Star. — London, England, 1801-02-03 00:00:00

nor nothing more; they were net to pledge theme cd v ,,, to an y fp, eitic meafures ; the ce•_•s, of a il Enpe woe upoit them, and he hoped, *that die fitti vote of tb.:. United Parliament would coo -1 Ile: the world they had completely united the R:. arch and vigour of the two countries. His Loidti:ip then enured at confiderable length into A detente Of 1:(:. condtha of the war; and obferved, that fon% Noble Lords had asked whit:. advantage had (nen derived by the extraordinary confidence Is hich had been placed in him and his colkagues! to wh'elt he might afk if it was no iinall advan tage that they were at this moment feting there, end hill retained the poWer to debate ; and which 1 they would not have done had not the !ma in' eN propofed by his Ivlajefty's llittiftcrs for the hill feven years been approved and adopted. This was fbmc claim for a continuance of that con &knee, and which he flattered • himfelf would be continued by their voting 'for the original addrefs. The Earl of CAERYARVON explained. Lord MllitA, in reply to the compliments paid tin: by Lord, Suffolk, expretfcti his thtisfaEtion.at his not having been employed in any military command ; becaufe he was fare they had been given to abler OtEeers than himfelf ; and as many of the expeditions they had been employed in failed, he confidered himfelf as having had a for tunate t (cape. His Lordthip then fupported the Amendment, anti cenfured the conduct of Minifiers rclativd to the whole of the butinefs which led to the prefent difficulties. Lord ,Nluscaays lupported the Addrefs, and muintained that the rights which this country' af fcrtcd, were neither more nor lets thaii what had, been laid down as the Law.of Nati asjyould l e Appear to any man who would read decifion of that able and impai dal Judge (Sir m: Scott) in the cafe of the Swedifh convoy. Lord ELDON expreffed the fatisfaftion he felt at hearing a name fo dear to him fpoken of in fuch terms of praife, a man who had always decided with an inflexibility not his own, but which bel hinged to the Cubit& itfelf. The: queftion then before the Houk was one of the greateft import spec ; and was ftill more fo, from its involving no Wa than the very exiaence of Great Britain as a nation. He would wild that the Houle might 'iiew it in its true light. No man would deny, that the veffcl of a Neutral nation, which &old attempt tit carry contraband goods into the ports of one espy(' belligerent nations, committed an aft of . I ..ilility againft the other beliiprent nation. mu's was the Law of Nations, which was as old mills. world itfelf, and which was founded, on the peiociples •of jullice. The next quethon then ' vas, how far a !kip failing with a Convoy, had a right to convey filch goods into an Enemy's port? If a private fhip belonging to a Neutral nation did fa, the ati of hoftility was generally minithed by the confifeation of fhip and cargo. But if l a fhip carrying the flag of the Neutral nation sifting under the immediate authority, of. its Go vernment, which it purported to rep:cleat, fhOuld convey contraband goods in the fame _manner, would any man prctend to juftify fuch an aft ? it vas aloft clearly an at of hoftility, 'differing from the former in this, that it was a decliration of war on the part of the Government which it reprefant bd. But how was either of the Belligerent NA- . tions to know whether the private fhip, or the gip of war, were carrying on this unlawful com merce ? By no other means, except thole which the law of nations allowed, namely, die liberty to afk and examine whether they had any fuch goods on board of them. It was there fore moft 'clearly a patt of the Law of Na tions, confirmed net only by reafon and jai:lice, but by long ellahlithed ufage, that one Bellige rent Power had a right to examine any fl ‘p belonp. ing to a Neutral nation, when found near an enemy's port. This right be would not, as far as Lis voice could prevail, ever Puffer Great Britain to relinquill, even if no mifehief followed from fuch .abandonment. But how much more ftrenu. eufly ought it to be preferved, when it was con. fidered that the prefervation and oil:fence of the country muff depend on fupporting it. Lord HOLLAND rofc • to fupport die Amend- ment. and entered into the general conduit of the war. through the whole of which he cenfured. the mcafures of his Majefty',* Muiflers, as baring grofsly mifcalculated and failed in the °bias they pretended to have had in view. At twelve o'clock the Haute divided, when there appeared for Lord Fithwilliam's Amendment— Ayes 17—Noes 73.