The Sun. — London, England, 1801-02-03 00:00:00

cause such an attack had not turned.out success ful. Before any good could be effeded by an in quiry -on this subjea, before it could be entered upon with any means of decision, the House must be satisfied that they. were well acquainted with all the circumstances of the two contending Powers r that they knew. the relative force of Austria and France. It was doubtless very tasy to decide upon the consequences of an event after that ,event had taken place. He was as ready. as any Noble Lord to deplore that affairs shouldnhave taken such a turn as 'they had done, but it formed no subjed in his mind fur incula pating MiniSters. Turning to our conduct to Neutrals' his Lordship declared that lie rather felt a wish that some sort of inquiry should be instituted as to the . justice of that conduct which Government had adopted, and to which it might again return with regard to the Northern Na- - tions. On this head he had supposed that .bet one opinion would have been entertained. It was obvious to every one, that the situation of this Country was such, that it was essential to, its existence to preserve uninjured the Rights of 13elliierent Powers at Sea ; when it Was seen,. therefore, that engagements were entered into by Powers in violent hostility with this Cdun;.' try, no doubt could .be entertained but that such . engagements were to be considered as ads of hostility against us. He thought with, the Noble Lord who had moved the. Address, that on such a subjed it was not easy to temporize ; he trusted, however, that in measures of Admini stration, there was to be discovered a proper de gree of forbearance, and, at the same time, a proper dignity. Hts MatEsTv had in his Speech given .an opening to the Northern rowers to enter into :explanations, but, at the same time, it would:ill become him to hold out to the House any great hopes of such an explana tion. When some short. time ago His MAJESTY bad sent to Copenhagen, had his Ministers then refused to listen to the overtures . made to them by that Court, had they employed the means of strength ,which . were in their hands, they might perhaps have been charged with wantonly pro voking war. It would appear, however, that, in the course of that whole transaftion, the British Government had- ailed with -proper temper, and had not considered what they could, but only what it was essential for them to enforce. with regard to the negotiation with France, His MA /ESTI' had in his Speech stated, that it would afford him the most heartfelt satisfaetion, whenever the disposition of the enemy should enable him to re ,store to his Subjeas The blessings of Peace. That declaration, his Lordship trusted, would be con sidered here, as well as elsewhere, fully sufficient to convince the world-of the disoosition of Hti D/Let am on that head.. lie deprecated an in• otutry on this point, as, in the event of int).. tiation, it would be attended with disadvantages, and, in. the alternative of continuing the war, would produce no beneficial effeCts. The Noble lan concluded with an encoinium on the Navy, sam x ,VAn com heme w u nas acion happY to have heard so Much . ' , The sari of CARNIRVON could not com prehend the smallest cause from HIS MAJ CS CY 'a speeeh, and there was , no other Paper upon the Table, for voting , that part of the Address which related to the. Northern Nations ; but he was merely given to understand that there was a cause. No one was more ready than him self to give support to the Government, and he should have remained silent, had' he not heard that any evil, whether, occasioned by misma nagement, of which he did not mean to accuse Ministers, or otherwise, was to be passed over.— When he recollefted the situation of the Country 'last year, and that all that had vanished—when he considered that we were bec o m e th e objets of resentment, not indeed justly so, of many Nati ons, he thought himself justified in calling for an Inquiry, not with a view to impede the ex ertions of Ministers, but because he saw no rea, son for plunging into War without Inquiry.