Star. — London, England, 1803-05-27 00:00:00

rziCLIA4LENI Aftr PRuCEEDIA GS. THE TOLLOWINC IS 7 HE sUBSTANCIL OF THE SPEECH Df LIVERT D EY R. PITT, 014 moNnar. !-Ie began by flatmg, with great c!:arnets, the dif tin Lion between the Tietiion whether the conduit of rt rotedemanded was? and the quellion whether the tlinifiers deferred cer,furc or praife ? The fit-ft of theti only he coofidered as the fubjeft of difciiffion that night, and declared his intention of adhering to that part. The deeifion, whether cattle did or did not exift for going to war with France, did not depend upon de termining what was the precife point at which relic lance ought to have been made to the injurious prac. ticesand security demanded against the hoftiledeligns of France; but whether now a fufficient accumula tion of wrong, fufficient evidence of a hobble difpo fition ha; been teccived from France, to render war like mealores neceffiary ? Here he adverted to the fpecch of : 1 / 4 1r. Erfkine, who had spoken before him ; and Caul he felt peculiar fatisfalion in flattering him fell that he might congratulate the Houle, and the Country, upon complete unanimity in the opinion, that - warlike meafures were neceffary. For if an in• ference was to be drawn from the fentiments of that Gentleman, to the fentiments of the other Gentle men with whom be bad in general coincided in opi nion, it might be concluded that they too, though not exactly in concord with the reit of the Honfe as to the particular opinion to be formed of every part of the conduit of France, were yet no lets convinced of the unjull, encroaching, and infolent spirit of the Government of that Country, than any other party in Parliament, and no lets sealonfly determined to protedt their country from its effees. The treaty of Amiens he had, he Paid, approved of, not becaufe he thought the terms fatisfaaory ; for who could think them fatisfaaory but becaufe he thought them the bell which could be obtained, and preferable in the (late of affairs at the time to war. If however, France, from that day to this had manila ed every thing rather than a difpofition to aft on the spirit of that Treaty of Peace, or any principles of Peace ; if the acquilitions which the had made, and the tpirit which the difplayed, were utterly incon fittent with the feeirrity of this country, what remain. ed but to employ the refources of the country for the prefervation of the country? It was worthy of remark, he Paid, that the peculiar fpot which had been the lafi scene of the zeal of Britain, againfi French am bition, was that chofen by France, whereon to begin her attacks upon this country ; that the very ground which bad been confecrated, it might be faid, in the recollection of Britons, by the glory which had been gained, and the heroic blood which had been flied on fhould be chofen as the (pot on which the firs attempts again(' their power, their glory, and their fitonld be made. It was not folely the publication of Sebaftiani's report, which he regarded as evidence of the dangerous deigns of France upon Egypt; nor the fentiments expreffed in that report, though certainly many of theft were fufficiently offen five. The very miffion was in his opinion the firong. eft proof that could be wanted. To fend an accre dited agent to traverfe and explore a country with which the nation which fends him has no concern, stud whith can be of no advantage to that nation,but u a means of annoying a neighbouring nation, is fo fufpicions and alarming a tranfaftion,that it is fcarcely to be regarded fo much as an evidence of hobble de fign, as in truth a hofide aft. Were Great Britain feeretly to dispatch a military officer to traverfe and explore South Ametica, should we eafily perfuade Spain, or any other part of Europe, that our inten tions were perfcely innocent? But France explain ed this tranfaftion. A book had been publilhed by a Britiat officer, containing the molt atrocious and hire imputations upon the lira Conful and his army; and theft it was necelary to difprove.r Thole might believe that the miffion of Sebaniani was to difprove Sir Robert Wilfon's book, who could believe that commercial agents, having fecret infiruftions to fend foundings of our coasts, and plans of our harbours, and to correspond in cyphers, were fent only for lite rary and fcientifie purples. But the °hied of fend ing Sebaftiani mull furely have been in the contem plation