Star. — London, England, 1812-01-09 00:00:00

- P4I4I.I4ArEIVTARt . PROCWD . P;S. assurable Gentlemen would inform him, what were the-situation and feelings of the self-called go vernment of Cadiz with respect to the South Ame rican eoloates. He knew that persons had been com missioned and sent out to mediate between the Spa nish government and the revolters of South America. Had the Spanish government accepted this media tion ? And if it had been accepted, what progress had been made towards reconciliation ? He begged to ' know the reasons which had so long detained those Gentlemen who had been appointed to diplomatic offices ; for instance, Sir Robert Wilson and Mr. Lis ton. If the objects of their respective missions were considered important, why had they not proceeded on their destined errands ? Whet also, he must ask, was the present state of our army in Spain ? Were the ranks full ?—were all the wants of various kinds removed ? If not, what means, what resources had Ministers to meet these exigencies, and supply those deficiencies Had they any new recruiting system to propose, to supply tile waste of the British army in the Peninsula? All these were questions which ought to be asked before the House should pledge it self to the vast and extensive efforts now required.' At any rite, his own mind must be informed on I these subjects, before be could give his individual consent to so important a pledge. Another point on which he dissented from the present Address, %vas, the gross delusion which it held out, when it assert ed that we intended to pursue with the American Government that conciliatory system which had al ! ready been adopted. He had himself, late in the ' last Session, applied for the papers relative to the American discussions. The papers were refused : and if the American Government had acted in the same manner; w ee might still have been all persuaded that the language of our Ministers was perfectly con ciliatory, and required notl•ing but what the prospe! rity, the honour, and the security of our country de manded. But even then, at the time of the refusal of these pipers, Gentlemen on the side of the House on which he sat had prophesied that war must ne cessarily ensue with America. Now we saw what had been the consequence of all our notable schemes with rega-d to America ; fraught as they were with and productive of base subterfuges and commercial .perjuries. All these fine projects, after an existence of five years, appeared likely to end in forcing Ame rica into an alliance with France, and a war with England. The Address taaked of conciliation.— When the Foreign Minister, in his negociations with that Government, indulged in contumelious expres sions, or in more contumelious silence, was such con tumely to be called a plan of conciliation ? Would it be reckoned a conciliatory conduct among indivi duals not to answer a letter which stated serious mat ters of complaint ? When flat denials were given in the face of facts, and a Minister was sent out to de mand what it was known could not be conceded, was the Prince to be deluded by an Address which expressed the language of conciliation ? He must say, that the whole conduct of Ministers with respect to America proved that they were acting on those haughty and unconciliating principles which must prevent peace with any Government in the world. Last year, America had asserted that the French de crees were repealed. This was denied on our part; but he defied the Right Hon. Gentleman to adduce one instance to rebut this assertion. Such was the language of the Americans themselves, which must be believed, unless we supposed that their intentions were rather to be learned from the sagacity and wis dom of the Right Hon. Gentleman—that wisdom which had devised the grand design of depriving the French hospitals of bark—that wisdom which had projected the mighty plan of destroying the French commerce, and had made our own Exchange a desart. Perhaps the Right Hon. Gentleman would communicate to them, for their benefit, some of his 'spare wisdom ; for if he bad any wisdom it certainly was to spare, as he had never exhibited any in governing his own country. But to return : Mi nisters neither gave, nor intended to give, any infor mation respecting these subjects of inquiry. All that we knew was, that the affair of the Chesapeake was indeed adjusted ; but all other differences were still unreconciled. The Congress had met, and an Ad dress had been issued, which evidently anticipated war—which war he had no hesitation to say, depen ded and resulted from the unbending and unaccom modating conduct of our Government. The