-:-Majority 57. When the Houfe was about to adjourn, Lord DAR'S t rElf gave notice of a motion onTriefiay the ,soth inttant, for an Enquiry into the State of the Country. NAMES OF THE PoOrORITY. Date d Nark& Earl Carper —.4frd M. rerois of Dowegoll girl of Dtity.... Naha - Dusky - Bfdripshamaire Rt.maawa S-Jratk Itet:cowsb Uz.ord Mbernirk h Scarboroug Vi&num Say acid Sac Lctd Hamad. ITOVSP OF COMMONS. The SPFAKIa came to tbe Houk at two o'clock. After (even! Members had been fworn, the Sr:aker, atter.dcd by the Hoeft, proceeded to the Thatfe ed . Peers at iy quarter before three in pur. fu.toce of Lis Majehy's Command. Having re forted to die Houk, the fwearing of Members cor.:iiiticd ftir o'cinck, when the Speaker tca.t his M.,j,:ity's Speech. W4TKIN WILLIAMs Writ's' then role. How ever unequal, he laid, he might be found to the tall he was about to encounter. he. hoped he faottld receive the indulgence of the Houle, and twat they would confider the matter tither than 1. ma.-.ner. At the firamecting of the United l'ar!inment. the Union na!ttrally forced itkif op en tl cu. attention. 'Ch: advantages, however, of th.,t meafure were, l:.• t:irought, to obvious, that' it would he frefiimptinr. in him to endeavour to capatbut or enlarge opo! , them. He only hoped that the utrnoil harmony and union would esti' anu mg the Members of the United Parliament. and every ; tt'y diffinuct of cpziosi being torgotten, they tt u3l finite n, I.‘gillat•ag for the; geneialgo'Od. With retisect ant tither' iiabjek'isi mentioned in his Majeity!s Speech, lie fail thd attack inadt upon the, perfons : L k properly of Britilli fithieels m Rol& was an unprovoked age : Ilion, and a dileffind flagrant violation of the'. 'Treaty entered into by that I'ower with Britain, by which it was exprefily Itiliolated that in the ever.t of a rapture, time foutilii be given to re movethe perfons and property of the fuhjeds of either Power from the territories of tile other— The condua of Rolla, in conj:inaion with other Northern Powers, was, lie ob:;:rved, an .nfr.ii;c ment of thole Maritime Laws of Europe winch were founded upon acknow'.edged right, and which we were called upon Ly every tie of na tional honour and independtoce to fupport and defend. Adverting to the proceedings of the Committee relative to the hick price of provi lions, he lamented their etlorts had not been luc ccfsful in reducing the eftravagant price of grain; whiln at the fame time every praite, he laid, ought to be given to the Committee for their ex ertions. The coadnel of the people likewife in bearing, with the utmoil patience,,the greaten pri vations defereed the warmed applanie. To elk for peace, he thought at the prefent moment, would only expoit: the country td intuit from an enemy, wino little at any time LClpoled to moder ation, was now lefs than ever inclined to abate the fmallett particle of its pride, or the lean por tion of its ambition. He looked forward with confidence to the ilfue of the prefent . content in whichwe were cingatced, and did not doubt but that it would be honoprable to Britain. He con cluded by moving an nddrcfs, which was of courie an echo of theSpeecli. Mr. Coax wa i.cis,'wfter hoping he ihoulci ex. peris.nce the ufual candour and liberality of the Houle, adverted to the fubjed of the Union.— ' He faid, when no Union with Scotland was in contemplation, QLieen Ann was anxious it might take ereft in her reign, and when completed, the declared the 'coufidered it as the happieft event of that reign.