Star.
London, England, 1808-01-25 00:00:00

tOCEZDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
• PROTEST. •
DIY VENERIS, 21 JAN. 1808.
r , was made to omit the 4th pßra ne_
for an Address to the Throne viz-.
respecting the Seizure of the Danis Fleet)
testicm being put " That the said paragraiih
. of the motion," the same was carried
irmative.
'TIENT, ,
proof of hostile intention on the pari of Denmark
adduced, nor any case of necessity Inade opt todustify the
Copenhagen, without which the measure is, in our
—iiiable to the character and injurious to thein-

Country." - - • • -
W. FREDERICK. VASSAL HOLLAND.
RAWDON. NORFOLK.
LAUDERDALE. SIDMOUTH.,
GREY. •
NT, for the above reasons, and for thole that'
. .
. .
has only been through the slow and painful proem*-
, ages, that civilized nations have emeried from ,a
. continual insecurity and violence, by the .estabtishmesn of
aversal public law, whose maxima and precedents have beset
acknowledged to be of the tame force and obligation as the
ti constitutions of particala. states. A erten; which has ,
ripened with the advancement of learning and extensicea
tree, and which ought to be held sacred and Inviolate by
gpvernmants, as binding the whole civiliied work! under one
'e and-moral dominion.
calledged departures from the principles and authority
Law in the earliest stages of tbe•French Revolution ,
by the Parliament of Great Britain, as the origin
• of the first war with Revolutionary France, and
subseseent stages„, the continuanceof hostilities,
~vindicated in various acts of state, as being steers-
suppart of the moral and political order of the worki;
',wed disregard and subversion of it by the .different
f France, in their groundless and
_unprovoked
independence of unoffending nations.
1 people pf Oreee Britairie. en. being repeatedly'
the King and Parliament to support the public law
• have been violated, and to Bkhibil an example to.,
distant ages, of inflexible national vitae. *Omitted tp,
t burthens, and sacrificed the most essential advantages
consent to any peace, which was considered by their
an abareleantafilt of their Allies, or as an Made-
. ior the rights andyrivileges of other nations. And
appears in many state. Rapers during, the progress of
with the di' Goranments of France that it Tr*
and interest of Great Bejaia, and her ple.dge to the
~maintain invinlato the in:know/edged .prinaples of pub-
- Indy foundations upon iihich the relations of peace
'seen nations could be supported
the first and mostindispensible maxim of public
lead upon the insmatableptinelplesisf lustier, that
could be offered by one State to *floater, nor any in-
upon the
...lag' fits; property. tn. dependence or seal- '
ibitants, except upon an aggieinon by such State,
. of adequate satisfaction • or intherare instance of
newsity, involving no:betel destruction, such as in
• incli4ideal.would justify. hear Bide, or destructinn
self piesereation and because, the, observance of
if possible, be held more sacred by great and
it. being the very end and object of universal
perfect security to the weakest communities under the
• impartial judge.
. late attack tfpon Copenhagen, in a season of pro-
ak the Crown and People-of Denmark, and irnme-
ng the solemn Declaration by the Crown Prince, of
to.:Plaintnin and to. wonkier any
enemy which shoutti, art*, en diatusb sir would,
just cause, which in this case is whiny unsupported.
/DOW • manifest and unprineipl-W departure from
wystem_of ntoral Wier-pad justice, which the British
' had, aP akorec frefilsCd la act up**, Inas:nick as
viol of ...public .14w by. -the ,Government pf
it migbt_release Great Britain from- all Own.
.• far. as regardid such offending belligerent, contd.
destroy or affect its protective sanetibns in her inter-
a friendly aed..yeaceable, states. On the contrary, , it
are ingested the Law of Nations with a mere binding
obligation,Asince the psofessect object and jualOcation
France, at that very moment, was torestore to a
. the good faith and security which bad been lost by
its. dominion.
formation of a prnjeefeci centederacybetnissen Fear!
assumed, without evidence, to have been conunet-,
lityrs throeglt channels which called.on their parts,
secrecy, might-beatoundcition for acquitting than
if the question before the HOLM had been the pen.
• acquittal or condemnation,. yet it cannot possibly
absatce of all petted, an Milreas to his Majesty,
lair attack upon Copenhagen to be an act of indis-
