The Sun.
London, England, 1812-01-09 00:00:00

TOLERATION ACT.

The following are extracts from Mr. tAst'a Re-
lons of Cases adjudged in the Court of King's Bekh
n Easter and "Trinity Term, i 8 i►. For the argu-
nents of the Counsel, and the observatiens of
aord ELLENB9ROUGEI, and the other Judges of
hat Court, we must refer our readers to the'Report
tsclf. We merely subjoin a short recital of the
:ase, and Mr. Ease's statement of the construction
)f the Act of Toleration, which has been establish-
!(.l by this judicial decision, the knowledge of which
may be a wide to Magistrates at the ensuing Quar-
ter Sessions.

WEIJNESDAY, JUNE 0, 1811.

" THE KING AGAINST THE JUSTICES OF DENBIGH•

SHIRE.

-The Court was moved upon the Bth section of
the General Toleration Act, W. and M. Ch. tB, tor
a M.lndantus to the. JuAices of the county of Den-
bigh, assembled at their next General,lQuarter Ses-
sions of the Yeace,to admit David Lewisoto ukke the
oaths, and make and subscribe the declaration re-
quired under that statute. .
" David Lewi4 deselibing himself as a Protest-
' ant Dissenter who prcaches to several congrega-
tions of Protestant Dissenters,' had applied to qua-
lify before those MagistratLs, and hid, been re-
fused.-

The. Court of King's Bench having heard the
case argued, unanimously refused IQ grant a Manda-
mus; and the Learned Reporter has thus stated the
legaldocttine established by he ddclared opinions
of the lodges, aillthe.decision o: the Court :
." A Protestant assenter who stales Ithns-lfasone
who preaches for several congregations of Protestant
4( Di7sentets, witho('t shes.ving that he has any- se-
" pante congre,otion attached to him, as such
" teacher or
,preacher, is not entitled to be admitted
" by the Justices in Sessions to take the oaths, and
" make the declaration required by the Toleration
" Act, I W. and .M. c. 18, irt-order to qualify him-
" shit under the• eighth clause of that Act to offici-
." ate as.such- teacher or preacier."
7 .

Y-sterday arrived Cadiz Gazettes to the etst
one day later than the date of those winch. anie.to
T.,esday. it appears by an ar•icle from
Yelvas, that the French are collecting large bodies
tear the bridges of, the Tagus, to guard against the
()angers which they seem to apprehend ;, and that
their main force will, take possession nem- Ciudadodrigo, tor tie purnose of ob,erving the noi;e-
thents of Lord WELLINGTON. The Retinas of the'
Proceeding% of the Corte.s.came down to the Igth
inclusive, but they a e unimportant.
• rat.
It is said, that %hen
.the Duke d'AREMBERG
Came on board the Mermaid, to be conveyed a pri-
'loner to England, he was accompanied by an
English Of-liter, to whom, in the course ot con-
versation, he ohsei Yea, " That Rome was the se-
cond city ot the Frei,ch Empire." The Eng
lish Officer se.rned surptisedi and ..observed; that
that could not be, as Rome was in Italy. " It was
so," replied the Duke, " but the Einpetor by an
diet has annexed it to the Empire." Shortly af-
terwards, hen the Mermaid was getting under
Vteigh, the English Officer souk leave of the Duke,
and said to him, that "in two hours he would e
in . England." The Duke could not comprehend
this, until the Officer added, that '° the King of
'• Great Britain has annexed the seas to. his dorni--
Cons."

,
Mr. Secretary RYDER presented the two last
Quarterly Reports of the Queen's Council on the
State c,t, his Majesty's health, the substance of which
we have already-correctly given. The first represents
his Majesty as still unable to resunie the personal ex-
ercise of his Royal Functions, and labouri' g under
the pressure of mental and bodily disease. The Se-
cond Reoort, however, mentions a slight improve-
'tient, but still gi,es no hope of his being abielpie-
&lime his Royal Functions.

rat?actt THEATRES.—An ordinance relative to
the exterior and
,interior police of the Theatres has
been issued, prohibiting expressly all poisons tram
rte-selling tickets bought at the office, or selling such
as have been obtained from any other• source. None
are to disturb the audience by noise, applause, or
hissing, before the curtain rises, nor bet seen the
lifts. In the great Theatre, during the whole re-
presentation, no one is to.keep his hat on after the
eurtaiti rises. Every individual is to obey provi-
sionally the Officer of Police. In consequence, when
be kinvited by him to quit the Thealre, he is to
Proceed immediately to the Police Office, to give
such explanations as may be demanded of him.

