Star.
London, England, 1805-02-12 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Copies, or Extracts of the Correfpondenee relative to the War
with Holkar, the Mahrutta Chief, were prefented by Mr. Owen,
and ordered to be printed.
Sir W. YOUNG moved for the produCtion of the Accounts re-
lative to the Trade between Ireland and the Weft Indies, funilar
to thole which he had on a former day moved fur with refpedt to
the Enna Weft India Trade.—Ordared.
The Comm,Criou granted to the Naval Commitßoners, was or-
dered to be printed.
The Loyalty Loan Bill was read a fiat, and ordered to be read
a keand time to-morrow.

Sir W. SCOTT acre notice that he would. on an early day,
move for leave to bring In a Bill for the Encouragement of Sea-
men In his Majefty's Navy.
Mr. JAMES FITZOERAI.D, purfuant to notice, moved for
Returns from Gaolers, &c. in Ireland, with the particulars of the
Arrea of Perfatis who had been detained on Sufpieion of Confpi-
ring agalnft the State, fine the 3d of July, 1803.—Ordered.
The Met Habeas Corpus hufpenlion bill was read a twit time,
and ordered to be read a fecond time ou Wedncfday next.

SPANICH WAR.

The Order of the Day for taking into confiderat inn
the papers before the Hod& relative to this fubjtS
being read,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
role to move an addrefs to his Majelly upon them,
He fpoke near three-hours. I feel great fatisfaftion,
Sir, that the day is at laft arrived when we can enter
into that fall and ample difcutEon of the Papers be-
fore the Houfe, which the magnitude of the rattled

