who could not be expected to ftand any longer in that relation towards us. Mr. Fox faid an argument used by the Worthy Baronet who spoke first, that the honour of the country was engaged, had been very unfairly stated, and faid that there was no colourable reafon for entertaining fufpicions of the Emperor. He fufpected, however, that the Emperor was fincere in his negotiation for peace, because he had declared it to his fubjects, and without thinking him guilty of the groffeft perfidy, of which even a crowned head ever was guilty, he could not fufpect him of an intention to deceive. It was clear that this declaration related to a feparate peace. Were we comprehended in it? Was an Ally ever mentioned? If we were meant to be included, Mininifters would have been fo informed; but they had never faid that any fuch provifion had been made. Shall we forget our honour then if we refufe further fupplies to the Emperor? In 1795, if he had argued, that becaufe we had agreed to that Loan, we were bound for another in 1797, would he not have been accused of arguing very unfairly? It was a little hard that when the Emperor was compelled to negotiate a feparate peace, this country was to be held bound to continue pecuniary advances which they might formerly have allowed. Sir William Pulteney faid, that we were not indeed bound by treaties, but there were obligations equally binding among nations. It was not clear that it was a feparate peace which the Emperor was negotiating. If, however, he was driven to that neceffity, the blame lay with the Chancellor of the Exchequer in not bringing forward that meafure fooner. He was glad that refponfibility was not with the Houfe, and he hoped, therefore, that the Vote would pafs immediately. Mr. Curwen was against the Loan altogether, though he fhould vote for the delay. He thought the Report of the Secret Committee fhould be fully difcuffed as foon as poffible. Mr. Wilberforce Bird thought that the advances to the Emperor had been a principle cause of the ftoppage of the Bank; he was against the Loan. The Houfe divided. For the original Refolution, Majority, 193 50 143 When Strangers were again admitted into the Gallery, we found the Chancellor of the Exchequer moving, in the Committee of Supply, a Refolution, that a difcount of 5 per cent. be allowed to fuch Subscribers to the new Loan as fhould anticipate a part only of their payments, as at prefent the discount was on7 X No. 34. ly ly directed to be allowed to fuch as compleated their whole payments.---Agreed to. The Houfe being refumed, Mr. Hobart brought up the Report of the Committee. Adjourned HOUSE OF LORDS. Lord Grenville brought a Meffage from his Majefty; the fame as that which was brought to the Houfe of Commons on Saturday, and taken yefterday into confideration in a Committee of that House. The Meffage being read, Lord Grenville faid, he thought it his duty to state in respect to the Houfe that he had it in command from his Majefty to make this communication fooner. That on Saturday it was impoffible, as their Lordships did not fit; that yesterday he came down to the Houfe at the time when bufinefs usually commenced with their Lordships, but the Houfe happened to be adjourned. He now moved, "That his Majefty's Meffage be taken into confideration on Thurfday next May 4th, and that the Lords be fummoned."--Ordered.---Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Report of the Committee of Supply was brought up, and the Refolutions were agreed to by the House. The following are the names, remaining on the reduced lift, for a Committee to try the merits of the petition against the election for the city of Canterbury: J. Alleyn, Efq. CHAIRMAN. W. Mitford, Efq. J. Richardfon, Efq. The Report of the Committee on Ways and Means was brought up, and the Refolutions were agreed to. Mr. W. Smith afked, how the terms in the present British Loan were worfe for the public in confideration of the Loan to the Emperor, whereas when the laft Imperial Loan was contracted for, the terms of the Loan for this country were better on that account? The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that on the laft Loan for the Emperor there was a very confiderable bonus, whereas the the prefent is borrowed on nearly the fame terms with that for this country. Mr. Mainwaring brought up the Bill for preventing the foreftalling of butcher's meat, which was read a firft time, and ordered to be printed. The Merchant Seamens' Bill paffed through a Committee of the whole House. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. Wednesday, May 3. ROYAL NUPTIALS. Lord Grenville brought down a meffage from the King, defiring the affent of their Lordships to the marriage of her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, to the hereditary Prince of Wirtemberg. The meffage being read, An addrefs was moved by Lord Grenville, which was, as ufual, an echo of the meffage, and which was voted nem. difs. SECRET COMMITTEE. The Duke of Bedford faid, that he was not prefent in the House when the Report of the Secret Committee was laid before their Lordships on Friday the 28th ult. He now took an opportunity of declaring his diffent from that Report, and moved that their Lordships be fummoned on Friday the 12th inft, to take it into confideration. He gave notice at the fame time, that he would then move fome refolutions upon the fubject of that Report. Their Lordships were ordered to be fummoned to attend on that day. MUTINY OF THE SEAMEN. The Duke of Bedford asked, whether any of his Majefty's Minifters had it in charge, from his Majefty, to make any communication upon the recent important tranfactions which had occurred in the marine department? If no fuch communication was made, either now or on a future day, he fhould find himfelf called upon to bring a fubject, fo connected with the best interefts of the country, before their Lordships, by moving for the production of certain papers connected with it. Earl Spencer replied, that he had it not in charge from his Majefty to make any communication to the Houfe, nor