The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-05-21 00:00:00

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dive of confusion. On this neettitHaeon -litany •
propositions' have been made at Parsi',!wliiih. were
not at all communicated to the Frlnecli Arabes-
sector in this caonry, and can only he knoWn in a
formal manner by the dispatches of Lord Whit--
worth."
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Mr. GREY observed, that the statens eet of the
Noble Lord last night was, that ha. wrttteh represen-
tations had been made here, but to ellablq. the
/louse to form a proper judgment ; it shnald also be
in possessiol; of every verbal representations..
1)r. LAURENCE said, that he acknowledged
the H. Ise had no right to eve& a commonic,nion
of every contingent and subordinate point that
might have oc:urred, hut it was ne:-e.sary to know,
'.shat had not yet appeaml, whether the evactation
of Holland was or was not made a leading piet ~t
the ultimatum of our Government ? This, he sa;d,
was by no means an insulated point ; but, in hi,
opinion, the most important of them all. Nethine
could be more interesting to the united kingdom,
than the question whether Holland should be inde-
Fndent and free, or rendered a mari:i me province of
rance, to enable it the more effedually to attack us.
Mr. SHERIDAN represented, that if the pagers
now presented were published, it would be right
that the House should have time maturely to consi-
der of them, and compare them with that mass of
documents which had not been in the hands of many
Members before this day. He admitted that it was
proper'for the liouse- to come to a decision on this
subjed, but it w.ts also highly expedient that they
should not proceed with prectpitation. He hoped,
therefore, that the Noble Lord would not °bled to
the consideration being deferred ti:l Wednesday
next, and the more so, as an lion. General proposed
to move for some other important papers this day.
If these should be granted, neither they nor the
present comniunication could be printed before to-
morrow. There was, however, another point, in
which he could not think the Ministers could objet
to afford some information. It was strongly ru-
moured, that Mr. Talbot had adtually left Paris,
and that M. Portalis, the Secretary to the French
Embassy, had quitted London. Upon this stibjed
he hoped the House would receive some expla-
nation. •
Lord lIAWKESBURY-44 I have'no objection
whatever to give the explanation called for ; Go-
vernment has received nu authentic information that
Mr. Talbot has yet set eint from Paris; nor do I
know that M. Portelis has left Londoe : and, as to
the rumours alluded to by the Hon. Gentlenein,
they are without any foundation whatever. With
meant to the delay proposed by the Hon. Gentle-
man; I in not convinced that lie bans laid dosva a
sufficient ground kr my consenting to it, unless I
hear wine stroneer' reasons alledged. The papers
now presented, silo not Contain any new filaS rela-
tive to the subjcd, only of Malta and Louisiana,
which, though not officially on the tel;lc before, has
been for some time sufficiently known to the House
and the public.
Mr. CANNING declared, that he felt a great ob-
jeCtion to the consideration of this subjed being de-
ferred beyond Monday next. Any additional pa-
pers that may be required would only enable' the
House to judge more accurately as to the propriety
of the condua of his Majeety's Miitisters. Any per-
son that perused -the papers on the table, must
from•theni be convinced that this country was ag-
grieved, and had a right to complain of the agemes-
mons of France; any thing more would only facili-
tate their ulterior determination as to the condua of
*Ministers ; but he feared that any further delay
might induce the enemy to suppose there was any
hesitation to resent on the part of this country.
The papers were then ordered to be printed.
Mr. WHITBREAD, though it might appear
somewhat irregidar, hoped the importance of the
subjed would justify his asking his Majesty's Mi-
nisters whether any communication was made by the
French Government since the departure of Lord
Whitwuith from Paris.
Lord HAWKESBURY." All the comniuni-
cation received by Government was only in the
shape of an unofficial notice, and his Majesty's Mi-
nisters would not think themselves justified in laying
before Parliament any proposition made in that
war."
Mr. WHITBREAD wished to know whether
there was any communication of a substantial na-
ture, as the I louse ought, in his opinion, to be in pos-
session of it whether it was official or not.
Lord I lAW ES KU R Y—" If the Government
had received any official notice regularly signed, so
as to render them authentic, I should not have the
slightest. objelion to communicate it. All that
reached our hands was a proposition through an ir-
regular and circuitous channel, the terms of which
were inadmissible, and by no means altered the state
of the case. It was not in fad such as this country
could accede to, even if regularly delivered, consist-
ent with its good faith, and a view to its essential
interests."

