Star. — London, England, 1817-05-07 00:00:00

. • , who se of procuring the assistance of the Right G eo deman and his friends for the Ministry. I( were varnished over an inchttbick—and there -o where a better varnisher than the Noble Lord A nt :'iil be considered a disgusting job. Sir l e t Walpole had said in that House that every 'tad his price. Great practice in .the purchase lecioces had enabled him to give this opinion ; rr , : thia he nor the Noble Lord, who, though a man, had even more experience than Wet a :10.e.,a1e dealing, never before could tell the gate price of any man—but here, the price of the 1 1 Win. Gentleman st as set down in figures— cif, and a Zulh.) If ever there was a time when of Government ought to be directed len the smallest sum, it was when this ids was It would, however, afford him an answer (t ry tLing that would ever fall from the Right Gentleman, whether in the way of grave ad as, or copious declamations, or Merry desesets on a nation's woe," ihich lie occasionally -indulged, to all of them he Id reply by one word, 64 iseedasien." He hoped the whole of this transaction would awaken the i ple, and have the effect of making them put an m that system which was involving the nation in 4 ,evable ruin. —( Near, Hear.) Sir JOHN BERESFORI) felt it necessary to 'ewe facts, in answer to the assertions which ken made, that it was not the intention of Prince Regent of Portugal to visit Europe.— la been ordered to go out with the aqua to ti , t Brazils, where lie arrived in the month S e pitinbei. The Prince Regent then told him, he ii,:etided to come to Eutope. He had had ;end convex sations with his Royal Highness on the -t, and in every conversation he declared it to .is intention to return to Europe ; and it was not wail the middle of April following that he had the 'answer of the Prince, which was, that lie should turn at all. Then he (Sir J. Beresford) came with the squadron under his command. Had ',ince given him that answer at the time of his in the Brazils, he would not have remained .e five days. Mr. CANNING hoped it would not appear that a question in which.he felt so deep an interest in with others, and also with the Honourable 2t, who had directed his speech personally and -dually against himself, he had :hewn any blame reluctance in offering himself to the House. The why he had not risen sooner was that he ished to h^ it the whole of the accusations intended be urged against him. He was satisfied that if i . lemen had any more accusations to offer, they wuld have allowed him the advantage that was -.7ited to the meanest criminal at the bar of a Court Jutricc, that of hearing the whole of the indict meat read —(ia'earatear, hear.) If it stmt.! slow ap re.,7 that alter one entire year of menace, his ac tasers could advance no more than what they had stated, he was under no apprehension respecting re,ult of the present discussion. But if there were Condemn who still held themselves in reserve— (lfor, /rear,) —Gentlemen whose speeches were still Jobbing in their bosoms, and who intended to utter them as :,onn as he should be in a situation in which could make no reply. In such a case he should throw himself upon the candour of the House, which perceive that he was precluded from an meting them not from inability, but the order of the louse. He hoped now to be able to give a satisfactory explanation to the House as to every thing that had been laid to his charge, and which be should meet with the same fearlessness lie had always observed. The first charge was, that Ministers pretended to be :re, that the Royal Family of Portugal intended to Mini to Europe, and availed themselves of that im pression on the public, cot ruptly to offer him a place, which he' as corruptly accepted. Now, if Ministers Were guilty, he must be guilty, as he was instrumen tal in, and cognizant of then fraud. The first charge then, was, that there had existed no belief on the part Ig the Government that the Royal Family of Portu would return, and the next was, that the Mission bad been one of unexampled prodigality. He now pleaded to both these charges, and be begged that the House would keep each et them separate and distinct. If there was no expectation or belief that the Family would return, then there was room enough for impeachment ; but if there was such a probable expectation and belief, the question of ex pense was then a fair question for Parliamentary en luirY. In order to prove that the expectation did exist, hi should refer to one paper as amply sufficient for his justification. Here Mr. Canning read an ex tract from a letter written by Lord Strangford, stating, that the Prince Regent of Portugal had sig nified his desire' to return to Portugal. This letter had been sent to Lord Liverpool, who sent him (Mr. Canning) an account of