Star.
London, England, 1801-03-28 00:00:00

111

4

feqttent confent of Minifters he attributed Mt to
nod faith, but to the fucceffes of the French in
Italy, which rendered the acquifition of troops of
little value, and to the reprefentattons made by
Sir John Douglas of the formidable pofition of the
Army of the Eatl. The Right Hon. Gentleman
wished the French out of Lgypt : but, would it
nut be fomething orange, if one man withed ano-
ther out of a room, to bar the windows and lock
the doors? In Egypt, however, the French were,
and there he feared they would for ever remain.
I-IL appealed to the Right Hon. Gentleman now at
head of his Majetly's councils. I have already,
laid he, heard much from that Right Honourable
Gentleman to confole me. He expreffed himfelf
Jecidedly friendly to immediate negotiation, and
declared himfelf languine as to the tfrue of it. In
uppofition to the declaration of certain Gentle-
men, that he aeled upon their principles, I have
heard him with difdain affirm, that he adhered to
vu feet, and was conneCted with no party—l have
heard him feverely reprehend the fcurrility and
abufe itb which it has been the habit of certain
Gentlemen to load the Rulers of France. After
etpreffing at tonic length his approbation of the
fentiment s delivered by Mr. Addington, on Wcd-
ncfday night; he laid, he regretted very much that
nOtwithftanding thefc he had oppofed an inquiry.
It was ftrange that he did not wills the ftate of the
wife' to be examined when he took the command,
that it might have been teen whether he embarked
in a found bottom or in a mere wreck with gaudy
colours, unable to meet the coining form. He
fhould be (till more furprized and mortified if the
Right Honourable Gentleman (honk' fay that a
cafe for inquiry had not been made out in the pre-
fent inflance. If he extended the broad fhield of
his influence to face his predeceffors, he would not
aft an independent part, but would make himfelf
a Iharer in the guilt with which he had not been
originally Rained.
Lord HAWKESSIIItY read over a lift of papers
which he contented fhould be laid before the Houfe.
After a few obfervations with regard to Sir Sidney
Smith's initiations he then fpoke to the following
to cf :—As an alltifion has been made by the Ho-
nourable Gentleman to the new Minitler, I think
it right, Sir, to fay a few words upon this fubjea.
I am fully aware of the difficulties with which this
country has to ftruggle: Our fituation is indeed
Critical. I truft, however, that by prudence, tem-
perance, and energy, we ffiall be extricated from
oar prefent fittiation. Whoeter fairly confiders the
flate of affairs in this country, and in Europe, can-
not pollibiy fuppofe that I was ambitious to fill my
prefent fituation. Had I coufulted My own cafe
and tranquillity of mind, I (hould moil tatainly
have declined it. But I accepted it from a fence of
public duty, and while I fill it, I hope I than dif-
charge its funftions with al iduity and diligence. I
do not look upon myfelf as ttonnd to give any far-
ther explanation of my motives. As to the fpeech
of my Right Hon. Friend, I believe that he Rated
this onll., that we were not blind inftrumenu in the
bands of other*, but that we would purfue that
line of condud which from circumßances Should
Teem to us molt defirable. I have no hefitation in
faying, and I believe I may fay the fame for us all,
that we fully approve of thole efforts which have
been made to root out jacobinifm from thiscountry,
and that we approve of the principles on which
the war Was undertaken and has been carried on.
The Noble Lord then proceeded to Rate that he
Rewire ditapproved of the inquiry, becaufe lie
thought if there was any fubjeEt calling for inquiry,
it fhould be brought before the Houk by a diflind
and fpecific motion. •
Mr. PITT rofe to repel the charge brought
againft him of now being humbled. He had often
defended himfelf from the charge of arrogance,
and he would now as obftinately maintain that not
withflanding his weak reply, he never was lets
humbled. No alteration had taken place upon the
exiles, and he fhould be grieved indeed, if they were
more ready to grant the paper out of office than in
office. He never oppofed the produftion of a pa-
per buvit one or two grounds, either becaufe no
Parliamentary ground had been made out by tile
perfon who moved for it, or becaufe it might be
inconVenient or dangerous to make it public. He
thought that in this iitftance Parliamentary ground
had been made, and as no great inconvenience
would follow from the papas being made public,
he was happy to vote for the prodattion of them—
had he remained hi office he tufted he fhould have
done the fame. He maintained there was no one
who knew what full powers were that would main-
tain Sir Sidney Smith was in poffeffion of them.—
ThougA he had had power, Minifters could have
no fulPicion he would exercife it I and the moment
they knew he haAdone what legitimately he could
not do, they Mated orders that the Convention
Mould be adhered to. Our condo& ;and of be-
ing an inftance of ill-faith, was a ftriking proof to
the world of the honour and integrity of the Bri-
tifh nation, as the glorious exploits of Sir Sidney
Smith were of the gallantry of the Britifh arms.
After a great variety of other obfervations, Mr.
Pitt concluded by delivering a molt eloquent pa-
negyric on this meritorious officer. He commend-
ed Mr. Jones's zeal in trying to procure hint an
annuity at the India Houle ; but he thought he
fhould be rewarded, not as the negotiator at El-
ifch, but as the defender dfAcre.
Sir WILLIAMS PULTI.NIY thought that the pa-
pert offered to be produced would communicate
very important information, but withed that the
Noble Lord fhould more clearly explain how far
tl.:1 would promote the °Ned of the motion?
Mr. GIORGI! Foessonav admitted that in the
Papers which the Noble Lord was willing to pro-
duce, alosoft all were contained which would be
effential for the foundation of judgment to the
Hunk. He could not, however, agree with (eve-
rtl of the riitions which a Right Hon. Gentle-
men (Mr. Pitt) had advanced in the courfe of the
debate.. The Right Hon. Gentleman had Paid that
he poft.f.d ac little humility at this moment as at
any period of his public life. As the Right Hon.
Gentleman had pleated to fay Co, he was
hound to give credit to his afertion ; but he was
at the fame time bound to Rate that nothing but
filch a declaration could have convinced him that
:hate were the feelings be new indulged. He could

