Star.
London, England, 1802-01-20 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, TUESDAY, JAN. re.
The Earl of PORTSMOUTH took his feat.
Lord PELHAM entered the Houfe, which, loon
after, he moved—fhould adjourn till Wednefday
the 3d of February.
On the queflion being pat,
The Earl of CAILLISLI rote, and Paid, that
a confiderable degree of anxiety prevailed with
refped to the conks of thefe repeated (hort adjourn-
ments of Parliament, for which he conceived it
incumbent, now, at lean, on Minifters to align
their reafons. He was aware of the various re-
ports which prevailed, as to the probable motives
of Minifters for adopting fuch a line of proceed-
ing ; but thefe he did not think proper then to ad.
vert to, but he felt himfelf called upon to fay, that
Tome explanation on the part of Minifters was re-
eluifite, not only for the fatistadion of that Honk,
but to remove that anxiety and uneafinefs which
muh naturally aired the Public, on feting Parlia-
ment at the ufual Chrinmas reed's, adjourned in a
way that might be contidered in Tome degree as
♦Li is pinc. In another, and, perhaps, more
important point of view,was Tome explanation alfo
required from his Majeer's Minifters. His Lord-
fhip principally adverted to the failing of the
French Fleet to the Weil Indies. It was then
more than a month, that a French Fleet of more
than Sixteen Sail of the Line was known to have
failed from Bra, and confidently believed to the
Well Indies, and with a confiderahk number of
Troops on board : this more than ;loth* was for
a legitimate obje.% and fads he hoped it to be ;
it was fail to be for the regulation of certain coo.
terns and affairs in their own !hands and domi-
nions in the Well Indies; and, as fuch, if fnecefs-
frd, might probobly be attended with benefitial
tookquenees to our own poffelfipns in thee quar-
ter ; but hill, he thought fomeawnimoniciltion or
explanation was neceary on die part of Iffinificrs
on furl an oecafion : nor was this all, his Lord-
fhip °blared in the prelent Mate of affairs, refoca-
irw ethic,' the amid,' of thblic mind rerisfiied
to be relieved. He uhruto the exiting cir-
esimilances of this Country with yelped to Spun;
there was, as he ensseihred, no official document
. ru determinate tetlimoslal before Parliament which

.I,orlv evinced that we *night out he yet in' a date
headily With that PolVer, anti yet itwas itochtra

that not only a Squadron of five Spanifh I..ine of
Battle Ships failed with the Trench force from
and under convoy of the French Flag, but
that a confiderable Spauifh force, nine Ships of
the Line were now colleded at avannah, mak-
ing, as his Lordfhip (by miftake) (aid, an aggre-
gate of thirteen Ships of the Line in that quarter,
and belonging to a Power, which, for ought they
knew, might Hill be an enemy. Thefe proceed-
ings taking place during an interval, which, with
a reference to the prefent date of Negotiation,
might only be regarded as a truce, called, he
thought, for explanation on the part of Minifters.
He hoped, and doubted not, that Minifters had
adopted precautions adequate to thefe pol Thole
emergencies, and for the fecurity of our valuable
Weil. India poffeilions, though his Lordthip ob-
ferved, that he heard of no force being difpatched
to that quarter, but four fail of the line under
Admiral Duckworth, from the Cadiz anion. In
Ihort, in the prefent circumllances of the Country,
as well as with rt.itied to the late repeated fhort
adjournments of Parliament, he thought Tome ex-
planation was called for on the part of Minifters.
Lord Pst,xaM rote in confequence of what had
fallen from the Noble Earl, The Noble Secre-
tary of State feemed to deprecate fuch a mode of
queftioning Miniftcrs, and on points obvioufly ofi
the greateft delicacy and importance—fuch a mode
of proceeding would, if tfireCtly produftive of its
ends, go to render the proceedings of Parliament
the earlieft vehicles of information on fuch points
to the PubliL which, independent of the Irre-
gularity of fuch: a channel, the garbled and im-
peded way in which they fometimes were given,
was not the moft corral or unexceptionable mode.
The Noble Secretary feemed to fay, that much of
what fell from the Noble Earl was clearly irrele-
vant to any thing which, in the prefent fituation
of affairs, could regularly be before Parliament ;
and, on this ground, he would appeal to the Houfe,
as to the obvious impropriety of anfwering fo far
the obfervations of the Noble Earl. With refpeft
to what the latter had faid relative to the failing of
a French force to the Weft Indies, he had to ob-
ferve, that Minifters were duly aware of that cir-
cumftance and that they had reafon to think the
objects of ;he French in difpatching that armament
were of a legitimate nature, and not only that, but
they thought the interefts dour poffeffions in that
quarter requited that the Expedition fhould be at-
tended with fuccefs. At the fame time, blinifters
had taken fuch precautionary Reps outl;e occafiou
as to them feemed politic and proper. With re-
fped to the motives of Milliliters in propofing fuch
fhort adjournments of Parliament, adequate
grounds certainly did exift for inducing Minifters
to ad in fuch a manner, as that the fenfe of the
Legiflature might fpeedily be recurred to; but
thefe caufes no lonpr exifted, or at leaft in fuch
force as to render it neceffary on the part of Ad-
miniftration to detail them to the Houfe.
The Queftion was then put, and their Lordfhips
adjourned witil Weduefday the 3d of February.