; becauseegiving credit to the declarations of lati-
they had informations, of such projected confederacy,
Me for this House to know whether they ought to
:col upon to so dreadful an extent, without having
lost precisely and distinctly, the specific nature of,
It-lir:Wens, so as to be able to estimate the credit due
lily from the facts themselves but from the situa-
:ter' of the persons by whom ;hey were made.
, beside*, of Ministers, in the whole transaction
opposition .to this principle of the attack.. The.;
charge upon Denmark when before Copenhagen,
:ended to have invaded her with a cause of war.--
• upon the spot, and ever: in the Address proposed
, is the language of regret, a language utterly in-,
is the vindication of aproceeding, which would have
and forbearing against an enemy. as it was barbarous
•s against a friend. The positionalso of Denmark,
was made upon her, is the strongest evidence to.
presumption of_ an understanding with France. Her ,
which Fra...ce was menacing, miditt Zane.
fenceless, and the ships dismantled, at, a. moment,
looniest of a treaty or confolaracynnist have stsga•
contracting or confederating parties, the neeessitz
she whole force of Dennark, to defend her ca.,
secure her Peet.. . . .
To evidence whatever has been-laid before the Holise,•
hostile confederacy between Denmark and France,
on the part of the former to depart from the strict.
.on the contrary, the above-mentioned solemn de-
,. Crown Prince to the British Minister
,ought ,to.
received by his Majesty's servants.as the pledge of a,
don- to -maintain neutrality ; .and because nothing shqri
• design in the Government. of Denmark could justify'
of her fleet, or the bombardment of Copenhagen to
surrender of it.
area completely in the power of Great Britain to
the Danith Fleet from any hostile attack of Emilie,
,the pretence of such an indapensible necessity as
_ justify even the slightest trespass upon a peaceable
ausilunoffendlug state.
ill assuminer in the absence of all evidence to the
:the Government of:Denmark was' faithf4 to tier'
• speculation of the proh.able fall of her Beet into the
power of France, could possibly justify its hostile,
or Britain. Such a principle would be ottertysub-„,
_ first elements of public law, heOng desuurtive
independence Pr Weaker .4catrs• 1p on.filutil at is Mould
jurisdiction is the stronger nations to, aubstitute their own
,oVenience for the general role,, and invest them
kale privilege of .determining the occasions upon
might consider them to be endangered;. and,.impuse
cite attack ond plunder efo weak. onofferlding • power,
assumption that a ',conger belligerent might otherwise
td plunder her, would be to erect anew public law upOn.
foundations of dishonour and violence, makingahe tyranny of
• warrant for substituting the deminioq of oppression
dobligadens of morality, humanity, and justice. .
Supposing it to have been not only-probable, but even
Trance could have succeeded is c. saying away in the
and stores from Copenhagen, but without the
Denmark. faithful to her neutrality, the iniquity of
sound policy, independently of all consideration* of
ht to have been left to the French Government to
because the carcases of the ships would have been the
'I set of.the deepest atrocity, whilst the indignation
generous people, now too justly &reefed against
would then have been pointed against France; and
the protection of our fleets, sight have kept

ter tra the Baltic I. our cal* Ilistr.ittddded our nuritiote
zof restcslnring the tincrillity of tho vroarld. .
. use, • Until, thii a upon. Copenhagen s4ll receive, vin-
dication by proof of. its 'die, Or thlidereasititin, LI the *Uwe
ofit,.(wana the Parliament, ot,Great Britain.. 41 has lost her mo-
ral /Tuition in the vrorkr, since the very.system of wrong an vip-
leoce, which she haa so loag Confederated Etat** to destroy, at
the ozponce of her blood andreaources, will have been established
'and confirmed by her qwn east:rigs.
Because, A whole nation ought not in the mein time to be dls-
,fionouresi, nor Its Immemorial characteristic brought into questinn.
'for the acts of Ministers; and because it is the duty ofthosesub-
jects who, by the Constitution of the Government, have cite high*
.privilege of perpetuating their sentinsents•upon the public recorde
of their country, to vindicate themselves from the imputation of
having acquiesced in acts of the greateit injustice. ERSKINE.