Star.
London, England, 1812-07-22 00:00:00

•
nourable Gentleman (Mr. Whitbread) had said that
the Government took upon them to make that a ques-
don of negociation, which by treaty, they were
not bound to make a question of negociation,—
But looking upon it merely as a question of policy,
considering the present state of Spain and Portugal,
and Russia, he would ask that Hon. Gentleman, as
a Statesman, whether such a proposition should be
ever made the subject of discussion ? Would it be a
wise or politic step to become the channel of such a
communication to Spain, to ask them whether they
ould sacrifice the faith they had plighted to their
Monarch ? With respect to Russia, he believed she
had a sincere desire for peace, but he did not think
the war with her originated entirely from the desited
evacuation of Prussia. She naturally wished for the
evacuation of that country by the French troops, but
there were other points of difference between those
Powers. Nothing, in his opinion, could be more in-
jurious to the interests of Great Britain than com-
mencing negociation which could not reasonably be
expected to terminate in peace. He would ask if the
French Government was sincerely desirous of peace;',
whether they would have refused to answer the sim-
ple question put to them in a tone of conciliation ?
There was not a single expression in the question that
could discourage a frank and ready answer, and if
the mind of the French Government had not been
made up upon the business, they would not have re-
fused such an answer. The Hon. Gentleman ( Mr.
Whitbread) confessed, that if their intention was to
leave the Spanish crown in the possession of Joseph,'
he would not agree to it. That such was their inten-
tion nothing could be mote manifest, and upon this
ground he was entitled to the support of the Hon.
Gentleman (Near, hear.) If the negociation had
commenced without any demand of explanation,
what could Russia say but that she had been deserted
at the moment she was about to commence her strug-
gle? War was better than a negociation that must
commence under such circumstances. It could have
no other effect than to chill an the operations now
going forward.
Mr. HUTCHINSON thought that if Ministers
took any credit to themselves for the war now com-
menced between France and Russia, they were highly
culpable. They should have done every thing in ,
their power to prevent it. In contemplating the
progress of the Emperor of France, lie sought no
conqueror in ancient or modern times ever better I
II merited his Crown, or had to answer for fewer acts
of enormity. Some parts of his conduct were marked
by acts of great public aggression, but it must be
recollected he was a great Emperor at the head of a
great people, and what he meant to say was, that
no conqueror ever obtained a Crown with fewer acts
of enormity than Bonaparte.
Lord CA sTLEREA GH, in explanation, denied
that his Majesty's Government had encouraged Rus-
sia to embark in the war. The language of his Ma-
jesty's
Government had been always that of caution
and not that of incitement.

Mr. CANNING said, that the prelent state of the
House, the general sentiment which prevailed upon
the subject, and ,the clearness of the question itself,
should have prevented him trom entering at all into
the discussion, it it had not been for what had fallen
from the Hon. Gentleman who spoke last (Mr. Hilt-
ehinson,) and the other Hon. Gentleman who pre-
ceded him (Mr. Whitbread) He should have been
the more particularly disposed not to trouble the
House - alter the very full and satisfactory explana-
tion of Noble Lord (Castlereagh), as he was per-
fecdy confident, even betore that explanation, that
the policy of Government had not been varied from
he the time had hid the honour of a share in it, and
that it would never have led them to induce a Power

like Russia to commit itself in a war like the present.
He was confident that it was felt by them, to be as
well their interest as their duty rather to keep erect
what remained of the Powers of the Continent of
Europe, than lead them to their downfall.—Diit what
was the object of this mild and benevolent conqueror
of the Hon. Gentleman, in collecting and concen-
trating his forces towards the Not th, but for the des-
truction II
of this country—and it was a great relief to
his mind that the Noble Lord had told them, he had
used language cf caution towards Russia, not to en-
gage in a war with France, for under the existing
circumstances of Russia, and the nature of her force,
unless this war could be made completely national,
he could not look at it without trembling for the con-
sequences.—The Hon. Gentleman who spoke last,
and the Hon. Gentleman who preceded him, were
not content with the answer to the late overtures for
peace, but they had inadvertently given the best jus-
tification for that reply, by contrasting the policy
adopted and pursued bir the Government of this'
country, with that pursued by the conqueror Dana
Nate.--It should seem by them that upon the peace
of .Articns he was particularly sincere, and had due
regard to the maintenance of the rights of nations ; but
if we had not interfered,what mould have been the con-'
sequence? He might have conquered all Europe.—
The Hon. Gentleman who spoke last told them, that
of all the conquerers, ancient or modern, he was the '
man who had best merited a Crown—he was the man
who had merited a Crown with less enormity than
any other. The extravagance of such a proposition
would defeat itself, were there not something in the
immorally of it of a most dangerous tendency. It
remained indeed, for the present age to uphold the
Crown of this unhallowed conqueror ; and it remain-
ed for the Honourable Gentleman alone to look for
the admiration of his contemporaries in such an eulogy
upon such a conqueror. This indeed, was a new
strain of morality which the House and the Country
had to learn. When overtures were proposed, al-
though ever so desirable, yet if they contained one
term of dishonour, it became this country to resist
until the point of honour was determined. In this
late instance, they had passed by all the other points
unnoticed, and demanded a preliminary explanation
on that point ; it was evident, that Bonaparte nieant
!o settle the dynasty of Spain on his own brother; we
had a right to demand that as a preliminary which
must be the result of negotiation. He defended the
conduct of Government with respect to the expedi-
tien to Copenhagen, as justified by 4 secret article in
the treaty et Tilsit, whereby Bonaparte engaged to
compel the Danish fleet to be given up for the put:
past of acting against England, and Vie had not in.
tercepted that blow, it might be of the utmost conse-
quence to this country—and it was satisfactory to
hem to know, that that measure had been justified by
"argument and the decision of the House. He agreed