The Sun.
London, England, 1806-12-20 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAIVIENT

HOUSE OF PEERS.

FRIDAY, DEC. 19.
Their Lordships met at half-past three. Several
Noble Lords took the Oaths and their Seats. Their

Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Dukes of
York, ,Clarence, Cumberland, and Cambridge,

were present.

The assemblage of Ladies was not

very numerous.
At fbur o'clock precisely, the Commissioners (the
Lord Chancellor, the,Archbishop of Canterbury, Earl
Spencer, and Earl of Winchelsea) authorised to open
the New Parliament, dire&ed the Usher of the Black

Rod to require the attendance of the House of Com-
mons; the Speaker; accompanied by the whole
House, appeared at the Bar, when the Lord Chancel-
lor read his Majesty's Speech.
.f For the Speech see our Paper of Yesterday.]
The. Com Mons then retired, 'and their Lordships
having unrobed,
' 6
• The Ear! of JERSEY rose to .Move the Address.
The. Noble Earl referred to tli t part .bf the Speech
which coritainedan opinion of the reliance ipoi the
Country,"for their united exertiobs in support ofthe
War ; a felianee which he trusted would net be mis-
place(L lie wits cbnfident that a spirit tit unanimity
prevailed, throughout 'the Country, and hoWeVer
anxious the People. filight be for. Peace, yet he ivds
satisfied that unless it.could'be obtained upon teems.
curisistent with'the honour and dignitrof the Bri-
tish Nation, they would rathdr consent to still
greater sacrifices. The exorbitant den ands of the
Enemr, mist 'of necessity prevent his Majesty's
Government from putting an end tb the Calamities
Of War. When the Papers Upon the subjea were

laid on the table of the House, it would begeen-that

every means which his Majesty's Government' could
honestly resort. to, had been adopted to fultil.the
wishes of the public. The more.inntediate
ma-
oagement of that branch of the service ho fallen to
the lot of a man whose loss every bne innst de-
plore--a man, whose comprehensive mind, `great
political knowledge, and amiableness of manners,
:made him more fit than any other persOn to coif
dull; the Negotiation. jn the discussion of the
.points necessarily involved, it could be seed there
was a precision and clearness which `peculiarly
'longed to him. His manliness of charaaer might
have led him to ad more openly, perhaps, than by

- • •
some might be deemed justifiable ; but througholit
'the whole of the discussion it was evident that inte-

grity, and a just sense for the honour ant dignity df
his Country, were the main-springs of aaion ; 'sena-
ments of universal good-will toward's mankind, and
a Strong desire for Peace, were the ruling principleS
'of his mind. The Peace, however; 'Which Trance
sought to obtain, was one which Gre'at Britain never
could agree to ; compromise our faith with oar
Allies, would be a new feature in the pOlitieal
raker of the British Government..—SUch 'a Peace
was the desire of France, and therefore it could not
be expe&ed that she would be abject and hurnble its
her terms. To suppose that Great Britain would de-
part from that proud situation which she has. ever
held in the eyes of the world, and by humility
accede to any extravagant propositions, would
not only be a desertion of good faith to our
Allies, but a departure from the justice of our
cause. Her resources to meet the exigency of
the case were great, and when it was known that
an honourable Peace could not be obtained, d
'cordial co-operation to pursue the War 'With vigour
must be 'the result. When he Tegfarded the situa-
tion of attifirs on the Centinent, and recorleaed that
Prussia but a very short time since possessed an army
great in _numbers, and then unbroken ; that she
rushed headlong to the contest, and iii a few days
the whole of that immense army was aimihilated, he
could not but reflea,' with the utmost regret, that
she should have sought her own ruin. -There does
not exist, in the history of the world, a circumstance
so unfortunate, nor conduct so blameable, as that
which a&uated the Councils of Prussia, to contend
,with an 'enemy such as she had to contend with. To
reproach them with the folly of their condul, and
the dreadful calamities which were the consequenceo
of it; was a task of regret ; but when it had been
evidently, on a former occasion, the objet of Prus-
sia to temporize with her, Great Britain had no-
thing left but to lament the short4ighted policy.
whiCh Prussia, too late, had fonnd completely failed f
her. We had the consolation to know, that every
thing had been clone on our part to avert, the calami-
ties, but .without effea. Prussia,. as if emulous of
disgrace, had run into danger; and 'refused. our °as-
sistance. Very different was the condua of the
King of Sweden ; that Monarch remained firm in
his triendshipr-ithe noble example he had set was
Worthy of imitation. With respea to Russia, the
, hasty condua of D'OubriLretarded the assistance
Which might otherwise have been obtained; we
therefore cenld not expea, that Russia would have
been in a situation to resist the aggression of the Bee- j
my.. No,man, in looking at events of such magni-:
tude, could avoid feeling that the interests of his
• country were materially involved ; but great as the
Enemy we had to encounter was, yet our resources
were powerthl too. We had an army which we
might be proud to boast 'of; that little part of it
which landed in ,Calabria had given the most une-
quivocal proofs of the bravery and-skill of our sol-
diers. Our Navy would still guard us from the se-
cret machinations of the Foe ; and if we were to
make great sacrifices, it would be in support of those
'liberties, the enjoyment of which, was the pecal;ar
boast of Britain, and in defence of those laws which
were equally the right of the Peasant.aud the Prince.
That this was the feeling of the Country was evi-
dent—au unanimity prevailed, which afforded to
His Majesty's Government the most unbounded sa-
lis!a;iion. Though we had within one year lost the
talents and assistance of able men, whose loss could

not be easily replaced, we Were still in possession of
men whose abihties would condbee to the Rosperity
of the' Country. The salvation of it must depend on
our united exertions-; and tie it-Uted those energies
and:spirit would be ex,erted :in'.continuing the War,
fully. convinced that we we'it;'itiuggling for 'every
thing dear. to us as a Natioi irrhe Nol)lc Earl con-
eluded with moving the .A4-dress, which, was, as
usual, a recapitulation of the leading poinis in the
Speech, aid an assurance of supporting His Majesty
in all that he required.
The AddreSs being read by the LORD CHAN-
CELLOR, . •
. . •
LOid SOMERS roSe to -second it. The Noble
Lord most Cordially agreed, with the sentiments ex-

. _ . was
pressed by the Noble Mover. Hehappy to pay
a tribute ofaii'plause to the Acithinistratiod, whom he
was ConVinced had. but one .objeet in view, narpely,
_ . . .... .., . . .. .....

. , • . ..
the preservation of the pbbfic niterestS. There were
Soriie topics in His Majesty's Speech which he
would just advert to, and first, as to the Negotiation
with Fotiee. . He hoped- that the condu& of that
___ . _

Negotiation Nirns such as no Noble Lord could ob.
jed ;O. The'interests Of C,reat Britain had not been
cotitywOrfri.:;ed, and the Papas would prove.that His
:NlajeF-,ty's Gdverninent entered into it with a full
determination to•proctire 'Peace upon just and 'ho.
nountble grbundf,i.. The conduct of Prussia, • which

had tieen 'alluded to by his Noble Friend, bore a
.slinilat feature with that of AuStria, with this dif-

ference, that the frill of'Priassia was absolute, where-
as that of Anqria was recovered. Prussia had
judged it expedient to avoid • hostilities with France
when she might have had a chance of coming out
of the contest .With honour, and when that chance
Was lost, she rushed headlong into it. The Noble.
Lord. then adverted to the topics noticed by the No-
ble Mover, and expressed the utmost satin anion at
,the good faith preserved by the King of Sweden ;
the sl5lll, Valo-r, and discipline of our Fleets and'
Armies-; the viCory in Calabria, all of which united
to inspire him with confidence as to the result of
'the, present contest. The resources of the Country,
and the increase of her commerce, would tend to
secure her safety. The principal attention of Go-
vernment, after having 'provided for the safety of
the Colonies, should be internal defence. No doubt
great exertions had been made, and were Making.—
, The Volunteers had not left their standards ; and
though the M' of the last Session of the late Par-,
liament hactinduced many to quit their station, yet'
he trusted they would be made useful in the general
'mass. The whole of the Address had his unanimous
.approbatioh. .

Lord gAIVkESBURY could not 'avoid making ! '
'sothe observations upon some of the topics in His # .
Majesty's Speech,„ and also upon some of the to-
:pies •whicb were ndt to be found in it ; topics which i.
might, perhaps, have- been omitted upon' just and
feasible grounds. .Though the whole of-the Speech
Would rectkive his support, he was compelled to make
the observations, from st`iine remarks which fell from
the Noble Mover. The observations would relate to
some points which were not in the Address, and but
remotely alluded to in the Speech. He felt, how-
'ever, he should not do his duty were, he not to no-
tice them ; and first, as to the late dissolution • of
Parliament. Though he could pot be supposed to
question the King's right and prerogative to dissolve
'the Parliament, a right which he would admit in
`the strongest sense, he could not see the necessity
Of having recourse to the measure on the late occa-
'sic)* n. If Parliament had any other than laWful
perrnanency, it was true there could be no security .
for the existence of Monarchy, and therefore he
must admit the right at all times in His Majesty
to dissolVe his Parliament. Having stated thus .
much, he must contend that such right should be
exercised with sound discretion,Pot uselessly or with
levity.. If such. means-were resorted to, Ministers of
the Crown were answerable forthe -consequences.
The late Dissolution took place when Parliament had
not sat more than four years; consequently nearly
three-. years of the legal time was unexpied. it
would be seen, by referring to the Journals of the
House, that from the time of the first establishment
of Septennial Parliaments, namely in 1715, down .to .
the present, a period of more than 90 years (with the
exception of a single instance, in 1784), no Parlia-
ment had been 'dissolved without having gone
through the sixth session, or in case of the demise
of the Crown. It therefore became Ministers :.to
shew to the Country that • they had, strong and juS-:
tifiable grounds, so as to render a- dissolution in-.
o‘ispensibly necessary, as, for instance,, a mis-'
uncle' standing between the King and the House
of Commons, when consequently a stop was, put:
to public business, and, "in one of these cases,
either the Crown must yield, or the Parliament be.
dissolved; Ministers ought to be prepared to shew
the necessity ; without such necessity, merely for the'
sake of a little convenience or advantage, for them
to dissolve the Parliament, was a step which, to say.
the best fora it, was new, and had not in any one
instance been resorted to for near, a century. The
:only reason which to his mind could be assigned by
Ministers, as a ground of necessity for the measure,
was, the rupture of the Negotiation ; but how that
could be heldas a tenable ground, he was at a loss to
conjedlure. There was no difference of opinion. as
to the necessity and propriety of prosecuting the
War. If any shade of difference of opinion- prevailed,
it was.to' be found amongst those who. were most
- strenuous for Peace, but who, on the failure, were,
anxious to carry on the War. If the declaration
which had :been published in
.His. Majesty's name,
was proper to b'e published (and it was for Ministers
to determine on the propriety), the Country was not
in a situation to judge, because that Declaration was
unaccompanied by the Papers necessary to explain the
cause which led to the failure. He did not mean
to impute blame, but it was usual to produce
. .
, the necessary Papers, in order that the whole of
the Negritiation might be.understood.---Supposing
it was net advisable tcrgive them to the Public',

