The National Register. — London, England, 1808-02-01 00:00:00

FEB. 1, CUIL BILL. Tim Risnor OF Oxfonn presented a Bill for the repeal of the Act passed last Se:tsion, for suspending the operation of the Ath of his Majesty. The. Reverend Prelate explained at some length, the inconveniencies resulting from the suspension of the former Act. After some observations from THE Loup CHAkcgELon and THE DUKE OF A'ortroEK, the Bill was read a first time, and ordered foc 4 second reading on Thursday week. ST 4TI; PATERS. Loan niWKESBURY by his Majesty's command, laid on the table copies of I.le correspondence with Russia and Austria ; the several titles of which were read by the Clerk. ORDIMS OF COUNCIL. Ili; l.or hip also laid on toe table, copies of the several Orders of Council, relating to the trade with the Continent. LORD dreKLAND ohserved, that For the ample discussion Of this subject, it would he necessary for him, perhaps, to move for further information. He professed his utter inability to comprehend the Orders as they stood at present. lle had read them over and over, hot stiß there were sainy points beyond his comprehension. Ile declared that he did not speak hqt froid tl;e i;;cerity of his heart. Previous to his making any mutton, he wished to ascertain from the Noble Baron, whether it was the intention of Ministers to found any proceeding on the papers which had been jost laid on the table. Loan 11.41VICESBURY replied, that, Ministers would follow the course usually observed on similar occaiions. It was pro bable that some proceedings founded on the Orders of Council would be commenced in another place ; and whenever that should come regularly before their Lordships, he would feel it to he his duty to enter into a full discussion on the subject. Loan llor.LANn wished that the Orders of Connell bad, as well as the Russian correspondence, been arcomnuied with an interpretation, of which, in his opinion, they Stood much in need. So confused and unintelligible a mass never feli under the onsideration of Parliament. .No time should be lost in making them the subject of discussion, for they imolved the vital inte re;as of the State. I,oßp GnENviLra: condemned the mode of proceeding which ‘liiiisters seemed disposed to follow. On a subject of such im mense importance, they were not to wait for the proceedings of the; other llome. Irreparable mischief might he done to the coontry before an opportunity might be offered fo Parliament of correcting whattiTr there was vicious or faulty in this sys tem. The present crisis .vas the most momentous in n hick this (wintry was ever involved, if s Lordship contended, that the Or ders of Council Is err clearly illegal. They infringed both the laws of options and the municipal law of this country. His Lordship repeated a question put by Lord Holland, as to any communication from the Minister of a neutral Power respecting '4 manner in which the French intended to execute their decree. Lotto it.4)ViirSliliKr said, that if there was any infraction of the laws in the Orders of Council, it would be for their Lord ships to decide when Ministers should come to Parliament for a Bill of Imh•mnity. LORD IIoLLANo again pressed his question, and made some observations respecting the tendency of the Orders. LORD 114,1 - I“ , :stivny at length observed, that Government was in posse ,ion of no information of the nature required, which could with propriety be laid before Parliament, Lotto D Said lie roust get at his object by a motion in some tither way.---Adjourned. THURSDAY, JANUARY ,?.f3. rot - 4) IL4whcsftrnv rose to move a Vote of Thanks to the INlilitary and Naval Commanders employed in the Expedition to Zealand. it was his wish, in doing so, to separate entirely from the present question any consideration of the political me rits of that measure. Were the original grounds of the Expe dition as nnw ise and as unjust as he would contend they were wise an I just, the objects thereby gained were as little advantageous as he had asserted them to be the reverse, still, upon every con sideration of sound policy and precedent, the skill, valour, zeal and act ll s it y displayed in the operations before Copenha gen, justly demanded the distinction of their Lordship's Thanks. His Lordship contended that, whether the magnitude of the ad vantage, procured to the country, or the manner in which the service ',Vas atchieved, were taken into consideration, the sub jects of his present motion were eminently entitled to the high reward of a specific declaration of the approbation of Parlia ment. Ilia Lordship concluded with moving the Thanks of the Rothe to Lord Cathcart ludic usual form. