The Sun. — London, England, 1812-06-18 00:00:00

Mr. MARUYATT then moved, " That Thoma; Knowles, the Printer and Publisher, he ordered to attend at the Bar of this House on Friday." Mr. BROUGHAM said, if he could have antiei• pate& what had: : occurred, he would, however painful it might haye'been to him, have mention, cd the name ot the iudividuat to whom he had ; alluded; as even to - have - done 'that would have htlye. been Jess unpleasant than Were the feelings to Which .this`mistake gave rise. ft was not his Hon, Friend (if "he would allow him to call him So, Mr, Marryatt) of Whom he had spoken, but a' perfectly different person, who was not,, and who never had been (he stated it with 'pleasure) a Member of that House. That which he had said wit:i respect to the. distress of the country was not a fanciful picture, but a statement of facts.— As to the question before the lie for one coulttnot object, to the Motion, but. he thought the present one of those cases in which their pri vileges would be best consulted by mingling With . .their justice a large portion of their lenity. When they took into theifeonsideption the many disad vantages under which what passed in thaullonse !was given to the public.- - -(Here the Sproker the Hon. dad Le'rrned Member to mcler.)- 7 -Ik. would only say then that he hoped the individn'al when called to their bar, would he most dealt with. The paper in question he knew nothing of fill lately, when it had been twice put in his hands. Intfi.;: one instance it contained an at tack on his conduct, in the other, words had been put into his Mouth Which he had never tered. He had, however, thought it best in both cakes to pass it over without notice. - Mr. A. BARING hoped, after the explanation which had take place, the Hon. Member would be satisfied without pr,xeeding further, as he could not suppose that - of which he, complained was inserted intentionally. After a few.. words prom Mr. HERBERT, of Kerry,.. dan_ t /....DAMS; Mr. MARRYAT said, his object had been merely to set right ; this had been done ,by the statement of- the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, and after this, if he were to' wish any punishment at ai inflicted on the Printer, it should only that of obliging law to print the evidence which he really had given -in his pape'r. Whether he (tbe Printer) did this or not, satisfied as_ he (Mr. M.) was with the explanation which had taken place in the. House, he would, with their permission, withdritw his motion. Colonel WOOD and Mr. H.. SUMNER were un derstood to object to its being withdrawn. Mr. PO*SONBY thought no good purpose could be answered by bringing the-Printer to the Bar. All he ,could say was that it was a Mistake. The offended Member was already satisfied, and what could they do under such circumstances Mr. H. SthINER, we understood, still objected to the motion being withdraWn. The question was put, - and the Noes appeared, to have it. A division was however called for, when the numbers were— - For the Motion 110 Against it 1 1 ,6 Majcrrity CUSTOM-HOUSE OFFICERA. • Mr. ROSE, in order to vindiCate the Custom- Iloase Oftice;s from the reflections cast on them by the Honourable and Learned (lenticular' (Mr. Lioughmn) in his speech on the preceding night, moved for copies of any letters, from the Board of Trade, or tlic Board of Treasury, to the Com missioners Cuaorns, or the Officers of the austom-House, to induce or, to encourage them to put a higher value on articles for exportation; osx wilich no duty liris,paisi, than they were really worth. Mr. IlnotTonAm Vad no objection to the mo tion ; but it now appeared that mistakes were not confined' to Newspapers, as the Right Hon. Gentleman in his place; sitting near him, and at tentively listening to his speech, had Misunder stood him. He had never said that instructions had been given, and if instructions had been given", he was not raw enough to suppose that they would have been given by letters running thus I am authorised by my Lord Somebody, to direct you to swell the returns of the exports of artiele:i not paying duty . , by falsifying them hence forth, in the proportion often to one.' , ' He had said there was a sort of - fellow-feeling between the - Custom-House and the Bdard of Trade, and stating this, he had gone on facts which had been given in evidence, before them. Atter a few words from Mr. Rose, the Chan cellor of the Exrhequer, Mr. Marryatt, Mr. Bas tard, and Sir John Newport, the motion was egreed to. FRENCH PRISONERS OF WAR. Mr. N. CALVERT moved for an Account of the French Commissioned Officers, Prisoners of War in this country, in the years ending Junes, 1810, 1811, and 1812, distinguishing those who had been set at liberty on their,parole, and .those who had broken it, and also those who had escaped, and those who. had been retaken. Lord CA3TLEREAGH was happy such a motion had been brought forward. The number of French Prisoners Vho had lately violated their parole, was so great, that it became a subject of serious consideration; •in a war like the present. If we could not prevent this evil, without having