Star. — London, England, 1810-03-06 00:00:00

, o o but here the charges against the Noble Earl were too • to be attributed to any individual , or to any depart -I I vague and indefinite. He could not see what princi- ment, while he reserves for his Majesty's private ear ple of the Constitution was affected by the conduct the accusations he thought proper to make, and which' . LONDON. —_-__ of the Noble Earl. The principle of responsibility there, in all probability, wouldhave remained, unless was not affected, because it had been said that the the Enquiry had taken place. He had made this TUESDAY, MARCH 6. conduct of the Noble Earl was merely erroneous. On communication to his Majesty in the expectation and PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'C'T OCK the other side it had been argued that it was uncon- confidence that no inquiry would take place ; and 3 per Cent. Cons. for money, 61 4 ) —acc. 6511 stitutional. In this view of the case his diffi Y when disappointed in that expectation, he had with - , $ Per cult Cent. Red. 68H-4 per Cents. sBli-5 per Cents 98 * was increased, and he thought that the previous cities- d rawn hi s o r iginal narrative, and presented in its tchee. Bills 9s. les p rem .—B on d s I s , its, pr em . Lion would be the most proper mode of disposing of i stead one more proper to meet the eye of the. House ; the question. and of the public. Was this a proof of the publicity Lord CASTLEREAGH observed, that there were I wished for by the Noble Lord ? On the contrary, it papers in the posiession of the Noble Earl which the I was a proof that the Noble Earl had intended that House had not a right to demand.' • With respect to i his information, and, mixed with that information, his the Narrative obtained from the Throne, the House I charges against the other officers, should go no far was bound to discharge the duty it owed to the coon- I ther than the Royal ear. Had he not a right to try. Lookink et that paper, he did not think that the I conclude that in that information the Noble Earl Noble Earl had any unjust or ungenerous motive I had said, or at least implied, that Sir Richard Stra when he delivered it to the King. With no irrita- chan should not be again employed ? Was this ad- tiori on his mind he was disposed to look at the sub- vice constitutional, or was it not ? Was it doing jus ject under discussion as a dry constitutional question. tice to the gallant Officer in question, who was thus , Beyond this opinion he was fixed not to go, and he to be superseded without a hearing, and rendered in thought the House ought not to,.adopt any vindictive t future useless to tbe country ? The Noble Lord had.' measure. He had no hesitation in saying the con- not been able to recollect what the former narra duct of the Noble Earl was not unconstitutional, and 1 tive contained with respect to Sir Richard Strachan ? that if it was suffered to pass unnoticed, might be I if he could not, therefore, prove that such was its 1 dangerous to the Constitution. He had no wish to ! contents, he could at least shew that the conduct was I travel through the question, but he would say it was : irregular, and of course deserved to be marked by the I not unconstitutional, because he acquitted the Noble . sense of e House. A Learned Gentleman had, in Earl of any sinister motive. The paper had been !'reproach, called him and his friends, on this occasion, presented as a mere confidential statement ; and when ,0. P.'s. Without considering whether the compari the Noble Earl gave it to the King, he did not give it son was appropriate or not, he would tell that Learn as a Privy Councilor, with advice to accede to it.— ed Gentleman (Mr. Stephens) that the 0. P.'s had What was the situati on of the King with respect to . the Law generally on their side ; and if he meant information at the opening of Parliament ? His Ma- I that they were 0. P.'s in this respect, he had no Testy had stated in his Speech, that he had directed ! objection at all to the name. That Gentleman, how to be laid before both Houses information respecting .: ever, had always recourse to the old burden of the the Expedition to the Scheldt, and when the Narra- , song. You want to turn Ministers out, says he, five was put in the King's hand, it was not likely that and therefore you oppose them. It was certainly the papers and information laid before Parliament ' very true that they wanted to turn Ministers out, be could be affected by it. He did not refuse to vote cause they did not believe them capable of conduc censure on the Noble Eatl, and while he wished that ting the affairs of the nation—because such shadows, censure to be mild, he did not hesitate to say, he was such shreds and remnants of Ministers, had never persuaded that the Noble Earl had acted inadver- been witnessed in this or almost any other Com tently. try. Whatever their wishes might be, they leund Mr. WINDHAM spoke. 