Ad dress to the Regent was also blameable for the great want of information on the subject cf our East India possessions, and the policy to be pursued with respect to them. He could not conclude without expressing his decided dissent and political abhorrence of some of the principles and maxims advanced last night by the Noble Lord who moved the Address. That No ble Lord had said that it was impossible to make peace with a person of such a character as Bona parte. Never at any period of history, till the time of the present war, had so monstrous an assertion been ventured, that the personal character of a Go vernor should be any impediment to a negotiation between states. But, it there were any foundation for such an opinion—an opinion, however, to which be could never accede—still he must say that he saw no greater obstacle to peace in the character of the French Emperor than in the character of the Bour bons who preceded him. He protested therefore against a doctrine which must lead to eternal war— a doctrine which would be in its consequences pecu liarly ruinous to this nation ; for the grandeur and power of England were factitious—the grandeur and power of France were natural, and in along protrac ted struggle between the two countries, it was not difficult to foresee which must ultimately be subdued. ' It was a doctrine, indeed, which had riot been acted upon ; for though the last negociations for peace _were broken, the rupture was not owing to the per usual character of the French Emperor, but to the . terms and tone adopted by that Government in the course of the discussion. He concluded by saying, ,that he must make an obstrUation in contradictu n to vel at had fallen from the Noble Lord last night, that the great object 4,l . 33onaparte was to obtain ships, and colonies, and commerce ; ar d that he would never make peace until he had obtained them. If, (said Mr. Whitbread,) this be the sole obstacle to peace, would to GOD that Bonaparte had colonies ! would to GOD he had conuserce.l - - HOUSi OP COMMONS, JAN. 8. A navribk was ordered for Queenborough, in the roam of Richard Wellesley, Esq. who since his election had accepted the ?lama *mot the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty s Tres. sury.--.A new Writ was also ordered for the Borough or Rich maids is toe MOM of Lord Guernsey, who had accepted, since bie election, a Conunission in his Majesty'. regular Army. 1 'TRAMS% NAVIGATION. Mr. Sheriff Braes pretested at the Bar a Petition from the Lotd Mayor, Alderman, and Commons of the City of Loudon, tr ir praying leave that a Bill might be brought in to continue the of the 14th of the King, respecting the Navigation of t River Thames. The Petition was ordered to be referred to a Select Censznittee. CHARITABLE DONATIONS. _ _ Mr. LOCKHART gave no. ice of a motion for to-morrow. for leave tibring in a Bill to regulate the Rcgibtering of Charitable Datiatkoas. .11tEPOET VPON THE STATE OF THE KING'S HEALTH. Mr. Secretary RYDLR brought up the Report of the Queen's Council upon the State of his Majesty's Health, which was,read by the Clerk at the Table, and of which the following is a copy : 4 We, the under-written Members of the• Council appointed " to angst her Majesty, in the execution of the trusts committed " to her Niajesty by virtue of the Statute passed in the Sist " year of his Majesty's Reign, entitulvd ' An Act to provide for " the Administration of the Royal Authority, and fur the care " of his Majesty's Royal Person during the continuance of his Majesty's illness, and for the resumption of the exorcise of " the Royal Authority by his Majesty; having duly met loge " Cher on this 4th day of January, ISt; at the Queen's Lodge, " near to Windsor Castle , and having calltd before us, and exa. " mined upon oath the Physicians and other persons attendant • 4 I upon his Majesty, and having ascertained the state of his Ma- ' " jesty's Health, by all such ways and means at appeared to us " to be necessary for that purpose ; do hereby declare and err " city, that the state of his Majesty's Health, at the time ti this 0 our Meeting is not such as to enable his Majesty to resume * the personal exercise of his Royal Authority. " 6 That his Majesty's Bodily Health appears to us to be as 0 good as at any of the periods of our former Reports. " That his Majesty's mental Health appears to us not to be 111 manse than at the period of our last Report. " That aft the Physicians attending his Majesty agree In nat . fig, that they think his Majesty's complete and final recovery • improbable, differing, however, as to the degree of such tit- O probability, some