The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-05-14 00:00:00

• • t R. • • • 1 . • 1 ~,, 1 .1' . • ri 1 ' • ; P s. . , : 1.1 .. I . . ,1, 1 I • I .. i ..) • i i . 1 I ~,• . 1 11 1 r • :* • 4 i 4. ; ..ff 4 , ~ '. 4 ' i W V I k . i i. # t 4 i t , 111 . ' I • 1 r • i • , • +' 1 i ' jig 1 Irl i 1 • i t $ 1 1 , , • _ •._ 0 ' ' . 1 1 ! r j i lt 1 1 . 4 1 , i • t .t : I \ f '' A i 1 54 • I I • t :I f 1 A 0 1 1 1114............A.m..„__ . 1 --.. aor • -mss-• . A TAMC it PANT. I.owd IN' AISINGH.IM moved that the ;knee ehmehi:mlinurit to Mond.tv. The I art of DAR N . I.EY and Earl STIN- C;ltt said they shottld not oppose it, although o ther tlpitg'n the Home, in the present state of un c‘rt.iinty,-chould sit this Liar. After a few words from the Lord Chancellor, the Msaion erns agreed to, and at half pant tep, the I touse adjourneo till Monday. HOUSE OF COMMONS. ritinAv, MAY 13. The London and Wesiminster'Coal Market Bill was read a second time and committed, and it was ordered that the Petitions against the Lill should be referred to the same Committee. Sir (IKORGF CORNWALL, Chairman of the Selete Committee to try the Inuits of the Bishops- Castle Eletiion, reported, that the Sittillg Member was duly elefted, and that the Petition was frivolous and ve , tltioirg. Mt. BOYI) A T.EXANDER moved for, and ob tained leave to piing}, in a Bill to imFrova the Town and I larbnut of fllasgow. Sec;-11 Pahlic Acer!...nts were prftinted from the C( mmissii errs of EseiNe, ;cm— On the Motion of Mr. ATTORNEY GENE- R A 1.. the Cimprovder and Naval Stores Indemnity Bill was read a First titre. Mr. ISAAC I IAWKINS BROWNE, Chairman niche Committee on the Survey of the Highlands in Scotland, brought up the Report , which was re ceived, and (Acted to be printed. The House went into a Committee upon the Sil ver Bullion Bill,. and the Report was ordered to be received on Monday next. The Committee on the Medicine Aa was defer red till Monday. The Bill to provide for the Families of Militia :nun, was read a third time. Mr. ROSE stated he should defer making the Report of the Committee on the Ilchester Elec tion till Monday, when it was his intention to move that the Attorney General should prosecute the pat tics. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. Toni GRANVILLE LEVESON GOWER " sir. I move that the House shall, at its rising, a.ljoorn till to-morrow. Last Friday must be so fresh in the memory of every Member, that I should he trespassing on the time of the House in advert ing to what passed. The arguments of those who opposed the longer adjournment failed, and the majority determined, on the information of his Majesty's Minister, to put themselves out of the power of receiving any communication on the en suing day. It will be recolleeted, however, that the intelligence received that day completely coo t-a/tidied the statement made by his Majesty's Mi nisters the preceding evening. After Parliament had been info coed that Lord Whitworth had left Paris on a certain day, it appears tiat matters of sufficient importance to communicate to the House did occur, and that the subjeCt deserved further information. It appears Lard Whitworth was detained b y a new proposition on the part of the French Government Ile might have remain ed at Paris in consequence of the - French Govern. nient having acceded to the proposition of the English Government. It may be so at thc pre sent moment; and therefore when it is possible that the House may receive a communication of such importance, I trust the House will be aetuated by that consideration, and not put it out of its power Is receive such a mumunication. I conclude then, sir, by moving that this House do adjourn till to. morrow. The CIIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER— " I apprehend, Sir, that the objeCtion I feel to the proposition of the Noble Lord who has just made the motion, will render it impossible for the House to entertain it. Such a motion, I wilt venture to ray, never was submitted to the House. The I lease, as a clatter of course, is adjourned to to morrow, and the Noble Lord could not determine that it would be proposed to adjourn to any further period, till after some of that business had been gone through which co:stitutes the Orders of the Day. He will forgive me, if I observe that, in my opinicm, he has not been well advised in the course he has adopted. I should have hoped that he would have thought it a more Parliamentary line of con dnel to have given notice, that, after the ordinary bpsiness of the day had been gone through, he would have brought forward his motion; or, which would have been the more proper way, that he • Would have waited till that which is the usual no tice, unless Amy urgent business requires a different one had been made, namely, that the House should adjourn till a future day, in which case he might have amended it or superseded it by another motion. My obj:ition to the motion refers to its substance and °llea the Noble Lord has said, that the cir cumstances which occurred last week, disproved the statement of his Majesty's Ministers ; give me leave, Sir, to say, he is not correa in that ; the statement of his Majesty's Ministers was not that Lord Whit, worth had departed from Paris. it was distinftly stated by me this day se'nnight, that I could not tell the fat, for that I had no knowledge of it. But from the circumstance of General Andreossi, the French Amhassador, having applied at the Foreign Office for a Passport, and from the inferences natu