The Sun.
London, England, 1802-03-16 00:00:00

IMPERIIIL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF PEERS,

MONDAY, MARCH IS.

Mr. ADAM, for the Appellants was heard at con_
siderable length, respeeting the Scotch Cause, Lo.
thian and Others 'Henderson, Riddell, and Co.

Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL was then heard as
leading Csunsel for the Respondents, after which
their Lordships postponed the further hearing till
to-morrow.

, The Order of the Day for the consideration of
His Majesty's Message respefting the Civil List,
and on which their Lordships were summoned,
being read,

Lord PELHAM rose, and a' ddressed a few words
to their Lordships on the occasion, and seemed to
advert, as his principal reason for wishing the
Order to be postponed, to the state in which the
business stood in the other House of Parliament ;
this induced him to move that the Order in ques-
tion he discharged, and a new one made for taking
His Majesty's most gracious Message into consi-
deration on this day se'nnight, and that the Lords
be summoned thereupon.
This, on the Question being put, was ordered
accordingly.
The Earl cf CARLISLE rose, and in effea
observed, that he felt a considerable degree of em-
barrassment with respea to the present very im-
portant and delicate situation of the Country ; he
did not mean then to make what he had to observe
upon the subjea, a specific Motion ; indeed in
that point, under the present circumstances, he
should feel a degree of difficulty. What he alluded
to principally was, the circumstances of this Coun-
try with respea to the great and important subjea
of the Negotiation, the recent aggrandizement of
France, and what appeared, in some degree, to be an
alteratibn in the system of His Majesty's Councils.
On these points he thought he was 'warranted in
calling upon Ministers for some information': with
resped to the last point he adverted to, he
thought there was more than a spirit of energy
displayed ; but with respea to the general
grounds, he thought some explanation should be
given ; and he also thought the House should be
informed whether or not the Definitive Treaty was
soon to he expeded. In regard to this latter topic,
he knew it would ill become him then to agitate
any thing like a question, nor should he then offer
any opinion affeaing even the Preliminary Articles,
as, in addition to other objections, he conceived he
should unworthily engross their Lordships' time,
and mis. spend his own. But his principal object
in rising was to call the serious attention of the
House to the very importart topics he had adverted
to, and to impress, their Lordships with the consi-
deration that it was absolutely necessary they should
be informed respeding these points, in order to,
be enabled to form a sound judgment of the merits
of the Pacification. ,He thought that Ministers
should state, what conduct, on the part of France,
called for such an alteration in their system. There
were. many circumstances of public notoriety, he
was aware, which might call for an alteration in
their system—such were the recent additions said
to be made to the territories of that Power. There
might be a considerable degree of difficulty with re-
•spea to the Treaty as affecting Spain. The circum-
stance of France obtaining a port in the Mediter-
ranean, was also a serious consideration—still more
so, would he the cession of Florida to France, which
would give that Power the command of the Lee-
ward Islands. On all these important points he
thought the House should be duly informed ; with
respea to himself he felt a degree of embarrassment
on the occasion ; on any specific line of proceeding
he was not then determined, but he trusted the
candour of Ministers in satisfactorily explaining the
points he had adverted to, would in a great measure
relieve him.

Lard PELHAM, in observing on what fell
from the Noble Earl, seemed to say, that in the
present situation of affairs, he could see no possibility
of relieving the embarrassment felt by the Noble
Earl.—The House would obviously be aware that
the greater part of the Noble Lord's observations
were upon :,übjeCts not at all under the deliberation
of Parliame►►t ; and with respea to the informa-
tion adverted to, it could not be satisfaetorily given
but through the medium of authentic documents.—
With respeCt to the situation of France, his Lord-
ship repeated, that in the present circumstances,
be did not see what he could say that could relieve
the embarrassment of the Noble Earl. With re-
gard to the line of conduCt pursued by His Ma.
jesty's Ministers, and the degree of spirit mani-
fested by them, be it more or less, these, as well
:►s the other points adverted to by the Noble Lord,
could be regularly discussed when the general sub-
jeCt came before the House ; until then, his Lord-
ship seemed to say, he should reserve himself, and
that at present he did not feel it possible to answer
the Noble Earl.

The Earl. of CARLISLE observed, that the
Noble Lord seemed to mistake him if he thought
he meant at this time to press for any answer.—
However the combination of circumstances, as ap.
plying to one of the Parties in the Negotiation, as
well as the condition of that Power; caused the
embarrassment to which he had alluded. Hie could
not, without a correvondent degree of anxiety,
contemplate the vast accession of territory to France;
withrespea to this consideration, lie thought it in-
cumbent on Ministers to take the first opportunity
to lay information before the House. In this view
then Noble Earl seemed to say, that France was to
be considered in a. different light from what she
was at the signing of the'Preliminaries ; whatever
zhe.might then have been, by ihe_aggrandizenients he
-,Liad adverted to, as well as the. accession to her terri-
tory in Sodtb America, which gave her the com-
mand of the river Amazons, her power w,as become of
the most gigantic nature. He said this, principally
with a view to put the House upon its guard, and
point out ,the nature 'and importance of the topics
on which their Lordships should be informed, in
order to enable them to -form their opinions upon
the general subjea.

Ile various Bills before the House were then
forwarded ie their respeaive stages, and some
I'rivate Busbiess was disposed of.