Star. — London, England, 1803-05-20 00:00:00

t he views of ambition and alts of aggreffion ma nifeied by France on the Continent; yet an ex- Tr ince of the cliiiraeter and dicpcifitions of the Trench Gr.-trnment could not fad to impels his wizh A fenfe of the n:ccility of increased vigilance in guarding the rights and dignity of his Crown, and in pruteaing the intercits of his While his Majeav was acluated by thefe fen time nts, he was called upon by the French C;o -vernment to evacuate the gland of Malta. His Majelly had manifefted, from the moment of the 1 . 1„;r1 tture of the Definitive Treaty, an anxious dif. p -,ltinn to carry into full cffeet the fliptaations of the Treaty of Amiens relative to that ifland. As form as hc v.-as informed that an eleslion of aGrand 'lacier bad taken place, under the aulpices of the Fr.spernr of Rut Tis, and that it had been agreed by Site ditTerent Pt i4:ries affembled at St. Peterfburgh, to acknowledge the perfon whom the Court of Rome fhould feled out of thole who had been r.:mad by them to he Grand Mailer of the Order of rt. John, his Majefly ptopoled to the French Government, for the purpofe of avoiding any dif fizulties which might :dile in the execution of the mrangement, to acknowledge that eleflion to be valid :—and .when in the month of Anvil, the Ft ench Government applied to his Majefly to per mit the Neapolitan troops to be fent to the Wand of Malta, as a preliminary measure for preventing any unnecefrary delay, his Majefty confented with out hcfi:ation to this propofal, and gave direflions for the adz - MO.l°n of the Neapolitan troops into the uland. His Majefly had thus (hewn his difpofi don not only to throw no obflacic in the way of the execution of the treaty, but, on the contrary, to facilitate the execution of it by every means in his power. His Majefty cannot, however, admit, that at any period fince the conclufion of the Treaty of Amiens, the French Government have had a right to call upon him, in conformity to the itipulations of that Treaty, to withdraw his forces from the ifland of Malta. At the time when this demand was made by the French Go vcrnment, feveral of the molt important Itipula. tions of the arrangement refpefting Malta remain ed unexecnted :—the eleition of a Grand Matter had not been carried into effeft. The tenth arti cle had flipulated that the independence of the island should be placed under the guarantee and proteflion of Great Britain, France, Aultria, Ruf. fla, Spain, and Pruffia. The Emperor of Ger many had acceded to the guaranty, but only on condition of a like acceflion on the part of the other powers fpecified in the article. The Emperor of Ituflia had refufed his acceffion, except on the condition that the Maltefe Langue fhould .be sibrogated ; and the King of Prutha had given no anfwer whatever to the application which had been made to him to accede to the arrangement. But the fundamental principle, upon the exiftence of which depended the execution of the other parts of the article, had been defeated by the changes which had taken place in the Conflitation of the Order fince the conclufion of the treaty of Peace. It was to the Order of St. John of Jerufalem that his Majefly was, by the firft ftipulation of the tenth article, bound to reltore the island of Malta. The Order is defined to confift of thofe Langues which were in exillence at the time of the conclu. lion of the treaty : The three French Langues having been abolifhed, and a Maltefe Langue added to the inilitutinn. The Order, confined, therefore, at that time of the following Langues, viz. the Langues of Arragon, Cafiile, Germany, Bavaria, and RufGa. Since the conclufion of the Definitive Treaty, the Langues of Arragon and Cathie have been feparated from the Order by Spain, a part of the Italian Langue has been abolilled by the annexation of Piedmont and Par ma to France. There is ftrong reafon to believe that it has been in contemplation to fequeftrate the property of the Bavarian Langue, and the intention has been avowed of keeping the Ruffian Longues within the dominions of the Emperor. Under thefe circumftances the Order of St. John cannot now be confidered as that body to which, according to the niptilations of the Treaty, the ifland was to be tenured ; and the funds in. difpenfably neeethary for its fupport, and for the I maintenance of the independence of the ifland, have been nearly, if not wholly, fequeftered.