of the IA Sef lion at which he was recalled to his Majefty's Councils might afford a reafon for not then bringing the queltion forward; but no ene doubted that he would propofe it early in this ' • and that it would have been noticed in the Speech from the throne. Having himfelf had no communication with any individual or body of men of that commu nity, and underflanding only from the public prints, that the principal Catholics in Ireland had held Come meetings, and refolved to prefer their petition to Par- , liament, he willies' now only to know what was the intention of his Majefty's Minifters upon the fubjea ? If be should receive for anfwer, that his Majesty's Minlaers declined to bring it forward, becaufe the Catholics themfelves - had refolved to prefs on their own Petition; or if (which he did not expel) he fhould be told by Minilters, that the Catholics, in the prefent circumftances of the country, were con tent with the concefflous already made to them for the feeurity of property, and freedom of religion, he lhould urge the fubjea no further; but it not, it muff form the fubjea of a future difcullion ; for, he was convinced, that the heft mode of fecuring peace and maintaining our refpea abroad, was by concilia tion and unanimity at home. The queftion upon the Addrefs was now put by the Lord Chancellor, and carried sum. Lord GRENVILLE Aced, acrofs the Hoofe, when the documents refpeaing Spain would be laid on the table ? .1. - o - rd - bIULGRAVE afford his Noble ?fiend, I that thongh he could not at this moment name a par ticular day, yet not a moment mould be loft in the bufinefs, as be was equally anxious with the Noble Lord for the dikulEon ; and he had the fatisfation to be himfeif convinced, that when the Noble Lord should perufe thofe documents, they would fully fa tisfy him, and precifcly coincide with the fentirnents he had ezpreffed this night. MR. JUSTICE FOX. The Marquis of A BERCORN role and (poke to the following effect :—" My Lords, I take this op portunity to remind your Lordfliips of a bufinefs which i took the liberty of mentioning to your Lord fhips in the mule of the lall Seffion. I allude to the charge of milcondu& which I have brought forward again II Mr. Jullice Fox, one of his Majedy's Judges in Ireland. It may be thought, perhaps, that there has been too great delay on my part for an affair of this nature. I can, however, fafely fay, that lam a man who never threw away an hour in my Efe which ought to have been devoted to any importini bufinefs in which I was concerned, and of that def cription I confider the prefent to be. l can alfo pledge myfelf to your Lorcilhips, that noon this occafina almoft the whole of my time has been occupied in preparing the charges, and the evidence in flippers of them, for the purpofe of laying them before the Houle. It is, therefore, with a degree of fatisfallion, although I confefs the fubje& is aot one calculated to afford pleafure, I can now inform your Lnrclfhips, that every inquiry which I. have made, and every information which I have been able to coiled, have ferved to confirm me is my original opinion upon this fubje& ; and that I have all the charges and the evidence to fupport them, perfealy at ranged and complete, except only one, and that is the leaft important of the whole.— The form of the proceedings your Lordlhips an to dire& and determine, as you Quill think proper. All that was neceffary for me to do I have done, and an* ready to lay the documents before the Houle at a l moment c not ice. " Lord CARLETON, in anfwer, raid, " I rife to inform the Noble Marquis, who (poke lag, and to in form this Houle,. that I hare received a letter frost Mr. Juttice Fox, in which he declares himfeif per feetly ready and willing to hear and anfwer every charge that may or can be brought againß him ; but however prepared he may be, it is his with that the butinefs should not be brought forward until after the cnfuing term. His object, in wilting for this delay. is obvious, as he will, of courfe, have to examine tome of the Judges and Lawyers in his defence. To call upon them, at a time that would interfett with their bufinefs, is an incunvenience which ought to be avoid ed, if poffible. It would, therefore, be deferable if the time were fo arranged