Star.
London, England, 1808-02-27 00:00:00

AMERICAN INTERCOURSE BILL.

On the motion for the third reading of this Bill,
Lord AUCKLAND rose, and deprecated the pas-
sing of such a measure at any time, but particularly
under existing circumstances, at a moment when we
had most inconsiderately irritated and provoked the
resentment of America, by manifesting every possi-
ble commercial hostility towards her. But, he would
ask, what good was expected to result from this Bill,
which must necessarily be suspended in a few days
here by another, declaring that all its provisions were
repealed ? He saw that Ministers laboured under the
necessity of introducing it, but then it was owing to
their own imprudence that they had placed themselves
and the country in such a dreadful condition. He
lamented extremely that there was no prospect what-
ever, from present appearances, of any intention on
the part of Government to conciliate relations of
amity and fair commercial intercourse with the States
of America. Feeling the great danger likely to arise
from a continuance of this systeni, he could not re-
frain from delivering his sentiments on a question
which so deeply involved the interest of Great Britain.
Lord BATHURST was as sensible as any of their
Lordships, of maintaining a friendly intercourse with
America, but surely it could not be expected that we
would purchase such a connection by the surrender
of our privileges and our rights. He did not think
any Noble Lord would deny the Non-importation Act
of America to have been an act of hostility. If any
doubt could exist with respect to their intention, Noble
Lords need only look at the situation in which it
placed this country, namely, it excluded our manu-
factures, without excepting those of the other belli-
gerent, who was our enemy. With respect to this
particular Bill, he should say, that there was no in-
consistency in passing it, because it was to expire in
a very short time, and its continuance was necessary,
therefore, in the absence of any other legislative mea-
sure on this subject.
Lord GRENVILLE considered this Bill one of
the weakest and most contradictory measures which
had been ever introduced into Parliament. Their
Lordships knew that while we were in the act of pas-
sing this measure into a law, the other House of Par-
liament were at the same moment discussing and car-
rying another Bill through its stages, the direct ten-
dency and object of which was to declare the provi-
sions of the Bill, now before their Lordships, unfit to
be continued any longer. Such conduct was sufficient
to degrade parliamentary proceedings, and to cast re-
proach on all our measures. Here the Noble Baron
entered into a general view of our conduct towards
America, and contended that the Orders in Council
were unwise, as they regarded the interests of this
country, and highly injurious and insulting toAmerica.
Lord HAWKESBURY vindicated the Orders in
Council, and expressed his surprise at hearing the
Noble Lord (Grenville) state, that America had not
done any act hostile to Great Britain. He acknow-
ledged that the Non-importation Act was not a justi-
fiable ground of war, considered generally, but when
coupled with another act which developed the host&
ly concealed under the Non-importation Act, then
every difficulty in the way of conviction must be re-
moved. The act to which he alluded was the exclu-
sion of our ships of war from the rivers and harbours
of America. This was a direct and positive declara-
tion of war, which the unfortunate affair between
the Chesapeake and the Leopard could not justify ;
for it became the American Government to wait till
they Ind ascertained whether the act of which they
complained had been ordered or sanctioned by the
British Government. The Noble Secretary then re-
capitulated most of his former arguments on the ge-
neral question of the Orders in Council, and concluded
with stating his opinion as to the propriety of the
present measure.
Lord ERSKINE reprobated the measure, as one
subversive of the soundest principles of the constitu-
tion, and involving in its consequences eternal war
with America, which we professed to conciliate, but
which we used every Parliamentary means of aliena-
ting from our connection and interests.
The Bill was then read a third time and passed,-
Adjourned..