it, which he received at 'Manchester. Now, he would ask, if it was likely that such a letter as this could have been written for the Purpose of playing off a fraud on the public Was it Possible to suppose that two men would play such a deceit as this on each other (Loud cries of Near, hear.) So convinced was he of the truth of the statement, that he did not desire to see Lord Strangford's let ter, until after his return from Portugal. Here the Prince Regent not only desired to return, but he re quested that a British squadron should be sent to the Brazils to convey him home. For his own part, he not only believed, hut he anxiously wished for the re turn of the Prince Regent ; because he telt it to be a measure necessary for the benefit of Europe atlarge ; and that it was an object which our Government should have promoted as far as lay in their power.— It was his opinion that the Prince Regent was re strained from coming away by a party in his coun sels. He believed that his Royal Highness wished to return, and would have returned, had not such a party surrounded him. He rested these statements on the authority of Lord Strangford, whose sources of information and statements he had found to be ex tremely correct. Such then, was his belief on this Point. The British Minister with the Prince Re gent of Portugal had declared, that the Royal Fa- IllaY was coming away ; and his Majesty's Govern ment took the necessary steps on such an occason.— Yet he was represented, in various publications, as acting under quite a different impression. He respected the press of the 'country, but he would never plead at its bar. (Load cries of Hop, hear.) — lie had been attacked by an anonymous writer, but ht should defend himself only before that House. — He was not to plead to an accusation of having as cepted an office, or, in other words, having gifen his aid to a Government whose etistence he wished to see preserved. He never did nor ever would subscribe to that doctrine of parties, that all men were to he proscribed who did not belong to their party. He did not fear looking these proud combinations in the face. A combination of circumstances required that he should go to Portugal. Before the office was of fered to him, he had determined to go to that coon. try ; and with that determination, he had been a sup pliant at the Admiralty for the use of a ship of war, to convey him and his family t) Lisbon. So far WAS he then from intending to go at first in a public cha racter, that there was a private house taken for him at Lisbon. This did not loak like any conni vance or design, as had been asserted--,(Hear, bear.) The assertion was false. As soon as lie heard suspi cions thrown out against his mission, he sent in his re signation of the office conferred on him. Now sup posing it was well known that the Prince Regent did intend to return, the next question was, whether that circumstance made an Embassy necessary? We had an Ambassador at the Court of the 'Prince Regent, and we required an embaisy in return. This reci procity was constantly claimed. When the embassy was offered to him, Mr. Sydenham was at Portsmouth; and then it was said to him, 4 , there is an embassy for you, you are fixed on, and you may take it it you chose." When he took that situation in a foreign Count, in which be was to have a precedency over other Ministers, and where he should have personal intercourse with the Sovereign, lie believed he would have been able to do a great deal of good. When be went from the country, the instructions he carried with him about the Slave Trade, were four to one as numerous as any other ; and in that question alone be believed he should have been able to do some good. He assured the House, he did not accept the office with half the pleasure with which he resigned it. It was exultingly said that he bad failed ; true. in a great measure he did, because the sovereign was not present. Now,' as to the pecuniary question, if there was no call for our embassy, the expenditure of six- pence was too much. H the embassy was wanted, the next question was,what ought tohave been its cost? 1 1 It was impossible to fix the particular cost of any 'swell thing. Would •any Man have taken such an office without the means? He might surprise the House when he told them he applied for a limitation of his salary. Here the Right •Honourable Gentle man read an extract of a letter from him to Lord Li verpool, entreating that a limitation of his expenses I might be fixed and settled—(Hew., hear.) Then be looked at the expense of other missions, and particu larly that of Sir - Charles Stewart, which, in the year ending ApriL 1813, was sr26,O(X), and the next year it was .1834000. • Mr.'Cassamajor succeeded Sir C. Stewart, and lived there without any suite as a pri vate Gentlemin—Lind