The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-05-05 00:00:00

I,I.II"ERtIL P.IRLLI3IENT.
um's,: nG LARt)S, TIMISDAT, MAT 4.


I.'i (earwigs took sloes& ad kis seat
A.ai hies.
• a •
Upon the Order of the Day being read
• Tie Earl of Slti.lttßE ruse, pursuant to the no-
tire which lie had given on a former day, and
bt• oboerving, diet such hail been the
conduct as far so it was manifested. of His 'Majes-
ty's !Moister% iii the affair of the Chesapeake. that
he hosted their Lordships would super with him in
ilie propriety of !nuking lois present motiori. lie
leboured ender consideteble disadvantages, in
the present subject before the /louse, be-
cause those pipers and public documents, which
were alsorilutely necessary to give the House com-
plete and satefactory information on the subject
now limit had been altogether refused.
Still milking use of oil the notoriety of this trans-
action, he thought there was ample ground to
draw certain conclusions. sufficient to convince
his mind upon the suhject. He should take up
it part of their Lordsiiiits tinw, iu detailing those
proceediugs relating to the mutiny and desertion of
our ni it. Mill the subsequent behaviour of officers
under the American Government, It appeured
elver, whet, Jeuki is }toren', and others, inutonied
against their Commanding Officers on board an
English ship, and afterwards deserted, 111111 went
oil shore, where they enlisted untie, the American
tioverament, mild proceeded to the Chesapeake;
that the American Officers who were neer:miry to
their tieing so employed, actually kuew the truth
of this iritosaetiom awl were pnCy to their tieing
natives of Englund. liis Lordship Isere read the
tretimoity of several of the witnesses oil the trial of
Jenkins Itetford, for mutiny, friiin which it seem-
ed that Commodore Barron, and other American
Officers were. informal by the torn themselves, flint
they hail deserted ; to *lnch the others replied,
that they should be protected in that desertion.
Now. it might be said, all this was possibly traits-
retell witout the knowledge or coonwance of the
Government itself. But be should be able to
*flew the Got ernineut were afterwards apprised of
the conduct of their inferior officers, anti yet Ito
entice whatever Last been taken. nor any inquiry to
this day instituted, coma. • g that conduct. It was
also inalsifest that a deser.ption, and a eery reined'.
able fide, of the persons of these men, lisil been
trainitnitted to Mr. Erskine. wherein the height,
the age, rani other circumstances, attending Jen-
kins Belford, were pointed out. One mark was
particularly enticed, that he hull his own 1141111 s im-
pressed upon Ms left uric. It.liether Mr. F:takine
prevented this constituitiesition to the Anitrican
Goveruotent, hr was nut authorized to determine ;
but the* could be on doubt, and their Lordship.
would, be well satisfied, that Mr. Erskine did hi,
- duty( marl that the American Goverionent were
made aerie:tinted with every particular. Upou
these grounds lie trusted the House. trnul.f ct,:tettr
with Min. there was greet necessity Ipr that Co-
vernment making reparation fur the slat!, of this
hostile ausl utqnstitiable proceeilitig. If ae gate
way to the itarrewsomible demands of the .l lust ham%
it would be attended with 'enema injory to the beet
interests of this country. Some degree. of credit
be slid allow was due to the preseut
Admiuis-
tratiomi, when had not so far marl riled as former
Oilso heal dude, to the Irtxpient and mireasonalde
delirium's of America. It was rather extraordinary-
that France had oil many rweasioostiejed in the
most hostile am' tyraustiral I:fanner to the
United States ; vet no reparation had been
made be the furiner'i nor had it bent earnestly
deinautied by the lather Gnvernment. He consider-
rd the. times of the irtirld to Its conipletely ithanged,
and that whet bad been laid down by Grotiue and
Puftendorf relative to the rum: • tights of na-
tion*, did 1101 apply to the present state of Greet
Entaito. Ile sliimh" ever contend that the rape-
riority of this country obi the iwas was a Inmate!
leiitul sovereignty; that Great Britain, was milkiest
to this sovereignty ; and that she had a right to
Insistent it, and, hire others, it WI% founded on the
principles of allegiance and lirotectinti. In these
(ones, when a gigantic and lawless tyrant was pros
feeding in his unliounded course tower& univer-
se' empire, the only cheek which troth' he opposed
to his ambition, .vas the navy of Ii gland ; and
the Americans ought of all other instincts to be
thankful we powwow, such maritime greatness.
From the year 1717 to trio, Fissure had tactual
oat of the must tyrannical acts towards the United
States which email possibly be ciniceireile—She
sky,' their inereltaist ships, and if there was the
property of English growth Or inatiufac-
titre en !ward the some, contrary to all laws of
tedious, she determined to lie lawful prizes--and
maltreated both ship mod cargo. Within ales* pe.
r'rwl than two yearn!, she thus uiiiiiitly took from
.tie. American*. property worth linen twenty to
thirty millions of dollars, for.in tisat time upwards
of tliecc handrail ships wire mozeil and tonfisCated.
There mold lo• tin doing., if it ‘, n• net for tl:e
iiiternatt- of the naval power of l';reat
Fr owe %timid have still cut bb iaa used to Moult and
ruin the ttttt mercer), the roiled State*. lie could
wish to see the minty of this country sopported iu
no great sin oeritnity, upon priticiples of justice to-
wards all natioos--yet live wadi! VlRlllllldit that SU-
I.Wrtordy, by obliging all inuritime kiagdoins to
take cognizniice of our sovereignty on floe Pelts,
which would tend to the ttttt total 'mere./ of all, amid
he trusted that our maritime right being duly Hs-
*erted, would produce a nv:intitWw cuoredengti ttttt
shich would preserve the, indepetelenes of other nu-
and cheek the cnottiirlitul greatness of the
arbiter. of France. The Noble Earl comluileil hie
*perch by nioving " That sin 11111%114 Ailidrt•4 INC
ibr.t.iviited if, /114 Mtkil..stl, stating that it is tilt
a';tiniai of t ku during hileplMlNlll9( iiego-
elation het Weerl flit Nlajestt stud the United Suites
ref .kiiiersiss, couceritilig the difference. suleistilog
tortweeo the tor countries. that the Government
of the Canted :4tlste% Attaht in Hittite dint reparation
tin. 1:e•eoli I. •tail' the ILAivs rs nos4r.r nod Govern.
Ul at, spirited. certain num, tastitr.s sit Great sin-
ttttt service to
Oise eel-vire or the I...tited States, on Ismail the
if:beet:sew:le. ' •
The Enid of fav ;meet°, mid, he die' not ri-e
for the purpme of eioidir a 1 Irsogllo in'u all the lir-
giediedin the Nobln Earl lobo IlusoUgid foe's: iii
the &.n.-sent atieiiri. Ile should is. py a small per-