The Sun.
London, England, 1802-01-23 00:00:00

THE SUN.

.10. .
•OLIM QVIS-DlClki lALiVIIA AUDLAT?

LONDON; JANUARY 23, ISo2.

WHEN Political . Men are as much determined
upon opposition as'some few Members of the House
of Commons appear to be, no measure of the Mi-
niter is likely
.to escape without censurc.---It has
been a most common, and sometimes not
grounded attack upon Ministers, that they have
taken measures of great importance, without re-
curring to
.the advice and assistance of Parlia-
ment ; but it has seldom if ever, till lately, been
made a complaint against , them, that they have
kept the Houses of Lords and Commons sitting, by
short Adjournments, that they might have recourse
to Legislative Wisdom; if. the state of affairs ren-
dered such assistance necessary.

Fortunately for ;he Country, the Mutiny in the
Fleet at Bantry Bay (the sole cause of the late Ad-
journments of Parliament), rendered no recurrence
to the Legislature necessary. It appears to have
been the work of a few turbulent men, who led
others into ads of disobedience and mutiny.—lf .it
had risen to any alarming height, Parliament might
have taken salutary measures—powers of summary
trial might have been gives to Officers on the
spot—arrears of pay confiscated—and all those
who did not return to their duty, and take ac-
tive measures in quelling the spirit of insubordina-
tion, might have been for over' deprived of the bene-
fit of those Institutions to which. our Seamen look
forward as the honourable provision for those %%Ito
ha...e passed their life, or been disabled, in the Service
of their Country. These and other steps, it might
have been proper to have taken ; but the Mutiny
had not spread so as to render any general measures
of vigour necessary. It has been suppressed by the
ordinary means, and we hope and believe that it will
be the last instance of insubordination: in our Fleet.
If the Officers of our Navy will do their duty—
will determine, by vigorous exertions, to check
any disposition to Mutiny as soon as it manifests
itself, we'may depend upon it we shall never again
see it in a dangerous form. If, on the contrary,
they parley with it, or rem •in inadive, the conse-
quences may be fatal to .-ountry. We forbear
to say more upon th;s poi.-.t, or to make all the
comments which the perusal of the late Trials at

Portsmouth( suggests to .us.
Havingmentioned the real grounds for keen
Parliament sitting during the ordinary period of
Recess, we shall shortly allude to those pretended
causes which were assigned by persons, who, no
doubt, thought their interests involved in the
circulation of their inventions.—Some obstacle
was said to have arisen at Amiens, Upon which
the Minister was expeaed to make a Commu-
nication to the House of Commons.—We have before
stated our opinion upon this point.—The circum-
stance that the Dzfinitive Treaty has not yet been
concluded, furnishes no proof whatever, that there is
any material difficulty attending it, and we believe
nn difficulty oft iMportance exists.—We never ex,.
peaed that it,tould have been arranged by this time.
Let any person'consider the time that has elapsed,
upon former occasions, between the signing-of Pre.
liminaries and the conclusion of Definitive Treaties
of Peace, and they will find that twice the period
which has elapsed since the signing of these Pre-
liminaries, has frequently been consumed ; and it is
perfeCtly well known, that.no Minister on the part
of Spain bad, a very short time since, arrived at
Amiens. We are therefore not among those who
feel any apprehension for the ultimate result, on
account of what some persons think an extraordi-
nary delay. If even real difficulties existed, which,
as we have before said, we have reason to believe
is not the case, it is very probable, from the charac-
ter of _BONAPARTE, that he would T, emove them in
an instant, and that the signature of the Definitive
Treaty would come as suddenly and as unexpeaedly
upon us, as the adjustment the Preliminaries
did upon most persons in this Country. We have
also the satisfaction of knowing, that though our
Ministers here will, from their known character and
disposition, be firm upon every question which is
essential to the interests of the Nation, they will
also be conciliating upon every point on which it is
fit to make concession, and which may lead to
speedy accommoda-tion.

*!!' NG,'

The high and tempestuous winds which have pre,
vailed for some days past, have prevented all com.
municatiOn with the Continent.

Yesterday the French Frigate, L'indefatigab/e,
which sailed some days ago from Havre-de-G ce,
in company with five other Frigates; anchored in
Dover Rtiads, having been separated from the Ss,ua.
Oran iti the late heavy gales.