The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-05-13 00:00:00

r. {! 1' H~ f i f I r, f .1 . 1. : t „i 1 . , : it . il ,4.., ii , i 1111 r L : r ~~, ~~r ~t "~~:~i~ ! . l oor Ti ' ti ' , 1, IMPERIAL P.ARLMMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, MAT 12. About a quarter before three o'clock prayers were read. Lord Ellenborough acting as Speaker, in the absence of the Lord Chancellor. %lien strangers were admitted after prayers, Fart BA-. THU RS 1 ' was moving that the House should* adjourn during pleasure, w hirh was agreed to. A few minutes before five the Lord Chancellor en:ered -the House, and the House resumed. A great number of Lords acre present. EAST INDIA TRADE. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said, be held i n his hand an important Petition from the Corporation of London, praying for a continuance of the exclusive Trade to India hitherto con fined to the Metropolis. His Majesty's Ministers had declined to press the consideration of this subject during the present Ses sion, and hr was desirous to decline pledging himself to any opinion relativeto it. The sentiments expressed by those who represented this Metfopolis upon so important a question, were however undoubtedly entitled to the deliberate attention and consideration of the House. The Petition stated the vast capi tal vested in warehouses for the purpose of carrying on the East India Trade, which would be lost, and the vast number of per sous employed in different avocations connected with this trade, who would be thrown out of employ, if the trade was to be thrown open to the Out-ports. His Lordship moved that the ' HOUSE OF COMMONS. Petition be read, which having been done. it was discovered to be informal fur the cant of the common seal, and was with- I The House met at the usual hour, and shortly drawn, his Lordship stating that the Petition had just beta ' after four o'clock, a very great number of Members handed to his', and he had out observed the informality. MURDER OF MR. PERCEVAL. i had taken their places. The Duke of YORK. read the Answer of his I MURDER OF MR. PERCEVAL. Royal Highness the Prince Regent to the Address I Lord CAST LEREAGH brought up a Message of the House, stating, that measures had been taken ' from the Prince Regent, which is as follows: for the apprehension of the offenders. I " Gnonan P. R. The Address anti the Answer were ordered to be I e The Prince Regent, deeply impressed with the severe loss fortl.with printed and published. his Royal Highness and the country have sustained, in ewe The Earl of LIVERPOOL presented a Message seqlence of the murder of the Right Honourable Spew , / Perceval, and being desirous of marking his sense of tesepebai ya from As Ro l Highness the Prince Re gent. lie and private virtues of Mr. Perieval, and of affording YAW Tile LORD CHANCELLOR was so overpower- and assistance to his numerous and afflicted family, meas• rid by his feelings that he could not read the Message mends to the House of Commons to enable los Royal Highness, audibly, and it was with great difficulty his Lordship in the name and on behalf of his Majesty, to make some provi got through it. sion for the widow arl,i family of the Right lion. Speucer Pa- The Message was then read by the Clerk at the ta. • eeval, as to the justice and liberality of the House may seem ble, stating his Royal Highness's affliction at the pu The Message being read by the Speaker, proper." lie and private loss sustained by the murder of Mr. I Perceval, his Royal Highness's desire to make a pro. I Lord CASTLEREAGH said, he was sure that he vision for the widow and the numerous family o f ; was anticipated by the feelings of the House, and ' that Gentleman, and desiring the concurrence of the l of the empire/ in the sentiments of sorrow and Howie in enabling him to make such provision. ! regret, which he now rose to express on a subject so The Earl of LI V ERPOOL said, he was about to , painful and afflicting to the country at large. Tee do that which was not strictly according to t h e re. `subject might, indeed, have been brought forward ; by one who, from his eloquence, was far more able gular course of their Lordships' proceedings; but to do it Justice; but as the feelings of that Hon. under the circumstances of this melancholy e v en t, Gentleman were too powerful for such an effort, he he thought it right to move an immediate Address, trusted that he should not be thought presumptuous concurring in the object of his Royal Highness's Message. He should not do injustice to the subject in venturing himself to address the House. He felt, , by saying one word upon any topic of political differ - indeed, with certainty, that no eloquence was ne ence : be was satisfied that there was but one feeling cessary to rouse the indignation and sorrow of the in the House upon this horrid event, and he had no : House on this lamentable occasion. Whatever dif. Terence existed as to political feeling, there was bat doubt that their Lordships' feelings would lead them ; one feeling as to the atrocity of the act of assassins- to an unanimous concurrence in the Address. Cer tain be was that no man had a larger share of public I tion,—an act so abhorrent from the principles of our' and private virtues than him whose loss they had now i nature, and so new to the annals of this nation. ;If the House required any inducement to guide to lament; that no man had less guile in him than • his unfortunate deceased friend. His Lordship con- ;them in their decision on thisquestion cluded by REY said he trusted their Lordships would moving an Address of concurrence. . 