The Sun.
London, England, 1819-06-22 00:00:00

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' BILL.

The Report of the Insolvent Debtors' Bill was

taken into further consideration. Several new
clauses were proposed, and among them a clause
providing that no debtor, who had obtained goods
on false pretences, should be entitled to the benefit
of the Act, without the consent of his creditors,
till alter an imprisonment of five years ; and one,
making a similar provision, to punish Attornies
for appropriating to their own use money entrust-
ed to their care, was agreed to.—The Bill was or-
dered to be read a third time to-morrow.
CLERKS OF THE PEACE IN IRELAND.

Lord CARFIAMPTON said, it WAS notoi ions that

Ireland was shamefully plundered by the Clerks of
the Peace. , They set the law at defiance—they
were great men in their counties ; they had great
connexions, and nobody cared to affront them or
go to law with them, as most of them were At-
tornies. He was convinced that the House would
not encourage rapacity and peculation, and he
therefore anticipated no opposition to the nip-
tion lie was about to make, as the abuses which

lie was anxious to see corrected, were really great,
and as one of the Officers, to whom his motion
referred; bad, by multiplying his fees, brought
the emoluments of his office up to from five to six
thousand pounds per annum. He moved for an
account of all salaries, fees, perquisites, and other
sums of money, received by each Clerk of the
Peace in Ireland, for each of the last three years,
distinguishing for what the same had been re-
ceived.

Mr. C. GRANT reminded the House, that a
'Commission was now in progress which would
inquire into the situation of the Clerk of'the Peace
in Ireland. But for this, be should hare brought
the subject before the House himself. As matters
now stood, he thought it might be safely left to
the Commission.—The motion was agreed to.
Mr. BLACKBURN presented a petition from the
Merchants and Manufacturers of Manchester,
against the Foreign Enlistment Bill.
Mr. PHILLIPS read a letter, which he had re-
ceived from some of his Constituents, strongly
protesting against the principle of the Foreign
Enlistment Bill.—The petition was read, and or-
dered to lie on the table.