of his fenders, before he was fent. Now it nnfortunately happened that the date of Seballiani's departure for Egypt was previous to that of the arri• val of Sir Robert Wilton in England, and Come months previous to, the publication of his book. What then was the cmdutt becoming Gra: Bri tain with regard• to deigns thus firongly exhibited, dangerous in the laft degree to fome of her higheft interefis ? To lay hold with all expedition poffible upon the moll effectual feeurity againfl thole defigns. hlal , a was that security; and had it already been furrendered to France, i'uch defigns were fufficient to have justified its recapture. Fortunately we were laved that effort by its Rill remaining in our hands. But, even independent of this moll just and fatisfac tory cause of its retention, nothing could be more impudent than the menacing demands of the French to furrender it; fume the conditions upon which alone we have contented to furrender it had never been fulfilled, and were now incapable of fulfilment; and since we had thus a right to retain it till fome other arrangement, which we might deem Satisfac tory, could be made. Another circumftance of ferious portent was the arifit of thole commercial agents; a (pecks of (toners, the like to whom were probably never depu ted from one nation to another before; who could be regarded as nothing but authorized (pies, and whom would have been our buflnefs to hang, had we laid rur hands upon them in time of war. So eat: aordi• nary a cireumliance was this, that he thotild not be fatisied with learning that such infidinus guefls had been withdrawn, upon rcmontirance, by their own .government ; he Mould with to know that they had been ordered to tit the country caprefsly by his Majeßy's Minifters. Another attempt of the French Government was one which mutt route the indignation of every man 'who had any particle of regard to the honour and independence of his country, an attempt, whicb, if yielded to, would place us on a level with the abufed and degraded republics which were now the fcene of triumph and injultice to the Chief Cordial; he meant the attempt to interfere in the internal Government, 'in the, municipal regulations of this country, by the demands spina the liberty of the peers, and the pro tcaksit of the French ern:grants. 'Theft demands was teGited with (pith ; wain tutu which did ho• nonr to thole sae dinated them. And, forth% never was a more inrpudcnt attempt made againft the pri-1 Taegu, againft the faith, honour, and generaty of a great people. - He thought with the Gentlemen who ( poke be fore him, that the fentiments manifefted by the Firft Con , ful, in his converfation v.ith Lord Whitworth, were not to be regarded as thole uttered in an ordinary converfation. The perfon was not to.be looked upon as Banding in an ordinary fituation. .Abforbing as he did in his own perfon all the authorities of the Rate, legiflative, executive, and judicative, the fentiments of - Bonaparte were to be regarded as the fentiments of the (late ; more erpecially as he declared that he had chofen that mode of communication, as being more explicit, more clear, and decifive, than that through the medium of his Minifters. After animadverting upon the behaviour of France with regard to Switzerland and Holland, and noticing the contiruaion put upon feveral of thefe acs by the gentleman who (poke before him , Mr.- Pitt dec lared his opinion to bd, that France exhibited fuch a fpirit of ambition, of encroachment, and of enmity to this country, as rendered it neceliary for us to retain the means of fecurity againft that (pink which we had in our hands, at any rifk of war, or of what that war might colt us. With regard to the atm of the war, he entertained, he (aid, the moft confident hopes -but fhould only deceive the nation, if he did not exprefsly deckle his opinion, that without facrifices and efforts of a very extraordinary kind, this favour able conelufion was not very confidently to be looked to. After a careful obfervatien of the behaviour of Republican France during two years of peace, and af ter the opportunity he had poffeffed of fludying her during a long period of war, in the critical and diffi cult fituation in which it had been his lot to (land, be thought it was not arrogating too much if he repofed fome confidence in his own experience; and, upon the ftrength of that experience, he thought it bit duty to