The Sun.
London, England, 1801-05-20 00:00:00

SUESIDY TO THE QUEEN OF PORTUGAL.

Mr. BIAGGE brought up the Rei:ort of the Com-
mittee c:ef_Supply,, for the_ purpose of grant itig:3;.Sul)
sidy of "three Hundred ,Thousand Pounds to the
Queen of Portugal.

Mr. ROBSON Objefted to the measure. He,
Complained that .Papers-he had inoVedfdit had bees.
refused, which prevented him .front entering into
particulars of the aubsttllts and Ltiana granted to
. Foreign Powers. The House aught to have knOwli.
that Portugal had last year 463,0001.' besides
Variety of other expences incurred to this -Country..
His ;Imperial Majesty had had a remittance of
uo,oool. sent him by.. Ministers, to replace his
Magazines. He had wished for an account of the
distributiOn of the Vote .of Credit of One Million
and-a Half, bat that had been refused., Pie objed-
- ed to granting this Subsidy, from clear-bought ex-
perience of the .effen of subsidizing the Allies.--
- Prussia_ was, one- of the first subitdized Powers
during this-. War. - The King of Prussia took
our Money, and then made Peace with the Ent-
' my, 'without our 'knowledge; or consents—He,
aftetwara drew a sttong Cordon of Troops ,on
the Line of Demarcation, which enabled: France
to detach her Armies against our Allies on
the Upper-Rhine, and• his
.condua at last ended
in plundering His 'MI JEtry of his Hereditary
-Dominion's, and seizing upon Hanover. Austria
also came into the field, and was liberally subsidized.
by This'Country with Millions. When Valenciennes
was taken by'-our help, the-Emperor. took it for him',
self, and, in his own name. Our new Ally. com-
menced his military career for his own aggrandize..
ment, whilst his ambition was aided at our expence,
and a Treaty., was afterwards made by-him without
consulting this Country. Ina short time, whenAus t ria
went to War again, the Emperor was again subsidiz:
ed; and what followed I lit *alted for the last pay-
nient of our .mOney, and then made the separate Peace
of CaMpo-Formici, and added to his Dominions the
Venetian territory and Adriatic Isles, without con.,
suiting us.' This was the • Ally.for whom the .Ex-
Minister thought it worth his while to
.violate the
Constitution, by sending him .1.,ioo;000l: without
the knowledge or consent of Parliament; although
'sitting at the time, • In another;period of the War,
Austria was again engaged, and in .alliance with
us; and again forgot us and made Peace while in otni
Pay : Had we not then been the dupe of Austria
during the whole of the War ? Russia was also
'engaged to help, us, and to have w Subsidy—dear-
bough t experience had no dila upon our Ministers ;
they forgot how we had been-- before treated by
Prussia and Ausiria. But how was --it possible to
be .worse treated than we had been' by the Emperot
Paul ?He made a bargain for a Subsidy, and whilst
that was negotiating, nobody was thought by our
Ministers so mbgnanimous, . so amiable as Paul ;1
trinkets were exchanged between the English and
Russian Ministers. Paul's honour, his virtue, sur-
passed every thing, and beggared even the compli-
ments paid hith in a celebrated' Pbem. A Subsidy
to Russia aervcd us no better than ;hat, to the other
two Monarchs ; French intrigue and good political.
management had przsuaded him to desert 'the cause
of the Bourbons, to.. enter into an alliance with
.France as soon as he had-received our last pay_.
Tent, and at last' to become our Enemy. -• Various
'smaller :Powers, Sardinia, Bavaria; ~Naples, &e.
had been.subsidized in their turns,* and had each'
consulted their, own interest, If to these sums.