it surely was a fair and jiist, ground for calling.
the existing Parliament ;together, and then to lay
the whole, case before them. But what was the
coaduCi of.one of His Majesty's Ministers when that
discussion had ceased, :and an opinion had been en-
tertained that a dissolution would tike place ? In a
letter to his constituents, but a few days before the
PrOclaination for dissolving t be Parliam.ent appeared,
he declared that nosuch,measure had been decidc'd
on.' Having made these ooservations, he would advert
•topo
"measuresr
tansomece t ; topics al
alluded ;prienacrici-)d4iloyf ctoonstidheeramblielitianrlyi
lincesder consideration and adopted the
last Sessions ;; measures which at this mirm-nt .
were not in force—measures which had for their oh.
Sea the overturning of all our military establish-
ments, and to establish 011 C grand military system,
at once permanent and must beneficial—to say no..
thing,of the expence. - The training measure, a sort •
of supplement to the Volunteer System, has never
been carried into effeds in any one part of the king-
dom ; and, if his information was cerrea, is,quite .
impraaicable,or arleast only with that kind of prac
ticability, which ensures great vressure and incow-
venience. Ministers, he tristed, would inform
'him whether his information was cOrrea—whether
the permanent army measures were beneficial
cause the result, in the situation of the country, was
a most important one. He did not mean to
upon the accuracy of his information upon this sub-,
jet : but with all these experinientS and inconveni-
ence, the military defence was stated to hint to be
not so considerable as "it was twelve months since...
This •was.a fit subject for investigation. He trusted,
that if a large additional force had not been colleaed,.
by the new system,. that at least it would soon be
colle&ed. Another topic Upon ..which he thong-hi
it right to say a word or two, was the conduct of
Ministers in sending out the Expedition. We had
seen a fleet escape from its port, and doing consi-
derable damage to our trade in the West Indies,
and not the least means were resorted to, to prevent
the enemy's views. It was nota little singular that an
Expedition remained in the DoWns for nearly three •
months without proceeding-on its destination ; ,and
with respect to that Expedition, in alluding to the ,
appointment of a General Officer to command it, he
did not mean to, disparage either the 'talents, the
ski4l, or the bravery of the Commander ; but it ‘vas
a matter .of inquiry to learn why, old and c::.-
perienced, General Qdieers, seniors in rank, of
the greatest talents, were passed by. In making
this allusion, :he Must mention the names of General
Spencer and Sir Arthur Wellesley, whlose skint
and courage were well knoWn and proved. The
appointment , had Shewn that, however able,
,and
'whatever, might be the military talents of a dis'-
tingnished:veteran, it was, however., at the option
of the Government to-pass him by: Th;s had been
done, and it, was an ad which could not bejustified. •
It-furnished an awful 'example of what may be the
consequencesepetited froM exertion,. bravery, and
skill. The NOble Ltird considered it a sort of 4tAtish
policy in Ministers, which would not bear them out.
Referring to the disasters in the Prussian Army, he
lamented that no dire& communication had been
carried on between this country and Prussia at a
time when we might have aided her it was
true that a Noble Friend of his had been sent on a
mission to the' King of 'Prussia, but then circum-
stances ' compelled his precipitate return. Th.
delay in sending him might 'have been occasioned.
by ' unavoidable and excusable causes, but then it
was necessary to be -eiplained. What could hart
induced Ministers to delay the assistance, and of
~aiding by her Councils those-of Prussia, at a mo-
ment of extreme ,peril, was to him a matter of
astonishment. The return- of his Noble Friend
was a 'proper choice. To be sure a Noble Mi-
litary Lord was sent on an exceedingly extensive
Military missiorithree weeks after, when it - was
.a
matter of great doubt whether he could find a port
to" land in. Their conduct respeding Prussia would
afford grounds for inquiry, to ascertain if all that.
could have, been done for the assistance of our Ally
was resorted to. With respell to the general tenor
of the Speech, there could be but one opinion"; there
certainly ,was the most.anxions desire in the country
•
to engage in a vigorous proSecution of the war, And
he Should to the .Lkddress, because he- did not
find in it any, thinp- ambiguous, or which called upon
the House to, sat Lion the conduit of Ministers against
the general opinion. The main question of, the ne-
cessity of the war, under the existing circumstances,
was not disputed.

Lord GREAT-VILLE rose in reply, and spoke in
Substance to the following effeet: I can assure your
Lordships, said the Noble Baron, that however
anxious Lamy feel for an unanimous vote on what is
this day t übmitted to yoUr Lordships' consideration-,
I do not look for it on the ground stated b'y the
Noble Lord ; , nor is it my wish to pledge Parliament
to the adoptioD of any measures or set of measures oti
the first day of their proceeding to business, or to any
thing like an Opinion upon any topic, before (he time
has been allowed them for the mature examination of
every thing which the public interest may prescribe
and require. In making this declaration, I think,
my'Lords, I have sufficiently answered whatever the
Noble Baron has advanced w:th reference to the to-
pics contained in the Address ; and as to the obser-
vations he has indulged in, which travelled out of
the Address, it is so difficult to make them bear upon -
any subjea conne&ed with it, that it may be super-
finoui or unseasonable at present to take any notice of
them: The first point of the Noble Baron touched
upon is one which; if-found almost in any mouth,
must have excited much surprise, but' which, froni
the mouth of the Noble Baron, surprises me very
little. The Noble Baron thinks it of great and urgent
importanCe to consider whether His Majesty was
well or" ill advised in adopting the measure of the
late Dissolution of the Parliament-That His Ma-
jesty possessei that undoubted prerogative, the Noble
Baron does not'deny ; .nor am I prepared to• say, my

L

HOUSE OF COMMONS,

Lords, that'there is any prerogative of the Crewn, re- to 'bring about the desired .ceiscert and to-operation
IpeCtitig ila.: ekeicise of which His Majesty s Mini- of a disposition which :it any time manifested itself.
sters may not be more, or less accountable. But if Never was any forwardness signified to give this Goa
there be any with `respect to which a=gteater-degree • vernment any satisfadlop, or any. determinatiOn e;
of reserve and manageMent ought to be observed, , resist the encroachments and the aggressions of
iteia precisely that one which More immediately re France. The fa&. was plainly 'this :—Prussia had
latex to Parliament. instead of assigning any one gone on from month to month, fondly and vainly
reason why such a measure ought not to have. been imagining that by sacrifices and obsequiousness she
resorted- to, the Noble Baron simply asks why it might not only secure the whole of her own &toi-
lts-been done, and expreasea' amazement at any Pions, but even the acquisition' of new accessions;
thing so unusual having been attempted. The histo- and it was only in thelast moment that she plunged
rical impression raider which the Noble Baron's mind into hostilities 'w4 pn improvidence and want of pre-
seems 'to labour is somewhat different from that caution as much to be condemned as' her former tor-
which mine entertains. What ! Parliainept'should ± porandsecurity wereblindand unaccountable, 'These
exist full Sessions, and not, be confined to foaryears. observation's I undoubtedly do not hatke to triumph
If it ,be thus Shortened, it is because Government over blasted hopes and prostrate power, in Oph'eldip4.
interferes. . Yet, • my Lords, does not the his- of which we naturally feel so interested a but if such
tory ' of` the country,-•without going far back, , insinuations as have been thrown out, are intended
interm us, that it was once a question, whether to alienate the people of this Country from Prussia
Parliaments should exist more than three years, • and her cause, it becomes me to vindicate, her own
and not four ? But upon what ground'is it as- character on 'these great political points, find that not
serted i hat Pa, liiment continueaifor more e--aif it be for the information of this Country only, but for that
the principle that it should sit seven' years,' then it' is ' Of every other Country' in Europe, who should know
as imeropsr that Parliament should be dissolved. at and be convinced that, at the first moment that the
the. end, of aix years, 'as at file end offour. If the ' disposition of which we had reason to complain had
principle. be, 'that-Parliament requires'a kind of pre- changed .on the part of Prussia; no feelings of
scriptive right to sit six years; 'then some reason I.what had passed could make us wanting to our
should be adduced, some circumstances pointed out, Allies, or regardless of the general cause. As to
that shewed that it was unlaWful then to put a period the remaining topics -observed upon by the Noble-
to it if such a measure did not appear essential to Lord, they bear so remotely -on ..the 'qiieStion; that
the interests of the kingthim: •aThe neat point the I they scarcely call for any reply. But the Noble
Noble Baron adverts to, he doe„whOt find in his Ma-. •t-. Baron asks, why Lord Morpeth returned? Why did
jesty's Speech ; and I he complains, that nothing is he not remain ? Why did he not endeavode to ac-
said about improving the 'system of our militery force t complish, his mission ?—I will answer the Gentles
adopted last Session. I readily allow, ray Lords, that man by another, and osk 'Where, etid with Wham,
the Noble &Iron is right in saying the Address alludes could he have remained ? The King of• ,Prussia
to no such measure ; but where has he , discovered did . not remain : the Prussian ' army. did not
any cotestaantienal reason to 4l,•xpect that the, present wait. • Would; the Noble Lord have 'wished . hint
Speech and Address should take a ,retrosped of the for the love of mere_ glory to have remained
measure's :of the last Parliament ? If the preseno i on the field of battle, , after every hope of ac-
Parliaaient will allow the experiment, Government cemplishine- object obje of his mission was de-
have nododbts respecting theTesult. They knoW the • Atroyed ? °ln .truth, no disposition to favour it
plan is tounded net only upon oG4:principles, but . was manifested by Prussia, not only before, but
upon the best-e-only alloW it time to operate, and it even after the battle of Auerstadt. As to the
'will display its beneficial etfeas„,, This was the tea- issue of the Negotiation, the Noble Lord seems to
soiling on which. Government uniformly rested their think as I do ; and if any doubt could remain 're-
expectations of its utility ; nor do they adopt any• sneding it, or the conduct of this Government to-
m-gun:ems now different from the stream and coUrse wards our Allies to. mar the unanimity so desirous
of those they urged before in its defence. It was upon such occasions, that doubt was sure to vanish
not a measure that must produce its etre& in one or du the perusal of the. Papers shortly tube laid on their
two mouths that Government looked for : they were 'Lordships' table: I will not now trouble the House
aexious ui establish one of durable 'operation, of with any defence of the measures Government have
permanent utility; and if it were worth Noble Lords' : adopted, nor will I inquire in whatlight their con-
recollection, they might remember .that such had dod maybe viewed, for tatnconseious there exists
uniformly been my opinione and that a full and fair in' the Countty, 'on the main points that are to engage
effect should not be expected to result from the plan our attention, such an unanimity of sentiment, and
unless it should be long pursued and-persisted in. He of action, as never existed at any former period.—
assuredly must be a narrow Statesman who argues The eyes. of the Country are open to the: dangers
that it would produce no effect, because no effect tin- that threaten it ; and all agree that every exertion
mediately appears. The system proposed by the Ad- i should be made to avert them. God forbid that I
minishat?on of which the Noble Baron made so con- should harbour a different opinion. But convinced
• spicuous a part, is known to have failed. ,Yet it was I .not only by our own observation and good sense, but
coa tended that it was in existence only., a year; . yea by the melancholy scenes that are acting before us,
15 months, nay, 18 months was it tried in vain : yet j we will not, by yielding, increase the evils that may
the:Noble Lord now requirea that at the end of three await us ; but by manfully exerting our courage and
months thepresent plan should have ptodueed all its i intrepidity, carry with us, whatever maybe cur des-
effea. This will be among,the chapters into. which tiny, the cheering recolledipn of having acted as
the Noble Baron seems resolved to divide the Session. j ,men, and, not - the, galling reproach of those whose
Whether he should be disposed to' directhis atten- pusillanimity has brought :upon them the ruin with
tion to the men, raised, or to shew how' they were • which they are overwhelmed..,
• , disposed, I cannot say.. The disposal must depend j Lord FIAIKKESBURY, in explanation, begged
upon the necessity of the application of therm ; as to leave to observe, that not a word had fallen freria
the nunmher, that is now larger than at any of the - him in the least disrespedful to Lord Morpeth : out
periods to which the Noble Baton has alluded. The the contrary, he had the highest .oeinion of that No-
Noble Baron tells ua we have damped the spirit of the i ble Lord's merits ; and was thllycenvineed that in
V olupteera—l hope ..not 3 their spirit is 'not a spirit . the execution of his Mission he had used every eh-
to be damped. - Al his aeSearchis'then eniplOyed to' deavour that Was compatible with the nature of ,his
`fiud how fel. the Training Bill has been put in
.force, 1 instructions. ' • .
and he contends it has' not beeti put in force at all.— The LORD :CHANCELLOR was -then proceeding to
If this Means; that no men have beedtrained under put the question on the Address, when
thit Ad, I agree with trim ; for'other measures have , Lord RiaNOR rose; and gave it as his opinion,
as yet *Vented it. But if he says it is not hated i that out of respeet to HiS Majesty and the Royal Fa,
:upon, because Government are indicts:kilt about it:— roily, some expressions of condolence should have
•I say not ; for it is not froth remissness or iediffers i been introdUeed into the Address on the death' of
ence" on the part of Government, haft beCause the i that illustrious, man, their near relation, the Duke of
operation of the law, as I have already Stated, pre- •i Brunswick. - He had not; however, made up his
Vents its being yet acted upon AnOther topic the
_I mind as to the mariner of 'introducing, it, -whether
Noble Baron attempts to enforce, is the escape of an as an amendment, or in a particular paragraph.,
enemy's fleet ftom a French port. Does not the No Lord GRENVILLE, said, that he had searched for
ble Lord remember any enemy's fleet that,. in his precedents on matters of that nature, but• could meet.
time, escaped &Om port, and returned in safety? But with mane, at least far the last century, which would
the fleet he alludes to was pursued by a larger force, sanction the introdhaion of
,such matter. - It might
in' more various dirtaionsethan any that was ever sent, t better be done* by a separate Address : otherwise a
out during any Administration. The next chapter the '
new ceremonial might be introduced, which, on
Noble Baron turns to, is•the Expeditions ; and he futtre occasions of a, like nature, might involve the
N
complains bitterly of the delay that attended one. House hi unforeseen difficulties,. • The manner of
'Now if the Noble Lord he ignorant of the object, of the death of the illustrious Duke left nothing want-
- the destination of that Expedition, and of the 'Means j ingto his glory.
. .
to be employed to accomplish its success, how can f Lord RADNOR declared
.himself
,satisfied with
he „judge whether it. was delayed or nut ?—As 1 what had fallen from the Noble LOrd.
to what- he hints respeeting the appointment of The question for the Address was then put, and
- the Officer who commands it, it is W holly. unfounded. carried nem. diss. thew
Committee appointed to dra
What would'the Noble Baron have done on such an it hp, and the Report received ; after which it was
occasion ?—Would he have considered only the feel- ••ordera to be presented to His Majesty in the usual
lugs of A. B. or C. and not the nature of the services 'forms. ' .„
to be performed, and the skill, and. talents which its ' LOrch GRENVILLE, after paying; very • handsome
due performance called for ? Te the Officer in guess compliments to the talents, diligence, and assiduity,
tion, the Noble Lord could not surely impute want which had so long marked the conduct of Lord \Val-
or military skill, knowledge, and•service. It was g-ea sitigham, as Chairman of their Lordships' Commit-
' known that the gallant DI-I-leer ato whOns he tees, moved that the Noble Lord be re-chosen to fill
alluded, Wes distinguished, and eminently 'distill-, that situation. a
, a.,
etaislied, by all thesestipalitie Was it, theta, rank LOrd WALSINGHAM returned thanks, in a very
alone that prescribed employment, whatever. might be eat and - well turned speech ; after which- Lord
the nature of the service? Was a man so qualified for &renville's Motion was agreed to. '
any military undeetakine• .to be excluded from it • Loid GRENVILLE then
.gaVenotice; that on Mona
merely- oil. the score of raa? If such a principle had day; next lie should move the Thanks of their Lord
:il ways been misted upon„ ' What wohldheve been the I ships' House to General Stuart, for the splendid
illte of a Wolfe, or Nelson .i.-A\-'here woUld have been Services performed by him in Calabria; and concluded
the glories of the. ?lade of the Nile?—For different With moving,., that theit. Lordships be summoned to
was the principle of the Noble Earl near me : bow -attend on- that. day.—Ordered.
. .
aespicious and fortunate was his selei,qion : yes,, he Adjourned at eight o'clocle.
• did not hesitate to senchforth *nice-Officer. With-
oat any wish to wound the feelings of A. B. or C. he . ,
ehose the Man fit for the task, and time task was gloris
ots sly echieved. The altars of Prossia next engage the . FRIDAY, DEC, 19.
Noble Baron's :mention, and these its° areas form the - At one o'clockthe e Speaker came down to time
.1-ommiad.of future discussion.---They &dee. excited his
House; but the, attendance of Aferubcrs was not suf-
hopes ; his hopes are now lost inethe misfortunes that', ficienCto enable him to take' the Chair
until a quer-
, heve occurred. , But the Noble Lord
is strangely : ter past two. The adthinistration of the Oaths was
misinformed upon this topic ; also upon almost every then proceeded with. Among. those sworn we no-
thing he has asserted with regard to the. Mission of ticed Sir C. Price,' Sir S. Rornill s h' Sir J. Pultene h
o means of communication Lord Morpeth. : No laps i Lord A., Hamilton,
tWes-ii the Prussians and the British existed, such as I Nile Sheridan, -Mr. Norris, Ric; -
!he NObt
le Lord has insinuated. If such a disposi- 1 At twenty minutes past foOr the Usher of the
' Mica; as he supposes existed at Merlin, means were "' Black rod appeared at the Bar, in the name of the
then employed to take advantage of it, and they ' Lords authorized by His Majesty's Commission, re-
u• -re maietained there even till August I • i • ' • ' 'the •
for teat put- ' quoing immediate attendance of the Commons
pose , nor was any exertion at almj., timo ;eft untried in the House of Peers, to hear the Commission read.