declare that his countrymen ought to be pre pared for the molt vigorous exertions. The fpirit, the heroifm, the magnanimity with which they had fupported the IA arduous, in many refpets fuccels ful, to moft glorious, and in all honourable conflia, was beyond all praife and all example. Should the prefent be as revere, fhould it even be as long, he had no reafon to fuppofe they would (brink from it. But he fhould only be trifling with them if he did not de clare his opinion, that 'fall as were the facrifices made to maintain the laft important ftruggle, thole =d iary to maintain the prefeut were not unlikely to be Rill greater. He concluded by laying, that the obje& of France was twofold, to intimidate and diforder us by threats and attempts at invafion, and to wear us nut by a war upon our fi nances. Our objeas ought to be. in the firft place, to fyftematize a complete and effec tual plan of defence, that every man might have the comfort after the extraordinary facrifices for which he might be called upon, of laying down his head in peace, with the knowledge that - his family and what. ever is dear to him is in fafety ; and next, by the fpirit and patriotifm with which we give ourfelves to fupport the conflict, to prove to France that the pro. duetive powers of this country are adaquate to its de fence, and that we can defy her efforts without en dangering our fyflem of finance. HOUSE OF LORDS, THURSDAY, MAY 26., ---- . Lord BATHURST obferved, that a noble Lord, whom he then faw in his place, had given notice of 1 a motion which • he was to bring forward on this day, 1 and which related to the papers on the table, as well 1 as to the condua of his Majelly's Minifters ; but the Noble Lord did not Rate what the nature of his mo. 1 tion was: he did not inform the Houfe whether he 1 lbould bring forward any charge againft Minifters, or what that charge was ? On a queftion of fuch im portance, it was neceffary that the Members of that Houfe Ihould have fo much information as (Mould , enable them to come down prepared to difcufs it.— 1 But they were at this moment wholly in the dark upon the fubjea. Under thefe cireumftances, he would put it to the Noble Lord, whether it would l proper for him to bring forward his Motion to-day ; and whether he ought not to inform the Houfe *hat his motion was, and then put it off to a future 4 3, Lord CAMDEN faid, he rote to exprefs the fame WA : with his noble Friend, as he conceived it was neceffary . for the Houfe to know fometting of the queftion in tended to be difcuffed. The Duke of Moaraost faid, he was of the fame opinion, and hoped the Noble Lord would not take the Houfe by furprire in bringing forward a queftion which their Lordfhips had not been aware of, and could not be prepared to difcufs. The Loan CHAN c a imme faid, the Noble Lord might if he chore, bring forward his motion, but it would be at the option of their Lordfhips whether they af terwards would difcufs it. In giving notice of a mo tion, it was not neeelfary to enter into the grounds of it ; and perhaps in the prefent inftance it might be improper to do fo. The Noble Lord was at liberty either to Wog it forward now, or put it off to a fu ture day ; and if he put it off, be mull himfelf be the belt judge how far it would be proper to enter into an explanation of it. Earl FrrZWILLIAM (aid, he did not conceive that in the notice be gave on Monday lad he deviated in • the (mailed degree from the ulsges of Parliament.— He had Rated, that his motion (honld be founded on the correfpondence before the Houfe : and he had privately communicated to Knitters what his motion would be. He had no objeaion now to Rate it to the' Houle. It confided of two parts; the firft was a faa ariling out of the papers thernfelves—lt was a refoln• tion, flat it appeared from his Majefty's Declare ' tion that the French Government had committed re peated aas of aggreftion, violence, and infult againft this country, fo as to render the war in which we were engaged juft and neceffary. The other part of his motion was a refolution, That his Majefty's Mi. nifters, in withholding all communication from Par liament daring the late negotiation with the French Government, had produced fufpenfe, embarraffment, and difficulty throughout the Country ; bad weaken- ed public credit, and injured our commerce, &c. &c. —He did not fee that there could be any objeaion again& bringing forward this