could assure the house, on his part, that it correspondence carried on during a war was his most anxious desire to put the between the minister of the enemy, and house in possession of every document a secretary of state. Besides, in the answer that could, consistently with a sense of to the letter from which the extract is tapublic duty, be produced in order to enable ken, it appears that an apology is made them to form a correct judgment on this for having submitted any part of it to his important case. majesty. If any part of it ought to have · Mr. Perceval admitted the statement of been so submitted, the whole ought. And the noble lord to be satisfactory upon this what opinion should the house entertain of point, as well as upon most of the other a private communication, where such an points upon which he had called for in-apology was necessary for laying any part formation. But until this statement had of it before his majesty? They were told, been made, they had no means of know- the letter was private; but he insisted, ing what were the terms upou which Rus- the house ought to be jealous of such comsia proposed to treat. However, as the munications, and contended, that the communication had been made to the whole of the letter ought to be called for. French government, he did not think there On these grounds he moved, that an humcould be much impropriety in producing ble address be presented to his majesty, it to the house. But he would not press that he would be graciously pleased to this farther. The statement in lord give directious, that the whole of the said Lauderdale's note, appeared to him to re-letter should be laid before the house. fer to something that had occurred pre- Lord Howick observed, that if, after the vious to the signature of the separate trea- manner in which he had assured the learnty; it might be an allusion to something ed gent., that the whole of the letter that that had been previously communicated by had any reference to the negociation had the court of Russia. There was one been produced, he should still persist in his point upon which the noble lord's state-motion, he should not object to it. He ment was not satisfactory to his mind, and doubted, however, whether the mode adopttherefore he should feel himself bound to ed by the learned gent. was the proper one submit a motion to the house upon the to atta:n his object. This letter was not subject. If the house would permit him, preserved in any of the public offices. Howhe would then state the grounds upon ever, there could be no doubt that a dowhich he meant to bring the motion for-cument in the possession of his majesty's ward. This course would save the time servants would be produced, if his maof the house, and prevent the necessity of jesty should lay his commands upon him his returning again to the subject. The for that purpose. To the whole of the two governments appeared to him to be at doctrine laid down by the learned gent. as to present at issue upon a fact. If there was the heinous nature of the offence, if his any assertion in his majesty's declaration majesty's ministers were to introduce any that was not true, the ministers who had false assertion into a declaration bearing advised the insertion of it, were guilty of a his majesty's signature, he fully subscriheinous offence by such conduct. It was bed. But when his majesty's ministers necessary for the house to have every do- laid papers before the house, they were cument that could throw any light upon bound upon their responsibility to lay the this point. In the extract from M. Tal-whole that bore any reference to the case. leyrand's letter to Mr. Fox, it is stated, "if He took that occasion to repeat, what he you are pacifically disposed, you know as expressly declared before, that the whole where to find the basis upon which to ne- of the remainder of that letter had no re-' gociate." If this expression referred to the ference whatever to the overture for negoextract from Buonaparte's speech, itciation. When he said this, he meant could not mean the uti possidetis, but the peace of Amiens. He wished therefore to know whether there was any passage in the remainder of the letter which referred to the basis uti possidetis. There was ano ther reason why he wished for the production of that letter, arising out of the nature of the transaction. It was with pecu liar jealousy that house ought to view a

one that he knew of. He could not tell what reference to that overture might be discovered by the ingenuity of the gentlemen opposite in the expressions of civility, which it might be found to contain, but he could positively assert, that it contained no direct reference whatever to that subject. As to the other ground upon which the learned gent. had thought proper to

