The Sun.
London, England, 1808-02-09 00:00:00

(PRICE SIXPEXei:

adopted for atigmenting the same; or for putting in
a state of ,forward preparation for sea. These and
the other Papers moved for by the Noble Duke;

were almost iheJame as those movtd fur on Wed:
nesday last by Mr. Ponsonby in the House 'of Cone..

mons.

Marquis IVEMESLEY rose in reply.'to the
ble Duke, and in a very argumentative and Itiminoua
speech took a survey of all the objeaions that had
been urged against the Expedition. We do not pro-
, fess to give more than a faint outline of his Lord-
ship's,arguments. The Noble Marquis began with
observing, that he saw no necessity ter the Produc-
tion of father Papers : 'the leas and circumstances
already befilre the House were, in his mind, abuii-
dandy sufficient and clear to enable their Lordships
to pronounce a judgment on the justice and policy
of the measure. • By these fns and Circumstances
it sufficiently appeared, that it was the design of
France to employ the naval resources of Denmark
among the. other naval means Which Buonaptrrte
meditated to wield against the maritime stye-
- riority of Great,Britain--that as it was the interest,
so it was is the'power of Buonaparte, to accomplish
this design, either by fraud and intrigue, and those
arts, which the French Government had so long anti
so successfully pradised, or by open force and t
levee, if it were found necessary to resort to them :
chat most probably he would have combined both
that Denmark .must have. been sensible that it was
in the power. of France successfully to attack her
Continental dominions, anti that by, the loss of these
dominions-she =St be reduced to the last extremi-
ty : that Buonaparte, once in possessiop of Holstein,
might seon be in possession of Zealand; and, cense-.
quontly, the piaatersaf her capital and navy. There
was nothing to, prevent it. in proof of these asser-
tiotis, the Noble Marquis went irito a Milllte
,of the navigation of the Belt, untie:: the.. infiuence of .
different circumstances. He contended, -that the dif-
ficultiesin crossing it, su-far front being.. the greatest
when it was partially frozen, were on the contrary
more difficult to struggle against in its ordinary state,
when the currents-were so strong, that it, next
to impossible for the ablest cruizers to maintain their
stationae and that when once they were driven eh;
it was of the utmost difficulty to regain 'them.—
, The possibility of crossing- the Belt in the ordi-
nary .season of the year, in spite of the utmost vis
gilance of our cruizers,tyas confirmed by the. fatr.l,that
several bodies of the Enemy's troops aEtuallygot over
into Zealaad during the midst of the operations, that
were exerted to prevent it.--That it was the design
of Buenaparte to take possession of the . Danish
_Fleet,' who could entertain a.doubt alter hearing big
open confession, abet 'he entertained suck a design.
Had he hesitated in his usual abrupt tone and manner
to inquire 'of the Minister of Portugal, whether they
had transmitted to their respeclive Courts his in-
strudions, that theii Fleets should be' equipped
and prepared to unite with' him in crushing titq
maritime despotism of England, and with that
view to declare war in concert withaikicii against Lug=
land by the Ist of September ? Was it not notorious
that such had been the imperative language which at
his levee lie hod used to the Ambassadore of these
PoWers. What fatther evidence could, thei'efore;
• be required of his intention to compel theoe Powers
to cosoperate with 4ith in what he called, vindicating*
the freedom Oldie seas ? But it is sail, Denmark
could defend herself. Could Denmark defend Zea-
land after alit.: was deprived ofiHelstein ? Was it nut
from Holstein that she derived provisions for t he stip.;
• port of her insular dominions; and if she could nut
defend Zealand, hew could she have 'secured her ea;.
pital and her navy from the attack of France ? The
very threat of the h.vitsien of her Continental pesses—
sions was therefore of itself sufficient to incline her
to submit to France, and to become an iniiiument
in the hands of her Ruler. Ner was it her policy
only that, inclined her. to
,lean towards France:
her commercial interests gave her the same bias,
ior they were founded on the principles of the armed
neutrality, and consequeDtly of a nature to indispose
her towards England. Brut it may be said, that had
'Francesucceeded in getting possession of the Danish
Fleet, would that accession to her naval means have
been so great este) create serious danger to the safety
of this Country ? Their Lordships would, no doubt,
observe the wide difference between the present state
of our affairs and that previous to the gloridus battle
of Trafalgar. Then almost all,the great Powers of
the Continent. were arrayed against France. But
when the Expedition was seat against Copenhagen
the whole of the Centineeit was subdued, and subdued
not. merely, fur the purpose of conquest, but to t)(8
turned into instruments tor the subjugation of Ens;',
hind, through thedownfall of her naval supre_m,c.,--
'As to the danger which tlfreatened England from
)Fiance_ seizing the Danish Navy, some N. bh:
eranidgatna regerguairlee i I
as to ,vet
rto y.
existence
i,sptreopt of
c• eed
of
suchleco
he, for one,' could tirtn no notion of such a danger ;
he was unable to define a danger of such a magoi-
tude as could subdue the spirit, break, the firmness,
Minx the courage, and, unnerve . the ,energies of
ihis Ceuntryr it. was a degree of danger winch her
was at a loss to measure; and he hoped, that 'w
• any Nabl.o Lord was called, upon exaaly to Jess:l'l'4
sUch,a danger, he might find himself equally ern-
barrassed as he surely it was e6ough to pr,Jvvr
that Mite 'danger \tea great anti imminent,. and of
a description, that if not imanediatelyaverted, might '
be. totended with ditficulties which,- though, (tit:),
tt igio be overcome by the zeal. and union of tlir
mass of the people, wer,e still perliapS greater thau
h:tdVer them: titniaonis nor, had it peltbeen thui anticipated, could it have been met with,-
. Out weakening otir furces at all other points of in
and (Toning an tq;ress to the squadrons of
the enemy, .precisely -moment wheit our force
was weakened at. those points which. might he the
objects of .the enerny's atuck. When all
Si J,:ratkviis,Were tin attended to, then would he acr,
kno,;vlele;e the necr.,,ity of the 1110561.41, the