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London, England, 1803-06-04 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
reinev, JUNE 3.
, Mr. POLE presented the Ordnance Estimates,
which being ordered to lie on the table, he gave no-
tice that he should move for their being referred to
the Committee of Supply on Monday next.
The House went through the Report of the Com-
mittee on.the Ship-burning Bill ; which was brOught
up, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time on
Monday next. •
The Ordnance Estate Bill was read a second,
time, and eimmitted for Monday.
'lke Convoy Bill was read a third time and
passed.
Mr. GILEg, pursuant to a former notice, Moved
for leave to bring'in a Bill for amending the Ad of
the eed George 111. as far as regarded bribery at
eledions, in order that the oaths should not be nu-
gatory as at present, in many cases, but adtei-
tiistered pursuant to the eireitions of the 2d of
George 11.
Leave was given, and a Committee ordered to
Trepare the Rill.
HE CONDUCT OF MINISTERS IN ME LATE NE-
GOTIATIONS.
Colonel I'ATTEN, pursuant to his notice, rose
to move a series of resolutions, the importance of
which, he said, might well deter persons of his in-
capacity from coining forward in the presence of so
many Gentlemen long distinguished for the posses-
sion of the most conipetdnt and extraordinary ta-
knts. He felt himself somewhat entitled to their
indulgence, in consideration of its being, through a
long parliamentary life, only the second time of his
trespassing on their attention. This indulgence,
should he obtain it, he would endeavour to repay
in the best manner in his power, which was by li-
miting his trespass to as short a time as the subjea
could possibly admit of. The House would recoi-
led, that previously to the last recess, tie had given
notice of a motion which he was induced afterwards
to postpone, in deference to the recommendation of
others, whose knowledge, and greater political experi-
ence, he was bound to respect. He assured them, that
it was with the utmost reludance he was induced to
dissent from that private charader he heretofore re-
tained in the House, feeling himself, as he did, un- •
eve' to undertakings of a more conspictems na-
ture ; but, having once committed himself, he
could not relinquish his °Feel, which we* still as ne-
cessary as ever,from the silence efthe Ministers, from
the time of the notice, which kept the country in such
an injurious suspence, and the frequent confident as-
surances they had given, thatthey had every reason
to think, even in the most critical periods, that the
nation was in a state of profound and apparently
permanent peace. Their conduce, to say no worse
of it, could not be otherwise than suspicious, when,
while they were making dice assurances, they
sent out orders and counter-orders, for the evacua-
tion and retention of our most iMportant foreign
conquests, and finally ceded the whole of them, with
the exception only of Malta. I-k oived it to his bro.
ther-subjeds to drive Ministers re some explanation
on these heads, as they were, in such conjunetures,
entitled to a communication, and he knew of no me-
dium through which it was more proper to give it,
than through that of Parliament. But; in the mean
time, the monied interest was misled, trade was
drimped, and the commerce c f the country locked. •
up, in consequence of the alarm and suspence
which, as it since appeared, was in the power of his
Majesty's Ministers to dispel, by fairly explaining
the situation in which we stood. It may be asked
of him, why he now felt anxious to undertake a
task, which would be much better in the hands of
gentlemen, whose experienced abilities, great
weig it in the public estimation, and long habits of
life, nuct render infinitely more qualified, than he
could pretend to be ? The reason was, that he felt
himself anxious to remove some rumours and as-
persions, as unjust as they were ungenerous,
circulated amongst the public, injurious to others,
on account of his notice. For his part, in
times of such extremity and danger, he wished
all party distinctions to be forgotton ; he hoped
the effea of his motion would be, to ..ee the op.