The Speaker, and' nearly all the Mem'Ts pre- terests, neither of Continent, nor Of our ()I', n
sent, attended. On their return, the -Speaker hay- Country; had been-endangered ; and that not a partir
ing declared, that the Clerk of the House had, ac- cle of honour had been compromised. On this high
cording to custom, prepared a Bill to prevent elan- ground, having made every reasonable concession for
destine- outlawry, the Bill was read a first, and or- . 'Peace, yet at the same time maintaiuiugthe dignity of
;tiered to be read a second time. ' - Great Britain unimpaired, Ministers-had a right rto
'. The Grand Committeessof. Religion, of Grier- claim their most libnourable reward--the support of
tacos, of Courts of Justice, and of Trade, and the that House, and the approbation of their Country:
Committee of Privileges, were appointed, and the iThe feilere of the Negotiation had, it was tdo.i,vell..
due powers given to them. , ' knowneproduced a series of most disastrous'events,
The customary Resolutions relative to the term of • succeeding each other with unexampled rapidity,—
limitation for Petitions •complaining of undue re- • . In the present slate of circumstances, it was unne-
turns, to the internal regulations of the House, &c. ' cessary, perhaps ungenerbuse to' comment On the
were passed. ~ . ' . . . condu& of Prussia which had led tosthat state ; but '
The SPEAKER then informed the. House, that that at least it was some satisfaCtion to know, however '
House had been in the House of Peers, when the desirous the British Government might be to af-
Lord ChanceliPr, one of the Lards *authorised by his ford every assisumee to the .King of Pmeissia; they
0
Majesty's CoMmission, had made a Speech, of Were in no degree responsible for the proceedings at ' ,
which, to prevent mistakes, he had procured a copy. the commencement of the. Prussian %Vat-, or for
The Speaker here read -the 'Speech: the talents with which. the War was carried on.—
The rio.n. Mr. L'AMBE-then rose and said, that If ~,our.. eyes - were dire&ed to - another quarter, it
would reasonably. be permitted us to hope, that al-
unfortunately the ,gloom cast over. the meeting ef •
Parliament by the continuation of the disturb-ance of ' though Russia might trot' he .able to re-conquer
that system under which Europe had enjoyed the kingdoma, and- re-establish thrones; she might yet -
-
• highest tranquillity and happiness, .was by. no means have, the 'power of setting a boundary to diet inor-
either novel or extraordinary. A disturbaece, Which . dinate :ambition • which had i swallowed up every
sufficient experience had ascertained, went to the Government within, its reach,- From the contemn-
! pletion of foreign , affimirs, which. he allowed was
complete destruction of ahtient and venerable States,
i comparatively eainful,e he -.would , turn to that
at least to a degradistion of 'them so humiliating
which ever had afforded, -.which . did. eitords and
as to leave little choice between that anti their con-
plete destruction. But although every' succes- ' which, he trusted, ever would afford, a most pleasing-
.. pie-lure; a piSture, which the .com rastellcieye4 more
sive disaster prepared the mind in . conic measure
pleasing ; he.meant the internal state- of Great Bri-
out . .
for the present state of affairs ; ,yet it was 'not with-
the utrhost awe and inquietude that We could tain. On the blessings which we enyeeed, it was
unnecessary- to expatiate ; they were jUsqy' Master-
behold the period, so long menaced, at length ars
rived : a period when the pier of the enemy was stood, they were fully appreciated, they were Warm-
i?redeeninant and unlimited over the greater part of ly and enthusiastically -beloved, , not : be, that House •
.Europe, and when. Great.' Britain was left unsup- alone, oabypie soperitir classes of soCiety, but by a
,
ported (with the exception of two powerfel Allies), great maturity, of the meanest and anost hoe:rate of
'and compelled to rely for its - security on those re- the people.e.Theaseer did .the menaces of the enemy
render these blessings ; -notwithstanoing- that the ac-
sources, on which he was confident we might rely
7 knewledged superiority of- our Navy, tee bravery of
implicitly—the natural courage and the unparallel-
oue Army, and the high and united spirit of our 'po-
ed spirit.. of the People. It was impossible, there-
fore, not to consider the meeting of a new British puiatione warranted us in setting these menacesset
Parliament, .under Bach trying and arduous cir- &fiat-lee,- As to the Enemy's attempts td" destroy
Cumstances, as a most important event.. Their i or Mime- the-commerce of Great-Britain, he flatter-
deliberations Would be looked to by their Court- ed himself that those hopes
_would he completelie
try, by their V,nerity,- and by their Allies, with the . disappointed ; and that, seetae:e in. our • capital and"
utmost anxiety. -
By their Countryeevith the exped- our; credit, we might deride the._ vain everts of '
ation that their proceedings would be distinguished an implacable foe. - Adverting 'to that part of
by consistency and resolution; by their 'Eneeay, with His . Majesty's Speech- •:1 which the neceSsity bf
he übsesved
the hope (disappointed as he trusted it would prove) .04uring great huethena was Lanceted,
that in their Councils Might be detested an auspicious • :ehat,-*deeply,assthe weight of those burdens must be
prognostic of alarm, wavering, and disunion ; by felt, he was convinced, that with diet feetiimeaseouid
their Allies, with the anticipation of increasing-con- be mingledehroughont the colliery e firm convidieu
. of. the necessity which • exiSted of iinposinga them, of
fidence and co-onerationH-In His -Majesty's Most
GraCious. Speech, which,. had just been read frorn hearing them. W ith gcmod humour,aect of sleeking' thos* a '
the Chair, their
„attention 'was- principally- dratee sacrifices whicheetsiuke- the present t cheunastances, a
to two topics. ' The first was the fruitless -Nego- greet natienevaecalled upon- to enake.s With these '
tiation with France. Nothing coui ibe further from
, advantages, be could not belitse thet flee House
his, intention than to touch on any subject which
would, :for nerneisieet, hesitate in adoptine the ouly
line of conduct aehiche .as it appeared to him, they
in the remotest degree might tend to revive politi-
Cal differences, now almost lost •in the disastrous t could with props iety pursue, nehmely, to pledge them- •
,
events in which we were so nearly interestedi• but he selves •to meet theeexigencies of ails greit crisis:with
thought, without any. hazard of such , a revival, he, firmness, and to make ptoviieou fore el engene strength- -
of the Go' entry into eiterget le exert lean. - We - might
might -say, whether the pacific system so strongly re-
then oppose the Enemy- with a Confidence not ~.;.1(3
commended during the last war was practicable or
not, that when the advocates for that system came or baseless, but l'otteided on the -solid ground of at.
real and extensive force, direaed by esp.Frience anti.
into power, it was at a time when their -hopes of ~
carrying that systein into cffe& must have been con- wisdom, and determined to fight to the last extre-
siderably diminiShed. In the event of a Peace' with '' rnity for the happiness and honour which Great
Britain had to preserve, and against tire miseey end,
y disgrace
France, and of the mediation . of other Powers, to
which she had to avert. Hawing said- thus
Produce that event, it was necessary, indispensibl
! touch, he concluded by proposing an humlales Ad- ' • '
necessary, that we should be strong ourselves, and
Ad-
balked by strong and fortnidable Allies and Media- dress to His Majesty, which he read, and which
tors, to whom we might -make an, et-fee-teal appeals Was,. as -usual, an echo. of the Speech,: ' . . ;
and fr.= whom we might expect effeCtual assistance. Mr. S:VITH seconded the Address: At a period
i so fraught Witdextielordinaryevenes, it 'eels a. satis
To go. to -War might be merely the effort of despair
but to become a mediator and an arbitrator among factory consideration tossee the Parliament assegai-
Nations required strength to support the award. 'lt ' bled .; and he' trusted that their. delibeneloos would --,'
followed, therefore, that although at an earlier period' i justify this: 'confidence which His ..Majesty, in
.lit;
France might have been successfully resisted by the ISpeech, had been 'Most:graciously pleased to deeltre,-•
pursuance of a pacific system, yet it became a far dif- - that he placed in, dicta. At the. slime tit ie that tle
House would -perceive, that the pacific exertiens of
ferent case when "so ' many rivals lay at her mercy ;
unsuccessful,. th ey would re-
when their resources were exhausted .; when their His Majesty had been
territories were dismembered ; when their armies cognize in thOs3' exertions that beeevOlerie disp ,i-
-were overcome ; aud When their spirits were abash- :- tion which on so- many former- occasions had sh -wit
ed before the overwhelming superiority of-France-- itself anxious to terminate the miseries of W:sr.—
Under these inauspicious circumstances, so little eat-- To, enter into 'any discussion of the merits of the
celated to produce.a paCific disposition in France,. or Negotiatibims,wotdd, assuredly, be premature, as the,
to induce a Corresponding inclination on, the part of Papers were not yet betbre fhe House ; 'but even-
other Powers.; underthese inauspicious circumstances a from the statement of the Enemy, garbled and falsi-
the Negotiation was began. It was began because • fled as it doubtless was, it unquestionably appeared
Ministers advised his Majesty to take advantage of that the good faith and plain dealing of the Noble
the opening presented by the Enerny ; because it was
,Lords who- were engaged on our part. were as con-
deerned advisable to endeavour to-put a stop to those spicuous as the duplicity and insincerity of the Enere:t •l •
encroachments of,which experience had too• fatally .. In the one was• Manifested :the truly 134-itish charaeler
‘s.
,sliewn that a state of hostility was the increaser; and —iu time other that character by which French Negos-
bi,caeseit Was so desirable an objea to collect what : tiators had long beendistinebuishedi At the' very mo-
might be termed the relics of the Continent, and by i inept when the French Goernment wcre making.'
Pea& give to various Powers the opportunity of re- time most pacific propositions; 'they took steps which
cruiting their strength, with a view to futures exer- -J drove Prussia to. the necessity of - adoisting met- ,
.tions for self-liberation from' the oppression under 1 sores:, the :calainitous consequences of which were .
which they groaned. tut it was soon discOverede universally. deplored. - .The fate of Prussia' ought.
that if any Peace ' consistentwith the honour to aa as a stimulus on Great-Britain. - .At a dole,
or this Country could be Made.; France'Woeld' soon ; when by":her interference she Might leave turned thee
find 'it her interest to break it, or at least to indulge scale of events, and have insured the- :leliveretice of
in Cirthee aggrandiiements, which must eventually Europe; she preferred crouching-to tie- I,'reuch Go-
lead to its rupture - His *Majesty's Ministers e there- vernment, -and submitting to 11l their ,iibi:toLi;tvil
fore, having, ie the first-place,' so far relied on the • unwarrantable designs. Whet had she elesiined by
gPPd sense of the' people of thii Country, that they': that base and abjea subinisien .' lii.eehad been
would not alltee themselves to behuoyed up by false ultimately co:npelled to coesatel siesele-eanded with.
hopes, made the attempt at pacification, but •fiedieg Franeee she hadbeen oVered.elreee'l ei It a ra:pislitv
that those terms alone on,which a Peace ought to be unexamPlell ii the 'misters of the ,k ,•• ei. :_\:.e- was
concluded, could "not be obtained, theypreferred war, this total defeat ill the distm-ice she \., LI; doomed -tos
with all'its calamities and burdens, to a peace, which, i suffer. In the iti,.-.\yer promidgated by the 'Frcncii Go-
by the abandonment of our Alliese must eventually vestment to the Manifesto of the Klee of Prussia,
prove' more destruEtiye to the. Country than succes- I that unfortunate I\-Thnarch (however reedy') was cruelly
sive'vears of active warfare. The attempt, however, and insoleritly *taunted with time mem suojeCiion int+
sufficiently showed the pacific disposition of Great evasive behaviour which his unfeciilig t4yl'.llltsilad ~Q
Britain, and the restlessness and inquietudeuf France. long exacted front hint. A mostseeieeetoey reflee-
HiS Majesty had been graciously pleased to order the tion it was, that the conduct of th, Kele of Suede!'
details of the Negotiation to be. laid on the. table of land, of the •Emperor of RuSsia; had 1.):-ch of so ditll!-.
the House. It would 'therefore be, premature to en-- rent a nature, mid that they seemed :a be. influenced
ter' into any minute discussion upouthe subjea ; but by. such just and noble views. Welt a relere'ece to
assuredly enough had appeared in the partial state-* the present internal state of the Couture, ite had
silent of the Enemy to pine the equivocation, the heard with peculiar satin at thet Dart of I Its Ma-
insincerity, and the subtlety to which they had the- jesty's Speech which pointed 'out tie eecessity Pfau,
meanness to resort, and the true wisdom, the manly economical use efOur finances-. W,2.,\-,-,-,-, eouteae.
and comprehensive good sense, by which that equi- ing with an Eleenty WhO directed against
vocation, that insincerity, and that- subtlety were • the very vitals of- the country. Tee '.', :e.i. ',- would
combated. Enough - had been- discovered to make- therefore cheerfeliy make all due s,ess .: ',es :e resiet
the Hotise confident, that when the, whole of the j him, but it twos iudispensibly ii,.•C,:::ia.-,,, .He et those,
trauSaelion was fairlY on the table, it would indu- sacrifices the. roost should be made ;an svitim a view
bitebly appear that the best means.' had been taken both to the -sus:cc:s4u' prosecution of war, and the
for security against the further aggrandizement of speedy conclusion of peace,eeonomye,:eis hiehlv desire
*the Enemy ; that nothing had been abandoned '. able, He was most willieg to belie. e :list the esees, m;
which ought to have been retained ;'-that the in-
i, -which he reebremen led wi:t a faVQ!;:-it ''-i,.,,t. witll

