The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1808-02-19 00:00:00

„i oq- -1 a 4ix t!. eta wed > l u ,)o- of be I . the the to- riot Ira vcrs ta r re- -4101, e mend lie. glid they would tate to these/elves the . &slit of redressing the evils'stated in this petition. • if tie saw O'diipOiitiOli Olt their part so to do, he would take another opportsuiti of eoiniag for and giving thew every support m his power. Tee CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought it n ecessary to say a trio words on the sahject of this Petitioa. He thought that the manner in it was iutrodueed was not the most regular. 'the grievances complained of in this Petition, he hull reason to think had been hien'', ed into, cud a satisfactory answer NO been elven. Ali n i,d er ., h a d reason to suppose, that the (fraud Jury were satis fied with the nivesegation that had been male. He wai not disposed to give any opposition to this Petition ; if it was intended fo . the furtherance of , public justice, he would give it ever y support iq kit power. Mr:SHERMAN had no doubt of the sincerity of the Hon. Gentleman's wishes to do all in his power to miaow the grieiances complained of in this re tinal. He considered it but justice, hoe ever, to stride. that in the year 1800, eight persons were sp rinted to report upon the situation of that prison, to which many serious evils were discovered, u:ai Governs' Avis was dismissed. The Petition was now read from the Table, end stated in substance as fullows:— u Tint of the Members of the Grand Joey of the snow of Didellesea had visited di, Presuo that (hey bad Land the %rights fur the tueassuremc.it beCal tit the pri sower very deticieut iu quantity. That the weichts fie the measavelseat of mist altuwaoce were also eausuktably Illtiedlt in virility. That they discovered several pers.pot in tbertatert stale of aretcbcdness sad misery, and partirsi lierly a firuale pr.sutber, alto bad base de:mu:bed by the Go- Tertniell IOW" • This Petition was signed by Mr. Sheriff Phillips, and several Members of the Grand Jury of the county of Middlese.i. Mr. Suettrose said, there were u nuiulser cf other abuses not mentioned in this Petition. Mr. SUMNEa thought it was the dote of those Members of the Grand Jiiry who had disenierot those abases, to have stated theta to their brother Jurors, and to let this Petition come ;omenl in a 'regular manner, sigued by them all, tie had no disposition to oppose it. The CHAR CELIAM of the EXCSSQUES thought it streage these Jurors did riot make u ereseitt meat of those grievauees. lie believol they wen not Grand ,wrors of the county of 31iricitesiee at the time of again this - PeCtioo. The Mouse, he thought, could not receive this Petition, the pese rio . fla 11/gibing it hgnug stated themselves to be whet • thee aere not. Mr. WHATBRI A D said, • that one of the flentle ems composing tied Jury load called ripou hint Mlle time, and , as well as his recollection served he conceived they were Grand Jurors whoa libet report was given. Mr. Suneea did not think they were; he hoped Mr. Sheridan would withdraw tins Petition. Mr. Satan:me thought it did not become the 1 ,404. the House to he so extretaidy particulars it-imam suited in the Petition that it was that oldie Grand Jury as e body, but that of some of its Members. He thought the withdrawing this Petition, on muds grounds, would be highly fr••• tamp and unjust. The SPEAKER observed. that it Wad fur the 1 - 1011Pe ay whether this Petition was cooteadictory or informal ; as, if it was, it could not.be suffered to lie on the tibk. The CRAWCALLOR of the Excerieueit conceived that it could not be,considered the Petition of the Grand Jury, as it represented itself to be. He weld therefore recomniend to the Han. Gentleman liewithdraiv it, mud bring it in on to-morrow, in a "regular way. it was alone ow the principle of in formality he now opposed i 1; but when it came before the House in a regular shape,. he shou•ol give it every eupport in his power. The Petition wits then withdrawn. ORDERS 124 COUNCIL. -.