posite (the Ministerial) bench filled with the best
talents of the country ; by men of all descriptions
whose worth and political talents were airea,_!y
stamped by the public opinion. many of whom he
then saw in their places, and he there:re was t..,•
more disposed to undertake this duty, as he was in
his own person too humble and insignificant to have
any thing to hope for. Another motive he telt,
WAS grounded on the calumnies to which he before
alluded—calumnies which, as far as they reeorded
himself personally, he declared he should only treat
with the contempt they merited ; but the case was
altered as far as they also regarded others, whom he
was bound to vindicate from the charge of having
employed, and put him forward, as their tool or their
instrument. lie therefore solemnly declared, that,
so far from aging on the suggestion of others, he
had never so much as communicated his intentions,
on this subjea, to any one, either in or out of the
Ilouse, any further than what he had stated from
his seat. Thus much he found himself called upon
to say in vindication of the Hon. Gentlemen below
hint (on the opposite bench), amongst whom it
would always be his pride to be classed, as being
composed of Gentlemen distinguished for their wis-
dom and foresight, with regard to the issue of the
important events that had
ear passed in theose wh eyes of the
world for the last test ys—men, eminent
talents justly procured them an unbounded repthem
uta-
tion in their own country, and obtained fo r
the resped of every Cabinet in Europe. H
ite oe
could not, he said, omit the present portunf
melting an observation' rs often obscry
of
towards some Honoutble Membets on that side
the House where ht had the honour freqently to
sit. When a Right Hon. Ginatlernen (Mt.o Fox) at
t time rose to vindicate the condoCt of the First
Font of the Admiralty, it was sarcastically remarked
by some person, that the Noble Lord, et a short
the line, n-
no-
tices emu furnish with fifty sail a
that it would be so teem ILIA W'abigs

-494,
the imputation appeared to him to rest with the Mie
sisters themselves, as the insinuations were ordisto,
be found in the points. known to be at their defiler.'
tion. One of the first points on which he wishedfor.
explapation was the declaration of the Minisaera,.
that it was necessary to prepare for tic dcfenpe
this country an account of the formidable prepare-
tions making in the ports of Fa-ance and Hollausk--it.
For his owls pin he made no doubt of the hostile
mind of the First Consul, but if he might depend on
the report, :of a well-informed officer, who-paued
through these countries about that time, the tine
statement was, that these preparations, instead of be-
ing enormously great, were not even sufficient for the
colonial purposes fill- Aids they were intente4
and therefore could not be designed or turned' with-
any cited against Great. Britain. He had also -
heard it confidently asserted, upon respedahle aurr
thority, that Bonaparte at first sent to the sea-portt
those troops upon which he could least depend, ins:
order to have them erolasrked for the.colonies; Lett..
that, after his Majesty's Messagn. .hkehlinged his
original purpose, and had them replaced by consides
rallc bodies of the best troops in his service. While.
he said this of the disposition of the French Govern-
ment', at the time, he would repeat his former asses;
tion, that he had a firm conviaion a' the hostile
views of Bonaparte against us; that his wish to con=
quer Egypt was not for its value as a colony, but in
order to-facilitate an attack on our East India pos-
sessions ; and that, by the overthrow of this couns
try, he hoped to accomplish his great and oltimate
object--the destrudion of the interest and insist
pendence of all the rest' 'of Europe. But WV
this, he could only , hope to effect gradual--
ly, and must have found it most for his inter.-
est to abstain for the present from any hostilities
against us, As to the series of insults and aggres-
sions so often spoken of, he must, as a young
poli-
tician, necessarily leave a subje!'t of that kind to the
examination and discussion of persons better quali-
fied to judge of them than he could pretend to be. ,
Adverting next to many of the subjects complained ,
of in the documents laid upon the table, he expressed
it to be his opinion, that many of them should have
been brought to a short *see at once ; and at the
time that we made representations of commercial
Agents being sent to this country fur hostile aurposes,
he thought we should have demanded immediate sa-
tisf.i&tion. Respecting the invasion of Switierland
and of Holland, it was enough that they hid the
presumption to aim at freedom aril : .lepenilence--
a crime inexcusable in the eyes Bonaparte.
We also were guilty of the same offesi,e, and he
hoped would ever, in the same way, continue to der
serve his hatred without being induced b% me
however violent, to surrender the remnant
conquests; and should the time arrive. when
men of talents, from all sides, would consent
to forego their party struggles and differences.
te.speding internal objeds, when they should be wil-
ling to suspend, and even to sacrifice, till a time of
total tranquillity thus attempts to obtain a Podia.
memory Reform, the Repeal of the Test Aft, &c.
&c. and unite in defence or the country against all
external danger, the nation would feel confident that
such defence would be glorious and successful.
Having said thus much, he said, it only remained
for him to return his thanks to the House for
the patience with which they had been So kind
as to attend to him for so long a time, and
he would assure them, that it would be a still
longer time before he troubled *them again.