::ose in power. Tin flouris:ni,g,state of ourreverine
.m 1 resources was in the highest degree satisfactory.
He was perfe6lly aware that we owed this coftsolaL
tory circumstance to the wise and vigorona system
of finance pursued .by the illustrious Staosman,WhoSe
loss all deplored, :whose virtues were.engraven on all
hearts,. and whose splendid talents would be the ad-: •
miration of posterity.: But let -it not be supposed;
that in saying this, he Meant to imply that .he didnot
think as highly of that great man's successor. With
reSpeta to the commerce. of the 'country, he firmly
believed tbat, as it was expressed in His Majesty's
Speech, it. would . not only-remain but-
would extend itself, nowitlista6ding the state of-
blockade in which the British Isles had been declared
to be,--a- blockade by ticountry, which dare not Send'
a vessel beyond the prOteaiott of her batteriet: of a
nation„possesSing the comniand of ".the oNan,• and
which, if she thought proper; could restrain the
commerce of the whole world aniproof were
-wanting Chit the trace of Great Britain would be
:uninjured by the frantic attacks of the Enemy, 'that
proof might- be found in a recent declaration made"' by
an inslividUal;"tOWllGill he did more honour than he•
deserved. by mentioning him in 'that' Housethe
kassAl King of Holland, Who in: that Proclamation
addition to the accumulated evils which oppress
that unhappy country)stated, that the prohibition of
neutral trade would give the 'death-blow to the'
already p-Tiring commerce of _Holland. After a
brief recapitulation of his Sentiments., he concluded
by seconding the Address proposcdby his Hon l'riend.

Mr. CZYNIAT:3: declared that he never rose with-
more lively'sensations of anxiety than on the pi'.esent
occasion, bOth because he felt the unparalleled im-
' portance 'of the crisis., find the-doty which bound
him, in Eonithoti with every Delember.of thellobSe,
and-every SObjeCt of the Realm, to state his real Opl•
Dion of the situation of our affairs, and of the best
means which rt mained for their extrication from the,
peril in which they were involved. But in doing
this- the-greatest difficulty. Was to avoid that which,
above all other-things, .he. was most .solicitous to
avoid, namely, to appear to. damp the spit of the
cotintryaea period When it was so necessary that firm-
ness 'and-confidence should prevail. He be.,..ged,
therefore, that the Housewould be candid enough to
believe him when he. declared, that he entertained a
perfe& and sincere confidence—a confidence founded
frovont'aslaness, but on the most mature refle&ion—•
a confidence foUnded on the experience of the past,
on 'the review of the present, and on the anticipation
of the future—that there existed in this country re-
sources amply sufficient to meet and brave all the
'difficult struggles, and to avert all the impending
dangers, with which we could possibly be threatened.
He trusted that Alt which it might be necessary. for
him to say in the course of the observations which
he should' take the liberty of submitting to the House,
might be considered with a reference to this declara-
tion. But with whatever confidence he felt,,himself
juStitiedinlooking to the resources of the country,
be also felt how incumbent it was on him and.on
the H6u.se to look seriously to the situation, of the
country, to examine, to deliberate, and to determine,
.whether all that had passed in-the condo& of the
State had been without error, or wheOter some re-
fle&ions on what had been done might not have a
favourable influence on what was still to do.. As-
suredly it was„ in the power of any man • who, had
twi=ned his attention more particularly to public:al,
fairs, even of such an humble-individual as himself,
td thrOW out suggestions to Government, without
the slightest intention of thwarting it; or without the
mostrcinote feeling to the. Members of which at was
composed. For many of those Members he pro-
feasd to 'entertain the Highest consideratibiL----
Were it possible thLtt it should enter into the luta-
* gination of any man,-at snob, a crisis as the present,
tceset himself to a perverse-opposition to 'Govern- •
menehe must be thought not only insensible to pub- ;
lieaffairs as they then stood,but to all that had passed
under.a. late Adminiatratiwt ; thehistory of the fif-
teen .years of which, sufficiently sheaved that was
not the course of opposition that ought to be pur-.
or that Lk*as to,proilnce benefitial effe&s:
to the:condo& during the last war of the
Gentlemen who then ,sat 61.1 the Bench which he
his friends now occupied. Both the liontrergoi4e
Yrdposer, and:the Hon. Seconder; _of ,the
,Address
, (and here he begged leaveto remark the distinguished
performance at the present-time,, and- the fettering
iftfflift-forthrfature whieh--their-speeethk4s44l444l64)
dwelt on the necesiity of 'unanimity; unquestion-
j the situation' of the Country. .was calculated to
produce 111131111TIIM. But ofimanimity there were-dif-
ferent-degrees. •Therewas-a-deacription of uuapimity-
ehich blinded every man's judgment to every thing
that was wrung, and thUS Made him the pasaiver i -
I.fmient Of any 43-ut there was another
-abd a superiorspeciesa.the. professor of which, while
he insisted ad his right to, investigate measures, and
.consicier results, .yet would giVe his cordial support
o the'Obventment, in spite of 'the errors to which
..he would not allow himself to be "wilfully blind. If
j
any time this latter course of proceeding was us-
tifiable, when the judgment ofevry man who nos-
sOsed 'annudgmenf ()light' to be 'exercised, it was
fthe-present... The situhtion.of the Country divided
itself into two considerations—our relative situa-
tion to the world, and our internal 'situation.—
' With regard it, the fOrmer, if Was iMpossible that
-:any thing more illSt.or more eloquent could be said
upon it than what had been said by the Hon.,Mover
of the Address. With -.regard to the latter, it af-
forded matter for deep meditation. . A new Parliaa
mem• kid been aSsembled,and they were now for the
Lfirst-time about to review, the transactions .of an Ad-
ministratiorecomposedolmeo of great talents, who
. 'entered upon office not-ten months ago, with this
particular and distill& declaration—that all those who
,•bad preceded them bad been in the wrong; that they
.bad clubbed the battalion r that every thing re,
-quired correEtion and amendment ; that nothing
'was in its place; that our resources were exhausted,
-our credit destroyed, our faith violated, and that
we were'rendered unable to Maintain our own rank
among the nations of Europe, •muCh less to assist;
others in regaining that Which belonged to.them;•:=--',
• What followed ? At the end of ten months, theSe
very Gentleme6 say that the resotiref..s
_of the
Country remain unimpaired. Those who but ten
months agO'•exelaimed that they 'were in.a.itate of
--;116 utmost dilapidation, now tell us-7-nOt that they
hate- been retrieved; not thatthey, have been re-es-
, Itiblished, but that they remain unimpaired. That is,
they never have been impaired. It was _cer-
t.. i ey very satisfa&ory to every - man that there