— He understood that upon former occasions we had surrendered some of those Rights, for which we were now contending. He did not profess to be versed in the subject, hut if we had so,done, it was clear that what we had said to one favour ed Nation, was to be considered as having been said to every Nation, because it shewed that such Rights were not necessary to our safety, and unless they were so, they were not to be asserted by War. His Lordship concluded, by giving it as his opinion, that it would be more reasonable in the House to negative the Address, and to confine itself to expressions of its Loyalty and of its determination to support Hts MA) ESTY in the exercise of his Rights. Lord GRENVILLE lose to deprecate the idea of calling upon the 'House for its approbation of -any ads of Ministers, which might hereafter be.: come matter for discussion, He _did not feel it necessary again to go ovex the subjects w hi c h h a d been adverted to -by the Mover and Seconder of the Address, in a manner which, for ability, h e had never heard exceeded. -Upon the points of Amendinent, however, and upon what, the Noble Earl who ,had spoken last, had stated, he thought it necessary to , say something. Hti NIA E STY •liad, at the conclusion of the last Ses sion of Parliament, informed them shat an7Etn, bar go had been laid on th e Shi ps o f hi s S u bj e d s in I,Lusaia,, and, that his representations on the point had failed of procuring , redress. The Muse was not now called upon to Inquire what was the previous cause_ of the quarrel beti'een England and Russia, because the latter was bound by•pre. vious Treaty not to ad in the manner in which she had abed with relation- to.-British Ships and hierchanclize, even in the event of hostilities be. tween the two Countries. The House was called upon to say, whether it would maintain His j liSTY in his just rights ? He. considered any dif ference of opinion on'this subject 'as impossible, and-could not suppose that theii - LardshipS could express any hesitation as to conveying to' the foot of the 'Throne their assurances of their disposition to :la as , the dignity of the Country :required, With reapet 'to the Coalition into. which -Den mark and Sweden had entered, in,,t1130, it was inconsistent, not only with'the Law of Nations, but with particular Treaties entered into by those very Nations. When this Convention was entered into in 1780, the Country was in consi, - derable difficulties, but on receiving the intctUi genee of this Coalition, our ant;wr wa s , that, the prance we , should pursue as thet e Whieje had been settled and regulated by Treaties 'with ' these Powers. It might be asked, perhaps, wh:i t would be the harm of now ecquievieg e in the de mands of the Northern Confederacy ? r The harm would be, that we should again -have to dismiss the point at a moment when we might be less able to do it with success than at present.' He was far from wishing to disguise from the House the situation of the Country, were it in his power so to do, but he could certainly hold out no hope that the Country would--.ever find itself in a bet ter state to try the question. All forbearance, it might be seen, had . been of no died,. when Edidis, Conventions, and Treaties had been - found to be of none. Denmark and Sweden had: concluded Treaties,. expressly reA,gi4 tion ofethese rights ; but it was. evidetie that they Welted only for the Moment when the em barrassments of this, Country might enable them to:entertain hopes of seeing the British Navy in weaker state. If we are again to terisporiee.in the subjed, it is certain that the question will be. again revived at that moment when the Northern Powers enete consider us as most ens harrasseA—that it ,will be reyiyed when it may he supported by our, common enemies, France and Spain. That man must be extremely sanguine, who imagines time the Naval Power of; .Frence and 'Spain will, ever be less able, to assist that of Denmark 'anti Sweden. No War was to, he.fotind in which the relative.situation of France and Spain was so much reduced as in the present. He was astonished at hearing Noble Lords, after avowing their :ignorance on the subjeA, while they ,had such an authority to, refer, to on the ease. as, the Judge. who piesided„in the Admiralty Court, yet