Star.
London, England, 1816-01-26 00:00:00

ADDRESS ON PEACE.

Mr. Alderman HEM/I.TM rose and observed upon
the merits of the last Peace concluded siiith France.
By that Peace he maintained that the eminently su-
perior character of this cooing was fully established,
while the honour and interest of France was duly
consulted. France was, indeed. left with an extent
of dominion equal to that which she possessed pre-
vious to the Revolution, while her essential happiness
was secured by rescuing her from the doniiaien of an
usurpation as oppressive to herself as it was injurious
to other States.—He was happy to state, that accord-
ing to the terms of the Peace, the Allies had made
every arrangement that statesmanlike wisdom could
suggest to secure the advantages which they were
entitled to expect from the distinguished valour of
their armies. For the extraordinary expences incur-
red through the sudden and mast unjustifiable re-
commencement of war, an ample provisino was made
from the resources of those to whom that meow,-
me:lc:neat was attributable, and thus a salutary
lesson was taught to guard against the recurrence' ut
such calamity, and that lesson was rendered more
impressive, especially in a moral point of view, by
the restitution of the valuable treasures of art of
which the several continental nations had been des-
viled is the course of the French Revolution. The
maintenance of a certain amount of the Allied army
in France was, he coneeived, obviously just and ne-
cessary, w:ih a view to enforce the observance of the
Treaty, by guarding against any of those convul-
sions which were naturally to be apprehended from
the disposition of a large body of soldiery. habituated
to depredation, and from a people too generally de-
moralized. The existence of such a force was, in-
deed, necessary to preserve to France herself the
blessings of tranquillity. Instead of answering the
arguments which pleaded for such an Address, as it
WAS 114 intention to propose, he apprehended that he
himself might be charged with inconsistency—that
he had abandoned the principles of Mr. Fox but he
should declare such a charge totally unfounded. For
at no time of his life did he more warmly regard Whig
principles, or more highly venerate the conduct and
character of Mr. Fox than at this moment. In pursu-
ance of those principles, indeed, he felt that he was
at present acting, and be could not help expressing
his astonishment that some of the professed advocates
of those principles, that any friends of liberty, could
fail to rejoice upon the conclusion of a Peace which
put an end to the reign of the most abominable mtli.•
tary despotism. As to the objections likely to be of-
fered against his proposed motion, be understood that
they were tolerably various,' and in his mind exceed-
ingly inconsistent. Fur one said that such an Ad-
dress was too late, while another alleged that it was
too early--die latter professing to rest upon this
ground, that that Assembly should wait until Parlia-
ment had declared its opinion upon the merits of the
Peace. This, however, was rather an extraordinary'
'position from thore who so often held that it became
the dignity and importance of the Corporation of
London to take a lead in public affairs, without con-
sulting the tone or authority of any other body of
men. On the present occasion he felt strongly that
it was incumbent upon that Corporation to hold out
a peeper example to the country, and he trusted
it would not foal to do its duty, uninfluen-
ced by the complaints upon which some were
In fond to dwell in consequence of our public
:debt, our taxation,. and other embarrassments.—
These embarrassments be regretted as much as any

man, but they were tkte resnli.of the war, which was
now s 0 happily concluded, and like the embarrass-
menu which immediately followed the American
war in 1785, they would, be had no doubt, be spee-
dily overcome by the superior genius, industry, en•
terprise, talent, and capital which proverbially be-
longed to Great Britain, while he had the fullest COll,l
fidence that every reduction would be made in ow
public debt, taxation, and expenditure, that the wie.l
.lom of the Legislature and the Government conidl
possibly devise. With regard to the delay which
ltook place in the presentation of another Address to
the Regent, he could not imagine how any valid ob-

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amid
ketli to his iiiiiitiii be dratiii from that (Ws..
Fot the-Addresi Aided to lied no connection erhai
ever with that which he shOuld have the homotir of
proposing, Therefore, Any unavoidable delay in the
presentation of the one could not rationally operate
againit the adoption of the other. the lite Peace
WAS, Upon the Whole, in his judgment, a iniaime so
just and glorious, that it formed a most legitimate
cause for congratilation $ and if it Were Stated, as
he had sometimes heard. that it Was too advantage.
ous for this country, be would only say, that he shoUld
rather expect such a Statement from some defeated
French Marshal, than from any Member of the Corn-.
mon Council of London. The Worthy Alderman
concluded, amidst loud cheers from one side of the
Hall, with proposing the presentation of an Ad tress
to the Prince Regent, congratulating his Royal
Highness upon the Peace lately concluded with the
King of France. .
Mn J. DAVIS deplored the conduct And situation
of the Government rd France, as well as the itfliver-
sally distressed condition of the people of this coun-
try, and of course he would be ready to rejoice in
the appearance of brighter ploSpects. But he was
sorry to say that he could not yet discover any clear
view of those prospects, and until such prospects
were evident, he did not think that Aisembly could
consistently accede to any Address of coogratula.
tion. He thought it premature to congratulate the
Throne upon Peace until •it were sesn whether that
event promised. or were likely to produce any real
good—Whether it would serve to reduce our debt and
taxes, or to relieve the several branches of our trade
and manufactures. The Worthy Alderman might.
with others who thought with Lim, endeavnor to
cheer the country by the glowing boast that Peace
had opened to our shipping all the ports of Eui opus.
But that unfortunately did not afford my evidence
or probability of extended commerce. In fact, fr ill
p the habit which the Continental nations had con.