not help laying, h -,wever, that notwithftanding
this difavowal of humility, the reafon now alledgcd
for the produdion of the papers was one of the
molt extraordinary he bad ever heard dated, when
taken in connedion with the Right Hon. Gentle-
man's former affertions. It was laid that the
French Government had publifhed certain letters
which tended in force degree to implicate the cha-
t-lEler of this country, and that the produCtiOn of
the Papers in quellion was neceffary to vindicate its
honour. But what fort of language was this in the
mouth of the Right Hon. Gent. who had lent years
in reprobating whatever was contieeted with the
French Government ; who had afcribed to it every
thing atrocious, and who had reprefentcd its Rate-
merits as utterly unworthy of all credit or regard ?
Was it confiftent then for a Right Honourable
Gentleman who had held loch language to come
forward now, and to fay that a charge made by
this very Government, In long the topic of his de-
clamations* and the theme of his abute, was a la-
ficient reafon for the produdion of papers, which
had for their objet to free the country from the
imputation of a criminal violation of good faith ?
The affertions of a Government whole Ratements
had hitherto been defcribed as unworthy of the
trnallea regard, the Right Honourable Gentleman
affured the Houk was a fufficient reafon to pro-
duce the papers, while the fatal consequences of
the violation of the Convention ; while the ex-
pence of fitting out an army for the expultion of
the French from Egypt ; while the probability of
the French army having obtained a permanent
fettlement in that country was no reafon what-
ever for their produdion ! How the Right Ho-
nourable Gentleman could reconcile this to con•
fiftencr he was unable to difcover, but be left it for
the Right Honourable Gentleman to fettle this
queftion. No more could he agree with the
Right Honourable Gentleman in Isis pofition,
that Sir Sidney Smith was vetted with no power
to conclude a treaty or Conyention which he
judged to be advantageous to the interefts of
his country. He was- willing, indeed, to allow
that he was not the Commander in Chief, but
that Lord Keith held the principal command. He
would Rate, however, explicitly, that this gallant
officer had the chief command on the coaft of
Egypt ; that he had the principal Mare in the
management of thole troops which were compofed
of our Turkifh allies. In the ettercile of this com-
mand, if thefe allies were ready to confent to a
convention, he did merely what -was natural, in
ftipulating for the interelts of thislcountry. The
Right Honourable Gentleman had, however, talked
much of the eminent good faith of this country in
obferving the paffports which were granted after
they were informed that fuch a Convention bad
been ellablifbed ; but on this part of the fubjcft he
was not inclined to agree with the Right Honour-
able Gentleman's definition of good faith. How
it might be aced, had this good faith been dd!
played After the French had aftually given up,
in terms of the Convention, many ftrong polls
which they had previoufly occupied, after a part
of the troops had aftually embarked on their re-
turn to France, the authority of good faith had
been fo much refpated, that when intercepted by
Englifh eruifers, they were carried to Toulon, ut
to any other port of France in terms of the Con-
vention—No ; they were allowed to proceed, not
to the place of their dellination, but were landed
again in the place whence they came. So much
was that good faith of which the Right Honour-
able Gentleman boated obferved after the period
that the Convention was fettled. He was not pre-
-pared, indeed, now to fay, that he fimuld give a
vote on the produftion of thefe papers to criminate
Minifters. He had not yet read the papers, but
he mould conceive it his duty to perufe them atten-
tively, to enable him to give a fair judgment on the
queftion.
Mr. Pier, ht explanation, obferved, that he
did not fay the charge made by the French Go-
vernment was the caufe of his affent to the pro-
dation of the papers. He had Rated other rea-
lons, but men might have impeded ideas of them
who law through the eyes of M. Tallien, however
good they might have returned from Egypt.
Mr. Fox, on the other hand, forcibly maintain-
ed that the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Ponfonby) had
fairly combated the arguments which had been
Rated on the fubjeft of the fcrupulous oblervance
er good faith. It was impollible, he argued, to
conceive that, confidering the fituation of Lord
Elgin, he Would not be called upon by the Turks
to grant paffports to the French who wished to re-
turn to their own country, in terms of the Con-
vention, and it was the duty, therefore, of Mini-
fters to refpea their pafports in the moll facred
manner. Yet when was it that Minifters thought
proper to difcover their fcrupulous regard to good
th ? Though they could not deny that our Mini-
her might have granted pafports, fo far were they
from refpetling thefe pledges of fecurity, that many
of the troops returning under this fccurity, were
immediately fent back to the country they had
agreed to evacuate.
Mr. Pier explained, infinuating that his argu-
ments and language had been mifinterpreted.
On this Mr. Fox role, and in the moll dire&
terms difclaimed the charge of ever %%irking to
mifinterpret the arguments of any Member of the
Houle, and concluded by enforcing his former
Ikatement. . . . .