— Evers if this had arif-n from circumstances which it was not in the power of any of the contra Sing parties to the Treaty to controul, his Majefty would neverthel:fs have had a right to defer the evacuation of the ifland by his forces, until fuch time as an equivalent arrangement had been con cluded for the prefervation of the independence of the Order and of the ifland. But if thefe changes have taken place in confequence of any ads of the other parties to the Treaty ; if the French Govern- ment (hall appear to have proceeded upon a fyll tem of rendering the Order, whole independence they had nipulated, incapable of maintaining that independence, his Majelly's right to continue in the occupation of the ifland, under filch circumflances, will hardly be contetled. It is indifputable that the revenues of the two Spanifh Langues have been withdrawn from the Order by his Catholic Majefty ; a part of the Italian Langue has in fan been aboltihed by France, through the unpin annexation of Piedmont and Parma, and Placen• tia, to the French territory. The EleCtor of Ba varia Las been instigated by the French G ivern rnent to fequeftrate the property of the Order within his territories ; and it is certain that they have not only fatiettoned but encouraged the idea of the propriety of feparating the Rutlian langues from the remainder of the Order. _ As the conduct of the Governments of France and Spain have therefore, in Tome innances dire& ly, and in others indirealy, contributed to the changes which have taken place in the Order, and thus daroyed its means fiipporting its indepen dence, it is to thofe Governments, And not to his Majefly, that the non-execution of the 'Tenth Ar ticle of the Treaty of Amiens mull be afcribed. kitsch would he the jull conclufion, if the Tenth Article of that Treaty were confidercd as an ar rangement by itfelf. It mull be obferved. how ever, that this Article forms a part only of a Treaty e Peace, the whole of which is conmaed t , •ge. then, and the ttipulationa of which mull, up-. 0 principle common to all Treaties, be connived as having a reference to each other. His Majelly was induced by the Treaty of Peace to content to abandon, and to reflort to the Order of Sc. John the Hand of Malta, on condition of its independence and neutralitT. But a further condition which mull neceffarily he fuppofed to have had confiderable influence with his Majefly, in inducing him to make fa important a conceflion, was the acquiefcence of the French Government in an arrangement for the fecurity of the Levant, by the eighth and ninth articles in the treaty flipu lating the integrity of the Turkifh Empire, and the independence of the lonian Iflands. His Ma jAy has, however, fince learnt, that the French Government have entertained views batik to both thele objets ; and that they have even fuggefled the idea of a partition of the Turkifh Empire.— Thefe views mull now be manifeil to all the world, from the official publication of the report of Co• lonel Sehaftiani ; from the condo& of that Officer, and of the other French agents in Egypt, Syria, and the lonian Iflands, and from the d/linfl adtnif fion of the Firfl Confid hitnfeff, in hie communisation with Lord Whitworth. His Majelly was, therefore, war ranted in confidering it to be the determination of the French Government to violate thole Articles of the Treaty of Peace, which flipulated for the integrity and independence of the Turkilh Empire, and of the lonian Iflands, and confequently he would not have been juilified in evacuating the Wand of Malta without receiving fome other fe purity, which might equally provide for thefe im portant objeEts. His Majeßy accordingly feels that he has an inconteflible claim, in confequence of the conduct of France fince the Treaty of Peace, and with reference to the objets which made part of the flipulations of that Treaty, to refute, under the prefent circumflances, to relinquifh the poffef fion of the Wand of Malta. Yet notwithitanding this right fo clear and In unqueftionable, the alternative prefented by the French Government to his Majelly, in language the molt peremptory and menacing, was the eva cuation of Malta, or the renewal of war. - - - If the views of ambition and aggrandizement, which have thus been manifefted by the French Government fince the conclufion of the Treaty of Peace, have in fo very particular a manner at traded the attention of his Majeily, it has