Star.
London, England, 1812-02-14 00:00:00

son to rei►ive so tmpleisant a mutat. Abstaining
from that, he should cotne, after a long interval, to
the appointment of Mr. Foster, whose mission, open-
ed inauspiciously, and bad been conducted in a sitni-
las manner and which, it appeared, had terminated
uofertunately. Neither the instructions which were
given,to Mr. Foster, por the manner in which his
negoctation had been carried on, bore the appear-
ance* or had the effect of conciliation. He should
next briefly call the attention of the House to some
pointe relative to the correspondence between the
Marquis Wellesley and Mr. Pinckney, which com-
menced about the beginning of January, 1810, and
terminated in February last year. Of Mr. Pinckney,
it was hardly necessary for him to say any thing.—
He appeared to have conducted himself so, as to
skew tt sincere disposition to conciliation and amity,
taking at the same time the important views of the
interests of America which might be expected from
an enlightened Statesman. He had approached the
Government of this country with the utmost respect
and decorum, and had been zealous in all his efforts
either as to the time or the style and mode of con-
veying his sentiments : but he had not been treated
by the British Minister for Foreign Affairs with a
similar degree of attention and punctilio. It should
be recollected, that at the commencement of this cor-
respondence, a great degree of soreness existed in
America from the disappointment experienced by
the American Government in the termination of Mr.

of a sear. lie begged that It might be understood, '
that be asked nothing but what had been printed.—
The date of the latest part of the correspondence be-
tween Mr. Foster and Mr. Mourn was in October.
1811 ; and the last document was, he believed, dated
the very last day of that month. In November, a
Message was presented to Congress. from the Presi-
dent, tollowed by the Report of a Committee ; and
frUm the complexion and temper of these proceed-
ings, it might, in point of fact, have been inferred
that,all negotiation had terminated. He did not
know any good ground for refusing these Papers ;
but there were many important reasons for granting
them. The novelty of the subject was indeed worn
off. The question had been sn repeatedly discussed,
and the same ground had been so often traversed,
that he acknowledged it might be a little tiresome to
read these documents with all the attention which
they merited. He did not mean to blame those who
had been engaged in this diplomatic correspondence
fur so going often over the same ground ; still it must
be somewhat dull to.read. He did justice to the abi-
lity displayed in these papers ; but, after all, conside-
ring that it was only repeating the same thing so
often, the subject must pall. But the present'question
was not, Whether they should go to war with Ame-
rica ? He did not call on the House to decide that ;
but only for the documents necessary to enable them
to decide when the question came before them. The
House could not be in a condition to decide, unless

Jackson's mission. Mr. Pinckney addressed Lord the papers which he called for were produced in a
Wellesley in a letter containing a statement of the technical shape. Whatever night be thought cf;
case respectineMr. Jackson. At that period, when the subject in the House, he was sure that the guts-
that remarkable sensibility existed in the American tion excited a great deal of interest out of doors, and
Government, and throughout the country, after the that there was no small anxiety among the public for
termination of Mr. Erskine's negotiation, and the the success evened this very motion. Whether Ame=
unfortunate substitution of the mission of slr. Jack- rica shewed too great a partiality for France, or not,
son, one would have thought that no Ault of deco- —whether this country was wrong, or Arnerica,
rum or attention would have occurred : yet at the or both,—whethet or not the Orders in Council were
very outset, other matters of greater importance, he politic, and whether or not it had been practicable.to
(Mr. W.) must suppose interfering, the British Mini- act up to the full extent cf them,—this one thing was
ster.returned no answer to Mr. Pincicney's letter till clear, that they had been the cause of great comma-
the 14th of March ; a period of more than 2 months. ciat distress. No one doubted but it would be a great
Mr. Pinckney waited for an answer with decoroas blessing if America were to open her markets for our
patience. He had himself since said, that he was produce ; no one doubted but a war with America
prepared for a delay, but not for one so lohg as that. would be a great evil, and attended with the most
On the 15th of February, it should be observed, Mr. calamitous consequences to this country. It was of
Pinckney had again written to Lord Wellesley, on little avail to talk as some did, of chastising America,
the subject of the blockades ; a question of the area- of putting her down, of annihilating her as it were.