WOOL TAX.
Lord LOW THER presented a petition from the

7.faeufacturers of Ker,tiail, agalott. 17e.e `las nil
Foreign Wool.
After a few words from Mr. BannonAsi, the
petition was ordered to lie on the table.
A petition' was presented from Newcastleallt‘ri
ing for a protecting Dutiinn 4e-IrrrAt .05 °
Corn.—Ordered to lie aktisptaNe:
The Report.lof the ColohliA Clergy Bill WO ei
ceived, and the Bill ordered to be read 3 thill
time to-morrow. • rdO
The Slave's Registry Bill, after a few words
from Mr. BBRNALL, Mr. GOULBURN, i'v'tc
r.;
BARHAM, was read as second time, and ordered tit
be committed on Wednesday.
Mr. LUSHINGToN moved the second reading n"
the Passengers' Regulatihn
F the
Mr. BENNET hoped the second reading 1)
Bill would not be pressed • till the House shnit'
be better lammed of the subject of it.
Mr. LUSHINGTON briefly explained the object
of the measure.
The Bill was then read a second time, and coal'
witted for to-morrow.
The Colonial Accounts' Bill was read a sacal
time, and committed for to-morrow.
FOREIGN ENLISTMENTS' BILL.
Lord CASTLEREAGH moved the third reading 4
the Foreign Enlistments' Bill.
Sir W. SCOTT defended the principle of thea
Bill, and showed, from a reference to Vaud sec
other writers on the public law of nations,
the present measure was imperiously demaotle•
from us in the situation in which this cowl
stood at present. He did not say cases might "°
arise in which a third party would be fully just'
s
fled in interfering in behalf of the oppressed ; 1)1'
be contended, this, when done at all, ought "P
he openly done. While a country professed nen'
trality, it was bound ,to abstain from all inter:
Terence from all measures of hostility toward'
either of the Belligerents. It had been argued that
other countries as well as our own had fortnel
permitted individuals to enlist in the service n
foreign countries, and the present, it was attic('
Was a case in which Great Britain was bound t°
take a part. To this be would reply, that ac;
course pursued in former times had been ptirsufie
in utter contempt of. all public authorities. rte
then referred to the law of nations, such a 4 it sr
peared to have been from the time of the RI
mans down to the present period, to show 1"
that sort of interference on the part of this coon'
try between Spain and South America, which sons
thought desirable, would be in violation of that
neutrality see had pledged ourselves to maintain'
It was perfectly well known that it had been tb•c
practice of the Swiss and of other States to let oat
their troops to. take a part in die quarrels of
foreign nations ; but from the course they pot'
sued no defence could be found for the line of con'
duct which it was said 'this country ought t°
adopt in favour of South America. It was 8"
serted that our commercial interest was touch be".
nefited by the connexion now kept up betweea.
individuals in this country and South Amer'cf•
Supposing this to be proved, it furnished no jo°li;
fication of a departure from neutrality on the piq
of England. Our true interest would be found tf,
consist in honour and good faith. He roceedeti
at great length in an argumentative speech, 'cool'
preheuding much learned research, to combat tli's
sentiments of those who opposed the Bill. Ida
knew of no application from a foreign power in',
the passing of a law, like that now under (fiscal
sion, but Spain, under the existing treaty; ulighs
reasonably make such a demand, and he knew 0°
on what grounds it ought to be resisted,
f
Mr. SCARLETT hoped nothing that would 11
front him would he regarded as personally &are;
spectfitl to the Right Hon. Gentleman who be'
just sat down, but at the same time his doy t°
his Constituen's, 'and to !!.e country at Wee'
forbade hint to make any coocession on the re'
sent occasion. The argument of ti•e.Right
Gentleman seemed to hint to suppose that wale°
body had proposed that assistance should be give:
to the Spanish Patriots This, hoWever, 04
not contended for on that side of the House, on,l
the Right Hon. Gentleman arguing, as it apPe3r;
ed to hint, on this erroneous supposition, had 0°,4,•
been distingoished by that felicity which usuoly,
marked every debate in which he participote",;
If the Right Honourable Gentleman hail het—
called upon to consider merely what the Goeetn;.
ment had a right to do, his argument would hn/.4
been unanswerable ; but now the question yrw-g,
not what the Government might do, but whethe
or not they were called upon to take oil
sures to prevent the subject from doing vib
he had a right to do by law. That which
the subject might do without the consent, ad'
thority, participation, or. privity of the G°l
verment, could ever compromise it with al
belligerent, and no foreign power had a right, .1.1
such a case, to call upon the country to alter t
laws. The question, in fact, now was, whetbo'
or not the House should pass a law to controls;
the will of those who went out as volunteer,
without the sanction of Government, exeetpd.°l,
where they were permitted to serve the SpanPri
Government. He thought such a law ought 0,°4
to pass, unless indeed it were called for by lud
safety of the State, which no man had asserted
to he the fact in the present instance. He denied
that there was any thing in the treaty of 1814 tt'''.•
11101 e it incumbent on the Government to poi,
the Bill. No existing stipulations proved 511%
a measure necessary. That treaty bound trh
country to abstain from supplying the Span's,'
provinces with warlike stores, but did not hin,d,
it to prohibit its subjects from enlisting into t'jc,
service of one party or the other. Here were tn:ii
things, only one of which was contemplated
the Treaty of 1814. It he could show that
of these could be done by the prerogative of t''t
Crown, and the other only by an Act of tn
House, he thought he should show a substahinte
difference between that Treaty and the preole
measure. He then adverted to the Acts of tin.
12th of ClAtries H. and the 29th of George /
to show that arms and warlike stores alone should
not lawfully be furnished ,to Belligerents bug
with license of the King. Such was the 184
with respect to warlike stores ; but in these 1001
the subjects of England were not prohibited &nog
entering into the service of these Powers n
at war with this country. But the Right finoo f
Gentleman said we should look at the claims ht
honour and good faith, whatever interest wig