been equally impoffible for him not to feel, and not to notice, the repeated indignities which have been offered by that Government to his Crown, and to his people. The report of Colonel Sebaftiani contains the ' moll unwarrantable infinuations and charges again ft his Majefty's Government, againft the Officer who commanded his forces in Egypt, and againft the Blitifh army in that quarter. This paper cannot be confidered as the publication of a private indi vidual ; it has been avowed, and indeed bears evi• dent: upon the face of it, that it is the official report of an accredited agent, publifhed by the authority of the Government to which it was addreffed, who thereby have given it their exprefs fanaion. This report had been publifhed a very Ihort time, when another indignity was offered to this country in the communication of the FirftConful of France to the Legiflative Body. In this communication he prefumes to affirm, in the charafter of Chief Ma giftiate of that country, " That Great Britain cannot Iv& contend again) the power of France i " an after tion as unfounded as it is indecent, difproved by the events of many wars, and by none more than by thole of the war which has been recently con eluded. Such an affertion, advanced in the moll folemn official aft of a Government, and thereby meant to be avowed to all the Powers of Europe, can be confidered in no other light than as a defi ance publicly offered to his Majefty, and to a brave and powerful people, who are both willing and able to defend his Oft rights, and thofe of their conntty, againft every infult and aggreffion. The condua of the Firft Contra to his Majefty's Ambafrador at his audience, in pretence of the Minillers of moll of the Sovereigns and States of Europe, furnifhes another inflance of provocation on the part of the French Government, which it would be improper not to notice on the prefent occafion, and the lubfequent explanation of this tranfaftion may be confidered as having the effea of aggravating inftead of palliating the affront. At the very time when'his Majefty was demand ing fatisfaftion and explanation on tome of the points above-mentioned, the French Minilier at Hamburgh endeavoured to obtain the insertion in a Hamburgh Paper of a moll pots and opprobri ous libel againft his Majefly, and when difficulties were made refpeaing the insertion of it, lie availed himfelf of his efficial Cbareatr of Minifier of the French Republic to require the publication Of it by older of his Government in the Gazette of the Senate of that town. With this requifition to made, the Senate of Hamburgh were induced to comply ; and thus has the independence of that town been violated, and a free State made the infirnment, by the menace of the French Government, of prope -1 gating throughout Europe, upon their authority, I I the moft offenfive and unfounded calumnies againft his Majefty and his Government. His Majefty might add to this lift of indignities, the requifition which the French Government have repeatedly urged, that the laws and conftitution of his coun try fhould be changed relative to the liberty of the pets- His Majefly might likewife add the calls which the French Government have on feveral oc. cations made upon him to violate the laws of hot: pitalit y with refpea to perfons who had found an afylum within his dominions, and againft whole cnndua no charge whatever has at any time been fubitantiated. It is impoffible to reflca on theft different proceedings, and the coerfe which the French Government have thought proper to adopt refpeaing them, without the thorough conviaion that they are not the effea of accident; but that they form a part of a fyftem which has been adopted for the purpofe of degrading, vilifying, and infulting his Majefty and his Government. Under all thefe infults and provocations, his Ma jetty, not without a due fenfe of his dignity, has proceeded with every degree of temper and mo deration to obtain faiisfatlion and redrefs, while he has neglelled no means confiffent with his ho nour as d the Islay of his 4onsnlious,to induce the Government of France to concede to him, what ;6,1 in hi. judgment, abfolutely neceffary for the future tranquillity of Europe. His efforts in this refped have proved abortive, and he has, therefore, judg ed it neceffary to order his Ambaffador to leave Paris. In having recourfe to this proceeding, it has been his Majefty's objet to put an end to the