The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-03-22 00:00:00

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Seed satisfied before. He was the more zealous in the
ranee low, as formerly he had been strongly 'polled
to theft'. Considering the American oat to be
of the most unjust that ever this country was engag,
in, he had one time thought these persons almost de-
terred the hardship, to which they subjected them-
. sitiffn ; but We as he approved of their condutt. he.
would not have exposed them to a fiftieth part of the
gtiefebuseol which they had now endured. He denied
that the !MAW granted to them in Ifill, had been
reeeived ho these Gentlemen in satisfaction of their
...claim*. Of the sufferings of the parties he had been
ofiness. In one conversation that be had had with
oae• of the applicants, he could not help saving he
:wondered that their patience had held out so long—
the snivel .wbieh he received was, "Sir, there have
heel several suicides among us already." He would
Itesse the Noose to judge what their state must be to
reduce them to inch acts of desperation.
• • MC WILBERFORCE expressed his hope, that
some compensation would be afforded to that patty of
the claimants at West, who had sacrificed every thin(
which they possessed in the world in the support of
the cause of their mother country. If there were men
echo had drank to the dregs of that bitter cup of,
hope defeated, which makes the heart sick," it was
• those who had for a lengthened period of time been
' tortured with the uncertain expectation of being re-
leased from that misery into which their more honour-
able and zealous conduct plunged them.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER felt as
*deb as any Honourable Member, the peculiar bard-
ships add misfortunes which pressed upon the indivi-
duals who preferred these claims. It was a part of
• the unpleasant duty of men in office, that they were
• compelled to a more rigid examination of claims ad-
t' *tweed upon the public purse, than would be generally
•.ohuggested by free and liberal sentiment.—(Neer,
hear.)-1 he case which had been made nut by his
Honourable Friend, the Member for Exeter, was see,
than which, nothing in the whole course of his'
olleisi life had been to him a source of greater pain.
The claims of the American loyalists had never been
lost sight of, although the length of time that had
• elapsed since They originated, he was willing to admit
must have added by suspense, very much to the suffer-
11l of those unfortunate indivitlnals. lie thought
the time was arrived when some finsl decision ought
to be come to, whether they should have compensation
toot. He never could have oppmed the claims
' upon the ground that compensation had already been
• granted. He never considered that to be the fact,
a;o1 therefore he never could have said so. Ile did
' Olin!: that his Honourable Friend had over-argued
tiAe care, fur be surely could not mean to argue that
11. e American loyalists could n iw claim a coinpenss-
con to the full extent of their losses. The Right
lionouratic Gentleman then alluded to the conduct of
tl.e Unites! States with regard to the claimants. In
some cases British debts had been allowed by that
r:.)veritntent, and the refusal to grant the just demands
of the loyalists was a flagrant violation of the agree-
taent by which that government was bound. But
that refusal and that breach of faith was not confined
to the loyalists, for many British merchants had been
left iu the same predicament with themselves. l)ebts
t ► thl amount of 1,150,000/. were recognised and allow-
ed, 450,411i0/. of which went to the loyalists. The
American States agreed to admit the bona fide claims
of all creditors, upon condition that Great Britain
should restore some of the territories which slit then
rnssessed. The loyalists' was to be included among
t. ese claims, according to the understanding which he
(Hoe Chancellor of the Exchequer) had upon the subject.
'this was a most important point, and deserved Wen-
Con. Either his Honourable Friend had been greatly
misinformed upon it, or he bad. It was certainly tree,
• that the interests of the American Loyalists were pro-
v:tleil for ty the Treaty of 1791, as well as those of the
British inerchauts;. and lie was of opinion that these
.could not afterwards be separated from them. It was
true, as his Hon. Friend had stated, that the American
Attornev-General had objected to those claims, and that
founded his arguments against them upon the tenor
'• of the declaration of independence. He said that the
.s-.vareignty of the I liked States commenced as soon as
• the decl.L.ation of independence took place, and that,
otter that declaration, any person continuing to reside
.I. MIN the States, received the protection of their laws,
an., was no longer a British subject. The Loyalists
' vontemled, on the contrary, that they continued to he
,l'ie subjects of his Majesty until he hail ratified the
.'t'reaty, wherein the independence of the United States
as.recognizeol. The Right Hon. Gentleman expressed
his willingness to agree to the production of the papers
:CiTled for by his lion. Friend, but observed, as he did
r.ot think that the case of these claimants could he se-
► sparated from that of the other British Merchants, and
it agreiine to the motion, he should reserve to himself
;the ri,elit of opposing any future measure which might
he founded upon them. Fly the Convention of 1t1412, a
'f,,rthet Wm of 600,0001. had been given to the British
Government on account of general in which the
—Loyalists had also shamed. But, said his lion. Friend,
litey did not admit their share of that 600.000!. to be a
compensation for their losses. Neither, he could tell
tin; the British Merchants. They had since that
• lied been continually urging their claims upon the
t. He felt as much as any Twit in that House
-far the unfortunate case of individuals who had some of
thent.hled, and.all suffered to the greatest degree, in sup-
porting 'because of this countrn and no man would more
seedily secede to ant proposal fur bringing their case
laelmerthe Hens, hit. the purpose of coming to a final
deeieles won't what it was requisite and expedient should
be dose in their behalf.
• 'Or.•PHILIAMORE thought that the case of the
America. LoYelists stood apart from the case of any
. other. set of men, and that it stood before the House
halve the strictest cases.' of justice that ever came
imiarniti :Their case stood upon distinct and sepia,
rate grounds front that 'of all other claimants. The
American Loyalist' left hti home and every t hung be.
to inyt to him. of embark his all in our cause. Hie
oiodeet was noticed. seen in the speech from the
Ow at the sinter sod the Howse re-echoed the sae-
tintrats it contained. . These claims ought to be
1101/1114164 up* jattica, upon law, and upon pubis
right

Mr. LOCKMAItt Wisbed fo 'ask, whether these
claimsata acre,, pampas who ha settled in America
with iliac. **Oa carried. ilroin this country—still
to the King. and
lsoeives of speculation and
could pot eee why their
frtim those of other Bri-
.were persons who had
,tbst smutty.. sad mast-
And eastilkist each pro-
loyalty: sod • stiegiases.

• • •

owing a latanniaav alkiriairee
siteraly goings-oat: /Tata 'motive'
t prolpeedwipalis':4l mi. lie cot
claims ilitimil.ljie viviiiaced folio
Mil rotekitilt •-flit it 'tlity.er
8114.1444 A blithl
14, las6l. toylike
Per.V. %slide: . - iej
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