The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-01-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARIJAMEVT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, FRIDAY, JAN. al.

About half-past three &dui k the Speaker took the Chair.
Mr. Grout, from the COMIIIII4IOIICTI of Military Inquiry,
presented Maw. fifth Report, which wiu. ordered to be hod asi
the table.

Sir I rYneu Buirdett and Lard 3fahou took the. oaths sail
their
'I he mewling Orders of the House, as is usual at t►e emu-
menecnieut of a !ammo, a err severally read and agreed to i
and the usual Committe es, relative to grireauces, trade. and
cavirine Leos, were appointed
Lord Francis Spencer presented ■ petition mantis, to the
Oxford Canal, •hick am ordered to be rsicrred to ► Com-
mittee.

A new Writ was ordered for the Borough of Tredony,
in Cornwall, in the room of Godfrey M'cutwords, Esq. who
stare his election has accepted the once of Steward to t►e
Chiltern l'undreds.

A new Writ ea% ordered for the Borough of Tiverton, is
fievonshire in the room of the Hon. Richard Ryder who
since his election has accepted the office of woe of the Lord.
CUMIII3I6I9IICTS of the Treasury.
ELECTION PETITIONS.
-•••- - -

I :pon this subject the CHANCELLOR of of the
EX( 'l4 EQUER observed, that he would wish to
fix some particnlar days in the week for taking into
consideration the Election Petitions now before the
House. It would be desirable not to bring any of
them forward earlier than Tuesday se'nnight ; and
that those u:von double returns should come for-
ward tied; he therefore should propose that these
should come forward on Tuesday next; and that
three Petitions should he taken into consideration
in each week; two on Tuesdays, and one upon
Thursdays; for as it was likely there would be a
smaller number during this Session than there was
during the last, it would be desirable not to
bring down a greater attendance of Members thou
was absolutely necessary; lie should therefore move,
That the first Petition in rotation should be taken
into consideration on Tuesday, the id of February
next."

In conseluence of this proposal, the following
Petitions, already presented, were appointed for
consideration as ler:

The Petiti.,n complaining of an undue Election fur the
Borough of Saltash, on Tuioday, the lid of February, at half
post three o', lock in the afternoon.

Fur the Burgh of fluppenhatra, on Thursday, the 4th of
February.
For Whoa' Right, on Tuead..y, the geb of Fehroary.
For Horsham. co Stitt"
For Emir, ha the toasty of Worcester. on ThwodaY.
the I it% of February.
Fee Some; two Pedseses, on Tuesday, the terth of Fe.

For Tables Cnrwraity, cm ditto
Fee Raglanhire, out Tneeda), the loth of February.
For Nottimgham, au ditto.
Foe Peurhae, is the Comm) of Cornwall, as Toroth), the
of Famiary.
)Ir. SWAN gave notice that he 'intended to

stove, that another Petition for
taken into consideration the same
one already appointed„ •
ott DE CHARGE.

with ti

......
Lord FOLK ESTONE gave notice, that upon
this flay fortnight he should submit a motion to
the I louse for the product' of papers relative to
the (Jude Charge against the Marquis Wellesley.

REVERSIONS.
Mr. BAN/MS gave notice, that upon Monday
neat he should submit a motion to the Howie, rela-
tive to bringing in a bill to prevent the granting of
Offices in Reve mon.

COPENHAGEN.
The Right Hon. G. PONSONBY gave notice,
that upon Monday se'nnight he meant to submit a
Motion to the House for the production of certain
Papers relative to the late attack upon Copenhagen.

Mr. HORNER gave notice, that he would,
upon Tuesday next, submit a Motion to the House
concerning the Orders of Council relative to li-
censes for trade granted contrary to law.

PRIVATE BILLS.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved, That this House will not receive any
Petition for Private Bills after the With of Fe-
bruary next ; nor any Private Bills after the 28th
of March next ; and that the House will not receive
any Report of such Private Bills after the 16th of
May."
These Motions were severally proinned, carried,
and orderedlo be printol.
On the Motion of Mr. DAVIES GIDDY, a
new Wriesras ordered to he issued for the Election
of a Burger for the Burgh of Yarmouth, in the
room of Jervoise Clarke Jervoise, Esq. deceased.

