The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-03-31 00:00:00

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CO?CONFI D ENTIA L DIPLOMATIC CORR UPON.

HENCE.
Lord t;RENVII.LE—" My Lords, I rive to address
your Lordships. on the subject to winch I adverted
yesterday, under a feeliag of etnbarrassinent,
greater, I rein justly affirm, than I have ever expe-
rienced on any former occasion. ll' tiny Noble
Lord will poiut out to toe any mode in e Inch I eau
littnia the object I have in view, and, at the saute
time, steer clear of those circumstance* it, which
that emharresstnent originates, I shun 611. know.
ledge myself its the greatest degree indebted to
him. In the course of tne observations I shall
address to your Lordships, I fear that I must
advert to occurencet, which, for the honour of
the counter, and for the preservation of our nati-
onal character in the eyes of the world, I could
wish buried m oblivion. Would to heaven it could
be so—bat the evil is now done, and cennot be re-
called. My Lords, there have beco laid sin the
elide of this House, by command of His Majesty.
ill conformity with your Lordships' Adders@ fur
that porpoise, a series of papers relative to the af-
faiA of Span), which have been transmitted by Ilia
Majesty's Plenipotentiary residing in that tenantry.
Parra these pipers, in; Lords, are of* description
the most reprehensible that ever appeared on your
Lorilsbips' table. That these papers, proceedlfig
1r1,11.1 your Lordships' press, will ultimately get into
general circulation, I need not inform von. If that
circulation were confined to the bo laries of this
kingdom. although I should still deprecate the
production of such papers, yet, the subject of my
regret would he greatly oarrowed. (!, -old these
paper« lie restricto ii to your Lordia,tps' reel-
sal, I should feel no apps. heasioit of danger from
their having been laid before you, tJsofll;b...ihe-
erimiuel negligence of His Majesty's Ministers
would still deserve the severest reprobation.—
But, my Lords, these documents, which have re-
f...tied an official stamp. by being laid before the
Witish Parliament. wail, moot s,suredly, he dis-
seminated over the Cositmeat —Pryers, which corn-
promiee, out merely the public chasaeter, hut, my
I,.aels, the very lives tir individuelr. Through my
whole !Public life, I have ever 'Will it as a political
insairn. that the questinus of imitate! policy. me-
wed In the Coontils of stales. in amity anti us,
should never be Inside the subject of Pee liamentary
diareission. or of publie conversation. But, my
Lords, this principle applies with tenfold fOrte,
alien the iutestine feuds, and jralousles, end, dis-
cenitentsa of a foreign state, are, through it diplo-
matic isierlium, made known to the Government of
a country, together with the nom a of those from
whom that information hiss been originally derived.
flow, my Lords. I
should lie glad to know, came
this mass of papers on your Lordships' table? It
is true, soy Noble Friend, near me, (the Marquis
of Lansrlown) moved for the pro nation of certain
correspondence. But I have too high an idea of
my Noble Friend's good penes, I estimate too highly
the qualities of his head and heart, to permit my-
self for a moment to imagine. that his motion was
salt wrwded, as to authorise the production of these
pipet. In motions of this kind. it has been
always customary to cull for copies, or extracts of
emotes,' tines giving, not merely an opportunity of
selection, but tacitly calling for the exercise of a
discrimimoing power. And, in this war. the me-
Lion of my Noble Friend was worded. bat Minis-
ters, with a most unheard-of negligence. have placed
on the table, a Leidy of papers, many of them Keg- ,
nant with the moat mischievous results. I remit.
leer, my Lords, that, when 1 myself was, er qfleie.
occupied in preparing certain papers to he hurl be-
fore Parliament, relative to a negocittinn with the
enemy, the names of the Ministers employed by
the enemy in that business, were, in many MiltanCe4,
carefully concealed. Our Eawuy transmitted the
circumstances which occurred at his several lona-
IfieWi with those emanated to meet him. with such
oloservations as stiggssted themselves; but, lest the
safety of any •f these individuals should hr endan-
gered by any freedom of remark lie might have in-
dulged in. the name of the person making such
remarks was uniformly omitted. This line of con-
duct was thew punned even towards the Ministers of
an enemy ; and, I am positive, that publicly to dis-
close the names of individnals of high rank in a
government in a state of alliance with us; publicly
to diadem than, as connected with circumstances
of the most delicate nature, never entered the minds
of any Ministers. save those who. unfortunately far
the country, have. at present, the direction of its af-
fairs. My Lords. I well remenalaer the sensation
with which, at a former period, • British politic
resident in Spain, observed, in parliarusuitery pa-
yers, transmitted to him from this country.
het his 'lame was mentioned. as Intense given
information or the state of naval rquipmait
is the 'Spanish ports. There was here, certainly,
mach eiiiise of complaint; it was a negligenee high-
culpable. But the intim:flu d vig.4r wised was
Britisl;t subject, sad, as such, hail the opportnni-