Star. — London, England, 1803-06-07 00:00:00

1 i 1~~ . ,~ +I • I • 1, ;'it ,i r. , r j !1:)"sl . :01:1)•. M0N1)...y. tt•N! 6. ..••T • °I: .1.. I.• 1. • . • I , ..lrcsi ill 211•.'Il !•• •• • • . •••• • %SI , L S C•.: - .: , 4r,.141)!r to ii ne+!,:c • 3 •• .41; i'.lf att•-:;!":ort of their L.l d!h'pi • 1 ,n,•• •i • .d on that dav t term+• I es .101•••.!S whiell We d e le. ihed a t c • the ,!encial tubje.:t WAS Ml t'.. et•i. I 11. taa•llll . •alcd the Various • ••• . • • •••. 11.•; , 1 :1;,A11111 Nilr.A.:ls• He en:in:e -t 4. 1 at . their with to act on A fyl• „ rio•eia. flOfSr e% hich the molt injurious c •••!s the country. Ile enlarged on • t_ • th: Treaty relative to Mal t I *rli:. h ro•i - ended was of a matins which retel l", ,v te••..l toe moil ferintis iii the etc c.!•• •i. or which, more properly freaking, could not es. cured. 11 , S Lordthip, indeed. as fan :is we were • coilea hie remarks, Only rititre:d the r; i•t•• employed on a former evening. He conclud ed try lit. ving refolotion, the ctTett of which was, a''er 11.1:ing that Minilleis had Intl - erect the fyllem ot French aggreffion, and incidence, to pro ceed tar beyond the period when it became their duty to make a ci•ormiinication to the Houle, arid that in comerprence Parliament had been deprived of the cpportiority of determining how far the points in difpute might have been fettled without another Js pe:d to the [Word. The motion being pm from the woolfack, The Doke of CI.AR I. NC E. after paying time very bandforne compliments to the high charafler of the Mrtile Earl who had brought forward die queition, der ix ed his determination to give it his decided ne.• gative. lie thought th.it Miniflers, fo far from being liable to venture, deferved die greateft •com mendation and fa pport. Thee were called to prairie over the Council, of his Majelly, at a molt critical p e riod ; and loon after their acceffion to power they had .ellared to the country the bleffings of peace. He had no tiitncol , y in fa ying,that he believed, when Mini tiers commenced tbenegr•ciation for peace, they would be iinabie • o condtiEl them to a fuccefsful tcrminati n. Thcobilacl..s to liiccefs were humernusandformidable. To enter into a negotiation at all under filch circum fiances WAN an arduous undertaking, and to bring it to a fticceiVul ale, was fax - beyond his expeaations. He certainly would not fay th.it he thought the prelimi nary articles in all ref - peas fuch as he could approve of, but when he refleited oil the fituation of the coup try at tr.e time they were agreed to, and when he further took into his confider ation the articles of the definitive treaty, he had only to fay that he confider ed the peace altogether as a matter of experiment.— DNiititters were perfealy aware of this, and they had accordingly ailed on this principle. They had made the heir peace which, under all the circum fiances, they were aisle to form, and if that peace Vas mar ei Tally otieCtionable, the fault was imputable not to them, but ti the Laft Adminillration. On this part of the lubje his Royal Highnefs was very pointed. The manner in which the lift Minifiry had left the management of public affairs, appeared to him gin Is and fhameful. Indeed the whole of the conduit of the war met his moil warm rlifripproba tion. He was ready to enter into the difcurfion of this charge as loon as it was found neceffary to bring it forward, and to contend, that from the time of the de. par tore of the Guards, in 1793, to the Continent, to the period when the prefent Adminifiration took on themfelves the management of public affairs, there had been one uninterrupted ferias of grofs and crimi nal mikonduCt. His Royal Highnefs proceeded to confider the fubjeit of the retention of Malts as the principal point in difpute. On the part of Mi lliners he difcoveted a uniform and affiduous defire to conform to the terms of the treaty. On the part of France a very different fpirit was difcoverable. It was of importance to afcertain by which of the powers the g eateli exertion had been made to procure the execution of the tenth ankle of the treaty. In his opinion Minitters had made every exertion to pro. tore the Ilipulated guarantees. Failing in theft ex ertions, did they not do wifely in infifling on die re, tentii n of Malta till fome ade quate fecurity for its in., dependence was found? Some objeatons had been thrown our againfl Miniflers for having allowed the means of nation ri lecurity to diminifh in their hands. —Alin- the mall ferrous confideration, he could not And the rmallell ground for this charge. The fail was, that Millifielas in reducing the military efiablifh• n)enz. wished not to keep up a greater force than ap peared to be offentialy neceiftry for the general !t -em ity. It Was to be further confidered that regi ments which only could etili in time of peace as a brit then on the public, were aboliflied among the firfl of the tett enchments of the military department.