- Mr. Peackvsi. mioved the second reading of the Bill brought in to carry into effect the Orders in Council. On the motion being put from the Chair, Mr. EDEN rose and stated his objections to the Bill at considerable length. lie said he should wit/Ito discard any view of the principle of retalia tion, as he deemed it a principle in the law of na tions that reprisals against an enemy - were not to he exercised to the injury of un itootfcialing neutral. It had not been shown that Ministers had first pro cured the acquiescence of the United States to these orders, but on the contrary he believed it would be clear that that neutral power bad reason tamed against them, as likely to he more injurious than the decrees of France against which the orders professed to retaliate. The French Decree had never been executed, and therefore neutral powers had suffered injury alone fro.n those issued by the t overnment. It was not sufficient to al legeeienG that neutral nations had not interposed with the Government of France to withdraw their de cree : for although that French Decree bud uctu ally passed, it could not justify us in transgressing the ordinary limits of hostility, nor pave the way to a Bill of the .present description. It was a Bill that had nothing to do with the general blockade declared by the enemy, but .3nly tended to distress neutrals. He had no doubt, however, that such a measure met with the approbation of those who were advocates fur vhrorous steps against that per son who was now denominated the Tyrant•of the World. In this. however, they would be gr'lev nusly disappointed. He objected to it as being a breach of the law of nations, and as a violation of a specific-pledge to a country at amity with this one. lie objeeted to it also, on account of its ha policy in regard to ourselves. The AoVocatte-CENrem. then rose and expres sed his sentiments nearly as follow :—" Sir, the Blouse will naturally expect I 'should lay before them toy opinion vipers the subject of this bill, and tire ritneis of that opinion, upon this occ:nion.— in doing this it is Tweet:mil: for me to 1o:A tu the policy and the legality of the present measure, both of which have been ..liarted stpsinst h by the 110- anumble has just now sit .loan. lit biking a con.preiwn are visor of this matter, I am afraid it will be tito .s.san- to tuner.! belk some of the cirenmstatices ollich I.d e• - I:!rilir to its et:option, because we hoist not con ,i3er a mea sine like this dataelied flow the t'srcunistanr.s, which . proneded• no • aecompanies: it. It. 1 , ‘) . 0:y and le;iity can only be fairly appreciated . . brintelt a coniote4on of the cireninstantes oat •of which it atom. It is tvident then, that the Decree of the French Government , of th e 214 of. t* November, Is, is the foundation of the ptesen proceeding. 'II* Decree purported' to declare the British Isles iu a state of blockade, and to pro hibk all comtncree whatever, even with neutral ua tious, in the manufactures of this country. The effect of that Decree was to tAclude as from all foreign powers whatever; mind to prevent them not only from currying on their accubtolued trade with this country, but even to exclude the possibility of one neutral nation trailing with safety to another. An American vessel trading from one neutral port to another, was subject to be seized by that Decree of the French . Government. Sir, it has been said, that we have misconstrued this • Decree, and that it does hot in effect blockade this country. In re and to its prohibiting the carriage of our produce or manutlietures, there can be ,no doubt • but it has been alleged that there could have been some other mode of avoiding its consequences. In my opinion, I do not sec any great different* whether the threatened blockade was included in it or not ; for if foreign ships had only been allowed to come to this country with their fOreign produce, and not enabled" to take away our goads in return, that surely emanated very nearly to a similar blockading declaration. I cannot but be surprised that any person can read this French Decree, and doubt its construction. The very mall hie of it recites what has been done by this country, bet it inns( be admitted that these imputations are groundless and false. It states that this country had blockaded various ports against neutrals, and argues the necessity of retali ation, and of declaring the British Wes in e state of blockade. The fact, however, is falsely . assumed; that this country ever declared any port in a state of blockade, witliont previously investing that port. I shall do justice to the late tiov'enimeut of this country to say, that before they blockaded . any of the enemy's ports, tbey anxiously inquired whether those heels had been in the first place regidarly invested: The French Lis verninent, in their decree, avowed their inten tion of retaliation, without previously investing our ports, and therefore all the consequences of that blockade most be presumed to follow that declaration. It goes on through six articles, and-then state, that any vessel coming from the British