Star.
London, England, 1807-02-05 00:00:00

the
ide
ice
,n•
;ed

the Hon. and Learned Gentleman had made out no
cafe to prove his afTertion, that thole who were en.
trolled %ill the Adminiflratinn of hie Majefly's Go- 1
vernmetit had been remife in their duty, or that they
had not adopted fuch meafures as were mrifl likely
to be immediately felt by the enemy, as the embata
rafting confequences of his own flaerent injof.
eiee.—He would beg leave to alk the Honourable ;
Gentleman, who were the Neuttal Powers of
Europe againft whom he had called on Minillers to
28,in order to prove that the meafitre adopted by
his Majefly's fervants, for cutting off ail communi
cation between the enemy's perts, was neither fo
weak ncr fo ineffieacious as he had aliened? 'vas !
it merely to interript the commercial intercenrfe be-
tween the ports on the coalt of France that the effeetsl
of the meafure were to be confined ? Certainly not ;
for the ports of Holland, Spain, Italy, and in faa,
every weflern and fouthern port of the Continent,
from the Elbe to Venice, with the tingle exception of
Portugal, were now hotlile ports, in the aftuel pof-
fellion of the enemy, and the communication between
which it was of the highelt importance to cut off, in
order to embarrafs that enemy, and force him to re-
Uncial the defperate and unjutt meafure to which
We had retorted. On the other tide, were Rntlia and
Great Britain joined in the war againft France ; fo
that the only Neutral Powers in Europe then re-
maining, whore trade with the enemy it was cf any
importance to embarrafs, were Denmark in the
North, and Portugal is the South, with the additian
of the port of Triette. Would it then be a detirable
thing to embarrafs the commerce of the only States
in Europe now open for the reception of Britith com-
modities ; or to prevent Denmark from fending her
produftions to the South of Europe, to procure fuch
neeefaries as the may want in return ; and Portugal
from fending her produce to South America, and
bringing home to the European market the produce
of thole Cplonies ? From the Anti-American fpirit,
fo pointedly avowed by his Honourable and Learned
Friend, he defpaired of conciliating his forbearance
towards the commercial privileges of that power.—
But he would beg him to teflea whether, if we were
to debar the (hips of all neutral powers from all
commercial intercourfe with the enemies' 'lions, we
foradd not thereby clofe the doors mere effetually
againtl onrfelves ? It was obvioofly the interetr
and hell policy of this country to encourage and
advance the commercial interconrfe of Europe.
which muff always promote the advantages of our
own trade. Commerce was a conreaed chain, of
which, if a tingle link were broken, it injared all
the interefls of the nations thus feparaied, and
rendered them lefs able to purchafe our own cern.
modities : and fuch would be the necetruy con
fequence of precluding all neutral intereourte %cite
France. Betides, the market for American pro-
duce was chiefly with the ports of the Continent ;
while her return cargoes were principally computel
of Btitilit goods : now, if we preclude Atnetica from
the only markets in Europe the has for her cnmmodi-
iies, we eontequently deprive her of tie means of
purchaling ours. Although France had hurled its
menaces againß. all neutral veftels touch'ng at, or
approaching, &kith ports, had the, he would a lic,a
maritime force adequate to carry her threats info exe-
onsi,o' a 1 Or was it likely that the rowere of Emope
sad America, who were well away e of the maritime
lituation of France, would be all detetred by her
from vifiting Britifh ports. Before, however, we
proceeded to retaliate upon neutrals for the aggref-
Eon of France, we (hould wait to fee if they abitained
from vifiting Brit& ports, in compliance with the
edict; and it would fattier be time er.ough, when
fuch a confequence should appear, to retort to furh
vigorous meafures. One leading principle it was the
obvious policy of this nation to adopt ; namely, to
diflrefs the trade of neutrals as little as pollible. The
truth was, that in every war, a very great (hare of
the commerce of Eurrpe mull be carried on under
the faktion of neutral flags. Of the commerce of
the enemy, at this moment, a very great there was
mafqued in this way. He did not think it wife to
deny to neutrals this right, which they only exercifed
during was ; for in peace, the marine of each nation
was adequate to carry on its own trade. It was to
the honour and liberality of this country to avoid
embarraffing neutral nations, while France was di -
ing them every injury the could ; beceuce it was
through neutral commerce that a great ih,:re of our
commodities found their way to ce,ntinental confump-
titm, and through which we eurfelves procured thele
continental produaians necetfary to ourfelvec. With
refpea to the argument that no injury would be tiot.e
to the enemy by the interruption of his coaiting trade,
after the wide extent of that trade alr;:atly &fel shed,
and chiefly carried on by neutrals, he conterdcd that
it was ptecifely the kind of warfare that would moil
embarrafs him, and teach him to feel and ictecet our
naval fuperintity. In ['ippon of this argument, he
quoted the opinion of Sir William Scott, Chief Judge
of the Admiralty Court.
With reference to the vigorous meafures for which
his Hon. and Learned Friend teemed In anxious in
this cafe, he would alto refer him to the condita
adopted in ("miler circumflances under the Adminif-
tration of Mr. Pitt, of whole Adminiaratien, the
want of vigorous meafures was by no means the
charaeter ; tor, when France ifTued au edta, on the
(Bth January, 1798, declaring that " the qnality of
the cat go Mould decide the Nation of the (hip, and
that all eeffeis laden with Br itith commodities 1110U1d
Is! co nridered as lawful prizes, although belonging
• yet Mr. Pitt did rot think it fa to zeta-
) ire upon neutral [hips, laden with French produce.
I. would alt, appear, that the Prc.:idtnt oleic ,Al.lc-
tican Stales at that day, (Mr. Adttno.), when pub.
holy adverting to this edia of the FrenchG ter lenient,
hod declared it to be agair the rigins of notions
that it flinulci be confidered as an utrequivocel acct
of
war, arid that it nughtas fuch to be retit'.ed. He
Stuffed the Chief Magilirate of Amer ica.et the prefent
day would be of the fame opinion, and be reedy to
adapt a fimilar condua if France Ikould proceed to
fuch etas of hoßility. For his own trait, he was
eve& to the predawn of the enemy from receiving
in neutral (hips the produce of their colonies, as even-
tually In our interefl, kiecenfe the recvieloo
of thole commodities very much it:created the means
ifexportes ji France thould feize upon any olter ,of
prefeirfneitealftiolis, rniefeelfeatrelly' tr. preclude
titilh commerce from the Cortinenr, Ike would,
arsdey:the-fyllens adopted by his Majeny's MiniAers,
I 419 feel the effea of the meafure, as France Rood
k much in need of the aid 'of aentral ports as this

