The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-06-04 00:00:00

jest} ;aid, it being proved th e y. were _ sur tws, and the foundinp of our hat boi it his 'd,ity to pr4viont their departure, mend it to the French Cover Amen, °them. He was h.tppy to find that r tlemen, of considerehle importance had, on this subject, shown themsei with feelings similar to bis'own ; th'el curred with his Maiesty's Ministers in expressing Britishieelings, at a condo. .„ eve:story of all the laws and rights of hospitality ; the enly condiol which- :Ministers should have adopted, should have been to Fave . dismised them in twenty- Pair hours, and followed up their dismissal by a strong and nervous memorial to the French Govern ment, demanding satisfaaion for such base con du& But it was pretended that the deficiency of memorials on the subjea was supplied by verbal communications ; he thought it strange in deed that an affair so important as this was to the Country should have passed without any written do cument which could be laid before the House, as a medium of information. He proceeded to the next *point, the occupation of Helland by the troops of 'France, and he again expressed a satisfaaion at the same two Members, to whom he had before alluded, having expreSeed a parity of sentimer.t. He had no hesitation in saying that the possession of Holland •by the French troops was of itself a sufficient ground for war, and he considered that Ministers Lad been negligent of their duty in not following up that ground of complaint in a proper way. There were nc traces of :sty memorials presented to France en the subjea of Holland. The answer to this was, that there were memorials, belt they were not presented. Nlemorials, it was said, were pre pared, but Lord - Whitworth had declined presenting them, because he had reason to think they would not accelerate the event which was so much desired, and that it was right not to present them least they should irritate the French Government. The next subjea in his Majesty's declaration was Switzerland ; he was credibly informed that it was perfectly well known to many of the Members of this House, that as early as last spring, there were several persons of consideration and importance in Switzerland, who came over here for the purpose cf having com munication with the Ministers of his Majesty's Go vernment, on the means of producing a better site ation for Switzerland, if a better situation could be produced. He had heard it was with extreme difficulty, and not till they had waited at least two Months, that they at last attained any intercourse with his Melssty's Ministers. lie mentioned this cir cuinstance, because it was important to chew that so early as the mouth of June, this was known to Lis Majesty's Government. We were told that a letter was transmitted to the French Government, and that Mr. Moore was sent to Sv. itierland to see what hopes there were of assistance on the Conti nent, and whether any efforts were likely to be at tended with success. Unfortunately Mr. Moore found the aft done which he wes to have prevented. He desired to know, what his Majesty's Ministers opinior.s were, as to the time when our interference was most likely to have been of service to Switzer land—their interference had not taken place till Oc tober ; but why had it not been done in June ? Had they done it in June, they might have prevented the occupation of Switzerland by France. He next begged permission to say a few words on the sub jea of Piedmont ; and he censured the consist& of his Majesty's Ministers, in stating that the King, of Sardinia had forfeited all right to our interference in his favour, and that his condua had been such that we might have declared war against him ; this too atter that unfortunate Prince had refused to sign a treaty with France, because Frence insisted on its containing a stipula tion for the exclusion of British ships in the ports of Sardinia, and at a time too when Sardinia was a conquered country. It seemed we had now for given him, and he had again become our Ally, and we had provided for him by the famous projet of Lampedosa. The Hon. Member next referred to the subjea of Malta ; the first observation lie had to make was, that there had been 'a total want of at tention to that policy which it became this country to hold with respea to Russia at the time of the Treaty of Amiens. His Majesty had signed a treaty, the only part of which that was difficult of ex ecution was that part which related to the condua of Russia. He referred to the papers published at Paris containing the note cf . Count Woronzow from Peters burg, which accompanied the projet of the terms on which Russia would consent to guarantee Malta, and also the nese that went along with it—the Russian Minister writes, that the Governments of France and England were teo equitable not to know that it was pot in the power elthe Emperor to