Star.
London, England, 1803-05-27 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS, THURSDAY, MAY 26.,

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Lord BATHURST obferved, that a noble Lord,
whom he then faw in his place, had given notice of 1
a motion which• he was to bring forward on this day, 1
and which related to the papers on the table, as well 1
as to the condua of his Majelly's Minifters ; but the
Noble Lord did not Rate what the nature of his mo. 1
tion was: he did not inform the Houfe whether he 1
lbould bring forward any charge againft Minifters,
or what that charge was ? On a queftion of fuch im-
portance, it was neceffary that the Members of that
Houfe Ihould have fo much information as (Mould ,
enable them to come down prepared to difcufs it.— 1
But they were at this moment wholly in the dark
upon the fubjea. Under thefe cireumftances, he
would put it to the Noble Lord, whether it would l
proper for him to bring forward his Motion to-day ;
and whether he ought not to inform the Houfe *hat
his motion was, and then put it off to a future 4 3,
Lord CAMDEN faid, he rote to exprefs the fame WA :
with his noble Friend, as he conceived it was neceffary .
for the Houfe to know fometting of the queftion in-
tended to be difcuffed.
The Duke of Moaraost faid, he was of the fame
opinion, and hoped the Noble Lord would not take
the Houfe by furprire in bringing forward a queftion
which their Lordfhips had not been aware of, and
could not be prepared to difcufs.
The Loan CHAN c a imme faid, the Noble Lord might
if he chore, bring forward his motion, but it would
be at the option of their Lordfhips whether they af-
terwards would difcufs it. In giving notice of a mo-
tion, it was not neeelfary to enter into the grounds of
it ; and perhaps in the prefent inftance it might be
improper to do fo. The Noble Lord was at liberty
either to Wog it forward now, or put it off to a fu-
ture day ; and if he put it off, be mull himfelf be the
belt judge how far it would be proper to enter into
an explanation of it.
Earl FrrZWILLIAM (aid, he did not conceive that
in the notice be gave on Monday lad he deviated in •
the (mailed degree from the ulsges of Parliament.—
He had Rated, that his motion (honld be founded on
the correfpondence before the Houfe : and he had
privately communicated to Knitters what his motion
would be. He had no objeaion now to Rate it to the'
Houle. It confided of two parts; the firft was a faa
ariling out of the papers thernfelves—lt was a refoln•
tion, flat it appeared from his Majefty's Declare-
' tion that the French Government had committed re-
peated aas of aggreftion, violence, and infult againft
this country, fo as to render the war in which we
were engaged juft and neceffary. The other part of
his motion was a refolution, That his Majefty's Mi.
nifters, in withholding all communication from Par-
liament daring the late negotiation with the French
Government, had produced fufpenfe, embarraffment,
and difficulty throughout the Country ; bad weaken-
ed public credit, and injured our commerce, &c. &c.
—He did not fee that there could be any objeaion
again& bringing forward this Motion on the prefent
evening: if, however, it was the opinion of the Honda
that he &add defer his Motion, he was ready to do lb.
Lord Barittrear repeated his requeft, that the
Motion might be put off to a future day.
Lord Lowy nett conceived, that upon a qneftion of
inch raft importance as the one now under confiders-

don, it was neeeffary for Noble Lords to come pre-
wed to difcuts it , and ft was impoffible they could
be prepared, tr,,efs they had previous notice of the
nature of the .notion.
Lord Ps. Ham faid, there was nothing he wifhed
more tha to have the condua of himfelf and his col-
leagues fully difcuffed and enquired into; and there-
fore it was a matter if indifference to him, whether
the Noble Earl brought forward his motion imme
diately, or put it off to any other day. The Noble
Earl certainly did communicate to him in private the
nature of his motion, and he was ready now to meet
the dircuifion upon it.
Lord Romney thought that when fo very ferious
and weighty a charge was to be brought forward
againß his Majefty's Minillers, it would be highly
improper to prefs it fuddenly on the Houfe, before
their Lordfltips could have their minds made up as to
the opinion they fhould give. He knew that the
propofal for pollponing the motion, did not originate
with Minifters.
After force obfervations from Lord Darnky, Lord
Grenville, Lord Carlifle, Lord Alvanley,
Earl Fivawitetau faid, that in confequence of
the with exprefed by feveral Noble Lords, he was
ready to put off his motion; he, therefore, fixed on
Thurfday next, as the day on which he mould bring
it forward ; and the Lords were ordered to be sum
moned for that day.
Lord Gait times moved for papers which Ibould
afcertain the dates of the annexation of the Priories
of the Spanifh Langnes of Malta to the Royal Do-
Mains of Spain ; and the time when the circumftance
was made known to his Majefty's Government. He
next moved for Copies of all rcmonftrances made by
Minifters to the Spanifh and French Governments re-
lative to Inch annexations.
The first motion was agreed to ; the fecond was
negatived.
Lord RADNOa faid, it was neceffary to know whe-
ther the French had fulfilled that part of their en-
gagement, by which they were to pay for the
charges attending the French prifoners while in this
country ? he would therefore move for an account of
all proceedings that had taken place between this
Country and the French Government, towards ful-
fillinß fecond Article of the Treaty of Amiens.
Lord Pi Loam (aid, he did not know that any pro-
ceedings had taken place upon that fubjea. He would
howe.er make enquiry, and give the Houfe every
information in his power concerning it.
The motion was then withdrawn. Several other
motions foe Papers were then made by Earls Fere-
ettase and Castile'. They were Broiler to thole
made in the H. ufe of Commons. Some were agreed
, ta, and others negatived.—Adjourned.