Dr. KNIGHTON, who has recently been appointed
Physician to the PRINCE REGENT, is 3 Gentleman
Of well-known talents, and far above the necessity
of all professional pursuits. His Lady is distin-
guished' for her taste in the Fine Arts, and peculiar
akin in the province of Landscape Painting.
" Mfs. MOUNTAIN, we are very sorry to learn, is so
Much indispoSed as to have little hope'of resuming
Ler-station in public. .
Mrs. Strip°Ns leaves town towards the end of
the present ,mouth, in order to hoist the tragic
itandard, for-the last time, at Edinburgh.
• EMERY, it is said, is to be one of the seceders -
• from Covent Garden Theatre, as soon as his present
• engagement terminates.
It is said that Mr. CLIFFORD, the COunsel,- !Mg-
f6sted to a certain Baronet the new Parliamentary
TACTIC," as it is called, by which the latter was
enabled to figure with unprecedented Addrersi:)t
It is said that a warm contest exists between the
lltaffotdshire and Worcestershire manufaCtories re-
!PeEting which is nightly to furnish the,China-shop
tp the IVhiteCat.
Tuesday night, about six• o'clock, a dreadful fire
r rake out in the house of Mr. Oakley, Perfumer, in
Glasshouse-street, which totally destroyed the same,
!.Id considerably injured the house of Mr. Maynard,
and Mr. Hodgel, Shoemaker, 'adjoining.
"fore it was extinguished.
L most melancholy and distressing Orcurnstance
happened 'on Saturday last, at Titrjesliall;-iii-NW
t
211 t z—Captain George Hoste and his brother
Charles (two of the younger sons of th&lev.
Dixon Hoste) were out shooting, when the gun of
(he former accidentally went off,, and unfortu-
nately shot his brother, who instantly expired 'ofithe:
spot,

LliPEniJt PARLIAMEN7.

HOUSE OF COMMONS,

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8.

Mr. ARBUTHNOT moved for a new Writ for the
Borough of Queenborough, in the• room of the
Hon. R. Wellesley, who had accepted the office of
one of Ole Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's
Treasory.—Ordered.
Mr. LocKtimur obtained leave to bring in a Bill
to-morrow, relative to Parish Registers, and the
Abuses connected therewith.—Leave given.
A new Writ was ordered for the Borough of
Weobly, in the room of Lord Guernsey, who had
accepted a Commission in his Majesty's Army.
Mr. Sheriff BIRCH presented a petition from the
Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of
the City of London, praying for leave to bring in a
Bili relative to the Thames Navigation.
Mr. 'Secretary RYDER brought up thse two last
quarterly Rep rts of C-lueen's Council, on the state
of his Majesty's health. They were read by the
Clerk, and ordered to be printed.

