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London, England, 1807-02-05 00:00:00

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A neutral; as our enemies may
sewer to wares .
de. It may be said, that there is a danger of our
teas offending neutrals; but I apprehend this is
net a principle upon which the present Government
Ca defend themselves. They have already sided
seen that principle. The condud of this country
suss diegraceful during the late Negotiation with
meried, at tee very moment when the Non-lm-
iodation Ad of that country was hanging over our
beads. Nn nation in the world could have made
our cot-lta a
ground of sourrel, even had we
A
adopted she measures I propose, as to the trade car-
ried on by neutrals, when they see that it is our
en my who imposes upon us the hard necessity if
eie have a right to exclude the trade of neutrals
„rolls., we have an equal right to exclude it alto-
obese We have a right to say to the enemy, you
earl hsve no trade with other nations, till their
vessels have touched previeusly at our ports. We
might requite neutral nations to make an entry at
our Custom-House. All that I shall now add upon
.be suejed is, that as I conceive the measure
absent by His Majesty's Government is wholly in •
adieuite to the object in view, and that therefore
tee Order of Council ought to be produced to this
Hare, in order that I may be enabled to propose a
resoletion to that purpose. I would be contented
to leave that resolutien upon the table of the House,
in order th it Ministers, in consequence of such opi-
nion being expressed, might adopt crime measure
mere ad-route. I Cull now, therefore, coedit to
with moving—" That an humble Address be oi e
meted to Hie hlejaaty, praying that he will he gee-
cloudy pleased to order a Copy of the Grier of
Council of the 7th of January last, relative to
Neutral Vessels trading from Port to Port, helong-
ieg to the Enemy, to he laid beforo the House."
Sir J NICHOLLS" Sir, Feeling as I do,
that a conoderehle part of what has Open said by
the Learned Gentleman who has made this Motion,
relates to the ituetion I held in His Majesty's Go.
vernment, I shall merely offer a few observations
upon the subject of the order alluded to, withont
at ail toddle% upon the personalities which he lies
made towaris others, with whom I am connected.
It was with regret that I heard him state the grounds
of his Munson. as I .hick it would have been more
for the poetic interest, that such a question should
sot have been thus publi:ly discussed, as tire very
i discuoion of it may tend to defeat the o jea in view.
A Motion for tha production ' 1 a paper is on,
which generally meets with a favourable reception
in th s House ; hut then it must be consilered whet
the nature of that paper is. It is an Order or Coun•
e;1 to regulete the cenduel of our cruisers. Does he
find any precedent fur such a produdlion being
called for? There is none, and the reason is orsvious.
III: 1 do not mean to r i e that a possible case might !
not be made out to :tastily it. Toxic has, however,
been none. By these rood:46mm to our cruisers
being circulated, a.: the Right Hon Gent observes,
in every Coffee-house, de. it is evident the' the
Nohle Lord, who brought it forward, was ne d—
eiroesto suppress its contents, nor wield he have any
wish towards edging the discussion, from persoaai
motives, or any other than that of the public 'merest.
As to the propriety of the measure itself, I shell pro-
(wed to consider it as it the paper was adeelly be-
fore the House, the contents of it being already in
our possession. The condud of the French Goye•ro
roe •it mur, n. doubt, be considered -s a ve i4SIOO of
the low of nations, the usages of war, and um rieho
of indisendence and sovereignty. 1t is also a leo 1
assertion of the enemy, to &dare our o. its in a
state of blockade, without having it In their power to
pla:e ships before them. This country, it will be ad-
mitted, bee a just right to retaliate. 'Thus far we go
together. Tnese may bee question, however, whether
we ought to go to the u most stretch of retaliation, or
so tee estrentit, of which the enemy may set us an
esemp:e. I believe the House will not go to that
grim which the Right lion. Gentleman wishes,
when they consider the real policy of the less vigor-
els me roues already adored, and find that they
wilt afford a reasonable hope of producing the
wished-for effect ;enl, at the same time, are least
oilculeted to eisteess neutral nations, which may be
involved in the it justice if the enemy. lam sure
a - 1 lease will jeoly concur with what is laid
down in the Order of C. tined, expressing His [sta.
jestv's unwillingness to proceed to such extremities,
or fellew the example of our enemies. His Ma-
jesty, in consequence of these measures of the
corny, was called upon to adopt some steps, in or-
derer) retort upon them the evils of their own injustice.