recourse to measures which our feelings weld not allow us to adopt, we might at once publish to the world the numbers who broke their pa and their Baines, to hold them up to the dis grace they merited. CALV2RT was of opinion, that to do this alone voald not be sufficient. He had much to say on the S•Z;liject, but would not then take up the time of die House. This Motion was agreed to. Mil. SHERIDAN AND THE HOUSEHOLD. Mr. SHERIpAN rose, pursuant to a notice which he had given on Monday, for this day, -with the indifleuce of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, though more business of greater importance was before them than any thing could be whiCh lie !night have to say. He must confess, that in (twit% down to the House, he felt that which had occurred as rather an inauspicious omen. — How it had happened he knew not ; but yes terday it Inul I.),tn rumoured Alia he *0 so very iii, that it was impossible for :bim to bring on his , Motion. He' had been ... , much donate surprise, at his being well enough to come out, with which he bed been greeted by those whom he had met. -I , 7QW the truth *as, that he had been very well yesterday-, bet he was so far ftene being well to-day, that he must on that ac conat solicit the indulgence of the House; .but -severe indeed enlist that indisposition.have been which could make him so far neglect his own character, and what was of greater consequence, treat the NotiSe with such disrespect a's .to fail to redeem the pledge which he had given., • Gentle %tenon might be assured that he would be as brief as possible-, because he must confess that he had solicit their attention very much to his own_ per sonal feelings ; and during the time that he had hail a 'seat in that House, he trusted he had at lease had good common sense and common taste enough, not to be - an egotist within those wallss•but au the present occasion he must solicit their in dulgence. In what he had to say he did not mean to prefer the slightest.- charge, or throw the slightest aspersion or ceimination on any person whatever ; he would confine himself to refuting , those calumnies and libels which had been pub lished against him—snot those, however, which had appeared in publications which he would scorn to 'hold in his band. If the celmeraies of which he complained had only been published'in those or in ordinary . publications, he would -not have noticed them, for never was man more .friendly, not only to the liberty, .but he might almost say to the license of the press, than him self ; but when such libels appeared in that print which it was notorious was most particularly at-' tache.d to, and under the influence of those who had long been considered his political friends,:te could not view them with the same indifference. He had -there been inittrionsiy.held up as the chief actor in that secret influence .N . VII lei it was-. said had disappointed the hopes of the nation, ,and twice prevented4e formation of a strong Administration: He 'had been represented to be the cause of the failure of the late negociations, and as having rought about the formation of the. present Administration. The Gentlemen oppo site knew better. They (the present tration) knew how little they were beholden to , him, and he seas certain that he should not lessen himself in their estimation, when be declared; that if his counsel, or if his influence could have prevailed, not-one of them tvOuhl have been in , the service of the Prince illtgent that day.--4n order to prove that he *as a member of a - cabal which . it was said had disappointed the hopes of the country, and procured the appointment of the present- Administration., it had been said, that he had in. an 'indite manner exerted an influence he possessed over that great and illustrious person age, in whom the executive power was vested. This was that which wounded him more than any, calumny which might be fabricated against, him, self. He would not pretend to dh:guise the friend ship and the confidence with which he had long been honoured by his Royal Master ; but if be (Mr. Sheridan) had'been base enough to take ad- vantage of that confidence and friendship to offer him secret advice, while he had responsible Mini sters in his service, who alone ought to advise him, he was sure that such conduct would have met with the severest reprobation from that great and illustrious personage. He would not. dis= guise,' that perhaps no . man living had had more . opportunities of knowing the disposition and the heart of that exalted character than himself, but ~it could only be known to him (the Prince) to his (Mr. Sheridan's) own heart, and to the omni scient researcher of all hearts, le ther or not he had endeavoured to avail himself of those opportu nities tia gain an ascendancy over himby sycophancy or servility. He had never been the man to do so, and little did they know of the Prince, who. could be lieve that such a man could possess his confidence or his friendship. He, wished those who en couraged the aspersions thrown on that illustrious personage had known his heart as he did, and then those