country could ; and 'he trotted, that when the eL&s,
of this meatnre came to he fully (tied, France would!
be loon glad to open many of the ports the had cloted
againft us. He concloded by oblerving, that to
ptoceed in 'the tint inilance to the utmost extent

rigorous meatitre% ag.4nit neutrals, would be appa-
rently to jo!tify the charge of France againit this
country, of heirs. the Tyrant of the teas ; but thc.uld
events require Inch an alternative, he was convinced
that his •Majefty' Minifiers tvottfti no: he found want-
ing in any treaentes vit!our nec,ll.4ry to affert and
vindicate the commetcial rights and littered: of this
country._ _ . - .

Mr:JACOB confideted the bj:ets Gent!emen
on the other tide, as tenditig, if rat tied into cffeft., to
that which was contra: ytu their view,, the lienefiting
of France, and the difidvant xge of this country.

Lord CA F.II.EAGH was extremely flory to
trouble the H'ufe at any l-nth on this occafion, hot
could not avoid making fr.me Acervations on what
had fallen in the cootie of the debate from the Hon.
Members who had fp .ken. He mutt confider that the
only qneßion before the Ht.ufe refolved itfelf into
this point, namely, whether any fufficient Parliamen-
tary objeaion had been made againft the produaion
of an Official Paper on the part of his Majelly's Mi-
niflers, which Paper was in itfelf no fectet His
Learned and Hon. Friend, who made the Motion,

withed to abide by the parliamentary principle of not
dikuffing any quetlion without having the necelrary
and proper materials laid before the Houle. It his
Hon and Learned Friend oppotite (Sir Jabs Nielson)
had not, with all his information nn this fubjed, and
with the aid of his talents, been able to convince him,