Had we gone farther, we might have given cease
of cemplaint to all neutral nations, and particularly
to Portugal, Turkey, and America. The great
object of the Right Honourable Gentleman's mo-
tion, seems to he to display his Anti-American
principles. Besides being extremely distressing to
these countries, we should find, that if we shut
the door against neutrals, we would be shutting the
door against ourselves We ought, on the contrary,
to encourege the trade of neutrals. If America had
1.-o the opportunity of carrying colonial produce
to several parts of Europe, how could the United
Stmt.* purchase so largely tram this country. The
exports from America to Europe, consist also consi-
derehle of the commodities of the country. Our
-le:nu:enures, commerce, and agriculture, all re-
eeere, thin such st Trade of Neutrals should not be
entirely suppressed. In return, we have the silk of
Italy, the wool of Spain, the wines of Portugal,
and even the wines and brandy of France, for our
comfort. Tbe suppression of such a trade would,
therefore, not only be distressing to Neutrals, as
well AS our enemy, but also exceedingly inconvenient
towards ourselves. If, however, neural nations
were to abstain from all Oven's terse with this coun-
try, in consequence of the French Decree (of whith
there is no danger at present, AS Prance has not
sufficient naval force to compel them) it might then
he necessary and proper to resort to the extremity
of retaliation, now recommended. It appears to me
to be a very commendable feature in the conduct
of this country, that she is not resorting to rigorous
rat:asures towards neutrals, at the vet y moment when
tee enemy is proceeding to the utmost extremity.
—1 submit whether it will not give a very great
degree of fecility to our own trade, that very trade
Iftsieh Bonaparte wishes to annihilate ; at the same
time thee, by its operation, the whole coasting
trade of tha enemy w.ll be entirely cut off. The
advantages arising from the measure will be best
appreciated by a due consideration of the great
1,
importaace of the coasting trade to the enemy, so

I

;ft"

• •
which, not less than one htmdred thmand yokels
are so employed t and, with all the efforts and be-
nefits of our maritime superiority, from the mouth
of the Elbe to the Adriatic, the prostration, and
merchandize of France, and her allies, are carried
in perfed confidence and security. But, by the
operation of the system lately adopted by His Ma-
jeity's Government, all ships sailing to and from
the Atlantic ports of France, from Holland, to Bre-
men, North, and the ports et the 'Mediterranean,
will be liable to capture. an 1 their cargoes subject to
confiscation. Thus, although the experience of the
past has enabled us to ascert sin the nature of the
impression made nn the Military Marine of France,
by the maritime superitnity of this country ; yet
we will now have it in our paver to commence a
direct attack against her commerce, and completely
to destroy all these powerful resources, whicn con-
stituted the springs of her exertions, and were the
sinews of her nazi vial greatness. But was these a
further necessity to comment nn the numerous ad-
vantages which must aurally arise from the ado!).
tion of the present system, with reaped. to Neutrals,
or to put in a more conspicuous view the benefits
which France did enjoy by its tea ring trade and
which now most totally cease ; I have only to refer
to the opieion of that able and learned Judge, who,
with so much ability and wisdom, presides in that
Court where prize causes are adju.iicated in
speaking of the coasting trate, he has said, that
mere cannot be a mote effedive accommodation to
a power at wn • than to have the produce either of
his domestic or ftneien possessions, carried from
pots to port, during his own disability, in the most
undisturbed security. Suppose France (said I.e),
had a decided ancendaticy,lnd by means of her ma-
ritime superiority was enabled to restrict the com-
munication between the Northern and Southern
quarters of Great Britaie, was a neutral bottom to
be employed in supplying rbt s metropohs with ti.e
rce.cary produCtions nr Jiff-rent pits of the
Island, what more effect 441 auxiliary could ;here
be, short if military assist v.ce r' Is then, I ask, a
measure. calculated to deprive the enemy of those
advantares, t a restrain him in :tn• prng• est t f
his ageressioes, and to retort opts henself the
.its of his own viol- -e, to be called an i ladl:pate,
imbecile, and impralt'cable measure ? On t e con-
trary, it appears folly competent to the end
for which it was designed ; strong aeainst the ene-
my, and not that case of extremity, which would in
its on,i-annn greatly distress the trade of Neutrals,
and eventually Injure British commerce. The
Learned Gentleman opposite has alluded to the
cond.ot of to, •, Administrations, and has endea-
voured to contrite th- vigorous system pursue.t by
them, with thz inefficient and impralticable mea-
sure ',Mel) be has Ise m pleased to disapprove.—
!teeny, I cantor subscribe tp the inference he has
drawn, oartt.!ilarly, when I recollect, that mea-
sures were a s speed by the enemy, in former pi.