injurious calumnies, and that ungentleman ly scurrility which they had seen would never have existed: For himself he would say, that he had never acted against the interests of the coun try. To her welfare be bad uniformly sacrificed every personal feeling. He had deserted those with whom be had been in the habit of acting, and voted, against his party, though it was a par ty he loved—and why ?. Because. he loved his country better than his-party. In conscientious ly voting against them, he did not know that he offended them ; but if it did give them offenee, he was consoled for it by the applauses and the confidence of the country ; and he was confident, that if the senility of a sycophant had appeared to mark his conduct in his intercourse with the illustrious personage of whom he had spoken, that it would have been at the risk of that friend ship which be had the happiness to enjoy, and the consequence would have been, he (Mr. S.) would have lost the favour of his Prince, and he (the Prince) would have lost (a loss which. he (Mr. Sheridan) would have prayed to God to re pair the same hour) the zealous and dutiful ser vices of one who was sincerely attached to his person, and to his honour and - his glory, and not, to his station. The reflections which had been thrown out respecting t'he seat he held in. that House might he thought have hten repressed.— He did not throw out the slightest insinuations against Gentlemen of the party with which he acted as having published those aspersions Of which he complained. He wholly acquitted them of any thing of the kind ;I hut he: thought it, might have occurred to those who knew him, who had known him long, and who had seen what his conduct had been for the last thirty two years, that he was not that sycophant who would join in a cabal i*hich oppose itself to the interests of the nation for a seat in Pailiameat. He next came to speak of -the income which he re ceived, .and which was. ete . only income he had from the office bestowed upon him by the Prince. On the death_ of Lord tiliott, his Royal High ness had consulted the late Attorney-General, Vicary Gibbs, and Sir Thomas Pioneer, on the subject of giving it to Lord Lake. -They h td giVen it as their opinions, that it could not at that time be conferred on Lord Lake, as his Lordship was then in India. His Royal Highness upon this gave it to him pie. Sheridan) , for the time being, and he accepting of it, had pledged himself to the brother of Lord Lake, and in the presence of the Lake. The moment his Lordship retutned from India, he (Mr.,81) did_ resign it. Jamented, death of Lord Lake shortly after gave the Prince an opporiMuity of restoring it to him (Mr; S.), which he did, giving it to him by letters patent for his life, as he had given it before to Lord: Lake. He had felt himself bound to say so Much on this subject, in justice to his Royal Highness, whose conduct in this respect . had been most un worthily asliersed. With respect to . that secret influence of which so much huti been said, he 'dis claimed all participation in it, and he would state what might excite some surprise, that he hadseen the Prince Regent but once in the course of the last two months. 'He - bad . purposely abstained 'from having any communication with his Royal Highness, !fromsa feeling of dutiful respect, and had onl seen him after hie s return from Stafford - shire, when lie (the Prince) was graciously pleased - to ask his humble opinion on certainmegociations which were going on. Ile had given his opinion on them, at for his own honour he would desihe nothing more than that ,Opinion should he ,pubs lished. He now came to his connection .with the IHousehold Officer, of which so much had been said : he had to state that he was not acquainted with the Marquis of Hertford. In his life he had . 'been twice in that Nobleman's house. He•bad dined there once just before the death of Mr. Fox, and he had been there once since. If he had the honour ofvisiting at Manchester-square, he would think it mean to shrink from an avowal of it at this time, and unmanly to disclaim the connection. With the Noble Vice-Chamberlain (Lord Yar-' month) he was well acquainted : they hat! very frequently met at A variety of places in different social circles; but he believed no two men' at all connected with public life had, ever so slight a po litical acquaintance es himselfand the Noble Lord.. Having now rubbed away a good deal of the rub-, ;bush about the Household, and the secret influ ence, he would proceed, to pawy matters. His Noble Friend opposite had described him as -a principal in the late negociatioes. Doing this, he had done 'him too much honour, as his had been but a very minor part indeed. He`would - state how far it had gone. 