The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-02-06 00:00:00

Courts of Admiralty are entirely dependent
she dinxtionii recessed *mu the Acts of Psilie-
went; which shows; that the Courts of Admiralty
are not bouud M recognise any Order of Council,
without a Parliamentary sanction. On these
.roands he must object to referring these Orders
of Council to the Committee, until the Right Ho-
nourable Gentleman had procured a Rill of-Indem-
nity from Parliament.
"fhe CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
observed, that the Noble Lord's argument !night
perhaps have some foundation in a time of Peace ;
but in the time of War there was an absolute ne-
cessity for vigorous measures, and he might be as
well justified in objecting to a bill of indemnity,
as he was now in objecting to the proposed refer-
ence. The measure now complained of, he con-
tended, was entirely grounded upon the proceed-
ings of the enemy, and was even au inadequate
measure of retaliation. It would not surely have
been prudent in this country to have waited to see
in what manner France was about to carry her De-
cree into execution. It was a Decree founded upon
a false charge against this country. The French had
not only invaded neutral ships, but invaded neu-
tral territory, wherever they could find English
goods. Bonaparte's conduct towards Hamburgh
was fresh in the recollection of every one, where
he ordered all persons to be militarily punished,
who concealed British commodities. To destiny
the commerce of England was therefore Bonaparte's
only object. The Right Hon. Gentleman then
read that part of Mons. Dccres note which had
been ensmeonsly, he conceived, represented by
some, as a renunciation of the terms of the French
Decree. That Note contained this remarkable
passage--" It is my opinion, notwithstanding the
publication of the Decree almeementioned, that it
in no wise alters the convention hitherto existing
between America and France." But it was tery
remarkable the Minister of Marine should so cau-
tiously express himself on this occasion, and con-
fine his communications on this head to his private
opinion, when the question had excited such se-
rious interest in America. and when the injury
was us less thWn a direct breach of the Law
of Natious. Could say such commueleatiou
be considered satisfactory, or would the Em-
peror of the French consider himself bound by
any tie of honour or consistency, to act in con,
fortuity to the private opinion of this Minister of Ma-
rine ? But the Ministerdid not even attempt to pro-
milie America any such observance of the conven-
tion ; nay, in another part, to obtain satisfac-
tory information of the effect this decree might
have on the American trade, he advises them to
repair to the Minister for External Relations.
Hence he contended we had the justest reason to
consider the Freuch Decree literally enforced, and
hence also the justest right to retaliate to the very
letter of their vengeance. In fact, there could be no
doubt in such a case of the imperious call of this
country on its Ministers, to suppress all trade
to France for a short period of time, in order
to chistise the presumption of the enemy,
and let her feel, that in attempting to injure our
trade' bar own malevolence hail reverted on her-
e self, and totally cut off all her foreign transmarine
resonrcei and supplies. This was the policy the
state of this Inaritune nation demanded; mid had
the Ministry of the country adopted any other,
they would justly incur the displeasure of the na-
tion, which was tom %airily and unjustly endea-
voured to be excited against them. Those dissa-
tisfied with their conduct were of four different
classes. The enemy ; the late Ministers, enemies
of the present; the country, as represented iu this
House ; and the neutral. nations. Of the good
opinion of the first, he expressed himself and his col-
leagues divested of all anxiety. To those of the a,
he would remonstrate on the principle of the expe-
diency of the measure,, as well as time inconsistency
of their attacking a principle which they themselves,
when in power, and even he (the Chancellor admit
Exchequer), when in opposition, had admitted to
be fair, and founded upon just principles of policy,
in the rigorous blockade it was found expedient to
establish on all the ports from the Elbe to the her-.
hour of Brest, by the Noble Lord and his friends,'
then in power. They had admitted the principle,
and exemplified the practice. To the House col-
lectively he could severally urge the same airgu-
menus, though much more strongly applicable now
than on the former occasion, which had induced
them by their vote to sanction the proceedings of
the late Ministry, in the Orders issued on the
7th of January, 1807, relative to the general
blockade of most of the great ports of Nor-
thern Europe ; there was then no question on
the principle whatever, the only one was on
the length to- which it should be carried.—
But could it now be a question how far we should
proceed on it, when the enemy had endeavoured to
outstrip all possibility of competition ? Certainly
not. We must have bad the right to retort, as far
as we had in the present instance, when we recol-
lected the iligreekisoani-dangsto to which. Soso.
parte had exposed our trade, and the importation
of our manufactures, prior to the publication of this
• Decree, if even no such Decree had been formally
promulgated by the French Government. He
agreed with the Noble Lord that this proceeding
on our part wise unusual, yet it should be remem-
bered, that uwesual and unforeseen circumstances
had wads it absolutely necessary. But he con-
tended that it was by uo means founded on the
Executive Act of 1756, as the Noble Lord had
stated, as we had oaly hi the present instance re-
torted eielence to violence. But it was con-
tended by the country party, as they had deno-
minated themselves, that thus our retaliation
had been our ruin, in totally excluding Our
manufactures from the Continent. But it would
have been weak in the Ministry of this country,
when France had determined to prohibit the im-
portation of our manufactures into her dominions,
not to have retaliated the injustice done te,,
effectually, by prohibiting any importatioa
whatever, by coy neutral nation. There was no
doubt that the Orders had been highly prejudicial
to neutrals ; this he would admit ; but the evil
had been conseqneativl on the only means. of re-
dress in our power. This objection had also existed
spinet the measure of blockade, which originated
with the late Ministry, and had been remonstrated
loudly against by Denmark ; yet, on that ones.
Biqa, the Noble Lord and his friends collide°
this House for its approbation, awl urged