The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-05-06 00:00:00

PETITION FROM THE LINIMN NlnitCtiNTS.

The Marquis of WELLESLEY presented a Peti-
tion, signed by 700 respectable Nlerchants of Lon-
don, against the rumoured discontinuance of the
East India Company's exclusive t, ede,. or in case
Parliament should adopt that measure, praying for a
suitable indemnification for ex pences and projects un-
dertaken and entered into by them on the faith of
Parliament. The Noble Marquis, while he pre-
sented the Petition, defired it to be understood, that
he did not pledge himself to support the object of
the Petitioners, but he thought it an indispensable
ditty, as a Peer of Parliament, to bring forward tithe
Petitions of the people, in order that their com-
plaints might be fairly enquired into, and if possible
redressed. Ile had heard of a negotiation which was
said to he on foot between the Government and the
East India Directors. lie could not readily give
credit to such a report; but of this he was sure, that
Parliament was tkronly fit and legitimate medium
through which any measures of such high and vital
importance could legally or properly take plate.
The Earl of DU CKI E agreed with
his Noble Friend, that the subject alluded to was of
the highest importance, and that the utmost caution
and deliberation was due to it; but he denied that
any negociatiou, properly so called, had beetienter-
ed into by the Government with the East India Di-
rectors, though his Majesty's Ministers had cer-
tainly endeavoured by interviews, and conversations
with those persons, to obtain all the information they
could thereby obtain on a subject so interesting and
momentous.

EPIFCOPAL RANK.
Lord WALSI NG HAM presented a Petition from
the Bishops of Meath and Kildare, praying for the
right of certain stuted claims to rank and, precedence.
—Ordered to lie on the table.

ORDERS IN COUNCIL.
Preparative to entering on the th;cussion of the
Order of • the Day,
Earl FITZ WILLIAM moved, that the various
Petitions from the great Manufacturing Towns in the
West Riding of the County of York, be read. •
On the suggestion of the Earl of LIVERPOOL,
it was agreed, that the titles only of the Petitions
should be read, as the subject would receive the
most ample discussion in the Committer.
Lord AUCKLAND rose to submit to their Lord-
ships
a few observations which the state of his health
and the warmth of the room, which he already felt
rather oppressive to him, would render him unable ;
to defer to a much later period of the night. lie re-
marked the inconsistent conduct of his Majesty's
Ministers at present, with what those very persons
displayed four years ago, when negotiations were
proceeding between the Government of that day,
and Mr. Pinkney and Mr. Munroe. Those honest
Ministers had the true interests of their country at
heart, and in prosecuting those interests, were never
at utter variance with the real interests of Great
Britain. The present Ministers pursued a different
policy. Their measures depended not on any sound
or stable basis of public good, but on the interest,
the whim, and the caprice of the arch enemy—the
present Ruler of France.
Lord BATHUHST defended the Orders in Coun-
cil, as having the sanction of previous Orders issued
by the advice of those very Noble Lords who then
decried them. .

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was unwilling to
go into detail, but he could not avoid remarking the
altered tone of his Majesty's Ministers, who at pre-
sent professed so great a readiness to go into a Com-
mittee, and afford that information which they had
formerly so obstinately and pertinaciously refused.
It was,•however, a grateful omen, and had it but
occurred at an earlier period, much mischief to the
country might have been prevented.
The Earl of WESTMORLAND justified the Or-
ders in Council, and anied that the present period
resembled that former one referred to; at that pe-
riod there were no Petitions on their Lordships' table,
the cases therefore were quite dissimilar.
Earl GREY observed, that the present was not
the only occasion on which the Noble Earl who had
just sat down had been pleased to compare the Or-
ders in Council, against which the Petitions which
loaded their liordships' table were directed, with
the Ortlers issued in 1807. That comparison had
been the constant and'uniform theme of that Noble
Earl's eloquence. Rut the Noble Earl was not to be
deterred, it seemed, from continuing to repeat as-
sertions which had over and over again been answer-
ed and confuted in that House. As to Petitions,
Petitions had been offered, but would not be received
by Ministers. Yet they came forward on the pre.
sent occasion with affected deference to popular opi-
nion, and yielded to the Petitions of the people.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL was unwilling to pro-
' tract the discussion of the present subject, as another
of great moment claimed the attention of their
Lordships. It was really an extraordinary and sin-
gular situation in which the House was placed, that,
while a Committee had been agreed to for the free,
ample, and unreserved discussion of a particular
question, their Lordships were occupied in previous
arguments and declamation on that very question,
while another of great public interest was waiting for
introduction, With respect to the Ordirs in Cann-
a, he would maintain, that they were not more of-
fensive to America than those former Orders already
alluded to, and under which America refused to en-
ter into any treaty of amity with this country.
Lord aRENVILLE had no desire to lake up
much of the time er attention of the House; but he
contd earnestly wish, if possible, to come at once to
a decision of the question-of that Orders in Council,
and not even wait for the proposed Committee, cer-
lain-as he was, that hi that Committee the odious

