Star.
London, England, 1810-03-10 00:00:00

, that .:,
that Gentler,. '.
Wofitlintimacy andfi4i,lin::
experience of hostirite• had taught him
teal:ntdlsifeh:
ocroupl could
bnioi
ct t conceive
conduct, what d
thatsa v. iiint
,a.
uiss attadcke.
n .s
which could warrant the assertion
habits
was. incapabled4
he,truth
Id obstruct his d ~- e
Maangyiscteirrcialumsstuatinocen,cou
Illhipsficrihor:eiitdeipffivr:sciiiveendcYf:)r'friluenryiYarnpeal.
l, hcrilcaerle fplii:r .eli eeei:t:d
itidlioisaint g justice. The Noble Lord, however,.
mighte b-
they he
be
Mess prejudiced diti.cetiisel ;Caonudrt hofe
Awodurnldiraplut; tut.atsothh
day by slay in this country, it could possibly re
many respect in 'any other? Front h;ieiicliiito.lbeledewci:i
can candor
ttlhi
ee i high
r p r
iv
ilitrogneosu
as
soif.a r our
as
inavaln i
pri ie and heartfelt satisfaction to Lave su o
s 0n... it was le
he hoped they were abose being tainted by tiliPel. 1
shouldtred. plc} o.
contagion of such misrepresentation
ask, if once they came to suspect that
eioctrnabnidnetdhiantietahgetiepoagwacrinsstwtheinea.
t"ectrru".Peit
what would be tho consequence ? W's
. at WOuLl t%e tl
immediate impression upon themselves? • " WI,--t c
ell* Upon fOreikin countries ? That the papers2,-
called for, could lead to any such
suspicion, he
lernnly declared hii disbelief. •He satisfied,513'
was 6, „
on their piodtiction; every tittle of the charges ‘.. ill
be disproved. If he was wrong, let him -.°'''''
suffer the
heaviest censure ; but if he was right, • let , then tr
House exert its due authority, and-rescue an uprieas.e
Court of Justice from the grievance of a perDe- tll---21
scrutiny, and the stigma of a prejudiced, b
imputation.—{Hear, hear.) .
Mr. \V. SMITH had no doubt what ever of the
private honu'ir and public integrity of the la. igat Ho.
nourable and Learned Gentleman who had just
down ;he knew well that he was an honour 54
to his'
country, and afforded satisfaction to every ether._
There was one practise however (with no disrespect
towards him) of the maritime code of this country
which he wished to notice. He had heard, )-
teat if
,
' awing a war with any oauntry, neutral,vesels were
taken on suspicion, referred to the Court of Adni-
ralty for adjudication, and declared friends, still it
was in the power of the captors to appeal, and, if
pending the appeal, a war was declared with the ei-
tion. to which such ships belonged, they were cos.
demned as lawful prize ! If this was true, as he be.
lieved it was, no matter upon what ficsion, or four
dation such a principle rested, it was no other drape
public robbery and piracy upon the High Seas. NI
wonder neutrals would be dissatisfied at a prance
tending to such violence on .the part of the c2r.
'tors, and chicane towards the captured. It midst
said, that this was practised by other countries,
tit this he would not consider as an exception to'the
argument, or a justification of the practice. As we
were first in power, we ought to be first in setting a
1:oe
good example ; and he was sure it was equally 'in.
cumbent on all parties to discontinue, as soon as pos.
:Able., what cod be considered in no other tight
than
as the code of a nest of pirates.
The .CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
could not consider it exactly regular to branch out on
a subject of this nature into a discussion of the law of
nationa, • Tie. Honourable Gentleman disclaimed in
the conunencement all personal reflections, and he
had ended by a reflection on the laws of nations
Nati'a as to the particular practice which was aliu
hies, it was not-only founded on the law of nations,.bv:
even on our own Magna Chatta, which said we wee
to treat other states as they treated our Merchants.—
The case now spoked was exactly similar toile dew,
'fiiiii arid Confiscation Of friendly property found in Aug
possession on a declaration of war. This principle
was acted on most rigorously by the enemy; and he
could not see on what iround of policy or self-inter-
est we were to abandon that of which they took ad-
vantage.' He agreed to the production of the papers
new called for, as naturally following those already
before the lleuse, though he could not help thinking
they had been taken by surprise in the former case.
This arose, indeed, partly from the delicacy of Lis
learned Friend not seeming to wish the refusal of any
document which was thought necessary by his accu-
sers to form a charge against him. The nature of tla
case now brought before the House was, in his el:.
nion, quite inconsistent with its dignity. It was not
to be employed in taxing the bills of costs of Proctors
and Attornies, unless, indeed, along with the execu-
tive functions which it seemed of late so anxious to
exercise, it adopted also the duties of subordinate
Courts. When he gave his consent, now, to the pr -
ditction of those papers, he distinctly reserved t!u
povVer of examining, when produced, whether tleae
`ought to go then to a Committee, or should fiN
be referred to a Court below. There was a notiot
of the Noble Lord as to the encreased revenue ci
France, derived from duties on merchant vessce
leaving her ports, of which he wished to take some
notice. To refute any such supposition, it was only
,necessary to refer to the Report of the Minister of she
Interior, of January 13, in which the receipts of the
customs in 1808 were rated at 12 millions of francs;
in 1809, they bad diminished ; the receipts of 1697
were not mentioned, but we know, that in that year,
from the port of Antwerp alone they amounted to
48 'millions ; so that this one port equalled in One
year, the receipts of all France in the year subsea
quent. The French Minister, however, consoled
himself with the idea, that if the commercial syse
tem was so destructive to France, it must have been:
more so to Great Britain ! Such was the result of
measures which were to prove so harmless to theru
and so fatal to us
Lord COCHRANE explained.
• of
Mr. WILBERFORCE had no idea whatever
the Right
disparaging the great talents or integrity of
~ ,
Honourable and Learned Gentleman who env
at at the bead of the Admiraty ; he was sure a bette.
applied
example could not be shewr. of great abilities . ,
to a great object. (Hear, hear.) He could not he+.lf;
however, lamenting sincerely the defence. set up !'r
his Right Honourable Friend, of the injustice which
r
conduct of til
had been noticed, by ailed gin the ,cond ;,
*Teat
enemy as an excuse ; he hoped such conduct
and
never be considered as a guide by this country,c
;lst we would be ever ready to deserve a continuan.e
of the praise which we once obtained, of being
atilt,
first to break through the thraldom of custom,
,na,
He had
diseontinue a bad practice. (Hear, Hear.)
..
complained off
heard even an aggravation of the evil b
glit m 1
he understood, that when vessels were btvu
,►._ _
privateers, and even adjudged to claimants, . till 0.
four or PI
an appeal, if awar broke out, perhaps in
.1.,
.1... yoga to
years afterwards, our Courts gave we