REPORT ON THE ADDRESS.
Lord JOCELYN appeared at the Bar with the Re-
port of Ale Committee on the Address. On the
'question that. t he' Report should be brought up,
Mr. WHITBREAD rose. He said that he should
avail himself of this opportunity to declare those
sentiments which a particular and unexpected oc-
currence of yesterday had prevented, and should
state his reasons to the House for not agreeing to
the Address.—ln the early part ot it, which spoke
of his M-desty's.situation in a manner they must all
feel to be applicable, he perfectly concurred; but
there were other parts which, consistently with his
duty as a Member of Parliament, he felt it incum,
bent on him to oppose. Indeed, the only exception
he felt hiniself bound to in ike, in addition to the
one already stated; was in fay, air of the Congratula-
tion on the conduct and bravery of his Majesty's
troops, especially in. the action under General Hill.
He must also b.: disposed to acknowledge the merits
of Lor Wellington, who, if he bad lately done no-
thing to ad. athe, arght at least be said to have done
nothing that could derogate from a fame which
might 'tank *among the greatest of ancient or of`rpo-
dem times. But knowing the disposition of the
country towards toe cause in which they were
embarked ; knowing that.no effort which Mi-
nisters could make' was left unmade; knowing that
nv voice, from one end of-the kingdom to the other,
cited out against suppiying, and supplying in abund-
ance, the means what!) were necessary tor such a
purp6se; and seet'z those means' en rusted to one
of the best Officers of his nation, an Officer capable
ot coping with the best-Geoerals of France—seeiog
this, and then looking to the present state of the
Peninsula, he could not agree to hold out to the
Prince Regent, and'to the country, a language which
his experience must tell him it was rash to use, and
calculated to excite hopes which most in the end be
defeated. It was impossible for any imagination to
picture how greater
.effurts could be made, or put
into hands more capable of fuming them to the best
advantage than those entrusted to Loid Wellington
for lii`e defence of the Peninsula. What was the
co...sequence of is?all _We were told that t.e.
danger of Spain was not increased ; that her dif-
ficulties only inspired her to more connected efforts ;
we were led to believe by the Speech Which was
put into the mouth of the Prince Regent, that the
cause was still prosperous after the French hart ob-
tained rt ~eated successes, and was in tnilitary pos-
session of Spain.--This language was held forward
when we knew test the cause had suffered, that Va-
lencia Was not likely to struggle long, that Sagun-
turn was taken, that Badajos had fallen, and that
the attempt on Ciudad Rodrigo had been abortive ;
when we saw that what was called the possession of
Portugal by Lotd Wellington had ended in a retreat;
that after having pursued Massena to the frontier,
he was now obliged to fall back, and to confess that
he bad snot numbers sufficient to justify the. hazard
of a battle. LTnder such circumstances was this
language used, and under such circumstances tie felt
himself called upon to resist it. For his part
he did not see what hope could be entertaitted.
The more he allowed the merits of the cause ;
the more he allowed the zeal of the invaded;
the more he allowed that the whole heart of
England went along with them in' their resistance ;
the more he allowed the abilites of Lord Wellington
and the valour and discipline of British soldiers; the
more was he inclined to despond, to despair of suc-
cess, on looking to_ the result of all these favourable
combinations. When he was called upon to say
that he woutd give his support to this war, not only
to the extent, but eteti beyond the extent to which
it had heretofore la:en given, and that without 'in-
quiry or explanation, he must hesitate and refuse.—
If, indeed, they Were to pledge themselves to the
maintenance of the present system, these were cir-
cumstances which should accompany the request in
order to justify the pledge. He should like, for in-
stance, to have stated to the House the opinions of
those %slat) were most.qualified to decide upon the
subject ; he should be glad to know w hat Lord WO-
lingtou himself thought as to the final issue of the
contest.; perhaps under the sanction of such an au-
thorhy he'might agree, but without that, without
an y thing, without even a sanguine tone in the
Speech of the Prince Regent, he could net reconcile
himself to such a vote. He would 'also be glad to
know what was the situation of Spain with resped
to her colonies ; he knew that through all the• Co-
ntinent of America they were in a state of insurrec-
tion against the mother country. He was aware
that our Government had sent out persons to medi-
ate between them,/, but he wished to know whether
that meditation was accepted by the Government of
Cadiz, whether it had begun to a6l, and what pro-
gress it had made ? •He wouldalso be glad to know;
as he was on the subject .of our foreign relations,
what bad become of certain diploMatic persons; why
Mr. Liston and Sir Robert Wilson were now in
London For what reason they ;ad not proceed-
ed on their destinations? and whether there was any
hope that the objects of their appointment would
be accomplished or attempted ? • There was ano-
ther question to which he would wish to have an
answer. He desired to be infOrmed upon the state
of our Army—our whole Army on the Peninsula ;
whether it was in a flourishing condition ? whether
the ranks were Lull whether they would be kept
up ? and whether they were capable of making an
effort ? tlecta all there DOiilD3 he required Ulna-

tulthitt, tincl he &night the it-tottse should deliberate
on them cautiously ,befor_e they Committed them-
selves to the full extttnt -requirid by the Address. -
There was another to;t-ic on which he-Could not
agree, bcc.mse it held out a delusion to the Prince
Regent, by applying the expression conciliatory
measures to our past negociations with America.—
He could not speak of the same conciliatory mea-
sures which were before adopted, when he did not
believe. that conciliatory measures were adopted bea

ore. He had stated in the course of last 'Session, his

opinion of the negleCt with which the American
Miniver was treated by a Minister of this country,
Lord Wellesley. He had moved for Papers calcu-
lated to throw a light upon that subje&, 4ut the Mi-
nister and the House hid refused them. Instead of

a spirit of conciliation,sthe measures of our Ministry
towards America appeired to him to hive been curl-