fruitlefs difcuffions which have too long fubfifted between the two Governments, and to clofe a pe riod of fufpenfe peculiarly injurious to the fubjeds of his Majefty. But though the provocations which his Majefty has received might entitle him to larger claims than thofe which he has advanced, yet anxious to prevent calamities which might thus be extended to every part of Europe, he is hill willing, as far as is confiftent with his own honour, and the inte refts of his people, to afford every facility to any juft and honourable arrangement, by which fuch evils may be averted. He has, therefore, no dif ficulty in declaring to all Europe, that, notwith (landing all the changes which have taken place fince the treaty of peace, notwithflanding the ex tenfion of the power of France, in repugnance to that treaty, and to the fpirit of peace itfelf, his Majefty will not avail bimfelf of thefe circum fiances, to demand in compenfation all that he is entitled to require, but will be ready to concur, even now, in an arrangement by which fatisfac tion (hall be given to him,for the indignities which have been offered to his Crown and to his people, and fubaantial fecurity afforded againft farther encroachments on the part of France. His Majefty has thus diftindly and unrefervedly (latest the reafons of thofe proceedings to which he has found himfelf compelled to retort. He is actuated by no difpofition to interfere in the in ternal concerns of any other State; by no projects of conqueft and aggrandizement ; but folely by a fenfe of what is due to the honour of his Crown, and the interefts of his people, and by an anxious define to obarud the further progrefi of a fyftem, which, if not refined, may prove fatal to every part of the civilized world. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF COMMONS, WEDNESDAY, MAY IS. Mr. Garr moved for the fubitance of any intelligence refs tire to the military preparations carrying on in the ports of France aad Holland, winch be uoderftood was not included in the Papers to be laid before the Houfe. The Caw neattoa of the Even Imola thought the Hon. Gentleman had better have deferred his Motion till after the Papers were produced. If the Papers relative to this were not among thole lad before the Houfe, it was becaufe the informs ,tirn was of a private nature, and could not be divulged without elpoftog the perfon who gave it to the danger of difeovery. Mr. Gary, after a few words In explanation, withdrew his Minion, for the purpofe of bringing it forward oo Tborfday. The further confideration of the report on the Ilcheiter Elec t/en was returned, and Mr. Rose, after an argument of fame length, and quoting the cafes of Maidltone, Shoreham, and Hindon, moved," that the Houfe do agree with the Committee in the laid Refohnioo. that Alexander Davifon was involved in the hid rift= of bribery and corruption." Mr.Wwit•c e oppofed the motion as tending to prejudge the queftion which was to be tried in the Courts of Law. Mr. Lea contended that no penal anion which any informer mi g ht think proper tn helm swine. Mr. Doreen, amid pre vent that Houk from exercifing its privileges. The MASTIIt of the ROLLS kid, it was contrary to every principle of criminal jorifprodence, for the Houk to order a profecutloo at the very time when penal adions, founded on an Aft of the Leglflature, were pending againft the fame perfoo. Mr SHULMAN moved the previous quake, a. being more refpeLiful to the Committee than pang a dime negative on a Reiolution which they had agreed to. Mr. Bacoce and Mr. STUROISS rUppOlted the motion. I The Houle at length divided upon It : Ayes, 56—Noes 47. Another Motion was made that the Attorney General be direfted to profecute forthwith Alexander Davifon, Efq. for the fame offence. _ _ On this Motion another dlvilion took place:-- Ayes 6o—Noes 39. The Houle agreed to the report on the Clergy Refidenee Bill, which was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.