'lf he had, pretended; to knO-w nothing of : the:late .fiegociations, and had assumed a grand mysterious air of profound ignoe ranee on the subject; his conduct would have been comically extravagant enough ' • but he had affehted nothing of the kind. He did know of them, ahtf he had never denied that lee knew of them. Andhos did he know of them ? Not from the HOusehold; not from his connection With the secret influence, not friam his acquaintance at Carlton-house, but from the Marquis of Wellesley, who had called at his house in his carriage on the day . on which the Noble Marquis was authorised by the Prince Re gent to form an Administration. Lord Wellesley bad done him the honour to call upon hint (Mr. S.) the second or third person he called on, and had shewn, him the written plan which :he had drawn up for formingan Administration. Of the negociation which followed that of the Noble Marquis, he Pdr. S.) had known more from his intimate connection with that Nobleman, whohi he called his friend' with pride, and who was .e very thing that was great, and manly, andsineere, and - virtuous, and good, the Earl of Moira. Stand ing in the situation which he had described, with the Noble Lord, it most undoubtedly would hare been silly for him to have affected ignorhnee of what was going on. What he resented most in the libels which had been circulated, was, that he had been described as an artful in triguer,, and charged with giving secret advice to his Prince to inflame his mind against the two Noble. Lords who had been particularly applied to, to form a part of the Administration, and against one of them in particular. He would assert, that the paper which preferred such a charge against him, wass from beginning to end, Most grossly and audaciously false. It was hardly saying enough of _it to declare it to be false, as every - part of it set forth that which was the very ,cen- • trary of the truth. He had done all that was in s his power to bring the confideece goodand Will • of all parties to those Noble Lords, and this he did not wish to rest on his assertion, as proofs the •most unequivocal were easi'y to be produced of the facts When it was decided that an Ad- Ministration should be .formed without any ex clusions being previously stipulated, he did then, as a Privy Counsellor, address a. letter tohis Royal Highness on the magnanimity and wisdom with which be had acted. He would contend, that the-Prince Regent had. as much right to call upon any Privy Counsellor for his adlice as he had to call upon any . great Lord for his, and a Privy, Counsellor .was as . responsible for the advice which he might give. He wouild now come to the subject of the supposed con versatien between the Noble Vice Chamberlain and himself. This was supposed to be confirmed bAtlie Right Hon. Gentleman's five hundred thoh sand guinea bet, of which he whet(' say more by and by: The charge against him was, that he had endeavoured to establish the present Admini stratisith by baffling Lords Wellesley and Moira in their ,effortsto form an Administration. A charge more foolishly false was never made in the world. He would not condemn the conduct of Lords Grey and Grenville. They might justify it in an ether place, where he understood a discussion on the sAject was likely to come an. Though be certainly had formed a judgment of his own, he would allow others to have their judgments also ; btit this he said, that, at a moment like the pre sent, when all the great points for which they had ; so long contended were conceded to them; when thatquestion, which in his opinion was Oh great est and most important of all questions, that te- : I tire to the state of Ireland; was thrown open to their wishes ; when an opportunity appeared to be gin-en to them of preventing an American war; when it was put within their power to introduce those hecessary and practical reforms which were called for, and also to quiet the disturbances in the country; when all these great objects were set before theth, he had not believed it possible for any set of men to set themselves up against serving their country, because they wanted thre`e white sticks, which were held by the Officers of the Household. That these were his sentiments was no secret. He had argued the question with many of his friends, and stated - his opinions to he , such. He had communicated them to a Noble foes, for his conduct had provoked no Personal enmities without the. wnlis of that House ; he had. coMinunicated his sentiments to his Noble Friend (Lord Kinnairsl) a person. through whom he could convey them with temper anti with accuracy to Lord' Grey. His arguments on the subject had snot pro4uced the impression he desired. On his frieutts ; a circumstance which he much regretted, and in no institutemore than in that of this' fail ure on a .young - frieird who promised to be one of the greatest ornaments of that House. [le - was of opinion, that the pledge given by Lord Grey: in the House of Lords could not be retracted. On this, he (Mr. - S.) was not disposed to say one word ; that Noble Lord ou . t., , ht to be the guardian of his' Own- honoUr; but he could not but wish that he had not pledged'himself to discharge tlto Household. He. had at firt :thought the News- , papers had exaggerated in the accounts they gave of that pledge ; but this. not being the case, if he were asked the question, hemertainly .could not. see how the Noble Lord could preserve his hoot): if he did not abide by that pledge. The Noble Earl, he had understood, was of opinion, that it s 'certain personi came into offr:e,. - The present Oui eery of , the Household were licntd...tO This he thought came to prec;se'y the same thing as discharging them ; for he trusted there 's - g.s not a man-in the House whO would come into the shabby juggle it would be, to say that merely al lowipg,them eight or ten minutes walk off with their white sticks, came to any thing short of dis charging them. He had disliked tic conduct of the Household in saying, " We will resign if such 1111 Administration comes into power," as he did the conduct of an Administration which said, " if we come in, the Household shall be dismissed."