1 might contemplate the private virtues of they Mr. Earl G; Perceval ; while at the same time it was to be rile give him credit in declaring, that he sincerely partici- collected, that the loss now incurred was the loss of • I public servant, engaged in the zealous and cons.ien. pated in all those feelings to which this melancholy ' and horrid event had naturally given rise. Ha, tious discharge of his duty ; and that it arose from his equally with the Noble Earl, deprecated any elle. • 6mm and sincere conviction that the claims presented sion to political ditteiences, and whilst he partici- ' to him aid not deserve the notice of Parliament, ' which had now subjected him to the resentment and pated in those feelings upon this occasion, common revenge of a disappointed individual. The Noble be trusted to every Englishman, he most cordially concurred in the proposed Address. The circus's- Lord then observed, that he was happy to state, tat hGovernment had lo whic h stance of a public servant murdered in the midst of from all the information w his public services, leaving a numerous family with- therto been able to collect, the fact committed was out easy provision, which had he lived he might have an insulated fact,—that whatever reproach attached heats enabled to snake for them, undoubtedly anti- to it, attached only to the individual who committed fled the family of such a person to a provision from' it; and so far the national character remained with the public. Upon this ground the Address had his out a stain. The Noble Lord then proceeded to ob. most cordial concurrence. Might he, however, be • serve, that there was no Assembly in which the storm permitted to say, that he thought it would have of party mere immediately subsided, than in that Assembly which he had now the honour to address. been more desirable not to have departed from the No mite would feel, however opposite his political usual forms of the House, and to have come to the opinions might be, that it would be any abandonment subject with somewhat more deliberation ? Ile was also anxious to state, for the sake of his own honour of his principles, if on the present occasion he should and consistency, that he concurred in the Address turn aside entirely from any consideration of points with the express understanding that he did not coo. of contest, and look only to the afflicted state of: the family of the deceased. [Cries of hear, hear!] ' cur in any words (if any such there were) that might Mr. Perceval had left a lucrative profession, in which be construed into an approbation of those measures respecting the policy of which he had the misfortune he must have attained to the highest honours and o to differ in opinion. In the praise of Mr. Perceval's opulence, by the exertion of those eminent talents ' which had raised him so much in the public estima. public oldies, and *of his disinterestedness, he most heartily joined ; with his private virtues he was not lion. He (Lord C.) could say from personal know so much acquainted as others, but so far as he could ledge, that it was from a sense of public duty alone, judge from a slight knowledge of the former, he and with the utmost reluctance, that he was persuaded was disposed to join in the warmest eulogy. Hi s to apply himself to public life • and there could be no Lordship koncluded by again stating his concurrence doubt, that if he had remained in the exercise of his profession, that his family might have been crowned in the Address, with the qualification he had already mentioned. with opulence, and blessed with such a father.— The Address was agreed ; by the whole House to nosnine dissentiente (here his Lordship seemed much affected.) He and ordered to be pre s ented , was convinced that he was only speaking the pub. 1 and the Lords with white staves were directed to lie feeling, when he asserted, that there never was wait upon the Prince Regent to know when his a man who conciliated to himself a greater quantity i 1 Royal Highness would be pleased to receive the same. of personal esteem. [Loud cries of hear, hear ! EXAMINA NON ON THE ORDERS IN COUNCIL. from all parts of the house.] Indeed, he would ; STATE OF THE COUNTRY. I venture to say, that there did not exist a man who I The Earl of LIVERPOOL observed, that there I was an enemy to him as an individual. [Near, hear!] were some private Bills which it would be desirable I He had no doubt of the concurrence of Parliament to forward, but that it would be desirable, under I in the recognition of this principle, that unless there present circumstances, not to press any matter that I has been some base misconduct on the part of the was