that the witnefres might be examined here, in the interval between the clofe of the term and the enfuing affixes, fo as to enable them to return home in time to attend their Circuits." Lord HAWKESBURY—“ My Lords, this is the fiat cafe of the kind, I believe, which has happened fince the palling of the law, that renders Judges in-; dependent of the Crown. lam extremely lorry that it should have ever been found neceflary to take a bufinefs of this very important and peculiar nature into your confideration, and that fuch a cafe thread have ever occurred. Of the circumnances you nei ther have, or can have, as yet, any information that ' can now be examined into. However, as articles of impeachment are to be laid before the Houle again& a Judge of the land ; for the fake of pure jullice, for the fake of the Connitution, and for the fake of the Judge himfelf, who is placed in this petuliar fituatioei and whole charatter reps upon the refult ; it is necef. lazy that the charge (hould be invettigated fpeedily. I would, therefore, propofe, that the necelfary docu. MMUS be laid upon the table on Monday, and that the Houle (hall, at the fame time, determine upon the form and mode of the proceeding upon them." Lord GRENVILLE faid, that this being a new and important cafe, be muff object to any proceeding upon the documents, on the fame day in which ther were laid before the houfe. As, however, the Noble Lord who (poke lan, thought that the greaten dif. patch was necelfary, and as the Noble Marquis had Rated himfelf perfedly prepared, he law no realms why the papers (hould not be laid upon the table L. morrow, if no other bu fi nefs was pre ffi ng. The Marquis of ABERCO RN laid, if it were the with of the Houfe that he thould bring forward the articles tomorrow, he would do fo—at the fame time that he did not eve& fo early a day would be ap pointed. So late as this morning, fume alteration had been made in the wording of one of'the articles, and, he was ant Pure that it might not be made (till more complete. However, as he had declared him felf ready, he Mould not recede from his word, but produce the articles to-morrow, if the Honfe thought fit. At the fame time, lie willed the bufinefs might nand over until Monday. Lord HAWKESBURY hoped, that the Houle would concur with him in opinion, that the papers (could be laid upon the table on Monday, and that Wedneltay be fixed for taking them into confederation. The Houle accordingly acquielced in this arrange. ment. Lord HAWKESBURY faid, that from the man ner in which the Noble Lord, refpelling whom he meant to make a motion, had acquitted himfelf. and the fatisfa&ion which he had given their Lordfhips. he anticipated their unanimous vote. He according ly moved that Lord Walfmgham be re-appointed Chairman of the feveral Committees, &c. of the Houfe.—Agreed to am. dif Adjourned. ROUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAX FR, in his rubes, accompanied by rental Members, entered the Houle about half palt two o'clock. Soon after three the Deputy Other of the Black Rod fununoned the Houle to the Houfe of Peers in the ufual terms. The Speaker, and the Mem bers at the time adlnibled, left the Houle of Commons to attend his Majesty accordingly. On his return, the Speaker having un • robed, proceeded in form to the bufinefs of the Sefton. The bPEAKER acquainted the 1 Joule that he had ordered neve writs to be 'Cued fur the following places : Warwichlhlre, in the room of Sir G. A. W. Shurkburgta t velyn dcceafed ; Dumfries, in the room of Sir Robert Laurie; and Ti,tnefs, in the room of John Berkeley Burland, Ell. Several Members were neat called to be fworn,aniong whom were Mr. Futter. Chancellor of the Exchequer for Ireland; Mr. Hope, Sir Evan Nepean, and Sir J. Stuart. Mr. George Balkan Mainwaring, and two more Members, were Ulm-wife (worn, and took their rests. The SPEAKER moved the ufual unmet Cammtttees on the Expiring Laws ; and among them, the Clandeftine Outlawry Statute.—a(Many of our readers know that this is a pro Ansa Bill, introduced at the commencement of every Parliament, ui order to alert the right and privilege 'tithe Commons to proceed upon any hulloes of public concern, previoudy to taking into congideratian any 4scch or met ageexadog from the Throne.)