— Wl.ile, however, he was a friend to every degree of necefLry ceer norny, lie never would Rand rip in de• fence of any is Item of expenditure incomittent with tl.e put,lic fecal? ity. He was conGdent that he did not a ire! t too ninth when he laid that the live °four preparations WAS frilly adegirme to any com mon entvgency. It had been Alit complained of that cur nasal pieparatii or were not corrdpenelent with the crifis ot the difficulty arid danger in which the ee•tillity is played. He conleired that on this fubjefl hr (141 era...rtain (pinions which it :art slow runt ecll.ny t-r him to irate. At the time he would fa), that he would on no account public er vett private 3111;11 , •1I:1 , TIS to p.ii, en Lich he was emir:ions had nu toundati,m in tru..:r. He had to fay then get eralfy, tfrat 11. e preparations tor the a , ll:y .:t J the navy ui.f r.•,t rand on tit: fame le trada:iiror. :;-r :he manning ot the nivt a certain oegree of ref . ; ard was to he 11.ewn so tile comm. ire of the eo.rucry. It was, how ever, rut to be fargrateri that ieamen were much Too t easily prorwod a I• Wltetiter M iro )cd its the Fetter:4l ecartip,:.ce of the ctio:;tr•. or in tia: natio r.•I fe, vice, fertniell were PeCV•ra , lty gain• ins new ai.d Ireae:y tin lie c.•lied (a ) t o meet new e fingers. His Ito% al Ilighirefi, to thew the fariaet of the (+Vet vatiravr of rhote wiro fated that the cr iintry is not rnu in a Irritable hate of &time, arid has not been ruff - irk:lov re...t0i1...5r in by Lis MA ailridtd t- the diflzr,ll; c,,.1 Mirirriet, force the eietrilitivc treat They as e irced the greaten regard for the public fafcry. Ti eat my was g reater than at almod any 1 •rtrcr teriod, even during war, and the Wiry War rtidi us to tkt • competition. Tire norrmer of matures nail reeersed very contiderah'e augmentation, all,! this was a! degar tetrad of the Latter:lA defence vi' rip: tail inifror- j , inee. His Rornl Highners hav'.n;,- gone thrringh •!.cre branclie. ra?gons,:ot, conclt,ded by giving his n,:gHtive to the rhotirn. O. CovkNTRY. in .1 t:•\c words, exprelli:d his tbr con.i Lord Mircro 17-,aiitord the refolutii - ns, and can at large the wi.ole c , uldun of Miiii tiers. lie to he dearly tiodenood, that he was deirous of firopor ;ing tli.• tante of Ihe country from the cable rf Mo l idels. He th oyht that the condo& of the liar..!; G , ,rernrocrit had laid a clear and indifputable ground of war ; but though he allowed this, he was not propar ed to fay, that the conduct of Miniflers Was as to eivitle them to approbation or confi dence. The proofs of French violence, aggretlion, and iirfalt, were (If a nature which could not be mil onderitoad ; and in retaining Malta, Milliners w er e 'pan - rabic in every principle of policy or expediency. France had avowed designs contrary to the'exprefs fpirit cf the Treaty of Alnico., by which Malta was to he placed in a Hate of teem ity agamlt the re-netu. pation of Fiance, arid loch defigits being avowed, this country had a fair right to demand additional fecurity before the Mind was abandoned. Till fome arrangement could be formed, by which the danger of its falling into the hand% of France could be pre vented, the Nlininers who °mold have relinquilhed it would have deferred the fevered reprelitaion. His Lord.hip, after elfabltining our tight to retain Mal ta, expatiated on its rail importance as a naval nation in time of scar. With Malta in our hands, the views of France in Egypt could at ail times be prevented ; hut deprived of Malta, where had we a Tingle naval Ration in the Mediterranean ? It was of no conk quence that meeting a French fleet we Ihould obtain a fignal triumph, tmlefs we had fome port to which we might r.zturn to repair the damage which even a fuccefsfui affirm might have produced. A naval Its- Lion in the Mediterranean was effential to our conflant infpedion of the preparations going forward in the harbour of Toulon. It was in this point of view that even Corlita was valuable. During the time it was in our poffsffion, our fleet was for fix months never out of the view of Toulon, and it was unneceffary fur him to expatiate on the importance of pofftfling loch means of afcertaining the real (late of an enemy's