test interest to America. -This letter was answered by No : that was out of our power. We had created her
Lord Wellesley on the 2d of March. On the 30th of by our impolicy, and there she would stand, in spite
April, Mr. Pinckney wrote to Lord Wellesley on the of Apr efforts. He was not sure whether the time WAS
subject of the Berlin and Milan Decrees ; but he re. not past for terminating these disputes amicably. If
ceived no answer from his Lordship. On the 3d of he had spoken on the subject forty-eight hours ago, he
May he wrote again, and remonstrated against the would have said that there were hardly any hopes of a
practice ofgiving to British ships the character of Ame- friendly adjustment; and that the Constitution frigate,
rican ships, by means of false papers ; a traffic, than which sailed from France on the nth of last montlohad,
which nothing more shameful and more injurious carried out an agreement which might perhaps have'
to American interests could exist. To this coin- proved fatal to the interests of this country; yet there,
plaint of a practice which was infamous, and Brie- had been fresh arrivals, whichtoa certain extent dispel.'
vously injurious to America, no answer was given. led thisapprehension, although he thought theexpecta.
On the 23d of June, Mr. Pinckney wrote, referring to tions entertained by man', of an amicable termination
his letter of the 30th of April, and requesting a reply; of our differences were still by far too sanguine.—
but here again no answer was given. On the 7th of. The articles which had been contracted for by Ame-
July, Mr. Pinckney wrote, complaining of the long rican subjects prior to the 2d of February, 1811, were
delay that had taken place in the appointment of ano- to be admitted into America ; and a great quantity
ther British Minister to America. To this letter he of goods might, by this means, find their way into
received in answer a verbal asset-once that a Minister that country, according to the system of Ikenced
should be appointed immediately. On the Bth of fraud and forgery establisbedby the Orden in Council.
August he again wrote, referring to former notes, Much might, no doubt, be,sworn away in this man-
and again requesting an answer, to which none had ner ; and the relief that might be experienced by our
been given. On the 21st of August he again wrote, commerce from this partial opening, would be an
respecting the blockades, and his letter was again un- evidence of what might be expected if the trade were
answered. On the 25th of August, he wrote on the thrown open altogether. The Orders in Council were
subject of the revocation of the Berlin and Milan de- given up now, he believed, by many of their warmest
trees, and received an answer on the 31st of August. advocates. From our principal manufacturing towns
On the 15th of September, he wrote respecting the —from almost every quarter—there were the loudest
blockade of Elsineur, stating the circumstance of four complaints against them ; and many even of those
American seamen belonging to the Viola. No an- merchants who had indulged the most sanguine ex-
swer was given as to the men, but they were subse- pectations from their operation, would now, he ima-
quently released by order of the Lords of the Admi- gined, confess that their hopes had been disappointed.
ratty. Much as he was astonished at the manner of But he did not, at present, say, that such complaints
Lord Wellesley, he was more so when he considered ought to be attended to. He did not propose to enter
the particular period. Every body knew, that one/ into the discUssion, but merely to put the House in
of the nicest and most difficult points in discussion possession of the information necessary for that dis-
was that which related to the seamen. Surely when cussion He confessed that America was popular with
an opportunity offered of conciliating, by a prompti- him. It had been driven before by our impolicy into
tude in rendering justice, as in such a case as this, one a war with this country; and the issue of that con-
would suppose that a Minister professing conciliation, test had been such, as that of such a contest ought to
entertaining a just view of the political and commer- have been. He had eo jealousy whatever of the great-
cial interests of this empire, and knowing how fatal ness and prospetity of America. The greater Ame-
the consequences of a rupture with America might rica was, the better for this country—the more flou-
be, and seeing where the question of right lay, would rishing„ would be the state of Great Britain : and from
eagerly embrace the occasion to do justice. But no: that flourishing condition, the prosperity of America
Mr. Pinckney found the practical effect of his repre- would derive a fresh impulse and additional vigour.