guarantee Malta, since it would be impossible for his Majesty to ac cede to a guarantee which would be inconsistent with what had been agreed upon anterior to the treaty between the Emperor and Great Britain ; had his Majesty's Ministers then entered into a treaty for the guarantee of Malta, knowing at the time that an anterior treaty existed, which rendered it im possible to carry the treaty of Amiens into execu tion. His Majesty must have known that there was a prior engagement subsisting, which was inconsist ent with that treaty. mid his Majesty's Ministers' persuaded the Isnipe:l - 0r of Russia to guarantee an aa nc Lielr he wa. prevented from guaranteeing by a treaty, preciously entered into with us ? He should Wait to hear what answer his Majesty's Ministers were prepared to give upon this subject. The next part of the question be should advert to was oue which, though not so important as the former point, was yet of sufficient importance to be made the subjea 'of a distina resolution by the Hon. Mover ci she debate. The fist remark he had to make, arose from the publication in France cf the French papers; we therefore found what had been the course of the negotiations respecting, the Treaty of Anaiens. Ever y person recall:lied the general interest thin. was taken iu the question of the Cape of Good Hope; with the exception of one person, all those .whose studies, professions, and habits of life rendered them the most competent judges upon the subject, la ustnted that - it should have been a condition for peace that that establishment should be ceded. Now - , how did that fad appear ? It appeared that so far from the French Government -having required the evacuation of the Cape of Good Hope by us, the first proposition for its cession came from the Secre • of State. It was the Eng lish Minister himse lf , who bad stated that his Majesty's Government would testore the Cape of Hope, on condition it should be free port ; this was not the only circumstance of surprise, it was not enough that the p ro p osition delta - nag should have oricnitted from the English 4 :IIWIIMPMIEW- 4 • L.er,4nen• : being solicited by the French there weir circumstances with for detaining the Cape, and it, which certainly demanded )peared, that it was on the 12th Liston had written word th;it he insurance of the evacuation of Hol- troops. On the 14th, Minister, ..aworth to remonstrate in strong upon tuojecl,and yet, in two days afterwards they send out instruCtions to evacuate that most in - portant possessit.n. He had endeavoured to state the ground on whin' he conceived that the . resolu tions which had • been moved, were sunported by evidence, clear and undeniable. He had heard no arguments offered in reply to those which had been advanced against Ministers, except such answers as applied to the propriety in point of time of any mo tion against them. Such an argument went to the total destruetion of the controul of Parliament over the condnet of Ministers. It-was now a year and upwards since enquiry hat', hPrii moved for, on the part of himself and those friends with whom he aeted, and they had been, repeatedly invited by his Majesty's Ministers to defer their enquiry. Out of delicacy, they had c'..fcrred all enquiry pending the negotiation ; and now th'v were told, that a period of war was not a proper ...!11C of enquiry. If this principle was to be recooised, he should like to know when it was possible a time should come, in which Ministers could, with propriety, be called upon for a defence of their public conduct. Having made some other general observations, he concluded by expressing his cordial approbation of the reso lutinos. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, the R ight Hon. Gentleman who had last spoken did not appear to hint to have done justice to either of the Hon. Gentlemen who had spoken in opposition to the resolutions, neither had he done justice to the motives which had induced his Ma jesty's Ministers to preserve silence. It was his wish that as large an opportunity as possible should he afforded to Gentlemen to express their opinion with regard to the resolutions. It appeared to him that there had been no want of ability on the part of the Hon. Gentleman by whom the resolutions were moved, yet he was of opinion there had.been as strong arguments advanced by those gentlemen who had resisted the resolutions ; and it was not till after a more minute investigation of the subject that he should have felt himself called upon to have delivered his opinion, nor should he have risen thus early, if the Honourable Gentleman had not lent his name to false charges and incorred state ments, which, as they appli:.l the more immediately to himself, it WftS necessary to lose no time in an swering. He wished to begin by stating, that, not withstanding all that had been said on the subjeiof the Treaty of Amiens—notwithstanding there was a disposition, on the part of some persons in the House, to give up that, the importance of which others so warmly contended for, he nevertheless wished to have it distinctly' understood, that he was precisely of the same opinion, with regard to the Treaty of Amiens, as when that treaty was under discussion. He was satisfied i was a wise and necessary mea sure at the time, an.. 