ittength. He agreed, therefore, cordially in ar.y opi nion of the importance cf Malta, but he withed to put the ground of war on a much broader bails. His Lord [hip accoldingly reverted to all the different ads of aggreffion on the part of the French Government. He pointedly condemned Miniflers for not having remon tinned at a mock earlier perind,when the evidencesof a holfile mind were Co unequivocally difplayed. By going into any detail on this part of his Lordfhip's ar gument we fhould merely repeat the fads and illustra tions which have been already fo fully Rated to the Public. Alter finithing this view of the fribjed, his Lordfhip expreffed his determination cordially to fop. port the great contclt into which, by the infatiable ambition of France, we had been plunged. He had, however, no averfion to negotiation, if negotiation with honour could be eßablifhed. He trotted, how ever, that in any new Negotiation Minitlers would nut be regulated by the narrow and altogether inade quate bafis of the Treaty of Amiens. The treaty was now no more. It fur rived only in oar memoties.— That any new negotiation Ihould embrace much wider and much more important national objets was what he ardently wilted for and confidently ezperded. His LordOsip urged this point with cunfiderable force.— We prole's, however, merely to give a faint !ketch of this debate, as in two former occalions we detailed the arguments at fuch length. He fat down by giving his cordial vote for the Refolution. EarlGiros's mot thought the Refolutions could not be for a moment enter twined by the Houle, after the decided vote in favour of Minifters given on a former evening. He was anxious that the Noble Lord who brought them forward fhould confent to their being withdrawn. He vindicated the whole of the conduct of Minifiers, which he thought deferviag of the con fidence of Parliament and the Country. Lord 13oxvos was againtl the Refolution. He took a large view of the fubjeCt, and though in fome parts of the conduit •f Minifiers he had doubts of its pro priety, yet on the whole he felt himfelf inclined to give it his general approbation. He rejoiced that the French Government had not accepted of the Taft two propofitions of Minifters relative to Malta. Fortunate ly it was now in our polfeffion, and he trufted it never would be relinquifhed. Lord Waft wick, thongh he approved mach of the fpirit of the Refolution, withed the Noble Earl to withdraw his motion, as under the prefent circum• fiances the dircullion could not be produetive of any advantage to the Country. Lord SCARBOROUGH fpoke in favour of the Refo lotions. Lord De DussrAtiviLLE fupported Miniders. Lord CAR YSFOIL r reviewed the whole concha of Minitiers fence the conchifion of the treaty of peace. He tonched on all the points which have been fo fully argued, and on each he enlarged with a force and energy which faceted high credit on his Lordthip's powers of reafoning. He concluded 14 giving his cordial vote fnr the motion. Earl DARPILAY declared that it appeared to his mind that if, infiead of dilbanding our forces, and thereby weakening our powers of refolance, we had at lalt fncwn them that we were prepartd for war, in the first initance of aggreffion or infult, and made our remonftrance in a strong, firm, and dignified ton-, we would have mutt aft aually deterred Ilona. parte from any further pi ogrefsin his vies s of aggran zem.ist. Lord Iloaaar allured the }lnure that the army had been no where reduced that it could poffibly be asuidcd. Every body was aware that the Militia malt necetlatily be reduced on the conclufiun of articles of peace ; the period of the fencible fervice alio it, minaied unb the war. The fervice of many of the army was alfo at an end with the war ; hut, a. many as could be retained by giving them a high bounty were retained. As to the orders and counttr co Jets lonic Noble Lords had noticed in fuch terms of fevciity, the Houfe would pleafe to ob fervc that it was not a partial or incomplete mea luit confined to only one or two places; the fame fort • oitiers and counter-orders , A ere fent out to every lilard in the I\i'clt Indies, as well as to the Cape. If At.t;iia or tile other great Continental powers did I. it think fit to interfere, to check the ti:11 ileps of taken by the hu tt Conftil alter the figning of the treaty of Amiens, he did not think it a fufd tisnt übjed that we Iluuld, filigle-hauda, coacnd about the Cape ; and the anfwers received from other Courts might be deemed a fair ground for his Ma jefl altering their line of condua. The Cape had hilt war colt