Star.
London, England, 1806-04-24 00:00:00

MESSAGE Plkolll HIS
On the motion of Mr. Secretary FOX, the Order
of the Day was read, for taking into confideration
Ms Majefly'& moll gracious Metfage. The Meffage
was then read.
Mr. Secretary FOX rote, and fpnke to the follow•
ing effed—.. I amlure that it is impollible that the
mettle we have now heard read, can fail to excite
the drongeß reflation in every temper and difpnfi-
thm of mind which can exill in this Houfe. In the
firß place, when we hear it dated that his Majelly
had abflained from appealing to his Britifh fubjeds,
on account of the violence and injuflice which had
been done to him in the leiture of his Efeaoral domi-
nion,, it is impoffible not to feel grateful for that
kindnet. and mariners which his Majefiy has always
fbewn to the fubj:ds of this realm. It was with the
mod extreme reludanee, that he could content to in-
volve them in war open any ground, that was not
immediately and direaly conneeted a ith &inns inter-
efts. After the fentiment of gratitude to his Ma-
-1 jelly for this tender confirieration of his fubjeets of this
kingdom, the next feeling which mudbe drongly ex-
cited by the Meffage, is a feeling of juR indignation at
the condo& of the Court of Profile. f hopethat every
member, while he feels this kilt iedigeatien, *ill, at,
• the fame time, perceive the propriety of uniting the
mod vigorous meafirres, wit!, a language temperate
and moderate, and which d rem not violate that re-
, fpeft which had been always confidered doe to crown-
ed heads, and ought not, in the prefent times, to
be departed frees. Indeed, to deferibe jtally the
ineafures which have beta adopted by the Court
of ?ruffle againft this country; they cannot be called
the meafures of the King of Prue, for that Sove-
reign is known to be of a mild and pacific ditpofition,
nor could they be celled tbirmeaferes of his Minitters,
foe no Misifiers could freely advice a proceeding Co
violent and injurious to the interests of that monarch.
The wieaferes mull be confidered Inch, as his Pruf-
fian Majefly had been induced to adopt, from the
pernicious eounfels of the enemies of doe country.—
Had it been my objet to condemn, in the firongeit
terms, the citation of the Pruffien Cabinet, I might
have thought it necel.ry to lay fume additional pa-
pers on the Table, but that not being my tibia, I
have mooed but for few. More would have bate no,
neceffary, as it was not my with to give the arengea
poffible colouring to the accufation that the Metfage
contains. If we arc to underftand that proceedings
which have terminated in an outrage. unprecedent-
ed is the bittori of the worn proceedings of the
Wore times in Europe, it will be neceffary to view
the traufaetion a little earlier. The origin of this pro-
ceeding is to be traced to the convention concluded
at Vienna, on the isth of December, between Count
Hatigwitz and the French Emperor ; but when it is
conlidered, what was the fituation of Pruffia at ;he
time that its Sovereign concluded that 'treaty with
France, it moil be recolltaed, that its means of ne-
gociation were sin greater that( what it derived from
its own refoutter, or Its own armies.—The armies of
Preis were undueli,edly numerous and refpeetable,
but was it on them alone that the King of Prulfia
relied, when he was negotiating with France Cer-
tainly it was not. He had a ?bong additional cup-
port, which gave weight to his negotiations. The
Emperor of Kuria, after he had left Aulterfitz, gave
the whole direition of the Ruffian troops that rammed
in Germany, to the command of the ging of Prof.
lie. This eoontry too, bad pronslied him a powerful
afa Rance by pecuniary fn lies, if he Sould be driven
to a war with France. -Tbefe were the means he
poffeffed of g'itiv4n4 weight to Ms oesociations I aid
how did he thofe means ? Why, to kite a
part of the temtories of one of thofe Powers-which
bud been fopporting him is that talk aced fitnation,
ISM& enabled him to conclude his treaty. (Lend erltr
(ter!)jrf After this treaty was figued, aeon.
liiiknity remained in the execution of it.—,
This . pomaded, in a great meeting, from
the jildl oldie King of Prof6a, who perceiv
ed that it would be very hard to prevail upon his
Britannic Malta'', to ratify fuch a treaty, and who,
therefore, felt that his title would be fb bad as to '
make the acquifition of Hanover under thee eircusiti:
fiances, a poor equivalent for thole provinces that It/
was obliged to re up to France. He felt, betide!,
that upon no principle of juftice could he pretend to
take it on other terms front chore which France heti.