did he foresee that any communication would be made upon that fubject. Earl Howe faid, that as his name had been mentioned in the tranfaction alluded to, he had anxiously waited for a fuitable opportunity to explain to their Lordships the part which he had acted in the bufinefs. Had any cenfuie been attached to his profeffional character, he would have looked to another quarter for an inquiry into his conduct. But as the blame which had fallen upon 7 X 2 upon him in the prefent inftance related to his conduct in a capacity different from that of an officer, he looked to their Lordships for his vindication. The explanation, therefore, for which he was called upon, he fhould take an opportunity of giving when the Noble Duke brought the fubject before the Houfe. He expreffed a with, however, that for the fake of the fervice, the business had never been brought under difcuffion, for the Legislature would be brought by it into a most delicate fituation. Either they must approve of tranfactions which there was no man who did not wish had never happened, or they muft withhold that approbation, and thus acknowledge that they have made conceffions under the preffure of the moment which they think improper to confirm. Lord Grenville agreed entirely with the Noble Earl (Howe) of the inexpediency and impolicy of bringing the fubject under difcuffion, and entreated their Lordships to allow matters to reft as they were. He had, therefore, no hesitation in declaring that he should steadily oppofe any motion which might be made for the production of papers relating to a fubject of fuch a delicate nature, that it could not be agitated without risking the most ferious danger. The Duke of Clarence took the opportunity to exprefs his opinion that the Noble Admiral's conduct had been perfectly unexceptionable, and that when the opportunity arrived, he would be able to vindicate himself in a manner confonant to the illuftrious character he had always maintained; he alfo coincided with the Noble Admiral, in deprecating the difcuffion of the subject, as likely to be productive of no poffible good effect. It was a queftion that deeply involved the material point of naval difcipline. It appeared to him, in the arrangement that had taken place, fpeaking merely as an officer, and with a view to the fundamental rules of difcipline, to be improper to have complied with the demands of the feamen, however the conceffion might have been politic or proper in other points of view. The Earl of Carlisle did not prefume to give any opinion upon the propriety or impropriety of entering into the difcuffion of tranfactions to which no one was a stranger at the present moment. But he wished to know whether the period for difcuffion was never to come; whether their Lordfhips, as forming one branch of the Legislature, were to be kept in perpetual ignorance of events which were the most ferious in their nature of any that had ever occurred in the country, and which had shaken the pillars of the state to their very foundation? With respect to the period which might be the most fit for agitating matters certainly of great delicacy, there was no man for whofe opinion he fhould have fo much deference, as that of the Noble Earl (Howe). But as a Member of that Houfe, he could not affent tq to the doctrine of Government holding perpetual filence upon these transactions. Earl Howe again rofe. He obferved he felt the full force of the propriety of the Royal Duke's remarks on the affair, with a view to naval difcipline; but what appeared to him to be the question, in a Parliamentary difcuffion of the bufinefs, was, Will you agree to the terms made by the Admiralty with the feamen, or not? If the terms were fully ratified, it would virtually be giving a fanction to their conduct: if refufed, it would fhew the feamen that no reliance was to be placed on the promises of Government; and the confequences this idea might have, were eafier to be seen than described. As circumstances stood, he had no hefitation in faying, that the engagements made by the Admiralty fhould by all means be fulfilled by Parliament. The Duke of Bedford faid, he was now too well acquainted with the iffue of Motions in that Houfe, which the King's Minifters intimated their intentions to oppofe. He certainly therefore fhould not make an attempt to bring the prefent fubject into difcuffion, which he well knew would be fruitless. But if he could conceive any terms in which he could couch a Motion for the production of the papers connected with it, he would make that Motion now; as the tranfactions, however, to which he referred, were without a parallel in hiftory---for he knew of no inftance but the prefent in which the Minifters of the King had entered into correfpondence and negotiation with any body of his Majefty's fubjećts---to conceive the proper terms for a Motion on fuch a fubject was no easy task. If any mode occurred to him of obtaining thefe papers, he fhould propofe it to the Houfe on a future day without any preface or recommendation, leaving it entirely to the decifion of their Lordships. Lord Viscount Sydney deprecated all difcuffion upon a fubject of fo great delicacy as the prefent, as it could do no good, and might produce much harm. He allowed, however, that if it was to come in any fhape before their Lordfhips, that propofed by the Noble Duke was the fimpleft, and therefore the best.--Whether the difcuffion might or might not be brought on at a future time, he could not take upon himself to determine; all he contended for was, that the present was not the proper time. Earl Howe role a third time, and faid, that by what had tranfpired, it was not likely that he should have a fitter opportunity than the prefent moment, for ftating to their Lordships (to whom alone he had to look up for his juftification) the share he had in the unfortunate tranfaction before alluded to, which to the best of his recollection was this: Between the fecond week of laft February, and the middle of March (his Lordship being then confined by illness at Bath), he received |