- How much greater then mull be the 'happinets of onr prefent molt gracious Sovereign pt completing an Union uith Ireland, when all the hopes of benefit which it had been foretold would refult from the Union with Scotland had been realized, and t were not in this cafe held forth as uncertain fpeculations, but as certain' nd happy effeits which mull , inevitably refult from an Utah with Irelan d! Nor Was it, he faid, the lean advantage retuning front that Union, that the deliberations of thatlionfe would he ably and • frequently Alined by Gentlemen of confiderable talents and.parliamentary knowledge, and peillef fed of a very confiderable portion of information, the n ore ufetal on account of its locality. He doubted not, he faid, that the cordial co-operation of the t is nt', the ability, and the information of the United Kingdom, concentrated in one point, and dil'eded to one objeet, the benefit of the National Interefi, and the proteftion of the National Honour—would render Britain trium phant over every danger, and extricate her from every embarraffment. It would be prefuroption in him to 'egpatiate upon the numerous and obvious advanta* refulting from the Unionwith basalt one, however, forcibly ftruck him, and he there fore could not help noticing it; he alluded to the quantity of Waite Land Ireland.had hitherto con tained, which there would now be every ;atomise ment to cultivate, and from the produce of Which it might be jitney hoped the country would be lived from all further experice attendant as the n Itriportatioit of Corn,. as frith a meafure would then become utineeelfary, and the money *pro plated to that purpok would ferve to =irk the United Kingdom, iniftead of *turning thehalanct of trade 2g:unit it. He (aid, he thought it wild ill becyme him, pore fed of fo little experience, to expatiate upon the content in which the country was at prefent:fged With the Northern Powers, but lie would e, that every thing dear to us was involved ip an independent commerce, which could only ,be preferred by, a naval fuperiority. With refpeek to, thcfubjeit of Peace, he conceived that every effort had been made to obtain that defirabLz bleiling continent with the national ho nour, but they'had been invariably difappointed by the gigantic ambition of France; he milked, therefore, the canon would .he continued until the fame. cook ceafed to operate, and Peace could', be oblamed upowe. urnashonoural;li to the country . . He concluded I>yt feconding the Address Mr. Getio—s*Whatever, Sir; were the doubts mud apprehentionkwhich cxifled in my mind re-' hove Xo the fuhjelts now before us, they hive. catainly not-keen removed:by the leeches of the: . Hon. hl over and Seconder of th e drefs. But if I cannot agree with their opinions, Rill lefs can content to repofe from year to year a confidence' in thole men who from year to year have covered 'the country with defeat, difititer, and difgrace. It Teemed to be the with of the Hon. Mover and Seconder of the Addrefs, that no fubjeft fliould be' introduced, except thole it is immediately our, bulinefs to difcufs ; but fureiy. whilft their fpeeches' ,were nearly filled with panegyrics on the Union with Ireland, I am not to be precluded (rum ex peening:my difapprobation. lam the more anxi ous to do this, left my filence ihould be conitrued into a confeilion of former error, and an acknow ledgment p 1 the neceflity and expediency of the tnealure—Ten it Ibould be thought I retrained my former opinion upon the ilibjea, from a coavic tion of the utility of the meaftire, and the be nefits refulting . from its operation. Far from doing this, I lola/ally declare znyfelf hill com pletely hone to that Union--Iwilile **every Uni on between the two countries, except that founded upon thiTineiples contained in the Settlement of 178 e. e were told when this mature was brought forward, it was nccviiary to preferve the independance of Ireland; rather .should it he known.io ,he cited of that. niii - chievouspolicy a hich chained and fettered the snit pendance of .lisland, and endeavoured to &Amy it by a fyltem of revere coercion. 