riods.of a nature nitre hostile to the commercial in-
terest* of this cnarttv, 0 ais the present decli-
ratina of Blarpal and yer no one ad was devised,
or ream* worsened, by the Government, for the
Purlscw tit letter ding- aganat ,he mischievous effeds
likely to erase front the conduct os the enemy. It
must be is dm recolaatinn of the !louse, and of the
Learned Gentleman tnnsosite, that in the year 1797,
when peace seas concluded between France and
snstria, an Ote-r of tn. most rigorous and hostile
nature was issued by t e French Government against
the trade and eenimerce of Great Britain. It was
dated the styli year of the French Republic, the
re mei, ; or, to uae Christian Language, Ja-
nuary, 1798; and insiated, that the nature of the
cargo should determine the right of seisure, and
that she discovery of even elle single bale of British
merchandise was auffizient eidence the the con-
demeans n of every vessel so taken, under such cir.
cumstances. Elms, a merchant at Copenhagen.
who had there purchased, in open market, goods
and merchandise, the growth and maned/duns of
this country, for the purpose of re shipping them
to Franquebar, or a merchant buying at Lis-
bon, for the purpose of export to the Brazils,
were, by the operation of this decree, deprived
of their property, and debarred of those rights
and privileges which had heretef-re uniformly
attached to the subjects of neutral countries.
This was not a decree, issued one day only to he
revoked ripen the next, but was strictly and literally
acted upon ; and, nn the Bth of December 17911, in.
stead of it, being rescinded, we find the Chief Ma-
gistrate of the United States of America, declaring
it, in an official document, unquestionably an at of
war, and that in the condud of the French Govern-
ment there was a spirit of encroachment and aggres-
sion upon the commercial interests and independ-
ence of Neutral States, which nothing but a firm
resistance and unshaken determination cuuld with-
stand. When, therefore, the spirit manifested by
America on this occasion is rem-mine-est, and the
indignant feelings of its Govermarnt, at this attempt
upon their essential rights, is justly appreciated, is
it net fair to concede, that a similar sentiment
will &duet* them on the present occasion ? And,
therefore, it is, in my opinions one of the strongest
reasons, why nn extreme measure should be adopted
by His Majesty's Ministers, until the views and feel-
ings of the Neutral Pow.trs are fully ascertained, and
the principles upon which they are determined to
ad, with the sense and construction they entertain
of the declaration of the French Chief, are unequi-
vocally developed. Reverting to this order of the
French Government, I find it continued in force
for two years; and yet there teas nothing in the
system of this country, to meet, with a propor-
tionate vigour, toe hostility which was declined and
ailed upon. I charge not the Government of this
country, at the time, with any breach of duty in not
adopting measures calculated to provide against the
aggressions tf the enemy on the interests of Com-
mercial States; Inn I cannot refrain from cap.. .ong
my surprise, that the same Learned Gentleman who
has, on this night, accused His Majesty's Govern-
ment of a want of vigour and vigiltince. en the pre-
sent occasion, was one of that Administration.
which, under such an hostile order as that :alluded
to, did not then con:eive it necessary for this
country to resort to any measures of retalia-
tion. Since the breaking out of the present
war, this order has not been acted upon; but
France has exerted every means iu her power
to exclude articles, either the growth or manirfac-
sure of this country, from the Continent of Europe.