1 it difficult indeed to make any impression on, those TheCHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER con- ' phantoms of Ministers. It was likely to be a very diffi ceived the ultimate object of the Noble Lord was to , cult task indeed to turn them out. They might kill a make his case good ; but he thought that the Noble man, but it was impossible to kill a phantom—(Alaugh,' Earl had not committed any crime in desiring for the : and H e ar 1 !Aar 1) Before you can make.any effee present it might be kept secret. He was not aware I tual iMptession upon them, you mast grind them-to what sort of reasoning Gentlemen held, when they ; powder. Before you can turn them out you must i expressed their disapprobation of the word ~ uncOn- • completely extinguish them. The Right Hen. stitutional," yet thinking that there was offence, said ! Gentleman reminded him of Punch in the puppet that they -should vote for the original motion. He , show, who would never - give in so long as he was thought that such conduct was unfair to the Noble ' able to jump about, or make a speech against his Lord. The request of secrecy was certainly excepti- adversary. Like Anthony, they borrowed the whole onable ; but he could not see any illegality either in I of their authority from the robe of Czsar, and in the act, nor indeed any thing unconstitutional in the I stead of argument, displayed that to the notice of the delivering of It; the Sign Manual directed how the re- I House and the Country. He could not absolve ports should be made. If Gentlemen thought no bad i Lord Chatham, judging from mere appearances, of consequences had resulted from the conduct of the corrupt motives. The question was, whether his Noble Earl, or that the terms of the motion were too conduct was unconstitutional or not ? He had desired .strong, they of course would vote for the previous the secret to be kept by his Majesty, but the mo. question. . ment he found it for his interest to divulge this Mr. WHITBREAD, in a very able- speech, re- mighty secret, he wished- it to be brought to light, plied to the arguments that had been advanced, in I not the paper however which he first delivered, but the course of the debate, against the Resolutions I another paper, how far different nobody could pen— & had submitted to the House. The debate he ob- I (Hear, hear.) Lord Chatham, however, had stated, served, had continued for many hours, and many that he had delivered that narrative in order to ac. observations had been offered on both sides of the company some representation made by Sir R. Stra- House ; but he wished to remind the House of I chan. Of this representation he had not heard whe the primary state of the question, which he con- I tiler it was to be, or had been made ; but when he ceived, would be an answer to many of the remarks I locked at . the inconsistency of the whole of the evi that had been made. The conduct of the Noble ' deuce given by the Noble Lord, he could not attach Lord bad been sucti, that in the course of the whole much importance, in either case, to the motive assign debate be had not met with a single defender. A ed; nor would he attempt to determine, whether, in Right Honourable Member, who had occasionally the one case or in the other, the conduct of the Noble taken both sides of the question (Mr. Windham), Lord would have been more culpable? A Right Hon. had contended that the conduct of the Noble Lord Gentleman had asked him, if he would take stones' had not been unconstitutional, but, at the same time, from the monument of the father to throw at the son ? allowed that he had done wrong. It was singular, He was not certainly so perverse as not to feel the merits however, that none of the Noble Lord's Friends, who 1 of a.distinguished ancestor, and s in private life would were most interested, had attempted to defend him; . give these considerations their due weight, but in his 1 they had moved only the previous question, and public character he was not to be guided by those were disposed to leave the House in suspense,l feelings. The father might save, and the son ruin whether the Noble Lord had acted right or ; the State. He would not visit the sins of the father wrong. He could easily conceive it would have upon the son, but neither would he impute the vir been much fairer to have met the merits of