Star.
London, England, 1802-05-04 00:00:00

how rejoice in the ranger tsat fleet, forte MA
budder at the confequences that were likely
vile from the ufurpation of Touraint; or
Coffering the fyftcm he was endeavouring to taa-
bliffi to exit. That event, therefore, intlead of
being a matter of regret to Minifters, or to the
country, as a fubjed of gratification. Had, in-
deed, the .advice of the Right Hon. Gentleman
and Ms friends been attended to, Minilters mutt
now have been &hie& to the molt painful felf-re-
prnaelt. The third point of the Right Ho-
nourable Gentleman related to the differences,
as he fuppofed, between the Preliminary Arti-
cles and the Definitive Treaty, and in this he par-
ticislatly objelted to the fettlement of the debt
due by France to us for the maintenance of her
prifoners during the war, alledging that the had
no right to demand from us any allowance for the
rapport of certain Ruffian prifimers and others, but
be would ffibmit it to the decifion of any candid
Man, whether thofe are not to be confidered as
prifoners entitled to (itch allowance, who were, in
fag, soldiers in our pay, and under our commit!,
as much as our own troops, which was the cafe
in this infiance? and he could affure the Hon.
Gentleman, that this fettlement was not concluded
without confulting with the moft intelligent per-
Cons—with thole who were belt qualified to give
every information as to the law and pradice upon
fuch oecafions. He doubted alfo whether this let-
Clement differed from that which he underftood
was intended by the late Adminiltration of this!
country, when preparing for Peace : but perhaps
the Right Hon. Gentleman had a different opini-
on upon that, as well as upon other projctts of his
late colleagues. Upon this, however, he did not
nican to lay any particular ftrefs. To the Right
Eon. Gentleman's arguments as to Malta, he
believed the ftrongeft oppofition would be the
Antimcnts of the Maltefe themfelves, who pro-,
feted to be perfedly .satisfied with the arrange-
ment that was made to render them independent
of England or France ; and certainly as far as
Oas poffible they were fo. The Right Honourable
Gentleman was diftontented with the word 4, So-
vereignty," introduced into the treaty refpeding
the Cape of Good Hope. If there was any thing
objedionnble in that term, his Majesty's Minifters
were to blame, for by their advice it was inferted.
Whether the stipulation as to !hipping to be admit-
ted into that port, including thofe of Spain, could
withhold any important advantage from this coun-
try, might be matter of doubt with Tome, but with
thofe who had opportunity of judging, there was,
he understood, no apprehenfion of the leaf& injury
to us from this stipulation. The fourth point of
the Right Honourable Gentleman referred to what
be called new articles in the Definitive Treaty—
Or rather the omission of any article to revive the
Commercial Treaties exiting before the war:—
but he begged it to be underftood that this was
not an omiffion from inadvertency, but a thing
willingly and advifeely done—for Minifters would
hold themfelves culpably inattentive to the inte-
lefts at the Empire; if under the prefent eircum-
fiances df Europe they propofed the continuance
of that. Treaties. He mentioned this chiefly
in order to do away a rumour somewhere pro-
pagated, that a propofition to that effe& was
made by the Bridal Negotiator and rejelted—
When; in truth, no fuch propofition was made
,by either party. With refpe& to the merit of
aide Treaties themfelves, he &mid not now go
into them • but he felt a perfed confidence that
in the perufal of the Treaty of 5783, end the
Convention of 1787, would be found a complete
eiplanation and jollification of the policy which
influenced the conduit of Minifters in this omit:
Bon. Our Rights were as perfeet and as &cure
now as they could be by any Treaty. France
bad no claims that could dillurb them, par.
ticularty with regard to the Rights of the India
Company. Upon the fubjed or cutting logwood
at Honduras. The Right Hon. Gentleman did
not dilate fo much as might be espeded from the
manner in which he treated other parts of his Rate-
ment ; that right, however, there was no danger
of our forfeiting—it was a right we had exercifed
before the war, and no interruption of it was pro-
duced by the war, nor did we concede it by the
peace, the Antbaffador of the Power to which it
belonged, not even expreffing a with that we Ibould.
The Right Hon. Gentleman clofed his fpeech by
an &nation to the cafe of the Prince of Orange,
complaining that the head of that illustrious Node
was not recognized as Prince of Orange by France
in the Treaty ; but the fa& was, that no Govern-
ment in France fincethe Revolution in that coun-
try ever acknowledged that Prince as Prince of
Orange. That the article in the Treaty refpeding
the compenfation to be provided for that Prince,
was not as explicit and fatisfadory as might be
wilhed, he (Mr. A.) molt fineerely regretted ; but
no omiffion could be attributable to his Majefty's
Minitters. Whatever the Right Hon. Gentleman
might have faid of the credit and capital of Eng-
land, he trulted it would never be tinderftod in the
limited fenfe in which it might be applied on'Change
—it would in that fenfe only be degrading as ap-
plied to a great nation—and perhaps there never
was a country in the world to which it applied in
a larger fenfe than to Great Britain ; and he mat-
ed the would ever fultain the prou diftindion :
of this he was fore, that there never was a
treaty concluded under fuch difficult circum-
stances, in which that credit and capital was
more honourably afferted and maintained ; it
was fo thought by our allies, who witneffed
with gratitude our attention to good faith, to
their interests, and to the dignity of our own
charafier. As to the principle of the motion of
the Right Honourable Gentleman, he had no ob- ,
jet ion—his only °Whoa was to the day. The ,
interefts of the country were too much involved in
this important difeuffion, to allow the public mind
to be kept fo long in fufpenfe. He did not know
that the Right Hon. Gentleman could procure any
advantage from the delay. Did lie propore to
prevent the flipulated reftitutions If he did, he
(Mr. A.) believed fuch a propofal would not be
countenanced by that Houle or the country.—
Thinking from every confederation that delay pro.
inifed no good, and that it might be productive
of much im;ouvenience and mif, 'el, he moved an