sentation in an acknowledgment coldly and reluc- He had seen nothing of injustice or impartiality an the
tantly made ; but not the least trouble taken to do it conduct of America. (Hear, hear, from the Chancel-
in a conciliatory manner—Lord Wellesley abstain- for of the Exchequer and others.) Nothing of the
ing from putting any thing on this subject upon pa- kind in the conduct of the American Government to
per. On the Bth of September, Mr. Pinckney wrote this country. He knew how the trumpet had been of
respecting the ship Fox, and shortly atter demanded first sounded, that America had been acting in secret
his audience of leave. The speech of the Prince Re- hostility to Great Britain ; and how that had been
gent noticed our affairs with America in general lan- followed up ; but the truth was, that America, being
guage ; such as could not be said to hold out strong the only neutral nation, had naturally taken advan-
hopes, being merely expressive of earnest wishes.— tage of that situation, and acted as Great Illitain, or
Earnest wishes to preserve peace every body might ! any other Power would have done, if placed in simi-
entertain ; even those who had no hopes. But the lar circumstances. America had been ill-treated bath
speech certainly had a tendency, at the time a was by France and England ; both had exacted from her
delivered, to excite an idea that some discussions' what it was perfectly impossible for her to pel'orm.
were going on which were likely to lean to a favour - She had borne with this as long as she reasonably
I
able issue : but there was no such prospect. *Mr. could, without ma- resorting to defensive measures.
Pinckney had demanded leave, and all discussions At last, she was compelled to lay on the Embargo,
for the time ended. Mr. Foster's mission to Ame- and fortify herself by the Non-Intercourse Law. To
rica was in fact not a continuation but a resumption neither of the belligerents had she acted with injus-
of discussion. He was expected to carry out with tice, though ill-used by both : but France had wisdom
him to America the means of conciliation ; but the ' enough to be the first to retrace her steps, and adopt
American GOvernment was again disappointed ; for a conciliatory tone. The recent accounts from Ame-
Mr. Foster had only to restate what had been stated rica rendered the production of the information which
before, and the American Government to reply as he called for a matter of still greater importance.—
they had previously replied. Having called the at- I The admission of our manufactures would probably
tention of the House to these particulars in the dis- I give umbrage to France ; and Great Britain ought
cussions between our Government and that of Ame- I to be prepared, to take advantage of this favourable
rica, he (Mr. Whitbread) should purposely abstain occurrence. 'Whether he succeeded or filled in his
from entering at that time into the consideratirn of motion, he would at least have the satisfaction of
the Orders in Council, or the revocation or virtual having done his duty. He concluded by moving,]
repeal of the Berlin and Milan Decrees. As the Or- " that an address be presented to the Prince Regent,
ders in Council were likely to be discussed in a few for copies of the correspondence betweefrour Govern-
days, and as they involved an extensive range of ment and America, through the medium of the re-
matter, he thought it more proper to reserve what spective Ministers, with the documents referred en in
he might have to say upon them for a future occa- that correspondence, from the Ist of January, 1810,
sion. He should therefore confine himself, for the up to the latest period."
present, simply to a motion for the information which Mr. STEPHEN expressed his satisfaction at hay-
he was desirous to have laid before Parliament previ- ing heatd from the Hon. Gentleman, that he had Ilr)
OUS to the future discussion and decision that must intention of going into the justice or policy of the
soon be forced upon Ministers, on a review of that Orders in Council, since the subject would soon come
coaduct which had at length brought us to the verge in a separate shape before the House, when it might
•