lu
Vi

It

t

111" line ass to do. This he admitted, but then be
:4,41(1 have good faith 'kept towards both parties,
" not merelv towards one of them. The law
ke: it °OW stood prohibited British subjects from
("Irrinr, into the service'of any regular Foreign
,;"vernment. But, the Spanish Provinces being
a state of insurrection were not regarded as a
-etilar Government, and therefore it was thought
:eLersssry to bring in a Bill to prevent British
-"fleets from'going there. This was the avowed
'°ti*e for passing the law, but if the only object
iw," to place the two Powers on the same tooting,
w"old.be better to repeal the former Acts than
b)l).ss a new one. He admitted ,that it would
• Inaptoper to' permit bodies of recruits to be
llised it; that country by bear of drum for a fo-
te'r,n Powey. This would be an evil that Parlia-
;sent oueht to repress. But to prevent individuals
ft~" going into the service of a foreign Power to
"ard his fortunes in another country, was to
14 'illicit farther than Parliament bad hitherto
"
,/
* and much farther than it was now called
any existing engagements to go. The
`,l"tt of an individual could not be taken as that of
e Government; This he would contend, in op
11"ition to, the Right lion. Gentleman, would not.
"justifiable cause of war, and no feeling of
.""erosity towards Spain ought to carry us so fa;
11 it was proposed to carry us by this Bill ; for
t wnilld deny that the-act of any individual who
14ht enlist in the service of a foreign Power
° 'hi 'at all compromise the Government, seeing
hat, Government had no power to controul the
L
7titividnal tinder the existing ITtw.
'R•'GSANT, after giving the subject all -the
`irlitideration in his power, had come to a con-
,Pion.on this question directly opposite to that
telr had been so forcibly urged by the Hon.
tad Learned aenilerh" who had just sat down--
~,,"gh he per'ectty agreed with him as to the
' -itlgnitude and importance of the question. The
li('‘ittds on which ir'i's argued by the Gentle-
•°l)Posite seemed 'to hits inconsistent with
lash Other, and at variance with the conclusion
.
,b4,'rlitch they all came. He viewed the treaty of
h-14 as binding us to nentriility, and if this could
4-4" be observed we ought not to take refuge ir.
;I.lfisineere, imperfect, and equivocating• cam-
-447"e-with the letter of it ; but we should ra-
r at once start from it, to open, avowed, tins
4"iged hostility. This point he eloquently ar-
`ssted at some length. If prohibited from assist-
la,
the Colonists with arms, or with a single
"el of powder, or even with loans of money,
1,"41 it' be supposed:that our vete6n troops might
&offred to pass there, to fight under the South
:erican flag, and sweep away the military
.I),Wer of Old Spain without being guilty of
'eh of that neutrality which we had pledged
-"tselves to observe ) It was the sentinient of
Ibileltreut man, that " the sinews of war consist
!, as is commonly supposed,,in 'iron Or in gold,
7 in the hands and arms of brave men." Now,
these were the-sinews, and in fact they migh'
chlled the very soul of war, was it to be sup-
red that South .Atnerica could be supplied with
4ottiOt soldiers, and in such numbers too; as to
(fil the scale of victory against 'Spain, without
;Parting from our professed neutrality ? He
:13wed, thit whilst We thus threw aside, in one
larkee the neutral character, it the principle
at'Aternled for by the Gentlemen opposite were
ai:trft upon, we claimed it so far as it was belie-
-0-141 t" us fur the protection of our merchants,
4tur colonies and even our armies, trout annoy-
sti'.e. till the last reached the scene of action.—
11:* was unjust, .and he was of opinion it would
for hlg
hly dangerous to countenance a precedent
sieParatitig the acts of the people from those
.14,• tne Government. Adverting to what had been
h..`q on a former night, of 6,000 troops having
ley! n raised by the Marquess ol'Hamilton for to-
tgit service,
-during the reign of Charles the
past,e
he explained that transaction, by describ-
t! it to be part of a scheme set on' foot by the
vcrnhient, which bad merely been masked, by
pretending to put the forces raised under the
t„h
1).11r()"1 of a relation to the Kingof Bohemia
ki is, teas of itself sufficient to show the evils that
ietkut arise trorn the practice of separating the
.11113 of the people from those of the state...-
hitter all circumstances, he thought the good
Int aud good sense of. the country could come
alt ti one decision—and that would be favour-
fi,,ltue to the present Bill. He entirely dissented
ih what had fallen from an lion. Friend of his,
R
b,speteli of unexampled eloquence, on.a former
eint,-though at the saute time he was bound to
a; his acknowledgement for the pleasure be bad
kit.i.."ed from hearing that speech. if time col°.
of North America were formerly strengthen-
-.
.1 ht,
strengthen-
!! by eloquence of a Member of that House,
41,4Z1d the South Americans triumph they might
With equal reason of the signal- support
p,iw• th their cause had received from• the splendid
ata,,ers of his Honourable and Learned Friend.
ruing to the language hell by public writers,
1/30t'oted Binkerschofe, who bad been referred to
are a former night. That author said—'' There
thatB,loe States in Europe whose doctrine it is;
44_, .their subjects shall never abdicate their alle-
N_De4 to enter into the service of a Foreign
bpowaer,: but this principle is not generally acted
/retell Speaking on the situation in which dit-
44_‘ countries would stand if levies of troops
lathe raised in them for foreign countries, the
▪ Nl_ Writer says—" Where to raise men for such
forse is unlawful, the State Etas' a right to
' tooli rbirti.lnelt levies to be made, but not so other
k.ries whete such a practice is not unlawful."
to Le for his part, he (Mr. R. Grant) took that
txcut the
c rule which Binkerschofe marked as the
'°n to it, and vice versa; but be this as it
,rhNet_ei, they haul his authority, at all events, that
fore; the enlistment of troops for the service of
tt States was not sanctioned by the
ere the laws,
The
,_,ole. Government had a right to forbid it.
Irdite7
as and Learned Gentleman had described
theth:s.po.nt loosest writer on national law, and
tvo
in as peculiarly biassed
State whose practice it had
litt"'4o„.is belonging to allow its subjects to become stipendaries
-
Power in any war. But surely if this
sittei,--ti was. held to operate on the mind of
Stronger must matte his authority the
wino) it w
,"ar, hewent against this practice.—
_ hear hear !)--The authority of Grotius,
%LH!'es 1„, vns4o express on this subject. As to the ex-
-111 history which hatk been quoted on a