likely to create any difference of opinion. He public servant,. it becianeethe duty of the Helm is observed that the House meet-sit to-ttorrow, bat as extend its protection to such servants. The Parleeel we understood Lis Lordship, that an adjournment ment could never interfere mere wisely than for HO ' for some days might then take place. j purpose of protecting those trusts, the, faithful tUs- i Earl GREY agreed in the propriety of not press-' charge of which might possibly subject a man to pale-1 ing any subject that was likely to create any difference 'lie or private malignity. The recognition of such a of opinion, but suggested the expediency of cond. I principle would be advantageous to the public serv i ce ,, ruing the examination of witnesses on the Orders in I and was a duty not to be neglected under the most Council, particularly with reference to the situation I economical arrangements. [Hear, hear.] He sin of the • witnesses now in- attendance, who must be cerely felt that he was only weakening the impression . ' put to great inconvenience if they were under already entertained by the House, by expatiating on I the necessity of rernaluing in town, and the pre. ; this subject. At present he merely wished the House sence of several of whom was actually required iu the ' to recognise the principle of the Regent's Message. country. The particular nature of the grant proposed would The Earl of LIVERPOOL, while he felt the in- ,be taken into consideration on a future day. He convenience to which some of the witnesses might be would- merely state thus much, that it would be the exposed, felt at the same time that the public and object of the grant to protect the family individually. private incouvenimice of continuing the examination ' from poverty, [hear, hear!] instead of a single grant under present olseumstances would be so great as to I to one individual, which, on his death might be loaf'' preclude a arrangement for that purpose. Ito the family. It iwould also pro v id e such an annuity ny Earl GREY declined to press the subject any ifor the afflicted widow as might produce convenience further, although he could h av e w ished that the great l at least where consolation was impossible.—Th e N o . inconvenience to which some of the witnesses would 1 ble Lord was greatly affected throu g h ou t hi s speec h, be exposed coald have been avoided, - 1 and concluded by moving nn Add ress t o t h e P r i nce The LORD CHANCELLOR trusted the Noble Regent, expressive of the abhorrence of the House at Earl (Grey), and every Rom would give him credit, when he declared that Spencer Perceval, their desire to mark the sense they the state of the country was such * that It was nurse . entertained of his public 'milieu" by affording every assigance to his distressed and afflicted family ; and that they will take the necessary measures to enable his Royil Highness to make provision for them ac cordingly. Mr. PONSONBY slid, he felt a real anxiety to second the motion. The honour of the House and the country was concerned in !hewing, that no varia. I tion of principle could prevent.an entire participa -1 tioa in the indignant feeling excited by such an etre- I city.—[flcar, hear!]—He was happy to hear the 'statement made by the Noble Lord, that the nation alcharacter was untainted with this act—that it was to be referred solely to an individual. It was the I great advantage of a free Government that every one had an opportunity and a right of freely expressing his opinion. It was the duty of every individual en-' joying this right, to express his opinion, however different it might be to the views and policy of others; and if a man was to suffer for a free, honest, consci entious avowal of his sentiments, the morals of the people must, indeed, lie debased; and they no better 1 animals than under a state of despotism. Let every Englishman, then, express his horror of such grin 'ciples. He entirely agreed with the Noble Levi, Ithat it was the duty of Parliament to interfere, to I protect the servants of the public. Ile agreed in the principle of the Bill ; it was his sincere wish that no part of the family of Mr. Perceval should suffer in I poverty.—Wear, hear!] —Though he widely dif ' fered from Mr. Percevol in political questions. no d man entertained a higher opinion of his honour, nor a warmer affection for his person.—{Hear, hear !)--.. He never knew a stun of more worth ; and did not believe that there easted one who was more to be esteemed in the various relations of husband, father, brother, and friend.