notwithstanding this 'retired lite, his expenses vier& seloo a week. When he went to Lisbon as Ambaisador, Mr. Cassaniajor•lived in his house, and he had betides another Gentleman who acted as Portuguese Secretary : so if Mr. Cass*. major's allowance was a fair one, each of these was entitled io five thousand pounds a year ; there was then an expense that might be estimated at £lO,OOO a year saddled on him at once—(Hear, hear, hear.) — When it was considered that the total expense of the mission in the time of Sir Charles Stewart was thirty two thousand a year, and of his own nine thousand some hundreds, whatever else might be imputed to him, he hoped it would be admitted that the argu ment of. comparative . expense made out •notliing against him. It had !sten stated that he superseded Mr. Sydenham, but 4)) was nut . . the fact. That Gentleman• was notable to perform his duties any, longer. He was subsequently appointed to the disn charge of diplomatic functions taf, high importance, but he was not in a state of health to serve 'tl)e public again. The two thousand pounds allowed Mr. Sydenham, as a compensation for hisses incurred on being suddenly obliged tar relinquish hie Mission on account of the dangerous state of his health, made up his emoluments senOtt for six months; but, before he proceeded further, he must just notice, •by the way, it might perhaps be objected to hiin that be was the cause of this expense, by removing Mi. Sydenham. This he had, in substance; answered already ; but be could give it a more direct 'refuta tion, by referring to the letter of his Noble Friend (Lord Castlereagh) on ' the subject, It was sheen by the papers before the House, which he had quoted, what was the expense of the mission in a petiod, whose economy was to shame him—(Hear, hear). — He most close *hat he had to say on this bead by observing, that be knew nothing of Mr. Sydenham until lie was examined as a witness before a Com-1 mittee of that House some years ago; but'he believ ed that a person of more capacity, of more know: l ledge,and information, of more fitness for the great . , business of nations, was not often if ever to be found. If he (Mr. Canning) had been obliged to soil this great man's name, by bringing it into contact with considerations of money, the fault was not on hls.(Mr. Canning's) head.' What he had stated too in 'compa rison between the expense of Sir Charlet Stewart's mission and his own, had been forced upon hiM by the discussion. He had two other points non which lie now felt himself bound eternal& an'observation.— He did not expect, when lie accepted the embassy, the sort of scrutiny which h.id taken place, but he did expect that he should'be watched to see it he could be found tripping on the score of extravagance. He went to Lisbon, knowing no more what it would cost him to support his establishment there than in Turkey, but he inferred that the nett salary of the appointment would be adequate to its necessary expense, and he therefore determined to draw no more in the shape of Estraordinaries, than would make up for the detalcin tions of the amount occasioned by charges and deduc tions here, and the loss in the contse of exchange, which determination he kept and acted upon to the letter ; and be should be excused mentioning when it went in answer to a charge of pecuniiiy rapacity, that he re turned the last quarter's salary to the Treasury, with out ever supposing that any person but his Noble Friend, whose authority was necessary fer the pur pose, knew or ever would kodw of the fact—(llear.) When.he received the Report of the Committee on, the Civil List amongst other things, fixing the sum, which should not be exceeded by the Lisbon mission,, he could not but plume hinsself upon because it agreed with the principle which'he had laid down for himself, and fixed for the future the ationni*hich he had not exceeded in the pain (Hear, hear.) He might be open to the charge of Accepting oaken's- det his Nohle Friend. hut in pecuniary matters he stood eon a rock. Yes, he must repeat, the very sum for which he was hunted thinugh the•country as a pillager of the Eschequer, the very sum which he re ceived, taking into the account the d-ductions to which it was liable and the course of.Erchange in 'that yesr, was the very suni which the Committee had determined 'should belong to the appointment of A diplomatist of the sec-n.l tank. (Load crier of Hear, hear, hear.) And the. use to Mike of this statement was t.) put those' who were &faded by figures of nominal amount right as to tite actual fact. But it was said he assumed tl.e miisi )n too soon ; that the Prince Regent of Porng,l amid not be expected in Europe in less time titan six months, if be really meant to come at di. T:lat the i'Liace did mean to come, he ( Mr. Can 'ling) really