of them expressing themselves as not de- I O 'pairing, others as not entirely despairing, and one of them re- I O presenting that he cannot help despairing of such recoviry. (Signed) "C. CANTUAR. .AsL6SfORD 66 E. Epos ES.DO N " MONTROSR ELLLNIOROOGN " WiNcartse.s. W. GRANT." " Shortly after the above Report hadbeen read in the presence " of all the Physicians, and one of the Members . of the Council " bad left Windsor, the Physician alluded to in the last clause I' cifthe Report stated in writing to the other Members of the " Council, then remaining at Windsor, ' 'I bat be had unguar .4 daily made use of an expression which be was apprehensive " might carry a mean* far beyond what he intended to expresi, i " and requested to be allowed to correct ft, and assured the Coup- ' " RP, that whilst he thought the Anal recovery of his Majesty a very Improbable, be by no means despaired of it." " The Members of the Council to whom the above statement 0 was made, having sworn the Physician alluded to to the truth " thereof, afterwards communicated the same to the whole " Connell assembled this Sth clay of January, who bare deemed • at nein to subjoin this fact to the above declaration. (Signed) "C. CANTUAR ATLISTORD " E. Rape ELDON " Mous-Koss EtteNsoaciocue " WiNceet.sea W. GRANT:' St. itlllea l t-square, Jan. 5,181 f AU= Copy, JAN+ ts ;MAAR. REPORT ON THE ADDRr.SB. Lord JOCELYN then brought up the Report of the Address. Mr. WHITBREAD rose and observed, that he was prevented yesterday, on account es' the extraor dinary turn which the debate had taken, from stating 1 his reasons why the House should not concur in the I present Address. He fully agreed to all the exprs sions of affection towards his Majtsty, and to all its' Earnest wishes for his final recovery, but not to any other parts, except in congratulating his Royal High ness the Prince Regent on the enthusiastic valour dis played by his Majesty's troops, more especially in the gallant affair of that distinguished officer General 1 Hilt. He approved and admired the conduct of Lord Wellington, who had nut, during the last year, derogated from his former high character. which placed him on a level, not only with the greatest of' , Modern generals, but with ar.y ef the most celebrated heroes ef ancient times. But admitting, as he did, the valour of our armies, the exertiens ot Ministers in sending supplies of arms, men, and money, and above all, the sktlful dispositions of a most able General, Still he could not, when he considered the present state of the Peninsula, compared with its condition in the fanner year, entertain any such hopes of final success as were held out in the Address. %%re were told in she Speech, by the months of the Lords Commissio ners, that the dangers of Spain were greatly. increased, but that more energy bad arisen in the people ; yet be saw that the French armies carried every thing before then), and had military possession of Spain, Dearly from one end to the other. The most important fortresses had been taken; and when it was remem bered how Badajos, *l'arragorta, and other strong places have fallen, tt was much to be feared that Va lencia will sortly share the same fate. True it was, that every thing possible had - been done towards the support ot the war; yet all that we had achieved was the possedion of Portugal—and Lord Wellington was Worse faced to retreat as soon as he had driven Massena from the frontiers; and had acknow ledged that it. was impossible to succeed in making head spina 4 - s e armies of the French. The_ more t h etkii *t he refleeted on the exalted merits 4 f the Cregensl e :nad on the vast resources which had been • a g l itypitin vrcixcution of the war, the lebs was he Inclined - en hope for final success—and, therefore, he could not consent, without farther infe,rmation, to a psodge himself to the fall extent required by -the speech, in the grant of farther assistance. He, w‘s:;ed jacked, that the Right Honourable Gentleman had aotsmuniCaltd ID the House, what were the sentiments 4 1 L or d Wellington krimselt respecting the war— whether he entertained any hopes of the expulsion el the km:ltch—then, perhaps, he (Mr. W.) aught give his consent us this parr 4 the Addresi ; but no such i v formation was pg . .ID them —vone •Qf the ou joions of 140111-.. sop exhibited t o in r ize it non" iIL that the Right He- Lord JOCELYN said, that these was not one word in his speech last night, with reference to the personal character of Bonaparte, which could have warranted the Honourable Gentleman in attributing to Was those opiaipas of eternal warfare which the Honourable Gentleman stated hill to hate given utterance to. