Star.
London, England, 1812-12-01 00:00:00


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tesieins unanswered.l;i3 it not the cost.
*omen diplomacy, when a declaration of a.
putts to one patiod provocations to hostiliiy, tha
declaration of war on the part of the naticaLto Sir
1*
cased, 'is accompanied by a public answer to the
declarOion ? If,then, it was fg) desirable to be right,
Parliament not being sitting, why were not other
-beans resorted to by the Executive Government to
imbue the attach ?' Why is there not on the Table
,of this House, and why was there not dispersed
*rough Europe an ample and satisfactory refu-
lation of the charges preferred by the .American Go.
Nrernment t This was rendered 'more desirable by the
Supposed probability of an immediate restoration of.
*eace. For had peace been concluded, then it would
ace been too late ; tine accusation wonld have been'
•recorded, and no public , answer to it would have
:been in existence. One of the imputations contained_
-10. the declaration was, that we demanded of Ame.
trice that she should force our produce and manu-
facture,: upon France. Such a demand would have
been most unjust. I have no doubt that it was
isever made. but it was highly important that
within a month after the promulgation of such an
accusation it should be refuted by our Govern-
bent. Another imputed cause of war, in which
iI am personally implicated, was that in 1809,
when we. were engaged in an amicable negociation
with America, a mission was sent to dismember the.
lUnion, and to stir up 1 know not what disturbances.
That, Sir, ought to have been directly contradicted
by our GOvernment, in ,the face of Eiirope. When
. T said that 4 was personally implicated in this im-
puted transaction, I meant that at that period
"I had the honour to hold the situation of the Se-
ieretar7 of state, in whose department such a trans.
Seuon, if it took plate at all, must have originated ;
end I solemnly declare to the whole world, that
if :nib Al mission was dispatched, I had no earthly
lfralowledge of it 1_ I was no party to it ; I never heard
Of it, until I law' it imputed to the liritish Go-
leernment in the American declaration: The indig-
;Nation which I feel on my own account at this
illccusationl I ' likewise feel. for my Sovereign ;
end I contend, that it is an accusation_ which ought
'So hive been instantly and distinctly repelled.—
air, there is one point More, not comprehended in
Lthe Speech and Address, but omitted in them, to
-which ; teisit to advert. I ant not going to blame
the , ' but 4 think I Should . be liable to blame
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gloried on the was more vigermlsly against AleeTilen-
Tn this be also laboured under an' error. A. negociar
lion for an amictule adjustment had hems fat a con-
t tderahle time going 9a with the United States, and i
there existed some seasonable expeetation that it might
be brought to, a favourable termination. Oa the
whcle he considered the objections of the Right Ho-
nourable Gentleman as arising out of misconception.
Mr. WHITBREAD began by remarking, that
if he was the person alluded to by the Right Hop.
Gentleman, when that Right Hon. Gentleman de,
Blared his expectation from the part of the House sin
which lie (Mr. Whitbread) sat, of an amendment
the Address, be could only say he was sorry he
absent. Yet whatever the Right Hon. Gentlem
reasoes might be for waiting for any amendment
which it might have beed thought proper ,to bring
forward, he was himself rather pleased that the Right
Hon. Gentleman had preceded him. To deal with
Candour, as became every Member of the House, hp
should state, that he had an amendment to propose;
yet impressed, at he was, with the propriety of the
Amendment, he still' had an earnest wish to hear
the Right Honourable Qentleman and the Noble
Lord, before he pressed it upon the attention and
support of the House. He certainly felt the
highest respect for the talents of the Right Ho-
nourable Qentleman i-yet he could Rot sympa-
thiie with him in the boasted successes of the eoltn7
try, and • that at a Moment when be had COMMA.