0:Ao

t'ae physical force, and the spirit, by which it wa3
a '-tsiatiN,l. Our internal policy as intim oeijs con-
-11.1';:led with this 'conteroplatioo. Aed first,swith re
gard to the diss,,lution of the List PAOLI neat
was a great difference between questioning the exer-
cise of an in !ependent prerogative-sand questioning':
the propriety of exercisiog it at such a period. le
the dissolution were promoted by pirty views, with •
the hope of, giving a triumph to Ministers ; and if
for these purposes they created and revived 'party
differences, at a time when ,they loudly called for
unanimity, their condut was highly Colpable.• But
he had no doubt-that Ministers had some great pub-
lic advantage to gain ; for he could not suppOse
that they wished to obtain any private benefit
at least this he was sure they: eould not avow,
Anotber class- of 'observations would apply to the
pra6lical means of defence and attack which' /le
Country possessed, and the. mode in which tho e
'memos had bleu managed and applied. NoW,
was mast extraordinary that in reading the' Skel-,
and the history of thelast year, no one would suthriCtt
that the Country was at war. There was not a fro.
ture of war in the Speech, nor an "a& of war doring
the last year, in which Goveroment could assume
any credit. There had not beers even a single war-
like plan, much less any warlike aehieVement.- As
for the internal defence of the Country, a. most '
laboured scheme had been brought forward last Ses-
sion, and when the Right Hon:. Gentleman, by
whom it had been produced, had been repeatedly
questioned whether or notitwas'iiitended to put it
in execution, the answerswas uniformly in the af-
firtnatives---In no single parish, however, had the
slightest step been taken towards _this end ; and yet
it was a reliance on this scheme that had been held
out to induce Parlianisint to allow the'VOlunteers to
crumble away,the Militia to be diminished, and the
regular Army to be sent experimenting. And 'what
kind of experimenting'? We had' heard of a great
.Statesman, who stripped the Country of troops,
which he emplayed on various active services, and
then boasted thatohe- 'defended it at a distance,
Could the Gentlemen opposite 'Make a similar boast ?
After otd.ers„--and counter-orders, and confirmations
of orders, and revocations of confirmations, and
countermandselee. gse; &c 'an Expedition •aanally
did saT ,frogs the Downs, and arrived—here ? at
Plymouth ! -Certainly' a plifee not very well pro-•
vided.* with means of defence; and had this 'sung
Expedition proceeded tO 'some possession of. the
Enemy not superior in so-ength to Plymouth, -
they very possibly might have succeeded in taking
it. But perhaps this Was- Meant as an , '
ment: anThht have Aeon -Sai-d, " W&11 sail -
from the . DoW'ns, land at -Plymouth, and surprise
the. Dockers." It was prudent to try to swim
upon a table .before committingoneself to the waves.
:The Right Tionotarabie Genslernm•Svas not 'accns-•
.totted to 'salt water, find he wished to begin' with
fresh.,:-.Bi\t could the Country forget the loud-
ness of hiSaccnsations against his predecessors for
what he termed their supineness and negleft? Yet
what had he liimselfdone? When war was' raging-
•in Prussia our Peace, Minisier was on hiS-return
The'whole amount of. the ..114ght Hon, Gentleman's
1 campaign was' a -.fire-works before Boulo'ne, -and
(yet , that wanted conormanon) einris:ii'katiOn
11 on 'the P )add'n n Canal. °But for the iinCiirnmon
.
opennes.S Of toe weather it is probable that his army
would have been froien up at Uxbridge-=-(a loud
lawth) But these were not the . heaviest charges,
against • the Right Hon. Gentleman. That Right
Hblu; 'o'entlernan hag declared it :as his opinion,'
tht-it In all military establishments, it was not the
fern); bit 'the 'soul, ;the spirite, the nice sense of
li(snOlir,-that were to'be cnitivafed and eneouraged.
Now; 'was not that Gentledian aware that by par-
tial measures he'had disgusted arid dis-spiritvd the
Army more than' he had improved their charaEter
by themonopely of shoulder-knots and 'cockades.
-The report of their discontent roust not have
reached him. If not.; it was tiMethat he should be
told-of it. Let him recolle& the recall of Officers
who had nobly foUght: and' conquered for f!'eir
Country. Was Sir John Stnares being superseded
by 'the brother of a Secretary of State', (General
Fox): calculated to give animation and enthusiasm
to the Army ?t--And when aO,Expedition was ready:
for embarkati'Mi were not the hopes of Many gal-
lant Officers, who already anticipated vhaory at, the
head bf their brigades; disappointed, because the
rank of :a favoUrite of that' Right Hon. Getitle--
man's-(to whoM he meant no disrespea) was not;.
entitledo command them ? Ike had 'before, ob=.
Served, that in the Speechall' notice of kvargMntieF
tediously to hate been
,passed over; and yet , soma
debts of gl'atttncle, remained tp.besrpaid—;soine'Afi
of heroism had been displayed;_, which; had 'if
been for no other, pOrpose than to' spew that the-7
British-Army already possessed the 'Cliaraaer
the Right Hon. aentleenan only wished it did pos-
sess, might *surely haYe been' mentioned. :To:the
records of Parliament the -historian lOoks for 'his
materials. It was cruel to deoris'e the hero of the-
,
honourable reward of his military eehievements;sand
it was disgraceful that Government should didiki-io
-sprinkle Over. the gloom of despondency with some
of those achlevernents. It was true; they might say,
that these achievements were not ef their planning ;
. this was a' period when patty feelings 'should not
withhold every glorious incitement to great at-lions,.
On 'these grounds, on the deficiency of that which
ought to have been recorded inithe: Spech: it' 'was
'for him-to satisfy his feelings With the
continuation of that 'omission in the Address. 'The