at millions, which was more than its vain:: could be fairly ellimated at for that pet iod. lie had alfo the beR naval authority for Rating, that it was not alffolutely neceffary to Rop at the Cape in going to the Eall Indies, and coming back, it was only neceffary in cafe of tempe'luous weather, to put in there ; and dining the time of their perio dical bad weather, it was not at all probable that any French or Dutch cruizer woulti venture nut. It had been itated, on the authority of rumour, in another place, that he had refuted to have any conference with the Maltefe Deputies in his office. This he po litively denied, and allured the Houle that he bad two meetings with thole Gentlemen upon the affairs of their unhappy country. Earl SUFFOLK contended, that the poffetrions this country had retained at the peace, were more va luable than thole that had been firrrendered. Lord GRENVILLE began by Rating the queftion in debate, that it was to blame Miniliers for not having made earlier communications to Parliament, and re prelentations againfl the aggrandifement of France. He rellated, with great ability and at much length, all the arguments which he had ufed in a former de bate. The refolutions, he infifted, contained unan fwerable charges againlt the fervants of the Crown. They had not remonftrated, as they fhould have done, with dignity, which might have probably prevented the neceflity of making a Rand by renewing the war ; they had tarnifhed the national faith, hitherto florid lied, by engaging to fulfil an article, which they knew at the time to be impraCticable, and they had neglea ed to ufe filch means, as if not neglected, would have removed the neceility of hoßility. The Noble Lord dwelt forcibly on each particular charge, a nd affured 'their Lordlhips, that he felt no fatisfaaion in the performance °lbis duty by fupporring the refolutions. It was a fenfe of duty alone that impoLd the painftil office on him. It was for their Lordlhips to confider the charges as well as the proofs contained in the cor relpondence on their table, and to draw the infe rence. Sure he was that no man could confcientioufly lay his hand on his breall and fay that the charges had not been fulailantiated, without thinking that it was not the duty of his Majeßy's Miniflers to rernon- Orate, or that they had difcharged their duty. The Noble Lord concluded a fpeech of two hours by giv ing his decided fupport to the refoulti-ms. The Earl of DARN Li v, Earl GROSVENOR, and Lord Gasorvitti ,feverally explained. The LORD CHANCELLOR entered at confiderable length into a juftification of the conduct of Minilters. He deprecated the introduaion of the Treaty of Amiens, and the conduct of Minitlers antecedent to that event, into the debate, as Parliament had already expielred their approbation of that conduit and of that Treaty. He contended that adequate reprefen tations had been made by Minifters againfl the infults , and aggreflions of the French Government, and hav ' ing gone over all the topics which have been before urged on the fame fide of the queftion, he concluded by an appeal to the Houle and the Country for a vigorous profecution of the comet into which we were forced by the hoffile conduit of France. Earl SPENCER fupported the arguments of Lord Grenville, and declared his approbation of the Motion. Lord Pit M•l4 laid a few words relative to the ar reit of Captain D'Auvergne, which he raid was to be attributed to his affuming the title of Prince de Bouil lon at Paris.—Lord GRENVILLE explained. The Hotife then divided on rh: Motion :—Con tents 17—Not Contents 86—Majority 69. The other Refolutions were put and negatived without a divifion, and the Houle adjourned at Two o'clock this morning. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Alderman Comae prefented a prition agaloft the Pill for eitabUnsing a Coal Market in the City of London. Ordered to be referred to the Calltlllttee 011 the Bill, and the petitioners to be heard byCoun(eL Mr. WILLMIIIS prefeoted at the Bar the Second Report of the Coanmiloom on Naval Enquiry, Cheß at Chatham. Ordered to lie on the tahle.and to be printed. Several Petitions were prefented from the Cotton Weaver*, In Mancheller; from the filk Weavers and Dyers of the fame place; from the Silk Handkerchief ManufsZturers of ditto; from the Earthen Ware Nlautifaeturer I. of Ness/calk-upon- f vile, againft the Bill for confohdadng the Cultoms ; all which were ordered to lie ou the table. Ordered, that the Committee to whom the Prtitiora of the Cotton Weavrra was reined, do report the Evidence laid before the