KING'S SPEECH
Mr. WHITBREAD ezpressed his wish to
know when the Papers ref rred to in His Ma)•enty's
Speech would prola►bl be laid before the House?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER•
answered, that he could not fix any particular day,
but that they would certainly be laid before the
House very early neat week.
ADDRESS TO HIS MAJESTY:
Lord Hamilton appeared at the Bar, and pre-
sented the Report of the Committee to whom
the Address voted last night to His Majesty was
referred.

Upon the Motion that said Report be brought
up—

'Mr. MACDONALD rose and said, he could'
pot omit this opportunity of expressing his senti-
ments upon the subject of the address .oted by the
House. It was one which went to approve, alto-
gether, of the conduct of His Majesty's Ministers,
us regard to an expedition, of which they had not
yet vouchsafed to lay the grounds before the House.
Fhe House must leave felt great surprise at
hearing the Right Honourable Secretary of State
express, that it was nut the intention of Govern-
ment to give the House any further information
upon the subject. The speechsvhich had been de-
livered to both Houses, had stated, that the eyes of
this country and of the world were, at this mei-neut.
lived upon the British Parliament ; and was it not
then surprising, that the very first act which
ui,tcra should put into execution, was such as
would be most disgraceful in the eyes of Europe,
and of the world? Having no information upon
this point, the House were hound to decide upon
this question, according to the circumstances and
th • evidence as they now were before them. He
coitended, that the state of Denmark sheered, that
no such secret articles, as those alluded to, existed
in the Treaty of Tilsit. It had been said, that the
armament prepared in Denmark was a great
ground for the attack made upon Copenhagen.
Now he wished to bring under the observation of
the !louse a circumstance which had not, perhapri,
been adverted to by many, that Admiral Gambier,
upon the 3d Aug. appeared before Copenliageu,
and the Treaty of Tilsit was signed early in the
mouth of July. Was it then possible to contend,
that the naval stores which we've found there could
have been prepared for any hostile purpose against
us ? On the one hand, we had our ene-
mies. the French, the Emperor of Russia,
and the Prince of Denmark, decidedly declaring,
that no such engagements as those alleged by Mi-
nisters had been entered into. What have we On
the other hand ? We have the information which
Ministers have received from some unknown per-
son. It intuit have been from some spy, or some
person of that description ; for if it had proceeded
from any of our Ministers at the Northern Ports,
Government would not have scrupled to have laid
it before the House. How then could it be ex-
pected that such a pledge could be given by Par-
lisunent upon such contradictory testimony .? He
lamented that the only mention made of peace in
the Speech should have been conceived in the
manner it hail been. It was a mode ill suited to
the times, and ill suited to obtain what was so
much and so generally wished for. Could it be ex-
pected that Great Britain, now at war with all the
world, could treat upon equal terms with her
Ansseies, or treat without the mediation or inter-
vention of sonic other powers? Ile should have
wished that something, a little more intelligible and
satisfactory, had been stated upon the subject of
peace. as both the foram and substance of any nego-
elation must be founded upon the extreme desire of
obtaining a permanent one. While the Right
lion. Secretary expressed, upon the one hand, the
utmost regard as to the forms of conducting nego-
cuitions for Peace. he did not appear to thick that
in attacking neutral powers even the form of a
declaration was at all neceasary. (Hear ! lira, !
Hear 1 This, no doubt, spewed an extreme in-
consistency of conduct, to him totally unaccount-
able. Ile only wished in rising to express his disc
sent to that pert of the Addresswhicia related to the
subject of Peter.
Mr. FULLER said, he did not think it fair to
attack Nlinisters as to the Expedition to Copenhis-
gen. If the same conduct had been adopted us to
the fleet of Spain, upon a former occasion, this
country would not have had to fight the battle of
Trafalgar. where the gallant Nelson had suffered.
He could not blame Miii'.•42•3 for having token the
precaution which they had evinced, but, in his opi-
nion, they had hardly done enough in not taking
advantage of their knowledge of the Tilsit nego-
ciation. Call him the Crown Prince, or the Aeff-e-
-crown Prince, or what you will, it aas certainly
most absurd to say, that he and his confederates