Lord TEMPLE raid, he rose also to put a ques-
tion to•Miiiii!ers which he thought it necessary the
House should be informed of. It was this, whether
Mr. Talbot was left in Paris for the purpose of
continuing the negotiation, aird whether :NI. Porta-
lis remained heft for the same purpose ? He could ,
not conceive that they staid merely for domestic
purposes, as it was not the duty of Secretaries to'
Ambassadors to be left behind only to pack up the
gads and pay.* bills of ;heir principals.
Lord HAW'tESBUIIY.—., I have no hesita-
tion in staing that the Secretaries aid not remain
for the purpose of cott:iuning the negotinfions. Mr.
Talbot was left in Paris only to take care of the pa-
siers of the embassy, and protea those English who
had no:. time •(o leave Pasts."
Mr. GREY considered the vend communication •
referredto by the Null. Lard as necessary to be
communicated, even thertigh not official. It was of
great initkirtance to know *liether these ;c cis; irre-
gularly' ottered, were' ibadniiisibk or not. •It was
sai'd in. aiotfier place (we believe the House of
Lards) that the Oroposition was a ceniretoj?'l of the
' French Government, which might contain very sub-
! itantitil iiifik"natl(a. HA could see no good reason
for withhoiliog it from the House,- merely on the
! grotind Of ifol•frialitl. Whit he now reittured Was
already Brit* in the eornmenceiraitt of the last *ar.
i M. Clinitrvitiiri sans 'levet' acknowledgtri iii' tfiii coitn-
try to have been duly accredited a iri liiiibittidor
at ter the irovnratiOn el the French Republic,, and yet
! the contattatiCatierk• beeweekt hint and Lord' Caen-
! vile we* eeßetiirk hid before both Houses of
Parharttent. He contelieethat be could see nu ad-
vantage in elpedithrif the decision of the House,
which 4:twist Ise comiratertillitirtitlit a f I mature' de.

liberation, and svas therefore sorry that Mr. Sheri-
dAt's suggestion had not been acr•t%•• It Was
right for the House to deterinine-w thstr our cause
was just before we were irrevocably involved i, for,
whether we had the justice on our' side of- not, if once
engaged in war, there was no British subjeel who
would not give his best 4ssiAaniie ip the coullikit with
a (ktazerous and powerful enerily... Our cause of
varrel may be even just, and still Might perhaps be .
. less than the I Joust was yet aware of. Insults were
91 that nature which might .he done away by subse-
quent etplanation. It viduld'he too much to is.
sumo 1114 we hail a just cause of war, merely from
the first statement of the Ministers. Things often
wore a different aspea, when viewed through dif-
ferent mediums ; and though he-could perceive no
harm in a short deny, the House must be aware
that there may be much in aaing with precipitancy.
The House, he thought, shoUld pause, before it
iavolve.l the nation in hostilities. Means may still
possibly be open for accommodation, and the French
Papers, which arrivA this d ty, annqtraced tint the
Emper6r of Russia had offered his meJiation in
these disputes.
Lord HAWKESBURY—gg Though I cannot
conceive that the pmposition alluded- to can he for-
mally laid before the House, yet being desirous to
afford every information that may be thought ad-
vis4ble by the House, I shall not objett to explain
what was the nature' of the proposition altuded to.
The House must,in the first instAnce, consider, that

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there might he proposals and communications
brought in such a circuitous and informal manner,
'we cannot state it as coming from the French Go-
vernment, though there might he grounds of an in-
ternal conviCtion, that it was authorised by them.
lu.such a case I should think myself justifiable in
communicating the name of the author, without
previously consulting others as to its propriety.
The substance and mlnner of the proposition
was as follows :--At the time that Lord Whit-
\ th was un his journey from Paris, he re-
curred, in an unofficial. manner, laying down_an
arrangement, by which it was to he agreed, that this
country should continue for a certain number of
years in possession of Malta, provided the French, in
the mean time, should occupy Tarentum, and the cas-
tle of:Otranto, which would render them cJmplete
masters of the Guiph of Venice. This offered no ad-
vantage that could satisfy the fair and just demands
of this country, and I therefore make no doubt but
the House will think that the offer, even if official,
was by any means admissible. In respect to what
has Leen alluded to regarding the mediation of the
Emperor of Russia ;it is true, that the last mo-
ments of the negotiations a messenger from the
Court of Petersburgh arrived at Paris, the contents
of whose dispatches were, that though the Empe-
ror of Russia did not wish to int,n-tere in the dif-
ferences between England and France, he would
not, if necessary, wi,hhold his mediation. But as
this dispatch did not otiose, on the part of the Em-
peror, to bring the negotiations to any distill&
point, and might be produdive of a very injurious
delay, it did not alter the determination of the
British Cabinet. I should have no objection to
communicate all that came to our hands conneaed
with this stibjea, but 1 should wish for time to con-
sult with others on its propriety in point of form.
Mr. SHERIDAN thought it was important to
know what was the answer given to Lord Whit-
worth's memorial relative to the evacuation of
Lord HAWK ESBURY.--,, I already stated that
Lord Whitworth presented no absolute memorial
on that subject, as none was transwitted to him.
All that had been sent was confined to instruCtions
in what manner he was to conduit the conversation