'lf it was intended to preferve or to procure the independance nt Ireland, why not re verse that fritiin ofcoercion, snd repeal thole revere laws which yet &till and opprefs di: inhabitants of that teurstry ? The quiet ut Lelaod, it t: as al. , • . i e j A dd • w,„11,1 411 ri ;I . th."Fraeat• i., it nin (01 heat let:laud .14 quiet, ;il,l the ItEb.elholoqueiol iictlite the "wynem nas propoled ? If' any Obit etfett, ;hew: telt; It 1; om meaftirc fo hrinightfoiaiardi and To fupport,i, I hope it wilitti the cittenthin of the Blitith Coailitation to the Catholics of-Ire land, and their reltoration to all the rights of Be,- fubjeets ; that, together with a repeal of thole fever,: laws enafted to opprefs the Irilh Nation, will be the leaft they can expect to refult trim" a mea fure which has been forced upon. them by Eng. land. Thus far I have been induced to proceed upon the fubjeift of the Ur.ion, that my opinions may not be mithnderltood ter niiireprefented. His Nlajelly's Speech places in the lathe point of view the conduit of Riiffia and the other Northern Powers. In my opinion, they nre totally difthiet. The Emperor of Raffia in detaining Britifh fub jefts and Britifh property has certainly committed a direct violation of his Treaty with this country, but has he or not had fulficient reafon in the conduit of his Majefly's Minifiers refuting to fur render Malta to his demand ? Would he thus hive claimed that Manzi, if Tome exprefs Convention had not previoufly exifted between his Majello's Minifters and that Monarch relative to the rabid? ri appears by his Manifeho, that his claim was founded upon fomc inftrament of this kind, and tho Ugh he has acted with the ambit violence and injultice, I cannot content to throw• all the blame upon the Emperor of 'Botha, until it is afeertained how far his Majetly's Minifters gave him a; reafon for his costludl. Admitting, howeter, that his Ma jell l'ilinifiers were right in not acceding to hii demand, thus peremptorily afferted, would it ' not have been the heft policy for this country to have yielded Malta to Rollia ? By thus admitting a new naval power, pollefed of ga eat strength and conliderable refources; into the Meditcrraunean, we !Tumid have been able to counterbalance the increafi.d . poWer of France, whillt*Ruffia would at all events have been fecured*as a friend, and we Iliould not now have to combat all the Powers of Europe united. If.his Majefty's fore faw a probability of a rupture with the Emperor, as the event' of their re6fal to &fist up Malta, they ought rather to have conceded than incur the rideof his • inveterate • enmity. • With SWeden and Denmark, the cafe is widely different; they have ligued a Convention of Armed Neutrality upon principles which it is contended by the Hon. Mover and Seconder of the motion, are a draft violation of the ellablifhed Maritime Law of Europe. In the courfe of whatlittle examination I have been able to give to this I harelOoked into thole Authors who exprefsly treat of the Law of Na tions, and alto into many of tlie s Tpeaties of Eu rope ; and fo far from difeovering . any . fuck law, I find die diral contrary principle was often acted upon - in the courfe of the laft century.—ln the year 17 . 4,0, the' King of Prullla exprefily declared that free bottoms made free goods. The fame principle was ailed upon by the Dutch in 1762. Let it be however admitted, that the Convention lately figned by the Northern Powers is in exprefs contaadietion to the public Maritime Law. of Europe let the rights of Eng land be adniitted in their fullest extent—does it follow that pofttive rights ought at all times to be afferted and may not cireumftinees ante which . may render it unfafe to alien Or to maintain them ? Will it not flimetitnes be found that a temporary facrifice of national dignity, and a temporary abandonment of rights, is the moll found and en lightened policy. It was Sid by an enlightened Mather of this Honfe (Mr. For) a Never pulite a profitable wrong or Oft on an unprofitabie right-t'.' and before we arert pofitive and uncut. li&.d rights, let us cos whether the advantages refultingfrinn their temporary facrifioe will not ' greatly overbalance all we can derive frons im endea. vowing . to issaintain their . Ido not 119 , that it is prope• in this cafe to make any fiscn&e of qur rash% I ark only for enquiry--1 ark the Houte to peaches:is they determine—l ark them to weigh well the value of the rights We affert—to compare the difadvantages of aliening them with the ad• . vantages of yielding them fo r a te mp or a r y put pole. We owe this invelligation to other l'owers; we owe it to our Conilituents, whore blood anti' creature itiukhe fpent in the prorceution afa war, olt i ght to .know a war is ornmenced, Nit it it maintained for an *ea .ivort/t the eisi pence .of the conceit. it is ale, titat of the principle Minnie d by the NoithernPowers remains uueontelled, Fiance Will by farniffied •by thole • Powers with the means of recruiting her Navy, .