'assistance granted to the Chouans,—&c. 'the-Money
sent out of the Country
.to our faithful Allies,
'would exceed- all.,beliel.':' Altlthe 'AI/4/* .. Psent
to the Continentto Fitireigtri Powers in his
ib opinn, served. oray to Liep *ye
.the arnes of
Jr
war.' With regaid to -die reposed Sufitidy of
3p6,0001. to
_Portugal, it teas too little to do any
good, and too much to throw away in our dittr:.ssed
situation. By sending it, we were beginning- a new
Continental War, which would only end in filling
the coffers of Bonaiiarte. He never would consent
to-levy an'. r--r•!‘ Money by Taxes on the middling
rnrk ,; -oi' • .',,sle, in order to"subsidize any!
i'Lv.Lr. A I\\ :1,) was. it that was. to have theau...
Hllto-H-.- '.,-.c;, :-,r the disposal of, this money ? A
,I, - . er, whorti the Conntry expeeted, was brought'
.1 crdoT to make a Peace, and who was regarded
a proper persnn to
.intotiate, because '-L had

en no part in ilbasing one who;
was respe4ed by. all Parties _in that ,House, and
-,‘'lmat they itlf-placecl-ftntidence in pacific
rations made in so grayea manoer,_But
rather than words. A majority of the fOrinr
'Administration-, iwho had brought the Country into
its present state, were still in power.. The present
liristry- was b the Country steeper into war,
!,t amusing it with declarations of being in per-
'nit of an honorahle Peace. How could he dbubt of
this, since the order for Cornmencing hostilities with
Denmark, our old and_fiithful Ally, for ;co years,
had been signed by the presein Administration ?
And after all, we could- not gain our point, but
most refer our dispute to a Congress,: and in the
end, all Europe would be against us, as well- as
America. After censuring. our -condua towards
:Neutral Ro s said, bad some
grounds for thinking that the Money proposed to be
voted to Portugal, had already .:en sent there..
Mr. NICHOLLS obiedcd to the Subsidy, be_
cause ineffedual to- -repel the French frOm invading,
Pul:tugal, and disgraceful to this Country,' if meant
to. buy her off, 'which would, in fadi-be to pay -di-
!lute to France. lie.condemned tte cfthdutt, of Go-
vernment in sending an Army to Egypt,:and ex-
posing Portugal defenceless to the attack -of leer
Enemieir The War was now carried on ,op account
of Egypt, and this might have been avoided but for
the refusal of the late AdministratiOn to
.suffet the
rench to evacuate tint Country. He knew the
value of Egypt ; it was, onaecounc-nf its produc..,
tiOns„a Colony next valuable to gengat ; and it vast
still more valuable to Fra:.ce than. if could be to
England, but it was not a sufficient: object} - for eon-,
tinning the War. The Country, had: been drained
of her gold by the large remittances abroad for the
purchase of Corn, and Foreign Subsidies. France.
must exist either as the IViilitary EnettiY Of 'this
Country,' or as its Commercial rival. He wish-
ed the. latter, and to'. see France turn her atten:'
tion to,Commerce and ManufaCtures, rather than to
arms. Inducements ought to be held OM to France
JO employ herself in these. arts as the price of Peace.
Mr. GPM/ asked the question whether any-part
Of the proposOd Subsidy ' had been already sent to.
Portug.ii ?

ADDINGTON answered that.no money had
been sent within the present year.
Mr. RaßSONsaid,.that by the printed papers
on the table) 262,0°01. appeared to have been sent
'to Portugal. .
tha(this limey was
cared and paid to. the British Troops serving in
Portngal. .

The report was then brought up, and the resolu-
tion of the Comnlittce agreed to.

CLERGY pISQUALIFICATIOI4 RILL.