shoold be even this stale tribute paid to those who nation. He did not mean to cast, Ole slightest
- h:o tie-en fieirisCit Maded with' censure: But surel49lit 1- imputation on: sthe diplomatic eletrieSter, of the
would be too much to exped that any man who had, Noble Lord employed. he Government 'en thiS
eiatr regelated his ConduEt by, 'who had followed tbe occasion (Lord Morpeth) 5 no man was better
foot Steps of,. or who
shad considered 'the name of fitted fer the office, both from the 'qualities' of his
Pitt, as•COhneEted with the glory and happiness of ii id and heart, and because no than had been a
'Ehgland; would" pass' .firis part of His Majesty's- more constant advocate for the justice of the' cause
-Speech Unnoticed. Amidst the accusations that had i of this, Country; bat would any inan of common re-
been vented against the late Administration; those' fle&isa say, that if the restoration of Hanover were
against their foreign connexions were not the least j the sole object, it was worth while to make war
virulent. ' It had been said, that the Continent had against PrusSia? The British Government had conti-
'been lost by the Confederacies which England had -need at war With Prussia as long es the Prussian
u re-
so ill put together. 'But what was the nature of the sources were nimpaired, and °her. strength utiex-
esystem that had been substituted ? It seemed as if Invested ; but as soon: as thaSeseemed the. prove&
thoSe• who had happened to hear that a-confe- oftiWar between France end Pruesie, an Ambassador
• ,
:(Teraey was a bad thing, had: determined ..to • repel Ni/a3' divatched to Berlin, with ,iastru&ions adapt-
*every Ally that might, by' opposite conduct, have 4ed to-all possibil:ties, except that which was most
been aura-elect-to us. But of this' new system probable, - namely:, that the War had aauaily
it would be worth while to ,trace the operation j commenced ; for that no provision had been Made.;
as well as the cause: On the first day of the first an event of:which the most coiumen information
Session of a new Parliament, during •whose ex- .might' have shewn the likelihood.- As soon, how-,
•istence the fate of the world might :probably be de- F ever,. as Lord Morpeth- returned,- our Government
cided, in WhosZt time a struggle would,- in all likeli- j began to perceive their error, and to think that there
hood, take place, that would terminate: either in to 1. was really something like war between France and
tai deStredions or complete safety, such a discussion ! Prussia:, 'from the trifling circumstance that the Pria•-
'was assuredly Mostimportant and most proper. The ; shut Army was annihilated ! They then sent a few-
'Speech and Address, which,
,at such a period es the military men to their aid', and when the Prussian
present, were any thing but mere matters of thrm, ! Monarchy is destroyed,. they will perhaps send an
might be considered in two distinct views. The first army. When the Gentlemen opposite to him came
was as a mutual pledge between the Sovereign and into power, they exclaimed, that nothing was more
his People. 'Had it been - possible to confine the ; shabby than the foreign diplomacy of Great Britain.
Spesch and Address to a description of the• dangers It was even said„ that there was not a man at a foreign .
Of the country, and an: enumeration of the best Court capable of writing a letter. As it was an
means of deliverance -from those dangerseehe would ! undoubted right possessed by. the good people of this
'have been \,,e.1! content that the Address should' have Country to canvass the conduCt of their Statesmen,
gone'up without a whisper of remark.. "But there Ihe remembered to have heard it-asserted in one of
was:another view of the subjea, The present wits : those political assemblages, that all our Ambassadors
the constitutional opportunity afforded for both in :future Were ;to be AjaxeS, Ulysses's, and Phenixes.
Hotises of Parliament to express their opinion 'Now it soshappened, that there had beeti only one
not' only of the relations of Government with remove., Mr. Adair: had succeeded Sir A. Paget
Foreig; States, but of the relations bf Government ; at Vienna. Of course, as he was-single, he must be
with tSac Country. Of 'this'fie begged to be tinder- L a Phenix. But'in our diplomatic intercourse with fo-
stood that he wits fully satisfies, whether when the reign Courts, we were taught to look for perfect
Official •documents should be laid oh -the table it : iranknesse sincerity, and openness ;, freedom from
might' or might hot appear that there had beeu any ; trick and intrigue, and a sort of- pellocid simplicity:.
retnissness, or. wait of dexterity, or blameable at- Now what was the first tangible proof of this suns
tendon to delusive: promises, that the :cauSe of plicity ?, Why, a Minister at Paris negotiating
this Coin-U.l'y against France would not .admit of i for .Peace, and another at Berlin instigating War
the smallest question. The -only matter in :dise f for "the same obje& ! Such conduct might be
putt was, not' whether or :not the cause wils ; dektrous-, -it might:be able, it ,rnight be any thing but
'ficiently- strong,' btu whether or not the cause had !, frank, open,-and undisguised. As to,.that Passag,e
beets prosecuted' in the best manner, find at the most :in the Speech and the Address which congratulater:
proper time? If it could be proved:(Whichhe did not ;, tbetountr.V, diet in those Councils which preceded-
Mean in the least degree to insinuate), that the Ne- the. War between, Prussia and Fraiice, His Mjesty
gotiation had Wilfully tailed, he should be sorry that 'had no share, he was astonished, that such a topic of
that circunistanse should lead to-the slightest heSita- ,consolation could have entered' the head of any Mini- ;
tioh- in givinerthe'-most unqualified support to the "ster...lnStead Of shewing that t rey had attempted to,
War. In .prosecuthig his consideration of the sub- prevent.evils,Ministers called for approbation on the
jea, he could not'acquit thelate House of Commons ; ground of having abstained from any interference
'ofanaa of inconsiderate confidence. And here he But he believed neither Berlin nor Vienna, tier even
must observe, that:with every man in :the House, London, could be thus consoled, lt.cr'aght to h:ave
he sincerely lamented the' absence and loss of been our .Care that the difference hetwesn Prance
that great man, with whom, in politics, he had so and Prussia should-riot have been too suddenly blown
• frequently differed ; bht the memory' of which dif- ' into a flame, leg .it,sheuld,have been too suddenly -
ferences ought no longer to exist. ;Those who were extingeished. In this part of the :Address it was_
in habits of private friendship with that great man: thereforre impossible for him to concur; lie by no
might deplore him more feelingly, but it was impos- • means meant to imply doubt of the justice (sf. His
sible that they could admire more than himself his Majesty's quarrel with Prussia;:. but it France,- by a
transcendent talentse--talentS, the strength of which nominal and illusive transfer of Hanover to,Prossia,
was sufficiently e‘inced by the awe and fear which could plant a cause of- dissention between Prussia
his presence inspired in the-breasts of hits political and: Great,. Bri,tain,... was not,,, contrhsenpe
opponents. Having stated thus 'much, he trusted < of the. Enemy, -which- nothing but the.plaio
aid
he should_ e acquitted of any disrespectful impute- ; simple. diplomacy adopted by oar Geverument
tion- in 'what be was about to- say.—ln order to could be blind to ? • France, found Greet Britain
'judge corriet&iy of the situation in which the Court- ! and Prussia in amity ; with a tendency to coa-
try new' found itSelf, it was necessary to revert lesce. What was her obje&? To divide them;
to the last 'Confederacy. After the dissolutiOn of and by a pretended transfer to Prussia Of-thelier es
-that Confederacy, and' considering the: 'state in ditary dominions of the 'King of Great Britain, to
which Prussia and Russia stood', • what was the create a. war, between. the, two countries, , With re-•
cletti: and obViOuS poliCy of France, and •what was sped to the Negotiation with France, this Was
the clear andobvious poiicy of England' ?;He would : not a time to discuss.; it, although some observa-.
state it fairly; No man r could hesitate in saying, tions made. by .the. Hens Alever, of the Address
that unfortunate as that Confederacy was, brokenst might justify some- strong comments urion that
and disjointed "as it might be, yet were its scattered S Negotiation. But it. would be better to reserve
limbs not without life and vieeur. It was the clear': these until the, Pipets relative.to the subject should
and obvious policy of Englati7l to unite those diSided .- be in ,the possession of the
.House.. He thoughts
parts, and to endeavour to produce-an 'energetic however, that it would. be but fair to state -to
whole. On the other' 'hand; 'it was the clear and His Majesty's .Minister . what,, as far as the docu-
obvious polieyOf France to eift,a, at complete dis- meats had transpired, appeared to bins to be the de-
Membertnent of the Confederation',:and it: that could fe&ive parts of their case:: s'llte'British Declaration
net be completely accomplished Yeillity, at least to contained .three unproved'allegations.. The first was,
accomplish it in appearance. NoWs what had been that the overture for peace had come from Paris ;
the con)duat of the two Powers ?---Prussia signed a and as this was also insisted on in the Speech, he had
treaty of access:to the Confederacy just •previons to ; no doubt tint Ministers had something to produce,
its dissolution ; ati unequivocal proof of the disposi-e which would give an eetirely new colour .to this part
tion ethe Court ofßerlin manifested itself still more of the transaction. • He denied, however, entertain-
strongly by the Declaration since publiShed. Subse- ing any opinion that had the:4oer of Peace proceeded
(ineptly; howeVere Prussia was fbrced-into.Measures from England, Ministers wetild have been Culpable..
which broitht upon her the prompt resentment of Had Peace _beets e desirable thing, it matteredlittle
this Country:. 'But iitt the time that the House of in what quarter ;the proposal for it originatede---
Coinmons aPP-t*edebi: that resentment; • did they Adverting to Mr. • -FOKi first letter to IM. Tale
keow that a Negetilition was carrying on with France leyieuld, be .observed, :thet, there was - fifty other
for the restoration of that Y•hich 'PrusSia had seized:? and better ways -in which the intelligence whielc
There were tWodiStin& questions. If'it.were:sim- it contained night. has heeh
.cernmpnieated, and.
• ply asked, would you: go to war for:the recovery of he, cenderhued most strongly the reception which
'that unjustly wrested frorr'vou ? the answer would the aaswer to tint -letter: experienced asset'-
.
he, yes:; but if- a Negotiation were carrying. en to tion that the British Csoverenneht Were, beginning n
obtain the same tibje3l 'in ahother quaster, theii the new course, as illustSated by the ttansaalon alluded
war would be superfiuons. Eveii :veto this pun- to,. Issas false. Never had the British Government
ciple dotibtfill; yet,. 'coupled with the 'certain., been; the stimulators efsossassihation.• Had ise held
ty that it wes the interest -of this Country to the situation whieh.the latesßight Hon, Gentleman
preserve Prussia; to retain her as an enemy to occupied, he should. have thought it his ditty to re-
France, 'and to put up 'with, OI overlook, any con, t Pei the•accusation with contempt, and indignation.,
du& that might involve Great Britain in 'a contest I The second unproved allegation Contained in' the
•with her,- it. 'becanie_ established and irresistible._ British:declaration, related to the basis of the. Ne-
Tie; -1 ld Ls he -dreadful r •sotiation winch was ;asserted to be the,sztii,:possi-

x*

'he 'House WOO. see what were t..._ .fia I ton- C
.g, ~ .. ,
seqUenceg of an oriz,inat error in this respea; conse- detis. Now, through the Negotiation the basis re- usual form,- in simihir instances lead'bt,en• to endear
quences which Were ridw felt too hue. While we ferred to, was that stated in Mr. Fox's letter, the Your to render 'the Answtir to the3irech a.vehicle,
were in the incongruous situation to NV 11 ie hit gave 'mutual honour of the countries ; a basis no more for such sensiments as it might be wished to :idd, Wt
rise, a iN;lir Commenced betvveen. Prussia and France, like the itti possidetis, than it was like theproprice. . the present Speech • was so contrived that there Was
demands in :ide by this qty maribus : T
•
undeniably instigated by the de he third unproved allegittion, which not a niche in which the .additional sentiments Of
Country.throngh her Negotiator at Paris: It w„, he had no doubt that the_French Government .had Parliatnent could be properly. placed, although man
_true Hanover -was not. the sole -cause of this rup-i 'completely misrepresented, .was, that we had. nut important points had been disregarded. There were
tore;but it was the main one, as the subsequent De- treated without our Allies._ Now, from the. partial many topics on_ which Ametidtuent 'to the Address
Clirrat;on of' Paissia proved. The conduct of Gr-at documents that had been published, it
,appeared that might be introduced; so many that he preferied sub-'
Britain to Prussia Was' therefore thus :' Prussia 4 un- that had been the case in ,the first instance, but af- stituting if new Address,altogether, 'leaving it to the
able, to resist the poster of France, encroached' upon. ter Wards the British Governme.ut had treated alone. option of .the House which to 'adbpt. He therefore
'us ; we had, however, the option to pasi over the -He had no lloubt that this would be satisfaaorily ;propos,ed-, by Way of Amendment to omit the
just cause of complaint which we possc-sed• in cp:).-' . cleared up, as the Address stated in high terms of Whole of the Addreis,subsefluent to the•werds ‘(' He
sequence, and leave untouched the'dnly p 0,„,,,, in panegyric the great c.are of his Majesty for his Al- Majesty's Commons;! and tO introdUce :in Addres,,
Enrope which appeared-capable of beina, th,, germ of lies. The particular mention of Russia and Sweden " Assuring His Majesty of tlii. atfeaiOmate and de,
an alliance:hoStile to the ambitious-views of France, was proof that some. misrepresentation' existed,— tel h,yalty of his faithful Commons' at. toe
But the condo:. of His 111.1jesty's Ministers had been . Having thus stated the points which it,- is neces- i• treltendous crisis, is hen the successes of the cite fir
the cooyerse of their policy. By th-.lt condat, Prus- stray for his Majesty's Miniiters to elucliye, and : had• humbled .and prostrated. so many of the most
sia had been compelled to a& Without our advice and having considered tile state of this country. with le- ; powerful Nations ; eipressitig- gratitude to'HeaVen
assistance, and to , plunge into a war, of which, it sped to foreign relations,' he proceeded to examine for the prolongation of the valued lite and precious.
our' aklviCe conld hot have prevented it, our assist- 1 our domestic situation.. •It was impossiblebutthat health of His Majesty 3.;offering heart-felt -oondo-
anCe it;ght.' at least have meltor:ited the tertni- 1 he must look at the means of our internal strength lence to His Majesty on the lamented death of the
I with the utmost seriousness. .We must examine gallant Duke 01 Brunswick, so'neariy aIlLe4 to Ili
. ' '

