Star.
London, England, 1817-03-19 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGC

HOUSE OF LORDS, MARCH 11.

The Silk Bounty Bill and the Annual indemnity Bill passed
through Committees, and were reported.
The Mutiny Bill, and the Royal Marine Mutiny Bill, were
brought up from the House of Commons by Mr. brogdan, and
other Members, and read a first time.
Tie Earl Of LAUDERDALE asked, whether jbere was any
alteration in she Mutiny Bill f
The Earl of LIVERPOOL replied, that It was only far six
inentka ia.tearl of twelve,. as the Estimatesfor the year were to
be considered at a feline period. He was not aware of any other
material aheration—if there was any, be would Mention it in the
course of the progress of the Bill
BONAPARTE.

The Order of the Day having been read,
Lord HOLLAND said, in rising to call the at-
tention of their Lordsh.ps to the motion of which be
had given notice, he wished .to be distinctly under-
stood as to the motives which had induced hitt to
bring them forward. Whist he might in some de-
gree be influenced by compassion and humanity to-
wards the individual, who had in so extraordinary a
manner been exiled to the island of St. Helena,' he
Must say, that his chief, if not his only motive, was
to rescue the character of Parliament and the Country
from that stain, which would attach, if any harsh or
ungenerous treatment had been used towards Napo-
leon Bonaparte. He had nu wish to enter again into
the discussinn of the justice or policy of the confine-
ment of Bonaparte in the island of St. Helena; he
arias ready to admit that his Majesty's Ministers in
bringing forward the very extraordinai y measure by
which the unction of Pediment was given to that
confinement, had the public opinion along with them,
and he was not now disposed again to quetti,in the
measure. The grounds were kn iwn upon which he
had opposed that measure ; but lie was not such a
coxcomb as to imagine that the opinions he then ex-
pressed, and in which the two Houses of Parliament
disagreed, would now have any weight. Leaving,
therefore, all questions as to the justice or policy of
the exile and confinement of Bonaparte at St. Helena
out of the consideration, he-merely looked to the per-
sonal treatment of that individual, with the view that
the character of Parliament and the Country might
be relieved from the odium, which must of course
attach, in the public opinion, not only of this coun-
try, but of Europe, to any unnecessary severity or
harshness used towards Napoleon Bonaparte ; with
the view also that the character of Parliament and
the Country should stand right in die eyes of poste.
rity, who would not fail to judge with severity of any
netiot unnecessary harshness used towards an indivi-
dual so exiled and imprisoned—(Hear, hear).—As
to any other motives that might be insinuated against
him, if his character and coaduct were not sufficient
to shield him from such imputations, certainly no.

thing be could say would have ary effect for such a
purpose. Trusting, however, that the character he
hid maintained, and the conduct he had evinced,
would effectually shield him from such imputations,
he felt himself fully authorized in treating such
potations with the utmost contempt. He had not
been influenced upon the present occasion hy any po-
litical hostility to his Majesty's Ministers. he looked
to the character of the Government as well as that of
Parliament and the Country, and an this view was
as solicitous that any stain with regard to harsh and
ungenerous treatment of Bonaparte should be re-
moved Irom the character of the Government as from
that of Parliament and the Country. The grounds
upon which the measure was brought forward, which
was to give powers to his Majesty's Goverment to
imprison Bonaparte in the Island eel St. Helena, were.
that it was required in order to preserve the tran-
quillity 401 Europe, and through that the safety of
this Country. Necessity was then the express ground
for this extraordinaty measure, and undoubtedly the
Parliament in passing it never contemplated that any
more severity was to be used than was actually re.
quired for the purposes of safety. It had been well
said, upon another occasion, by the Noble and Learn-
ed Lord on the Woolsack, that what necessity creates
necessity limits; and applying this to the case of
Napoleon Bonaparte, he must say that no other re-
striction ought to be imposed than what was actually
necessary for his safe custody—(Hea►, hear).—Nn
other species of restriction was in the contemplation
of Parliament when the Bill for the safe custody of
Bonaparte was passed, and it was for the express
purpose of this safety that St. Helena was chosen.—
The choice of this spot was, in other resFects, at-
tended by cousiderable inconveniencies, and he be.
lieved he might se/ that an expense altogether of
from one to two hundred thousand pounds a-year
was, by this choice, entailed upon the country
(Hear, hear).—This estimate might be exaggerated,
but certainly the expense of the custody of Bonaparte
was very considerably greater at St. Helena than it
would have been in any other situation. If it were
at all necessary, therefore, to impose harsh restric-
tions upon this individual, St. Helena must, alter all,
have been very ill chosen—(Deer, hear). —He trust-
ed, however, it would be satisfactorily shewn, that
all the reports upon the subject of harsh treatment
towards Bonaparte were utterly unfounded, and he
should greatly rejoice if that were the result. His
object was, that an opportunity to prove the rumours
which had been circulated upon this point, to be
totally unfounded, should be distinctly afforded. or
if any pan of them were true, that Parliament should
interfere to correct the treatment—(Hear, hear).— In
bringing forward these mations, he begged to dis-
claim the slightest intention of throwing any imputa-
tion whatever upon Sir Hudson Lowe, an Officer
whom he knew to possess many good qualities, and
who, he was satisfied, would not• exceed his instruc-
tions with regard to the treatment. of his cap:ive.—
From the part which he (Lord Holland) had taken I
in• the discussion of the Bill regarding the custody of
Napoleon Bonaparte, and his Protest, which was re-
corded on the Journals, it was natural that complaints
respecting the treatment of that individual should
✓each him so:mer than they could the public in general;
and from this cause lie had received, during the last
three or-tour months, several rumours respecting the
conduct observed towards Bonaparte--(Hear, hear).
These, bowerer,eolning as they did, in an unauthen-
Gusted shape, he dill "not think worthy of attention.
At length abtataineat bad appeared, bearing prima
fait the stamp of authority, and referring to (loco.
Assents which give it the-air of authenticity. He 14.
mented the publication of the statements upon this
▪ *et, because be wished that they should not have
been published until by their being noticed in Paha-