The' Order of the - Day being .read for the third
reading of the Bill for removing doubts as to the
eligibility. of persons in Holy .Orders 'sitting in the
House of Commons,
"Mr. gOLLIFFE. rose, and renewed his former
objeaions to the
Sir F. BURPETT also objeaed to the Bill, atld
particularly to the argurnent.made 'toe of on a former
• night by- a Learned Genileman (Sir W. Scott.) re-
, spetting the indelibility of the Priestly thareer,
as if Holy Orders were of the nature of a Sacra-
inerit. Such an, idea he considered as totally un-
tenable, but there was 'no other argument to which
this Bill could apply. 'To exclude Clergymen from
sitting in Parliament, or from civil offices, on the
supposition that Orders were of the nature of a
Sacrament, was a Popish idea, 'but he was sure
that no such superstition . was maintained by
the Church of England. .In pad' of. this;
Sir FRANCIS referred to one* of the Articles.of
the Church which stated that the only -,two ,
ments were Baptism and the Lord.'s Sapper. -kie
thotight it was a strong argument ad aOsurd:T;
that because a Clergyman was not c4Minpl, he'mosi
be deemed ineligible, whereas,: if by his" criminal
condat he was deposed from the Ministry he
would theta be considered 'as eligible to.a
There was no argument. against Clergymen sitting
in that House, but what might be applied. with
greater torte against Bishops sit ti:)g in the House at
Lords. ' Even .in Popish times, he had tta:-...ed. one
instance that convinced hinvtliat no such dddrinvor
stipe. ptition had then been'entertained: It had bOn
said by Gentlemen on the other side of the Question,
that the word Vericur, which. was formed after the
names ofseveral whOhad had Seats in that House, for-
roierly did not mean that they were Clergymen ; but
the presumption was that they were, and the. proof of
the contrary rested with those Gentlemen: It the in
duties of a Parish Priest were considered as
incompatible with the duties of a Member of Parlia_
went, much more did this apply to the superior
duties of Bishops ; and if it was the duty of Clergy-
men' to be resident in their' Parishes, much more
ought Bishops in their Dioceses ; besides which,.
most Bishops had Benefices in addition. to their
Bishoprics ; and ought they to be excused from at-
tendancp upon both I He ready believed, that no
decent, respeftable clergyenan. of the Church,
would make any such pretension as to the sacredness
and indelibility of the Clerical' Charatier, as had
been made for him. Was it not hard that, whilst-
Presbyterians (not of the Established Church of
Scotland), Dissenters, jumping 'Methodists, and
Fanatics of 'all description's were not debarred,
that Clergymen of the Church should be de-
clared ineligible to sit in Parliament I—lie be.

~gainit the CI rq•-ky t riffirrniir"Fronst
singly, there would he a considerable Majority
with _him ',against the Bill, although taken collet,
Lively there might be a Majority for it ; for he wa
persuaded, that evcry distina, part of the Bill,
put secarately, ,would be voted against. Ther
was another objcion occurred to him against pas
sing the Bill" at ti4is time. Sir FRANCIS then- prc
ceede.d__to make some allusions to the of ea whit
it was supposed, the suggestion of altering the Stai
of the Church in another Kingdom had produces
which induced a general cry of Chair ! Chair
Order"- Order Sir FRANC is said, -he meant -nc
tiring indelicate ;• but he thought,. that what he al
hided:to? should be regarded as a repon'ag-ainst'
lering the condition. of the Clergy of-the, church,,
'this Kingdom; He therefore,' Moved, 46 That di
word is be left out; and that the Words thr,
months be, substituted in its stead."

Mr. GREY said, in his .opinion every objet}
`the Bill would be,obtAined by disqualifying Clergy
hol;'.ing seats• in that 'from ever after
wards being eligible to. -hold any ecclesiastical ay
poiniment. - •.. •
CoL-141ARTIN :contended that theTharaßer c
a Clergyma'n, was indelible: If a- Colonel gave u;
his .Commission, and chose afterwards a military
life, he must begin.,de no.-qo. as art Ensign; hut i
' Clergyman, thought 'Er to lay aside his Office,
like • the Gentleman"whom he had in his eye
(Mr; TooKE) -although it might be for thirty
years, and :went in to . the wilderness to perfornlqua.
-rantine for his sins, ip.l,to get rid cf the pollutio-iis
OftliePriesthood, w,Ould.lic, even in that case, staxi
in—reed of ' a fresh Ordination ? He would ask,
"' that man,' if after 3o years since he last
wed, he could not now lay prayers, getup into
a pulpit and preach,. read the -Absolution, and ad_
minister the Sacraments, without wanting anutber
Ordination, or receiving another Commission than
isliat- he had alreak..,received•? This Bill, in his
opinion; introduced no innovation; but enaded that
which he always thought. was the law of Parlia.
rant. The ,House had no:hing to do with
question,. Whether it would.not
,be as }toper to vit.
dude Bishops ,from the house of Peers,, for this Bil
proceeded ,on thc_preaMble that Clergymen were in-
eligible to sit -in the Commons House of Parliament
lie called upon, ." that mati3.' to say whether, afte
havin done all in his power to degrade that chara&
he had received--qa cry to. Order)—he meant, afte
hiiVing done every thing in. his power to get rid
. thiO.thataaer,.lie could really do so ?