nicated • to his constituents of Liverpopl,.that 4
was likely to be one of their .Governors, while these
same constituents were labouring tinder distresses
that evinced the disastrous and calamitous results of
the war. li FOr myself," observed Mr. Whithrea4,
.i I rise -to deliver freely and fairly my opinicins upon
the very perilous and extraordinary crisis in which
we are placed : I rise to complain of the want of ne-
cessary information in the Regent's Speech, which I
do not hesitate to say, ought to have been furnished to
this House. I feel that we are destitute of any grounds
or docnmepts whatever; and yet we are called upon
to agree to. an Address, which supposes.that ail these
indispensable requisites have been amply supplied.—
With regard to S?aip, we have not a single tittle of
information. Does the House recollect the internal
situation of the country, with all its pressures, bur-
dens, and privations; and recollecting this, are we
not informed from the Regent's speech, from his own
mouth, that his Majesty's recovery is less likely than
na• that it, it almost hopeless, in consequence
and

omission, _. 4 thintrt ever, iy, -.4eque.
if I passed by the
_subject in silence. The point to of increased debility, . 4 repeated paroxysms ?In this
which I allude is whet is called cathclic enia:ncipa- dangerous and alarming state, arising from external'
tion. Sir, hripute no blame for the omission of any warfare, and internal distress, if I am not misln-
mention of this topic iu the speech, because Ido not formed, I am led to think, that the continuance at
conceive that the operation of the motion which I Parliament, should the melancholy event to which I
bad the honour f 6 make last year, imposed pn the allude take place, is in contemplation in direct oppo-
Executive Government the duty of originating any sition to the grand and vital principles of our
consideration of it.. Certainly the motion which I Constitution. Is it possible, that at such a crisis,
had it in contemplation originally to make, would we are to expect an Act to continue this Parlia-
!rave imposed on the Executive Government such a men; ? I can only say, that if so, I shall feel it
duty ; but as groat objections were made by Gen- My duty to came prepared to oppose it. If so,
tlemen, whose support I wish to secure, to the tenure of our Constitutional existence is very
transferring the consideration of this important precarious.. It conse4uently behoves us to lay before
subject from Parliament to the Executive Govern- the Prince Regent, at true and faithful representation
inent,l changed my intention, and contented inyielf of our affairs ; for I do not suppose that the Noble
with moving Resolutions of the steps which ?Arlie- Lord means to stifle all enquiry into the conduct of
Went weitild take,. which ResOlutioes. were laid at the war with Spain—into the enhappy causes that
the fOot of the Throne. Thtse resolutions did not hive led to the rupture with America—nor into a
intse on the Executive GovernMent the.dtity of variety of topics connected with the best and dearest
per mating any consideration of the question ; 'but interests of the empire. Among these topics there
st did impose on thein the duty of making up their is one in particular which I cannot forbear noticing,
minds to meet the. discussion to which Parliament —.I mean one which comes before us strongly re-
was pledged. When, therefore, the subjeetsibill be commended and enforced. am desirous of enquir-
discussed elsewhere • I shall be satisfied if I find that ing why the Noble Lord and his colleagues hate
Government have deliberated on the subject, and t not counselled the Regent,—after repeated debatee,
have made up their mhids• to meet it in a manly and a solemn resolution in this House,—after the
manner. The opportunity of ascertaining this will most serious proceedings to the same effect in ano-
probably occur at no very distant period. These Cher place, and a similar resolution negatived by one
.vho remember the sacctirrenCes of the last Session voice only,—to call the attention of Parlia.
will recollect that 'et the suggestion of ihe Right went in his Spteeh -to the state cf Ireland ?
Honourable Gentleman oppoeite, seconded by Another omission, is the deteriorated lute of our
the recommendation. of the Honourable Gentle- coin, which, with all its incalculable mischiefs to the
man near him, I most willingly ~surrendered the Ca- commerce and trade of the country, operates moat
thOlic cause to drat venerable and patriarchal iodivi- heavily upon our army in Spain. If lam rightly
dual who has se frequently advocated it with unri. informed,. and I have taken some pains to ascertain
valled eloquence and. enthusiasm.—(Hear, hear, the fact, such is the want of currency in the Perlin-
hear I) Into his hands I cemmitted it, without any! sula, that the Officers of that gallant army 'who have
• pledge on my own part but that of general support, reflected so much lustre upon their native country by
retaining a perfect discretion with respect ;o the par- i the splendour of their achievements, have not the
ticular mirk that circumstances might induce me to means of providing themselves beyond the rations'
• - pariue. Sir, with the qualifications which 1 have given from the Commissariat. The debts, heavy us
' slated, I cordially concur in the address as it goes to they are at present, are encreasing from day to day
fledge with
.heart and soul all the means and' re- • for that army, and there is every prospect of their'
-sources of the country at our disposal, to the ptosecu- being aggravated to a.most alarming excess. -When,
tion of the einnest in which we are engaged. In my with these subjects-of complaint, the Noble Lord and
conscience, I believe, that there are no other means his colleagues are called upon to take a review, how.