Majesty's Royal House and to the Succession. to the
Throne; lamenting that ihe rupture of all inter-
course with the- Court of Berlin had preventeda
timely knowledge of the quairel,between that coun-
try and France ; noticing the artifices of the enemy
to divide us from Prussia, and their goading Prussia
into the resistance which hall terminated in her
overthrow ; lamenting that, front the policy adopt-
ed by His Majesty's Ministers, His Majesty's Pleni-
potentiary to the Court Of Prussia came only, to be
a helpless witness of his Prussian Majesty's defeat ;
expressing confidence that His Majesty had mani-
fested the fullest good faith in the Negotiation, and
sorrow that we had.laeen- led away by the artifices
Of the enemy ; expatiating on the advantages of
treating_ in alliance with Russia ; deprecating the
idea of suspending military operations, lest negotia-
tion should be embarrassed by new conquests ; ex-
pressing the fullest confidence in the valour of His
LiajeAy's Navy,. but lamenting the
.escape of many
predatory squadrons of the enemy, to.the great de-
struotioi of our trade in the West.lndies,--to the
disgrace of our- maritime superiority ; 'deploring the
injuries, in point of. maritime.. discipline, suffered in
consequence of 'the fluauation Altat.had prevented
the military measures lately adopted by the House
from being carried into effea ; censuring the delay
of our Expeditions in British ports till they ceased
to be dangerous to the enemy ; .congratulating His
Majesty on the glorious achietrements of his land
and sea forces, in the capture of the Cape of Good
Hope, by Sir D. Baird cand,.Sir H. Popham ; and
Buenos Ayres, by Sir H. Popham and General Beres-
ford ; and the vidorypf Maida, by Sir John Stuart;
which must convince, the enemy, that the British
soldiers would humble their boasted Superiority, if
ever. the contest., should come , to , be fairly de-
cidedon British grouel The Address wished it
could close here— (a loud ,/imsl/4.----Mr.,. Can fling
said he had great reluelencein detaining the Honse.
so long ;,.but.his duty renderea it indispensibly ne-
cessary to represent the irreverent use of His Me-
jesty's power in, dissolving the late .Parliament, • The
interference of His Majesty'a. 1 Ministers in.thettlec-
tions bad been most. disgraceful; and-liad afforded
ground for, the stigma, that the. House of COmmbns
did not fairly represent the. people'. The wealth,
And power, and resources of the people, and their
bravery and spirit, notwithstanding all, the. dii--
asters that had happened—would be .still able to
humble the enemy, and .His Majesty's faithful
Coftunons would pledge themselves totheexecut iOn."
Those who wish well to the glory. of the British
A: my and Navy would (Mr. CANNING observed)
support this motion. Those who were of different
sentunents would vote for the original Address. He
should be sorry, hoWever, that on a night of this
kind, any idea of division should go. abroad, so as
to be construed into a doubt of the propriety of
tan inning the Throne. On this, ground. it was that
be would nor press the question to a division:.
The SPEAKER read the Motion:very shortly.
Lord H !FICK was certainly .not surprised that
the very extraordinary motion, of the Right Hon.
Gentleman shotild be thought of such a natureas not
s.o require that it should be read from the Chair; but
he certainly was surprised that the Right Honourable
Gentleman should have thought proper to submit to
the Hous- not only in this Motion, but in many parts
of the Speech with which he prefaced it, assertions
, of faas unfounded in truth, and that he should 'have
built On those'fatts, without foundation, unwarrant-
ed conclusions, without investigation or inquiry,
without.having recourse to the authority of any do-
cument whatsoever. On such grounds, the Honour-
able Gentleman had brought forward an Amendment
• charging his Majesty's Ministers . with the most
grave and momentous derelic-tions and deficiencies,
in the .management of the Army and, Nayy, and
of the foreign relations. The, lion,Gentleman ac-
cused them of having excited universal discontent and
disturbance in the Army by an itriproperilistribution •
of patronage.; lee accused thenrof prostituting the
shered tLane of his Majesty, by dissolving-Parliament
et a time when it was attoally summoned to meet for
the dispatch of business. The Amendment pro-
posed by the Hon,
.oetiOetuatx contained matters
which, if founded in fad, ought.to be referred .to
Committee,to ground. upon them articles of im-
peachment against ;his Majesty's Ministers.—The
Honourable Gentleman thought it necessary to offer
An apology for himself for being opposition.
The Honourable Gentleman wished. for unanimity,
but when that unanimity would amount to an ac-
quiescence in the faults destriniiveTto the Country,
it would be a dereliliou of his, dUty to :make it an
'-invariable rule.. The Hon. Gentleman, therefore,
contented himself with that qualified concord which,
while it marks whatever is wrong, gives a general
support- to Government. . How far the Hon. Gen-
, tleman's Speech agxed with the principles he thus
laid down, it was for the House to judge. As to
the principles and charataer of -the Opposition that
he himself had joined in, the popularity which that
" Opposition had enjoyed for fifteen years was the most
• 4atisfa6.lory proof of their justice and'propriety... It
was an opposition of principle, and never could al-
'lsw' itself to giVe way to. the . low hostility of vex-
. ing and harrassing by a warfare of details. The
Hon. Geotleman needed not to have One back to
the length of these 15 years 'to illustrate, by' con-
. crests, the nature of the opposition which he has re-
oolved to enforce, after that 'painful struggle, in
whiell'he was so desirous to support the Government,
if dutraid- not sometimes compel him to oppose.—
The experience of the late General Eleetion might
:Move told him how far this opposition was popu-
lar, the public sentiment having
sheen so strongly
manifested' with respea to it, and that when it stood
forward proposing to vindicate the injured rights and
wounded independence of the People. The Hon.
Gentleman accused Ministers for their Conclu&
"In the recent Negotiations, and brought forward
against :them the promise they had made to sub-
stitute a direct and manly 'system Of diplomacy,
for ferener artifice and cunning, and. the result of.
that promise. The Hon. Gentleman -also taunted
stern with those pretensions of great talents,
h.ch, however they may have been put abroad by
w. ers, were, never once urged by Ministers them-
1-et, disclaiming all pretensions for himself,
he,, for one, was ready to say, that. before the fatal
stroke which had laid Mr; Fox by the side of his
lute 11;tistrigus Rival; and lie _trusted. united both
in 'the mercy of God,. the Administration of which
.Mr. -rot and j.,ord t-tinville were' the ' chief
T4ernH:tera, was one which possessed the greatest
4bare of 'knowledge, iitformation, experience and
Mode pf these great was 4.10 w in

!lie grave—but; with the eecention of the individual
w bowels now addressing the nouse, withetst any dis-
paragement to the Hon. Gentleman; who, as well as
many of those about hins, Would, he allowed, be a vas
luabie acquisition. to any Administration, he might
challenge any one to leek round, and state from what
men. an Administration could be formed with better
claims to the confidence of the, Country. The pre-
sent Ministers were told they were on a bed of roses
—they were told so by a Noble-Lord (Castlereagh)
who acknowledged that the Continent was in a very
unsatisfactory situation—they were told so after the
Battle of Austerlitz. Was it possible. for the pre-
sent Ministers to remove all the' disadvantages that
bad come upon the Country in 15 years pregnant
with' calamities, during the time of the late Ad-
ministration, though, perhaps, without any blame
to that Administration ?—All that could be done
was, 'to offer the best advice and aid in one's power.
That had been done. When the Honourable
Gentleman spoke in glowing colours of the calami-
ties of Prussia, and of the evils extended to the
world, in consequence of the destruCtion of that
Power, he had only to say, that no part of these
Misfortunes were Caused by' his Majesty's Ministers.
The misfortunes of this case required none of those
exaggerations the Hon. Gentleman was so prone to.
Flistorl recorded many instances of armies destroyed
and empires ruined ; but the destruction of the
Prussian Empire was sudden and complete beyond .
parallel. A mighty Prince, possessing a vast -army,
and distinguished military reputation; was in one day
• reduced'to seek safety in a precipitate flight, accom-
panied but by a few. faithful followers of his broken
fortunes. The Hon. Gentleman bad-introduced
into his speech the melancholy fate of :the Duke
of Brunswick. That gallant Prince, after receiving
his death wound, was carried into his palace id a
litter ; but when all means of ease and safety were
denied bim there, he was carried beyond the
frontier ;—he could go no further, and, his brave
heart burst. But persecution did
,not stop here.
Cmsar was merciful when the. tattle was over,
and those who ha& fallen, opposing his ambition,
were sure at least of honourable burial. But the son
of this brave Prince was refused admission to deposit
his venerable father's remains in the vault of his an-
cestors.: This melancholy fact had been omitted only
because there was no preeedent.for mentioning it in
the King's Speech. It was, not want of feeling ;
. for e lo that reads in remote history of things like_
this, will be able to retain the tribute of a tear'?-.--e
And how much more naturally does that tributelow
for distresses which happen in our own time, and
which we almost see with our own eyes ) When,
to use the words of the Poet, we see Darius, great
and gook fallen from his high estate, and Weltering
in his blood, what heart could be so callous as not to
melt with sympathetic grief ? When the calamities
were real, and happened in our own time, theirafflic-
tione must fall upon us with double weight. And
was it to besupposed that those who were charged
with the weight of Government should be peculiarly
insensible, when deprived of the stays and supports
which they should otherwise reckon upon, when
their best hopes were lost ? Their afflielion was,
indeed, Most poignant; but it was some consolation
to them to be exempt from the bitter refle&ion that
it was brought about by any interposition of theirs,
cr by any delay of their timely aid. He came
now to the charges relative to 'the Negotia-
tion, and the war between France and Prussia. It
was not the ilia, that we were at war with Prussia
on account of Hanover. He would refer to the ic-
cciunt oft he different proceedings before Parliament :
When Hanover was prOvisionally occupied by the
Prussian troops, no communication was made-to Par-
liament—no hostilities were declared, It was only
on account of an a& which it was impossible to
pass over without the last of humiliations--.ethe -
hostile exclusion of British trade from the rivers of
the North of Germany, the definitive occuptien of
Hanover, and the alliance of Prussia- with France,
that hostile proceedings were resorted to by His
Majesty's- Government. The Address :to l;-be .Ma-
jesty on that occasion lamented-that -His Majesty
had not direCtly . in the: first instance., appealed
to the tried.. -.affeetion of his
,people Isere.—But
it was , not till-the forcible exclusion oe tritish
Ships, when it was felt that there was not a'motisent
to be loit, that this appal was made. If the'Hoh.
Gentleman had been in His Majesty's Councila on
this occasion, would he not have, felt biinselt called
'upon to give the same advice ? > With respecf.to the
Negotiation with France, he bad also to complain cif
the Honourable Gentleman. The Hon. Gentleman
bad merely read she Papers published by the French
Government, and had given that Government credit
forthe impartiality of their selection. He would re-
mind the Hon. Gentleman, that Mr. Fox expressly
stated in his second letter to Tallepand, 26th of
March, that if France was ready to treat with us,
conjointly with 'Russia, we were willing to enter
into Negotiation.; , if she was not ready to treat
with us in that alliance, we would . not treat. No
answer .was received to this proppaition till the eeth
of April, when the Message, relative. to Prussia Was
sent down. The Negotiation was considered as at
an end, when it was renewed by a fresh overture.--
This would appear more clearly, when the whole of
the 'Papers . should have been presented. The Ho-
nourable Gentleman could 'not depy that there
were . just and necessary grounds for hostility
against Prussia. But was that a reason . why we
should not negotiate with France, if a fair,.oppor-
tunity should offer ? He would not now descant
upon the value of Hanover. Hanover was the,mest
valuable Possession; and our-honour was lost if we
did not get Hanover. Were wenot to ask Hanover
from France because we were at war with ,Prussia-e-
Prussia had at that time-united- herself in a treaty of
alliance with France, by which British Commerce
was to. be excluded from the German harbours, , and
Hanover was definitively siezed. Were we then, for
the prospe&s of events and circumstances that,might
'never have occurred; to relincitash our right for esse-?:
As to the charge of being prevented by the Negotia-
tiOn at Paris from concerting warlike measures with
Prussia, it-was certain that Prussia stowed no,dispb-
sitiou to such a 'concert. After the,Message of the-
29th April, Baron Jacobi remained in this-country,..
till the lath of August, and no attempt atsconciliiie
tion had been offered. There were particulars which,
considering the fallen state of Prussia, he was un-
willing to niention ; but what security had lye teat,‘
Prussia would 110. t 'purchase the sanCtiooesi France
to the Northern Federation, by deliveriegutirsAnny,
in Hanover up to France? As to the State, of.theee.ss
lation bet weenPresSia•and France); alle liet.ivesskit oss n:
woe that pawn teacchesini lad been 4:.smissed,,tur