rally arising out of other circumstances, I expressed my firm conviCtion that Lerd Whitworth had quit ted Paris; I never said he had aCtually quitted Pa ris ; 1 had no intention of saying so at the time ; I know not the fait, and I could not say so. Now, Sir, the Noble Lord has expressed his regret that the House did not sit on Saturday 1...5t, and he is of opinion that many persons who obj..aed to the ad journment to Monday, and were in the minority, must have regretted that such an adjournment took place ; now l know of no circumstance attending that adjournment that ought to esite the regret of any Member of this House. Sure lam it ought to be a matter of satisfaltion to all who supported the motion, that the House did not sit on Saturday last. I mean with regard to the circumstances that might have resulted from the House sitting on that day, and I beg the House will pardon me if I refrain from stating my reasons—( Many of the Member' ex. claimed then- ! Thar !)—Sir, it was my intention to have proposed, if I had not been anticipated by the motion k,f the Noble Lord, that this Howe should have .adjourned till Monday, and I intended . have moved it without any comment whatever, at the same time perfeCtly prepared, if any question should hlve been put to me, to have answered it as as distinaiy as I possibly could, consistently with that dot,' I owe the public, and the obligatiun imposed ,- IMINm . en me, Ant to ewe that which, by Ise!ng pretriturely disckased. mieht efre3 its interest. Sir, 'in Thid 1 0 00nicated my opinion with recttea to turd Whitwortn') having set,otit on his j2torney itvsn Paris,. I am nut now enabled to state any •eotiinittnicatinn, or express any opinion w! , ether he if attualiy ee his %A!, to this country of not. But 1 prePaLi:d W express my prinion,ahmt there is no probability of any isifoimation being received in time to admit of any conimunicatinn being made to the House to-nee-row, and it is on that ground I shall hope the' Noble Laird will not persist in his motion. If he does net, I shall be induced to move that this House do adjourn till Monday." , Mr. CANNING.--“ Sir, the Right Hon. Gen tleman has stated two objedions ; one in point of - form, and the other in. point of propriety. With respell to the objection, in point of form, that such a motion cannot proceed from the Chair, I ; have only to say, that if it is informal, it must undergo the ate of every other motion that is vicious or ir rovtlar in its nature ; hot until I hear it stated by you I should be very mush inclined to doubt the ho-olinds upon which he has put his assertion. On the last Friday the Right Hon. Gentleman made 'the motion that the Ht.use should adjourn till Mon day ; so that an amendment was moved, that the House should only adjourn till the next day ; that motion, as it stood in its amended state, was precisely the motion which my Hon. Friend has moved to day, andiaccording to the rules of the House, and every principle of . good sense, I cannot conceive the consistency cf deliberating on the propriety of en tertaining a motion as originally put, and rejecting it, though in the same terms, merely because it is the result of an amendmeet. The objection, in point of form, applies as much in one instance as in another, and I cannot think why an objection should be made now, when no objection was made then. With regard tb the objeCtion in point of propriety and substance, after the Right Hon. Gentleman has stated from his own conviltion that the circum stance of the House meeting to-morrow would not enable him to make a communication, I should not wish to press the question to a division, but I think the House should make this distinaion. The Right Hon. Gentleman, on Friday last, stated, on French authority, what he should have to do. He told us he was to regulate his condt u t by that of the French Ambassador. I should hope, Sir, that what he speaks to-day is not conjedural but known and po sitive. If this is the case it is not try wish to give the House trouble unnecessarily, but if there is the slightest chance of a communication being made, and if I have not understood him that the House meeting to-morrow must be useless, I should be in clined to press this motion to a division, whatever its fate might be, in order, that those who feel as I do, that this is not a time, when the House of Commons should consult its ordinary usages, but that it ought, as the natural and proper organ to convey infor mation from the Executive Government to the Country, might chew the public that they are at their posts. As I think a public communication through the medium of Parliament, preferable to a placard stuck up at the Stock Exchange ; and as I deem a frank intimation on the state of the question of war or peace, and the degree of just apprehension of the former alternative, the proper mode of deal ing with the public • I therefore consider it would better become the House of Commons to put them selves in a situation in which they could receive a communication at the earliest possible moment, and not at such a crisis make themselves a holiday only because it is Satunlay." The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. I do not deny, Sir, that what I have stated is fairly open to the observations of the Hon. Gen tleman, but, I address myseif to. you Sir, and ask, whether in your recolleßion, for I hould be ashamed to refer to my own, any motion ever was made, with a view to an adjournment, that has been expressed in any other terms, than