speaking in-opposition to these points, le ,was the first .time he ever heard a doubt . expresscci on the eubjed, or opinions entertained, that a special' agreement with one Power was a renunciation of the right as to other Powers. These who. sup, posed this to be the case, might satisfy them selves by a reference to the instruftions give!' by the American Government e to their Ministers in France. If the ancient law was reverted to, the case was ' the .same.., The renewal of the Treaty of .17.80, his . Lordship seid, was a breach of Neutrality, sinceit was, not,,merely an asser tion of principles,. but an engagement, to impose them upon Great Britain by force. If the qaes tion were of blight importance, he stioulde under such circumstances, hesieate ; but in a ' point, of such magnitude it was still more necessary ,to do so, The Inquiry which the Noble Earle Wished to promote, ,seemed to stand, on the, some footing as every other . - questioe,of the same kited. On the one hand, it was to be considered what were the grounds for. it, and on the other, what was the .danger attendant upon. it. It was to be taken into,contemplation, how far it would.he eese at present to interrupt the measures for the prosecution of the War, In order to carry on those - for the 'lnquiry. It had been said that Parliament had reposed a confidence, and that, therefore, the Inquiry was necessary. But had not the vessel of the State been preserved ? ! A comparison of our situation with that of the proudest Monarchy, in Europa * would shew this. We were indeed euppertin e g great burdees,ehut we were supporting them with increased - means. • Ministers were called upon by their opponents to. prove this, not by the general situation of the Country, but by the general result of the War, and this at a moment when, those who called for that proof did justice 'to his Lordship's _Noble Friend (Earl Sr eirele), and admitted that the confidence which had been reposed in the Naval Administration had been.well bestowed, and was fully justified, Was it nothing to have gone through eight years War. with such AUCCCSS ) to have beaten the Enemy at the mouth of their own Harbours If we were called upon to give an account of the War with France, the first, ques,. den would be, What. ba4 :been otir.'".Naval suc cess ? To this the answer Was readily furnish. ell, and it was not, less . ttiuMphantly . . so than to the second question 7 --What . COlenies we had lost? . To . the suicessesevhic . h the answers to these questions 'would • State, What: is — oppsised?-e--- The Patch, Expedition ?--True it is, that it failed. in overthroWing the Go` erem.eet but it had succeeded in the iinportant point of rescuing from that Government the Patch Navy. The result of such an Inquiry would leaveeo doubt 'hat it was `well, planned and 'well directed. It had failed in consequence of two circumstance's; first, the .season, which, owing to an anavoida. ble,delay of six weeks, became too adyanked for our success . ; arid, secondly, 'the unhappy reverse WhiCh befell the arms of our Allies, till that mo ment successful, and 'Which enabled the Fneiny, to detach a larger force from Switzerland and' its neighbourhood 'than' could otherwise have .been spared, If any objeftion he Made tn'the point chosen for the attack, the anxiety of Enemy on the subjeft, and the embarrassment it occasion_ ern them, furnish a, sufficient answer. Of the Expeditions to Ferrol and.cadiz; we have been told, thatit was very iMprudeet tOattack them, and thus to' irritate Spain; but Spain, it should be remembered,, was our F.nerny.::-4as a Net val Power, and allied with. our inveterate Fete- my, France. To weaken it, was to weaken France ittelf.. It should be remembered that some Spani4 . ll ships were already in Brest,, .and that more . might he cariie4 'there. Another Noble Lord eta called uponAinisters,for the reason why they had not attackedJrance itself : such a measure had, he retnemlireae formerly been ccimbatcd.by the same tide of the House as now:. advancedit. If on fanner occasions this objection to it had auy 'weight, they must be considered 'as , haying h a d much more force last year, BA in -the expedi Lions