reqnires, and tiicr.r.,•ll I am 1,. „rld ,f
thefe Papers, and -to impartial ,•f the
tranfaCtioni to Nikli they it (NI, he latiieicnt
to convince every impart'al rniod of the ti.'ii.thre of
the rucalures purfited by his Mnieity's Go: eninier.!,
and of the jottice of the war in which we a,e en,r,a ;:d ;
yet refleaing how much the complete ot tl•e
policy by which we have been g the vindica-
tion of the Reps which have been adopted, are need-
fart' to the credit of his 111:4j-fly's Government, and
to the honour of the Britifla na:ion. I trod I Mall he
excused if I go fomewhat at I:ngth into a review of
the different afpefts of our relations, and.the progrefs
of the dilculEons with Spain previbus to the war. In
the courfe of what I fitall have the honour to fubmit
to the Houfe, I hope that I lhall be able, not only
to ettablifh that which, I believe, indeed few can
be now difpofed to queition, th. ultimate jultice and
nudity of the war, but, :alio the exemioary mod. -
ration, liberality, and forbearance of the Miniticts
of this country in every rcr iod of our relations with
Spain fine the breaking out of thettwar wi:11 France;
and when unexpeaed circumttances requited the de-
pantile from the fyflem of lenity which it was af-
ways the defire of the Britifh Government to exer-
cife, that though they were not deficient in vigour
.o vindicate the rights, and to avenge the caufe of
the nation, they never deviated from the laws of na-
tions or the principles of good faith. In the firft
place then, it is neeeffary to take into confideratir,n
the relative fituation in which Spain flood towards
this country at the breaking out of the war, in confe-
(islet ce of her antecedent engagements with France.
I need hardly fay more to charaaerife that fituation,
than barely mention the ...reaty of St. Ildefonfo, and
the Ripulations it contained. Spain was bound to
France by a Treaty on the face of it, both offenlive
and defenfive, and, in fat, a Treaty which was by
the contraaing parti s fo entitled. Befides.guaran-
teeing neutrality, their territories, Sce. they agree to
affilt each other with is Ihips of the line, and 24,000
men ; and this affiffance, too, as appears from the
Eth article, is to be given upon the demand of the re.
quiring party, and the demand is to be taken as con-
clufive evidence of the neceflity, precluding the party
required from making any inveßigation or inquiry as
Ito the jullice of the war, or the policy Of the obje&
for which the-fuccours were to be granted. Nay, by
the t tilt article of this Treaty, the contrasting par.
ties are to atlill each other with their whole force
in cafe the flipulated fuccours fhould be infufficient.—
This treaty it is molt important to keep in view, as
the.foundation of all the proceedings which it was.
thought incumbent on this Goverment to adopt. The
Spanith Ambaffador in this country, in feveral of
notes before the Houfe, it will be Peen, endeavours
to fet up his own, as appears too, in thefirft instance,
unauthorized reafonin7s, to thew that this treaty
was not offenfire: Toloch reasonings I oppole the
treaty itfelf, which exprefsly puts at the difpofal of
France the whole poWer and refources of the Swifts
monarchy, by lea and land, which (trips Spain of the
right to ark a queltion or exercife any judgment as
to the ptirpofe of the fuccours the is to lured. Such
a treaty, unlefs diflinely difclaimed, I contend mutt
iprofar7o have rendered Spain a principal in the war.
Ua the face of it-loch is the treaty of St. Ildefonfo ;
and if any thing were wanting to explain its tenden-
cy, it w ould be the example of what happened, in the
year 1796, in which the offenfive provifions were
,Ipecifically diredled againft England. Indeed, who
that recolleas the circurnfiances in which the treaty
was concluded, and when Spain was compelled to
fubfctibe and ratify that record of her vaffalage to
France, could doubt the fpirit of the contrail, or its
hoftility to the Brit& nation ? Soch was the Rate
of our relations with Spain at the time when, by the
violence and ambition of the prefent ruler of France,
war again broke out. His Majctiy's Government at
that time were fully aware of that fituation and the
confequences to which it might lead, and while they
were not inattentive to obferre due precaution* with
regard to a power fo cii cumitaneed, they were &fir-
ous to temper their conduit with conciliation. On the
face of it they faw that the treaty of St. Ildefonfo
was hoftile to this country, and of itfelf furnithed
ground of war if not difavowed—but viewing it as a
relliaant and involuntary fiibmillion to the power
of France, they confidered Spain rather as an ob.
jeft cf pity than of vengeance. In any other circum.
glances had it not been that it was believed that the
heart of the Spanith Government could not be con•
cerned in fuch a...treaty, the Government of this
country could not have been jultified, tlle: they
had in the very outlet demanded the renunciation of
it, or made it a caufe of war. But they felt that the
engagements of Spain were not of choice but necef-
lity, from which the Court of Spain had no means
to efcape ; a Court of which, though that of an
enemy, I do not with to fpeak but with refpeet, al-
though I cannot think it retains that fpirit of inde-
pendence for which that nation was once fo ho-
nourably diftinguifhed, and which many of its inha-
bitants Rill potfefs. Without refleaing upon thefe
confideratipns, the liberality, the generofity, and the
forbearance of this Government, might have been
weaknefs incompatible with true policy, and aja ft re
gatd to the interetls of the public. It did appear, in-
deed, that the Spanifh Government at the commence•
mem of the war, felt a difinclination to enter into the
war, and that they wanted to gain time, with.a view
to elude the Ripulations by which they were bound to
France. On the other hand, without dittrußing the'
sincerity of Spain, we had reafon fo fear that Rte
might be driven by the overbearing arcendimcy of
France into hoililities fatal to her own interetts, at
any moment it fuited the policy of the ruler of France
to avail himself of her resource'. It therefore became
our ditty to watch, wlth peculiar jealouly, the con-
do& of Spin—to take care that during the period
of neutrality, fhe thould not be enabled to fill her
coffers, and to repler.i!li her arfenals—that her re•
cruited means might be employed aga;nft us at the
nod of our inveterate foe. If France was entitled to
call for Is Ihips of the line and 24.000 land for Les,
what fecurity would there have been that Spain
would nut have been farther required to put forth
all her ftrength ?—And for what purpofe ?--For an
objefl avowed even before the commencement of the
war, and never abandoned since but in praaice : the
utter extinftion of Great Britain as a nation, and
her reduftion to even work than that (late of tub.
jeaion and dependance in ,which Spain was placed.
The ditties of the Niiniflers of this country w:re,
by all thefe eircumltances, renclere,: extremely ,te'i.
eate and difficul.t. Standing at the i cad of the atfaits