merely that the House should adjourn. The Hon. Gentleman has not distindly understood what I stated. I stated that I yea.: thoroughly convinced, that no infor mation would be received by his Majesty's Govern ment, in consequence of which any communication from his Majesty could be made to this House. I stated this, and I remain of opinion, that no com munication ought to be made from his Majesty, till we know that the negotiation has terminated satisfadorily, or till Lord Whitworth has arrived in this country. But, I will go further, I see no possibility. I know, Sir, lam irregular in saying this, but I see no possibility of making any com munication whatever to the House, in the course of to-morrow. If I even thought there was a chance of such a communication, I should think it incumbent on me to move the adjournment till Monday, because, I cannot reconcile it with the dignity of the British Parliament, and of the come, try, that this blouse should sit on an ufiusual day; solely for the purpose of receiviug a commune, cation, not formal, not fit or becoming, and on which no inquiry could be immediately instituted." Mr. GREY--" Perhaps the question may not hall! been regularly proposed by the Noble Lord; but; as the motion made by the Noble Lord is that sort of motion which cannot be put, the House I true will not think it improper in me to state my opinion, as to whether the House should at its rising adjourn till to-morrow, and not till Monday. When it comes from such authority as the Right 'Hon. Gentleman, that he is convinced no communication can be made, I shnuld be disposed to accede to the request founded on such an assertion, that the House should not meet to-morrows: be when it is nccon:panied with some degree ar . explanation, some doubt as to the House re quiring the information which it is possible his Majesty may receive, but - which it may not be pro per to communicate. I have .my doubts whether we ought !•0 consider the proposition of adjourning such ti one as we ouynt to accede to. I wish the [louse to recoiled the situation in which we are placed. It is now a week since the Chancellor of the Excliv,uer made that important communication, which deprived us of all hope that the points in dis cussion, between this country and France, would be amicably adjusted. Since that, another proposition has been made to the Hesse: on Monday last the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated,.that unforeseen and unexpected circumstunces :lad prevented Lord Whitworth from leaving - Paris ; yet that Matters were pot in the course of such ;. result, that some thing decisive must take place, and that some com munication or other would certainly be made in a very few days. Now, couplinf t these declarations with what passed, I wish the ou. , :e > determine on the propriety of adjourning till Mohday. I•We • • . `111.. ,,, • • now that the communication which Cvas to lea to • d decisive result, was sent by a messenger who went away on Saturday last, Intelligence has since sr need, that he reached Paris early in the present week. - )lS r ow I wish the Right Hon. Gentleman to state, whither the communication which was to lead to s decisive result having been made on Tuesday, it is not possible-the answer of the French Govern meat, which is to convey that result, may not ar. ire to-morrow ? It is impossible to say it may not be expeded even before the House rises. Is it too much thetun ask, on the part of the House and the public, anxious for come declaration as to those circumstances by which we are placed in so unusual a situation ; is it too much to ask that we should sit till to-morrow, when the Chancellor will be ena bled to state that decisive result, for which the House has so long waited? dere let me remark the difference of our situation now and on Friday last. We were told no new arrival of a messenger could take place before the hour at which we should assemble. In that the Right /lon. Gentleman was mistaken. The Messenger did arrive in the course of that very night ; and, what is extraordinary, at the time w:ten the Chancellor of the Exchequer was making the declaration, there were several of the Members in the House who were in possession of the very intelligence that Messenger brought. Adual information was given to me of Lord Whitworth's not having left Paris. Many Gentlemen know the fads that the ieformation was in possession of several persons. The Bight Hon. Gentleman says, he con gratulates the House that it did not sit on Satairday last. i. maintain that the attempt to induce the House to assemble was justifiable. He congratu lates the House that it did not sit in a manner par taking somewhat or mystery and alarm, inferring that consequences of the most dreadful nature would have resulted from it. NVlnit those consequences were that could have followed the House assembling on Saturday last, I am at a loss to conjeaure ; but i.I know very well that if it hid assembled, the House would have received, through its proper channel, the information which reached the public in another way. We were told that no communi cation could be made till another day—the differ ence in our present situation is this, that it is hardly possible the next night should elapse without the re turn of the messenger. Then are we not to sit on a day on which a communication may be re ceived ? No, says my Right Hon. Friend, because Lord Whitworth is not arrived. Now, I should should like to know, when we are told that the an swer to our message is to