The National Register.
London, England, 1811-05-05 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL RECASTFR.

Mr. Wilereeesto did not rise with any hope of being able to
persuade the liaise to dissent even from the amount of the sum
to be granted. Neither did he propose again to enter upon se ose
arguments which he had before used, and which had been so
*ouch .better used by others on the subject of the Sicilian I rea Vs.
But he still hoped, notwithstanding whit had passed,. notwith-
standing the exultation of the public mind, owing to our late
success, that Gentlemen would keep an anxious guard over the
expenditure of the public money. The House had no infornte•
tion as to the manner in which this.graitt was to be applied. . At
t
a time when it was to be proposed to give away Sn much of tars
public money in t ' way—when they were expending so mu•• 11
for the protection e island of Sicily—for liritish purposes
kt it. be—but sti •w kin they were
a price ,
i
—at a .time whe ..y. were subsidizing the Court of Sicily, it
became the Memb s ti' the House of Commons openly to de-
clare, that some attempt should be made on our part to in duce
the Government ofthailisland to remedy its detects—without
Which, no grant, to hid, would be available in the end. For
.a
more profligate Government, or a inure oppressed people did
not exist, nor ever had existed.—(Hear, hear !)--That he be-
lieved, and he thought it his duty to sat y soopenly, as well. on
account of the Hellians, and even tteir King, ai out of regard to
the interests of this country. Still he had no hope at present of
persuading the House even to reduce the amount of the grant.—
But before he sat down,. he could not help, however irregularly,
expres.ing his regret that he had not been present when the vote
of thanks to Lord Wellington had betel submitted to the House.
klis absence that day had been owing to public avocations not
to be dispensed with—which alone could justify the absence of a
Member of Parliament on occasions of great public importance.
On all such occasions, whether the benches were full or empty,
no business of private nature, or allurements of pleasure, should
ever prevent him from attending in his place.—He most heartily
concurred in that vote of thanks—(Hear, hear! I—and he re-
gretted his absence the more, bece-iitc he would have been en-
abled then to have done what it had seldom been in his power to
do—he would have felt himself called upon to praise the con-
duct of Ministers for having selected a General in whom they
themselves could completely confide—(Hear, hearl),—He woug
hate been able to soy, too, that notwithstanding the doubts
which he had entertained of the conduct of the campaign; though
he had hesitated much as to the propriety of the proceedings at
differeut. peeirals, and though he had thought some of them ex-
tremely qtiestlonable, yet when the whole was developed, and
appeared- bet parts of one vast plan, of which the success had
teioced the wisdom, he would. have been enabled to say that
Lord Wellington rid richly deserved the tininks of the House
stud of his country. He would have acknowledged the great
teituts. whieli titer, genetic Officer had displayed, anti brought
his feeble voice iu aid of the great fame which he had acquired
...
on this occasion. He would have borrowed the quotation
of an eloquent young Member of that House, and who watt
likely to become one of its greatest ornaments—without, how,
ever, admitting its prendees—lneidierregiorfa superavit.—(llear,
hi•ar I)—But retwlthstaading the change of fortune that had
. town place; wile: her effecting the situation of the Penineula or
et Europe, he should hope that.the Government of this country
• wouldeegulate its conduct by the dictates^ of moderation : that
it :voted not in the intoxication of success, loose sight of this
• g -eat truth, that the only legitimate object of war was peace—
• a truth more espetially to be kept in mind coneiderhig the op-
pressed state of this and other countries, froth the long continu-
ance of hostilities.-7(tHeur,raear !)—He should hope they would'
enueavuur to use their success fot the attainment of that object.
How this t hi: was to be dour he did not pretend to advise ; but
this great of ject ought always to be held in view—and he trusted
• that Ministers would-not be led away by undue exultation at
• tit success, but weed, if possible, nieke it Subservient to -this
desireble cud H 4 had been arielous to take this opportunity
to tli:uw our these observer lens ; but, as he had already said, he
would no!ther oppose the grant, not attempt to persuade the
House t j diminish iteamount.
Mr. peeeevee could not help expressing mitch regret at the
manner in which the Hon. Member who had jest sat down had
thought proper to express himself with respiest 'to the efcilian
Government and People. Was there any thing, be would ask,
more calculated, than the promulgation of suchsentiments, to
d,unp the ardent of our soldiery? Acquainted themselves with
the blessings of a free Government, of which it was their thief
%hay to he the deknders, would not their sinews be unstrung,
. I), the belief instilled into them that they were only rivetting
the chains of a people, instead of protecting- them front a repa-
ciatis and sanguinary foe ? Sicily had derived hitherto effectual
prone:tem from the British arms, and he could not sufficiently
deprecate the dissemination of such doctrines as might render
their aid less efficient in future, and further the schemes of the
0-graeping tyrant, which hithe, to. under Providence, they bad
happily frustrated. As to the sentiments expressed by the Hon.
GsaCaun with respect to war awl peace, their correctness