ceived in the spirit of comniercial subjugat ion.—
When those measures were first proposed, they were

denounced by many, as calculated to plunge us into
a war, but tro change was made in the system after
four years experience of its mischiefs. 'On the con-
trary, resort was had to the-basest subterfuges, and,
up to this moment, was pertinaciously persisted
in, when America was about to put herself in a si-
tuation to ally with France and oppose our obsti-
nacy by a war. If a Minister at the head of the
Foreign Department had observed a contumelious
silence—it, when demands were complied with, no
answer was returned—if, when a fact was slated, a

flat denial was given to that fact —it a Minister was
sent out to make demands which America would
not concede to, could he call that the spirit of con-
ciliation ? If so, a spirit of conciliation had certainly
goVerned our Councils. America had published the
paper's that had passed between Mr. Foster and Mr.
Monroe : did they disclose such a spirit ? The fact
'Was, that we had acted in a spirit, and upon princi-
ples, which any Government that adopted must
reckon upon never being at peace. It was slid that
the Berlin and Milan Decreo were not repealed, but
America was satisfied that they were. She, he
would repeat, was satisfied ; but she, it seems,
must borrow wisdoin from the Minister of
Great Britain ; she must call in the assist-
ance of that Minister who bad brought such
blessings on his own country, and such disaster upon
its- enemies-; of that Minister who had endea-
voured to withhold bark from the French hospitals,
and who had made a desert of the, Exchange: she
must borrow wisdom from him ! Such was the
confidence which Ministers had in the system they
had pursued with respect to that country, that he
had no doubt, if a motion Was this moment made
for papers, they would be refused. It was certain-
ly a matter of congratulation that the differences
about the Chesapeake were adjusted; if that were the
only difference, the circumstance had been happy
indeed;; but when he saw that, on the remaining
subjects, nothing less,than war could be anticipated,
he must withhold the compliment required to the
past conduit of the Government. There was also
in the Address a great want of an explicit declama-
tion as to what was intended towards the East In-
dia Company. It was impossible for him to con-
clude without noticing an observation which had
fallen from the Noble Lord (Lord Jocelyn) on the
former night ; lie should at all times feel himself
E-cnnd to notice, in order to express his abhorrence
of such maxims. He understood the Noble Lord
to haye'stated, that it was impossible to make peace
wit ii France in consequence ef the personal charac-
ter of her Emperor., He (Mr. W.) did not recol-
lees, in all the details of history, one instance in
which the private chamacter of the Ruler was ad-
vanced as a reason fur denying peace to the people
of a country ; he saw no reason for not making
peace with him in whose hands the destinies of
France were placed at present, any ,more than with
the Bourbons. when they presided : and the con-
nary. opinion was always to be discountenanced, as
it must lead to eternal war ; or rather to a war
which could only end in the extinction of either
power. It might, he thought, be foreseen, which
"mu,t;fall, in a contest of that description, when it
lets considered thatahe greatness of one nation was
artificial, while the greatness of the-other, such as
it was, was natural ; but things need riot come to
that pass; they would not; and as the present Ruler
of the destinicS of Fiance was likely to live long
upon the earth, we must negociate with him when-
ever an opportunity presented itself. He should
now Conclude with saying, in answer to the decla-
ration of the Noble Lord, that Buonoparte had
been.ballled in his maritime speculations, would to
God that France had ships, and commerce, and co-
lonies, for then we should, have peace; but until
then the probabilities 'ere against it.
Lord jOCELYN, in explanation, denied havik
made , any declaration against a- peace wi h 'Buo-

napaite.
Mr. WHFERREAD said,, he thought he: had heard
such an expression tall from hini; but as the Noble
Lord must have recolleaed what he said better than
•he could, he was -satisfied that he. (Mr. \V.) was •
istAen in the opinion.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER Said, he
confessed that tile concluding sentence of the Hon,
Gentleman's speech had furoished him with a clue
to Ins objections against the system pursued by his
Majesty's Government, for if, indeed, he was
anxious that Buonaparte should have ships ; if, in- .
deed, he was anxious that he should have colonies
and commerce, it could hardly be expected that' he •
should approve of ..the system upon which his iMa-
lesty's Government had aded, or of those eodea-,
Vours which.. were intended and calculated to deprive
hint of all. But as he (the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer) would rather fultow his speech through the
series of topics it contained with as much regularity
as possible, he should leave Ole conclusion for the
present, and commence with noticing the concep-
tions of the Hon. Gentleman, with regard to the
• affairs of Spain andPortugali and the charaQers of
horele,stiess and desperation in which be had de-
the war. And here he would wish to bring
hack to the recollection of the House, the state in
which ale war stood at the beginning of the last
Session : he would-wish to bring back to their re-
collttelion the opinions and feats and prophecies of
the Hon. Gentleman, and to entreat them to con-
traat the prospet he then drew with the reality of
the present scene; they wrauld find, on such a
comparison, that his fears were unfounded, that
his expectations were falsified, that his prophe-
, ctes were 'erroneous ; and yet he was prepared
uvuu the same grounds Of appehension, namely,