lead to a decisive result, when we are told that all the papers are inthe pressa should like to know why it is improper in his Majesty's Ministers to make a communication to the House, so prevent the continuance of that anxiety which has so long prevailed in the public mind. I cannot con ceive how the arrival of Lord Whitworth can be at all necessary-to this communication. The commit nication might not be what one would wish. If the decisive result should terminate in hostilities ; or if the result should be what the public must ap prove; if it should be the accommodation of the dispute, I have not heard the Right Hon. Gentle man state, that in either of these events the fad should not be communicated. But it is said Satur day is an unusual day for Parliament to meet. — When there is any objet of private convenience to be answered, this argument is never urged. On these grounds I am not satisfied with what has been stated as a ground for the House adjourning, while the Country is in a situation of so much anxiety. The Right Hon. Gentleman says he rests the question on the impossibility of any information arriving, and on the impropriety of any communication till I.ord Whitworth returns. I observe he has not stated when he will return. I sec no probability but what it may be next Friday before any communi cation is made. Therefore, Sir, if Ido not hear something more satisfaaory in favour of the ad journment, I shall certainly take the sense of the House. Mr. SPEAKER.—" I think it right, before the debate proceeds, to observe that I am not prepared to state, from memory or reading, of such a motion being offered in such a form ; and it does not ap pear to me to be consistent with the forms of the House." • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.— " I merely rise for the purpose of explanation. The Hon. Gentleman has stated fairly, that on Monday last I informed the House this discussion would be brought to a decisive result on the ensuing day, or 'Wednesday morning. It is true, I did say so, and I was justified in expres sing that conviaion, but circumstances have occurred which produced delay.—(lfear ! bear !) What those circumstances were the }louse will not expea me to state. I did state that the delay would be inconsiderable, but it is on the circumstance of that delay having taken place I should ground the motion which I should •submit afterwards to the House, if the present one is rejeaed or withdrawn. Lord G. L. GOWER. 7 --I withdraw .the-Motion, only on account of form. Mr. H. LASCELLES thought it duc.to his con sistency to state his reason for not adopting the same line of condua on this occasion, which he did on Friday last. He should not, on the present question, give any vote at all, and he was deter mined on this, from having found himself, on the former occasion, with a party which had given a systematic opposition to Government, and which had prejudged the question. Mr. FOX said, be was at a loss to know what the Hon. Gentleman termed a systematic opposition ; if he looked at the company at this side of the House, and who had rested on the same side cm that occa sion, he would find many Gentlemen who had given a systematic support to. Government. The Hon. Gentleman would be as liable to the imputation of prejudging the measures of Government by voting with those who had been in the habit 'of giving it a systematic support, as with those who had given it what he terms a systematic opposition. But for his own part he never recolleaed a division in this-House in which there was less appearance of party; If the Eon. Gentleman supposed they were inclined to prejudge the measures of Government, he wished to know on what side. If on the side of peace, he' could not imagine that the Gentlemen who voted with him, however highly they may value it, would adopt it on dishonours le grounds; and if on the side of war, if the Hon. Gentleman looked around him, he would recognize many who were not averse to that measure, who voted .on that occasion, and to whom certain papers had given the appellation of blood-hound - a The Hon. Gentleman had made use of the'word consistency, but he would find himself - 4". 111111 at a lost to support his consisteney,fievcr, aisle he voted for. For his own part he should not be apprehensive of forfeiting his consistency, as long as he voted according to his conscience. The Hon. Gentleman opposte to him (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) has said, that no communication could be made until the arrival of Lord Whitworth.-- It was said, that the question would be determined on Tuesday or Wednesday, and that a commieei cation would be made in the course of a few dAys. Now...when the Honourable Gentleman made th declaration, it was to be presumed, he did not mean next week. It has been stated, that according to the ordinary mode of travelling, if Lord Whitworth had left Paris even within half an hour after r.:- ceiving his answer on Wednesday, he could not l•e here sooner than to night or to-morrow morning. But it did not strike his mind, that we should ad journ to Monday, except some strong assertions wtit.l made, that there was no probability of a communi cation (n to-morrow. As to the question of form, he thought it could not be entertained, because it could not he reconciled with common sense. 