and discussions which must unavoidably take place
upon that subjea."
Mr. SHERIDAN observed, that if there were re-
monstrances on the part of the British Ambassador
to the First Consul, they must have produced some
kind of answer ; they either must have been regard-
ed or not ; and in either case the House was entitled
to have all possible information►
Mr. CANNING regretted his having been absent
last night, when the conversation took 'place upon
the stiojeCt of the papers relative to the Negotiaion.
What he rose for was this—he wished to ask whether
any formal answer had been given by the French
Government as to the continuance of the French
army in Holland, in defiance of the wishes of the
people in that country, and of the terms of the
Treaty of Amiens ?
Lord HAW Ii.ESKTRY said, he had no di:Eculty
in stating, that no formal remonstrance had been
made, neither had any formal answer been r2turn-
ed. There had been communications, but they
evinced no disposition to give satisfaction with regard
fo the essential points in dispute, and in fad they
appeared to his Majesty's Government only to have
been made with a view to •gais tune. 'they were
certainly nok such communications as his Majesty's
Ministers conceived it would have become them to
have laid before the House.

Mr. SHF.RI DAN observed, that his only wish
upon the subjea WAS to know in what Manner any
communication' to the .French Government, on the
part of Lord Niv-nitworth, had been received. He
moved that an humble Address should be presented
• to his Majesty, praying that.he would be graciously
',leased to dtrea there should be laid before the
• house any accounts received from Lord Whitworth
respelling the reception of his representations by the
French Government on the subjeas of the troops
not having been withdrawn from the Lianavian Go-
Vernment."
The CLIANCF.LLOR. of the EXCHEQUER
, said, he should hope the Hon. gentleman would
not press the subj:!a at present: If, upon inquiry,
it should appear that there were any documents
that were pmdteeable, they should cer:ainly be laid
betbre the House on Monday. He desired the
lista Gentleman would not imagine that this sub.
jell had not been distinaly inquired into. It swat
not to Ire understood, that bedause there had been
no inforrnation from Lord Whitworth,. his Majesty's
Ministers were wholly destitute of information. His
Majesty h-ad a Minister at the Hague, from %dime:
he received communioations ; and his Majesty's
Government, through the medium of that Minister,•
had reeeive.k the strongest instances, from time to
time, than the( k'retteh troops would be withdrawn
from Holland. They had received such assurances
evetr up to the period When those circumstances had
taken: pled whidt had produced the renewal of hos-
tilities. }le stated this, not to prevent airy. papers
from better moved: for, but to prevent a surmise on
the part of the Hun. Gentleman, or the Howse, that
thn only channel. of information wag bets lain