—At half paR twelve the Houfe adjourned. THURSDAY, MAY 19. The following Gentlemen were appointed u a Committee to try the merits of the Petition respeeting the EleCtion for : Claude "colt, Ffq. Lord John Townihend Wm. Praed, t fq. Lord Wm. Rued' Slr Hugh Inglis, Bart. Abraham Robarts Thos. Kelly, Efq. Hon. Montgomery Stuart Cecil Forrefter, Efq. Francis Sitwell, Efq. Rt. Hon. R. Fitzpatrick Sir W. W. Wynne R. J. Lambton, Efq. James Brogden, EN.? Nominess. Hon. T. Maitla-Al 5 eOMNITTIS FOIL CAST RST11010). Sir E. Winningtou, Bart. Richard Dawfon C. A. Lee Thomas Wyndham Boyd Akzander Sir M. Blozans, Bart. Sir R. Williams, Bart. Wm. Morland • Mr. H. Beam Robert Fellows Nathaniel Sneyd Owen Williams Sir D. Carnegie, Bart. E. Hilliard, Efq. 7 Nominees. Benjamin Hobhoufe, Efq STATI A eonverfation yore, in confequence of Sir Gustav HIATIICOTI complaining the improper delivery of the Pa pets relative to the Negociation. Mr. CLAUDIUS B CCCCC ORD, Mr.IIRTL, Mr. SIIR•IDAN, and other Members, (poke on this übjea, and it appeared to be the general opinion that not above too copies of(the Papers firft fent to the Houk bad reached the Officer at the door, who was to deliver them to the Members, the reft having been forcibly taken in the lobby from the perfon who carried them; and Mr.OtollOt VAN err- TART obferved, that the Members in the lobby were as adive in this fort of plunder as &angers. Lord HAWICESSURY aliened, that 110 left than Soo copies had been fent to the Hook. _ _ Mr. WARD laid, he was well informed that a numler of copies had been fold in the City before the Papers were laid before the Houfc. He did not blame the King's Printer for this; perhaps, fuch an occurrence could not be eafily prevented. Mr.Sraanan never heard of any of the Papers being fold, and thought fuch an affertion (You'd not be made without evi dence. He was certain that there were more Papers fent to the Houle thar there were Members in town. The SPIAICtIt remarked, that great irregularity had taken place lall night, which might be prevented hereafter, by de livering Papers to the Members in their plane. If the Houk thought proper, they might appoint a Committee to enquire into the fads, but at preknt there we. no queltioa before them; and, perhaps, the obfervatiorts which had been made would be fufficient to prevent any Molise occurrence. The eonvertation ended without any motion being made. MOTION FOR PAPERS RELATIVE TO TNt lIRGOTIA- TIOW. Mr. Gilt , / rofe to make his pi-mired motion fur papers. He had availed himfelf of the fhort time which had been afforded for peru(ng the papers laid before the Houle, and it had occurred to him that it would be necelfary to produce a number of I otbcr documents befole any opinion could be pro nounced on the coati& of his Majefly's Miniflers. He fhould trouble the Houfe but shortly, becaufe the utility of the papers he moved for would be obvious, and becaufe he wished to abflain from every thing which might appear to prejudge the general queftion, which was to be difcuffed on Monday. The only obfervaiion he had to make was, that upon mot of the arongea points of com plaint Rated againa France in the Declaratian, even upon thole, which, if true, he was ready to admit, conflituted a legitimate ground of war, either no information, or very little, was given in the papers fubmitted to the Houle. He then pro ceeded to detail the motions, which he intended to put, accompanying his aatemcnt with a few re mails on the neceftty of each of the documents he called for being produced. The fubfiance of the motions was as follows : 1. Copies of any retnonftrances made to the French Govern ment in confequence of adts of violence committed on the ve(*. fels and property of his Majefty's fubjedts, with the anfwers thereto, from the aft of May, illot ,to the Bth of March, tBo3. a. Copy of any Remonftrances made relative to a number perfons fent to this country as Commercial Agents or Confab.. with the anfwers thereto. . . _ 3. The inftfuellons of Talleyrand to Citizen Pauvelete, at Dublin. . . 4. Copies of the Communications between his Majefty's AU nitters and the French Government, relative to the continu ance of the French troops in Holland. - S. Copy of any Raman ranee made on the fulsjed of certain exprefSons in the Evpcji of the French Government to the Le giftative Body. 6 Copy of the Anfwer of the French Government to the Note Periale on the fubicift of Switzerland. y. Copies of all Orders fent to the Commanders of the Land. and Sea Forces at the Cape relative to the evacuation of that place, with their anfwers. 8. Copies of any information which Miniftcrs may have re ceived relative to the Cethon of Louitiana by France to the United States of America. 