the ; tues of the father to the son, where no such virtues queotien, and either to have justified, or assigned to I existed. To his feelings, as a private individual, he condemnation the conduct of their Noble Colleague. I might yield, but when the interests of the Censtitu- Heconceived that the previbus question was a shabby ; tion and safety of the country were at stake, he must way of getting rid of the motion ; that they ought to I abandon those feelings, and consider only the great consider in what situation they now stood, and whe- j and important question of right and wrong. Because the: it would be adviseable to pass over an occurrence I the father of my Lord Chatham maintained and ad so publicly acknowledged, without expressing the i vocatedalie constitution of the country ; that was - no sense of the House. Au overt ac t h a d been commit- i reason why the son, deviating from that noble and ho ted, that act had come to the knowlidge of the House, ; ncurable example, should be permitted to violate ant and it either must be uticonstitutiorial or otherwise.— I trample upon it. In whatever light some Gentlemen The pi ceious question was not calculated to decide I might view this question,it was a matter of the greatest this, and they were therefore called o n to give I importance. He now stood before them, the advocate of their opinion on the primary question, It appeared I millions. The responsibility of Ministers was the great :lance, 1 that advice had been given to his Majesty and Coun- I bulwark of the constitution ; and if they allowed the K That this H ouse has deeply to regret that any such Report i cils, different from those that were avowed and ac-; conduct of my Lord Chatham to pass unnoticed, s'ileild have been made, otherwise, than through the regular knowledged by the legal and responsible advisers of ; they could have no longer any security for that fen known and responsible servanu of the Crown, mid that such con- the Crown. ,It was not the narrative in itself to I damented and important principle. Let not the coun d . • cught to be discountenanced as pernicious to the interests of which the (shjection was made, but a part of the i try be kept in suspence with respect to the opinion of eat Government; subversive of the Constitution,. and Inimic a l to m atte r contained in that narrative. It was evident i this House, but declare openly whether you avow or the public service."—(Hear, hear ! ) from that document, that a secret ,correspondence' condemn this unconstitutional conduct. The previous s uc h a Resolution as this, (said Mr. Canning), I had skeisted between the Crown and Lord Chat- I question will determine nothing, except the ignorance ii i n k might answer - every purpose, and be in coinci- Lt ilam, not only not known to the House and the coon- l or cowardice of the House. A decision, an opinion, 4 ( p ee with the general feelings of the House, but as IT, but not known even tohisMajesty'sMinisters, who I was absolutely necessary. They ought to meet the ;4 , t he c ourse of rid of the question altogether, were Dill legal advisers, and ought to be responsible, I question manfully, and say aft or no ; but by no 1 i s impossible to agree to it, I shall therefore give and therefore privy to every advice offered to his I means to trifle with their own feelings, or those of the n v vote against it. Majesty. That secret committed to the Royal breast, country, by admitting the previous question. Mr. BATHURST said, that, according to the contained matttr highly prejudicial to the character Mr. BANKES explained. views he had taken of the Constitution , the conduct and interest of a deserving and gallant officer, to Generals LOFTUS and GROSVENOR supported the previous . whom a Court Martial had been refused by his Ma of Lord Chatham was 'not constitutional. The cop- question—after which the House divided, when the numbers duct of a Commander in Chief who, employed i n a jesty's Misters. He would ask those Ministers if , were — Combined expedition, made use of the privilege of ac- I they would have refused that Court Martial, had they For the Previous Question 221 - - - 188 - • cess to the King, which he enjoyed as a Privy C.o t ue. I known the contents of the Narrative presented to the Against it cillor, to submit to his Majesty a Narrative of his pro.. 1 King ? Would they have refused Sir Richard Strachan Majority against the Minister - ss cee'dings, unknown to his colleagues, and requesting ;an opportunity to defend himself, had they known The first Resolution was then carr ie.i without a division. that that communication might be kept secret for a that