Houk. The Eat India Dock llil2 was read *ferried time, and ordered :o be comniatcd to a C..mmittee above &Ars Mr. BMODLIIIt. It reported front the R , donriliire Committee, that the Sitting Members were duly eledttd, aid that the pct.tion was not frivolous or vexatious. The Ship Burning Bill was read a third time, and paged. The Ships' Pag.tigers BiU was read a third time, and pair-d. The Militia Pay and Cioa thing Bill was read a Brit time, and ordered to be read a fecund time to-rmwrow, and to be printed. '1 be Ordnance Lands Bill was Committed. the Report received, and the Bill ordered to be re ad a third time to morrow. The StCRITAR T at WAR brought up fewend papers relative to Malta, in purfuance of the Order of the Huufe. Ordered to he on the table. The CU ANC, ttoo of the Excite vex pollponed the Order for taking into canfideration the Report on the Confolidation of the Cult owls which flood for to-morrow, to Thurfday. The Dublin Port improvement Dill was read a fecond time, and committed for to-morrow COMMITTEE OT surrt.r. The Houle refolved itfelfinto a Cornrnittec of the whole Houle. to eonfsder of the Supply to he granted to bLI. Majefty—Mr. Alex ander in the Chair. The SICRITARY at WAR then rofe to lay before the Houle, THR ARMY ESTIMATIS. He raid, that in propofing the iflimates for the Army, the filbjetit divided itielf into two parts: one cf them an addition to that offered by him in De cember—the 2d part, relating to Tome augmentation of the Regular Forces embodied, the Militia, Supple mentary Militia, &c. The Royal Military College was the firll ;wide he alluded to, which, he faid, would exceed the expcnces of halt year by about 30001. ; in that the expence of this year, for that ellablifhment, would be 80001. He Mattered himfell that, shin the nature of the Inflitution was confi dered, it would be found of the greateß benefit to the Country, and hoped it would be kept up. His nest was the Royal Military Afylum, for which he repelled gt,oocl. of which 2 t,oool. was necetrary to ccmplete the building. 'Fbefe expences were c'tnfi• derably more than the eflimat , !, owing to the ei!pu:e we had, at the dole of the war, v ith the Northern Powers, which very much increafed the price of many of the materi.,is wanted for it. This year he fhould only alk r 0,0041. on account for furniture, and other neecfrary articles for the accommodation oldie chil dten, which made up the fum of 3 1 , ( n o l. fe cund part related to the Forces. The army com plete, as voted in Decenthet, amoti:ed to g io , rco men. The augmentation intended at preknt was in the Car y ; to men in each company remained on foot, it was now propofed to re-mount tide, and replete them by recruits. To bring every company of Font Guards to the foil scar complement. The next anementaiion arole from the alteration of the the different regimelits, owing to the abolition of the praa:ce of Field Oflicers having companies. It was now propofed to and three Cap tains in Cavaltry and Inforry, each of which was to raife a certain number of men : that every Lieut. fhould raife 3o men for his tank, and every Enlign ro. The expence Pf this meata:e would be upwards of 3 c,OOA He then enumerated the feveral items for the Pay, Clnathing, Scc. of the Army, I\ fiNtia, Supplementary the total of which, or Guist Britain, amounted to For Ireland, to S 7 0,0 c0 1 - Making a total of ,c 3,1 10,030. He then moved the &II Refolution, which being read by the Chairman, Mr. WIN DHAM laid lie had no new objeflion to make to the nrefent arrange nent, but one, and that was, the fyllem of railing men for rank. It was a filbjed however into which he would not enter at large at that moment. He muff neverthelets recur to his old objetlion, that the greateft part of the forces are to be Militia, the psriiality to which went directly to fuckle the and dry nurfe the Army ; fur the Militia will, in Ibis inflance, be served first, and the confequctice mull be, the recruiting of the Army would either (land (lilt or go backwards, by which we (hall be paying great fums of money for very little additional force. He then called the attention of the Houfe to the nature of the aruggle we had to en counter, and the abilities of chore who were to carry on this conteft on the part of this Country. A fet of perfons, who ; after procraflinating Negotiation till the hall moment, had rafhly plunged into a war, and now they found it necelftry to fit out !hips, mile men, and make a butte. It was neceffary, however, that they Arnold now prepare for the worn that could hap pen, for there was nobody he believed