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Majesiy and the French Governmeht. He had hie
fihr stated, that.theee had been a strong and urgent
communication nude on ,the part of the Batavia:2 •
Government w the French Government, and the
latter lead given this coudtry the most positive ari...•
sur.:nces, that dip, French troops would be with,.
drawn. If the Lion. Gentleman would, abstain front
pressing his.motion, he could assure hint.. ir•there •
was any document that was likely to satisfy him or
the Howe, it should be laid upon the table on
Moi?day.• •
Mr. SHAre.d.DAN said, tharafter what had fallen
iron! the
a. 4; 'tailor of the Exchequer, he should
not press hie toolien, but his observations furnished
additional reasons for-delay.
Lord H !kW KESBIJ RY repeated his ohjeftion to
• delayhaeohe di:cussion of this importaat subjea ;
the la 4 Avaspr.u:tair what he had.steted, anat there
was a seagoiess.:ort the part of the. )tench Govern-
ment to entiter, Upon , any dh.eiisiion, ands total dit-
inclinatioe tolgaysogeatisfeLqion. .
Mr. SHE DA,. thought quasi ion -would
come more fully before Parliament if it was deterred
till Wednesday,
Mr. GIIEX urges the propriety of granting.the .
papers moved ler by Mr. Sheridan.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCI4EQUER •
said, he should certainly objea. to the tirodh(qii4Colii
papers relative to matters hativeen the l)treli
French ; he thought they otiglit not to be called. for.
Mr. GREY remarked, that the .rnotient of hit •
Hon. Friend was founded on'the• representation of '
Mr. Liston. •
Mr. CANNtNG 'thought, that it was due to Par-
liament to chew, that the forbearance of his Ma:
jesty's Ministers was upon the faith of the assur- •
ances of the French Government..
Mr. JOHNSON requested, that a note of the •
4th May, transmitted in answer to our ultimatum,
might be laid before the House.
Lord HAWKESBURY slid, a distin& proposi-
tion was made at the time by the French, that they
should garrison Malta, which was rtieited: He had
every reason to beliere; that the sate principle which
governed Russia, still prevailed. Ha wished Gen.:.
demen would previously give .notice of motions of
this sort, as it avasoecessary sometimes to consult
the Ministers of Courts in amity with the British
Government. ••
General G A?COIGN F, rose to make the motion of
. which he had given notice. The papers he meant
to move for were of a nature that had at reference
to a period anterior to the Treaty of Arhiens, yet
they were so conneged with others 6llbteqtr.nt to it,
that unless they were viewed with.•thent, the cousi-.
deration of the latter would be partialend incom-
plete. He had four motions to submit; the first.
was, for
For a copy of all representations atet.remonstrantes made to
his MaOlsty's Mini-ten, °tithe vett of thn.Ma tote, he:wean the/
lit id' October, 101., aid toe last day of March, 1802: with
the answer thereto; together :with. Copies of the Maoif:stoes
of Col. Graham, distributed by him throughout the island.
Copies o;"such reinewentations as had been made onthe part
of the British Government. to the First COWltti. on theanittota-
tion of Piedmont to France:
To thdie motions he thought 'there .Could be no
objeition. •
Copies of all ostlers and counter.oolets sent tc ayvemnrs
of islands and settlements in the ikeit lndie, relative to the
evacuation of the same.
The utility of this motion was to enable the House
to compare the dates with 'the dates of the papers
before the House, in order to set whether there were
not the same grounds for retaining those islands arid
settlements as Malta. If his Majesty's , Ministers
had reason to think the peace sdoold not have been
permanent, as some of his table friendi had suggest-
ed, the same inducement which actuated theth with
regard to Malta, must have existed as td other places.
The next motion was • '
For a copy of the information of Mr. Lister; res:ißing
army in Batavia, and any reinonstrancei.. on account of Freniast.
troops in Holland. •
The first Motion was put:
Lord HAWKESI3URY said, he had no ob-
jeaion with respect to one Of the *lotions, namely,' -
theaarders given to the Governors of. the IVe-t la-
dies. As to the restitution of the colonies, it was in- *.
formationvery proper to be given, and .he had not,
the least desire to withold it. With regard to the
others he felt different. • As to the motion with re-
gard to the Maltese, he conceived no parliamentary
ground whatever. If information was to be called
for respeaing what happened antecedent to the
Treaty of Amiens; he did not :now where it would
end. As it was supposed that a remonstrance had
been made on the part of the Maltese inhabitants
to his Majesty's 'Ministers, he would observe, that
a letter was sent to his Majesty's Secretary of State,
expressing their satitfadion of the conduit of his
Majesty's Government towards them. They stated,
that they could have wished to have lived under his
Majesty's Government ; but if that was impossible,
they would be satisfied with any arrangement made
by his Majesty. The Right Hon. Gentleman read
a letter from the Maltese Deputies to Lind Hobart.
It expressed their wannest thanks fur what the
British Government had done for them, that they
were not ignorant en; the obstqcitt to tire island
being under the prixeition of his .Majeety —that the
island was worthy the.magnantrhityf of the British
nnion, but that, :is they could dot have the honor
of belonging to.his Majesty, they mould not cease
to shew their gratitude for what he had done for
them, and would state to posterity, that without
his assistance their ruin would have been inevitable.
—This was a paper delivered after the conclusiort
of the Definitive Treaty. While the Depaties were
here they were list ned to with attenticn. The oh-
jedion to the present mattzr was, that no parlia-
mentary grotind had been laid for consenting to it.
With regard to tho.lhse motion. it whs hole more
than a repetition of the one that was made last
night.. After the discusaioa it underwent, he
thought it unnecessary to say any thing further.
' To all the motions, except that fele/lag to the Orders
to the Governors in the West Indies, he should ob-
jet, and should move the previuus question on
them.
Gaterat GASCOIGNE Said he bad another
, motion to stibmih—it was 6!tr a copy of all commis-,
nicatums with the• lEjag of Naples, relii.ve to the
. cession of Lanspeciosat .
Mr. Wii.V.DliA.4 contended pea-tan:ken tart
grounds inni .been Lid before the- House tor the
motion. Enough had been said to prove the
cessity of inquiry ?repotting the cinnoroniiatien of
the Maltese inhabitants: Lie observed that the
Maltese- Depoties had nat been attesnied Co by his
Majesty', Minieteta tot fen of giving Umbrage to,
Bonaparte. Nothing could be"Tubrestisgrat:&ti to
the chansdegaiii the iicasn*y; Jain frainsaids*ni*:

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