believed, and not only in but he had no sospicien that his Royal Highness WAS not even ready to embark : and 'Sir J.lin 11.:res ford might have landed him in JailuAry or February. Sir John told the Prince that he would undertake t. land him in five or six weeks, as he (Sir John) had reached Rio Janeiro in seven weeks with the impedi ment of a convoy. It was in the beginning : of April that he (:Mr. Canning) I:ad the first loose informa tion, hut nothing official, that the Prince was not likely to return to Europe, and on the next 'day after, he wrote home, and expressed an opinion, that if the Prince had not already set 'cut, he would not do so when he heard of the return of Bonaparte to France, arid, in that event, he begged to resign. This offer of resignatioh was not accepted; but from that time he felt himself on a different footing. The country was at war, he was actively engaged in its service, and he had to promote its interests to the hest of his ability, for which he was entitled to receive the salary of a second•rate Minister. The battle of Waterloo was no sooner fought than his Noble Friend (Lord Castlereagh) wrote he would relieve him from the burthen of the mission. He lost no time in wri ting a private letter to Earl Bathurst to say, if. the Noble Lord's (Castlereagh) absence on the Continent rendered Government unable to find a successor at Lisbon, he could recommend a Gentleman who was introduced to his political acquaintance by the Noble Lord himself, and who would, he was satisfied, dis charge the duties of the office to the satisfaction of the Government and the advantage of the country. He had been accused of clinging to this mission i he answered the accusation by stating these indisputable facts—(Hear, /rear.) He shouk! have no recollection of dis taunts of the Honourable Baronet (Sir Francis Burdett). and the eliminatory h u_servations of the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Lambton), but in the consciousness that he ought not to sink in his own esteem for wanting theirs;—(lltar, hear, The Honourable Baronet's taunts should never pre vent him from opposing himself to those prjects of which he (Sir F. lhachai) was the champion L ilear.) As to the charge that had been made pessonally against him, on the score of the reconciliation with his Noble Friend ( Los d Castlereagh) he trust I.ie al lowed to say, he did not trace any Mo . neighbours on the opposite side who had riot differed snore than he and his Noble Friend had done —(t/ear, and a laugh). —Since which period, he would ask, had it been the practice of that House to debate upon events which in private no Gentleman would eco.use os direct his j attention to I It was a practice that would go to de grade the society of that House as low as that of - the patriots of Spa.tields— (Hear, hear). — He and his Noble Friend never had such a -cliff:fence as to pre vent him taking office with him, and he thought the reconciliation of private friends was not a.marter Of 'taunt for two such mouths—(Hear, hear). —It had, however. been said, that he consented to take office under his Noble Ft iend I but when Lord Pembroke went to Vienna. and Lord Wellesley to Cadiz, in his administration. he never for a moment hid the vanity to suppose they were acting under him.— It was in the very natlire of our mixed Constitution that persons of different ranks, different connections, different qualifications, should be called into Office, but if the man could not dignify the office, the office could not dignity the man. He had now drawn to a close ; he had been led to intrude a good deal upon •the House, but they would not perhaps think he had troubled them too long, when they considered that he had to defend himself from charges which, if he could not satisfactorily meet, be must trouble them then for the last time—( Loud cheering. 1 * • Mr. BROUGHAM said, the Right Hon. Gentle man 'lad rather unfairly complained of a waist of candour on his side of the House, in not all speaking in their turns, before it came to him to offer a reply. He (Mr. Brougham) did not then act as accuser, but in another capacity, as a judge, in' common wiih other Members, to sit and determine whether the chirges that had been made had been'answered ; and the course which had been pursued was jut the same that had been followed on former occa sions. The accuser made his charges, and the de fendant made Isis defence, leaving the House to give their opinion and their votes upon the metits.