he did not fee where he could Ink for conviaion

upon this important fubjeCt. His Learned and Hon.
Friend (Mr. Perceval) had (hewn, in his mi d, with
the greatelt fuccefs, that it was neceffary to obtain
the prodation of the paper, in order to lay die foun-
dation of future difentlion on the general merits of
the queition. He admitted that it would have been
a light proceeding to call for the paper, milers it
sere done in the view of grave and important deli
beration. Yet, under all the circunulances, he de
rived raw confolati on in lizating that this rico, on
the pat of Govemnient, was. not intended as the laR
and final Enc.:fine on their part against the attacks of
the enemy ; brat that they v.ould, when eirconntances
required it in their jadgments, proceed Dill farther
to retht All the cmderpiences of the late violent and
tinwai ranter:le decree of the French G.;vernment.—
He viilied to ch:al I.:s Learned Friend from mit'.
coneeption or untrir i:npuzat;ons. He had not raid
that th,, meafure .a.i ,ieed l Government was a
meafure which nculd pro:lnce rto good efreEts ; bat
he had viewed is as it'a Leiog likely to produce all
thole cenflquences which he considered ought to be
the ohjea of the Britilli Govet urnent, arifing out .of
a just and fair let:llia-Lien up..n the crmfrquenccs of
the Frener decree. He had contended that the
meafure of Guv: r ment either went too far, or that
it did not go fo tar as circumflances warranted us
in going. The N:.b:c Lord then alluded to the dd..
potion of the Government of Monies; and re-
marked upon the time that v...as wailed and ccnlorned
by that Governrorn• in negotiation wi'h France,which
wa. employed by Prance chictly in fcliettes and plots
of car:option. Whatever were the principles ulna)
which our Government had negotiated and con-
cluded a treaty with America, it was certain, in his
view of the futjeEt, that it was by far to mica for
us to exped, from any difpolition hitherto (hewn by
that Government, that (he would in any refpett in.
terfere, in a queflion of this fort, againtt the preten-
fions and interelts of the French Government. He
Witted that, in what he had laid, he had relieved
his Honourable Friend's argument from the mikon-
!fru/lions to which he had alluded. It was impartible%
to judge whether Government had adopted wife and
alequate meafures, without looking at the relent
fituation of the counts y, with refpea to her maritime
rights, it, a general point of view. But it was now
particularly incumbent on us to confider how far the
alfertion of two new codes of maritime rights might
affeCt the bet interests of England. No quellion in
our hillo,y had ever been followed up with more
manlintfs and per feverar,:e, than that of cur mad.,
time rights. Several Members of the prefent Ad-
istinifltation bad maintained thole effential points
in the midst of war. But if :hay would compare the
ft), rner claims of Trance with thefe to which the now
made preterti• ns, it wrotld be t. and that there neeler
was a neceitity for fo thong a refinance. At two pe-
rinds, in awl in ISao. the carats of the Neu-
trality welt fat lhart of what was now aatnipted.—
It was then contended, diet free bottoms Ihould
m rite free ponds ; but now France, in fa& contend.
ed, that French (hips of ail :dads, except war (hips,
should airhout moleftati,m. If the claim had
became clinch lA:ger, we ought to hefirate how
I far we fed the French fy nem, and bow far our mea
litres tendf.'d to coonteraCt it effednally, and to visit
on tha: G,.yernmeirt the injolike it attempted to in-
fiiCi. Tire proceedings in the Adminitttation of his
late Right Hon. Friend, did not relate to meafures
parallel to thole of the prefent day. In 1798, the
French had made great progrefs upon the Continent,l
and endeavoured to turn their fuccefs againfi the trade
of this country; but the Rate of Enrope was very dit-
ferent : France did not then plfefs all Gerrnany,Pruf-
lia, and tl:c Hart: Towns, with a limilar command
of the North of r:utope, and all Italy, with the Adri-
atic added thereto; even Spain was not then com-
pletely lobjuga!ect, and Portugal was a fnbltan:ive
power,and not a tributary and dependant. The decree
of France, therefore, Bellowed tip by the recant fucceffes
their at mire, rendered the quellion extremely dif-
-I:rent as to our delicacy towards neutrals. All the
oforpatio.ns of France were ufelefs topic-, to move
Airier ice to exprefs any fettle of her injoilice. France
had from the bald,: to Turkey, in her prelent nate,
in fpite of our viElorierus navy, the facility of export-
ing from port to port, almoft as well as in peace, and
had eitablithed a complete monopoly of her own
pto:duCli-ns, milers we, by fair retaliation, prevented
her horn all cedoniAl importations, and all this even
while fcarce a (hip of her's dared venture on the ocean
to oppofe tic. The Hoare would form no mean idea
of the (late of the commerce of France with America,
when they eonfidereci what it brought to her at the
expense of our maritime rights. Out of feventy-
6ve millions of dollars impaled by Anierica, not Ids
than twenty-eight millions were exported by tier *in
produce or otheroife, the greater part of whiCh was
feat to France, soul found its way to the FreaCh El-
,,chequer. If the Rode looked to the quediva to to