The National Register.
London, England, 1812-07-26 00:00:00

454

to Buonaparte, was there a man in the country who would submit on
sech tcrins ? He was glad to hear from his Honourable Friend the
inattly and independent sentiment, that rather than submit to a disho-
nourable Peace, he would see the island inners7d in its surrounding
element. What Napoleon complained of was, the maintenance of
our maritime rights i but was there a country that, if it hadthe satin:.
strength, would use it so moderately ? To ruin the maritime strength
of th s country was Napoleon's great object. It was all he lived for.
By war he would never take it from us, and he hoped he would never
be permitted to do it by negociation. (Hear, hear !) He concluded
by moving for " Copies
een this Country ofand all
France , si such Concerresptheondence as has taken
place between beginning of April
last."
Mr. WHITBREAD seconded the motion. He c-rtainly would say,
that no opportunity should be lost of obtaining a fair and lionoui able
Peace • but, should they follow the opinions of his ;light Honourable
Friend,s they must necessarily haye eternal war. What were the ma-
ritime rights of this country ? He would ask, if the rights for us
were not also the rights for the whole world ? H.: would ask, it
Great Britain had not abused her maritime power, in the seizure of
the Spanish frigates, which #rst forced Spain into the war, and if she
had afterwards made no abuse of that power at Copenhagen ? When
they talked of the political morality of France, they ought to look at
Russia, and ask, what had been her conduct with respect to Tut key,
and what had been her conduct with respect to Poland ? It did occur
to him, that the difficulties which France experienced in varicti,
quarters, now (Akre.' an opportunity. for negociation. Speaking like
Englishman, he thought it highly imprudent to return the answer
that had been done by the Noble Viscount (Castlereagh.) There was
a wide difference betwixt acceding to the proposals, and icturiung such
an answer as had been given. For his own pal t, he thought litiona-
pnte had always been sincere; though he was tully aware that such
an opinion would acquire but little popularity either in the House or
the country. In reply to the proposals of France, Government might
beve said, . Wave the proposal about the dynasty., and we will enter
upon the negociation, only let the existing authorities of Spain be a
party to it.' Had the French Government rejected this otter, then
the British Government would have been justified in the eyes of the
world, of reason. and of God. (Hear !) He knew no reason why
former negociations had not been carried much farther. The Sove-
reiga.of France could not have a greater hatred against this country
Phan this.country had against him. (Hear, hear !) In many wars he
had not been the aggressor; and many treaties had been concluded
with him, which it was the intentinn of the parties, at the instigation
of our Govtrnm...r.t, to break as soon as it could he done with safety.
If he believed that this country thought his ruin essential to its owl)
safety, he must. of necessity, be actuated by smilar motives with
respect to it. The answer of Government was a direct negative to
all negociation. He would ask, how came Ministers to he so pre-
pared as to events in the North ? On that subj.:et his Right Hon.
Friend ha.] given more credit to the friendship of Russia than he pos-
sibly could. To Russia nothing was due, as upojt all occasions she
had avowed the principles of the armed neutrality. He understood,
that an Ambassador was about to be sent to Petersburgh ; now he by
no means thought it unlikely that Buonaparte would be there before
Lord Cathcart. He thought peace necessary for the country, but
would not consent to ignominious terms. He hoped that the terrible
catastrophe ot a war with America would be prevented. He would
call upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer to know how such a
war could be supported, and what would be the elllcts if a check
should be given to the reviving spirit of manufacturers ? We had now
thrown away our last chance of the rettlrat'en of peace, by the answer
returned to a proposal made by Buonaparte, before he might have
humbled the only power that was able to thwart his views.
Lord CASTLEREAGH thought that the character given by the Hon.
Gentleman to the answer given by Ministers, was extremely' unfair,
i as it certainly contained no rejection of the proposals that had been
made by the french Government. (Hear, hear !) Had Ministers
adopted the conduct recominended by the Hon. Friend, it would have
been a dereliction of duty, both to their allies and to.the country.—
He (Lord C.) was no advocate for interminable war. • He had believed
that no man in the country would have asserted the good faith of the
enemy in the past negociations. Such a mind could scarcely be argued
with, as such an opinion was founded not on argument liticasiump-
tion. The Ruler of France usually made his proposals iiiterimarcli.
uig to extend his conquests, and the period at which the Present 'Were
wady called for circumspection. In the answer which had been given,
Ministers only wished to know the meaning of the proposition-of
France. But the Hon. Gentleman had put it upon the British Go-
vernment to make that a question of regulation, which by treaty we
were expressly bound not to do. The Hon. Gentleman had remark-
ed, that Buonaparte would probably be at Petersburgh before our
Ambassador i. but was the Hon. Gantleman certain that the grAperor
Alexander wished for Lord Cathcart sooner ? Russia had long con-
Finued anxious to compromise her differences with France, antryvas• at
ist compelled to have recourse to arins. He trusted, that all intelli-
gent men were satisfied that peace was unattainable upon sate ind
honourable terms. therefore it was our duty to prosecute rite War
with all ' possible vigour, and annoy the enemy in all assailable
points, as ;he only means of bringing him acerely tp a paeLfic dis-
Pgiti9.P.