against Ferrel' and Cadiz we clid . not sueeced, - and , ' from the languege of the Noble Lord it be supposed that some, great evil had I ,see, us. These expedieicee were in. feta planned a design, that,' if they were. see-e4sfel, i!' - vantages resulting from thetii would be impur 1411 Z ; but if they were otherwise, it would soon be perceiVed, and the attempt might be abandoned without, loss. Was the House, his Lordship asked, 'prepared to censure the adoption 'of such plans .Was. it prepared to say, that Minis rs were never to titndertake enterpriz; ut when they were sure of success ? Would it e proper to expose the men at the head of iffairs to the stigma and disgust of such an inquiry ? It w:ts undougialy, the privilege and the dut y of the Holtse to 'enter into inquiries, but never upon.such light grounds as those which:had. been now advanced. Lord GRA i(v tLL F. ,concluded very able speech, by asserting the ability, of Eng_ land to continue the War, unassisted by - any . Allies, at the same time adverting to the pledge given in His Majesty's Speech of his dispositions to Peace. - Lord MO, 1' Rai rose to notice a personal allu, sion toliimself by *Noble Friend of his, and to set him right, in a. misconception, in every re, spett in -.which he htid professionally been cerned.with Majesty's Ministers, he acquit ted 'them' of every imputation.. of: .blarne— The force Of which he was the heady -some years ago, he belitiechhe.dispoial, though ithad been chang ed, to have , beenfor the interests of theiCountry. His Lordship then. enteredtspou the subjet more immediately before the linuse r ,And insisted- that there were grounds.for inqiiity how the country had been brought from -her high..and , powerful situation; to .her preseurdegradation and distress. We had lost all our. Allies,. and. most of:them-had become, our Enemies-,he thOught this demanded serious inquiry, and, concluded a.speech of 'con- siderable length by givingAis support .to the Amendment. . . Lord, MULGRAVE rose to reply to the last Noble Lord, and successfully combated. his ar guments, by proving, that if we have lost our Allies,' no blame could possibly on that ac,coutit attach to-his Majesty'A Ministers. .His Lord_ ship gave hicyoice for the Address as originally tioved. - , The Emit of.Ft FE said a few .words, but in. so low a tone that we ,could not hear him. As we understood, his Loritship suppotted.thr, Amend:. ment. , _ _ Lord -ELDON prefaced an excellent. speech •by Saying, that he could not answer .it to..his.con science, or to his Country, were he not to give his, Vote upon the present occasion,; and he felt it equally his duty _to state shortly his reasons for the Vote he should give.: The situation of the Country was awful. and momentous in the highest degree. Upon the conduit that we -now should. adopt, depended the present interests and the future existence of the Empire. His LorrL . ship then took st review of the Question now agi tated by the Northern Powers against this Coun. try, and proved, from the Law of Nations, that the Right of searching Neutral Vessels ori ginated in the, Rights. of Nature; and that .no Convention or Treaty could permanently destroy that right... It .was interwoven, in fait, with the right .of 'Self-defence ; for if a Power pro fessing to be neutral, conveyed the means of an, noyance to an open Eikerny, that Neutral Nation did in, faet, by , furnishin* the Ineans of our - situation, 'become suer ailive , Enemy. His Lord shiptheAadverted., to an' authority that_ had been very favourably mentiurted in that House, and to which he might naturally . be supposed to be par tial ; bet he,knew that the Charader. alluded to had notfortned his opinion upon this question, till after ~the most mature deliberation—till after ho had read every thing written upon the subjeti that, existed in Europe. The Person of whom he spoke, was of all men the most open to corr'iiftion, and the .most likey. to forego an opinion which could be proved to him to by erroneously formed; but upon this important •subject he could say, ,that the •mo're he .thought upon, it,. the more be was convinced of the strength and: solidity of the Right which this Country asserted, •and for .which we were now likely to contend arid the decision which was given in the case of tlie,Swedish Con voy, was. founded upon the strict principles of the Law of Nations ; and that decision was not .a-de cision for this .Country only, - but ,upon : broad:awl general principles. The Right for which we, now contend, is.nota : Right established for this Coun.