—[fiear, hear I—As it was Impossible to restore to his family the comforts to be derived from his existence, it was the duty of Perlis. I meat to do its utmost to render the remnant of their !lives comfortable. (Mr. P. sat down seemingly greatly a ffected.) Mr. CANNING said, he trusted he should be pardoned for the trouble given to the House, if even after the sreches already heard he should rise to ex press his entire concurrence with the sentiments which they contained, and to join in that testimony of respectful sorrow already so ably pronounced on his departed friend. Of that deceased friend he would say, that there never existed a man more uniformly ;amiable. None of those who acted with him heard him !speak' without having their own opinions con firmed by his judgment and sanctioned by his vir tues; and none differed from him without thinking that his errors were the errors of a virtuous mind. It was a great consolation to consider, that the crime which had deprived the country of this ornament was the act of a solitary individual. • The Noble Lord had acted justly and wisely in making this commu nication to the House, as it would on one hand pre vent the misrepresentations of the disaffected, and on the other, quiet the misapprehensions of those who seeing a danger, might mistake a symptom for a proof. He entirely agreed with the a )11 ,- -rrence ex pressed in the motion, and in the proposed remune ration. The loss of Mr. Perceval was Irreparable 1 to his country—it was irreparable to his family, ex. cept so far as pecuniary aid could compensate.— When we recollect how often, during the last two years, we have listened with pleasure to his voice, whoa he has been calling on Parliament to reward great public itirtvirArs, we aught to embelle• with eagerness this lamentable but fit opportunity of mark. ing by our generosity, our wish to reward his services, and to try as far as possible to alleviate the sorrows of a deeply afflicted family.—Cries of hear, hear!] Mr. Wlll . BREAD said, it would be totally un necessary for him to say a word on the merits of the motion, after the very able and eloquent manner in which it had been brought forward, and seconded by the Noble Lord and his Right Hen. Friend ; but as he had frequently been an active and open opponent of the Right Hon. Gentleman in that House, he wish ed to be indulged with a few words. It would be needless for him to say any thing which might mark his private virtues : he (Mr. W.) believed them to be most numerous and extensive ; and they were too well known to require from him the smallest pane gyric. Among the many public virtues which he pos sessed, there was one which he and the House had very often witnessed, and which he had as often admired, which was, that amidst the great diversity of subjects whereon he was continually drawn into argument, he al ways preserved a perfectly liberal and unceasing con trout of temper. However he (Mr. W.) might, on various occasions, have differed with him in opinion, he could truly aver, that, twyond the doors of that House, he (Mr. W.) never carried a single particle of political animosity against the Right lion. Gentle. man, whose toss he sincerely felt and deeply deplor ed. He concurred most cordially in the motion. The motion for the Address was then put and car ried stem. con. On the motion that the Address be presented by such Members of the House, as were also Members of the Privy Council, Mr. WYNNE thought it would be mare strongly indicative of the feelings of the Heuse t that the whole Noose stout& go up 'kith th 6 Frei. I Lord CASTLEREACIII toncarred In . tiis propo sition, as it would be moretratifying to the feelings of the family, and more respectful to the memory of his Right Honourable Friend. It was accordingly ordered nem. Ton. that the whole House do go up with the Address, and that the Members who were of the Privy Council do wait on the Prince Regent to know when he will be pleased to receive the same. It was then ordered that the Prince Regent's Mes• sage be referred to a Committee of the whole House Ito-morrow. Mr. WIGRAM, after bearing testimony to the estimable qualities of the Right Honourable Genet,- man ever since he had been a boy at school, suggested that he should have a public funeral, and that the (louse do attend it. Lord CASTLEItEAGH thought it would be more agreeable to the feelings of the family that the funeral was not public. Some further conversation took place, but carried on in so low a tone, as to be unintelligible in the Gallery. A conversation also took place as to the proprie ty of adjourning for a few days, or only from day to "Xi when it was understood thakthe Home was to adjourn only from day to day. '`IMMI The different Orders and Notices wer e th n post poned to more distant days. The Committee on the Orders in Council, on the motion of Mr. BROUGHAM was ordered to stand for to-morrow. Adjourned till to-morrow. ; TIM ST. sary that the House should sit from day tellay, In order to be ready to take such steps as circumstances 1 might require, for it was impossible to say what might happen in the course of a few days. It was his firm conviction, that such was the state of the aountry, that rendered it impossible for Mm to as sent to any proposition for placing the House is say other situation, than that of sitting from day to day s_ whilst at the same time, the public inconvenience that would arise from it, rendered it impossible that the examination of witnesses on the Orders in Coun cil, could at present go on. ' The Plate Drawback Bill was read a third time and passed. The Transferrable Stock Bill, the Embezzlement Bill, several Local and Private • Bills were brought up from the Commons by Mr. Smith, Mr. Black burne, Mr. Dickinson, Admiral Harvey, Mr. Tho mson, and other Members, and read a first time. Adjourned till to-mbrrow (this day). TO THE PUBLIC. Mr. Levu'. is extremely sorry to learn, that owing to se,, e contas'on at the Office, yesterday, its consequence of the great demand for the *ATEA/111N, team Papers were not delivered at the Post Office in time for the Mail, and will, in consequence, b e sent this eves*. An. • Maas. Cadiz Doe, 1 1 1 1 1 --- PRICK OF STOGIES THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLUCh. Bank 1127 India Bond; 1 p 3 per Cent. Cons. 614 61h1 I Exchequer Rills par 1d • I per Cent. Red. 61h1 Ditto 3h 4 per Cents. 