rest his motion, he could not discover any the basis of the treaty of Amiens. It weight in it. When the learned gent. had was also to be observed that the French goargued, that that house should regard with vernment had uniformly throughout dejealousy a correspondence conducted under nied having acceded to the basis of the uti such circumstances, did the learned gent. possidetis. The question, therefore, to be mean to say, that there was any thing cri- ascertained was, whether France had at minal in the expressions of reciprocal ci- any time, and if she had, when, consentvility that appeared in these communica-ed to that basis. On the face of the pa tions? Did he mean to say, that, when pers there did not appear any basis but the such a correspondence had taken place, it treaty of Amiens, to have been proposed was reprehensible in persons who had for- by the French government; whereas his merly been acquainted, to recall some of the majesty's declaration positively asserted, feelings of past intimacy, and give way to that the first overture had come from friendly enquiries respecting mutual con- France to negociate on the basis of actual pections and acquaintances? Did he mean possession. The noble lord, therefore, to assert, that it was criminal in persons could not but be sensible of the necessity under such circumstances, to cultivate a of setting this variance right, because, disposition of mutual conciliation, with the though the French government had shuffled desirable view of finally accommodating on almost every other subject, they had unis the differences between the two nations? formly held out on this. Upon this fact, He had stated before, that this letter con- therefore, the two governments were com tained nothing relative to the case before mitted, and he must say, that the declara the house, and it would be for the house tion was not borne out by the papers. to decide, whether it should be produced. He could not conceive how this could be Of one thing he was clearly satisfied, that got over, if no other documents could be there was not, in any letter or document produced, unless perhaps it should be said written by the illustrious person now no that there was no negociation, till that se more, (Mr. Fox) a single expression cond negociation commenced when lord that in the slightest degree committed the Yarmouth was sent over. He thought it honour or dignity of his sovereign. He essential that every document should be had but one word more to add by way of produced, that could throw any light upon explanation. He admitted that the pas-this subject, because he thought every other sage, quoted by the learned gent. from part of the negociation comparatively unthe note of lord Lauderdale, would seem important. Upon the decision of this fact, to refer to something antecedent to the as to the basis of the negociation, it apsignature of the treaty of M. d'Oubril.peared to him that the faith of the two goIt might have arisen from some inaccuracy vernments would stand or fall; and therein the language of the note, but certainly fore he was of opinion, that every light no communication relative to a separate should be afforded to the house upon the negociation had been sent by his majesty's subject. ministers until after the signature of the Lord Howick stated that there were cer treaty of July 20. It was, previously to tainly no papers that could be produced in that event, proposed that Russia and Great which the uti possidetis was recognized forBritain should treat provisionally with mally by the French government. That fact France, that the two treaties should go on however was established in the communicatogether, and that neither should be signed tions with the French government, and until both were brought to a conclusion. clearly supported by the authority of lord The circumstance might possibly have ari-Yarmouth's word. He had no objection sen from the communication from the court to rest the whole of the case on the papers of Russia, that M. d'Qubril was to be sent to Paris.

Mr. Canning observed, that the fact at issue between the two governments was not with respect to the first overture, but to the basis of negociation. His majesty's déclaration stated, that the overture on the basis of the uti possidetis came from France. The overture contained in the letter which his learned friend moved for, referred to

then on the table, and he felt no appre hension, that when the subject should come to be discussed on Monday, he should prove by arguments founded on these papers, that every statement in his majesty's declaration was fully borne out by the documents on the table.

Mr. Canning did not mean to insinuate that lord Yarmouth's word was not a sufficient authority, but he would not admit

that he had not a right to question whether of these, Mr. Fox had strongly solicited the interpretation of the words in which his (lord Yarmouth's) release from France, the basis was supposed to be contained,

was correct or not.

where he had been detained as a prisoner of war three years. He had not himself had the Mr. Sheridan rose just to make a single honour of being intimately acquainted with observation. When his noble friend had Mr. Fox, and for his kind exertions to assured the learned gentleman that no part obtain his enlargement, he was indebted to of the remainder of the letter for which good offices with that minister, from a he had moved had any reference to the quarter to which he must ever look with case, it appeared to him that his word gratitude and respect. M. Talleyrand might have been taken, As to the point imagined, from the interest Mr. Fox had upon which the learned gent. seemed to taken in this application, that the person be so anxious for information, that was for whom it was exerted would be most precisely the case that was to be discussed likely to possess his confidence, and there on Monday next. He was only surprized fore it had been that he was very properly that the learned gent, should have expect-selected from the other gentlemen, who ed to discover in some other part of the were coming over at the same time, to be letter a basis different from that contained the bearer of the communication to Mr. in the part that has been extracted. If the Fox. M. Talleyrand always gave him to learned gent. had looked a little farther understand, that the actual state of posinto it, he might, perhaps, have found session, subject to subsequent exchanges wherewith to satisfy his curiosity. All that upon equivalents, was the basis of the nepart of the letter that related to the case, gociation. M. Talleyrand had also often had been submitted to his majesty, and stated to him, that the basis of the treaty certainly there was no necessity for laying of Amiens would be a source of endless any more of it before parliament." quarrels; and that the status quo ante Mr. Perceval pleaded guilty to the ab-bellum would be liable to the same objecsurdity charged upon him by the right hon. gent., if it was an absurdity to think to find out that his majesty's present ministers had done something wrong, for to that, and that only, the right hon. gentleman's argument would come. All he wanted to know was, whether there was any passage in the letter which referred to any other basis than the treaty of Amiens. As the noble lord had stated that there was no reference to any such basis contained in it, and the noble lord had also declared, that he was satisfied to take the argument upon the papers, as at present before the house, he had no objection, with the permission of the house, to withdraw his motion.

tion, and that therefore the state of actual possession, subject to exchanges upon just equivalents, was the only basis that could lead to any solid peace. He had also been the bearer of dispatches to France, and when he returned to Paris, the French government continued to consider the state of actual possession as the basis of the negociation, until some circumstances, which it was not necessary to detail to the house, led them to depart from it, and then they objected to it, as if we wanted to make the basis the treaty.-After a few words from Mr. Perceval, the motion was allowed to be withdrawn.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Lord Yarmouth begged leave to say a few words on something that had fallen from Wednesday, December 31. the learned gent. in a former part of the [MINUTES.] This day the house met, debate, before the motion should be dis- conformably to adjournment. It was orposed of. That learned gent, had desired dered, on the motion of lord Walsingham, to be informed whether he had received that no petitions for private bills be reany communication from his majesty's go-ceived after the 27th of February next. vernment before he left France. To this he Also, that no reports from the Judges, had to answer that he had not received upon petitions for private bills be recei any communication whatever. Here he ved after the first day after the Easter rebegged to state to the house the reason cess.-Mr. Hobhouse brought up from the why he had been selected to be the bearer commons a bill for amending and explainof the communication to Mr. Fox. The ing the act for regulating the Trial of Conletters that had passed between Mr. Fox tested Elections. Mr. Johnson, from the and M. Talleyrand, had usually been ac-office of the secretary of state for Ireland, companied with private letters. In some presented the 32d Report of the Irish Com