Pelf bad held it on, and therefore, at fira, he did net
pretend to take Hanover abfolotely. but with the
power of refloring it. France, in the mean time; pie;
fed for the ceffion of Anfpach and Bayreuth. What
then did the King of Proem do ? Certainly he could
not cape& that the French Government would be
able to negotiate between him and his Britannic
Majefiy, that he fhonld be allowed to retain Han-
over—and, therefore, he finally refolved to feize
it without the content of Ms Majtay, ant! un-
der the pretnce of an equivalent for Anfpach and
Bayreuth. and thrift provinces which were ceded to
France. It cannot then be laid that this treaty, and
the proceedings which followed it, were altogether
the dice of fear, for what was the necelity under
which his Pruflian Majefty was placed ? Was it
merely thoneceflity of ceding Anfpach and Bayreuth?
This might have been a confider able mi.fcrtune,
vet it was one which might be juttitied by necaty.
But the fort of neceffity claimed by the King of
Prufiia is different—he lap, becante I have loft
Anfpach and Bayreuth, I therefore feel snytelf under
the necelfity of (citing the dominions of lonic third
potter—not only of a third power, but of one that,
from all times, and by every cieumilante. I was
bound to refpea.' This is the fostotneceffity claimed
by the Pintlian Coen, and it iv this which makes
the cafe of Pruffia much •worte than that of any other
nation in Europe. As for Spain (I do not with to
revive the diffesences of opinion with reCpett to the
Spanifla war), but Spain, I •fay, would comply no
fat :her with the withes of our enemies, than by giv.
ing a fain of money. Holland and other powers
have been, from terror, obliged to make ceffions or
territory to FIAIICC, but no other power has been
compelled, by tenor, to commit robberies. or (polls-
tione on sti otigidannes (a ore of bar! tear I) It is
in this that ths cafe of rneffsa glands diainguilhed
flocs that .of all other nation.. We cairn,* help
looking, with-igen degree of pity and contempt, on
a watt that can alledge that it is reduced to foils a
necefiity. It would be, in itfelt, a coned:table he-
miliation or degradation to Priam,' to be obliged to
give up thofe provinces to which itsvoi. Its motto st-
ta. lied, and v hich had been called 4 Tye Cradle of.
the Houle of litandenbargh.' The degradation ce

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this caMon was fill much increafed by the cnndua of
the people of Anfpach, who eatreated their Sovereign
no: to aband,,n them. IndeAd of laming the igno-
miny of the cam), it was a great increafe of dile-
nour, to fell a brave and loyal pe,ple f.r whit was
called an equivalent : it was an union of every thing
that was contemptible is Servility with every thing
that was odious in rapacity (tries of bear hear !).
On the z6th of January, an official letter was written
from Baron Hai denberg to Mr. Jac kfon, exprefsly list-
ing it to be the intention of his Pruflian Majefty to take
podethon of Hanover only until theconcluhisn of peace
between England and France. In the anfwer to that
letter, his blejelly etprelTe, his firm reliance un the
declaration of his Prodian Majelty, but ',idles the
terms to be more explicit. The ian,guage that Pruffia
held at that time to our Coutt, was the fame the then
held to Itufha, and every other Court with which the
was connoted by the relations of ft iendfhip. Soon
after this, the Convention with France aopeared, and
then the Court of Pruflia eased to reprefent the 'ilea-
lures taken with regard to Hanover, as in a manner
diaated by France. They would have it fuppofed,
that it was rather an objet of French than of Prot
fian ambition, that they fhould be poffetred of Han
Over. At tint they endeavoured so reprefent to the
Government of this country that it was more for nor
Uttered that Hanover Should be occupied by Prnfhan
than by French troops, and their argument was this,
If we have it, the ports may be dill open to your
' commerce, or at Intl your mannfaCtures may have a
4911aget throu3h our territory.' This hope was, how-
sour, sew entirely cut of, and M. de Sehalenburgit,
Its his Masifefo, Froferes to take the cenitry ass pre-
terit from France, which (he had won and held by the
right of congaed. Na ezAraple could be found in all
the I:Morita of war, and no mention had ever been
made by the writers on the law of nations, of ar.y ,
power having a right to receive .s a precent aeountry
aectipied during a war by one of the Belligerent.
rowers, bat not ceded by the other. The Home mull
aberefeae fee to what extremity'we are now reduced.
it would be idle to fay that a war with Pruffia would.
