Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-05-09
GREAT BRITAIN.
HOUSE OF COM MONS-NIarcb

seeing the right honUurabe Secretary for
Foreign Affairs again in his place, and hoped
that he would ALLOW him To taka that oppor.
tunlty of asking him IA question on the subject
OF the foreign relations ofthis country Indeed,
tile only circumstance which prevented such
question from being earlier put, was one
which he lanented, aud which arose entirely
out of the unfortunate indisposiiion of the
right honuurable gentleman. This explana
ilon OF the delay was necessary To show that
II had not arisen from any want of anxiety
| Tor the solemn and important crisi, i'm which
the uestinies oil Europe were placed nor from
amy want OF seusbty for the magnitude of
, the Interests involved i'm that crisis. Indeed.
he might add, that independent of the ah-
sence ol the right honourable secretary, tne
gentlemen who acted with him fSir J. NJ
| lnioshs had felt IN extreme aud delicate
snliclint'e not to embarrass the negotiation i'm
WHICH It was understood his Majesty's Go.
'ernmrnt were engaged To avert war be-
tween France and Spain. Whilst the govern
ment were understood to he Engaged in the
heavy burden OF IA responsibility of So serious
"a nature as that of maintaining a peace nj
this awful and arduous sis, any in;errurtion
ot which must, at this mn,nrnt, entiancer the
tranquility of the British dumnons more
than IT could any other European Power, and
more than il could be- supposed to do almost
together with Others, lorburne making any
SPECIFIC inquiry which could, by possibilily
eifi:'arFass his Maiesty's Ga.ernm.nt in the
conduct oi a ne5oclatInn AT once arduous
aud most delicate, perhaps to the greatest
degree but they nevertheless trusted. ,ha
that torbearance had been sanitary, and that
the negotiation had been conducted upon
those principles OF national Independence
wh'ch became The British character loud
er ,NE h...rl 81.
maintenance 9th great balance of pow or in
} Europe, which, if not the sole, was at least
) an essential safeguard of national indepen-
uence. lie sincerely hoped that in the npgo-
l cia,ion these great principles had been upheld
| that the faith of treaties had been enforced
That the ancient principles of true British
r policy had been steadily observed-,hose
, principles which were inseparable from the
l national honour, and which cnnlradsiinglish-
ed the best era of the history of Great Britain.
| the reSns of Elizabeth and William. fron,
t those ot James and Charles (Hpar, hear
He most sincerely trusted THAT in the nsgocia.
wv" WHICH t was understood had been DEPEND
inS' those good and only great priocinJ,.s n III
ueeh pertinaciously kept in New. Hnv;D. ,,;,,
mus much, he rose for the purpose of asking
ana ne put the question with feelings of painful
anxiety whether the right hon Secretary
ior Foreign Affairs had sill any reason IN
1 " X
? government was likely To prevent that mos,
: "npro'okrd aggression which France was
~" carrying on against the national indrprn
: uence oi SPAN Should the answer of th,
r'oht honoiirablr gentleman be in the nera,i,.
tneh MS other question would be-wh.n M,
! ri5ht hohonrable gentleman meant TO law an
''e iao'e oi the house copies of the corrpspon
uthce "h'ch reirrrrd 10 The late mediation of
h .n'a uHIn''y WIN France and Spain ? He
"optu ne "n'5nt De permitted To cutreat, but
not III TIE doubtful form uf "A uuestinn thar
when these papers were submitted n ParI;,.
meni, and before his Nlairsty's Government
meant 10 take the sense of the hons,. upon
{ theil, tilai sufficient time would b. allowed Ia
nave mem printed and well understood so
n'at Inc h"u'e, after full preparation, couId
decide with Judgment and wisdom urou tI,,
conduct Of his Maiesty's Government At =
great ana nnexamped crisis like the present
lie hoped That the right hon0urable gentle
, .'a' ""u'u excuse nm IN putting this ques-
I Mr.. Canning said, that nothing was farther
from ms mind thanany thing like a comnlain,
against ms non. and learned friend for putting
'iiiS question. 1t was undoubtedly quite com.
Petent Tor his learned friend, according 10
Parliamentary usage, to solicit the infnrm;,-
tion he now sought and with resprct ia his
. delay IN iorbearlng to put il, he owed 10 him In
E s'a'e' that The delay was not only proper and
' becoming, but founded upon "A saluIarv wis.
: dom, considering the STATE. of public affairs
anu also land he thanked him for in dict,ted
I'D asprIt OF benevolent courtesy towards him,
sell. lie was now prepared To answer his hon.
# ana learned friends interrugatory, dis,inctIv
!, and with that candOur h ch was fitting toward.
= MIN, and IN accordance with the ton. III his
i question. First, then, with reference 10 his
= non. and learned friends preliminary obser-
n 'alions, he was emily at this moment Drrpared
To say, that the conduct of his nraicsty's rn
g Vernintnt, at what hc cOncurrcd with him
: ~ Thinking to be an awful and arduous crisis
: III lhe politics of Europe, had been bccaming
: anu nehlllng The occasion.--(H Hear, hear
:. lie desired, on the part Of his blaiesty's
government NO other ground TO stand upon
= lhan That which bis honorable and learned
e Ifiend had laid down {; he desired ~ other
'cst 81 reference for csuidauce of their policy
Q d, uhS crIsIs, tlEn those principles of the
y british constitution To- which his hon and
- learned friend had alluded. as rcrornizinr and
sanctiOnlng the sacred independence of uaii,ns
! Loud cries of hear.'j lie desired Lo he
y Judged by The earnest desire they had eviuccd
6 To fulfil and preserve the faith Of suhsstino
lr"a'es, positive or conditional; and in addi.
+ non to 'hose tests which his hon. and learned
ifIend had laid duwa be desired also to III,
" Judged by tie fixed desire of maintaining and
!, never bsng sight of the interest, and honour
ana Station NJ The British nation in the eve,
, ni the world.---t Chrers) Having made
these general illusions 10 his hOnUurablc and
Il harmed friends preliminary OiIsrr, afions, he
should now apply himself lo his specific uiIcs
' to7--a question which il was quite cotnn,t,,t
. Tor ms liDnOuFabIs and learo.,t fr;.od q, -,