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 69 LORD HssI.LAVD found himself under the painful necessity of dissenting from the opinion expressed by the Noble Lord who had just sat down. Ile was influenced on this occasion by no reference to the policy or justice of the Expedition for which the naval and military Commanders were wholly irresponsible ; but exclusively by a dne regard to the principle which should regulate the conduct of the House in best iv it:g it. Thanks. For the individuals tow Loin the question applied be had all possible respect ; nor did he doubt that, hail an opportunity otl.red it self, they N% (Mid have displa3cd all that gallantry and military skill, which would have entitled them to the special approba-, lion of the house ; but snch an occasion for displaying their ta lents had not occurred. The mere magnitude of a service had not been considered a snflicient reason for such proceeding , .-- The taking of the comparatively insignificant post of Hastia, had, on account of the resistance made and overcome, furni,hed aju,t ground fur thanks to Lord Hood; while the acquisition of the port and tjeet of Tonloo had been rassed over in silence. The way to prevent such honours from being held too cheap, was to imitate the policy of that State from Iv hose hi,tory more was to he learnt than from that of any other nation which had ever existed. The Romans, in the time of their Repnblic, never granted a triumph without a rigid scrutiny into the merits of the Commander who applied for it. Lord Moira and Lord Auckland supported the Motion. LORD Gnpr DE MoTicx repeated and enforced the various observations of Lord Holland, and declared himself compelled, though with unfeigned pain and reltictance, to give a negatile to the motion. The motion was then put and carried without a division, as were also a motion to the same effect, with respect to the Ge nerals and subordinate Officers, serving under Lord Cathcart, and a Vote of Approbation regarding the Non-Co mm i ss i one d Officers and Privates. • Loyal 114irKEIntiny then moved a similar proceeding with regard to Admiral Gambier and the Navy. When Op motion for thankina. Sir Home Popham was read, the Duke of Norfolk enquired whether there was a precedent for that proceeding. He was answered by Lord Hawkesburv, that Vice-Admiral Dommet who was Captain of the Fleet in 1801, w as thanked by name. Upon this Lord Grey remarked, that 'Vice-Admiral Dommet was actually at the time In posses sion of the rank of Admiral, besides being Captain of the Fleet. Lord Haw kesbury, after a moment's consultation with Lord Chatham, stated, that the case of Sir Roger Curtis, who was Captain of the Fleet under Lord Howe, in the action of the Ist of June, was exactly in point. After some further conversa tion on particular expressions in the motions, they were seve rally agreed to, and the Lord Chancellor was empowered to communicate their purport to Lords Gambier and Cathcart in. their places, and to the other Officers in the usual form. LORD HOLLAND gave notice, that on Monday next he should submit a motion, so framed as to obtain a copy of any acredited information which might have reached Government, relative to Bonaparte's explanation to Neutrals, of the Decree of N omit ber, Iso6. _ LORD GREY gave notice, that he should on the same day move for a copy of Lord Granville Levisou Gower's answer to Baron Bpdberg's ote of the 2Nth of June.—:adjourned. FRIDAY, JAN. 09. Loran ItitrtiFsist - nr, rose to rectify two omissions in the Re solutions of Tluinks passed the preceeding evening. From a mistake of the _clerk who copied them, the name of Alajor- General Thomas Grosvenor had been left out. His Lordship farther stated, that at the conclusion of the Resolutions ref/wil ing the Navy, the customary fprms of desiring the Contains to communicate the acknowledgment of that I louse to the Seamen had been also omitted. Ws Lordship's motions, for rectifying these inaccuracies, were then put and agreed toe—Adjourned. HOUSE OF CO3 MON. MONDAY, JAN._2lt Viccorsr Sroppoan presented at the Bar his Majesty's An sw•er to the Addreis of the 1.1 ous e, thank in; them for their 103 ally and attachment to his person and family. Mn. JOLINSON, from the Commissioners of Ebquiry in Ire land, presented their Second Report, w hick was ordered to bs laid on the table. TUE flux. 111 n. TVFLiEsrrt- presented the Report of th • Commissioners appointed last Sessions for the purpose of in quiring re-pectiug the I:NpiriN, Laws. 4,4 i i Lel it ! a" L' , a.. 1 ' a •_, 4 , A. • N. • di , , • .1