-- The Houle would not allow their judgments to be *wept away by a torrent or Ueda i but attend • • • to a 'few plain facts, which Were stubborn 'things, 'and d'ates, the most stubborn of all facts ; .and they would ileteinfine that there was not 'a shadow of de fence for this political jab, the blame of which 'Aiwa pally belonged to Government, though he could not acquit him for whom it up. He '(Mr. Brougham) and his friends'on that side the House did nut say the idea of the Psiuce Regent of Porto-. gal coming. from the Brazils was a fiction ;—they could not eater tails so monstrous a supposition as that any Mao, or set of men, would dare to commit diem, selves to that extent—but. what they say is, that Mi nisters appointed, and the Right Hon. Centime.) :4C cepta. in Embassy, at a tune, and in a manner they ought not to have done, and that they . managed 'this mistake so as to snake it burdensome.tal the publie.— Lord Striusglord writes,, in, a, .dispatch which is re ,ceisedhere on the 24.ih of April, that the Prince Regent of Portugal has stated. that as soon as ever Great Britain declares Isis return to Portugal neces-1 sari, he . will accede to any intimation to that effect." Yet though the Bourhons had been replaced on the Throne .of France, and the systeni of foreign policy 114 ' been developedin the altered 'circumstances of kalrape, no letter was sent to Lord Strangford until the Xth s of.Auly. Lord Strangtord's letter had been received three months, and how did ithappen teat he was not written to, till then, and that he was written *to, just at that time 1 Why, the Lisbon MisSion was wanted then for Cabinet and party purposes, and 'herefore the letter was dispatched to the Brazils.— . There was one little circumstance that would thr.,w light on the disgraceful business. The pretence for • sending out :he Right Hon. Gentleman, was an anxiety to comeliment the Prince Regent of Portu gal, and te gratify his wishes in the pomp of :deb an embassy. But how was it that this anxiety was not unifOrm and consistent? We tbak great care to give the 'Regent an ambassador, but whet he a.ks four er five times for a particular commar der to convey him, as a matter of pestrinal gratification to himself, diere is an end ni Otis eoxitty„ and he is inswe:ed that en officer had elreedy been appointed I but this is no answer at all, inasmuch as the officer had not sailed, and the arratseement. Was still wi bin the perfect con troul of the eoveroment. Sir Sidney Smith had been stated to be the officer •-•(NO, a,. ficut the ilLaisterial . Beach;) whoever was the officer, it there %Id been bona fide all that anxiety to get into the go •d erects . of the Prince kegent of Portugal, this was .1.1 occa sion upon which they cilkild not but have been glad to maniies' it. The'question do which the complexien of the transaction attpended was, Whether the mission was made for the man, or the man was found for the mission ?—(`!leer, hear, hear) • The .dates' would decide this. if there was a doubt as to the return of the Prince RegOit to Portugal, the country ought to have had the benefit of that daub!. It the mission had not been appointed until the re turn was certain] the eapensiin.duld have teen saved.. It had been argued as if it lied'hiletf iadispensebly necessary that an Ambassador shinfld be at Lishen - to receive the' Prince, but there had been nothing said to convince him that a Charge d'Affaires ',vela not have done as well, and that die Portu'gu'ese Govern ment, when set down in Europe, Mighenot diem have been complimented with an Ainbessedny sent out to it. lei that case nothing would ever have been heard 'of this disgraceful job. The expenses of Mr. Syden ham, of whom he must add the testimony of his 'knowledge to his intellectual and mural excellence, were £5200 a year, and no more, and £1.500 outfit, which Was to be compared with set b,200, the expense of - the Right Honourable Gentleman ( Mr. Canning):' He must refer to dates again, and be found that the . Prince Regent of Portugel was ready to come by Lord Strenglord's dispatch received on the 21th of April. %Viten did Mr. Sydenham teceive his appoint ment ? Why en the 6th of June, with a knowledge on the part of the Ministers, according to their own account, that on the Prince's return to Europe there must be an Ambassador appointed-;--(1./ear, heat.) It was on the IStli r f Juty that the Mktg Lord (Chea tlereegh) wrote to Mr. Sydenham. laying down the necessity of ecenhnly in ihe mission, and what did be know on the 25th that he tiid not know on the 18tii Why he knew nothing More of the Prince Regent of Portugal, bin a good deal more ot the Right Hon. Geutleman ; for iii that time their poiaical differences were made up, and there was to be no mote talk about economy in the mission, but of an expensive embassy. No person amid read the letter to Mr. Sycleithans of the 18th of July, and Lord Bathurst'S tenet some months situ, without seeing the whole jobs the fornierrequiriog a reduction in the expense —the latter intimating that the expense might be gradually reduced-fibril the scale of Sir C. Ste earee (Meow, he or). He