he w a s accused to the Sovereign ? It was said Strangers were not again admitted, but we understand that Irn-' tome, without ant , limitation, and which period wi v e. ' that Loki Chatham had wished to have no secret , mediately aftir the division, ded to,more than a month , abused the - privile.ge of ac- that he had wished publicity to be given to his Nar- Mr. Secretary RYDER moved, that the House saw no reason cess to the Royal Person, and warranted the applica- rative, and therefore had it laid before the House. to impute dishonourable or improper motives to the Noble Earl. ' But how were we to know that the Nobl e L er d w i s h e d ' tion of the epithet ig unconstitutional" to his conduct. _ M _r. _ T lERNEY, Mr. CANNINO, Sir 10/IN Sesaiawr, &C. He thought it the duty of the House to take the p ublicity ? Did he wish it when he c ame !lime from begged of the Honourable Secretary to withdri.w this motion, to the Expedition ? Did he wish it when th e City of strongest measures for preventing the recurrence of which he at length agreed. such a circumstance, and concluded, by declaring his London presented their Address ? Did he then ac- .4f in ter a a . short conversation, Mr. WIIITIIIIMAD acceded to the knowledge that there was any room for blame ? Didby Mr . caerosice en thelecond Resolu , intentiorrof voting against the previous question. ewe e c ee t c t le t p e r e o s modi fi ed, was agreed me without a division. Mr. OWEN, adverting M the manner in which he then suggest where the blame lay? On the con- Mr. WHITBREAD then moved, that the Reio'utions now the inufession of which he was a Member in ge nera l trary, he took no opportunity of correcting or amend- agreed to be laid at the toot of the 'I hrone, but this motion he took up charges of this nature, observed, that clear. lug his yublic dispatches, but he held out to the I afterwards consented to witi 4.4 w. nest and attention to the definite object gaide4 thers. swum and to the Government, that no blame was i Adjourned at Three o'cLck. THE EVENING STAR sational character which bad hitherto been so much admired, we should sink into that system of base de generacy and intrigue, which degraded the rest of the world. He called therefore on the House not to throw away that splendid character, by a base. and degenerate vote, which rendered our ancestors noble in the eyes of the world. Mr. CANNING observed, that' before he had de tertnined on the vote he should give that night, he had fully weighed the circumstances of the case in his mind, and under every view of the facts, he fat him self bound in duty to follow the course he should adopt. Before he stated his.opinion- distinctly, how ever, lie begged leave to give it as his opinion that he had not the slightest conception that the conduct of the Earl of Chatham had been guided by motives of i meanness or malignity ; it was utterly impossible that a man, standing in his situation, gifted with his quali ties, and so highly respected by his country, would have been guilty of the facts laid to his charge. He could not think it was possible that such a man would be an anomaly in the Constitution. The Noble Lord, however, acted under the same restrictions, and was responsible to the same authority as any other man. " I know," said Mt. Canning, •" that the vote I shall . "give this night will be attributed to very narrow mo tives ; but amongst all the motives that may be attri 7 bused to the desire of voting with the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Whitbread), this would be the - last, I us in giving the vote, it would be a very reluctant one. The view which that Honourable Gentleman had "taken of what is broad and what is narrow, is very different from what mine will be. The Resolutions which he has submitted to the House are of - two de scriptions ; the first is founded on the principles of the Constitution, to which I can have no objection ; but the second refers to feuds in the Navy, which is of ulterior consideration. He commences his broad part by alluding to petty feuds ; but I consider the broad part to be the Constitution, which is-of the 'most lasting importance, and so distinct from other parts which have been introduced by the Honourable • Gen tleman, that I cannot help regretting he has combined the two subjects. The Honourable Gentleman's first resolution details fairly the events as they occurred ; and the second characterizes that transaction. I can not hdp expressing my astonishment that the defen ders of the Noble Lord, although they did not attempt to argue that his conduct was not liable to-animadver sion, should rest contented with merely moving the pre vious question.