It is true, this exclusion hat cwt been efactcd, auJ

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Itritish mercharuflibhas Aland its way to tbet Coast.
nent, by stratagems and underhand evasions. In-
deed, from all neutral states, from Portugal. Den.
mark, &c. no ship could eater any port of France,
or these countries under her subjugation, without
an order of the French Consuls, at the respective ,
neutral ports, called a Cettitisate of Oiigin, and
under the cover of this Certificate, the British ma-
nufactures have been circulated through tle whole
of the Continent of Europe. In considering the
proposed substitutes of the Honourable and Learred
Gentleman opposite, I shall advert to the ex-
clusion of neutrals from a trade in celonial
produce of France and her allies, and Ostg 1 tatre to
observe, that such an exclusion would not T2;ST the
peice of Brititli colonial produce, aid rosy I.ave the
eTeft of lessening the amount of British expo,
leviers], under every view of the Case. these has
nothing faller. from the Li :Pried Gentleman, there
is nothing in th- merits of the proceedings to which
he has adverted, vrtocii in any degree justifies a Par-
liametitity hiterpositien We pnsse.sed an en -
questonable right cf retaliation, and, upon that
reend, we have taken toe means of totally cutiin
off the coasting trade. In fad, the measure whic't
has been adopted, possesses the quality of lessening
and expanding itself, so as to embrace every pos-
sible emergency which may arise. Neutral nations
are equally beneficial to France as to Great Britain,
and therclire there is a strong reason to believe.
that when the bad Jeffs of her present policy are
made vie b!e, 'tie may be induced to change her
system, and again open the ports of Hamburgit,
Totuangen, and Venice, to the trade of neutral
states. Bur, on the other hand. should she ad-
vance its list schemes of injustice, and should the
neutaal pow.rs be ieclined to surrender their
*wand rights, and to all in a destruffive subser-
viency to her y.ews, the system which His Majesty's
Minisies s have thought proper to adopt, possesses
a ;sower of expansion proportion t- to th • injustice
which may Le pradtired. Moder ation and firmness
in the supp..ruing the great max ims of policy, are
the sluties ea great empire. To insist upon extre-
mities, in the first Install:a, is rarely attended with
beneficisl cons-quences ; and to rested and lower
pretensions, seldom troves c editaqe to the na ienal
char:refer, the unsullied p. eservatinn of which is
national strength. The Under f Cou, cil is com-
petent to every present measure of security, a-d the
right of any further or more severe measure of p. -
licy, is by nn means restrieted. Under every cir-
cumstance of the case, I therefore conceive it my
duty to oppose the Moiion of the Honourable and
Learneil Gentleman."
NIT. JACOBI wished to remind the House, that
a very material daference existed between the claim-
mg of certain rights, and the potcy of exercising
them. The tight to adopt the prop< sed measures
of the Learned Gentleman was certainly in our
p•iwer, but he could not conceive it expedient to
inflAt an injury on the commerce of the enemy, at
a vet y great expeace to our own i• teas s, and par.
ticulirfy to the nterests of a de cription of men
already grievously embarrassed, he meant the West
India Flirter% and Vlerchanir.
Lord C ASTLERIAG.I could not find, in what
had falien from his Honourable and Learned
Friend opposite (Sir J. Nicholll, any argument or
weighty considerations, sufficient to overthrow or
combat the strong and cogent rounds upon which
hr; Honourable Friel d, near him, had rested his
motion. Indeed, he ceurif not anticipate any just
reason for refusing to lay before the House a dom.
Ment, which was no secret, and which was in the
hands of every person, unless the one to which his
Hon. Friend had so pointedly adv.:. eJ. The House
certainly could no: assume any right to question
the prerogative of the Crown in making war, but
it wool I be a dereliction o: its duty, to surrender
its powers of controul. His Hon Friend admitted,
that it Was a question of importance, not to be
lightly discussed, but that, from its prima farie ina-
dequacy, it was incumbent on the House to investi-
gate its merits; and, from parliamentary forms, the
necessary inqu.ry could n it take place, until the do-
cument was produced. It .vas not contended, that
no practical effect would follow from its adoption ;
but the objection is, that it was not sufficiently ex-
tensive. it went too far, or not far enough—too
tar in the principle, and too deficient in the policy.