tracted, through a long war, of manutac hr
themselves, a;14,1 dispensing with our produce, the
facilities of interc.wrse, which the Peace altorded,
held out to us no prospect of commercial edema %es,
while we were still to be burthened with so much of
the expenses of actual war. Upon what ground then
should that Court congratulate the Prince Regent ?
But independently of the considerations which he had
stated, he objected to the proposed Address, becausd
it appeared to him quite a work of supererogation—
that nothing called tor it. In 1814 that Court voted
an. Address of Congratulation to the Throne upon
the conclusion of Peace with the King of France,
rather from an anticipation of the good which that
Peace promised, but which anticipation was soon
disappointed. Another Address was voted upon the
Victory of Waterloo, which overthrew the User ie r
of the French Throne, for wham he (Mr. Da‘i-)
certainly never was an advocate or apologist. But
it must be recollected, that since the Address of
1814. there never had been any interruption of peace
with the King of Feance. On the contrary, we lied
engaged in war to quell an insurrection against his
Throne, but we had not been at war with that Prince.
n:refire, no circumstance had occurred to call tor
the proposed Address. With regard to the Addresi
voted last month, the presentation of which was so
long delayed, he was fully prepared to prove that
the strongest grnunds existed for vetirig the. Address,
:end that any relief experienced by the Prottstants of
France from the persecutions to weice they were sub-
jeered. was owing, in a great measure, to the env:.
getic iaterterepce of that Court and the country at
large. Yet he remembered, that in discussing the
vote alluded to, the Worthy Alderman doubted the
propriety of the Address, on the ground, truly, that
it did not become the Corporation of London to
Address the Government without very pressing occa-.
sion. Now upon the sime gri.und he (Mr. Davis)
resisted the present motion, because he sitte no occa-
sion for the proposed Address, especially while ano-
ther and most important Address from that Court
was not accepted, but remained in abeyance.
Mr. PAYNTER observed upon 'the singularity of the
Gentlemen on tree other side, who, aehough they did
not think it too early to press an Ae4iress of Coi,gi.,.
tulation to the Throne upon the Pewee with America
before that Peace was ratified, much less sub armed
to the consideration of Parliament, now pronounced
it too early to vote any Address upon a P. ace %treat
had been some time ratified, because truly, its merits
had not yet been decided in Parliament.
Mr. BUMPSTZAD expressed his surprise that these
Gentlemen who ahvays deprec lied the war, should
still decry the peace which concluded it, in conse-
quence of the amount of our debt and taxes, the
pressure of which must naturally be aggravated by
the continuance of that war. _

Mr. WAITHMAS said, that although his sentiments
were decidedly in opposition to the proposed acirrss,
he should rather wish to have given way to the obser.
vations of other Gentlemen, and to have been treed
from the necessity of obtruding himself upon the at-
tention of the Court in this instance. But yet, being
so much in the habit of delivering his opinion in the
discussions of that assembly, he feared he should be

liable to the charge of a derelictics of duty, if be
declined to stand forward on such an occasion. lie
remembered that in the petition which he had the ho.
nour to present to that Court at the outset of the
war, in which any attempt on the part of this coun-
try to resist the efforts of the French people to choose
their own Government, was strongly deprecated. But
Ministers and their agents were forward to disclaim
that object, alleging that they did not propose to in-
terfere with the rights of any foreign nation, unless
with a view to defend our own rights from violation.
In the address voted to the Crown on the conclusion
of peace in 1814, it would be recollected that that
Court, resting upon the Declaration of the Allies,
which ought to be held sacred, namely, that their ob.
ject was to make France “ great, powerful, happy,"
sonsbined with the speech of the tirince ltegeat at
the opening of Parliament, in concurrence with*th.lt
Declaration, expressed a hope that the sentiments of
the Declaration and the speech would be fully acted
upon, and that due regard would be had, as well to
the privileges of the French people, as to the prero-
gatives of the Crown. The worthy Member here
read some passages from the address alluded to, as
well as from the Declaration of the Allies, arid then

Asked, whether principles then professed hAd been
followed up ?-01 Is France said he) great, powi r-
ful, and hAppy ? Has she had any choice in the
elation of the Government ? Has the alliance in.
terfered in her internal concerns'. Hits the Govern-

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