the boasts of Buotlatiatte) to repeat hilt propheties
againagia
•- •3s Destroy the web of prophecy in vainl
-7" The creature's at his dirty work again."
Afief such failures. one would.rather have thought
4the:Hon.-Gentletnan would hive hesitated in his
course, aud- not have continued to hold, that every
thing the enemy vaunted he would dos must be ac=
complished, or that it was impracticable to put any
stop to the career of " Fortune's spoiled children."'
At the period alluded to, as at the present, the .
Hon. Gentlerrian had only re-echoed the language
held by the enemy ; but there was no saying that
they=-•cssiglia--not again he disappointed. At the
commencement of last Session, we were to be dria ,
ven into the sea, and were not to have a foot of
ground in Portugal ; but, instead of these boasts
beirteiatkompliShed, or the gloomy apprehensions
of the Honourable Gentleman realized, we had not
only rescued Portugal from the enemy, but main,
tained her in security against his utmost efforts.--..
Sincethis hadheen achieved, indeed, a new light
had been discovered, ane tt was found that it would
got .have been the. tight course for the French to
drive us into the sea, but that they should first con-
quer Spain, and leave us to be swallowed up at the
last, after we had been permitted to waste out
strength. Would any man belie• e this ? Would
any man believe, that if it had been in the powcir
the enemy, they would not have ariveo us from
Portugal ? Those who held lb-. opinion that Buona
parte was irresistible, and that it was in vain to op-
pose his designs, wondered that he did not at oaee
crush this army, which not only acted in every
Point, to the frustration of his designs but rerna ua
ed, in opposition to him, on the Peninsula, to his
disappointment, to his vexation, and to his eimfu-
siona Would he, if he could have prevented its
even by directing against it solely, and entirely the
whole of his force, have suffered this ? No tnau -
could think it. He 'would have left every thing to
accomplish our expulsion; but his power was riot
equal to his desi:e; and the country he iuled could
not ftirnish him. with the means necessary to effect
his most anxious purpose. But tho Ugh this was his
opinion;- he would not therefore, wit's that 1 r: sumps
with which he charged the enemy, say, that though
heretofore baffled and defeated, he might; not at
some flifitte period accomplish that object, in eta
tempting which he had been so severely foiled, but
thought it fairly might be argued from a retrospects
tive view, that we might continue to maintain ours,
selves on the Peninsula, not only to defeat his plans
of ambition, but as a standing contrast to'the basest
villainy in the world. Yes, he maintained, that on
all ortlit4e points there never was a more striking
contrast than that which appeared/in the conduct of
the French and British Government upon the Pen-
insula; and if the man who caused it had any view
to character or ambition, it must be his most earnest
care and bOsiness, by every method and invention";
to keep not only from the eye of the Peninsula
but of the world. Under these circumstances, he
could 'by no means agree with the Hon. Gentleman
in'his view of the subject. On the contrary, when
they saw that Buonaparte had not gained, but lost
Portugal, since the beginning of the last Session, they
had reason to look forward cheerfully and sans
guinely and to indulge in the hope be had often ex•
pressed, and which he saw no reason to depart from,
that the enemy bad touched the point of his am-
bition, and would here find for it a grave. But the
Hon. Gentleman opposite held other opinions. He
deemed Buonapare invincible; and that all hie asp'
parent disasters were only the result of design to
conquer Spain, and reserve the British as it were
for a bofine Douche. He imagined that Valencia
must immediately fall.
resisted a victorious army for a month since the
battle of MurViedro. But eveu should that city be
taken, wss the consequence that which' the Hon,
Gentle:man had represented ?a—namely, the military
possession of tile-country. For his part, he might
not be able to-tcom an plea as correctly of the terms
as those- better Skint's! In military tactics; but that
did not appear to him -to be military possession of a
country, where no convoy could proceed without a
numerous escort—a little army to protect it. But it
was not the mere conquest Of towns that subdued a , .
.country; if after Tarragona was sacked--if after the
Patriots met defeat at Murviedro, the enemy found
behind•-hirri a greater and mote formidable knee titan
that which opposed his progress, it could never be said
that he hadnatitined military possession of the laud.
On the contrary, such an appearance warranted the
language of the Speech, that the' spirit of the people
remained unsubdued, and that the increase of diffi-
cnity and danger had produced more connected efts
forts of general resistance. It was a remarkable
fail, and what most pre-eminently claimed for the
Spaniards engaged in resisting the slavery attempt6d
to be imposed on them, the applause of the existing
race of men, arid the admiration of all posterity, not
the manner in which they resisted attack, but that
in which they survived defeat. It was this that
afforded a source of hope of benefit increasing anti
a happy result at last ; for it was evident, that v.ith
all the successes of the armies of France, no inspresa
sion had been made on the spirit of the people to
resist Buonaparte, and the forces employed to
carry his ambitious usurpation into effect. He' was,
therefote, bold to assert, that the state of affairs
had materially implored since the beginning of last'
Session; When the Honourable Gentleman took a
singulatlargleomy view of fututity, and that there
were ant tlaia moment fainter, hopes for France,_
and greater hopes for Spain, than. there were last
year at this time. After disposing of his prophea
cies with respect to the Peninsula, the Hon. Gen•
tletuan had gpee,on to put a string of questions...a..
He had asked them what they had been able to do
with all theYfOrce ihey had put in motion ? It they
had done nothing more, they had shewn him that
he was utterly-. mistaken in all his apprehensions of
defeat and danger, as they had prevented all the mis-
chief and evil results he anticipated. It, indeed, he
would only take the trouble of putting himself into
the same situation he was in last year, he would be
able, at once, to see Bow much they had been
sable to aecompliali. . The Honourable. Gentleman
also wished to know what was Lord Wellington's
opiMon on the subject of the war. If heahad only
considered for' a moment,. he would have been,
a ware of the impossibility of indulging him in this
resped, as, whether favourable or otherwise, there
is no practicable way of laying the matter be-
for the House. In truth, it would not only be the
most impolitic, but the most unjust thing that
could be done, to clevelove the opinions and views