should be believed in every assertion the. I
pleased to make, and that not one word ei),
from our own Government should be credited.
believed that the Hight Hon. the Chancellor oti
Exchequer was really a man of honour and iu
grity ; and that 'lonian could, with justice, rent,
to dispute it. He was certainly convinced,
what he had set forth was the real fact, and Oa'

he were to give up his original source of talon:
Lion, souse person or persons would be sacrifin
He gave him full credit for his conduct upon t
ocuision, and he should conclude by saying to he
that as some Gentlemen, on the opposite
would never fail in urging objections agsinAti
measures of the existing Government, ,‘ n,,
mind them, pursue your duty, and leave tin
where you find them."—(A laugh.)

Mr. iIIBBERT observed, that an Ilon.
tletnau had yesterday stated, that the petition
Yorkshire did not at all proceed from an
motives; this he really believed ; and on that
count he could not help thinking, that that pet 6
was the more worthy of notice, as he believed 31
be nothing more that the expression of the
ings and the sufferings of the people, which LI
have long endured, and which they are still sd
lug to endure, if Potshot:tent could sties, ditt
the necessity of such endurance ; or that Genet
meat held out to them any prospect of a ;pt.:,
termination of the war. Ministers ought to consiil
the character which the present war is shout
take; it is a character which is not only new to ti
country, but to the world. The people must w
that Government would not long make them t
dure its hardships ; and he should think that l
liautent ought to free the country from the impel
lion of motives of ambition, levity, or of aro
dizement. Impediments were thrown in the wt
at the _ very commencement of the negotiate

which he iterated totally unnecessary. 'fhe
negotiation had been formerly termed disgraerfi
front its length k but he believed that this Count
never came out of any uegociatios with grew
benoar to itself, or in a manner that tended ma

to secure the fidelity and confidence of other cosi
tries. Its rupture was such as could not fail to e
courage nations abroad to look for our support,
long as they continued equally true to the comma
cause. We seemed now rcady to take the chaise
of war, but he would ask, were there no chances u
times of peace ? Of how great consequence 'taxi
it be that other countries should in peace look al
to us for support ? Did not peace offer some op
por4unities of conciliating Ireland, and puttul
it in a state better adapted than it at la
mut is, to contribute to our general demi

should the ambition of the enemy afterwards fer,
us into another contc.z.t ? Might we not, in pesi,
able times, adopt. means to render beimod at
stay, our support, and security, against the tier
of conquest? He should think it was lode
likely such means might be adopted in time
peace as in times of war. Upon former occasion
we had to boast, that if our interest in Europe •e
not extended, at least we had not adopted the si
means exercised by our enemy • hut an
we heard, horn all sides of the House, Aim we hi