• ancilitecifsfully catryinton the war againlt n this ' But how can this be the cale,whilft our naval 'fuperitnity exits in all its triumphant 'force ? In the Convention of Armed Neutrality Concluded at the cicife of the American war, though it was contended that *neutral Ships ought to have free ingrels into the ports of all Powers, and that free bottoms made free goods, 'yet it was admitted that • they ought, ot to enter into parts blockaded,— . (Mr. Pitt =roll the Table diffented from this.) — Sir, I.contend that neutral vitals were by that Coneention.prohibited from entering ports block. aded, and the definition of a port blockaded was held to be this, that it thould be . to deemed when the port *as fo blocked'', 'by (hips of war that a trading veffel could not enter without manila danger. How then,l.afk, are any (*oceans s to the French natty to •be derived fnam the Northern Powers, Alien our fleets are fufficiently numerous and triumphant to' block up the principal ports of France, and 'prevent the aseefs of this aid? But even fit ;poling that the Northern Powers have free aceefs to the French ports with all the naval fibres neicliary'for the pupae& regenerating the navy of France, Yet this will not &rah her with Sea men, nor will it 'create experienced Officers. Her Navy coned not be regenerated in a day, nor in a month, nor in a year. Whilft her Navy is creat ing anew lite will hdb at many flips as The builds, and after all the will not have a Navy able in in any, way to dellroy the fuperiorit yof Eng land. But what_ judgment. am Ito fain of the policy of thole Miuifters who have cut off from England that limply of naval hares frith which the Northern. Powers alone are competent to cup. ply us, and which are ibtolately =crag to ca.` ;> Ilk ..he. continuance or L 1..:, nevai fir... • , Itnelt Lilo lubWt. 01 ow- b.)::!:, and n o : : very exidence of Britaia depLwiß ? I!) '..';'6 ... : dohs their policy appear i n another point o i' is: :•,.' Thtl CommittLe who fat haft Seftion rela:a •., the-High Price of Provifions, recommend e d r; . _ importation of grain as a principal means of :W.A; sting the -- extremepteffure offcar c i ty . A • : rva; part of the fupply to he obtained in this wil Y' e,, t to be expeeted through the niclium of the 8a1.i,., when his Majefty's Mihifters contrived to cut i il the t xpeeted fupply; by caufing the Baltic to i x llauta , ninft as. I contend tha t t hi s difpitte ri: e theishirtherif Powersmfght have been avoichci.: If his Mayfly's Minifters had forefeen the c ,, ,, , .;.. ouences • of ' their • meafures relative to ten::: ewers, they might have ptevented them ; and t• they did not fdrefee them, they. are incapabh• of filling 'the fituations they hold. The prix.- , pi e .. upon which the Northern Powers at prcfent ad was exprcfsly acknowledged by England in ti former O er p e p icon o cm fi doe t niffi i d o ic n btetye2 V dt+h ig acia o iiru re : s s, year 1780, towards the - conclufion of the Ainer.- ean War, when the Convention of Armed Neu trality'Was formed.' The Adminittration of that and day vigilant.v, l 1 s u p u fi l a a r d , and th e fo t h ror, the latter would have immediately detetied and expofed it. °tithe contrary, when thet M- I in po i r a w ii n tr ts, at te re la t t ire ter d' h a a n d d n tv o ere t been before they confirmed the act of their predc ceffors relative to the Armed ' Neutrality, b y (4 ., firing Holland a• participation of its ac;i:ra, , Yes. It has been acknowledged' by Engl an d, if I -;:tu not miftiken, during the'prefent war, by a Trca ty.with Mara in t 793, whieh,eonfirmed a Treaty made bAtviein the fame Power% in 1766, which alto confirmed a Treaty of a 4/niter nature made in 1714, by which the trading each of Raffia were'allbsted frce ingrefs into the ports of an ene rgy uolefs they carried goods contraband of war, which, it is to be remarked, will only include warlike ftore4 and . not theta fibres necefiary for equipping a Navy. After thcfe expreti acknow ledgrnenu on the part of this country, his Ma. jelly's