former night by his Hon, Friend (Sir J. Mackin-
tosh), he contended that the case of Sir Walter
Raleigh was widely different from the present, and
in no way applicable to it. in the other case of
the 6,000 men which went to Germany under the
Marquess of Hamilton, they went unde'r the
King's licence.--( Hear, bear !)—The other in-
stances be maintained to be equally inapplicable.
It was said that the Bill went to affect not merely
the Statute hot the -Common Law. But why
should not Coninroo Law be aided by Statute
Law ? It was said the'Kirig had already power
by the Common Law to interdict his subjects from
going abroad, and that therefore there was on ne-
cessity for a statute to confirm an undisputed
power. But-were there no instancesof such s'a-
totes to which no objection had evee been made
Was not the Act against the exportation of arms
or gunpoWder without the Kine's license such an
instance ? A statute in aid of the Law of Nations
was itt..aid of the Common Law; for,by the
greatest legal authorities-11a: of the Talhota, the
Hardwickes, and the Alanstields, the Na.
rions is part of the Common Law of England:—
(Hear, lit ar !)—But it wa said this Bill was im-
proper, because it was done in 'consequence of a
T. ea y with Spain. Certaiilly Spain or any other
`Country had no right to tall upon us to alter our
Comm in or Statute Law, nor was any such al-
teration intended. But surely Spain had a right
to expect, that if vve condescended to make a
Treaty with Spain, we should condescend to ket p
it.,---(Hear, hear, hear !)—An• appeal lead been
made to tlie House on account o' our commercial
interests, as being concerned in the success of the
Colonists ; it must be observed_that there was
no counsellor more dangerous in 'State affairs
than counnerce. To prove .his, hie might adduce
as an instance the very war now in question. It
half the oppressions which had excited this war
in South America were due to time spirit of ty.
rangy, at least the other half was oaitig to a tins',
placed spirit of eommeree.--(Hear, hear, hear l)
As to the employment of our military in such a
contest, it' had been. said. that it would teach
them to ,ympath;z, in the efforts of freedom in
the resistance of tyraeny. It fortunately happened
that Bi kis!) troops needed no new lesson or no
new excitement to such sympathy But when
the nature ot„that contest in which they were en-
couraged to engage was considered, it must be,
allowed that'it was not such as it was desit able,
shat' Our soldiers should be' trained to. it was
beton plusguam city lle, carried ow with more
!hall the osual horrors of civil wars. •The habits
which most he acquired in such a service were
such as it mast be alloWed were most abhorrent,
to humanity. As to the cootes: itself and
issue, the heart of every Briton must beat high at
the contest ofd people fort he inaintenaoce of their:
freedom'.—Mear, hear !)--lint at the artne time,
it was to be doubted whether complette.socceSs.,
of those now in arms against the "St.ratiish
yernment would secure the freedoril or any.of the'
civil ri his of a very important part ot the
latilo of South America—namely, the Indians.i
It was fOr the Honse'nii-a( to eonsidio. what Siie-•
cies of revenge they qtiould take against Spain for
her old treachery to us in slur war with our Aine-
rican Colonies. The circumstances were nearly
the same, and it wp:s now about forty years since.
the House had debated on the perfidious conduct.
of Spain in taking a ,part on . behalf of our iusitc-
gert Colonists against ourselves, to whom they
were bound by a solemn treaty. Whatever the.
House should decide upon:as the course to be'
pursued in Abis situation towards' Spain ; at least,
he trusted that it would -be adopted and purstied.
in an open and manly manner —(The Hon.
Member sat dawn amidst loud cheers from all parts
of the House.) • . . •