could fay when they would have an opportunity of fneaking out of the War again as they had fneaked into it. Sneaking preparations, however, or fneaking operations, would not be fufficient ; for this Country is now in a fitua tion in which it may lofe, and cannot win. If we do not prepare at all points, and enable nurfelves to pufh at all advantages, the war may be indeterminate in its nature. We had to deal with an enemy who would not omit any occa(ion of annoyingus, and hail every reafon to believe that he would attack us on our owe Chores. It had always been allowej by chore who were adepts in the art of War, that the befiegees had many advantages over the befitged, and it was there fore of the higheft importance that we fhould fetiouf ly confider how far in that retpe& the force now railed is fufficient for the purpofe. In his opinion it was not. In cafe of an int/Afton by fuch an enemy as we had to deal with, regular troops mull be oppofed to regular troops ; it was " diamond cut diamond." If an invafion fhould come on, it might come like a.tor rent, and if not properly oppoind (weep down all before it. He thought the Militia by no means fulFs. eient to Item fuch a torrent, if °opt-sled to it ; and Will it is, and molt be a means of eating np and decrear fing the regular Army. He would have lets Militia and more Army ; and fhould any thing further be wanting (and much further he feared would hc want. in) hewould adrift the Houfe to retort to the method of railing the Country en map, a force he would allow lets regular than the Militia, an irregular force if yea will, laid he, bu: a force in drawing forth, which ht had the utmoll reliance from the well-known bravery and fpirit of the people of this Country. He thought to fuch an expedient we mull have recourfe at laft, and therefore he would recommend our retorting to it at fir!. Minifters would thereby give a chance of recruiting the army, which will be highly neceffary if affairs on the Continent do not take a different turn. He then adverted ro the caufes which had heretofore brought us into different VMS. Among there the mat prominent was the balance of power. He expatiated at confiderable length on this Inkier, and laid that it had lately been in a great measure deftroyed. When the balance is totally deftroyed, as it Items to be between France and England, there was but one way to make the fcales even, and that would make the mediation of other Powers neceffary. This, he feared, would be no eafy matter, however Ministers might fuppofe the contrary. They might ter i lade themfelvcs of the good willies and good offices of thole Powers with whom we had formerly been in friend hip; but in fo doing, he feared they would only buoy tip their hopes in the fame way that Mother Cole, in Foote's farce, did of being fared by her religion, which (he laid was a comforinkt per. iisqcon for one of her calling. So the hopes of me diation might be a comfortable perfualion to thole who made Peace, negociated, and again went to war, as our Miniilers had done. If, however, he was Aced, where he was to begin on this 10) . 0, his anfwer was, he could not tell—thanks to the Treaty of Amiens, that has turned the whole Continent into an iron -bound coati, and that its cut in fuch a nom ner that we cannot get a boat among them in the whole length of its frontier. It had always been fup poled the Continent would not fubmit to this, but time had proved that fuppofition was not well found ed, and he was forty to fay that the latter para graphs of our declaration did not tend to induce them to alter their prefect fyflem, as it exprcfsly breathes a fpirit of aning upon felt interefted mo tires—that the objects we have in view are the means of promoting our own interefted schemes, and that if they were to join with us, we lhould abandtm tlicm again, as we had done before. He then adverted once more to the Treaty of Amiens., which .he Paid had been Ilyled a treaty of experiment; but he feared it was one that would he found to hinge on as (Ate a fpeculation as that of Mr. Whitton, who foretold the approach of a comet that was to dellroy the world on a certain day. If alien that day came, and the world continued as entire and profperous as be fore, any one had :irked Mr. Whiflon the day afters what was become of his prophecy, he could only have antwer.d. that it was a Ipectilation founded on a mit taken experiment. Such, he frivoled, mull be :he answer of our Minifters as to their experimental Treat r. Seeing, however, as we had done. the bane ful effects of the witty of Amiens, in (hutting us 0..; it: