The Sun.
London, England, 1802-04-16 00:00:00

DEFINJTIVE TREATY.

Mr. N. VANSITTART 'moved, that the House
should, at its rising, adjourn to Wednesday next.
Mr. ELIOT said, he did not intend to oppose
the Motion, but he could not suffer a Recess to take
place without asking His Majesty's Ministers 'lien
the Definitive Treaty was likely to be laid before
the House, and when the judgment of the House
was to be passed upon it. It was not, perhaps,
quite regular, but as several Copies of the Treaty
were in circulatior4 he wished ro make a few obser-
Nations upon the subjectes there were sorne'circum-
stances attending the present Treaty, which re-
q. uired much consideration. ln all ,former Treaties
between this Country and other Powers, there had
been a provision for the renewal of preceding
Treaties—He was interrupted by

Mr. CALCRAFT, who observed that the Hon.
Gentleman's observations
,were out of Order, -as
they did not apply to the question,
The SPEAKER observed, that the question was,
that the House should at its rising adjourn to Wed-
nesday next. It was for the Hon, Gentleman to
consider how far the observation he was making,
applied to that question.
Mr. ELIOT said, he flattered himself his obsv-
vations did apply to the question. He was stating
that in all former rreaties there had been a pro-
,
vision for the renewal of preceding Treaties, and it
would be found,•uPon reference to the correspond-
ence relative to the Negotiation at Lide, that there
was. an express instruction to Lord MALsti,sauß
to insist upon the renewal of those Treaties. lie
felt this to *e an important point, not only to this
Country but to Europe,-and ;that it rendered it the
more necessary to examine the present Treaty, in
which such a provisibn was omitted. fie was
interrupted by

Mr. BANKS, who said, he 'was sorry to in-
terrupt the Hon. Gentleman,•but he called upon the
SPEAKER to say how the observations of the Hon.
Gentleman could possibly apply to the question.
- The SPEAKER said, that so far as he could
form a judgment of the arguments of-.the Hon.
Centlenian, they did not apply to the question, but
he was. bound to take the .assertion of the Hon.
Gentleman that he would so apply them.
Mr. ELlOT'said, his arguments would apply in
this way, that if he did not obtain satisfaetory an-
swers from His MajeSty'S Ministers,. to the ides-
lions which he had asked, he should oppose the
Adjgurnment. It was necessary to inquire how
this Country was affeaed by such an omission in
the Treaty ; •that it was affeded there could be no
doubt. Our Possessions in. the East Indies were all
derived from the-Great Mogul. France, however,
might assume claims to all the advantages we pos-
sessed there. For that -reason thoie'advantages had
been secured by a provision in the former Treaties
between this Country and France ; they were.so by
the Treaty of i 763, and also by a Convention con_
eluded for.that express purpose,byLord AUCKLAND,
at Paris, in 1767.. —He was again interrupted by
Mr. ALEXANDER,' who submitted, whether
the Hon. Member, in asking a question, had a
right to go into an examination of the Provisions of
the Definitive Treaty. •
The SPEAKER said, he was bound to declare
his opinion,• that he was not satisfied that the argu-
ment of the Hon. Member did apply to the question,
but his opinion could not guide the House--(A loud.
tjy of " Chair, Chair !") .
Mr. ELIOT said,. he conceived; that what he
It'd said, did apply to the question, because, if he
did not obtain satisfy lory information. upon the'
subjea, to which he had alluded,- he,should oppose
the Motion. Papers had been moved for on former
occasions, 'between the Preliminiry and the Defini.

tive Treaty, relative to the Provisions ,of that
Treaty, and it might be requisite to do the same on
the present occasion, for which purpose it would be
necessary that the House should be kept sitting.—
As, however, the House did not-Seem inclined to
liste,ti-to him, he should sit down.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, he did not know how he could, without irre-
gularity, answer that which had been decided al.:
ready to be irregular—namely, the questions of
the Honourable Gentleman ; and yet he was under
the necessity of requesting permission of the House
to say a few words. He had reason to hope that the
period would not be very distant, when the Defi-
nitive Treaty, ratified by the Pa-rties, would be laid
before the House, but he could not state the precise
period, as it did not • not now depend upon His
Atjesty's Government, but upon others ; He could
however asstire the Honourable Member and the
House, that there had been no unnecessary delay on
their part. As to the interval that was to take
place between the period of the signature of the
Treaty, and that of taking the sense of the House,
he could say nothing upon it; that would depend
more upon the Honourable Gentleman himself, than
on His Majesty's Ministers, for it had not been the
custom to call for the opinion of the House upon a
Definitive Treaty. As CO the other parts of the
speech of the Hon. Member, he conceived himself
justified in saying, he ought not, now, to enter
into any discusSiOn on them, they being chiefly com-
ments that were at present improper, because they
were made upon a document which was not in the pos-
session •of the House. He could assure the House,
that His Majesty's Government would be prepared
to enter into a full justification of their conduct at
a proper time, and on a proper occasion, But they
would not now enter into any questions as to what
the Treaty did contain, or did not contain ; or into
any reasons why it did or did not contain, or why
it should or should not contain any particular Fro_
visions. None of these points should, in his opi-
nion, he alluded to, until the Dzfinitive Treaty was
in possession ()Nile House.
Mr. ELIOT explained.
The Malt and Beer Tax Bill was read a third
time and passed„;
The Servants, Carriage, and House Tax Bills
were read a third time and passed.