Lord NUGENT said, it ought not to be forgot,
that Abe bad been the first to light the torch of•
revolt in South America. By oar alliance with
the State of Spain, many advantageslmust he al-
forded to her in the contest, which required some-
thing on the other side to restore the balance of
neutrality. Three years ago, when he was in
Spain, at Cadiz, he saw an armament fitting out
to proceed to Mexico, to fight against the Insur-
gents in South America, and in the hands of every,
one of the scililiers, were English muskets with
the Tower stamp. It had excited .his. Wino's; in-
dignation to see the mark of the British Crown
on those arms, which were to be used in the
most tool war in whiCh arms' Were ever used.—
(Cries of Hear, hear, bear!)-.-When lie 'saw this,
it seemed to him• that something was wanted -to
keep the balance of neutrality._ What, then, did
the British Government do to support this ba-
lance?' Iu the'cOurse of ihi'lairit-ye'3.l. 36 vesieli
had bee': fitted out in the River -Thames to carry
arias and munitions of war to support Spain in
her war agains-t tier colonies. British frigates,
too, were employed in carrying to Spain 'the
sinews of war.—(No ! no!, from the Ministerial
Beach.)--He bejieved the AndroMache, frigate
had been employed in carrying a freight of gold.
—(No, no !)—Then he shOuld Wait forth e con-
tradietion.ofahe-Sicrettiryaat the Admiralty.
was the neutrality which our Government bad
observed, and, to crown.the whole, the Legisla-
ture
was called upon to pass a law, making it a
penal offence for any British subject to carry his
sword to that coniest.-=--(Hear, .hear !)—lle im-
plored the House to consider'‘vell before it agreed
to such a Bill, to consider the number of peti-
tions which had been pteisented against it. -The
people of England had told their Representatives
as plainly as they could be told, that they ought
not to agree to such a measure, and he trusted
that the House, acting on the opinion thus ex-
pressed, would reject this Bill.—(Hear, hear,
hear !)•
Mr. Saarrn (of Cambridge) said, he
appre-
hended that it was a new principle for the House
to think itself bound to pass a Bill to make good
whatever stipulations might be entered into by
the Crown. It could not be said that this Bill
was founded on any thing like the general law of
the land. , If the Parliament had acted on this
principle, they would have prevented the great
Duke of Marlborough from entering into a war
in which this country was neutral, and thus pre-
vented him from cultivating those splendid mili-
tary talents which had shoti-e forth in his after
life with such glory to himself, and advantage,
as well as reputation, to his country. As to
the sanguinary nature of the warfare in South