- try only, bet for all Nations equally circumstanced as we are. - His- Lordship then eltpatiated very largely upon the, importance of asserting this right, as the -fo.utuletion , of our Neval Glory, our Com merce and our Wealth. Two.great evils presented themselees to OUT choice, for. he, would admit, that a new War, ,circumstanced as this Country now is,. is a verygreat evil; but of two evils, it is always best to , chase the .least. • War,. with all its inconveniencies and horrofs,.Was surely pre ferable to the voluntary sacrifice of that; without which the glory, the indepeedence, and even the existence of the Nation must he extind. , . The Earls of CARNAR iTO N. and Su FOL both explained., : Lord HOLLAND took a review of the condat of the War from its commencement, and repro bated the measures of ; Ministers throughout. He concluded with giving his .hearty assent to the Amendment., . The House then divided, For the Amendment . 17 Against it • - 73 Majority 5 . 6 The Address was then carried without a divi sion. .The LORD CH AM PEP:LA.IN was direaed to wait upon His MA) Es-L.1 , , and, take his Royal pleasure when he would receive the Address. The Earl of DARNLEY gave notice,. that he would, to-morrow se'nnight move their Lord ships for a solemn Inquiry into the condua oPthe Lxpedi lions. Lord G RENVILLE moved that lord ,:VVAL si NG HAm be appoined Chairman .of the Commit tees_ of that House, which was carried nem. con. His Lordship; then moved, that a . Committee be appointed, ,IRS,had been customary, • for the pur-• pose of assigning to the Peers, according to. their respeCtive ranks, their. Seats in the New House or Petls. At Twelve. o'Clock tile:House adjournid till To..morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS. • MONDAY, FEB. 2. • Bsioas three o'clock, Mr. QuARME, Deptity, Usher of the Black Rod, came . will, ills ES . • Ty's Commands for ,the imtnediatc attendance of the House in the House of Peers ;—the Sr 'AKER. with • the Members attended accordingly, and , being-returned,' a considerable number 01 Mani --bore-Averomwsoro-athl-500k4h0i5....iam5,*4.0../..--- Tlle Clandevine Outlaw pill was. reid t. ra lirt, the gilt time •-` - - The :Tlik".4tri? then infra7meFiTiTTiouSrtraT - having attended His: htilEst44\ll l ..titeq-Idulc of Peers,. where His -11/I.Atesvr bad delivered a Speech, he hackobtained a .Copy i which he rel.: accordingly. • Sir WATKI* IVILLIAAfS' WYNNE said, he rose foi the i.ltirposu of may ing: , an -Imaible M. &lin' to' thinfi'lltS awry 'for eitius 'Speech; which- the Housielthad7 -- that day, • heard, and • in• 'doing so, lie tru4tedi. fia . shonlif haie. the indulgence .of-the 'House to InctiOak tfie Manner, whilst he proceeded to state the.geouncis which lielAkgecirteave-to move an . Address of . I thanks. The-ffiist !Meeting of the Mired Par- OF •Ireland;` 'vas- in itself an event :s r fo .iMporeaat itc:nature,,and promising so -muck-benefit io . its .conßquenees, as,:.-he 'thought,- must raise the inOst SOli4 I satisfaCtion in. they„mind of every well,wisher to - the Empire. It was' true,.,illat when this. subjed \vasunder diseussion, there yiere some who questioned the propriety of th 4 measure ; -but for his part, he had nevtr enter tained,a.doubt of :olute necessity. .The quiet manner in which it had been accbraplisheti also 'served to afford.plea.sure. If a:partial,oe •• local' injury , was sustained, : -which Might. be: till ease with regard to,t_he City of Dublin, yet the generalivilfare; he• had no dottbc ) would .be greatly pibmoted4 -if was his titan hope thit . the hatmott.'atitt anion now Oseablish#d between the two . Kingdoms would be ednsolidated ; that all, petty \diStiritilotis and -jealnus ie's; be t : t ho two Countii.es )+vp ltl 1 Obliteritid; * MA tvery Gentlernan*otild coniidirlbints6Pbolintlf:. Withortvpartittlity . , thegetitiar* welfare Of -t he I:lliika- Kingd6in. ihe afairs' of be enntinrit,.he eOrilti 'if& brit Dal; meet itafe; itt:iliesitini:7llllie that:ll4* hoped Suitablenttaiu res would be fitiOretli andkthai • ' no . onewould-heiiiite in assuring kre m.h+Estr ihe%onited-kekelininatioil of the floilstLio!mahliaa the hOnour and security of flienkittlifl'im3-1411 • Dominions.''''Tfel:Pate aggrs - sP;ri • ti R. •df Ruis-t;k,'" , :a; on 'oCtrlpartii;.