741 I Outniuns 5 per Cost Navy 914 Consist; for Atset. 601 j; Long. Arta. 15f Lottery Tickets £(1.1 :16 THE STATESMAN. LONDON: WEDNIESOA Ir, KAT 12 ) 1812. Foamy fresh arrival from America beds to confirm the AA, that the American Government ue decided. ly hodile towards this country.' On Monday we announced, on the authority of private letters from Washington, dated March 14, that an Embargo was then expected to be laid on all the shipping in the ports of the United States ; and yesterday we re. ceived another communication from the same city, dated the 15th, in which it was stated that the ques. tion of peace or war with Great Britain was then under the consideration of Congress., The report of an Embargo is now completely confiimed, by the arrival of an Officer with dispatchee from America, which state, that this occurrence took place on April 4, and was to continue in force for ninety days. The French Minister, it is added, caused it at the same time to be publicly made known, that all vessels discovered to be bound to England would be burnt by the cruizers of Fiance. We have received the National intelligencer Extraordinary, of Saturday, the 4th April, which contains a copy of the Embargo Law.—lt will be found in our last page. The result of the debate in the House of Representatives, op the proposed declaration of war against this country, has not yet reached us ; but after the very warlike proceedings of the American Government, which are now before us, it will be a matter of surprise if any doubt can be entertained that other measures, equally hostile, .111 be immediately resorted to by the Americana. Florida bag, no doubt, Ives, in pos. session dale Spaniards by trea'y since the yearllB.3 but that possessiOn of late can wily be regarded as neealnal. As the crowed Meader" of the rights of the Spassfsh people, against all aggressors, the pro tection of the Floridas naturally devolved on this country. The attack made on them by the Ameri. cans, must, therefore, be held tantamount to a Des claration of War against Great Britain ; and the Embargo can be considered in no other light than as an authority to commit reprisals on our shipping. Besides the National Melt!. geneer of the 4th of April, we have received New York Papers to the 49th March ; Philadelphia to the 28th of same month ; and Boston Journals to the 3d April. The New York General Advemser, of 28th March, contains the foliating important ar ticle from the National Intelligenceraimportant, we call it, because this Journal is the organ of the Arne. rican Government, and may be fairly held to convey its sentiments as to the state of the political relations between the two countries : [FROM THE NATIONAL INTELLIGEN'CER.I The British ketch Gleaner arrived at Annapolis on Thursday erening, bringing dispatches for Mr. Fos- TER, the British Minister, from bis Government. She left a British port about the 4th ult. and brings London Tapers to the first of the last month. We hate not, of course, learnt the nature of Mr. FosTEe's dis patches ; but we have every reason to believe they are not of a character favourable to our rights or interests. The London papers received by this vessel are said to be destitute of interest to an American reader ; except that the Courier expresses an opinion ttat 'Gnat Britain ought not to lows otereent in hostile 'reparations against this country. This opinion &elided on the report of the Committee of Foreign .Relations, (the adoption of which is n oticed in the London prints of Jan. 23 ) is given ill the Courier of the 25th. The Hornet is understood to have sail ed from England, previous to the departure of the Gleaner. As the Hornet sailed from Eue• land helot . * the Gleaner, we cannot expect to re ceive by her any information of a more satisfactory nature than that brought by the Gleaner; and the papers by the latter vessel give no intimation of the repeal of the Orders in Council. 66 hope deferred maketh the heart sick." We are weary of hoping oa expeding from Great Britain any respect for oar rights, escape sod as is extorted at the cannon's mouth. Let us then no longer deceive ourselves; the period is arrived when the rights and honour of our country must be asserted by en oilseed to arms, or ignominiously surrendered to the didation of 4 foreign power. The question of a question of expediency. War, or irr etrievable du grace appears to us to be the only altern atives as the choice of the American Government. war is no longer •