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that before he entered upOn a m .re regular reply to the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Whitbread), he felt himself particularly bound to notice, and to reprobate ' the concluding sentence of his speech. lf, indeed, the Hon. Gentleman was anxious that Bonaparte and France should possess ships, colonies, and commerce, then it was not very di ffi cult to understand, why he preferred to abandon that system mirich kept those ships, colonies, and commerce out of his gi asp.— ( Hear, hear, from the Ministerial Bencha .) —Hs ti pathy to the measures retaliatory on the Berlin and Milan Decrees was on this score very easy to be ac counted for. If it had not been for them, Bonaparte might have plumed himself upon the success of his Decrees; and the Hon. Gentleman, too, would'be able to console himself for not leaving his present sub ject of regret. Although he always wished to answer the arguments of his opponents rather in train. than to begin at the conclusion of their speeches, yet that last sentence was so outrageously extraordinary, that, be felt it impossible not to endeavour xt once to ex• pose its folly, and to counteract its tendency. Follow lug, then, the course of the Honourable Gentleman's observations, the first topic he had to notice, was the gloomy picture which the Hon. Gentleman thouzlit proper to draw of the state of affairs in Spain and Portugal, and the character tillich he gale of the war, uarkeued by all his expressions of despair, and shorn of hope by all his prophecies of evil. When the Hon. Gentleman indulged himself in this his fa vourite strain, it would have been a little fair for the Hon. Gentleman to look back to his declamations at the beginning of last Session—to recollect how he then described the state of affairs on the Peninsula ; to travel back to his predictions and prophecies, and to see whether those predictions and prophecies had been fulfilled. If the Hon. Gentleman had done so, be would have been able to appreciate the contrast between the state of affairs then and now ; he would have been able to discover, that all his auguries were falsified ; and he would have found reason to believe that all his speculations of disaster had been, abortive. But no ; the Honourable Gentleman did not like these recollections ; his prophecies were quite a plea santer thing; and again Has he at his occupation, prepared to foretel and prophecy all he had said be fore— that be military possession where even a convoy can. not be sent across the country without almost an arms to escort it, then the French had such possession. Thu ' which their armies locally occupied; but to supple possession which the French had of Spain was that P ithat in a country where armies rise in the rear af ter their compatriots are defeated in the front—whe ok so far from their spirits being broken by increase L e difficulty, they seem to be rather invigorated by d o feat,--to suppose that in such a country, military possession is tai-en by the enemy, appeared to hi m most absurd. History furnished many instances re! brave defences of cities and towns against an invaah li p enemy; but it was the peculiar ment of t'ae Spani ard ; in the great contest in which they were engaged, to have gathered new resources horn disaster s — no . spirit from defeat,—new vigour from overthrow.... It was not so much the resistance as the :nano 4 the resistance to tyranny, which would consign t h e ' character of the Spaniards to the glorious ap plause of posterity ; and it was this manner, also, .44 when considered in all the wonders it had produc t * ' was even a source of sanguine hope to him of a fa r . Imitate result to the strugle in which the nation s o f the Peninsula were engaged. Looking, tlicretere, it the kind of military possession which the rreech 114 of Spain, and seeing the quiet and sttdfast poem." which the English had ot Portugal, he did net bal. , tate to say, that the affairs of the French were de. riorated, while those of the allied nations wens proved ; that there were fainter hopes for F and greater hopes for Spain, than there were a year ago. The Hon. Gentleman had asked, what We.. troops and the waste ot our resources achieved I iii would answer, that they had at least 'hewn, that th e views of the Hon. Gentleman were mistaken ; and that they contributed to prevent tlaet consummation of power to France, which the Honourable Geary man anticipated as certain. The next questioa *11.4 the Honourable Gentleman put, was, whether Lord Wellington himself approved of the plans by whi c h the war was carried on ? Did the Honourable Ges. tleman suppose, that, even allowing the views d Lord Wellington to be ever so desponding, it would be wise or just to disclose them ? There s as limbic, which a military commander could so mach sispb, cote as the disclosure of his opinions or his views.