•
A.tnerica, awl,. the .the. Insurgents,
he believed they, were occasioned by • tho.
excess of the, tyranuy which 'they resisted.---
fie could not 'see, any reason why the militory
part of our population should be prevented from
joining in• this war—why we should fling in the
faces of those who wished to join in it, 'that
Treaty which, -as had been well observed, their
oVro valonr bad procured,--(Hear, hear !)—pain
indeed had applied to our Government to.prevent
British subjects from joining the in.lurgents, and
in -compliance with this application, had issued a,
Vroclantation„ which was effectual and to the pur-
pose. Thinking. that this Boil ‘vni against the
ancient policy of the present interests of this
country, he should think it
,bis duty to vote

against it. ,
Mr. SHEPHERD said the question was, what the
honour of, the country and the law of nations re
quired, as. to the • subject to tvhich this Bill ap-
with•resffct to the law of nations,
his Hon. Friend (Mr. Scarlett) had under-rated
the authority of Vaud!, who was quoted by his
Right Hon. Ftiewl (Sir W. Si.ott) and said that
he was a loose writer. In truth, however, Vattell
was a very strong authority on this•questiOn, and
his authority showed that nothing but an abso-
lute prohibition of assistance by men to either
party was a perfect neutrality. Two grounds of
objection were taken to the Bill by the Honour-
able Gentlemen'opposite, which in fact were in-
Consistent with, and contradictory to, each other.
One ty,is,lhat it was unnecessary, as the case was
provided for by the common law, and the other that
it was against the principles of our law. This, Bill,
in fact, only gave the power of putting into more
effectual execution-an authority already vested in
the Crown. The principle. of the English law
was, that there- should be no right without a re-
medy ; but it this law did not pass, the Crown
would in fact he in .the situation of having a right
without a' remedy. Ano(her argument against the
Bill was, that it would be against our.commercial
interests. This, however, did not-Stelli 10 him
to be well faun-led.