With respect to America, in judging by past expe-
rience, he saw nu ground to c aiclude, that any
spirit of resistance to the aggressions of France,
would be mini ested by that power. On the f-rmer
occasimi alluded to, the American Government
wasted the time in fruitless negotiations with
France, or in bribing with its money the persons
exercising the executive power. Whetirer the
measure now adopted was wise or unwise,
adequate or inadequate, the only criterion by
which to judge, was to look to the situation
of this country, in respell to its malitims rights, and
clearly to ascertain how the two systems mutually
assisted each other. In former periods of our
history, the maritime rights of the country were
supported with manliness; comparing, with the
circumstances of those periods, the difficulties of
the present time, the claim has become larger, and
the necessity more pressing. The Armed Neu-
trality contended only for two specific rights ; but
the claims and demands of Fiance go to the de-
ans:iron of that cade, which, for so many years,
supported the matitime greatness and commercial
splendour of the British empire. It can, there-
foie, be no futile claim. uaaet the avowal of
France, to demand, by the fullest information,
how far France is served by the Government
of this country either countenancing. or rather not
effeetually counterafting,the views and objets of that
powee. In the relations in which this country stood
with Europe, at the former period alluded to by
the I lon. and Learned Gentleman opposite, as con-
trasted with its present state of connexion, there can
be nn parallel. France had certainly then, as well
as now, a considerable extent of the Continent sub-
jeet to her yoke; but Hatribtagb and the Hanse
Towns were not in the possession of the French
Chief. neither had he any influence on the inters/:
of Germany, or the condoet of Denmark. Though
the North of Italy was subject to his domination,
Naples. and the command of the Adriatic, were
not comprehended within hi. sway. Portugal was
then an independent and substantive power. She
was not then. as et the present time. forced to pay
to France a subsidy, imposed upon British guardian-
dibe, and which may be considered as a tribute more

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tellidir and besegeisl thin any procured from the
pin: of let arms, or the spoliation/ of her sub-
jogat-d A•lies. Therefore, it ;s idle .o consider the
present hostility of that rower, as in any degree
poralle: w:th the former petioal- ••• our history. At
,hit mome. not)vithr • !ing the unenet-.ted mad
iocontestin sune.ri-nity of s" British Navy, 5'.11111501
has the power of impo-tiog alltthe ci oettrOuc•
of herself and Alliea aid this focuity she will not
. only cnntin ew a „ bat odual'y to no iserve ,hat
toitatiorentalmonopoly, which, to the mire exclusion
of British trade, sh- has in t• e ,iiiJsr of war so sue-
ce..tolly established. To state the extent ot 'his
evil, in the abo nee rf lie necessory en Laments, is
impossible; bat haviiig taken the re-esort oleic f
America as to • enterin: , o very strihroo pr..et
cur kabenr.i. voitsle. Out ,evenly-6 re
millions of dollars, the gross amount r. 4 the Omo-
oicon import, twenty-eight minion, have beon
rualiy re-'spotted, whin' . either in produce •
value, must have Intimately teac:ied the France
Ea-
chequ. r. As a question of insurance, it would t •
found, that, wits. all our super .urity at br.4• an r .
surance on an enemy's property would be addled
in the city of London, at a premions 410.1 to that f
a British merchant insuring a cargo from the isla: d
of Jamaica In the communicating) between the G .
vernmerts of France and America, and in the pat.
trial relaxation of the decree in lay, ur of the la.trr
power. the Noble Lord saw much to deprecate.—
When he calculated on the nature of the represent-
ations the American Governmeot wer. enabled to
make to France, and the little portion of mari-
time force the latter, however, could employ in
enforcing its Decree, as applying to the trade cf
America, he was convinced, that there existed be-
tween these two Govetaments, an underhand
agreement. The motives which irfluenced the
*midriff of Bonaparte to the deputation from the
Manse Towns, lost all Influence. when applied to
Americo. In the one case, with that spirit which
belonged to him, he could steep in oblivion every
argument, or even 'partial interest, which, in its
operation, tended to impede his rooted and un-
deviating designs against independent Europe
•But wi h America tnere WAS no ulterior or favourite
*Ned to retires. him from a..y cot- currenca calco.
toted to increase the mums of commercial wealth,
and the improvement of colonial possessions. Ohs
Noble Lord concluded by oh eyeing, it wa . the su-
.perintendino duty tit P_•rlion sot to guard egaiort
the Mir ngement of our mareinse tights ; ono olds
that view or the suhj 41, he thought it L:s duty to
support c: motion co sits Hon. Frierd.
kaarl TENIeLE cootet•digal. that he `elution of
thelion.Gentlen.on was unconsitnotional and unprs-
A•derted. The niou.e bad cerrainiy a eiglii to tom.