Motion on the prefent evening: if, however, it was the opinion of the Honda that he &add defer his Motion, he was ready to do lb. Lord Barittrear repeated his requeft, that the Motion might be put off to a future day. Lord Lowy nett conceived, that upon a qneftion of inch raft importance as the one now under confiders- don, it was neeeffary for Noble Lords to come pre wed to difcuts it , and ft was impoffible they could be prepared, tr,,efs they had previous notice of the nature of the .notion. Lord Ps. Ham faid, there was nothing he wifhed more tha to have the condua of himfelf and his col leagues fully difcuffed and enquired into; and there fore it was a matter if indifference to him, whether the Noble Earl brought forward his motion imme diately, or put it off to any other day. The Noble Earl certainly did communicate to him in private the nature of his motion, and he was ready now to meet the dircuifion upon it. Lord Romney thought that when fo very ferious and weighty a charge was to be brought forward againß his Majefty's Minillers, it would be highly improper to prefs it fuddenly on the Houfe, before their Lordfltips could have their minds made up as to the opinion they fhould give. He knew that the propofal for pollponing the motion, did not originate with Minifters. After force obfervations from Lord Darnky, Lord Grenville, Lord Carlifle, Lord Alvanley, Earl Fivawitetau faid, that in confequence of the with exprefed by feveral Noble Lords, he was ready to put off his motion; he, therefore, fixed on Thurfday next, as the day on which he mould bring it forward ; and the Lords were ordered to be sum moned for that day. Lord Gait times moved for papers which Ibould afcertain the dates of the annexation of the Priories of the Spanifh Langnes of Malta to the Royal Do- Mains of Spain ; and the time when the circumftance was made known to his Majefty's Government. He next moved for Copies of all rcmonftrances made by Minifters to the Spanifh and French Governments re lative to Inch annexations. The first motion was agreed to ; the fecond was negatived. Lord RADNOa faid, it was neceffary to know whe ther the French had fulfilled that part of their en gagement, by which they were to pay for the charges attending the French prifoners while in this country ? he would therefore move for an account of all proceedings that had taken place between this Country and the French Government, towards ful fillinß fecond Article of the Treaty of Amiens. Lord Pi Loam (aid, he did not know that any pro ceedings had taken place upon that fubjea. He would howe.er make enquiry, and give the Houfe every information in his power concerning it. The motion was then withdrawn. Several other motions foe Papers were then made by Earls Fere ettase and Castile'. They were Broiler to thole made in the H. ufe of Commons. Some were agreed , ta, and others negatived.—Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. - - - - The Hoofe met at half an Hour palt two o'clock, and after zar. pofing of Come private band, proceeded to St. Jamie with the Adds. fs. Having •.riled, the Speaker Rated that his Majeßy had been waited upon with the Addrefs, to which his Majdty bad been graeloufly plefed to return the fallowing anfwer " Gentlemen of the Hook of Commons, " I return you my wartnaft thanks, for this loyal and dutiftd " Addrefs. It is highly gradfyiog to my feelings to receive thefe ' warm Alrurances of your Welton towards my peefon and Go " vermnent ; and it is alto peculiarly grateful to me to be Wand ' of your determination to co-operate with me in preferring the " dignity of my Crown, and in favoring the sandal Manta of " sty Pe"lge Mr. Fox withed to Sine to tar Hoofs, that as he underftood an Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Patten) who had a motion Reading for to-morrow bad no objediao to poftpone it to another day,* would to morrow bring/forward the swum of which he had yef terday given nut :e. A Medagt from the Lords Rated the afoot of their Lordthipa to the Milidaman's Family Hill, and to the Anssodreents made by the Houk is the MI for preventing Frivolous and Vexatious Amite. Mr. Wilms/flit reported from the Committee appointed to try and determine the merits of the Petition spina the return for ERR Raiford, that the Sitting Members were duly returned ; sod ado, that the Petitions againft their return did not appear to the Com mittee to be frivolous or