of a Commander on a -War hi which they' were en-.
eeeed e beater anticipating a successful result, or
c,ree a contrary de-eriution. -Another of the
Gentleman'-s inquiries regarded' the situation
(e. Spain and her Celonies. Oti, this point., -all
.he
could say was, that though the situation was not
w mat could be and there:was too much of
irritation on both sides, yet Ministers had the core-
selation of knowing that they had, endeavoured
most ardently to instil a spirit of conciliation, and
.were employed in an attempt by mediat-iorieto bring
the mother-coetory and the South American- pro-
-,
voices to •uni,e in amity in support of .the -corn-
MOD cause. With respect to the. diploma tie• 3p-
. pointments, of Sir Robert Wilson and Mr. .Lis-
ton, a full explanation would .lead.• Ito much in-
to detail; and be vzould-therefore, on the present
- Occasion, content lihnself with-stating, that .cireuin-
stances had arisen which rendered it• advisable to
• postpone for a time. missiens which were .originally
expected to he productive of considerable _effects.
The next question of the Hon.. Gentleman -was
about the military force. employed in thoPen.insula,.
andlie wished to be informed by what expedient
Ministers were prepared to replace the waste which
be supposed to have taken place. On thiepoint,
he had-the pleasure and satisfaction to inform the
Honourable Gentleriaan, that our army in Spain was
at this mornero 10,000 men stronger than it was
la.st year ; and thus the waste, which had not been
so great as the Honourable Gentleman and other
imagined, had already been fully sup. lied.,
question referred to the state of • our relations
with America ; but he hoped the House would be
so indulgent as not to ascribe the indisposition•of
Iris Majeey's Government mower into particulars
at the present moment, to aninability to make their
cause good, and to justify all their actions. It never
would be the. duty of any Government, even for the
purpose of vindicating its own conduct, to state the
conduU which they experienced. Nothing could
be mere calculated to widen and inflame thosedif-
ferences which it should be . their objet .to allay.—
This was not the period for putting the Government
on,i,s trial for discussing the conduct of England to
America and that 'of France. It the Honourable
Gentleman was, indeed, .of opinion, that America
adopted nothing but a fair neuttality between
France and England, he would leave him in posses-
sion of, that opinion, rather than endeavour to
corre& it by any improper -disclosure: He would
allow that a war with America would De an evil
to Great Britaiß ;_ but he also, knew, that' such a
war would be a greater evil to America, Ai an
evil to America, he was anxious to elver: it ; he.
looked upcin" America as accessary to the prose
- perity and weliare of ,Great Britain, and, avtiold
be - sorry to see it. impoverished, Crushed, or de-
stroyed. He did not [neat) to say That
riCa would be annihilated; . but with .regard_io
commerce, and" all the advantages to
,he derived
fa 003 it,' he_tionseht, he was confident, it. might .he
depriVed of them. . A war with America, would apt
advantagimus,to En land, bto itewotild .be
.0115 to America. For. EIS 'awn part, he boaked at the
prosperity of Anierica as accessary to ,that of. this
countly. Ile sheuld not wish to see .AineriCa iei-
poverished, . much less reduced in poweir, or sobs
clued. Sure he was, that nfi one could con,strue