Mr. NICHOLLS (poke at fome length in favour
of the motion of his 'Honourable Friend who
brought forward the fubjeB, pointed out the di4
aftrotts confequences which had refulted from the
violation oldie Convention of EI-Arifch, and con-
tended that it was a fit fuhjc& of inquiry to afcer-
tain the caufes of an event which bad entailed ex-
pence and trouble on the country.
Mr. Hoseovsr was unwilling to go into any
length into the fubjett, hut could not help etprel-
ling his curenie fin prife at the reafon offered by
the Es-Minillers for the produftion of tittle Pa-
pers on the prefint occafion, which had fo often
been moved for beftwe without effeet. It was
laid that a charge was brought forward by. the
French Government which the proshation of the
' Papers was neceffary to repel. But was it for-
gotten that, as often as any ftatemefitt of the
FreacbGaverameat had been urgedjaa grand of

inquiry, to often had it been cohtznded that tl,:tl
Ratements could not be depended on, and even no
fit fubjeas of inquiry ? It was further a fair mid:
Lion to afk why, if thefe charges were luppoled to
be a fit grotthd for the produCtion of papers, they
were not produced at a much earlier period of the
Sefton ? As the charges appeared in the Moniteur
of the sgth of January, and no motion had been
madefor theproduetion of the documents by which
they were to be rep'ellecl, it was fair to argue that
filch a Motion never would have originated with
the late Minifters.

Mr. ME reit LFE laid, that as an allution had been
made to the Eall India Company, he mutt obferve,
that a great deal more tlrefs vas laid on the dangers
arifing from the French in Egypt than there was
any ground for. There was no trembling fit in the
Court of Direetors, as had been Rife:led. file event
hereafter will prove, that it never had been the in-
tention of Bonaparte to make any attempt againft
the Englifh potleffions in the Eatt Indies, and if
he ever had any Inch intention, it would have
been impoffible for him to hat.e carried it into cf-
fee : he could never have tranfportcd his army
through the Indian Ocean : for betides the proba-
bility of being intercepted by Britifh flips of war,
he could never procure a fufficicnt number of tranf-
ports to convey his t 5,000 troops (it would require
30,000 tons of (hipping to do fn) : and ftill more
difficult would it be for him to get his army to In-
dia by land. Betides, the very circumilance of his
proceeding to attack Acre, proved that he had no
Inch intention, for be wouldotherwife have proceed.
ed direCily to Suez. As long, therefore, as England
continued miltrefs of the lea, flue could never be al-
feted by the occupatiiin of Egypt by the French.
Mr. ROBSON was very warm in fupport of the
Motion : adverted to the orders fent out to Lord
Keith by the late Minillers, which he held of them-
(elves to be a fufficient ground of their impeach-
ment ; and concluded by pointing out the enor-
mous expense of the expedition which had failed
againft the trench in Egypt, by which no lcfs than
the produce of fix or eight years of the Income '
Tax would be confumcd.

