The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-04-30 00:00:00

MITTBE.

The SPEAKER informed the House that it was
his duty to submit to them the question, before going
into the CoMmittee, whether witnesses should be
examined, who might happen to have been within
I the hearing of the examination of previous witnesses.
He thou& it necessary to know the pleasure of the
I House upon this subject for the regulation of his
own conduct: at the same time he should state, that
the general rule of the Hobe was, that no witness
I could be e.amiued who had heard the examination of
other witnesses..
•
After some conversatidn between Mr. Bronghigh,
Lord Stanley, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Ryder, and Mi.
Bathutst,-,
The SPEAKER signified to the House that he
should leave the question as it was, till some case
arose in the course of examination to which exception
might be taken, and he should then collect the sense
of the House upon it.
•
The Order of the Day being read for the House
resolving itself Lute a Committee, the question was
put, that th Speeker should leave the Chair, when
Sir THO.vtAS TURTON rose : know what was
the precise object the Committee had in view ? He !
was not in the House on the preceding evetti..k, but,
he understood that there was tw inte:ition of ccdres-
sing the grievances f which the Petitioners corn-
plained, but merely io enquire whence they arose.
,If such was to be the case, he thougLt it only in-
.ulting the complaints of the people, and that such
ould b. the case he had no doubt, when he looked
at the Declaration issued by his Majesty's Govern-
ment, within the last week. In Litt Declaration it
was distinctly nvowed, that the Orders in Council
would not be repealed, iinless the Berlin and Milan
Decrees were revoked ; if that was the determi-
nation of the Government, he n ould ask, where
was the use of going into the Committee ? He wished I
also to know from another Right Honourable Gen-
tleman (Mr. Rose), whether he had really stated on
the preceding evening, that America would not now
be satisfied with the mere repeal of the Orders in
Council ?

Mr. ROSE stated, in explanation, that what he
said was, that it did not follow of course, that Ame-
rica would be satisfied with the repeal of the Orders.
in Council, because there were were other points of
discussion between that country and this, not imme-
diately connected with those orders.
Mr.. STEPHEN explained.

The CHAINCELL6ft of the EXCHEQUER ells-
tinctly avowed that the Declaration undoubtedly
contained the opinion of his Majesty's Government
upon the subject in question ; and he thought it I
possible that America could any longer maintain that
the Berlin and Milan Decrees were repealed; unless
she meant to make common cause with France in the
support of principles subvessive of all the acknow.
!edged maritime laws by which nations are governed.
With re7ard to what had fallen from the Honourable
Baronet as to ins;.:ting the Petitioners at their Bar,
he thought it rather a curious accusation. if the
Go►croment had reftts., ! unquir.), they would then I
2rtainly have been told that they insulted the voice
of the people ; al.c now that they consented to en-
quiry,
•they were still to be• told the same! The
simple business'of the Comi..atee he conceived to be,
to ascertain to w..at ca-se'tl epresent distresses of
the country was ascribable ; and if it should even be
found that they resulted frt.. the operation of the
Orders in Council, it would then be an 'ulterior con-4,
sidesatiou for the House to et:ter upon, whether it
would be expedient to repeal those Orders in Coun-
cil, or to continue them, as the means of escaping
greater dangers and greater distress.
Mr. WHITBREAD said, the Right Hon. Gentle.
man (Perceval) had not willingly gone into the I
Committee, bat had been driven into it by the House.
The Right honourable Gentleman was anxious to ;
drive the country into a war with America, and 'he
(Mr. Whitbread) was anxious to get. into the Com-
mittee, which, he was satisfied, would be adverse
frem the views of the Right Honourable Gentleman.
Sir T. TURTON explained, by saying, tbat all
he meant was this, if the Right Honourable Gentle.
man (Perceval) and his friends went into the Com-
mittee with a predetermined resolution, whatever
might be the nature of the evidence, not to grant
relief, the effect of
.this would be to trifle with the
feelings of the public.
Mr. WILBERFORCE was satisfied his Right
Ilonourable Friend (Perceval) had agreed to go into
the Committee really for the purpose of ascertaining ;
the causes of the sufferings of the Manufacturers,
and the practicability of removing them. The mere
entering into a Committee on the subject of the Or-
ders in Council, however, ought not, he contended,
to be construed into a relinquishment of them. He
gave Ministers the credit of believing, that in going
into the Committee, they wished to hear, and, if
possible, to redress'all the sufferjugs of the people. I
Mr. BROUGHAM begged the House to bear in'
mind, that this was no ordinary investigation. He
did not say that the country was in a state of unex- I
ampled distress, but, surely, he might 'say, that it
was in a state isf unexampled complaint. Complaints
had reached the House from all quarters; and be
trusted Gentlemen would go into the discussion with I
that temper and moderation which was becoming,
laying aside all party views and prepossessions. • For I
his own pirt, he declared he should ge•into the en-
quiry
with the same unbiassed mind as if by were ,
about to step as a Juryman into a Jury-box. He
congratulated the House on the Resolution to go into

LONDON:
11117111iD1411', APRIL 30, lint

AVOTHER FLAG OF TRUCE.

It will be seen by the subjoined letter, that 80.
NAPARTE hits not been *long in returning a reply to
the communication lately transmitted by our Gover-
nment, in answer to his dispatch, received in the be-
ginning of last week. Would to GOD that the de•
plorable state of the country may induce Ministers
to listen to the proposals, which, we have no doubt,
have been made by the Fazocn EMPEROR; for nego-
ciating a General Peace.

DOVER, 29th Amur., Isfl, 3 r. x.

I am just infgrmed that .a boat bearing a Hag of
truce is reaching over from the other side, and I
shall take care to be on the alert to pick up any
intelligence she may bring.

rouß, r. M.

The Charles schooner has taken the boat in tow,
and Lieut. LITTLE is making towards the shore with
the dispatches.

RAU-PAST 7004.
A chaise and four has just set off from the Mail-
coach Office with the Lieutenant, for the Admiral's
Office, Deal, from, whence the dispatches will be
forwarded to London. A French Officer weks the

bearer of the dispatches, and is dor ‘ined on board
the Charles. Nothing has transpired.
Stocks rose one per cent. this morning in conse-
quence of the above arriv..l.