— The Hon. Gentleman's next wish was fur informatics with respect to the connection between the mother. , country and the Spanish Colonies : and also with ns " Destroy the web. and prophecy in vain ; 1, spect to the intentions of the Prince Regent's mid, The creature's at his dirty work again !" 1 sters towards both. He had only to state, that tb (Loud tries of hear, hear, from the Ministerial Beaches.) ' English Government wished for measures ut concis e But it did net astonish him, nor ought it now to as- Lion, and to act as a mediator between the colonies sod tonish the House, that the Hon. Gentleman should Spain. As to the delay of Sir R. Wilson and Mr. Lie sit down once more to his gloomy work, when they ton from going out on their respective stations, cartais had it from himself, that it was all done in expects- circumstances had occurred which had hitherto pro tion of the irresistable power of France. Happy, vented the carrying of those missions into etfect.— however, was he that the expectations of the Gover- Another point insisted on by the Hon. Grutlerma ment of France, and of the Hon. Gentleman, were was, what he called the exhausted state ot our nett. disappointed ; and when the Hon. Gentleman SAW tary force. The Honourable Gentleman asked low daily proofs of this, it would not, indeed, have been ,we were to replace the waste of our resources? . It too much to expect some modesty from him in dis. was sufficient and satisfactory for him to state, in as. trusting his opinions. The French Government had ewer to this question, that, notwithstanding all on made many boasts, but were they verified ? Among waste of meat, c our military force was runger by others, were we yet driven from Spain and Portuga l 10,000 mtn than it was at this time last year. Ass► into the sea ? Oh no • but the new reading now is, th ee t o pic, an d one w hi c h h e con f esse d to be at tb that we are to be dest royed atter our resources shall , greatest importance, obseeeed upon by the H0n04".., have been exhausted, and when the Spanish nation able Gentleman, was the state of our relations with shall have been completely subdued. First we were America. He loped that the House would be . ia l , to have been the earlier victims, but now we are to , dulgent enough, if they saw at present an indis be left for the last. Would any man in his senses .on the part of Ministers to go into any discussa listen to trash like this ? Would any man believe, ' that point, not to attribute that indisposition to e that if it was in the power of the French Emperor to ability to meet any such discussion, nor to any eases crush us, that he would not have done so? Could hension that this country would suffer in her Lower those, in particular, who were in the habit of conti- or her interests by whatever might be disclosed woe nually admiring the power of France—no doubt with it. The true policy for this country to adopt towards the expectation that it might become irresistible-v. America, and the policy which had wen adhered a could they be of opinion that France would not long by the Ministers of the Crown, was to stave off that since have broken us down, if it had been in her -catastrophe—the catastrophe Of war—which it vas poWer ? He was confident that France had done her the interest of both nations to avoid. 'I be conduct utmost, but she met a resistance upon which she did ,ot the Government to America ought to be = not calculate : a resistance which was effectual to her rate and moderate, but, at the same time, di disappointment, to her vexation, and to her disgrace. , and consistent ; but.oothing could impede its ONO His argument was, that as Bonaparte had not con- and progress more than, during the pending nese& quered us, be could not. He did no t beat us, because 1 ! Lions, to be thus putting it upon its defence—to be he was not able—because be had not resources corn- . thus patting the country upon its trial. If the coo potent to such a purpose. He did not mean to speak : duct of America was really that of a fair impartial presumptuously. He would not, in indulging any' neutrality, as the Honourable Gentleman contended. presumptuous view, imitate the example of the French he would rather give the Honourable Gentleman themselves ; for he was, on the contrary, anxious to credit for his opinion, than