some oftenee taken by Bonaparte ; and that Baron
Knobelsdorff had been -appointed in his room, by
particular. desire. Baron Knoblesdorff had never
called upon Lord Lauderdale, at Paris, and it was re
-
• ported, that the disputes between Prussia and France
were on the point of being adjusted, till the day before
Bonaparte set out for the Army. On the foth'of'
September, a letter was received from Mr. Thorn-
ton, enclosing one from Baron Jacobi, informing
,the Minister of Foreign Affairs, that he was corning
over in some charader or another. When Ba-
rdn Jacobi did come, his propositions were un-
satisfactory. . But the ernba,igo was taken off all
'Prussian Vessels ; the adjudication of all Prussian
prize-vessels was suspend?d, and the blockade ofthe
Prussian ports was raised. Lord Morpeth had been
previously sent off to the head-quarters of His
P-ussian Majesty. Baron Jacobi did not arrive. in
England till the 30th of September : he did not
wait upon him (Lord Howick) till the it th of Oct.
and the battle of Auerttadt was fought on the 14th.
Even at St. Petersburgh, with which there was so
much nearer communication; the designs of Prussia
were not 'made known till the 30th Of Septem-
ber, by Colonel Krusemark, though the Duke of
Brunswick had been there a short time before.—
Thus it was not till the eth of (Maher that Ge-
neral Benysen's army began its march towards
Prussia. This was also an answer to the charge
of instigating Prussia ; for the Honourable Gentle•
man, in the same speeds, charged Ministers with in.
stigating, and with repressing, that Power. Then, as
to the military mission which the Hon. Gentleman
says . as not sent till Prussia was destroyed, it was
hard todetermine at first what was to be done on this
head. A proper person was, in the first instance, to
be. chosen ; the choice that was made (Lord Hut-
chinson) could not possibly be disapproved of ;
there was then a mistake in communicating His Ma-
jesty's orders to t: is Noble Person, which mistake
occasioned some delay; but afterlhat, there was not
a moment lost. He would not go into the detail of
the Negotiation; but in answer to the charge that. the.
overture 'towards Peace did not come from France,
I as Was asserted in the British Manifesto, he would
ask, was there any thing like overture in the letters
of Mr. FoX, disclosing the assassination plot ? In
disclosing the plot, Mr. Fox had vindicated not him-
self alone, but also his fellow Ministers. He had
already vindicated Mr. Windham.. and Lord. Gren-.
vile from similar charges when he was at Paris,
and 'declared.t he letters shewn as theirs to authorise
such charges to be rank forgeries. It was not in the
answer sent to this communication by command of
Bonaparte that the overture was made. It was,in a.
letter of the same day, communicating, ats,part of the
news of the day in France, a part-of the Speech•of.
Bonaparte on opening the Session of One of the
French Assemblies, in which Bonaparte insinuasee
that he was desirous of Peace with England on the
basis of the Treaty of Amiens. Talleyrand added, if
you wish for Peace, you see on' what terms you may
have it. When the Negotiation was renewed, after
the suspension he had already alluded to. it was in
consequence of a private communication, amounting
to a dire& overture, by Lord Yarmouth, offering an
unconditional surrender of Hanover. This offer the
French never retracted, • though they did other im-
portant offers, which lett unchanged would prob.thly
have made us at peace at the pre4ent moment. The all
possidetiCseemed to His Majesty's Ministers the prin-
ciple to which the Negotiation best applied; and
as such it was adopted. With respect to the informa-
tion the Hon. Gentleman would observe a large chasm
iii the Papers. It was occasioned by the omission of
Lord Yarmouth's proceedings. He was not an accre-
dited Negotiator, but his dispatches, which would he
produced, would tend much to elucidate the matter
in question. It would be found, that we did treat
jointly with Russia, till the signing of D'Oubril's
Treaty. We-then negotiated alone, because we had
no alternative, always hoping-that D'Odbril's Treaty
could not be ratified. When the refusal of the ra-
'ritication ' was ' known, we offered to negotiate a
joint Provisional Treaty for Russia and for ourselves,
_in order to .prevent delay. These fads he pledged
'llimsiolt to Make out to the satisfaction of the House
on 'a future day, when all the Papers were produced.
The anxiArr for Peace was with a view to secure
Sicily to,thepresent Sovereign; to Russia, whaii she
ought to possess ; to Britain, the same ; to secure
• the peke dime Contment ; and byiill alliance with
Russia, to establish the means of
.preserving frog]
win all theretnaining independent States of toe Con-
' tineut. A treaty of tliis nature, ou the basis sot the
Treaty of Amiens; he thong t would be desirable; and
the efforts of his Illustrious Friend, to obtain, stsch a
peace, had been marked with that manliness, and
• simplicity which, formed so noble a part of his }-iOn:
Friend's- charader. Next came the charge:of great
miscondutt in the war. He wished:ate Honourable
Gentleman to have inquired more particularly before
he brought this or his other charges. It was he him-
! 'self who Was most particularly concerned here, as
being till lately at the head of the Admiralty. But
the enemy's squadrons wereat sea long before he had
entered into office, the first ha.ving.sailed in_the end
of 04ober, the other on the 11thi of December,
' consisting of eleven sail, .which separated into two
different destinations. This Squadron sailed two
months before the appointment of the preSent Ad-,
ministration. Not alinewas there at the Admiralty
to assist in tracing those Squadrons, esept the. tic-
count of tht-capture
.of tWo General' Officers limier
_the. ccitivoy of the Lark. Sir. Johli Duckworth
..terminated.aiglorious'crUize by the destrudion of
01. ]
one these Squadrons ; the other had escaped; one.
hi. one. Measures had been since taken- to prevent
the sailing:: of any: other 'Squadron, and these Thea- •
sures had
:been completely suceessfUl. Only • one
,Squidron had offered to put to sea; and'of five Fri-
crates. that coMpOsed it. four were taken. No Ship had
been able.fo"fe-enter the enemy's ports withotitbeitsg
..
.•.
chased; and it was only in a little.port, almost inac-•'
. cessibl. to Ships,-.9f War, that the Ve:.isel contaitnogj
Bonaparts:s brother had taken refuge, and she lay
there now, apparently likely to be dashed to pieces by'
storms. A sto the charcre of not having sent at i Army to.
the Continent, he asked what security wee could have
would
_. that Prussia not have given up the English Ar.
my ? The Gentlemen who were.now in 'opposition,
when they were in administration; had bound thew-.
selves to support the War on the Continent ; the last.
body of troops did .not embark till the 15th of De-
cember, a month after the battle of Austerlit z ;: and-
, .oti the.loth of June following, letters were Sent bvy
I the Secretary of. State to order the re-embarkation
.of the troups,:leaviug the. Eledorate in as good
1..
a .slate, as rossib:e4
.444. cadegowing to etc ;lie

_t or-guard.. To prove thi dubious charaEter
Prussia, he stated, that a large Russian Army was
employed_ for two months at the beginning of the
campaign of 1805, in watching the motions of the
Prussians. If an Expedition had been sent to the
West Indies, 'it would have arrived in the sickly
season, and have been disabled fronreaing, and ex•
posed to ruin. When the first intelligence of Sir
Home Popham's Expeditir.ti was received, immediate
succours were prepared to be sent to him ; and
these succours were afterwards diverted to a nearer'
objetSt. Sir Samuel Achmuty sailed with a rein-
foreernent on the gth Oelober, in less than a month
after the. intelligence of the Capture of Dieppe
Ayres, and he would venture to say no troops ever
sailed in so excellent a state of equipment. The
next point, the sele&ion of Officers to command the
Expeditions that had be..n sent our, ought to have
engaged more of the fion. Gentleman's „attend=
before he bestowed on it so much obloquy. He
ought to wait to know what force General Craufurd
commended, aad whither be was destined. But
with what propriety could any objeetion to Go-
neral Craufurd come from those who had v' .
pointed Sir Home Pophatn to a distinct command,
contrary to the established etiquette of the Navy,
according to which no one is allowed to command s
line Of battle ship till he has been ten rears a Post
Captain? Sir liome Popham
.had been made Poston-
lyy 1795. Without any, disparagement to. Sir Home
Popham, General Craufurd was quite as respetaable
a Commander of an Expedition as he was. The
only reason why General Stuart was returning
from Sicily was, that the, army there had beets
augmented from 7000 to 16,000 men, a force ,
which had never been known t* be commanded
by a .11,Iajor:General: With respeta to the glorious
Victory of Keith, if the Honourable Gentleman bad =,
waited a little longer he would have heard his Right
Hon: Friend give notice this night of a Motion of
Thanks to the Conquerors. He avowed the recall of
Sir Home Popham, as his a&, and he advised the re-
call-Of Sir David Baird. The ground of this was
their,fitting.out,- on the-Expedition to Buenos Apes,
the ships which should have been retained for the de-
fence of the Cape, or sent to the Indian Seas. If ath.
discretion of this kind were to be assumed at the
fancy oievery,Officer commanding on a foreign sta•
tion, as interest or imagination Might3.l4ate, there-
was an end to all subordinatton to the Government,
anti the means of the Country might-be frittered
away.,,:without leaving the Ministers the power of
executing their plans for thegeneral service of the`
State. He took this occasion to advert to .tll6t
mischievous. influence Of. *he . patriotic fund,- in.
teaching Officers and men to look elsewhere tha'.
to. the Government for reward and honour,--rfle-
allowed ,the value 'of Buenos Ayres to the deve-
. lopement of the trade of Britain ; but if it were of
'ten 'times
,greater value it should not san6tion the
dangerous. abdse by which it Was acquired. The
capture of the Cape had been • discussed in the
last. Session ; it was, theretbre; superfluous to dwelt
on it now, The only chang'e its the Corps Di,.
plomatique, was the substitution of Mr:'Ad.tir Cot.
Sir Arthur Paget. - After the imprudent. publi!
cation of Sir ,Arthur Paget's remarks op the cowl
du& of the Archduke Charles, and the discovery of
. Sir .Arthur's cypher, this change
The appeal to the people, by disselvt,li; t t,e Parlia-
ment, was a measure of peculiar propriety in the jr..
sent crisis, when, after a fruitless Negotiation, we
were entering on a new War that demanded, exti'ai
ordinary exertions, and probably, a continuation
.911
those exertions, without any. dtvvrwoo, foe SUMO

years.
• Lout CASTLEREAOH made a tong and able Speech inn*
which our.;iiihts will not permit us to d:taii.
The qUestion was then put, and the original Addle,/
agreed to withour a dvision, and a Committee appointeitt tel
draw up the Address.
Lord licreirtc* stated, that the Papers on the subject of
the NeAoti.tioit were in some forwardness, and ha-hopid tha
to-morrow or Monday they would be ready to Of Laid betbie
the !louse.

A fter a observations frornx Mr, V.tosittart and Mr. Pt`rt.
clv. I, Lord Howick consented to put ow tlic discussion tQ
I rida)r setinight.
‘l,' INDwAta gave notice, that on Monday next he should
move the filanica of the Housq to Sir iultri Stuart, the Of:
ficers and Troops employed under him, at the glorious Banjo
or Mazda.—Atljourned at Halt past eleven.

THE SUN..

10(A14 QUIS lllCtita TALSVM AI.73tAT

LUND° N,
SATVIDAY, DECEMBER gQ, 1800,

TnrsmorningDutchPcpers to the 17 tl)inst. 'fetched
town. They contain the 3titls Bulletin, which anf
flounces tnes9tulpenCetnent of Itostilitie.s between dig

Russians and the French. It appeal* that we were per/
feEtly. correct in•our opinion, that no General Adion
had taken, place, between` the 'two Armies. Th.
Russian General taken poste
Cession of Warsaw, pushed'Asty Advanced Guard
along the Banks of the-river Drizurty.- On the 26th
ult. the Advanced Guards of the.: two Arraiea-felli in
with :each Other, and 'a
skirinish place, in
'Which it is Stated that the Russians ere repulsed,
and a' Regituent of CoSsacks-takeit Prisoners. „On
the 27th so-me „Enure skirmishing' tniiklplace, in
which the French are • representea aS had
the ad‘antage ; and on the 28th the French, tinder.
DA,yonsT, entered Warsaw, the
,Rusians haying
.previously re-crossed the Vistula and burnt the
bridges. 7
Tht.t KING of PRUSSIA was at Osterode, hi East
Prussia, where General Dunoc had gine to-rneet

. .
Yrsrt a DAY Debates of considerable length :took
place iii both Houses, upon , the MotiOns .tor Acl-
-dresses to the Throne. In the F10,315e.4 Commons
aii Auletichnent was moved by Mr. CANstwG,.hut
It was negatived without a chvisign ; in the Huse
'-cif•Lords the Address vas• agreed' to• amine dissen.

Mr: PAULL 1134 again published some letters re-
lative, to a rneetinJt' which s was t r -lc,+c:e takes place
nAween anciCoionel ‘ELLIUT, but which was
prevented by the- Bow-street :Magistrate's.

I oNnoN ; Printed by It. 1-lAattlt (of Martlett-court{
Liow-Mrceth and published by W. A. Scam's (at Soutit-
Muupup-sirc;j4 gt ttle §4ll-01irce, 'pa Sitaui.