Minarets may fairly be arraigned of mit. condo t in proceedin to the length which they have done in the: ifpyte with the Northern l a Powers. If the con ', of knffia was too une quivocartO aihnit of any other than hoftile inter pretation andrepiifal, that of Sweden and Deaf ,mark is totally different. It the unwarrantable detention of Brit& fitbjeCts and property in Rullia forms a complete jollification for a fimilar conduft in Britain the Armed Neutrality of Sweden and Denmak•certainly does not warrant that hottility on our part which we difplity to ward's Ruffle : Sweden sod Denmark have merely aliened a right which they claim, and determine to Support it by force of arms, if neceilltry. Did this Armed Neutrality deferve the detention of Denith and Sandals property on our part, which is a clear and decided ad of hoftility ? And wliv was not Praffiasincluded in this aft rf healthy? Minifters affeet to believe that Ptnlfia is hill the friend of Britain ; but has he not declared as the bafis of his own condua, the very principle of the Armed Neutrality, that free bottoms make fr:e goods ? His Courts of Admiralty have frequ,at ry decided and eltablithed it-during the pretest war. How then are we to account for the eon.- duet of his Majefty's Minifters in not includini Profile in the hoftility which they wage wink the Armed Neutrality ?' It is a profligate and un principled policy—they will not attack Pruffia becaufe he is (prong, but they will attack Sweden and Denmark, becaufe they are weak. Is this the true policy of a' great State t Does it not. Phew rather the tricking Politician than the found and enlightened Statefman ? Ido not attempt to Controvert the alfertions of his Majefty's Speech upon this fitbjelit,. I only alb for enquiry, and the amendment I am about to move will bear upon this. When I fee this-country without a frionl. ly port where her (hips may feel for limiter from the dorm, from Archangel to the Tagus. , and fi-om the Tagus to Venice—for Naples I ponfider as ahead) , conquered—acid Pottugal and Turkey will loon either become Allies or ViEllrns to our Enemy—When :at the be. ginning of the War I fie an univerfal joaloufy and dttellition amongltthe Powers of Europe aga:.ilt France, and,when now I fee that jealottfy and de. tettatieni .eitfiverfally turned agatfift Erreanl, I have a right to all for enquiry—that we may .. p)knfe before:sire grant another fupply, and another portidn of confidence to thofe Minithers to where ..lIC mush bat been granted year after year, and ifeosu whom nothing has refulted, year after year. but defeat and clifgrace-- , -who after this continued fceni of defeat And ditgrace have the audacity to 'tell nc this • is the molt fuccefsful War in which this country was ever engaged. We may add to stir territories, and increafe our acquifitions—we may 'gain pofeffion of the Dana Colonies—we may perhaps add to them South America—until we (hall be overwhelmed by our conquelts, and fall, erupted by their weight. I with, Sir, to fay a - few words upon the other topics of his Majefty's Speech, before I fit down. We are told that his Majefty is ready to make peace with the enemy whenever they will Mien to terms confiftent with the honour and fafety of Britain. How long than_ we be told this, and when will the period arrive ? Wherithe allied armies were triumphant, when they threatened to p:-nctrate into the heart el France and annihilate it as an independent State, it was not then the time for peace—France malt be (till further humbled. When this temporary , fuccefs bad vanithed, and when at length another gleam Role acrofs the gluermrhorizon, an der to treat for a feparate Peace was Made by Bona parte but politively , rejefted by his Majefty's Mittificts. Auflria at length fbnnd an abfbhtte neeelfity of making peace, and had - already con tented to terms, when Mc was perfttaded by Eng land to renew the war, to which advice in an eva hour the agreed, Contrary to the opinion of her IA StatelMen arid Genera/I. What was the con. &goatee i Defection reigned among _the troops, and ditiontem among the people. The Hung 2. ',fan Ltvies proved atinftintaitsn, and the Prof. Ilan tredps were recruited by Marian &cfaters. ..Marla War tsductd to a Ottottion to vbech oaf