The National Register. — London, England, 1809-01-29 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. the honour to belong. The names of Moore, Hope, Ferguson, &c. u ere now to be added to it. Reflecting on British merit, he felt the cash in his pocket grow harder and heavier. There could he no risk if able men conducted the national affairs. Lord %VESTMO aLA N n replied in support of Ministers ; after sc hieh the different Motion of Thanks were agreed to nem. dissent. —Adjourned. THVItSDAY, J.LN. 26. Gregson's Divorce Bill was read a first time, and Lord Bor ingdon's and Campbell's a second time. OVERTUTIES FROM ERFURTII. The Earl of LI v rts Moot. rose for the purpose of moving an Address of Thanks to his Majesty, for having communicated the papers on the table. He was not aware that arty objections would be made to the conduct of Ministers, in having received the overtures from Russia and France in the manner they did. His Majesty's Ministers, however, had laid it down as a prin ciple of their government to meet any fair proposition of toe enemy, at any period of the war, with a frank and ready answer. The relations that had lately taken place be tween his Majesty and the Spanish Government were uo secret to France and Russia. His Majesty demanded to kuow it Spain would be admitted as a party. What was the answer? Why, the loyal population of Spain, fighting for the legitimate am narchy, the independence of their country, and every thing dear to man, are stigmatised by the odious epithet " the Spanish In surgents;" and all pretensions, either for them or from them, to become a party in the negaciatiou, scoffed at and ridiculed.. Under these circumstances, he could not conceive there could be any difference of opinion respecting the line of policy which his Majesty's Ministers ought to have pursued. They rejected the proffered negotiation. His Lordship concluded with express- . ing his deep regret that the Emperor of Russia could have returned such an answer as he had to the communication front our Government, and that he should have so far lent himself to the passions and designs of France. His Lordship then read the Address, towards the conclusion of which the wnrfnest approba tion was expressed of the conduct of Government, in basing re fused to treat unless Spaiu should be admitted as a party to the negot Lord t tt ISSI VI LLE said, he had before stated and he would onw state again, that peace was not to be expected under the circumstances in which that overture was made. The posses• sion of Spain was of vita! importance to Bonaparte. It was, perhaps, the greatest interest for which he bad ever contended. Ile knew that two months would put Into his power that country which Ministers wished to make a subject of negotia tion„knd was it then to be expected that IP; would give away, by a stroke of the pen, that which remainded to he decided by the force of arms ? He did not find fault with Ministers for not abandoning the cause of Spain. but for having put themselves in a situation not to be able to negotiate w it bout bringing in Spain. Lord Elmo N. His Lorthhip could no! agree with the Noble I3aron who spoke last, that Ministers should have considered the Spanish cause as one of absolnte despair from the commence ment—that it was a struggle which could not possibly last above two months. It was obvious, from the answer of both France and Russia, that whatever peace might be made between them and England, d, Spain was to he surrendered to the former. and he therefore thought the wisest, the most just, and magnanimous policy on the part of England, was $o put an end to the negotia tion as soon as possible. Viscount S wino UTII rejoiced that there was 130 sacrifice which the country would not rather make than consent to abandon Spain to the most foul usurpation that ever polluted the pages . a history. The Address was carried nent. con. and the House adjonrned. 110UbE OF COMMONS. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21'. A new writ was ordeteil for the election of a member for the County of Kilkenny, in the room of the lion. Charles Butler, who has accepted of the Chiltern Hundreds. COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE. The CH A NCELLOR of the , EXCHEQUER said it was a matter of notoriety, mentioned by the Ch,►irman that their Reports were very much retarded by the protracted discussions of the Nembers who compOsed the Committee, a xi entertained con- Way o}►iuious upuu the objects comtaitteds o their cousidera• JAN. 29. tion. The Committee which had been formerly appointed, whereof Mr. flanks was Chairman, consisted of 25 Members, and had been selected indiscriminately froni both Ades of the house; he wished to reduce the number to 15, but by no means to exclude those Members whose political opinions differed from those of himself and of his friends. He, however, felt it somewhat invidious to mention the names of such Mem bers as should be excluded from the Committee. The names he wished to form the new Committee were the following : Mr. Banks, Mr. Hawkins Browie, Mr. Leslie, Lord Henry Petty, Mr. Henry Thornton, Mr. Grattan Mr. Calvert, Mr. Dennisilrowne, Mr. P. Carew, Mr. Diddulph, Mr. Wynne, Mr. Ellison. Mr. Leycester, Mr. Brogden, Mr. Jodderill, On the question being put by the SrE Ktn, Mr. BANKS said from the manner in «bich it would be corn posed, be did not conceive that its labours would give any sa.. tisfactiots to the public, and he should therefore decline having any concern iu it. Mr. PETER MOORE said, the establishment of the Com mittee had been a mere farce to delude the people, and its re. commendations had never been attended to. In one report. a suggestion.was made relative to an arrangement with the Bank 'of England which would save the country 200,000/. but by its out having been followed up, the country was made to make the sum up. In another report it was stated, that large sums of ,enouey bad passed through the bands of a :‘lr. Thomas Steele, formerly a Member of that House, and that he had appropri ated 19.1001. to his own use from the public money, yet no steps had been taken to recover it, or punish the delinquent, as ougiit to have been done by the Attorney Gelieral. He said that he . could prove that large sums of money, which were raised upon the people, never came into the Exchequer at all, and he pro ' mised to make it a subject of parliamentary investigation tin a future occasion. Lord HENRY PET'S If said, that he felt it his duty likewise to take no part in the Committee. - Mr. C. LONG said to them we were indebted for the. dimimi tion of the Bank charges on the management of the funds ; be sides he could say, that all the regulations recommended by the Committee had been adopted in the Pay Office; and he had brought in a Bill last Session for the very purpose of enforcing such of their suggestions as required legislative interference. Every thing suggested with regard to that department had been carried into etfect (Here 111 r. Moore asked, was Mr. Steele prosecuted?) The Committee had not recommended any such prosecution, they had only stated the facts; neither was it his business to prosecute Mr. Steele. He could say, however, that the whole of the money for which Mr. Steele was accountable, had been repaid with interest. Mr. Cit env Ks , observed, that that Gentleman had been de tected in the very fact of helping himself to about 15,000/. of the public money ; and yet be was still continued a Privy Coun sellor, and had a sinecure of &opt 12 to 15001. a year. (hear ! hear !) Was this following up the recommendation of the Cora mittee ? On the question being put on the List of Names for the Com. mittee. Mr. Wit.n Elt ro RCE moved au adjournment. Oa the division there appeared, against the adjournment, 121—For it, 62. Another division took place on the appointment of Mr. Banker as Chairman. for it, Ilia--Against it, 47. WEDNMSDAY, JAN. 259 INSOLVENT DEBTORS. . _ Sir THOMAS TURTON presented a petition signet by 2fil prk soners in the King's Bench. The Petition was received,, read,. and ordered to lie-on the table. MONUMENT TO SIR J. IoIOOILE, AND THANKS TO TTIE CON• • QUENLORS AT CORUN N . A. Lord C ASTT.En EiGir said wehad to lament the fall of an indivi dual, whose death, from his distinguished - character, his military exploits, his time of life, and his promise of future excel lence, was to be lamented as one of the gireatest national ca lamities ( Ilear 1. hear I) It was in some degree satisfactory to know, that though wounded, and sensible of his approaching dissolution, he retained his mental possession and strength to the last ; that. he was . able to follow up the transaction he had•ss ably planned to its close, and to learn that it liad been attended. .16