not this topic to exult upon. We hud sow
rinds& our integrity, and tarnished our homy,.
a manner .which tended to cast a veil over the
provqy of our anewty.—( Hear I hear !I A •
the vrissof the House, whielq went to *pawn of
measure having this pernicious effect, betege
katre to enter his solemn pmtent, and to consi.
himself as perfectly open to the discussion of e:
questiou, at some future period, in the same mar
nee as if 110 such vote this might had passed.
the question of peace or war, he should merely ei
seise, that, to an industrious people, such a loss
and pandit contest could only be tolerable by t
hopes held out to them of its being terminated I
the blessings of pence; hope; which, he was 'or
to observe, so far trosu being encouraged or au.:
melded, were considerably diminished, by no
core disposition being evinced in His Majest;
Speech to procure it.
Mr. TAYLOR stated, that as to the attar:
upon Copenhagen, some future opportunity monad
occur when he shouid give his opinion ; sit press'
h. should only observe, as an Englishirtaii, he fun
himself disgraced by it. Upon the subject if
peace, he should be happy to hear any justiticatis
of Ministers, for not hiving listened to the coo,'
toms that had lately been made to them. What
he raw principally to observe upon was, the 1041-
tion from Yorkshire, which had been more than
once alluded to. Some of the delegates frets
those who signed that petition, had applied to hiss,
and he wished thew to delay bringing forward any
question relating to peace, at the present moment,
as it might tend to harass the Goverment vi
the rountry„ and he told them that he thought
some negoceation was then going forward. They
wished him to be theChainnan of the meeting, but
this he declined, as their proceeding was counter
to his wish. What was their answer They stud.
that they supposed he was speculating upon those
points, and had uo doubt that he and his Priest*
were doing soinething for them; but hunger toea..a
through stone walls;' we are *tarring. This was
impressed upon their minds, that if Government
had not blockaded the ports of the Coollimset Illy our
fleets, they might get vent for their nonallisettiren
A manufacturer of considerable property told his::
that he now employed 30 or 40 inanufacturet-
many of whom had worked for his father assil
himself for a numberof years, but that is had Dog
really business for them, yet he could not this's
of sending them out upon the wide world to mom
Could it he supposed then that this man had ewe
forward from factious motives ? They inveigheti
against Ministers for the Orders of Courted which
they had issued, and of which he (Mr. T.) doubted
thelegality. Ali he wished, however, at present to
state was, that these Petitioners, so far from depart;
to embarrass Government, only wished to state to
theta their real sufferings. The last adrite he
gave them was, that if they thought the conduct of
the king's Ministers reprehensible, they ought to
petition His Majesty for their dismissal, (How!
hear ! hem I from time Oppositions beneltee), and Co
get some othe• Ministers better able to conduct the
Govemnr-nt, and with grenter honour. He should
merely farther declare to the House, that the suns
jest of Copenhagen was one which be would news
quit, as it was totally *multi
Mr. ETIEN said, he a short post;,n. •
meat of the proeeediugs. as to the attack

Copenhagen, wo,
every Member
on Address to
of their cordial
was arduous bt
every day new
sole object of
explanation frot
sages in the Spe
cone ilable with 1
Majesty, eoon of
of Tilsit was I
trout of Franc
tincut, was spy
enemy to prom
and specifically
mark and Port
ptiech then eta
Majesty to plat
such Confederal

ing of the Spe
signed by Rum:
and
I die nth of Aug

hardlyindeed Gam
ceived
palPr:l uvcibiocbu°teilisueh'il
could
country within
treaty. This
up, as he co
had bean n.ai
necessary prep
preparing oust!
Copenhagen • i
possible to be
had actually rei
fitting out that
Throne was ttc
spection of Pa
read every whe
would find its w
wit will be taken

point, by the i
they would not
of British Mil

conduct would
and therefore t
liticisns, a se

their conduct,

minds that in
duces effect;
petted that th
mark hiving g
of our unprarr

. Mr. HER
been proper, 1
wars, they du
had been jual
duct as to Co
information

only such fac
stated, he cou
of the Addres
meat of the I
that account

should be le
( of peace or
~ we hare a a
wirer with all
to sawlew yes
teally helievo
all others,
out duty to
laded that w

engaged in
was sate that
dently long
inhabitant* o
tired of war.
hare had pea
adopted to
object ; and
ksty's

Lives in oinin
taininent, ea

country.
Mr. YOH

of the veracs
respect to tis
disposition o
serous desig
felt with tl►

to 0014 ho,!
to Greet Br
iseliag was r
Con, in find
*Ake such It
cassful 68 o
have devise;
deficiency a
the MiniaZT
Whatever i

itti.tied had
(Wet of the

CLAC4I4 aru
dew% und'
eunuttances
known to en
mediate war
cific inform'
they eutAtria
procure the
of hostilities
apprised,
the same _

ooaduct of
such as ever

sacrA enga
He was of a
pen respect
home, had
chid' to the
ministerial
The fa rnishi
lute of VA,: •

deprived th
informatioii

feign of lib
who had ac
the rnantifa
Led, by exci
aioa ouch a
alight place
house, and
ful subjega
with reaper
it mint apt