in the abstract he was by n) means inclined to dlipute ; they
not Much of that kind of merit which might be claimed t•
establishment of a seeming paradox; but if in lieu of the
could derive in the mind of the lion. Gent. an augmented
from the simultaneous assent of that assembly, he was
c.)uld be easily obtained. But he was satisfied that their
c. don to the contest in Which we were engaged would not
.easily admitted ;• nor could any person, judging soundly.
for a mon.ent that a secure peace with a Government (lest
of all faith and principie was possible to be obtained, or
offer of it would do more than afford a plausible prete:
boasting or for fratid. But though there was much '
speech of' the lion. Gentleman which he could nut let pass
censured, there was one part of it entitled to his entire ai
tion—he meant his panegyric on Lord Wellington ; it con.
he was sure, be otherwise than acceptable to that gallant
and it reflected, he was happy to say, infinite credit both
feelings and the understanding of him who had pronoun'
Mr. Wtit TBREAD could not admit that the charge of
deuce had been justly br*ught against him for calling the
tion of the House to the state of the Sicilian people, and
racter of their Government: It would, on the contrary
his opinion extremely wrong to withhold a just repress
of facts on that sub, t, and it would be extremely wron:
British Partrament to shut their eyes to those facts ; au
granting money for the defence of a country. not to use
kconferred toNunt the goads of oppression, and mu;
diabees of their assistance being administered with eft
did not think his observation that peace was the object
ofithnate war a nine common place, and wheal,' hint!
a practical application to the present state of our
Till we led tried, we could not know what our recent
might enable us to effect. He might be called visionary
sastic, and absurd; but he must confess, that he could
satisfaction see an opportunity lost of restoring the bles;
peace to a suffering world.
Mr. W. Szufrru- would be much pleased to hear of al
sal made by an agent'. of our Government to thit of Si
• ing for its object an improvement of the condition of th
we might rationally hope that a greater degree of SUCCI
attend our dm ru for the defiance of that island, if the
'
r found that we were their' friends, not merely the enemi
French.
Sir I'. Ty RTON having made a few observations on
ety of our interference, .
The Resolution was read and agreed to.

TEIVRSDAY, MAT 9.

LETTER FROM GENERAL GRAHAX
The SPE AK ER read to the House a Letter from Gel
ham, datZ4 Isla de Lethi, April 14 wherein heacknow
receipt of the Vote of I has from the Commons of
fain for himself, Gene7all)%es, and the other Offices
vates of his Majesty's Forces in Spain, who shared in
of Barrosa. The letter wis written in a strain of
manly eloveuce, highly characteristic of the vigl
amiable mind of the gallant General.
The letter was laid on the Table.
Mr. By stir presented at the Ear, of th'e House Bev,
respecting the motion of Sir Francis Bordet, on t
ships captured since the commencetnent of the war
detonation, sale, Fi.c. Scc. which were laid'on the Tal,
Mr. IL SsciTit called the attention of the House
tiers from duty on coals conveyed to the various pot
ver t•_;evern by the IVlonmouthshire Canal. The ind
tended to the proprietorrof that speculation, appears
be one of the most extraordinary boons ever grant
of men by Pasipment. He therefore moved that
should resolve itself into a Committee 'of the-wholt
con-,ider of the expediency of repealing part of the A
exemption from coast-duties to coals conveyed throw'
moutitshire Canal to ports in the river Severn.
‘- am

Mr..I,XyJ.T.L, dr. HALL,. Mr. WILIIARFORC

- -
WARD, opposed the motion, as injudicious and utilL
Sir Nie no 1., and Mr. An AM, on the other hand,
there were no grounds for enjoying such an exempc
motion was negatived without a division.
A message troth the Lords. announced their Lord
Currence with the Surrey Road Bill, and other Pri.
The other orders os the day were deposed of, and
then adjuurnede

VIVIDAY, MAY 3.
Mr. Dawes, from the Bank, presented an average
of Bank notes in circulation during the years 1731.
Mr. D. GIDDY moved, that a new Writ be h
Borough of Lewes, in the room of Thomas Kern,
cently deceased.--Urdered.

T-,

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