jot be a calamity. It is imp:di:6le but that it mull
he a calamity to this country to have the numbet of
its enemies increafed. It is alto a paioful confilihrm;
Lion to .think that there is no mode of returning this
calamity on the aggreffors, which will not in fume,
degree fall alto on neutral and friendly nations, *ea'
even on ourfelves. The Howe will, however, feel
that there are occations, in which a raanifellation
our principles and of our refentment became nooef-
fa ry, although attended with the calamities itifepant=
ble from war. If lath an outrage as this were paled
over, might sot every other nation in Europe, and
particularly thole who have leis power to refill than
• Pruffa. fay to us, 6 we with es south as you that the
power of France could be refrained, but you fee our
.fituation and the great power of France. to which we
ore extolled. What are we to dot' If this quen ion
were put to me, I Should anfwer, that Powers in
that fitoation malt five themfelves as well as they
out, and even make ceffions if they are infitted upon.
.14-Praia should alledge that the was in that Clete of
-comparative weaknefe that the was obliged to cede
Anfpaeth sad Bayreuth ; however his biajelly might
helmet she neeelity or the acceffoo of lireagth-his
.see sies detieed from the acquifition. (till he would
not have attempted to oppofe it, or snake the Bight-
eft rensonarance on the occafion. But when shit.
power Mall fay lam not only °aged to make ga-
llons, but I am alto obliged to make war with you,'
,then the guellion becomes very different, and hi.
Wray is under the neeeffity of corrfidering it in a
eery different light., Although I, for one, am not
iatlined to look very favourably on the parent fitua-
doo of this country, nor to feel fb fangeinely as louse
other Gentlemen, yet I think that upon the peefent
occafion we thould make a fignal example of the
Court of Praha ; and whatever principles theorifts
may lay down about refloring the balance of Europe,
I think we (hall do more to Tenors the found and
true principles that ought to prevail in Europe,
by (hewing the world, in this infante, that this coun-
try will not abandon them, herfelf,:aor content that
they dull be departed from lay other nations in their
tranfaitions with her. I confider that the power of the
country confifts in a great meafure in the known jar-
tice of its principles,in its moderation and forbearance,
but if the Court of Berlin chute to depart from the prin.
cipt:, of • jnftice, and to all hottilely to this country, it
malt take the emsfeenence. I believe it has av yet gained
nothing by us injefice. Hanover, defclated as it was
&Li by French armies, and afterwards in a Gill greater
degree by Prullian ar:nies, can add little or nothing
to the revenues of Prudish neither can. it in its pre&nt
fttnation increafe her military Strength. The King
of Prnffia has been given a mere nominal poltedion
of that country ; but In far from being Strengthened
by this prefent from France, he is only the more
completely vanquithed and fubdued. Anaria was
forced, by the fortune of the war, to cede many of
her provinces. Other nations have an been obliged
to make Similar callous ; but none of them had, like
Pruffia, been reduced to that lowed date of degrada-
tion, to content to become the minifters of the injuf
site and rapacity of a mailer. By the command of
France, PrulTua was obliged to Slant the ports of
Hanover again( our Skips, and what was the poref.
Jinn which France alloyed ter to keep of Hanover ?
She has fent General &thou to refute in that country,
as a Military Superintendant, to fee that every thing
he done there according to the Pleafure of France.—
the re are many other instances dthe manner in which
Praha is now treated by France. In feveril tranfac.
Lions, refpeeting the potliffion of Ellen and Werden,
and fever al little villages alinnd coo insoafiderable to
name, ['ruffle is treated with as little Terkel as
the deferves (Cries of hear! knit!) The french ap!
pear connintly to treat ?run ata toiletry that it
is impofllble to make a May, Or airellOtat withl
mad, in this refpeß, it is eery likely that' they are
in the right (irar ! hear!) In our tondo. upon
this occahon, we Chill have avoided a great, evil,
and done fome good. We (kite aioid3se giving
the fariftion of this country -to the fpoliations which
bit* beer, tommktert on the Continent. We than
avoid the imputation.of being Wigwag to the fate
et his Majeliy's foreign pallegritts which would be
a heavy impattation,• (rear, if it were fappoled, that
tthheei
aft:euirvist yof
this t immedi
countryatelyb
ocvotnnetled w
all,ith
we
fall
avoid the givittg oar fenaiien to that principle which
has bien lately' adopt.d, of transferring the titbjed.
of ors. Prince to .1.0,1,„,, in the way of equivalent*,
and under the pretext o convenience and mutual ac-

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