those truly coneiliatory dispositions of .England into
fear ;. hot, he was of opinion, that Eugtand, cons-
cious of her own dignity, could beer mote front
Aine:ica for peace's- sske,. than from any,. other
power., op earth. . He might be wrong in the view A
had taken of the subje;'l, but it was fair treallow, by
a 'parity. of supporkitione that the Herb. gime Might
wrong also. As to the revocation of • the.... Be-
r lin and Milan ,Decreete on which the lion. Gentle-
, Man bad laid sucti a stress, few people would go to
the length of. believing that they were tie:Au:Hy re-
s oked, stately on the ground that it was asserted ,by
America. The Hon. Gentleman had said, that lie
,would chadenge Ministers .to produce a single in-
stance of those Decrees haying been.. enforced
against America. Since their revocation, in his opi-
nion, instances ot that kind were most numerous;
but without entering into details,. he consideted the
very document which promised- the revocation of
those Decrees, as are-enatt meet of them, and as a
ci tifirmatiori of the .priliciples on .which they were
ettempted to be established. For his.own part, he
teeter bad believed that those Decrees had been
rejoiced ; he had never seen any. official document
to thatetfea, and if sect) had really existed, surely
Ameriea would not have failed to product it, con-
siiering that the whole of the negociation• hung
Cit. that single point in fact, no proof existed of
those Decrees having been ever revoked. •A pro-
mise indeed had been held, that they ,would be re-
.a..;,kee., as far as concerned America, by a given
,time, provided this country should, in the mean
time, o yoke her Orders in Council, and renounce
her, system of blockade. The other alternative
proi'7osed was, that America should'asseit and meta-
l:vie the independence ot her flag. How, then,
could those Decrees be considered as revoked, when
ani • ut those requisite conditions had been ful
) Was England, in order 'to obtain that
eeeosati IL to abandon her system of bleckading,,
in their ports, the fleets of the enemy ?' He
eid not mean. that artificial blockade. existing
only on paper, but that real. and substantial
blockade, solemnly.acknowledged by the laws of
nations—a system, on whicti _the safety of this
country apd her maritime rights 5o esseittialLY de-
syslern, which had so effectually prevented'
• the 'evenly from °training his favourite objects,.
" Ships, Colonies, and. Commerce.",—.The. Bight
floor Gentleman would then examitie how tar.Anie-
rice had been able to execute the -other alternative
)en to her, namely,. to assert_ and maintain the inde-
pendence of her flag. As. toe what'. that. inde-
pendence was, ti.ere had. been many versions, but
one had been lately received frorti HaMbUrgh, by
which an American vessel was said to be dooation-.
alized if she had touched at a Bt itislr port, had been
.visited by an English man of war, or even keel-
company with her. How was,America, thelight
Honourable Gentleman would ask, to assert And
maintain the indeeendenCe of her 11:g so defined ;
and, in case• of her not complying with the neces-
sary condition, bow could
.• the obnoxious De-
crees tie considered as. revoked ? Were America
even :aole in that inoance• to comply whir the
lA,i.hes ot-. Fiaece, was it. likely England should
consent to it; as it would, in' fact,' be giving

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