ports with British goods, shall not be ad mitted Into 'any port of that country, meaning France itsslf. Now there sloes seem something of an iisconsiotency between this ortiOe, and the first one in that Decree, the in a cer taro degree, doing away the effect of the other. It might indeed be doubted whether this was nut done on purpose that no vessel should be admitted direct from our ports to those of Prance, till they touched at sotto intermediate nue. It surely, at least, would bear such a constriction; but still the previous part of it justified us in a contrary conclu sion. That Decree of the French Dovensmeut avowed itself to menu a retatjatibn for en imaginary offence ; and what Cunt became the defy of this country, and other countries, in consequence of this outrageous measure ? If surely be came their dim, -to render eweh a impede of unaccustomed warfare to be retaliated alAt re, torted upon the enemy. It alas our duty to do this with as •uileh forbeanince as possible against other conntries. Although it be a ju s t principle in the lAw of NattioAs that other Collpr tries must naturally suffer, in a eart!a . g degree, by the measures adqpted by Betlizerk . Qt. rowfrs ; yet it is surely the dUty of elicit to render tlna spffen as little injurious as pmerible. I certainly in justify the forbearance 'of the farmer ; but in doing so, I think it cannot be awned that if their raiayre was found insuflle4ept for the purposes 'idea *et °Ahem awe Thomas should not ba in order to remove those inconvenis • been the sense of Ainerie4 nen the Diem% of' filet;.? We have a right to look to that GoSwiiinierit tor the xeue sort of , :oaduct 111 that subjaCt, when there was the same so. t of,lree France, with the addition of declaring tine Brithh Isles iii a state of blockade. Was it too much to exilect of America, that on beidg iofortued of that Decree, she should consider it as a measure issued totally regardless of ber rights and indepeudeuci? Was it too muds to expect that she armful .mtke a inn resistauce to oppoise its consequenves ? "We shall suppose then, that America did actually interpose, and the ipseitiud must come to this *KS it done iu such a Mesmer as to satisfy her honour and her interest as connected "kith Gireat Britain.? A. it was a measure of warfare against this country, was it nut teu4iug to affect America remotely ? She owed her interposition, undoubtedly, nbtsiiili 'for her . - kt own honour tout for her iutet, and those duties she should have observed lowatds the Belligerent Power that was thus quacked, and w;tb 'Whom she was in perfect amity. It has been asked, upon a former occasion, su order to skew the ill.voLty of our measures, has this French Decree beets at all enforced in trance ? But I apprehend the ques tion otoight to be---Thas the metisu . ..e been revoked by Romer ? (Hear !Wear I Hear !) Are we .to resort to thh Ministers of France for the purpose of knowing whether they can exercise their own De ereeor not ? After the datioakto that has already taken place upon thesubject of Monsieur Decres' Letter,. can any body consider that it contains that sort of revocation thit ought to have satisfiru America ? lias there been any Decree deelowmg that America was excepted out of the Order of the 41st of November ? If France chose to give a doubtful and prevaricating answer to America, was that to maitre Aroerica that her commerce would lie free from interrytiou ? Did not the tenor and the maxim still - continue ? Were slather Vessels, as well as those of other eountries,obbged to plyisigher insu rance, in consequence of that decree slat - existing I Undoubtedly it must be conceded that * private as surance of this sort ought not to have been consi dered any thirty upon which America could rat satisfied. But even let it be granted that there been a public assurance to America that she was to be eiempted from its infiueoce, would' have been a su ffi cient ground for us not to 100 further to our interest ? Whet ! becau. e France chooses to except America fruits her injurious de extra, are we to consent to their (-outlawing, ? If France thinks proper to violate the territories of several neutral powers, and not to act in a similar mariner towards another ventral, whom she cannot violate, does itfollow that those other nations am to submit aid endure a misconstruction of her con duct? Such then is the coustructimi that can be put upon her conduct by the law of statiptis, which is the principle of *aural justice, honestly and bore fide employed.