---

JULY '26.

Mr. HoecniNsoN .never expected the struggle in the Peninsula
to terminate successfully ; and. he
.had seen enough of the Ru ,fan
forces to be able to towel, that in this, their last struggle, their eifirts
would be as unavailing as heretotere. From the rapidity aid fault?),
of the French Emperor, as well as his declarations, he was persuaded
Russia must submit. It Buonanerte wanted to take 100,000 men
from Spain, we had not the power to &tam them, great as Led ',Vet.
lington's military talents were. We had been cerryi,.g on a war for
years, without having adaanced the cause we espoused a jot, and,
without much greater exertions than we had mane, were veils no ra-
tional hope/ Lett us beyonit that of ruining our finances, and luting our
army. All propositions for peace ought theretore to be retaaw 1 cqr
dially, and answered with respect, becaus - he conceived tin innaine
to have as much right to his Crown as any Sovereign in Europe.—
(Hear, hear !) Neither ancient nor mo,:ern history atraded ,a)
example of a greater man than himself, or a conqueror who Ina
fewer acts of enormity to answer for. (Hear, hear ! from the 4;i.
, nisterial side ) The misconduct of other Sovereigns entirely led t
his elevation.
Mr. CA::NING thought our ancient policy ought still to be adhere.:
to, that of preserving all that was lett of the auhient kingdoni, .;
turope, because deal step we took in an opposite course contnineed
ultimately to overturn this kingdom. (Hear, hear !) He !toped Mi-
nisters had held out to Russia the language of prudent advice, trod to
carry on a protracted system of wartare (Hear, hear !) If they did
so, and RUSSIA profited by it, then indeed he should entertain -.iron;
herpes of success in the contest. Various notions of tri.lality had heen
forme tin different ages of the world, but he believed it was 1,:.! to
our time to hear a Gentleman becoming the advocate of cruel•y ..nil
tyranny. (Hear, hear, heart) Buonaparte had heel, compare.. to
Louis XIV. but he could not discover any point of resemblance be.
t wren the two, excepting an ardent desire tor universal mat ire. With
respect to the overture made for a peace with th.s Government, he
!Flt perfectly satisfied with the manner in which it had been recei,ed,
and the explanation dematine.l, because he ahoulet deem that man
highly culpable who would enter a negociation, a preliminary of
which would be the loss of Spain. If was true Russia had been .ern
quered ; but he knew that c nqucst :id ni I al,ssy. give anc,ess, dial
Russia might vet be able to reye ge herself uvn her invaders. She
had long telt what it was to ally to Fiance, but preferred open
war. Gentlemen said, we should nnt inslst on our maritime supe-
riority while negociating tor Peace; hut he was always ut opinion
that the country could never safely relinquish it
Mr. lie-rent Nsos complained of illibei al. ty .He did not stand up
as the advocate of tyranny and inimondity ; but he said thatnuona-
vane, as a conqueror, had been guilty of fewer acts et atrocay than
any other conqueror, ancient or modern.
Mr. CANNING said, he should maintain what he had asserted.
Mr. Ht;TeIIISSON said, if he accused kiln of being the advocate
of tyranny and inunmlity, the charge was false. (Cries of hear.,
hear l)
The SPEAKER desired the Honourable Gentleman to confine himself
to explanation.
Mr. HuTc HI N SON said, the charge, if made against him was grossly
false.
Mr. W. S/411T1i defended Ministers' rejection of the French pre.
posals.
Mr. SUER in A N then replied, and the motion was carried without a
division.—Adjourned.

WEDNESD%Y, JULY 22.
The insolvent Debtors' Bill was read a third time and passed.
Mr. CANNING presented a Petition from the Merchants concernea
to the wine tiade with Oporto, complaining that two several clauw,,
in a treaty of amity, commerce, anti navigation, concluded between
Lis Majesty an.l the Prince Regent of Portugal, professing to be
founded on a basis of reciprocity and mutual convenience, had not been
carried into cMct. After some discussion, the Petition was ordered
to be laid on the table.—Adjourned.

THURSDAY, JULY 23.
Sir S. Romicty brought up a Petition from Daniel Isaac Eaton,
praying that his case might be taken into consideration. Ordered to
lie on the table.
Mr. Rost:, in moving some Amendments made by the Lords to the Mr.
Parish Registry Bill be taken into consideration, expressed regret
that the Dissenters had been deprived, through these alterationfe
of the benefits of some of its provisions. The Amendments well:
agreed to.
Sir THOMAS TURTON moved a series of resolutions, declaratory of
the state of our finances. The Hon. Baronet calculatd the amount
of the National Debt at upwards of 660 millions, and our Annual
Expenditure at 105 trillions. It was impossible for the countryi . long,
Y °1
to support so great a burthen, and he therefore urged the
nec
tort, an lesst,,
economy, a reduction in the scale of our national expendi
above all, if it was possible, consistent with our security and honour,
the restoration to the people of thiblessings of peace. •
Mr. Ti IRNEY proposed another siring 0f resolutions, embracing his
view of the subject resource adoption' of the House. He d1e,..vi!,,„
• gloomy picturc of the of the country, and was of *pay-