run the risk of endanger. Board against over-rating o u r own resources; but, . ing the success of the pending discussions, by any judging by fair analogy—drawing our conclusions declaration to the contrary. A war between this horn the past to the future, had we not a right to country and America would be productive of en! say that we could not be conquered—that the nations to both ; although, in his opinion, not of so midi of the Peninsula could not be subdued ? Had we evil to England as to America. So far from coos} not a right to say, that as long as a British arm re-', during the interests of both countrieseo be in any or mained in the Peninsula, in counteraction of the de- position to one another, he would always consider the signs of Bonaparte, a resistance would be opposed to wealth of America as accessory to the riches, sad him which he could not overcome; a resistance, which her prosperity as accessory to the greatness of For was the more galling, as it was a standing shame to land. He would, indeed, be sorry to see America his designs, and a standing contrast to his cause—to crushed, impoverished, or destroyed. (Here Mir. the basest spectacle of tyranny, and fraud, and op- Whitbread repeated the word 44 destroyed.") TIN pression, that ever was exhibited to, or disgraced the Ht.n. Gentleman might repeat his words, but dm* world,. If Bonaparte was so view our resistance.en be did 'not use the word destroyed in the sensed $ this light, and it was impossible that he should not, if physical annihilation, yet he contended that a est he conceived that puttinglis nation into this shame- with England would prove de:tractive to Americsee ful contrast with the British empire were material to destructive to her wealth, her strength, her roe his character and ambition—was it not natural to 'city, and her progressive civilization. The HOMO suppose that he would have endeavoured to keep it able Gentleman reviled the phrase of a , coned' out of she contemplation of the people of Spain and disposition," which the Regent's Speech attri ' i b g Portugal, and instead of protracting such a contrast, le the English Government in its transactions put an end to it at once by our destruction ? With America. F or hi s part , h e was can did enou gh 0 this view of things, had he (the Chancellor ot the confess. that he would bear with more from it Exchequer) not reason to look on the contest,notonty rice than from any other foreign country with whys cheerfully and sanguinely, but even to hope, that in England could have any relations. His opinion 0 this very stage of his crimes and tyranny, Bonaparte this point might be trronaltis • but he was confided might find the grave of his ambition ? But, indeed, that be possessed towards America the fullest spa this new system, imputed by the Hon. Gentleman to ;of conciliation. Th e H onoura bl e Gentleman boiler the French Emperor, appeared to be rather a jocose ! remarked, that we should have believed in the Ma k affair entirely, than any serious attribution of such a i cation of the Berlin and Milan decrees, because Arno plan to such a per s on. It was just as much as to 1 rice said that they were repealed. Our charge agaisi say, that Spain and Portugal were to be devoured i America was, that she had been too acquiescent and first, and that we were good naturedly reserved as a I toe partial to France—too partial to bar opines:A donne bets:Ate for his Majesty (a loath). The Right I and too acquiescent in her docrees. So mucti didbo Honourable Gentleman thee adverted to an obsei va- ' darer from the Americans on this point. that he com tion of Mr. Whitbread's, in which that Hon. Gentle-1 sidereal the very notice ot revocation itself the e man ridiculed that passage of the Prince Regent's strongest testirnony that they were not revoked. Speech, where it boasts ot the more connected a fferts what the Honourable Gentleman called rev • which the Spaniards were now making, and in which 1 ke saw the clearest evidence of re-enactment. that Honourable Gentleman h a d suited that the proof of thesexistence of the spirit in which those French were in military possession of the country.—. trees originated. He even conceived that he ow It he (the Chancellor of die Exchequer) were corn- that revocation a determined intentitm of abiding petent to form any idea of whet military possession theui to the last extremity. If this revocation WAS he could by no means understand bow the As sincere as it has been said to be--if it indeed French could be eitid to .be is such possessicg, If ted'et all, why did not America traduce the, • .. ...-. . ._ • : 141. , t :.