'sad been produdive of conse quences the most beneficial to the country. At this moment, he should not have had to congratulate the country on that spirit, unani mity, and vigour, which it was with joy and satisfaction he saw prevail through the coun try, if that arraigned and stigmatized treaty had not taken place. He should state what he had once before stated, that if with regard to that treaty he was a sinner, he was a hardened sinner ; it was his conscientious opinion that it was a treaty wise to contract; he would go further, he felt with his col leagues that it was a treaty which it had been wise to have maintained, and he had used his utmost entreaties to maintain it till that rupture took place. He could state with the greatest truth that it was his first wish to see it carried into complete effed, and well assured he was that the same sentiments actuated all his Majesty's ser vants; it was their most anxious desire, that the peace should be maintained, if it could be done consistently with the honour of the country ; he had not learnt, nor should he ever learn the policy of war. When the necessity arose, he hoped he should meet war with the spirit of an Englishman, and never consent to sheath the sword, unless by so doing, the honour of the country was left untar nished, and its safety secured. Having said this, he was desirous of adverting to what had fallen from his Hon. Friend. He had said, that it ap peared by his Majesty's Declaration, that this country had received insults and aggressions which it would have been more consonant to the true English spirit to have remonstrated against it in a stronger manner ; in answer to this, he had to ob serve, that aduated by the dispositions his Majesty's 'Ministers were, they felt they should not be aet;ng tip to those principles they had adopted, unless they had been disposed to make allowances for the dis position of France, and the circumstances in which the individual at the head of the French Govern ment was placed. Without attempting to justify the conduct of that individual, they felt it their duty to make every reasonable allowance for the si tuation in which he was placed.—After having his mind pampered with adulation, and his soul elated by a series of victories that had given sp!enior to his name, it was hardly to be expeded that he would devote his mind to the new situation in which he was placed ; the disposition on the part of his Majesty's Ministers to make every allowance, had taught them the duty of forbearance ; they had been urged by the considerations he had mentioned, to forbear noticing many parts of the conduff cf the French Government: His Majesty's Ministers did not feel, that the individual at the head of the French Government, was a person from whom the same condud would have excited strong indigna tion from other persons at other times, and ought to ' have predated ti'e 11-une effect. That this disposition operated in the minds of his Majesty's Ministers was amply testified by that forbearance for which there was now so strong a desire on the part of many Gentlemen to criminate; but he was of opinion, that it was to that forbearance we owed that spirit which novf, in so great a degree, seemed to animate the country ; that spirit so necessary to the assur ance of success, doubtless arose from the public feeling,. that the war hind not been sotight on the part of his Majesty's Ministers. It was, he said, a subject of grief and regret what had been truly stated, that there were sufficient grounds for this war having commenced 'trimly' months before it 11441; but lie was of opinion, that it was much better and . . . . torah military , Mhsister, tritim - t Wei larhours, he felt 1 . Government ; but tip !, and to recottb. , :regard to the or.lcr for nt to with , t4wards surrendering two Hon. Openi explanation. It appe in'that 1 November, Mr. Li elves inica 4d received no nssura ey had not, 'l4nd by the French tr in that mode wrote to Lord Vs'hitvk lu4 so vini awry terms upon the sutoje6l, Tif • eeh'et - " ' ' 'lee* •• more'litettiinrable to the ehare/ler of thee country have k said/ that we had delayel the war a month tot) long s rather than that we should have com menced it ad hour too :non. Had the conduit of his Majesty's Ministers been 'such as to hive prema turely brought the country into a state Of -war, or to have had recourse to such a measure befiire it was unavoidable, the consequence would have been, that instead of that determined spirit, that general maaifestation of resentment and