Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-05-12
Foreign Intelli enc 8.
IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

&
Mr.. Whitbread called the attentionof
the House to the subject of the Congress,
of Vienna, and after noticing some re,
ports that had gone abroad, requested
that the noble Lord in the blue rlbDoni
would throw some light upon the trans
actions of that body. 8
Lord Castlereagh could assure tne
House that it was painful to HIM TO oD-
trlde himselfif for so long a time upon Their
notice, as he feltshe must this evening /;
but where affairs SO complicated IN Their
details, and SO important in their result,
were tobe explained and justified, it was
impossible for him to, speak except at
Great length, SO as to effectually prevent
the dangers which might arise from such
an inaccurate and perhaps imprudent dis
Iplay as had been made by the honorable
gentleman. The question which he had
to discuss was not so much whether the
interests of this country had been pre-.
served, as whether its character and the
character Of the allied nations, had not
been compromised. If he could show
that the soyereigns Of Europe had con-
Quoted themselves with wisdom, and had
broken no engagement which they under
took to. slsl twas not for hsprto sras- e
aak details on resa a-sms which might be
necessary for suchsdemonstration. He
must, however, distinctly protest against
the species of attack which had beeh
mad upon HMM his absence. 1t was a
system of parliamentary charge, at enee
novel and unconstitutional, that while
great measures were still pending, any
member should from morbid jealousy OF
proceedings which he could not under
stand, presume all sorts Of prefigacy and
bad faith against any sorereigls on I'M
perfect surmises, gasoled statements, q
Illicit information.-( Hear, hear, from
10Th sides.) He called that information
illicit which was obtained from foreign a
gents, who stated in private what they
had not thought proper to avow in their
public protests. Fla government was to- be
nut on its defence, in such an unfinished
state of public negotiation, it was p'ac-
ed in the awkward situation, -eiter OF be-
ing compelled to omit many things mate
rial to its justification, and to defend Il
self on imperfect data, and consequently
imperfect reasoning; or it must make pre-
mature disclosures which might be ipju-
rious to the public service. Hear, hear
It was unfair, under such circumstances.
to cal. upon The House to. review the con-.
duct of an administration. or to pass a
judgement on their acts. He must now
beg leave to decline the cover offered to
him by the honorable gentleman, OF con-
sidering him merely as one CT his Majes-
tvs Ministers, not individually response.
bic more than The rest of his colleagues.
Much as ne sfiopld be ashamed to assume
or pretend to any pl'e-eminence IN the
cabinet, yet in the present particular IL
stance, he could not without a degrade
ton to his own personal character, pre-
tend that Re had nothing more than one
of the number composing the adninistra-
ton. He had been sent to Vienna, be-
cause he was supposed to be thoroughly
acquainted with the views ofthis country
and Of the other contracting parties: and
if under such circumstance he had suffered
the great political machine. to have stood
still for single day while he was wait
ing for instructions from home, be should
have thought he waseebetrayine his trust.
He felt it necessary in the first instance
to state to the House what had been the
result of the deliberations On the slave
trade.
When he last addressed the house on
this subject, he had occasion to state that
the utmost that could then be obtained
from France was, promise to abolish
this hateful traffic at the end of five years.
Portugal at that time, had merely given
a promise of gradual abolition generally
and from Spain nc engagement at all lad
been received.--fie could not state, that
though this trade was not at once abolish
ed, yet all the great powers had resolved
as would appear by a paper to be land be-
fore the house, that this traffic was of
nature SO immoral that it ought & should
be swept from the earth; and they p,edg-
ed themselves toput an end to it. Snain
49, Portugal had heen brought te,abss Oh
It in 3 34ass .as Is Wa sc, y re lad eve:yvH
reason to believe ttat tbs French govern
m INT was disposed to absftte,e the date a.
greed upon. if the feelings OF the reorle or
any favorable opportunity shou d render
such measure possible. The matter
however, had not been defnitiyely set
tied at Congress. but it lad reso we'd that