--- He had only .disapproved on this principle of the conduct- of the Noble Lord, and theirconversation ended in his- [Here Mr. Sheridan, who, to‘VardS Op latter part of his statement, had 'frequently paused front apparent indisposition, appeared so._ ill, and so much eXhausted, that he could not proceed. /lc raised his hand to his forehead i and stood silent fiir ; some moments. The' House called upon him to sit down. He accordingly resumed his scat, and a glass. of water was brought to him, which appeared to kelieve him consilerably, and he agant .rose,] lie coressed his gratitude- for. the indnigence of the 'rouse. He endeavoured to state part Of the conversation Which had. passed between him and the Noble Vice Cl' ni..mberlain. The story of the Noble Lord having given way to his exi!ortation was Wholly unfOunded, and the conversation had ended with his saying " well, I believe you arc right after all." [Here Mr. Sheridan was again unable to pro ceed. His voice faltered before be ceased to speak the last time, and he was more than once wholly inaudible.] Mr. JEKYLL submitted it to the delicacy and feelings of the\ HouSe, if it could be proper to KG': teed with the discnssion. He though that it must be felt to be more corOenient to postpone it, and he accordingly moved to - postpone it to Friday. Mr. SHERIDAN' faintly nodded 'assent, but :lid nct speak. The question was 'then put and carried, and thr dizcus-Jion was postponed to Friday. SINECURES. Mr. BANKES moved the brder of the day for re suming the proceedings on the Bill resptcting Si necure Places. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEGIIER stated. the Bill to have the recommendation of the Pri;.:o Regent. After a few words from - .N.fr. C. Wynne and :Yin Courts-may, the Bill was passed. BARRACKS. Mr. W4RD wished to know if it was the inten tion of Government to erect the Barracks in Mary- le-bonne Park on the plan which had been for" merly proposed ? Mr. WHARTON said, the subject would again lie fully considered befote the sums necessary to carry that, plan into effect were introduced in the esti' mates of the year. Mr. BROUGHAM put a similar question respect ing the Barracks in various parts of the count:l, :to which a similar answer was given, which ‘rtli loudly cheered by the House. The accounts of the Excise duties on Glass aro ( Tobacco having . been referred to the Committee of Ways and Means, on the Motion of the Chau cellar of the Exchequer, the House resolved itself into the said Committee. THE BUDGET. . The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHgQUER declared, that he could not rise to perform the duties of his new office, without feeling sensations unusually painful at the recollection .of the lamented indi vidual in whose place he stood. He could scarcer" consider himself in any other light, on the present occasion, than as developing the plan which hi:4 predecessor had left in his office. Well would it be for him, could he as easily inherit the manifold talents and virtues of his lamented friend, and thcs high public approbation with which those talents . and virtuek were crowned ! Under the present eir - ' cuinstances, the Committee would not expect him. to do more than to state, as briefly as posalcf What (with the exception of a few particulars . , • on which. he would renlark when he carne to them) was the Budget of their departed friend.---r He would now proceed, without further pre face, to , lay before them the chargc.3 for the pre sent year, .and the estimate of the Virays and Means, by which it Was proposed that those charges should be met. The whole amount of the supply was alrcady within the kriowled:Te of. the Committee ; and had been' agreed t o by the llouse, except a few votes of miscellaneous ser vices. It certainly was an, enormous, and he might say, a, terrilile charge ; 'but it was same' consolation to reflect, that happily the resourCe:i . of thC country were not so 1,, iken down, as to-, render it impracticable fully to meet it. Ou a re , " ference to the papers on the table, it would "Pp' pear; that for the navy, exclusive - of ordnance sea service, the sum ,required was 19,702,399 1 . For the army, including barracks and connnissa ,. riat, 14,577,6931. An additional vote of 90,0 04 had been agreed to by.the House ; but Govern , meat had determined to strike this Sum off, and reserve it to be disposed of by the appropria -:_._ __z