The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-07-11 00:00:00

Lord CASTLEREAGH thanked the Hon. Gen-
tleman for giving hint an opportunity or stating in-
lormatina, which he felt no caluctaace to—coseassai.
cate. He would state precisely the intelligence trans.
mitred to Ministers from America, but he would not
pledge himself for its accuracy in every particular.
It was true that discussions bad taken place in the
House of Representatives of the United Stites, but
they were secret, and consequently his Majesty's
Envoy could 'only obtain general information of 'the
business that had been transacted, and of the resolu-
tion that bad been adopted. His Lordship did un.
derstand from the dispatches, that a measure of a
warlike character had been resulted open, although
its precise nature could not be ascertained. This re-
solution bad been sent to the Upper House, where it
was debated, and upon a division, the decision upon
it was postponed, on account of further information
being required. With regard to the observations of
the Honourable Member, his Lordship had only to
remark, that he apprehended measures of great hos-
tility were in agitation, before the arrival in America
of the Declaration which the Hon. Gentleman so se-
verely censured.
Mr. BROUGHAM requested to he informed, whe-
ther he was to understand, that the int rmation just
communicated was to be deemed official ?

Lord CASTLEREAGII replied in the affirmative,
with the explanation, that the transactions to which
they referred were secret discussions in the House of
Representatives, and therefore the intelligence pro-
cured by his Majesty's Envoy, might in some respects
be erroneous.

SECRET COMMITTEE.

The Order of the Day being then read, for the
consideration of the Report of the Secret Committee,
Lord CASTLERFAGII rose, and stated, that in
calling the attention of the House to this Report, and
in proposing to found a Bill upon it, he was anxious,
on the part of himself and his Colleagues to express
; regret, that it had beet deemed necessary, at ao late
la period of an arduous Session, to engage the serious
consideration of Parliament on this subject. Nothing
but a sense of date could have induced them to adopt
this proceeding. It had been hoped that the public
peace might be kept by the ordinary course cf law, •
and that they might abstain from having recourse to
extraordinary expedients, mahout abandoning their
duty to their country. The delay that had occurred
was an earnest of their anxious wish, that Parlie-
merit might separate, without being required to offer
its inteference. Some events concurred to make the
Ministers.sanguine. The county of No:•ingham had
been restored to a state of comparative, nay absolute
tranquillity, by the legal proceedings in that district;
and the late assizes at Chester had so salutary an in.
duence, that it seemed the evil might be combated
and repressed without aid from Parliament. It had,
however, .of late assumed such .a character of malig-
nity, cad of military combination, by regular err
, 'fixation, and an increased desire for anis that ties
Majesty's Ministers conceived it would be a breath
of duty to keep back from Parliament any longer.
In this opinion they relied net entirely on their own
judgment ; but the Lienteaancy of the West Riding
of York made sscb representations of the progress of
the evil, as skewed it coald sot be checked without
further and more powerful assistance. toed
Castlereagh ) was sorry that the Call of the age
had been dl4berged, bet Government bad not it
that time the Inferitatien which" bad since nuked

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