Mr. G., V. VERNON oppose?! the Bill at some
length. Tit'esiipporters of the measure appeared
to have assumed,ahat in proportion to tile !VEirtn
and active feeliug-opposed to it, ~as the paucity
and inefficacy of argument, an assumption ex,
tremely illogical. In this case, as in Many others;
the well known maxim held good—
" Nintaaain afitadatnra, aliuei sapientiat
The Hon;- observed; that he wrs reluce
tan to do am the-House long-after that most ele-
Tient, most argumentative, and most impress.ve
appeal which-bad -been made -to them on a recent
occasion, by an Honourable and Learned Gen,'
tlemati (Sir. James Macintosh), of whose speech,
he might say—with the .p..Oet, that it ,was
" As rapid, as deep, and as brilliant a tide,
" As ever.bote freedom aloft on its wing."
—For all ticessaty purpose's, he conceived that
the common 'la-W :was sufficient ; and be really.
_could not see. why; they should have recourse to
certain onprecedented, unconstitutional,, and un-.
called for provision's, which were contained in
firat'Bill:• One of 'them invested the lowest Of-
ficers of the State, custoin.house officers, with a
discretionary power of arresting persons, not
merely before commission of offence, but on a
barepresumption. This Bill was brought in at
a.time, too,. when the revision ofthe penal laws
was hnder.consideration, aided by antan in whom
ZFOI tivas tempered by prudence, feeling regulated
by jilt:OW(1r; and pi-rseverance and assiduity ren-
dered etillmore brilliant by his talents:, Spain, he
contended, was bound to know the nature of our
constitution ; hut the whole argument on the other
side' proceeded on the error of coofounding injury
:withinjustice •Spainhadasgoodarighttsicall upon
us to :Alter any other law—to restrain, tor instance
the freedom of ilehate.io that House, because such
freedom might prove injurious to he?. Whether
he examined .the question on-grounds of I.istice or
of interest, whether he regarded the, pres,-lit mea-
sure ,as one of fear or of favour, he was equally:
at a IOSS 4i6 find a justification fur it:: He Would
beg leave • to refer the House to that period of,
history wbvi ,Queen Elizabeth, whose Govern-'
meot was a model of foreign and diplomatic
licy, was itiditeed•to assist the people-of Holland
in their struggle against the tyranny of Spain.--,
Phillip 11., remonstrated, and she withdrew all na-
tional assistance, but at the same time positively
refused to prohibit her subjects from voluntarily
engaging in the same cause. She made this refusal
at a time when her own subjects were tliyided into
factions, when, the country was,threatened by ex-
ternal danger, and when the necessary conse-,
quence of •the refusal was to offend the most
powerful Monarch in. Europe-. -It might be a
subject for
,fine periods to urge that we gave to
weakness what we would not give to strength,
butt he did not.think the argument goed f'or any
other purpose. The. principle of liberty' was of a
diffusive and communicative nature ; it taught
those wisp Were.in.spossession of freedom so to
appreciate it as to deem it, good- policy tO extend
it to others; because by such-an extension it be-
came consolidated and secured wherever it pre-
vionsly,existed:. Although a friend to legitimate
Government, he thought it would be for its own
interest to correct abuses when they became
grievous and intolerable to the. subject. A few.
useful and memorable exaMPles had taught a salu-
tary lesson both Co PrinCes aid to People ; to the
former, that there could be no assurance of im-
punity for misrule; to the latter, that while they
were not born to be slaves by any unhappy 'fata-
lity, they ought to be cautious bow they innovat-
ed or overturned existing • institutions". To t e-
turn, however, to the- question more immediately
before them, he must declare that the sole object
of the present measure appeared to him to be a
sacrifice of justice, for no other reason than be-
cause this sacrifice would he prejudicial to our in-
terests.--(Hear 1)
Mr. 'Alderman NVA6-nmAN contended, that even
were we bound by our Treaty with Old Spain, it
would he found that since that arrangement, pro-
hibitory laws against British commerce had been
introduced by that Power. Spain, therefore,
could not found a claim on a Treaty that site had
since violated. He had to complain of the indif-
ference manifested towards the petitions of the
commercial interests of the country. That was not
always the case. When Ministets had a job to
carry, and these interests could be' made subser-
vient, they were not slow in availing themselves

of them. \S Len kite Bank stopped payment, they
called meetings at the Merchant I alit/1 s, tiroCers'
Hall (a laugh), aoc! at other places is the City.
There was a time when the feeling in favour oi
Spanish Patriots was loudly excited., He believed
the Noble Lord opposite Was at the dinner at the
London Tavern, .where the toast was, " Success
to the Patriots of Spain, our Companions in Li-
bery and Arms."—And yet these men, 'after
shedding their blond in the service of theit Coun-
try and an ungrateful Sovereign, were consigned
to gibbets and dtingeons.—(gear, hear !)—He
wolild not support cUltllnercial interests when they
militated against truth and freedom; but he bc•
lieved there was an intention to break down that
body, when he saw Government, at the moment
it -wask loading the Country with fresh burdens,
also endeavouring to cripple and destroy commer-
cial activity.—(Hear, hear !)

Dr. PHlLLlmonr..—Whatever our compacts may
he; we are about to forfeit our national honour.
We are also about to sacrifice our, commercial in-
terest- in defence of despotism. The true question
is—What is 'the relative situation of this Country
with regard to the belligerent powers ? As a.
neutral power, we ought, according to the law
of nations, not to interfere with either of the con-
tending parties, But it is evident that we are
acting under a partial bias in favour of Ferdinand,
and against the cause of liberty. It has been said,
that we may have entered into a treaty, but that
we. are nor 'bound by that treaty. The House
knew no other treaty than that befOiv it. The
[ion, and Learned Gentleman then wenr into a
disquisition of the treaty. Let us therwre pre-
serve 'inviolate that treaty, and act tar trout
any thing foreign to it. A contemptible quib-
ble it would he to act contrary to the spirt of
the Treaty. Every SoVereign"owes to his subjects
protection. The Sovereign may command the
allegiance of his subjects ; but, by the I.}w of
nations, he is bound io ex, end to them his pro-
tectiou.- In the year 1736, the Knig t;corn-
r»ended the reduction of the army a.id navy but
it was afterwards found requisite to bring in a
Act, to meet the emergency of the
times. Thar measure Was the basis of-the .pre-
sent law, whicli.waa 'then 'passed. as-the common
law of the laud, to prevent any flt;sitice from
the subjects of this country, to a fapiily, expelled
from the Throne. The same rules moral obli-
gation which-hind individuals to familie,s,.and (a-
to- stares; °tight to be adhered to on .this
occasion. This is-an awful Crisis for. Spain, and
he hoped that 11-er-efforts- would be defeated by
•the , - •„. • ...