Hel concluded with moving a string of resolutions,
which were the same verbatim as those moved yes-
terday in the House of Lords by Earl Fitzwilliam,
and of which it will he suiEcient to say that they
were to the following purport :—That it was the opi-
nion of the House that his Majesty's Ministers con-
sidered the whole of the proceedings of the French
Government, since the signature of the Preliminaries
of peace, were a continual and unremitting series of
acts of violence. aggression, violation of treaties and
hostility, and so many insults tending to degrade
the dignity of the Crown and Government, and in-
jure the interests of this Country. That by the con-
dud of Ministers in concealing those proceedings
from Parliament, and representing the Country as
in a state of profound peace which was likely to be
permanent, they ailed unconstitutionally , and greatly
contributed to the embarrassment of credit in the
commercial interests of the nation, occasioned by the
public being kept so long in suspence, and in a state
of delusion, that it was toe duty of Ministers, on the
con.m'ssion of the first aggression, ft) temonstrate
immediately with France, whereby they might have .
prevented the present appeal to arms, occasioned by
their own uegled. That after having by treaty en.
gaged to surrender the Cape of Orood Hope, they
sent counter orders to retain it, 'which they after-
wards revoked, and -finally gave it up. That the
Ministers by all this had proved themselves unworthy
of retaining their offices, or of possessing the Confi-
dence or the Parliament and the Public. These, he
said, were the resolutions he had at present to pro-
pose, which, if adopted, would probably be fol-
lowed up by others.
Colonel GRAHAM immediately arose, and said,
there was a statement he had to offer to the House,
and wished to have submitted it before the motion
had been made, but having by accident missed the
opportunity, he trusted the House, though it did not
immediately press after tke motion as the subject
had been but barely adverted to in the last speech,
would allow him now to present to its consideration,
as owing to circumstances of professional avocation,
this was perhaps the last time that for a considerable
period he should have it in his power to address
them. What he had to say related entirely to the
subjed of Malta, which had been so often casorassed
former discussions. He had this day .received
from General Pigot those papers which could not
be produced when called for yesterday. and the sub-
stance of which the General had requested that he
woold this day take au opportunity ofcdosneuicating
to the House. This appeared to be the snore iadispen-
*Ale, as in the public papers it was observed, that the

and most
pablishedlerpeetine
garrison, and: the manner of its surrender after the
Illockade, which he would, with the permission of
the House, take the libeky readied• some eke
. • „e.
teams from, eei part of his speeth. (1-nese extrads
Were taken Ebte the Publication *of the Maltese de-
eistitieh wbieli; same time since, made their appear-
ence mekie of the- public papers). The extras
mate,!l a 'Mitt towards the close cer the blockade the
French garrison was reduc'ed to the last etretnity,
insomuch *lli the French, as the price of a capitu-
lation, offered to leave hostages for returning all the
!Honey and valuables they had taken from the treasu-
' kri, the churches, pyiVate hoUseseacc as also all that
t h•ri had raised' by what they called forced contri-
lutions, 3cc. bet that this condition was not required '
by the English, who suffered them to take away all
the cents of which they had plundered the island
and the inht.bitante, together with their subseqnent
exadkurtseand refirsed to allow the nations to enter
the fortifications of the garrison till after the dep:l-.r. ,
tare of the Filench.rl - In contradigition to this erro-
neotis and gross statement, ieplained, that (Teel
neral Pigot .eft the arrangement of the terms of the'
capitulation to him (Colonel Graham) and Capt.
Martin,and that they were both reedy to attest that ho
such offer of hostages was ever made by the French.
They two had concluded on the terms of the capi-
tulation, which was afterwards regulaey signed by
the Commander inChief, and they Were consequently I
released from all responsibility • hut in saying this, ;
he by no means would wish to ;hut
ear part of the.
blame, if blame belonged to it, from .hrinsell to the
General, and he was confident he may -eafely say
the same on the part of Capt. Martin..
• Colonel GASCOIGNE he'te (idled the Hon.
Member to order; us, he said, he was only arguing
fralti onauthenticatcd newspaper accounts, end' not
from any document as yet befori• the House. -
This objection, however, not being supported by
the Speaker.
Colonel GRAHAM went on Ile said he did
esot meatete trouble the House at any length, but
.hoped to be indulged for a very short time, 'as tee
•chareder of General Pigot was understood to be im-
,plicated in the charge. 'I he French, Instead of
proposing to leave hostages, demanded to retain all
their private property, which was granted them, and
it. was, of course, ender the pretence of being private
property, That they carried off the money inquestinn.
