Star.
London, England, 1815-05-19 00:00:00

f

NOUSE OF LORDS, MAY is.

PiiRLIAMLNTiIRr PROCEEDINGS. •

In a Committee of Privileges some discussion took place on
the queolon of tlir claims to the Borthwick l'eera,;e. Several
Peers dehvtucd • their sentiments, but no decision took
place. he producion of some further Papers was deemed rte.
ccssary, and the con,ideratioa of the case was adjourned till
Tuesday n•rxt. • •
Counsel and evidence was heard in support of Christie's Di-
vorce Bill. The circumstances were so very recently before oar
Readers, deem any recapitulation superfluous. The rase ap.
praring • xtis: aciory to their I.or iships, the Bill was lead a second
time and t:oi,lan;ttra lora° morrow.

Bi.:1 upon the Table were forwarded in their respective
at?);.:s•
S presented a Puthinn from Birmingham, on
the subj. ct of the Corn Laws. The Petition being read, the
Noble Earl remarked upon the strength ant! consistency of its
a4AttuctitA, particularly that, be observed, in which the Peti-
tioners state their opinion, that it the persons who constitute the
Rouse of Commons bad a more intimate connection with the
People hi pubic of interest, those measures of which they cont.
plain WO.W.MX exist. Ordered to lie on the Table.
Viec,sant MELVILLE presented a Petition from certain Salt
Merchants and hLuiufaci urns in Sec.tland, against the Muriatic
Acid Dill, then Feuding efore their Loribbipo. Ordered to lie
on the Table.

DEFINITIVE ALLIANCE.
• Earl GREY wished to be informed by a Noble
Earl if he were yet prepared to make any communi-
cation relative to Se Treaty of the 25th of March,
the substance of which had been for some time before
the House, or if a Message from the Prince Regent
was 'shortly to be expected on the subject ?
The Earl of LIVERPOOL answered, that with
respect to the Treaty, its correct substance was al-
ready before the House; and in regard to a Message,
in all probability he should have to bring one down
feom the Prince Regent, on the subject to which it
referred, on Monday next, in which case he should
propose the consideration of the Message on the fol-
lowing day.
Earl GREY said, he deemed this rather a short
notice on so important a subject. He was aware
that, in general, Messages from the Crown Were
taken into consideration with as little an interval of
delay as was possible. But he believed it was usual
when a Message referred to documents that required
consideration, to allow some interval for that pus.
pose. He knew that the substance of the Treaty had
been communicated. But it was a question if that
Treaty, of which they had the substance before them,
had received any alteration previous to its ratification?
And it so, a longer interval than that adverted to
was the more necessary. In another view of the
case, the production of the Treaty, as ratified, was
more particularly necessary. He alluded to the con-
sideration of, how far the subsequent declaration of
the Allies may he regarded as a counter-declaration,
and what new views of the question may he drawn
from that instrument, that may constitute an addi-
tional reason why some further time should be afford-
ed for the consideration of the subjt ct. It was, at
any tote, a principle on uhiclesonie answer and ex-
planation should be given. A question had been put
Virile time ago, by a
,brobie Friend of his, respecting
ionle communleatiOn or overture that had been re-
ceived for the maintenance of peace with the existing
Government of Frat,ce. To this the Noble Lord
(Liverpool) :answered, that such a communication
bad certainly bes. reeived, but that it heel been'
transmitted to the Allied Powers at Vienna ; and
until an answer we..; rec..eved upon the point rio cons-
mimic ition respecting it could be made to the House.
Wrivn they considered that to be iipoint*hiCh nearly
rclated to the great
.qtrestion of Peace or War, be
thought it right •theisbotild be informed of all the,
proceedings of that negotiation, or attempts at negti.l
6a/ion, if any had been made. Bat it was not AC.
cess..ry to ..rgue that point. before they should come
to decide upon the question of Peace or War. He,
therefore bored when the Treities should •be corn
municated, a communication would be also made of
the proceedings that had taken place, of whatever
description they were, on the part of the French Go-
vernment, referring to• Negotiation for Peace. If
the Noble Earl had no objection to produce that in-
formation, it would necessarily form an additional
reason why the proposed interval should be far too
Short for a full consideration of so very important a
subject. He had no interest whatever in proposing
delay ; but under all the circumstances of the case,
when the question was, in all its bearings, the most
important perhaps they were ever called upon to &s-
-cuts, he must think doe time should be allowed the
House to enable it to come to a pr:per decision. At
least, he thought two or three days should be allow-
ed, the necessity of which, he thought, the Noble
Lord's own candour would suggest. '
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, he had no ob-
jection to give the eselanation desired by the Noble
Lord. It was allowed by the usuarpractice of Par-
liament to take Messages from the Crown into consi-
deration on the followtog day, unlest some leery sire-
Ci.il and cogent reasons eiipted for a postponement.
respect to the two ;pounds alleged by the
• IslobleEari, he trusted he could satisfy the House
they were not stlfficielit grounds for farther &lay.—
With respect to the two treaties, though both appear-
ed Mid ratified, yet the formal ratification of tine of
them was not received. The correct substance was
before the Muse. In respect to`the declaration, he
could say it met the. entire approbation of all the
parties. Ou the point of the supposed neeociation I
with 'France, he had no objection to state hov the
fact stood. A question was some time ago put to
him on the topic ; the answer which he returned was,
that.a certain overture had been made on the part of
the existing Government of Prance; and that such
overture .was referred to the Allied Powers atVicnna.
He had, however, no diOcullY in stating that no ne7
gociation bad beep entered upon, ancl:tt ihe deter-
initiation was not to enter upon any such negociassbn.
These were the plain facts of the case....
The Marquis of LANSDOW NE expressed his
opinion that the House ought to be made acquainted
with the nature of the overture. • •
l'he Earl of LIVTRPOOL said, 'there could be
no Objection to she pireditetion of the overture.
• This Marspois tit BUCKINGHAM obseried, it
Was 110 t VOUVICh to know' that the treaties were re-
spectivelyPanted,' lint it' should • tit: known if the
Allies lied alipesed say copoiti6ris to, Stir ratification
die..tr.sitiets ' '
The Eat Of LittlekPOOL.—They had annexed
•
rtn:iondieinits Iva their ratification. In answer to e
ails
111141E7 HOVE' Earl GREY respecting the overture,
the Noble Eal (Liverpool) said, the proccatii.g
might be contained iu a single sheet of paper ; and

he shouldAndouhtediyi take env the papetiliateiid
to should be presented in doe fer the proposed'clis—
cussion.
A. few wards in an nndertone of voice *ere: inter-
changed across the table between these Noble Lids,
respecting the time of presenting the papers alluded to.
Earl STANHOPE said he had also a question to
put to the Noble Lord—Whether he meant to lay
before the House a most important piece of informa-
tion, that. is, as-to the state of the finances of tbose
who were now our Allies ? He understood they
were in a most miserable condition, awl in that case
this country would have to pay every thing.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that before the
House sep.irated, he wished to state that the Treaty
of Subsidiary Eitgagemitut would form one of the
articles to be taid h-fire the House.
Earl STANHOPE.—'• That is no answer to my
question ; and therefore the Noble Lord shirks it
altogether."—( lame. )
• The Report of the CoMmittee on Lord Roseberry's
Divorce Bill was, ...fter a short conversation between
the Islarquis of LANSnoWNE and the Earls of LIVER..
POOL and LAUDIMALp., agreed to by the House. 7—
Adjourned till tu-m..;rrow.