The Sun.
London, England, 1801-02-03 00:00:00

.hewever, 'Whether Ministers heti broken the
ConvetitiOn with Rossia, or whether 'they had

mistaken the, Charafter of PAUL, my opitii(o, is,
'that this Country is intitled to satistattic,,,.:_
But my sentiments respeCting the other Pow,!r.,
is not similar to that. with regard to Rossia,

Nothing in consequence of the difference with
the latter Power, ought to have induced us io
have taken measures against Denmark and
Sweden, which we should not, otherwise have
taken, had it not been for the difFerence with
Russia. I shall not give a direa opinion with re_
spelt to the Maritime Rights of, Nations : I would
only guard the House against assuming, as a
fat:l,' that the condua of the two Northern

Powers has been such a direct aggression, as to
justify this Country, in an open war against
them. I have not, Sir, been able to find in the
Writeys- upon the Laws, of Nations, oti in the
custom and pradice of . Europe, any thing
like this assumed pra&ice .of European Na-
tions. It has been said, that the Right assumed
by the British Nation, never had been disputed
till the end of the American War ; but I find
that it was questioned in the latter -end of the last
Century, as well as in the year 1740, by the then
KING of PRUSSIA, and also by the Dotal, in

1762 ;—and towards the close of ,the. Arnerican
War, the contrary principle to that on which we
relied, w►as maintained in a Convention which

was then signed, and afterwards known by the
name of the Armed Neutrality. The more chat
qentlemen examine this question, the more they
will see that; so far from the Right asserted,
being--a ckai and certain principle, that it .is:one
to the Support of which they ought not ,imme.
diately to pledge themselves. The first inquiry
wit, Whether our claim was -founded upon-im-
mutable Justice ? For my part, lam *convinced
,that there' can be no. true policy incompatible
with Justice. It is a regard to this which makes
all- the d;ffurence between a- sound enlightened

Statesman and a tricking Politician. .But I say,
that whatoter the advantges of our system may
be, they cannot be put in competition with the
successful vindication of the claim, accompanied
With hostility towards other Nations ; and,

however niuc-h I participate with my Country.
men in the exploits of our Navy, I should be
sorry to think that our ' Maritime ascendancy
could depend upon .any thing .inconsistent with,
the Rights of others, and' if we could only main.:
tarn it by means of suety measures as must .make
this Country,appear OcliouS to every other Power
of Europe. But if Ido not succeed in deprecat-
ing a determination upon this point by an imme-
diate Address of Thanks to His MAJESTY, it is
btst, justice to our fellow Citizens to prove, that
'even one Claim, valuable as it is, may be over.•
rated, since the blood 'and treasure of our fellow
SW).iet-ls must be -spent to maintain it. I perfcCtly
once - in sentiment with one tvilio was a resreaed
Member of this. House, that' "Ave ought never to
go 'to War for all unprOfitable ,Right, any more
tittni fclir a vrotitable wrong."—His. Majesty's
Ministers ought to slicw wherein consisted the
utilify'oP this -Right: They should prove that
this Riglit is essential to the welfare Of the
CoMitry,. I sad , Birove ought to make ; sober
ektiinate of tile value of this Right, before. we,
pay for 'it at the expense ofthe blood and trea.
sure of this Country. - I wish the House to pause
before they pledge themselves to 'a measure which
will lead, in its consequeneesYto 'a Contest with
almost every Power in Europe. There is another
consideration ; I mean, Sir, that, existing cir.
rums-titileCS may he such as to render a Right
acknowledged to be such in point of justice and
general utility, - and yet events may occur - to
induce a 'partial infringement of it, and that the
iltiget of insisting apon ii, may be greater ,than
.eien the tlerelifiion of it. If' we could abstain
from the discussion of this claini at the present
inninent, -every kind Of policy ought to have
indaced :us so to do.. • The injury, from allowing
ethe'ilarrii of our Enemies, would be that of the
-cmrrisgrof Naval Stores, &c. into the Ports of
.Franee ;' but I say, that under the present cir-
jeumstances of the -War, the danger arising from
-out not asserting the right of 'searching, would
*net be -so great
.as that of insisting upon it .;,--
for Sir, when, I consider the present• exhausted
state of the French Marine, I think she could
:not avail hrsell of this connivance :.to any
great extent.. —. Even in the Convention -;of
'l7 So, in the Declaration of the EMP,R EU of
}ktiisi A, the right. of supplying a blockaded Port
-was "abandoned. Now, 'when I consider the
present-state of the Navy of this Country, and
the close blockade which It enables us to form of
,the. principal Ports of France, I feel little or no
apprehension 'arising from the elfefts of this eon-
nivance. But supposing France should be enabled
to import the Stores-of the Baltic to any; amount,
that would not enable her to xaise a Marine in a
day, a month, or a year,, nor give her Sailors,
• &c. But the consequence of. this dispute is,
'that we, shall give as Allies to France' the
. Fleets Of our new Enemies.. from Archangel
, .to -the' Tagus, and from the Tagns to the Gulph
. of Veniee, there will notbe a single friendly Port
out ;of OutownliossessiOns, where a British Fleet
can take shelter : and here . I do not except
, Naples, which I consider, as, already conquered,
nor Portugal, nor 'Turkey, which,' before the
end of the year, I expert will be connected with
) our Enemies. Will it, then, be possible for our
Navy, with all its skill and 'prowess, to stretch
,alOtig such stn extent 'of Coast ? Or, will it pre-
vent an attack on that valuable part of our Etn:.
• ,pire, an Union with whichhas been the subjeCt of
congratulation this,night ? Are Gemlemen so con-
fidentthat with the power of the' Enemy's -at-
tacking Ireland, both from the North or South,
that we shall be able sufficiently to he on our
.guard ? But great hopes may be -entertained of
the superiority of our Navy, and of, the de.
strutlion of the Trade-of our. Enemies.- But for
-my part, • I have 'painful apprehensions, . that no.
thing will sci.muCh threaten the, eXtioClion of our
' . Trade as the new War. Will not. these Northern
_ ' Powtri'be able-almost entirely 'to shin us out, of
the-European Markets ? ,We .should donsicktal-
, so, what we get 'from them in the articles .of
b Naval- Stores. And is it not probable, that