With respell to the propriety of acceding to such a
capitulation, he would only say, that it was. true the
French, is it tiirried out, *ere pushed to great ex-
/tenuity, and had no Mere provisions left than
. what wbuld be sufficient t 6 maintain them for twen-
'•isieftsur-- hobes. But those who commanded the
blbtlettle; though the- heard and believed that the
enemy were likely to be sObn greatly distressed, by
no means however suspe&ed their wants• to he so
extreme: but there seem, besides, other strong .con-
?efererirene for acceding to the terms proposed. It
*as consist red, that it beirrhen the begitning of
September, and the Equinot commencing, in
ewhich, during a gale in one night, a single ship
sight have brought in a supply, which would
!citable the garrison to hold out another fortnight.
it was recolleded too, that in the preceding month
of June, two vessels, laden nith stores for the sup-
ply of the garrison, got into the harbour in the
same night. He was well aware that nobody could
suppose him, in saying this, to -cast any imputation
on the gallant naval officer who commanded and
direfied the blockade, as no person in existence
could have a higher opinion than himself of the es-
sential merit of his services, and that of the fleet. It
must indeed have been eminently conspicuous, as a
general opinion prevailed before, that there was no
possibility of blockading that island with efFed; yet
so stridly was it guarded in all weathers, by their
vigilance and activity, that the enemy confessed
themselves that what had been done seemed to them
before to be a thing impradicable. In pursuance of
the instru.lions received from General Pigot, be
stated that he and Captain Martin proceeded toge-
ther to the Hoare of the French Commandant,
General Vaubois, in order to confer upon the
terms. They could not, however, .even in the
first instance, propose the worst terms that might
possibly be offered, not knowing, as he before oh.
served, the precise state of the French garrison.—
It was therefore thought prudent to agree to risk
no chance of relief, but suffer the men to carry
away their property, depositing their arm's the next
morning on the glacis. This agreement must be
understood as extending only to private property.
Mr. CANNING here spoke also to order. He pro-
fessed the utmost personal resksed fee General Pi-
got, and a regard of course for nis chars ter ; but he
thought it hardly fair towards the Hon. Mover to
interrupt the discussion at this moment, by an expla-
nation that was hut very little connected with it, as
the subjed of Malta had scarcely bet ore. been men-
tioned, though it was very probable that many ap-
pointments would occur for introducing any expla-
nation in the course of the debate winch could be
deemed necessary.
The SPEAKER here interposed, observing, that
though what the Honourable Officer had beets stat-
ing could scarcely be deemed strislly regular, yet
there seemed a general disposition in the House to
suffer him to proceed, as a matter of indulgence.
Colonel GRAHAM said, he was aware of the
explanation not being formally regular; bin wished
to seize the opportunity while he had it, and ex-
pressed his thankfulness to the House for its dispo,
titian to indulge him. That these Maltese armed
inhabitants were not at first permitted to enter
the town, was perfedly true, the French having'
made that a condition, on account of the great inve-
teracy that subsisted between ; and there was every net-
sotitoapprehend that, had they been permitted toenter
as soon as they wished it,themost serious andfatal con-
sequences would have ensued ; and, in truth, the
'English had not a strict right to insist on the resti-
tution of the treasures and contributions which had
been taken before the blockade was even formed.
He then went on to state the manner in which the
armed Mistese had been commanded--.first by Com.

he 11.
t,ands of. General Pigot.
Lord TEMPLE at last finally succeeded in pot-
ting an end to any further explanation; by moving,
That the Resolutions proposed be now read; which
being agreed to, •
'Colonel BASTARD said, he was not at all sorry
that the present discussion had been brought fOr-
ward, as he was convinced that the more apparent
would be the justification of the present Ministers,
Who found themselves placed in a-situation of Un-
paralleled difficulty, when all the power of the
world seemed to be placed in the hands, or
humbled at the feet, of the First Consul.—With
the view of arriving at a • fair judgment, he would
not take the documents by piecemeal or one by
' one, but codsider them all in the aggregate, and in
doing this, he believed that the Ministers would
be tomtiletely justified. He joined in the Wish e,.
pressed by the Hon. Gentleman !Col. Patten) that
all the great talents of the country were concert-
tered on, the .Treasury Bench, but hitherto he did
xialtfind that any more than one Right Hon. Gen: ,
tleattan (Mr. Tierney) from the other 'side of the •
Hotte, had been included amongst the present Ade
ministration. He had heard and read several re-
porty of the return to office of another Right Hon.
Gentle Min (Mr. Pitt) whose uncommon genius and
talents he, with all the rest of the world, was com-
pelled to admire. But the only terms in which he
understood that Right Hun. Gentleman could be
admitted were---(A very general cry of (-refer!
also obliged Mr. Bastard here to datist from any
further explanation on this topic.) He then said,
he found no difference in making up his mind, when
he saw two parties contending with each other, at d
both aiming at the same thing. (4 peal of lought!,r.)