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and pernicious measure must. he aband.med.
singular indeed to hear the •
of wtitions, and endearsuring to r:T:nr.ile !!:-
sent conduct of ',holsters, to rt!', tr,
they yielded at present to the p •!die v
• petitions were en the table ; the
ion the forme,. o..caii on on the groni!'l of
no petitions ; but why were there nor ,titi,,i,
Lecaiise Ministers wen!a not re,..elve
self had offered a petition Po!tcr, ~r • *
fordshirt., which %%TS r, fuse:! s !
;of State. With what. propriety •
I talk of their consi•let.:y ? '11:!
Ge. eve of the diseossion, in a. Cue,;: ,•:;
great nueNtintt, to detiin their Lord,',.,,
length; but he could not help rep, line; wi!ti r
nation, the similitude which was attem;,fed j ,
up between the existing Orders ;it Cremch. . •
those of 1807. The former contained tiothin':;
verse to the spirit of reconciliation and ictupn.
amity between the two countries; and he
with pride and exultation, that the principle 1,, cd
stating was recognised and admitted at that period
the perspicuity, nisdom, and patriotism of
Jay. That art. was at that time admitted to
bar to a cordial and permanent reconciliation ! ;tad
measure.s.for such reconciliation were actuary oil
foee, and only failed of their effect, by the intur.
Yention of that pernicious influence, whicitgettelai,;(l
afterwards the hinge calamity of which the country,
front one end"to the other, was then so loudly am.
plaining.-11e would urge their Lordships to annul
the Orders in Council, not because they had any t..
semblance to the former Orders, but because they
were repugnant to justice. Yet let it nut be suy,
posed, for a moment, that he was recommentliwz. or
. would ever recommeutl, the reimmiatiutt of the ma,
ritime rights of the cnuntry. No, if such a (head.
ful alternative were put to him, the loss of American
friendship, or of English maritime rights,
as the decision must he, he would cling to our n;;ri.
time ri;;ltts, and renounce America Drt,
: Goo! no such fatal alternative was before him: nand
it only remained with their Lordships, to consi,'.,l
; the propriety, not to saw necessity-, of rescuing,. by
the wholesome exercise of their wisdom, the pact
and prosperity of both countries from the mischicv.
ous and ruinous pertinacity with which Ministers hate
.persecuted them.

The Earl of DERBY rose to remark the strange
inconsistence of conduct which he had perceived is
bis Nlajestt•'s Ministers on a late occasion. when,
having a lktition to piet.ent to the Prince Ite,eot
from Liverpool, and another Potiticit iv' a di;rea,:i
nature front the same plvce, he received nn kind of
information respecting the fate of eithf.tr of them te!.
til six we;tks aftorwatt, wl;e11, npon enquiry, k,
was told by Colonel that tty,v; had hen
rcferretl to Mr. Secretary Itydcr.
It was t en, after some conversation, agreed up.
on, the question being put from the Woolsack. !lot
their Lordships be summoned to meet in a Committee
on the Orders in Council to-morrow at half-past two
o'clock.