Molls but, until the present occas•on, he nevcrboard
of toe HMse adualsy proposing to His Majesty as
art ut warfare, and that at a moment when a meat
sure of policy was pending between this country and
the neutral states. He wished Inc Learneu Gentle.
man had, previous to his attack upon Wooers for
the non: paoJuOt ion of papers, carried his recoliention
further back, when, at the Treaty of Amiens. a treoty
actually concluded, tat Learned Gent. most san-
guinely and ditedly refused to comply with a Motion
tor documents, which those who opposed that Troop
ty thought necessary to have produced to the House's
The Learoed Gentieman has not only condemna4
the inefficacy of the present measure, but pro„ need,
as a substitute, to prevent the importation of French
colonial produce entirely, as the means of roisins
the price of our own. It may so oiorate, bus
would it not- In its 'fads considerably lessen
the amount of the Briti.h export trade f The
British merchandise had found its way. under all
the restridiour, to every part of the Continent and
of the colonies ; acid it was principally in Arnericao
bottoms this trade was carried on. In the year of
the peace this export trade suffered a considerable
diminution, in consequence of the opportunity
Fronce and her Allies had to import site produce of
their own a ilonies. In fad, was the trade of Ame-
rica to be restricted, and French colonial produce
not promoted to be conveyed sired to France. the
consequence would be, that it would be brought
into foreign markets, in competition with the pro-
duce of the British colonies, and our merchants
would he undersold. Further. was the proposal of
the Learned Gen:lee:lan, to limit France o ith re.
Sera to colonial produce, unle.s received though
British ports, and liable to Britt. h Cunt., to be aelvd
upon. nor wareho Wei would Le stockr f w iih such
produce, and :he growth (tithe &Oa Is C.‘lonie. we idd
suffer even in ,rte home market, by the competition.
But the Learned Gent. appeared to labour un.'er a
snarge roireonception, when he thought that the
who, of the cow:rll produce brought to Etoopo
in A tn,rican bottoms, was the growth of the French
or Spanish Colonies. The amount of the French
solonial produce never exceeded four millions;
whet cal, the amount re-exported by America, was
averaged at cloven millions ; and the inference sod
fad was, that atter suotrading the amount of
the French Colonies, the reinatnoer must hare been
the growth of the British. Under all the circum-
stances of the case, it was the duty of the House to
support the commercial intent-is of the world, at a
time when the avowed and determined object of Bo-
naparte was to destroy the conimercial *relations of
civilized states. and to bring back mankinl to the
condition of the fourth century.
Sir T. TURTON begged leave to assure the
Ilouse, that he should only trespass a few momenta
upon their time. He nought the refusal of Minis-
ters to lay the paper called f r bl his Right form
and Learned Friend, before the House, was a moot
extraordinasy proceeding; and he wished to ask
Ministers, whether, in any instance, or at any time.
where poprrs of this name were moved for, they
had ever been refused t He couni net help ob.
serving, that t!ais me'astire of His Majo. y's Minis-
ters bore, on the face of it, a want of vigour, and
a wain of energy ; and was by no tneo,o, anal in
no derte. a pr. per measure of retaliation. He
could not well re in what manner it could affect
out commercial eel t ion with neutrals, or how
it tended to thr injury of suit neutrals. Let
it be recolleded h. w we Atit:il at present, is re-
sped to those po'nt., and how we are a:laded i p
I acts. France soy s that America wall be enemy s.
ed from the ot ..er }ate deer e, for the bl-ck.
ae of this country She 5h..4 Lociunie the only
e artier helot _in the several nations of Europa. sad
she shall derive o'l the ',Avon/ages:or which we are
deprived—(Coagbrog). He would ask Miaiaters