-Mr..-RORNE TOOKf saids he rose to accep
the challenge which had been thrown out by thi
irreverend Gentleman', and if he did not give him 3
complete answer to the Questions he had propoo,
,he would .Conient to vote with 14tn. lie believed
the'Hon.Gentleman was not deeply learned in pill.
nity; whether he was learned on other subjedsit
was imposSible for him to lorM an opinion free
what had fallen from" him., With resirei to the
lint proposition, he felt no difficulty in stating, that
a Person• Who had.been as *gout of the prokssioa
as he had, or ex en a Much less time, could nut obtain
any preferment- id the Church. A Learned Gen.
• demon, (Sit W. Sewn), on. a former occasion, star.
'ed, that if lie (Mr. TooxE), was presented to 7
Living, and 'that the Vi:::-.r.Qeneral refused to admit
him, he, . might be compelled by Law so 'to do.
This was ondoupte4lj, iruc, but 'it WO co tiC recol.
leded, that that was only a Ministerial °like, and
that if bib had a Presentation to a Living,. them
would be something- '.to be done helote he caul.: to
the Ministerial Agent. He-must -carry a -..cstimonial
of his charader and Life for three redrs itst past, to
the Bishop, and if he could not obtain that testimo-
nial, or if the Bishop should not approve of • it, then
the Candidate-would neyer get so tar as the Mini-
sterial, Officer. - The Hon. Gentleman .neNt asks,
'whether he.(Mr. TookE)coultiiiqi-f,,)rrnitny .Clcricil
funetions> TO7this Question he had no hesitation lb
answer direelliy.-intlit negativeomti felrhinaself
justified in.saying sin, by the Canoni:., which he J.
Mined he had never read rill flay occasion. [He ii-es
.rivd E.,):.iitaft. Ctiz'olis..] 7111 s was not
-only. the
.Canon_ Law, but..had hem: uniformly at.
'tiered to in praaice. Mr. ToOK E then adveried to
the period y4iet) pOssesscd a benefice ; hen said,
he did pot reside nitich in his benefice, but. wee
'abroad to- France and, Italy; and 'when he returne4
he entered -into those conflids, which he was in,-
dint... Ito *think, was,. in the 'opinion -of some, es:
cause of his incapacity rather than his Clericalda-
racter. .

S - SCOTT -apologized for troublitig the
. House twice upon this subjca.; -he hid, upon a Eq-
imp occasion, troubled ihe House at some Jere,
because he thought it Tight i)e•satisfatiory tO6OI-
- .to know the 'original grounds upon vhich
was founded that indelibility of charader which be
contended. belonged to a person in Holy Orders. It
was not his intention 'now to go over the same line
ofargumenr, but he merely Wished to explain some
ecinceived his meaning.hadbaa
ruisunilerstood.. Be had endeavoured to shelf/ tit
*Use, on 'a former occasion, -that the Canon Law?
60. far as. it' eras - not restrained or ccintradicted bj
anya.egislative Proviiion, was always consider i
of
.binding in this Country ; and. he had maintainc4
that. by that ,Law the'Clerical Charattlez was consi.
tiered- That the Canon Law was cora.
pletely• operative in this Country till the time d
the 'Reformation, there could be no doubt. A risco
who denied it would have ,heenyunished for Hew,
or if the d6nial was general, it would expose t!..c
King:lora to the,consequence qf an Interdia, :41
the period of the Reformation, it .was some
doubt. whether Holy Orders was or was not a:St.
crarnent :---:it was at Jength determined in the IN'.
gative. But though it ceased to ben Sacrament, it
certainly did not become a mere civil contra.%
liable to be dissolved according 'to the intere.it, tti
inclination, 4.1 t; the caprice of an individual. NA
it became a high and mysterious Ordinance, h
which a man devoted himself to the Service of Ct.\!,
and-assumed a charaCter which he could neverittri
lay aside. It had been suggest,ed, that a man mig
be divested of his Clerieal Charader by the. cox.
mission of crimes ; 'but this was not corral, a act.•
gyman might be prevented from exercising his hoc,
lions, he might even be given up to. ,thc Seca
POwer and put to-death ; but he contended that It
could not be deprived, of his •Cierical Charatters,