—lt is not by ounorovre and management of this sort that we or.: to be bound to make the same esFeptiou ier our eooduct towards France, that she play be pleamed to make towards America, by that private assurance, if it May be so culled, that through Monsieur Dp:reo.— MA What ace upon the 17 . th or 1,9t1a Febnsary ? emoted The Spauie Decree then *Sited, and it may be 'oohed - .seats withe act of Praiser. Was there any exception ta, favour of America? If it watt to be understood that America 11 as eNcepted out of the Decree of the list of Nov. is it to be supposed that in that subsequent Decree we should not have had some notice .of that exception I This surely . ass a pretty strong proof that America was never intend ed to have been exeinpted. Did out the capture of the ship nainetl Season, by the Spanish officers, evince what was their understanding of the blockade of England ? She was taken upon the role ground of her violatiug that • blockading ,De cree. Now let us go on to suother point that will yet furthi.r elucidate the nature of that Decree— mean to' allude to the Tr , - of Til44. ad • c• = l * , - _ ray' country was to undergo in come, Fradce now consummated partly her object , quence of French measento. What then fol owed Betaita and Prussia had made their peace the measure of the bun Government, ileted/lb Je- with France, and become neutrals ; but do they aviary ? Did neutral ogions interpose ? Did the call for a revocation of that Decree ? No ; they three nations whom the French Decrees materially are converted into the allies of France ; and can affected interpose, in order to get them removed ? any one doubt that it was part of the system of Did Denmark, Portugal. or America interpose ? that Treaty, that Denmark, Russia, and tiruseio, I have not understoodthat any of there 'powers did were all to be Condemned to comply with the eon endeavour to do so. On the contrary, I think we federacy ? Front e now but accomplielied what have a pretty strong Rote pow hod before the .elie deemed a grand object towards excluding the House, which was presented by the Danish Go- commerce of Great Britain from all the Coutinen vernment, complaibing of the it justice Ofthe De- fal ports: What was the answer of Bonaparte him crew issued by Great Britain, but no inclination I self as to America? He mpresAy dimmers soy evinced to revoke the previous Decree of France, intention of excluding her from hit measures, ei en nor intimating any acne of the forbearance of this when he ito feel that the blockade of this country. That note I thinkseents to be sounding country iMtand to retort upon him the evil of pretty much asf an anneal neutrality, the favourite his own injustice. Now let us look 'little into tne measure which Denmark has all along been aiin- situation of this country and Europe, as effected ing at ; a measure on a principle which, once adopt- by the Treaty of Tilsit, in the latter part of Os:to ed-and carried into effect, so as to increase the ma- her, or beginning of November last, when three ritime power of the 'nations on the Continent, Orders of Counr.l were issued. The tractsras, that must put an end to th maritime power of with regard to England, she was dim, eschialed fogs Great Britain. Such has all along been the dial- every port of Europe, except the island of Sicily. position of Denmark. As to Portugal, such was Her produce and manufactures ware completely the unfortunate situation of that country, that with intadicied Yet it has been stated, that these every disposition to do justice to bier Allies; it Orders lime been the ruin of our commerce. Look could not be supposed then she could venture to at ear situation without those Orders, and then let interfere to procure a revocation of the Freuch as consider the question. Not a port was open at Decree, when she was obviously under the iree.s- the period they were issued. The coothiental sity of endeavouring to purchase her own neutra- market of Europe was completely shut agairuit us. lity. So far from her being ati:e yid° so, it was well- But then it is said, that those v 4.. on. immures of known that the port of Lisbon was made the entre- the French Government would not have been car pat for violating the Decree we issued upon the rid into execution. had net oar Orders been 7th of January, and breaking' through the prohi- adopted. Now I answer to thia, that we have not bition of trading from one port to another. The read a single newspaper, for many months back, country from which we had reason to expect the that did not bring us account. of fresh intwsnres effectual luterpostion, was that of the Caned States