Mr. WILLIAMS insisted that his Majesty bad
no power to alter the law of the land. The pre-
sent Bill was a forfeiture of our national honour,
and therefore might not to pass.
Mr; T. LONG WEI,LESLEY thought he ''735 bound
to examine the stipulations of the Treaty. With
41,terence to Gentlemen learned in the law, he
'differed in many instances from them. Ile ad-
vised his constituents, who were about to present
a Petition against the measure, not to expose
themselves, as the Bill was proper, and an aet of
policy. On most occasions he would yield to the
wishei of hiS constituents; but in this%case he
persuaded them that they were actnated• by mis-
conception. In viewing the conduct of Spain•tt)
this Country.
it would be necessary for him to. re-
cur to the time of Qtieeu Eliz-13e111, tracing every.
important event to the pre:ent period; but that
historical task he would emit; as unnecessary. In.
'referring to what bad taken place between Spain.
and Buonaparte, it was . evident that the former
had been forced against her inclination to espouse
the cause of the latier. S.,me Gentlemen haa
strongly applauded t he, Treaty, whose principles
were now -questioned as some,‘ hat objectionahi•
It had been insinuated that the Treaty of Campo
.
.Formio. and others, had been entered into with.
llttonaparte, merely for the purpose of breaking
them the first opportunity ; but he hoped that the
.(government of ttiia 'Country would Maintain its
faith inviolate. He concluded by supporting the
-measire.

. Mr. BARNETT was hostile to the Bill. The
projector of it (Sir S. Shepherd) was so ashamed
-o►f the measure, that he had escaped to Scotland in
order to avoid the discussiou.

Lord CARHAMPTON gave his unqualified can.
denthation of the Bill.—The House divided—

,Ayes
Noes 129
Majority -CI

• On strangers' admission to the Gallery, the
House was fourid discussing an addition to the
title of the 13:11, which we understood was pro-
posed by way of amendment by Mr. DENNIAN,
And also to enable Custom-house Officers to
lEarch for and detain.all ships which may be iu
any ()ibis Majesty's ports."'
Mr. GEotioE LAMB, in ridicule of the impolitic
Bill, recommended-his—Hon. and Learned Friend
(i\lr. Denman) to include all his authorities in,
every sea port; from the Mayor down to
the sexton of the parish, and even the
siboariaster,,a very important personage in those
!Owns. The portreere and clerk of the parish, as
respectable civil officers, ought also to be fully
eurpowered against all 'wbo were found about to
assist the South Americans in their struggle for
their -independence. He bad believed that the
Lawyers of the Crown' would have teen the fu'i-
lity of enforci‘ig acts derogatory to our convito-
tional plin6iples • The Hon. Member inveighed
bitterly against the Bill. He admitted, that the
Servants of the Ctown-osight pass such Acts, but
was of opinion that a British Jiffy, when called
upon, would never in such a case condemn those
who supported freettm against tyrAnny
Lord CASTLLRFAGR could not allow such un.
warrantable language to pass unnoticed. Such
observations were by no means the usage of Par-
liatnent. The Hon. Member ought to recollect,
that the Juries of the country were not to be
treated with such levity. They had a grave and
an important duty to discharge, and were to be
guided by their oath, and not by such infiamma,
tory speeches as had now fallen from the Honour•
able Gentleman..
The Bill was then passed ; and Mr. BROGDSN
and others were requested to carry it to the Lords
for their concurrence.