wounded pride, on' the part of the mass of the people, that indignation at the conduit of France, and that determined reso lution to resist its aggressions, there would probably have been a relu&ance and supineness on the part of the people of this country, without whose cordial ex ertions and willing co-operations/here. was no hope of an honourable termination of` the contest; these considerations had operated on the minds of his Ma jesty's Ministers, and influenced their condu& towards France. Thee pleaded guilty towards the charge of forbearance, if that ce !id be considered as a crime; but at the same time denied that there was in these papers any a& of unbe -ming concession ; he ad mitted their forbearance night have been carried to excess, but, if that was a fault, he trusted it would be deemed a fault on the right side. Having said this, much; he Nras anxious to advert to those parts of the Hon. Gentleman's speech which had induced him to trespass thus early on the House ; tire lion. Gentleman had charged the Ministers of Govern ment with a failure of their duty, in not having made communications to this House. He had said, that opinions had been expressed with regard to the probability of the continuance of peace, which had not only not been justified by the result, but were unwarranted by the a&ual circumstances. At the time the Hon. Gentleman had alluded to some expressions of his, he admitted, as far as his recol leaion went, that the Hon. Gentleman had quoted his words. In the course of the debate on the De finitive Treaty, his Noble Friend had stated, that he had no assurance for the continuance of peace, but such as arose from the interest of the power with whom he had made it, and the consideration of our own strength. He had said, that after the treaties of Paris and Fontenot-, it had been discovered that the French entertained views which could not be carried into etre& without a renewal of the war, and there fore there was as great a probability of a continuance of peace, a-, there had been at the conclusion of tnose treaties he had mentioned ; but he had added, that there was no chance cf peace but what arote from our own strength and the idea of our impreg nable security. The Honourable Gentleman ha d c also quoted a part of what he had stated on a for mer night, to the effe&, that he knew nothing that could preclude the continuance of peace. Let it not be supposed, that it was his intention to make any compliment to the French Government ; what he meant to have stated, and what he a&ually did state was, that he had discovered nothing in the policy of the person at the head of the French Government, which was at that time calculated to induce an idea, that he was a&uated by a disposi tion adverse to the continuance of war ; he was, perhaps, mistaken in his opinion, and, indeed, he feared be had been—the impression, however, by which he had been urged to conceive his views pacific, had arisen from the consideration of his conduit, since the signing of the Preliminaries of Peice. He thought the circumstance of his sending the remainder of the navy of France to St. Domin go, favorable to the continuance of peace. It was an armament, evidently for the prosecution of an objell, which the First Consul could not have in view on any other than a pacific system. It had been said, that on the debate on his Majesty's speech, he had observed, that he had no idea of the renewal of war. He denied ever having used any such words. The fait was this, an Hon. Gentleman had said, that the war was likely to be renewed in con sequence of the expressions in his Majesty's speech. In answer to which lie had said, that nothing had fallen from his Noble Friend from which it could-be inferred that the war was likely to be renewed. He had said, there was no immediate probability of the renewal of the war. It had been stated by one or two gentlemen in the course of the evening, that in the debate for augmenting the income of the Prince of Wales, he had described this country as in a state of profound peace. He thought he had not made use of any such words ; he could not speak with so much certainty as to the words im puted to him on the :23d November, but he believed he never had uttered them at time he was supposed to have urged them. He was speaking of 'the cir cumstance which had induced the 'louse in 17e6 to restrain the income of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. .He stated, that the House was induced to do so ftom the state in which the country then was; it being at that time in a state of war ; he had merely suggested, that a restri'tion imposed during a pe riod of war, cught not to be continued during peace. If he had used the word profound, it had arisen Merely from that language by which that word was generally conue&ed with the idea of peace, the wish it should be permanent. There was one other occisidn on which he was supposed