being taken for the rigorov% and strict observance of America. Upon a former occasion that country of that original decree. Besides this, let us look to attempted what it was called upon to do, at least the probability of the fact. It might very probably so far as respected its own honour. It may lie in I have been the apse, had France continued at war the recollection of the blouse, that there was a with some of the other Continental Powers, that Decree somewhat similar to the present one issued she would, from necessity, have softeued the rigour by the french Government in the beginniag of of her Decree, aril connived at aientaida iutro- Jan. 1798, when that Decree was uoticedin the Pre- duciug British commodities upon the Cotatioeot ; sidenre speech, as most injurious to America, and but when Bonitirarte has cousuinumted his gland stated to be a measure that mold not be suffered to scheme for the destruction of our ninritime poste:, rend, without violating the independence of their ran any jiereon believe, that he would have suffer country. That speech strongly Mowed what were el my longer this connivance ? Woahl he not have then the feclings mail the incestuous of the United alone every thing to forward his venal object of ex- States. upon this subject. It ,hosed that it was communicating Crest Britain from the soelety am , then destined to be an unjust attack aguinst neutral i tious? 'We have only to refer to tho newspapers of light*. and that they owned that nothing hut the 'maids of October, to End, that at tht vcr, moo titorov;h reristatme to it could rase" them from meat when Bouaparte restores to their legitimate ee its pernicious effects, was the muse of Ante- y vereigns the dinner of3lecleubere and ()Wombs% ) i lea upon tlie•tlaentit h tne. omit has l i t is upaa the express 'coeiliion that that' shall aro tnerce into her territories 1 (Hear! Hear!) is there any chance of their doing this, could they be supplied by other means ? It is true, that before these Orders of Council were issued, there ass a coniiiderahle degree of benefit, in my opiuion, de rived by the effect of the order of the 7th of January. That Order pressed very considerably upon die continent of Europe ; and the mere so as the powers gradually came under the dominion and controul of France, as there was then no neu tral intermediate power through which they could violate those Orders. We must be eware.however. that the coasting tattle of Europe was necessorily • open to very considerable evasion, by stealing along their shores in small vessels; and besides, that there were means of communication through the great rivers of Europe, by which, with considerable inconvenience to themselves, they might be sup plied with the serious products of the continents. But with lespect to the foreign commerce, they were actually under no inconvenience whatever, notwithstanding all our Lasted maritime supe riority. Our enemies had in fact better opportma ties ,or procuring foreign commerce, than if they had employed a great mariteme force, to pi ntect their trade. This may, indeed, appear paradoxical, but the troth is, that by memos of neutral vessels they could bring home not only all the produce of their islands, but even the produce of America, as securely es if they had not been in a static of warfare : uuder neutral names they eanoverf a cow ,,plete supply of all the products from the various quarters of the world. They cold-etc.; the duties 'upon tine export of them from their colonies, and they were even doing something more than this; they were granting Lounnes for the carryi of those very products to the mother • country. Wines and brandies, and other product. of Franca., went iu eachange for oils, soap, cud other products of their colonies, without being in the slightest degree questioned. In short, they were in the full !ejoyineait ofaill the advantages of peace, havir g au afhpleaepply of all sorts of goods. The regu lar tea odes at Ainstenlam weabon without any the Smallest interroptiou, just as if the Dutch were in Sainte of the most profound peace ; ships that tri e led from Amsterdam to Clainabeing allowed to havigate with the greatest facility. Evert the capi tatef here batch merchant; was fhtlyemployetl. Moat of eie houses in Amsterdam have houses in America, or have ugents. in that roe any, so that the money was advanced in many instances before a single bale 61' goods left Aintricit. They had then colonial and other iroduce ocolvesed to them ' just iu the same manner as if we. had not the enjoy ment of any maritime eupenority