'the Hon. Gentleman has said, that the delay arose from new circiimst.inces, which he does not think proper to state, but on which he meant to ground his me tion of adjournment to Monday. He was against delay, for he thought it necessary that the House and the pu' lic should know their fate as soon as possible. The Hon. Gentleman has said, that even if he knew the result of the negociation, he would not think it proper to give any information until the arrival of Lord Whitworth. Now, in the alterna tive of matters having been amicably adjusted, why not make it known sooner ? And is not this House the most proper channel of authentic information, on a subject in which the public mind is so much interested ? He does not impute blame to the Hon. Gentleman, though he has certainly been mistaken three or four times in this business. He entertained a hope, that the delay of Lord Whitworth would be productive of favourable consequences. But as the earliest information was necessary, if the sense of the House should be taken, he had no hesitation as to the side on which he should vote. Lord HAWKESBU RY—" In the vote I mean to give to-night, Sir, I am akftuated by the same reasons that influenced my vote upon Friday last. I am induced to do so, not only on account of its being unusual for the House to meet on Saturday, for that is sometimes done even upon private Bills, where it may be necessary to advance them a step in their progress, but I believe it never has been done when it was not likely to lead to any proceeding. As, in the present case, it is certain that no advan tage can result from the adoption of the original motion, I am clearly of opinion that the House, consulting its own charader and dignity, ought to proceed in its usual course. The Hon. Gentleman ( Mr. Fox) did not misunderstand my Right. Hon. Friend, in stating him to have said, that no commu nication from his Majesty could possibly take place to-morrow. There is a great probability of delay, though perhaps not of many hours, and my reasons for saying this, the House will not exped that I should at this moment disclose ; but the delay I al luded to, must unavoidably defer the information so generally desired. The Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Fox) has supposed two possible cases, in either of which, he thinks, and very properly too, that the earliest notice ought to be given=namely, the rupture of the negoil.ans, or an amicab e adjustment. In either case mit e tlidek.t may be irregular, his Majesty's Ministers woul think it their duty to make a communication to the House, should it be sitting at the time, and :it all events would find some channel or other of communicating it to the people of the country, especially should the event be of an unsatisfactory nature. The House has been told, from such authority as it may rely upon, that no regular communication can possibly take place to morrow. I believe it never has been the custom for his Majesty to send a Message to Parliament till the aft itself be in such forwardness, as to be in a state to be communicated, or until the artival of the Ambassador ; and I have heard no good reason why the usual course should be deviated from in this instance. No proceeding of the House could take place, to-morrow, or be accelerated by meeting out of its ordinary course, and I cannot give my as sent to an extraordinary sitting, merely upon the presumed chance of an oral communication." Mr. MARTIN said, lie did not see any possible mischief that could arise from the House sitting to morrow, and he thought it the more desirable that they should do so, as, if separated, something might arise to expose them to the anger and indignation of the country. Dr. LAWRENCE could perceive nothing Far liamentarily irregular in moving, that the House should sit to-morrow. To adjourn from day to day was the constant rule and usage of Parliament. and the motion of adjourning to Monday, was no more than a supercession of it. The question that the House at its rising in ad journ till Monday, was then put and carried without any division. ELECTION COMMITTEES. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUrR. observed, that an Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Fox) lately. suggested whether it would not he more adviseable to endeavour to procure one Eleaion Committee each upon two days in the week, than to attempt to get two Committees upon one day. After turning the subjeB in his mind, he was for preferring the method hitherto adopted, and for the following rea son. By an At passed in the last Session of Parlia• ment, by which if two Committees were appointed for the same day, if they got one, and could not pr.:- • cure the other, the House might, notwithstandin:.. proceed to business : but if there was but one al pointed, • and • that one could not be formed, t 1 ;, House must adjourn. Their time would therefore be improved by appointing two Committees, be cattse, when one was formed, the public bushysa would not be inconvenienced, as they might stile goon. Mr. FOX was satisfied with this explanation, and said, that his suggestion arose from a wish to accom modate the convenience tif the House, as the pub lic business must commence at a later hour after forming two ballots, than if there was only one. Here the conversation ended, as there was no motion before the House, and they will of course proceed on Thursday in the usual manner to ballot for two Committees. The ATTORNEY GENERAL brought in the Bill for indemnifying the persons concerned in exe cuting the two Acts of Council relative to thd stor page of the exportation of Naval Stores, and the 'permitting of the enrartation of certain aced grain :. 1 . t