to have ex pressed an opinion calculated to insure the expecte hien of the permanency of peace, thet was, when he submitted his resolutions tespe&ing the Consoli dated Fund. He had merely stated that he looked forward with satisfac'ti'on to the abundant resources of the country, to its increased naval and military strength ; and he added, that the resources it pos sessed, would not be employed for the aggrandize ment of the country, but for the maintenance of its just rights, and the preservation of the bits .sings of peace. He had stated, that the means of the country would not be applied to purposes of ambition, but merely to the consolidetion of peace. He said, lie was glad to relieve the House limn ahy other reference to his language ; he meant to refer to that which was much more important. He desired the House to refer to those records of Par liament, in which they would find an expression of the sentiments of his Majesty's Ministers ; it was generally known, that the speech from the throne was by the advice of his Majesty's Ministers, and certainly he had advised those to which he referred thosHouse. He desired Gentlemen to look to the Speech at the commencement of the present sessious, and to the Address proposed by his Noble Frienchin answer to it. So far from the Address evincing any thing like a certainty of the continuance of peace, the Hon. Gentleman opposite to him had said, that it Was so similar to the Amendment, that the Amendment was hardly necessary. On the f43d 11evember, his Majesty had made a Speech front the throne, in which he referred to a relative sitnet-' tion of tj,4is country to the other powers, His Ihiee • ' - ~ i---rhn I • : • - • .. 1 f : •;*"% . - . jet did .nbt state in that'Speech, that 11:.. had re ceived any'ssuranoes from other powers. If any pacific sentiments had been erpreseini Oit thepart.of France, they would have been stated ire hia lideitie ty's Speech, so far horn his MajestesSeksechisetrig con , :iiered in the least degree of a pacific tandetteln The sentiments it had contained, had etiiked en-ap prehension, thatwar was an event likely AV* place. it was consequently impossible he slchtli on Cue day that Message was delivered,. and igifit Addrbss moved, hare 'stated that the chance of war was ifti probable ; • independent of this, there was at coins ment on the sentiments of his Majesty's Minister:, which must be considered as decisive ; he meant that comment which was to be found in. the trees military and naval arrangements which had take,' place at the commencement of this session. i 1 was possible to conceive that his Majesty's C; OV t•TZ. - ment had been lulled into security, by any idea Ch e t there were sanguine expedatione of the duration t.f • peace, could they possibly have urged the House bh have voted a naval force three times larger than the ordinary naval establishment, and a military force of twice the amount? Could they possibly have done this, expressing so absurd an opinion as that there w a s no chance of the renewal of hostilities; the extent of the naval and military preparations atfardedahandain proof of what the sentiments of his Majest y 's Miniss ters were with regard to the ptitbability of war. A Right Hon. Gentleman had complained, . that the constitution had been violated by the forbearance of his Majesty's Ministers. He said that was a point on which he was less disposed to eater into a discus sion. He would wish the right of the House to de mand information upon this point; he was ready to go as far as any man ; he was ready to admit that it was unlimited ; but until the House shall thick fit to exercise that right, Ministers have a right to exped that the I louse has a reliance upon their wis dom and discretion. Previous to this Session of Parliament nothing had occurred that seemed to hint worthy of communication. The only circumstance that had occurred was comprised in the paper of M. Otto, which contains six several grounds of coni- plaint: but they were so well answered by his No ble Friend (Lord Ilawkesbury) he was convinced the answer had produced a most poweeful ef fe.t, for they were not repeated. The He nourable Gentleman had stated, that the state aed situation of Switzerlaad ought to have excited the attention of his Majesty's Ministers as early as June ; the fact was, there was an anxious wish on the part of his Majesty's Government that there should be no resistance by Switzerland; it was feared that that brave and magnanimous people were only invited to make a desperate attempt, which would end in their destruction. It had been thought fit that an effort should be made if there was the least prospect of its being successful. The Swiss Deputies had gone round to all the Powers on the Continent with a view to inducing them to make a cammon cause in their favour ; when they found their application nn availing, they had then come to this country to so licit