at all. Ido not know whether oe not I have been sacceisful in my view of the subject, but it does seem to me, that looking to the situation of Europe, sad of this country, at the time of issuing these Orders, it was ruinous to us in the.estretue. While this country war in this state of blockade. Ainerica.could not take from us I single bale of British goods. without the risk of her vessels being lawful prizes to the Freach. Our commerce and colonial Nodose might have remained iu our warehouses mad rotted there ; ar I cannot help thitaking that the more Bo:up:ate Acquired of the cotament, the Inure rigorciitly aouid he be inclined to enforce his mea sures. And be it recollected, that cur commerce constitutes the sinews of war, and therefore those measures of retaliation which we adopted were atr.o lately necessary for our preservation load defence. We have only imposed those privations u p on France which Would induce 1 ranee, or at least the iuhabit tuts of that cottony, (for 1 am ant suppos ing that we could, compel their. Go'vernmeot to agree to these messurell, to become the violator* of their owa decrees. Now upon the ground of retaliation we ere perfectly justified. It has been, said. that our orders have been a violation of the Law of Nations.; hut need 1 revert to 'any cellar authority upon this subject, than that of the late Government themse'vcs? 1 confess that i cannot see any difference in the orineiple, altbonois there may be some in the degiee. teem these orders and that of the 7tb of delioary. I see no difference beta een those. Order*, and that issued by His Majesty's late Government; they were founded upon the principle of retaliation. This principle was eariplitely set forth by a Noble Lord (Howick) in a note to 'air. Hirt, in which lie strong) y represents the injustice of the Freuel De cree, of Nov. isseb. nod justifies the conduit of shin Majesty in issuing the Order in Council, of 7th Ja uuary, which Order was founded, according to that Noble Lord (liowick). upon the just principle of retaliating. This principle seems to have been asserted by France hersel f. Ido not feel it, not withstauding these authorities, necessary to plead the jostificatiou of. these Orders, be the precedent of :hat issued by His illajesty's late Government. No; I think, and 1 sin sure this. House will feel, that they are perfectly justifiable; and, I wilt add, founded on the law of nations.. lo Ins, Russia, feeling at that period the aggesisions anti overween ing tyranny of Frauce, des issue an Order. of a lunch stmager Aesop than thaw issued h': Great Frits:is and so much complained of; that fattier authorised the :rigor* of all ships preteeuirt7 to Framer. Ido cuateod, that the' eutastice of the conformity of those Orden to the law in nations, cannot be viewed in the abstract. It may be asked, will vos repel injr,tice with houtoce ? N0..-11nt. I IrcaLti awls, is It to be that one -Belligetria. *heal be suffered to act towards another in a roaturatr tee most unipst. load the meet coatrar; to that law: of oatiota, anti thatthe otter . . - -,- 7 , Y., - ,' • : . 7 - 0 - ( 7 1 - iir . . • • . . . . . ~* Clgrailthh COMiIIeTC!.: 11 tiiii 'theft wii the ease. what 'wail* nitintron of this cOuntry? We blight reuttouliisimutictures for the consumption of our colonies, and.ia rettira we could brinF home our co- lonial produce, but there our cotuineree ended.— Not one article of British mauufactur6 could bud its way. to the coutiactit of Europe. Mill an) persOn limy, that this situation would not be the destruction of the resources of this eountry ? We'could hue Dahill% to do, but either to attempt to force *Pen the door to the . Continental Market, or submit to those terms of Peace which France was willing to impose upon us. If France had the wean. of obtaining from other sources those articles of which she stood in need, is it at all rolvable ever have consented to tit our st i le that she would produce? When Prance is deprived of tl arti- cles, is it not natural to suppose that she will become the violator of her own prohibitions ? Will she tun then he induced to receive our coin- Or' +. i La day. I la. lank pro. or is leut, f illis 1 1 tai 3.... i. 1803, is pi* wire POW y. ) rels. While hart It tie met peg o no, for ogles) ideate Copy. twe t Hums to thid Lu se mil, be iel pee PO" ambit Paper* Jos pets IT- Via en. 11. ob. Cww of $1 oe. Olt sp. DOCIVI , is VW. r of :he wen ge -1.4.v0ri ~, :,.a iers ~~,, ;., ret'.• yeti o f tlw t. Ili: its Ma t i■ lei. !s i l ty eel or. tl.• es Pet ble a aineft of M0"- el Jt put uns 2; •red 1