vexatious. CIAIROY 111111D 1 111CS SILL. Sir WILLIAM SC'TT moved the order of the Day on the third Reading of the Clergy Refidence Bill. Sir Fanners BURDETT objeted to the principle of the Bill, and crpofed the third reading. He Paid he could not agree to a Bill which put fo large a body :of men under the direction. and fubjugated them to the difcretion and mercy of the Bifhops. Inßead of being called a Bill for relieving Clergymen from vex atious fuits, it ought, in his opinion, to be intituled, a Bill for the entire degradation and enflavemenk of the Clergy. By this Bill, that great body of men Were to depend entirely upon the Bifbops for the leave they *ere to obtain, not only in refpea to non refidence, but to many other important objets, which materially *felted their convenieecies and their corn. forts. For his own part, he would rather be fubjea to the worn law that ever was made, than to the dif , cretion cf the bell men that ever lived. Betides, this Bill alters the tenure and nature of the property of Clergymen, for in many cafes they were alfo liable to be turned out by the Bifhops, and thereby placed in a Rate of Risk& degradation; and as the Honk has determined that once a Clergyman mull be al ways a Clergyman, it would be tmpoffible for them to go into any other bufinefs or profeffion, without fußaining the peat& lofs and inconvenience. The • penalties of the Bill, he (aid, were monfirous; and in 1 refpea to the licence they might obtain from the Bi chop, for leave of abfence, they were alfo liable to the greateft inconveniences, as well as the molt fe -1 rions and fatal coiefectuences. If a Clergyman ob ' tains a licence from his Bifhop to be abfent from his living for two or three years. in order to attend any nobleman or gentleman's fon as travelling Tutor abroad; he goes to the Continent, and the Bifhop dies; another Bifhop fucceeds to the diocefe, who may have very different ideas from his predecelfor on the fubjeft of (offering him to be abfent from his lie • ing, he iffues his fummons to him to return, which is fent after him, but never comes into his hands.— Not returning at the time fixed in the fummons, an other Clergyman is appointed, and when he returns, at the end of two or three years. he 6nda his living fequeftered, and himfelf left to look out for future proviften in the world. Another objellion he had to the Bill was. that the Clergy are entitled in right of ;their livings, to vote for Members of Parliament, and putting them thus to the mercy and difcretion of the Whops, would make eleaions for counties as bad as i that for Boroughs, and in fait placing all eleaions under the contrail of the Miniffer for the time being. ' It is well known ' that a Bifloip of St. David's did once write circul ar letters to all the Clergy of his di- s were, to influence their vote in favour of a particular Candidate. If this Bill pages into a law there will be no further occafton to write circular letters for the Whop to requeft that as a favour, as no clergyman will dare to make ufe of his fuffrage without know ing whether it is agreeable to the Bifhop, on whom ' he is, by this Bill, made dependent for all his com forts and conveniences. He fhould rather think that injunftions fhould he laid on Bilhnps to fit good ex arnples to the Clergy, than have (itch extraordinary powers entrusted to them to enforce the Clergy to Itheirparticular duty, or to give them a latitude of *cafe and exemption therefrom. If the matter of re. fidence is fo very neceffary, and of fuch high import. ance, why are pluralities allowed at all ? In refpea to non-refidence, we have a biking inflame of it, and of its impoffibility in the perfon and cafe of a Bahl): the prefent Bifhop of Llandaff is Regir, Profelfor of Cambridge, Archdeacon of fame other place, has a living in Huntingdonlhire, and lives Cumberland. We have lately ken an ancient Co poration disfranchifed, and diverted of its prisAeges, l on account of tumultuous proceedings at an EleCton, and sow by this Bill, the whole body of the Clergy were to be laid proftmte, and fubjugated to the mercy and difcretion of the Whops becaufe of the , various faits brought againft them ' by common in - formers to recover the penalties for non-refidence. It would, therefore, teem to be the objea of Parliament to do away every certainty of law, in order to give molt eatenfive di fcretionary powers to certain deferrp tions of