What he meant by the expression, he said, was,
that one party supposed the Ministers were too Lite,
and the otter that they were too precipitate, in
-icoing to war with Prance. The Ministers were
tertamly forbearing and moderate t bat in his api.
pion there was more true fortitude in bearing than
in resenting an insult, particularly when the offend.
ed party had not The means of pm:liking It. pis:other
laugh). Viewing the question either way, he did
not sec how any blame could attach itself to C. .
.vernment. What lie principally'hoped was, that
oar exertions would not be confined to defensive war
only, and he trusted this'country was not yet al low
as' o make it despair of finding allies on the Conti-
nent.
Colonel PATTF.N explained, that what he meant
by concentrating great talents of all descriptions,
wherever they were to be found, was the sole Oka
•
of the defence and honour of the country.
• Mr. I. H. ElLOW!'sit: did not think that any
~.wisdom or talents, however great and eminent, could
have prevented this country from being involved in
the preterit war. He highly commended the dis-
creet and sensible speech of the Hon Colonel who
ipoke first in the debate; brit with all his respell fat
himself and his motives, he could not help saying
that he never heard a speech less capable of surf.
porting so very serious a motion, and such very
strong resolutions, not, in his opinion, could the
House ever entertain them, without better Parliamen-
tary grounds than had yet been alledged for them.
He certainly had an earnest wish for the utmost
unanimity in the vigorous support of this arduous
contest, as it was still manifest, that the few coun-
tries which had the courage to retain their freedcen
and independfnee, were now the most powerful
and most opulent, and as • nobody seemed to doubt
that the chief views of the First Consul were aimed
at the destruction of Great Britain. He did not
know to what expressions of ' Ministers reference
was made, when -hey accused of holding out to
the country delusive hopes of peace. Those who
made the charge in order to support It, should
have compared the dates of the expressions to the
dates of the different documents now upon the
table. For his own part, he was sensible that
no expressions of theirs had ever given him
any more than very feeble hopes of it. He
could not conceive, either how those who did
not blame his Majesty's Ministers for coneluda
ing the Peace of Amiens, could now well turn
about and blame them for using their best endea-
vours to maintain it. In his judgment, if they
thought the peace could not be preserved, they
should have communicated the information ; but ;1
they had hopes that an accommodation might still
take place, it was their duty to withhold it. The
letter of the Treaty, as well as the spirit, had been
violated by the enemy before the Negatlaticins were
broken off, and it was necessary that they should be ;
and if great warlike preparations were going on in
the ports of France and Holland, it was better that
the alarm should be given to the nation too soon
than too late. 'Tire was certainly a very good
ground of alarm when Bonaparte continued these
preparations at the time that he was known to.
have abandoned his West India expedition.—
As to the sufferings which the commerce of the
country might have experienced hitherto from the
rupture between the two countries, it was a matter
of enquiry, and could not therefore be hastily de-
cided, by the vague and imperfed information,
which was all that coulttyet be colleded. He con.
eluded with observing, that however he might wish
for the union of great talents in the prosecution of
the war, high sounding names, exalted reputations,
flashes of merriment, sarcasms of wit, or force of
invedive, should never induce him to think that
there was not a sufficient fund of talent anti' calm,
city in the present •Administration, nor that their
conduct hitherto had not entitled them to the confi-
dence of the public.
Lord KENSINGTON said, that he should not ,
' feel disposed to trouble the House this aight, if he
had not been influenced by the opinion,' that in so
perilous a moment, the people had a tight to be
acquainted with the sentiments of all their repre,
sentativec. • On this question, he did not fully con-
cur hi the opinions of any of the Gentlemen who
went before him. is order to come to a proper
decisiotes it Ives tight to consider, what Wai 1.;:e

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UMBER 133.] _
. 'JUN t 4, 18
*O3. _ ~ ......... _ [PILICt SIXPENCE.
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13IPERIAL PARLIAMENT. . . 1 out men. , lie • did not recollea any other three grosiest•and Indst scindaleusmisrepresentaiions had modore Ball, now Governor of the island, and by
charge of the same nature made in the 1-Ides6, but. Been published'respefting the state of the island and himself aftt4wards, till he resigned the command
T-TATTIM fIF CrIMMCIVg . t),.. ...5..........:„... .........,.....A •., is:..l t., .....• .14t), tt.• M;- garrison. and: the manner of its surrender after the into the hands of. General Pigot. •

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