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

attention to them. • •His Grace then proceeded to
take a view of the present circumstances of the
Country, with respeet to Continental Politics ;
and whatever their momentary complexion might
be, he was confident there existed, even in ap. ,
pearance, no ground for despondency—the Court..
try was strong upon, its own element—it was
strong in the justice of its cause. He was
awrite he might be -told of a prevalent wish
in France for a general Peace but that
was very far 'from his belief ; • it was fresh
in the recolleCtiOn of all who heard him, that
Ministers had repeatedly declared they knew
of no impediment to Negotiation. Much as he
thought Peace desirable, he did not wish to
see the safety or the honour of the Country
sacrificed to IL—Again, he was aware that the
communications made on that subjeCt by the Chief
Consul of France to the Courts of Vienna and
St. James's would be loudly spoken of; but these,
instead of tending to. general pacification, were
for separate Negotiations, and in the then cir.
cumstances of these Powers, neither Court could •
treat separately without breach of faith.—But the
French now were so situated in that respeCt, that
they may fairly he brought to the test. The events
of War-had so reduced-Austria, as to oblige her
to' treat• separately with France ;, that Powet,
therefore, no longer being an obstacle in-the way
of treating with Great Britain, the French had
an ample opportunity of evincing their sincerity.
respeet to the powe'r of France, •it was'
greater and more :formidable now, than at' any ".
former period, even in the much-vaunted period
of Lot/ is'XIV. -of. course, it the more behoved
this Country to be on its guard with respell to
her: He then proceeded to the consideration of
the =pending affair with the Northein Powers ;
and with 'respect to this, he contended, that
Great Britain- only 'exercised her rights as a
Belligerent Power—rights' long known, esta.
Wished; and repeatedly acknowledged even by
those- who now,, in violation of every
_princi-
ple of the Rights of Natieins, presume to dispute
them: France herself, anti even Spain, he said,
have often exercised similar rights, but nn a
greater, - much greater scale, than 'ever was pre.
tended to by Great Britain ; for those Powers;
not contented with confiscating the obnoxious pro..
petty found in neutral bottoms, • they even con-
demned the very ships. .I,.et that be . contrasted
with the coodutl of our Admiralty, and the justice
and the moderation of our policy will Neat once
apparent. Illustrating this part of his arguMent ,
the Noble Duke was led into a detailed 'ex•
positiOn of the Various treaties and connections
made' between this Country and Foreign Powers,
particularly with those who were now foremost
in contesting the incontrovertible right exer-
cised by the 'British. The treaties of t7go and
1794 he particularly adverted to ; in these, and_
in one of which Denmark and Sweden were par-
ties, the right. in question was expressly. asserted ;
they were never even for a moment relinquished.
An 'ability at present owing to the wise condigt
-of Ministers; and, above all, to the adivity and
zeal of the Noble Earl at the head of the Marine
department, was fortunately greater to support our
right than it was then ; and was it rational, still less
just, to suppose we should relinquishit ? In the
Treaty with Russia in 1793, from which he rend
an extrati, the principle of our Maritime Rights
was expressly asserted) and propelly acknowledg_
ed by the other contrading party. If Great
Britain did not persist in maintaining these
Rights; its maritime prowess was at an end--its
sun was set for ever; and Its character and tank
in the scale of European Nations totally abro-
gated. To effett this seemed to be our of the
views of the Councils of Russia.; it appeared that
their aim was to force this Country to
The Armed Neutrality they found would net
do. The people of Great Britain and Ireland,
who are politically the same; were proof against
that, The Russian Ministers then proceeded
to violate the property of British Stibjeas in that
Country; and then to treat their persons with oUts
rage and indighity ; these enormities were in.
flitted with a view to provoke hostilities; and
he believed they had gone to such lengths as
neither the. Legislature nor the people of this
Country could bear ; • there may exist hopes that
the Great Monarch of Russia may yet find that
he has been deluded by his Ministers : he should
regret the present coaduft of his Government,
and feel disposed to make proper reparation to
those aggrieved, which would be the truest in:.
dication of a great Mind; Impressed, there.
fore with the convittion of the necerrity of
Great Britain ddfending her incontrovertible
rights as a Belligerent Power; and the confidehee
that, in case this Country should not receive
justice and satisfaftion from those who had oh.
N'iously infringed her rights, every man in the
Country would have but One -feeling, and firmly
resolve to support the teniperate; just, and resolute
councils of His MAI astv, he should move a
suitable Address for the adoption of their Lord.
ships.--. His Grace then read the Address, which,
as usual on these occasions; was a faithful echo of
the Speech, and in the warmest langtlage gave
His Mat esTv the strongest assurances of sup_
port,

The'Earl of LUCAN (one of the Irish
presentative.Re-
Peers, and many years a Memberof
the .British House d Crsmnions) seconded the
Address, in a maiden speech) but iti.so very low
a tone of voice, that very few words from his
Lordship could be distinaly heard below the Rai.
He spoke bura eery .shott time, and by what
we could acileet, merely ;lanced at those topics
tr*ett, of in detail and' with much ability by the