9. The fubaloce and intelligence received by Minittery re lative to Military Preparations in the Ports of France and Hol land, between the tit of May, t Sot, and the Bth of Marsh, tBO3. Lord HAWK ESIWILY Paid, that the fcparate com plaints were not detailed, on,the ground that each fhould be confidered as a legitimate ground of war, but were Rated as conftituting a body of evidence which demonlirated the bailie difpofnion of the French Government. He then went over each of Mr. Grey's motions, and endeavoured to prove their impropriety. With regard to the report of the ceffion of Louifiana to the American Govern ment, he admitted the faa to be true. A docu ment on that fubjea had been received a few days ago by the very refpedable Gentleman who was Minifter from the United States to this Court. He would not pledge himfelf to lay this paper before the Houfe ; but he believed it was of a nature; which might with propriety be produced. There was, however, no doubt of the fad; but his know ledge of the event was fubfequent to the chile of the negotiation with France ; and the Houfe would judge how far the condua of his Majeßy's Govern ment may not have contributed to produce He contended,that the augmentation of the French army, as declared in the Exfrfi, warranted the calling out of the Militia ; but that meafure could not have been taken without the Meffage : on this ground, in particular, he vindicated the expref• (ions in the Meffage. Mr. Ws ITIRIAD fpoke in fupport of Mr. Grey's motions. He faid that every thing which could be a caufe of war was alfo a caufe for remonftrance from Minißers: and they were highly obliged to, his Hon. Friend for calling the attention of the Houfe to the circumflances upon which hismotions were founded. Lord Casrisatacis was spina the motions. It was eafy to fee, from the perufal of the c apers before the Houfe, that it was advifeable for his Majefly to ufe meafures of precaution when be fent the meffage. It was then admitted, that ex peditions were preparing for Louifiana and other places by France, but there, in cafe of a rupture, might equally well be applied to the annoyanceof this country. • Mr. WINDHAM contended, that according to the Meffage of his Majefty, there mud have been tome additional armaments in the ports of France, and above what the muff always be Itippofed to have n and which there was little doubt, while her, prefent greatnefs remained, ►ite was likely to have. As to the fear the Minid.rs exprefTed of difclofing the fources of their information, it was rather ltrange, when they had aftually allcdged the declarations of the French Government as a proof of the arma ments. Now, furely, in that cafe they could ni have much to fear from difclofing their com municants. The Houle and the Country had been almoll famiftied for the want of information, and they were now to be put off with the mere declar ation that Minifters were ready to give every intelligence, but in reality declined doing fo. Mr. W. proceeded at confiderable length in prethng the propriety of agreeing to the motions. Lord Carrttasacs explained. The CIIANCILLOR of the Excsiaoyest defended the conduft of Adminiftration. The reprefentav tions were made to the Ambalfador on the fobjeEts of Holland and the Confular Commercial Agents fent into this country, verbally, and not in writing. As for thole Agents, they were not withdrawn till after repeated applications. The originaldocuments of information concerning the armaments going on in the ports of France and Holland were of a nature too fecret to be laid before the Houfe.— Indeed, he reconciled an infiance of fimilar docu ments being produced in 1782, which were the means of flopping channels of communicat:on open ever fince King William the Third. Betides in that inftance it was in confequence of a Vote of Parliament again( the eliding Board of Admiral ty. There were armaments at Bred and in the Mediterranan, and :1,000 French troops, with other preparations at Helvoet, at the time when we had not a Militiaman embodied. Thefe were fufficient grounds for our taking meafures of pre caution, as. i■ cafe of a rupture, filch armaments would be turned quickly againft us in an unpre pared Rate. He then alluded to the Conful's converfation with Lord Whitworth, and to the Expoft. He then proceeded to a warm eulngium on the Firil Lord of the Admiralty, whom the " bate and unjuft Ganders" of individuals had en. desvoured to afperfe and calumniate, and afferted, that our naval force greatly overmatched its former state at: the beginning of any former war. Hs concluded with a variety of farther obarrations.