Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-05-10
INTERESTING DEBATE. |
IlMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.


going into committee TO confder fpr-
Their Of the fupply TO be granted to his pa.
jeify.
The houfe accordingly refolyed idelf
into committee, and Mr.. Serjeant moved
that ten thouland lcamen be added TO the
number now exiting.
After the qaefion was put from the
chair.
MIR. Francis role to offer afew OFFER
vations on the motion, and it is with re-
greet we mention thar the commencement
ofhis fpeech was delivered 10 a tore Of
voice TOO low 70 be diftinetly heard IN the
gallery. The vote which the committee
were now calledtupon TO acceed TO was
one which involved considerations of the
rof important nature, and before any
member could, confidently with his duty,
agree to il, fome general explanation was
due on the part of his majefy's niniRers.
Ii was of importance 60 the committee to
have fome information communicated re
fpe6ing the fltuation in which the coun-
Try was placed, the reafons which render
ed 70 extraordinary preparations necehary,
the character of thofe with whom the ap-
plication of thofc preparations would be
velted, The views they entertained IN cal
ing on the houlc to make the preparations,
and the degree of confidence to whith, by
their paa conduct, they were entitled
He wifhed fncerely that the address on .
former evening had pafed without any
obicrvation. The difcuflion which had
taken place had put the houfe in poAeflon
of no new information, and at its cloie
members iePerated as completely ignorant
of the circumstances on which the addrets
was founded, as before the motion was
brought forward. While he called for
explanation, as he had hitherto given them
his fupporr, and had repoied confidence in
their conduit. He had therefore at this
moment peculiar right to know whether
circumstances exifed to juRify the CONT
nuance of this confidence. He had righs
to be Informed whether it was 10 the fault
or the misfortune of miniaers that the pre-
tent fituation OF the country was to be at
,ributed. When the preliminaries of peace
were frft fgned, and before the terms on
which it had been concluded were known
he had been thankful for the termination
of difal1rous war. With this fentimenl
he felt obliged to minieers for the peace
which they had concluded, viewing il
merely as the deliverance from a war
without objec9 or end. When the terms
OF the peace were known, they had beer
f9renuouily objected to by gentlemen, o.
whole talents il was gimpoaible to fpeak
without the greatef reipee. He did not
mean to fay that the objections separately
conGdered, did not pohefs great weight );
but viewing the conditions Of the peace,
and connecting them with the conddera-
zion of the continuance of war, the facri.
flee, which had been made did not appear
TO him greater than the object deierved.
With fuch views, therefore, he was
fill willing to give miniaers credit for the
concluhon of peace. That the executive
power had the full right of determining 10
the fra inhance, On peace and war, was
doctrine which he by no means wilhed to
controvert. This, however, did not by
any means interfere with the right of the
houfe to enquire how far the fsryanIs OIL
the crown had exerciied their power in al
treacherous manner, or preclude them from|
their removal, ifrhey ihould be judged in-
capable OF managing the affairs Of the ma
lion under perilous circumstances, conned-
ed with the maintenance OF peace, or the
renewal or war. On thele principles, he
therefore veutured to ak whether, when
Q. ace was concluded on terms involving
comfortable facriGces, when thefc facrihces
great as they were conGdered, as the price
of an Object of anxious defre, and there
was now reafon TO apprehend renewal of
holtilities, the houie had not fair right