Star.
London, England, 1815-05-24 00:00:00

PARLIAMANTARr PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY ig.
WAR WITH THE PRESENT GOVERN-
MENT OF FRANCE.

. Lord ELLENBOROUGH officiated again as Speaker
of the House, in the absence of the Loin CHANCEL-
LOR, who continues indisposed. There was a mort
numerous attendance of Peers.

Alter the Bills•upon the table, which were chiefly
of a private or local nature, were re.pectively for-
warded, the Order for taking the Prince Rep_nt's
Message of yesterday, relative to the above subject,
being moved, his Royal Highness's Message was read
by the Clerk, on which—

The Earl of LIVERPOOL rose to move a cor-
responding Address to the Prince Regent on the oc-
casion. In considering this question, he said, he
should have to call upon their Lordships to decide
upon the awful alternative of pcice or war : a most
important question under any circumstances, and he
was not afraid to add, particularly so under the pre-
sent. He was equally ready to admit that every just
and honourable means should be taken, at all times,
to avoid the extremity of war ; but especially after a
contest so long protracted as that from which the,
country had recently disengaged itself. He was
well aware, and felt, that many circumstances,apper-
tained to oar present situation which would render
even a pacific respite of a few years advantageous
and desirable ; but more strongly did he feel, that
after a struggle, with such few Intervals of relaxation,
of 23 or !la years continuance, after a course of hos-
tilities of the nature and character they had witnessed
in that time, a return of 311 the relations which a
state of real and secure peace must bring with it, no
considerations of secondary interest, no mien; clues-
tions, no apprehensions of the smaller dangers should
for a moment be placed' in competition with the pre-
servation of the blessings of peace, if such were safe
and practicable;• and more especially for the object
and purpose of seeing the Continent of Europe set-
ded.again in a state of tranquillity. He thought it
right, as introductory to what he had to submit to
their Lordships, to state fairly those impressions ope-
rating as general principles upon his mind and feel-
ings. The question which they would have to con-
sider, and doe which he thought all rational and in-
telligent men must ask themselves—Can we remain
at peace—under the existing circumstances, is there
any moral certainty that we can remain at peace so
ac en ening, ire uaaantages and its blessings ? On this
important question it was their duty to .].liberate
without apprehension and without passion. He
would repeat, -the evils of war ought toile aenided,
if we could tit) so sasrly and honourably. On the
other hand, they should feel no weak or impolitic
desire to stave off the evjl moment. No considera-
, dons of ill judged or impolitic economy should Jettr
Parliament, or the country itself, from env:stuttering'
those difficulties which the present perilous crisis
must unavoidably induce. The first point to which
the course of events called upon him to direct their
Lordship: attention was this—Have we a just cause
of war or not ? This question may be considered in
two points of view—as it concerned the individual
now at the head of the Government of France ; and,
:idly, with a relation to that country itself. If they
considered the question with reference to the indivi-
dual, he had not the least doubt of satisfying the
House, generally, that the present state of things was
one-.brought on by that individual himself, ana in
consequence of his violation of a Treaty t.• which he
was a party. He knew it had been stated, there was
a violation of certain parts of that Treaty on the side
of the other parties, which constitored some justitica.
tion for the conduct of the individual in question.
To this he could 'only say, that if the fact were true,
it could not, according to any principle of the I.tw of
nations, or the authority of any writer on the sub-
ject, justify his conduct with respect to the Allies,
unless he had previously asked for sediess, and
that redress had been refused or withhel J. But
the question which their Lordships woula have
to consider, did not rest upon such narrow grounds.
—Not a word of that alleged violation had been said
in any of his Proclamations when he landed in France.
in these he distinctly stated he had come back to re-
sume
an authority which had been taken from him
in a moment of difficulty; and so as to leave no doubt
that he always wished, even at the moment of ore.
cuting the Treaty, to resume that authority whenever
a favourable opportunity for his so doing presented
itself. On than occasion they saw it was not in con-
sequence of the alleged violation of any particular'
article of the Treaty that he acted, but upon a fun-
damental violation of the whole by himself. But to
look at the question in a larger point of view—Was;
there, he would ask, any man - who, on referring to
the transactions at Paris in April and May last, did
not see that the. whole foundation of the contract pro-
ceeded on the consideration that he was to abandon
his power ? The fact was, that when the Allied Ar-
mies entered Paris, the nation was the only legitimate
organ that could be found to treat with it ; and on '
its part, the decluaace, of forfeiture of the Crown of
France, by Bonaparte, was positively pronounced.—
Under these circumstances Treaties Were negotiated
with the Allies, the very preamble to which assumed'
as their basis, the forfeiture of the then Ruler of
France. In illustration of these points, the Noble
Earl referred to certain parts of the Treaties of the
23d of April and of the 30th of May. The bearings
of these were, that the peace was signed with the then
existing Government of France, (after the forfeiture
of its late Ruler), as one capable of affording a se-
cure peace: and farther it was agreed, that more ad-
vantageous terms of peace were granted to the suc-
ceeding Government. He maintained, therefore,
from the whole bearing of the transaction, from the
nature of the engagement and its accompanying cit.
curnstances, it was an indisputable condition and the
moral condition, the principle of the Treaty of Fon-
aainbleatt, and that upon which the Senate proceeded,
hat the disutlutiort of lionaparte's Government was