Kr. JoNrs in reply litia, the Direetors were
charged with making wry faces when they heated
of Bonaparte's invation of Egypt. A. h' under--
Rood that the papers relative to Egypt -::ere to be
produced, he was, on that condition, r:.Ady to
withdraw his motion.

Mr. Parr Gid, that no fuch compromife was
made'whh the Hon. Gentleman.

Mr. TrERNEY laid, that if that was the cafe, the
debate ought to be adjourned ; hecanfe many Gen-
tlemen, who otherv.ife wouid have remained to
fupport his Hon. Friend's motion, went away, from
an idea that fuch a coniromife had been made.
After this a converfttinn cnfued betwixt Mr.
Tierney, Lord Hawkefbury, Mr. Sheridan, and
Sir F. Burdett, in the course of which the proprie-
ty of an adjournment of the debate till Monday
WAS fugge Red, and a motion madefor that purpole.
The queflion was put on this motion, which
was negatived without a divifion, as was alfo the
original motion for a Committee of Inquiry.
Lord Hawaa sauay's motion for the pmdnc-
Lion of a variety of papers relative to this fubjca
was then put 'rid carried.

LONDON.

SATURDAY, MARCH A

PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Confab 581—for acc.sl3H—Oniniom 61.
PRICK Ok STOCKS YhZ.TEKDAY :
Imp. Ann. n 3-t6l
Oninium 61 51 6
Bank for Ace. t6O
India for Acc. 194
Qat. for April sBl*l

Bank Stock
3 pi' Cent. Ned. that
3 per C. Coal. 541.
4 per Cent.Conf. Mut
t per C. Navy pal 969t}
kap. 3 per C. 57 t

This morning arrived the Hamburgh Mail of
the 13th, which being of a date prior to th.tt re-
ceived on Thurfday, the intelligence it brings is of
little importance.

This morning a Mail was received in town from
Halifax, with Letters of the 28th of February,
brought to Portfmouth in the Hu: D frigate.
It is now generally believed that a negotiation
for peace will foon be entered upon between this
Country and Franee.—Mr. OTTo, by the
veffel arrived from Calais, received a difpatch
from the French government, in anfwer to let-
ters which he fent off lail week, and which are
fuppofed to have contained an intimation. that the
Britifh blinitiers arc defirous of fending a Nego-
tiator to Paris, or any cther place more conveni-
ent, for the purpofe of putting an end to the prdent
conteft between the two countries.

The Right Hon. I/S•AC CORRY has hcen re-
turned to erve in Parliament for llnntl.dk.

WILLIAM ELLIOT, Efq. (late Irifh Secretary at
War) is returned for the borough of Portarlington.
The celebrated Monfieur TALLIES, appeared laft
night in the gallery of the Houfe of Commons, ac-
companied by Mr. Scorr, the Barri fler. As !Lon
as he was perceived from the Houfe, bufinefs teem-
ed entirely fufpended, and the eyes of all the Mem-
bers were fixed on this extraordinary charae'ler.
The Members' gallery was immediately crowded
to furvey him. He appeared to linen with touch
attention to Mr. Scott, while he defcribed to him
the mode of proceeding in the Houle, and pointed
out the principal Members. He frequently made
oblervations.

Mr. SHERIDAN cane tip to the Gallery, and was
introduced to him. He was addreircel by feveral
Members, among whom were General TALLITON,
&c. After remaining tome time, he went to the
Houle of Peers, who.* he attraaed an equal de-
gr-e of notice.
M. TALL'S, ii•about five feet ten inches ;
his face not uthandforne ; his colour tinged by
the climate of Egypt ; his countenance grave and
obfttvsust, and his eye remarkably acute. Harems
about forty years of age.