The National Register. — London, England, 1808-01-24 00:00:00

54 ." THE NATIONAL REGISTER. .which formed part of the law of nations. He approved of the disavowal of the principle on which the attack of the Chesa peake frigate took place. He WEB sorry to heilk the language which Was held as to the uiaimporiance of a contest with Ame rica, for it would prove a great calamity to both states. With regard to peace, he thought it was not to be obtained by talking of it, or petitioning for it; but he would never countenance any attempt to throw obloquy on the efforts of any portion of people who, thinking di lierently, availed themselves of their undoubted constitutional right to state their t.entiment. On this topic he adverted to, and highly panegyrised, the language held by Lord Milton to his coustintents. He concluded with again expressing his regret that Al inisters had called for the approbat ion of Par liament to the attack of Copenhagen without previous iuform ation. Loan Gnaw...H.l.g pursued a similar course with Lord Sid mouth. He reprobated the silence with regard to the informa tion which caused the attack on Copenhagen, the Orders of Council, and the severity of our comluet to America. lie blamed Ministers highly for not making the State of Ireland a rat of his Majesty's Speech. Lotto /fairaeiarar, in a long speech, defended the attack on Copenhagen. The Ministers could not state their authority, nor lay their information upoa the table, from ohs ions motives ; but they had information that justified their proceeding. He enumerated the several heads of information. First, they learned that there were secret engagements in the Treaty of . l'ilsit ; and that the view of the parties was to confederate all the Powers of Europe; and particularly to entage or seize on the fleets of Denmark and Portugal to annoy this country. 'I hey heard this from their public Ministers then abroad.—They heard it from their faithful Ally, Portugal. They also re ceived information of the hostile iutantions of Denmark from a quarter to which they lead often been indebted for the first knowledge of the designs of Bonaparte; from, or rather through the disaffected in Ireland. They learned that Ireland was to he attacked from two points —Lishon and Copenhagen ; and they never found the information of these persons. hoe ever they come by it, false. And, filially, they had a confidential coin— municaiiim, that,. in the Council of the highest authorities in Copenhagen, the matter was discusred, whether, on nn optima being put to them, that they should join either En:;land or France, an option which they understood was to he put to them, they resolved that they would join France. Having learnt this, Ministers would hare been traitors if they had out taken steps to secure the fleet. The Noble Lord 111E11 went over the several other topics of Lord Grenville's speech—Por tugal, America, the Orders io Council, awl the State of Ire land. On the two last he declined saying much. The tote would come regularly before them on a future day, and the less that was said of the other the better. After several other Noble Lords had delivered their senti ments on each side, the amendments were negatived, and the A ddress carried without a division.—Adjourned to Wednesday nest. HOUSE OF COMMONS. THURSDAY, JAN. 21, Cter Ms Majesty's Speech was read. Lnrin 11.4 VI LTO V rose to move tile Address. It was his maiden speech ; and If it con tained nothing new, it was, at least, appropriate to the occa sion. lie bpoke highly of the warlike triumphs of the nation, and he anticipated more, It had been, aced it must be, said he, that tear must he the only channel and source of our national security. Such sus the uncertainty of any peace lasting, that in his mina it is more than probable the e‘peo c e of a peace establishment would be great, and always attended by the ham rd of ;wing cudtlenly and unevpectedly violated. The Noble Lord th en made a transition to his Majesty's Ministers, whom he bigld v complimented for husbanding the resources of the coun try in the manner they had done. They had done their duty, and were dicing it daily - , and they highly merited the counte nance and support both of that House and the country at large. ifa. ELLIN seconded the motion, _ _ l.nea<D Mtt.ros vindicated his conduct with respect to the di& &rent meetitrzs in Yorkshire, but could not but regret, notwith standing what he had heard from his Majesty's Speech, of the flourishing state of the finances of the country, that there were many hundred mechanics at this moment destitute in the comity he had the honour to represent, from the evil tendency of the policy pursued by his Nlaieqy's ministers. GEonGs PoNstimar observed, that the Speech now read