„Shall this transaction, so incompatible with the vital principlesoftheConstitution, be followed by the solemn determination of Parliament to take no notice of it? For the interest of the Crown—for the sake of the Noble Lord himself, as well as for the pu. riiy of Parliament, would it be advisable, that the subject should go forth in a vague undecided manner, and should the Noble Lord himself go out with this question about his neck undecided, to meet in that unfavourable view the ulterior consideration of the inquiry ? Instead of moving the previous question, if they had amended the resolution, and expressed the - op pion of the House on the conduct of his Lordship, it night have been more consistent with their good sense. With respect to the degree of blame that ought to be sifted to the ef l oduct of the Noble Lord, I do not feel myself at liberty to judge. That he has acted er roneously is most certain, and under that opinion I cannot vote for the previous question. Though I could find some fault on a critical review of the Ist resolution, as I do not approve of the introduction of the evidence, but conceive it would be more to the point to advert to the great question of the Constitution only ; yet in ge neral it has my concurrence. But I am inclined to think that, hereafter, if that Resolution is entered on the Journals, it will be difficult to ascertain what part of the conduct of Lord Chatham was to blame ; in my mind, therefore, If the main fact was recorded, it would have been most consistent with the whole view of the case, but as I shall not vote for the previous question, I shall now by implication, and will here after vote for that Resolution. I am not prepared, however, to go the length of the second Rest lution. It is impossible, in looking to the conduct of Lord Chatham, that it can .be defended ; nor can it be de nied, that he has acted in opposition to the principles and practice of the Constitution. But at the same time that I am not prepared to enter into a defence of his crime, I cannot agree to have it designated in language so rude and so indefinite. hallow that his roceedingc call for the censure of the House, and iqlniit that he has done ill ; but I cannot agree that his guilt is such as to call down the utmost seventy, it is in the power of the House to visit. I think some 1 other resolution might be adopted by those who agree to the existence of his Lordship's guilt, denominating the d eg ree of guilt, and marking the distinct sense of the Mose in a manner becoming the dignity of Par liament. I should nor presume to take such a course myself, but I shall take the liberty of suggesting such :.0 cne as. I think might answer the purpose; for in- A mail from Gottenburgh, one from Cadiz, and oue from Lisbon, arrived this day. The first brings nothing deserving of notice; and want of room obliges us to condens: as much as po s , Bible the accounts by the two latter. The Cadiz and Lisbon mails were brought to Fal mouth by the Lord Hobart packet, which left the former place on the 20th, and the latter on the 24th ult. When the packet left Cadiz the French had net made any direct attack on the phlce, though they were in the vicinity with a large fo rce . P ort St, Mary's is in their possession. Admiral PURVIS was in Cadiz Bay with his Majesty% ships AnAs, ZEA. LotTs, INVINCIBLE, and TRIUMPH, of 71 guns each. UNDAUNTED and ETHALION frigates, a n d a large fleet of Spanish men of war. General SEBArnANI, with a French corps under his command, is in 'possession of Malaga. The letters and papers from Lisbon are to the 25th ult. A considerable degree of alarm prevailed at Oporto, in consequence of NEY and JUNOT being i n full march for the frontiers of Portugal. The former had attacked Ciudad Rodrigo, but was repulsed., The pass of Braga has been strongly reinforced ; b ut French foraging parties have made their appearance at Braganza, which is not far distant, and where they levied contributions as usual. The head-quarters of Lord WELLINGTON still col.. tinned at Vizeu on the 24th. A battle was expected to take place daily between the combined English and Portuguese and the French armies. NaY and JuNoT seem to be aiming at a junction is order to attack Lord WELLINGTON in concert. CADIZ, FERUARY rl. On the 21 inst. the Council of Urgency, which, from the ur. gency of the present state of affairs, has been formed by the Sn. preme prita of Government, entered upon its functions. It can lists of five Members of the Junta, the Bishop of Orense Presi dent, Don F. de Saavedra, Don F. X. Custanos, Don A. Ebeana, and Don E. F. de