The National Register. — London, England, 1815-05-28 00:00:00

.a.L..i (Signed) . TS! E IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS. .. 'France lids on her part a claim, other nations have an equal title 'to claim at the bands of France. I this day laid before the Plenipo tentiaries of the Three Allied Powers in conference. the Note pro posed to be delivered npon the exchange of the ratifications of the Treaty of the 23th March. After the opinions which I have de. tailed as those with which the Allied Sovereigns are impressed, with respect to the object of the war, it is scarcely necessary for me to add, that the explanation afforded in this Note, as the construction put by his Royal Highness the Prince Regent on the eighth article of that Treaty. was favourably received. Imme diate instructions will consequently be issued to the Ambassadors of the Imperial Courts of Austria and Russia, and to the Minister of his Prussian Majesty. to accept of this Note on the exchange of the ratifications of the Treaty in question. In order to be assured that I have advanced nothing in this dispatch, which does not as. cord with the views of the Cabinets of the Allied Sovereigns, I have acquainted the Plenipotentiaries of the high Allied Powers with the contents thereof, and have the honour to inform you, that the sentiments contained in it entirely coincide with those of their respective Courts. I have the honour to be, &c. CLANCARTY. MONDAY, MAY 2e. The Earl of LIVERPOOL piesemed to the House the following Message from the Priuce Regeut. " GEORGE P. R. _ _ a His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name mid on the behalf of his Majesty, thinks it right to inform the House of Lords, that in consequence of the events which have recently oc curred in France, in direct contravention of the treaties concluded at Paris in the course of the last year, lie has judged it necessary to rater into engagements with his Majesty's Allies, for the purpose of forming such a concert as the present circumstances indispensably require, and for preventing the revival of that system and course of (scuts ; which experience has proved to be incompatible with the peace and independence of the nations of Europe. " His Royal Highness has directed copies of the Treaties con cluded with his Majesty's Allies to be laid before the House, and he confidently relies ou the support of the House of Lords in all mea sures which it may be necessary fur him to adopt in conjunction with his Majesty's Allies against the common enemy at this impor tant crisis." The Message being read, it was ordered on his Lordship's motion to be taken into consideration tomorrow. Earl GREY rose for the purpose of requesting the Noble. Earl op posite to state precisely in what situation the country stood. Were we actually at war, or were we nob?--and in what light, with refer ence to the subject of war or peace, was the message and the address about to be moved in consequence to he regarded ? The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, if the Noble Earl wished to know whether hostilities had really commenced, that is, whether letters of marque had been issued and ships captured, or any blow had been actually struck, he had to answer, that in that sense hostilities had vtot as yet actually commenced : lmt he should deceive the Noble Earl, and deceive the House, if he were not distinctly to avow that this message was brought down with a view to the commencement of hostilities against the system mentioned in the message, as soon as it should be found expedient to do so. . The Marquis of BUCKINGHAM rose, pnrsuant to notice, and moved an Address to the Prince Regent, preying that l►e would he graciously pleased to lay on the table copies of the stipulations and arrangements made at the Congress at Vienna, and mentioned in the treaty of the 25th of March, as stipulations and arrangements which it was the object of the Allies, in the approaching contest with The present Ruler of France, to support. His Lordship con tended, that ' 'a what these at range mentS were, s of the treaty of 'Vicuna.. The in intuwer. . iessage _ compro mise the opinions of the House on that treAty. The arrangements and stipulations in question, not having yet been reduced to the form ea treaty, were not in a state to be made pnblic.—After some de. bate, the motion was withdrawn. The debate on the Catholic question was postponed till Friday se'nuight.—Adjoumed. • TUESDAY, ItIAT 1134 WAR OR PiaCZ. The Order of the Day for the consideration of the Prince Re. gent's Message being read. The Earl of Ltventotk said, if ever there had been a question which demanded the most serious consideration of that House, it was the present, which involved no less than the dreadful alternative of peace or war. After such a contest as that in which we had been so long and so arduously engaged, be had no hesitation in saying that peace, if it could be honourably had, was most desirable to this country. No sacrifices were too great for the preservation of peace, as long as such sacrifices did not impeach the essential in terest and honour of the country. Bat the question to be considered was, whether it was morally possible for us to continue in a state of peace, and at the same time enjoy all its natural advantages? It was *t that the Howe should deliberate on this question without preju dice, and he should endeavour to direct their Lordships' attention tit every part of it with that calmness that was necessary to enable them to form a correct judgment. He was aware of the difficulties under which we laboured ; but he maintained, that no sense of these difficulties, that no sense of present inconvenience, should deter the country from manfully meeting the same. The first cousideratioe that must rise on this question was, whether we had a just cause of war at this moment. —ln judging of this, it would be necessary to view the character of the individual with whom the war was to be made, and his conduct with reference to the Allies. He did not feel this to be a part of the question on which it was necessary foe him to dwell ; for if it was to be considered solely as connected with the individual, no doubt could be entertained of the existence of that state of things in which the alternative of war was unavoidable, in consequence of the violation on his part of die treaty which he had entered into. He knew it had been said, that the treaty had been previously violated by other parties; on this he would say, that even if the fact of a previous Oblation by others were true, no principle of the law of nations timid justify his conduct with regard to the Allied Powers, unless redress had first been demanded by him and refused. But there was no occasion to rest•tleis point on inch nar row ground ; there was abundant evidence to stew that Boom parte's violation of the treaty did not proceed from any previous violation mi the part of others. In one of the proclamations which lee first published on his landing in France, he did not say one word about any violation by the Allies ; but declared he had long had in contemplatiOn to resume his authority. If their Lordships would look at the transactions of April and May, 1814, they wonld find that his abdication was, in fact, the whole foundation of the treaty then entered into with France; and on that principle the only au thority that remained in Frahce, pronounced his abdication. The very preamble of the treaty of peace with France went on this prin. ciple—that France was then under a Government which was likely to preserve the relations of peace with other countries, and promote the secnri ty of Europe : the peace was therefore signed on the very idea and condition that the new Government of France would con tinne to afford such security. Therefore he contended, that from the very principle and nature of the treaty, the dissolution of Bun naparte's Government was an indispensable condition belonging to it. The qmstion then was, whether this war should now be entered into? He was ready to admit that a war, in order to be justifiable, must be necessary ; was it necessary then to go to war with the pre sent Ruler of France? He maintained that it was; and be would put it to their • Lordships, whether they thought there was any pro! spect of Great Britain being ever able to remain at peace with France, if Bnonaparte continued to rule over that country? and if that could not be done, was there any question as to the course that ought to he pursued? Conk' any man for a moment hesitate in di• termining whether it would be better to remain in a state of fearful inactivity, or prosecute with vigour the contest, in which there was every prospect of a successfed termination? We had the nielan doily advantage of 14 years experience to prove that this man never entered into any treaty with any power which he had not broken. Was there, he would ask, any thing in Bumeaparte's late fall, or is his return to power, that could induce one to think that a change was likely to take place in hit character? He could see nothing of IOW; on the contrary, he could sec every thing in his tttutn to it *u simulately tiectlsary t - o - k , befoke doeObenadipit . spprot . • .- ( , Ps 5.,-;... 6 • .•.. t; ~ ) . ‘l. s .v. 111‘V ' • ' 4i1,71' • 0 -4 , ---• it' . 1V I. '..ai • In %M t , S . REGISTER. MAT S. e Earl of LIIVIRPOOL •Mid. the Addre'i which hi- Ilotipt wove, 'wer to the Menage of the Prince Regent, wonlii not compro- 1