spoke from facts and dates, and they gave a plain and conviticing account that thit •greangement WAS to answer private purposes, and 'that, in the words of the . Hon. Boone!, it WAS no thing butt a profitable patty pecuniary job. Lord MILTON eeid, he did not pretend to affect he could divest himself ut all party feeling ; but he could say, he had read 11-tlie'papers, be had heard 'all that had been stated in the House, and he was anxious to draw a lair conclusion. lie was free to say, he could norageee with his friends in passing censure on the Rielit Hon. Gentles:lAM though . he thought the transaction; 'as tar' as the Government was concerned, not tyre from the imputation of poll . tical convenience. Mr. GORDON thought the Right Hon. Gentle man had cleared himself in a pecuniary point'of view. Mr. ABERCItOMBIE said; the ground on Which he should vole was, that on case had been &tide out to strew the necessity for an Ambassador at t h at time, however proper it might have beal at a lateeperiod. Mr. 511 ARP tees disposed to thick the 'ahieres mem guilty, and the Right Hon. Gentlestiah mit tuilty. Mr. TIE RNEf disclaimed every thing.perstinal, because it was, in fact, the business Of -the Geier& ment and nut of the ittelividual. After all ilre gloss of speech that had been thrown oat, he •viiisit 'opi nion it there had been a vacancy is the CabiUet; no Ambassador would'have been sent out. •Tlierehrid been; in his political esperienee, taelittOns, some ativanthgeous, others not wi'adVentageotneto the country, but there never was sitoalitturierf. More suspicious cliarereer than" thiit between 'the Right Honourable Geotletnen and the Noble Lord. The Right Million able • Gentleman iliOnght the Lord Wanted Valente, and the Nbblelland tholight the Riglielloriuhrable 'Gentleman was noftlee"tight .kind of 01 . .111. 'ThegrOuntroie which' he shotild give his vote was, that the *public money been thine eessat ily expended. Tire late Poitu t plSe Aniteissa dor, at 'the time'; : of lips departure, told 1' (Mr. 'Perrney) thateil e his ltiiejestee. Unistei s had ever asked Lon, he . would haves told them, teateliese was no chance of the Mace Itikent's return to Europe. He must meat most impress it upon the House, that dining six nihmlis which must have elapsed hr. lore tire-return of the:Pritice Regent of Poi tkel, the country was saddled with Liu?. WAlSSollexpenseed this embassy. Had any steps belt tektite() ascertain the tact of the Primer's return . b4re she expense was in cutied ? Upun the bere.essection utast Secretary of Stele for Foreign A &tits, a stint ofuo lessithen eleven thousand pouadi, ut teliath;three shhusand - epounds went to diet: slit lion. Gehtleman fer•pht:e a: Am beseedore was added ,to the public expenditure. Fie denied- that the: deductiotsixontendedefor could be made on the gtoenti!hf foreign exchange.. He had 011 . 3 intoeilietesty, Creaseertain *fiat had been the'eate of efchange aid-41)00in' Liendoi during the 6 mouths in question, and be found it nearly at, par, 64 . He would repeat; :that the country bad been saddled with an expense of £ll,OOO tiering six months; And it he were Ifisnosed unfairly to infierne the : public mind, he niteuld say eet,an annted.oxpense r , f 422,e0u -butt he wou i ld not say so—(2l loush.)—Thisewas a tact which could peter' he overthrown by . the 'do piest flourishes of the Righr . fion.Uent letnen;'for it was only with eloquent del:ashes that the Right Hon. Gentleman had favoured the House, which, Pnr • Goat .1. , Goat , e ase were ,s:.o when m ost viii : tett AVni I had his con,cicnce • s wam It edger rust: ;n w'abh tote prig .. 7 h t Finn. flat, and ea *.e • e ven the * erd ,..d. It goy thin al . Gentle o is which be o,euld reply ttst the who f• , 3 .1 e, and a d that s i v ories:l6 l e sir JOLT state wine b i d been 11 Prince he Lac! be eron 10 tl , t , Gi Septtnitg oat he iti:e u veral cony s ubject, anc be Lis intent until the mi WI answer sst return a hue with t ' hince aniral in ti there fire d: !W. CM is a questit ummon wi Burma, wl a! , !: relucta reason wit) cs!lesl to 1 to be nrgc Gen . :emets would haw tr.nted to d Jutticc, Meat read• r e.,, that tssers caul row stated the re,ult Gentlenven lieu throbbing them as he could r throw him must then Awning th House. E explanatin been laid with the s Toe first litre, that kiwi to pression o which he . were guile tal in, ant then, vial rg the Cc *al wools had been ' pleaded the How • • distinct. the Fan] enough probable pence wa quiry. exist, hi for his ju tract tic stating, t reified hit had bee: Canning 'Manche' such a I purpose possible deceit as so cone that he • ter, anti Prince I quested Brazils not mil; turn of measure and tin should It was strainer sels. I to retni party a • on the of info] tremel: point. gent of /Dent t . Yet hv acting -4