Leon. Joseph Serra, an inhabitant of Port St. Mary, which he left it three in the afternoon, was examined by the Junta, and de clared, iu the course of his examination, that the French have oc cupied the said place with one regiment and one battalion of foot; that they have mounted two guns - in the castle of Santa eataline, and two at C uia, that King Joseph arrived there yesterday at one o'clock in the afternoon, escorted by )00 men, anal alightea at the house of the Marquis de la Canada Terry ; that the French have completed a bridge of boats, and converted the Convent of Saint Francisco into a stable ; that they declare their determination to be masters of Cadiz in a fortnight ; that he saw tour French ea gineers who left the place for the purpose of reconnoitering the lines of the Isle de Leon, and that a report had reached Port Saint Mary before he left it, that the Marquis de la Romans was on the rear of the French with an army of 70,000 men. A private letter from a British ()facer, dated on board one of our ships in Cadiz, states, that on the night of the 16th the enemy constructed a raft and attempted to board a merchant vessel, but by - mistake they boarded a man of war, the constquence of which was, that all upon the. raft were either taken or drowned. Ge neral 1./leer, an Irishman, who has displayed great bravery and talents on many occasions, 4 to succeed Vets En:.s as Governor of Cadiz.—General Srewnwr arrived at Cadiz on the night of the 11th, with between 2 and WOO men from Lisbon. ARMY.—Yesterday one company of the Royal Staff Corps, and diree companies of the Zd battkilion, of the 95th Regiment arrived at Portsmouth. The 95th were to be inspected this day by General Wse• TIIAM. A Physician is directed to attend the inspec tion, and to select two hundred of the best to be em barked for service with the first expedition. Doctors SENE and HossAcE ire ordered to join the troops then. Saturday last embarked on board his Majesty's fri• rate IRIS, for Cadiz, Major-General GRAILV4I.-- Staff as follows ; Captain HARE, Adjutant-General; Major CATHCART, Qua* termaster-General; Aid-du-Camps, Captain Hort, Lord less once, and Lord WILLIAM RUSSELL; WILLIAM BAGSTER, Deputy Commissary-General; Captains Biaca and NICHOLAS, and I.ii utenant WALES of the Engineers. Remainder of Come missariat in the transports. Lieutenant Colonels MiDousta and ANDERSON are to follow. We have already stated that strong detachments of the Guards were under orders to embark for the Peninsula. It is confidently reported this day, that these orders have been countermanded. If so, we may hope that at last, Ministers have resolved to waste no more of our strength and resources on vain efforts to defend Spain or Portugal. A Motriteur of the 23d ult. is arrived in town. We have not seen it ; but it is stated to announce the total extinction of the title of King of Holland, and the formal annexation of that country to the French Empire. • BitEAD.—This day there being no Court of Alder' men, the LORD MAYOR, after inspecting the Returns , ordered it to be raised Id. per Peck Loaf. The Nevis planter, Capt. WHITTLE (a rich ship) faun Poole to St Cruz, was burnt on the 21st of January, by the Aloes French frigate. PLystour It, Mutter 4.-,-The Yam ter z frigate was Pahl yesterday, and her crew turned over to the PRINCE FILEDERICE convalescent ship, In Hamosze.—Sailed the DARING gates for L'Orient; and tke Es:coo ?ATI& gun-brig, on a M IZE to the Westward. PORTSMOUTH, Mutes s.—Arrived his Majesty's ship SAE: PEDON, with a'few ships from the Downs.—Sailed his Mai eetf f ships Cyane. for the Mediterranean; Rattler and Hardy, for Lb' bon; Goshawke, for Oporto; Leda, for Guerrisey ; Owen Cilto' dour, Scylla, and Heron, on a cruize.—Wind N.E. - DEAL, ARCH s.—S ailed ' the whole of the outward-Wind ships under convoy of the Redpole and Pordargus for Part" mouth. — Came down from, the River his Majesty's Ship Dolphin. —Sailed the Audacious for Portsmouth.—W,nd N B. YARMOUTH, MARCH s.—Arrived yesterday, P. M. the Dit . STEER, 36 guns, Capt. FARQUHAR, from a successful cruise, ha/. ing captured a large privateer, and sent in sever.' mercisantelen• Part of the crew of the privateer were landed here lble gi lm t i kt and escorted to prison by a detachment of the Berkshire. morning arrived the RANOIR sloop, Capt. Acton, and ri HEARTY gun-brig, from the Downs; and In as and Ber! FAIR cutters.—Sailed on a cruise the DIARt ; and the Po schcomer, for Sheerness. LONDON Printed and publishes! by LEVEL ILEN'r, of Caw terbury Plate, Lambeth, at the STAR OPTICS No. Is W . streeti published also at the STAR etilet, Trawl* B2r. I