our assistance. A remonstrance had been made by his Majesty's Government, but it had failed. Mr. Moore was sent into Switzerland, but the object; of his mission was unattainable, and he took no diplo matic step whatever ; in fad his fundion ceased the moment he quitted the frontiers of Switzerland, on the 23d of Odober. As his having subsequently had communications with other Court son the Continent. it was entirely new to him; and he believed Mr. Moore was utterly unacquainted with it. The Right Hon. Gentleman said, he was nor disposed to ester into a discussion of the other points mentioned in hie Majesty's Declaration, as so many distind grounds of war. With regard to Holland, a Right Hon. Gentleman had complained, that there had been an inertness on the part of his Majesty's Ministers, and that they were wanting in their duty of not having had recourse to strong representations to re move the troops out of the Batavian Republic.— The fact was, instructions were given to Lord Whit worth to interpose, but his endeavours were chc eked in consequence of representations on the part of the Batavian Republic ; that such interposition would be likely to be attended with injurious consequeo; ces to Holland. On the 10th of November, Mr. Liston stated that thsre was great probability that the French would evacuate. On the 12th, the hopes which his former communication had raised, were discouraged. It was said that the troops destined for Louisiana, were intended to be continued for a longer time in the Batavian Republic. At that time the motives that actuated his Majesty's Ministers to make restitution of the conquests which this country had obtained, had ceased with respect to Switzerland. The additional causes that appli ed to. the possession of Holland by the troop. of the French Republic had become weaker in consequence of Mr. Liston's representation ef the ISlth. Then the question was, whether his Majesty's Ministers ought to have occurred, not merely the risk, but the absolute certainty of a war, by keeping possession of the Cape, to which they did not attach that degree of value and iisportance which they attached to Malta ? At an early period of the negotiation, his Majesty's Ministers, in bae lancing the advantages of retaining certain - places, and delivering up others, were of opinion, that al though the Cape was not to be considered as of n.s value whatever; yet, that its value was compare , tively trilling, and it was therefore they had cone . seined to cede it. Whether that opinion was weld or ' ill-founded, was not now the question. It was an hpi nion that had been taken up upon the most delieera; ! enquiry, and after much communication with yet sons competent to form an accurate judgment vpsai the subject, it was proper to state to the, i - loose, that during the s'x years this ccuir:ty had keat passession of the Cape, whatever might have teen its general advantages, it had beep produaive a ats expense of -not less than two inilhkms. He did • i not mean to mention this as a criterion of what might be the expence in time -of peace. He was far from wishing to inter, that it was not a velu able possession. All he meant to say was, that it es as rot of stacient value, like Malta, to make us ien the chance of a war for the sake of . preserving it. He felt it his duty not •to go into particulars, but he felt himself obliged to advert to that .I part of the Honourable (gentleman's speech, that related to Malta. It had been inferred that. there was an arrangement on the subject with Russia; now he most soleriny declared thereitat ver was :+ny ' , .!i such arrangement. The fait was, that previous to signing the Preliminatiee s and again, previou s to , 1 the Definitive Treaty, a communication was made ~ to the Government of Russia, staring the heads at which it WU proposed to snake an arrangement 4414 Malta. To that article no obiaioa 01.-ap • t , • • 1+ i .~ that be had re- wiers. If any ois the:part.of I in his lidaites- P s SOteth king tcifc tendentY. ssiesP- iysca*plact. on we d Mkt Addrtts of war was itt- -e was a cons- ity's Minister:, ye ; he meant id in. the l•!• -;?•7. is hich hai e session. 11 , 7 .4 1 josty's Covcr t - • y any idea tk.,• I :he duration c i • d the House ti.) \ es larger that: a military force • sibly have done s that there w a s •. s; the extent of nrdedahandaill lajestv's Minis= • • ity of war. A , tined, . that th- forbearance of at was a point n• into a discus- . 1 e House to de- fl it was ready to r to admit that use shall think have a right to upon their wis- this Se*sion of t seemed to him ly circumstance he paper of M. otinds of corn- :red by his No- WAS convinced tt poweiful ef- • d. The H - ,at the state and aye excited the s early as June ; wish on the part there should be feared that that only invited to >uld end in t!:eir it that an effort • t nrosoeLq or its I : k: r ' 1 •~~ ... . i - ...,',., .'1 'fl