men peculiarly attached to and under the in fluence of Government. On theft grounds, and from the conilitutional jealonfy he felt, of vefting fuch powers in the hands of any defeription of perfons whatever, he thought it his duty to move, as an amendment, that this Bill be read a third time this day three months. Mr. SHERIDAN raid, that as feveral new clanks were to be brought up, and added to the Bill, which would very much alter, and perhaps greatly amend it, he thought his Hon. Friend had better hear thefe claufes, and fee the effed they would have, before he preffed his motion. The &sant Paid, that it was entirely optional in the Hon. Member to do as he thought proper. Sir Fusers BURDITT then, with the leave of the Houle, withdrew his motion. The ATTOLNRY Gasestat., at very eonfiderable length, oppofed the billgenerally, as one almoft from begmning to end at variance with its title and avowed objat. He repeated nearly the whole of his former leading oblations, and argued thence, that the bill, at the fame tame that it threw upon the Bifhops a weight of duty, which it was almoft impraaicable for them to difcharge with due deliberation, confident with other avocations, it threw open a door for great par tiality in the difcharge of thofe duties with lenitygo one defcription of men and with hardinefs to others ; that the bill betides contained fo many exceptions in favour of Clergymen in a variety of &nation: and cireumftances, as not at all to provide generaily for that which was the avowed objet of it, namely, the refldence of the Clergy and the due performance of their duty. Mr. WINDHAM fpoke in fupport of the Bilt ; and obferved, chat many of the oblations of the Right Hop. Gentleman to it, arofe out of the number of amendments propofed and adopted in the eourfe of its progrefs, which deftroyed the fimplicity of that operation which it would have had ander the original form in which it was fo ably brought forward by the learned and Right Hon. Gentleman who introduced is. Sir Wra. SCOTT replied (hardy in fupport of the Bill : and the queftion being put, the Bill was or dered to be read a third time. A claufe of amendment, by way of rider, waa propofed by Sir W. SCOTT, which was adopted. Other claufes were propofed by Mr. Bu a Leash Mr. Fs sLowts, and Come other Members, which were rejected. Mr. SHIRIDAN propofed a claufe of amendment for enabling Clergymen to exercife farming to greater extent, and to exempt thofe from penalties of forfei ture of leafe, who continue to cultivate firms of whichtheartow have kale.. This chide, under fome modifications fuggefted by Sir Wit. Scam was agreed to. The queftion was then put that the Bill do pats ; when the Horde divided—Ayes 50- 7 -Noes s—Majci , tit y in favour of the Bill 45. The Bill was puffed and ordered to the Lords, and at a quarter before eleven the Houle adjourned. LONDON. FRIDAY. MAY 17. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAT AT ONII O'CLOCK s 3 per Cent °odds mosey, 37M—for Jay on. om 5 ry CUM Ann. 931 93 9s/-24rw ditto pa pt*. !SLICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY s Bank Stock 146 Imes A. zdf i 3pr Cat. Rod. sdpni Short Ann. 3 13.110 sitar C. Conf. s7tl ss India Stock 573 174 New 4 pa. Cast. 71 7aft India Honda i to a pr. 5 per Ct. Navy.pait 9s si tif Bads. ESL , as..o SS. AL ssr Cast. An 0.1797. pa Cost "or opg. sSlif It is reported that the French Meffenger who came over on Tuefday, okenfibly with difpatches for the Batavian Ausbaffador, brought over fume new pro politions to our Government, which w!re rejetted and that the Meffenger was immediately fent back. — If this be correa, they mull have been of a nature as inadmiffible as thofe before made ; for we cannot think Miniaers would have rejected any propofal con fonant to the honour and fafety of the country. Our port letters continue to mention the arrival of frefh captures. They ferve to pot our tailors in good fpirits, and happy would it be for Europe if Inch a fyftem could be eftabliffied by general content, as would enfure the puniffiment of thofe ambitions indi viduals who at any time might difturb its peace, with out the meaty of legalizing aft:, which, in any other period than that of a war, fhould be called robbery. An important debate is expeited to take plates this night, in the Houfe of Commons, on Mr. Fox's I motion refpeaing the mediation - of Ra f f i a at the pro , km momentous trills. -~