from the Chair was the longest he had ever heati of, and em braced a greater viipioly of Et:pies than y uthc:r. It aispearcd, <: JAN. 21. by the Address, that Ministers required the unqunlified appro bation of Parliament, for the affair of Copenhagen, and (littered materially in opinion with the Noble Mover and Seconder, fur he could never reconcile himself with the idea that the Ruler of France had the intention of seizing on the Danish navy, he was hound to say that Ministers could not produce the least ground for the supposition. Ministers had, therefore, onlv anticipced what they imagined he might do. With respect to America he had nothing to say, as the papers were not laid upon the tablo, that question must rest for the present ; but the state of Ireland, on which the Speech was silent, required au immediate consider ation.—lie pledged himself to bring forward, as soon as possi ble, the attairs of Copenhagen, whiell he considered :tau! with its disgrace the character of the tliitish nation. Mu. MtuvEs at great length vindicated the conduct of his Majestv's Ministers, and took a clear and comprehet.:H' view of the situation of the Powers of Europe, watt tht it and connections with France: but ,et, war in the preseat in stance was ahmilutety uremia; s/ for our existence SF a nation. MR. WU TRU Edin then rose, and said l that from Meat he! heard, it was impossible for him to remain silent after what Lad fallen front the last Speaker. lie deprecated in strong term ; ;'the Copenhagen expedition, which he considered not only unjusf, but extremely dishonourable. The nation was tok, it w;-s measure ..fnecossity to plunder the stores of 1G or t 8 hulks, a few tons of hemp and iron. when at the same time Min;,•••r, not the slightest proof that Denmark was to maker a • wlincn cause with the enem:: a. , P .ain:4 this country. After allotting t., R. the emigration of the oval Family of Portugal, which Minis ters took the merit of to themselves, which he as an indiyid.m totally denied, as it appeared clearly from the Proclate.,tiel of the Prince Regent, that they had no share in ihquefoing tlevt Court in its final determination. Ile then said that flier was now as good an opportunity of•making Peace with France as ever, and he had not the smallest doubt, if Ministers were ierions but they might obtain it on honourable te , -ms. Mr. Whitbread concluded with calling the attention of Ministers to the. state Ireland ; something must be done, otl!erwise that errantry «null he inevitably lost to the British Empire, Ma. SeenEr4ur CAvvisc, at considerable length, and with peculiar force, vindicated the measures which he and his col leagues adopted towards Denmark and other Powers, but did nit think it either prudent or expedient to disclose the source of information As hick guided their determination respecting the former Power. Mu. NNl:urn.cv contended, from good information, that all the naval stores taken from Denmark were not sufficient for the wear and tear of the British Navy for one month ; and also that the Danes had even raptured 35 or :16 of our merchantmen, ladep with naval stoles ; so that we had not much to boast of on that score. lie concluded by giving notice of a motion op the Vale of Ireland in the course of the Session. Loan HENRY PETTY spoke at considt.ial i le length against the Address, as did also the lloy. COLONEL MONT./GUIS NAV. THEW. The question was at length,carried withoot a diyision l and tic house adjourtied*oue o'clock in the morniii FRTDAY, JANUARY 22. The House met about half past three o'clock, chci after pass ing some piivate Bills, the SOP:AKER I: , sped his writ 'to elect Burgess fur the Borough of Castle Rising, in the coop of 'lhe Hon. Charles Bagot i who has accepted of the Chiltern Ban. dred's. Sir Francis Burdett tt'ok the usual oaths and his seat on the sfvood row of the Opposition Bench. lie appeared in excellent health and spirits. A Mexsenger from the Board of Military Enquiry preented at the liar the Fifth Report of that Boaid, which was or d e red to he o n the table. The usual Committees were appointed and the Standing Orders of the Wist! ii.newe.d, when new Writ'S were issued by the fliEtt for the boixiitklf of Tregon, in the, room of God frey Wentworth, Esq. who has accepted of the Chiltern !hundreds; And the borough of Tierton, in the room of the lion. Richard Ryder, appointed ope of the CoOmn6sioners of his Majr9ty's Treasury. CONTESTED ELECTIONS. Petitions, complaining of undue .eleetions, were presented against the returns of Members for the follow lag ;Aare-, which were ordered to lie on the table, and to he taken into considera tion, viz. Two for Banbury . , on Tuesday, the 2cl of February, at three ; Saltqih, on the wne day, 4 hakf past three ; \