-4•64111,:.:Uta6 provoked., - aid in-_e:xprets 'elmeratt.iii;iy: to I.lllr late Treark,:beie'in . Rusiittaiid This Ctuntry;lii which : as'stiptelated, t4t;iii.:-eile - of.anvvrtift:.- . . ture, time should he allinved-to"i-Nr44 pert acid persons of - our felloitiosM4-Pfets-liettldel there. He trusted,th4i the sOillorlihis . would be ever - agreettto The resolutions of the Nth-diet -1:i Poivees may have prevent:xi, sO'S'ensible airefiet tWthe' lat Measures taken' with a irievV. the .Price of C'rain, - hoped rills •fellow.:subjeas would he nOw willing . to stib iiiit . . ' to those temporary ptivations, - *iqh 'the/inust see to be unavoidable;' and when they considered' also, the/unusual quantity of Grain which h a d , • been already sown, and rhe'punislifnerit infliaed on those wlto bad attempted to rAte the Price of those necessaries of life. 'BLit to sue for Peace with the EneinY, `at this moment, Would only be to obtain. worse terms. .iiii"Majesty's inOJ. deration and disposition;- n iliii'resueft, were well known, and ' such aS 'the'' louse and tht Country might safely rely u p on, whilst a con vietion 'of the inordinate.. aMbition of. our Enemies, would-impart additional ardour to .the spirit of . the - People. Though. we had now to' contend' with various Powcrs,.lie beliefed our'resourCes - Cyanid he . found to be Superior . to that of any former peri od. ` Connetted With this. was the whole united Strength of the Kingdom, undiMinished by jarring interests'.* . Hoping - front . these•rircuintatiecs that there Would iiialavotir‘ able tertninatiOn 'to the-present canto.; t •lhe ' would' move alt Address-of Thanks 'to -Hi s -MA e which, as uSnaf;Wa's an'echo to the kr.. Co RN,i1)41,1,. , I,r to : . cco,,rhl , . saA intrcit 016 IMAIse to shelir him that cmidOUr wliich 05 ;n' :1 Lion Itaitfornierlv exPerien , .7cd. a! 1?c, Uniim tween - Great_,Britaiti and Ireiana cot ciderul ds a happy Ara. When the Cloion trid Scotland was :accortipli . ;t, .(20en said she esiceme:l it :a. happy, i,yi,t . that it lfad taken phtci in-her Reip fatlion must ,onr.Gracious 'Sovereign, expet,t6nce, who had. Coliml the promised and s,tiutary.elred, from that Union ~ ; (4 ! "An;.l it ilfei!eople were assure 4 at ;*.h_ of t ilioo; Of .1 1; reit • - accession to their sttco4th and fewer, ,and‘lhe confirmation of the Prowstant` Stgeession; the present :Union ,could not .fa 4 io be atended,o4% reciprocal advantaf4cs to the United l(ingdiain,„i;f Great Britain and Irelind. He should not at tempt to-discuss _its, yariousanCl, extensive ;idvarl sages ;.they, had, been alr eady a.hiy stated by dentlemen -of the first abilities,,and he entertain ed the most sanguine hopeS, that the expeaa_ tions which, had .bien ,formed of t he m , wou ld be fulfilled. About, the time of the Union with, Scotland, gi.eat jealousies had subsisted between • the two . Parliaments • but th. 4 . was .pot the c* between the two Parliaments.ofGreat, Britain and Ireland. There was also the.,pleasing . presite arising from,. the ,character Of, those Gentlemen from Ireland, , who.had• to-day taken their'. places in the House ; Oentleinen who were well ,cried in . political and commercial knowledge, and in w11:4- ever concerned the loCal interests of I relond, and all tending-to promote the welfare of . the Empire at large. There was one advantage likely to arise from this Measure, , whiCh he could not overlook,. as respeding the present Pressure on , account of Provisions. He anticipated the greatest .assist ance to this part of the Empire, from ; the CO tivation. of the unproduaive Lands,. and:che.in creased PrOduce of Ireland. The Grain Wou)d also be more equally distributed, for he was proUd in saying, we should now call the' riih