•of terminating it with safety and honour.am per- ever transitory, of the miserable state of our menu-
: suaded, in the spirit of the obseriationi made by'the factures, is it not astonishing to hear the Noble Lord
able Seconder of the Address,. that the greater the exult in the result of his measures, as- if he were one
vigour With which We carry on the .war, the nearer of the wisest and most successful of statesmen ?"
• shall we be to the attainment of peace.—;(Dear, hear, The Right Honourable Gentleman, observed Mr.
• hear I) It is not by hesitation and indecision that we Whitbread, had considered the country engaged in
Can hope to obtain that object, but by manly and in- three wart —with Russia, with America, and with
defatigable perseverance in the most strenuous and Spain. We were merely looking on the war with
'unceasing exertion.".—(Hear, heir, near!) Russia, without granting subsidies. The war with
After a short pause,— ' .; America he could not help thinking as most fatal
• Lord CASTLEREAGH entered at consiiletable and calamitous to the interests of Great Britain, and
length into a defenie of the conduct or Ministers re- as most likely to cut the sinews of her force and ener.i
. Owing their transactions with foreign countries du- I gies which would otherwisebe more happilyemployed. I
'ring the list six Months. With respect to Spain, he With respect to the sear in Spain, the Noble Lord:,
said, that within the present year theGcrrernritent bad hid a mode peculiar to himself to account for the I
• made as great exertions as they could make; that an operations of a campaign. He led in a triumpliant•
additional force at least of 10,000 men had .beensent manner Lord Wellington from Madrid to the lines of
• to Lord Wellington, and that no greater exertions Torres Vedras, when it could not be denied that the
could have been made. The Right Hon. Gentleman gallant and illustrious General himself lamented the-
had expressed sonic disapprobation of the conduct tiecessity which compelled him to abandon the siege
, pursued by Government in their late Treaty with SWC- of Burgos; when it was known to the whole world
• • den. He.was not now at liberty to diiclose all the ' that he was retreating before the French army ; and
cirtumstances connected with that Treaty; but be all these reverses were evidently caused, not by any ,
could assure the House that there was no failure failure in the pkins Mid by the Commander in Chief, ,
of engagement en the part of the Swedish Govern- not by any want of skill in direction or valour in exe-
mean that every act of-that Government Was dolie cation ; but by the deficiency of means which he had
in concert with Great Britain. : A great arma. a right to expect, and wit:, which he Aught long since
enent was fitted out in the Swedish ports; it was in tn have been supplied '6-y the Noble Lord and his
a constant state of readiness to sail; and it had the colleagues. If the situation of the Continent of Eur
effect ,of keeping two French armies stationed, near rope be at the present moment good for any thing,
the Baltic in check. These two armies, amounting -it is good for thii.rut Great Britain having beep
141 60,000 men, wens detained on the borders of the foiled in one reverter,. and Napoleon having been foil-
Baltic; and had it not been for the armament in ques- ed'in another,'this appears the most prc9er season b
flop, they would have been employed in Russia. Thin enter into negoeiations for peace. '1 he Noble LOrd
'far he could state the advantages resulting from the, had not thought proper to notice M his speech the
-treaty with Sweden. But there. were Many othercir. situation of this • 9)111317 with respect to' Sweden.
;mkt:ewes, which it' would he at the present time Wby ? Because no relief, notsucCOur was to be ob.
improper fox him to disclose. The Right Honourable mined frpm that Power. Aftethe strait ardent
csisneletpaen had. eteestteed Weietem for ,toe having expectations, nOthipg has bed- accomylishedi--
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