missioners of Accounts, which was ordered bills.-Lord Temple brought in a bill to to be printed.

-

ПOUSE OF COMMONS.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

indemnify the regraters of Oak Bark from certain vexatious penalties imposed by an act of James 1. and for repealing that part Wednesday, December 31. of the said act; which was read a first [MINUTES.] Mr. Johnson, from the chief time, and ordered to be read a second secretary's office, presented the 32d Report time to-morrow. Mr. Calcraft presented of the commissioners of Accounts in Ireland, the estimates of the Ordnance Service for which was ordered to be laid on the table,and the year 1807, and gave notice that he printed. On the motion of Mr. Parnell, it would move them this day se'nnight in the was ordered, That there be laid before this committee of supply. The estimates were house, an Account of the sums levied by ordered to be printed. Grand Juries of the several counties in Ireland, respectively, for 4 years, from Jan. 1, 1803, distinguishing each year and Thursday, January 1, 1807. each assize; and distinguishing the sums [MINUTES.] Mr. Parkhurst, secretary levied for the Militia, from those levied for to the Carnatic commissioners, presented other purposes, together with an account the first report of that board, which was of the rate per acre on the county at large, ordered to lie on the table.-The Election of the sum levied in each county in each Trial bill was read a second time and year. - Mr. Fellowes moved, That the committed.-The lord Chancellor said, he order made on the 8th day of July in the was authorized by his noble friend (lord last session of the last parliament, "That Grenville) to give notice that the noble there be prepared a copy of the return or lord intended to present to the house the returns made to the Privy Council by every next day, a bill for the Abolition of the Archbishop and Bishop of the names of Slave Trade. every Diguity, Prebend, Benefice, Donative, Perpetual Curacy, and Parochial Chapelry, within their respective dioceses, Thursday, January 1, 1807. or subject to their respective jurisdictions, [MINUTES.] Mr. Parkhurst, from the and the names of the several persons pos- commissioners for liquidating the Carnatic sessing the same, who shall not have re- debts, presented their first report to the sided thereon by reason of any exemption house, which was ordered to lie on the under or by virtue of the Act of 43 Geo. table, and to be printed.-Mr. Vansittart III. c. 84; and also of all the persons pos- presented an account of Exchequer Bills sessing the same not having any such ex- outstanding and unprovided for. Ordered exemption or licence, who shall not have to lie on the table.-He then gave notice resided on such Dignity, Prebend, Bene-that he would the next day in the comfice, Donative, Perpetual Curacy, or Pa-mittee of supply, move for an issue of rochial Chapelry, so far as the bishop is Exchequer Bills.-On Mr. Vansittart's informed thereof, in order to the same moving that the Oak Bark regrating inbeing laid before the house early in the demnity bill be read a second time, lord next session of parliament," might be read; Folkestone, although he had himself no and the same being read, it was ordered objection to the bill, yet, as it would that the said returns be laid before the affect the interests of many individuals in house. The following Election Petitions the country, he trusted the hon. gent. were presented, and fixed for considera- would not press it through the house betion, viz. Two from Downpatrick Bo-fore those individuals could learn the narough, complaining, on the part of J. W. ture of the provisions in which they were Croker, Esq. and the Electors in his in- interested. Mr. Vansittart acquiescing, terest, of the return of E. S. Ruthven, esq. though at the same time declaring that it to be considered on Thursday, Feb. 12.- was indispensable that no great delay Liskeard, on the part of Capt. Tomlinson, should take place, the second reading was to be considered on Tuesday, Feb. 17.- postponed to Monday.-Petitions were preOn the motion of Mr. Vansittart, it was sented against the returns for the following ordered that there be laid before the house places-Sudbury. The ground of coman account of the Exchequer Bills out-plaint in the petition was treating. Orstanding, under the act of last session dered to be taken into consideration on for raising 10,500,000l. on Exchequer Tuesday, thre 17 th of February. Rochester,"

tors.

This was a petition, by certain electors, [RESOLUTIONS RELATING TO PRIVATE against Mr. Barnett, on the ground of BILLS.] Lord Howick rose pursuant to treating. To be taken into consideration notice, to propose certain regulations with on the 19th of February. Newcastle under respect to Private Bills. The utility of the Line. This petition to be taken into con-purpose which he had in view was so obsideration on the 19th of February. Glas-vious, that he need not trouble the house gow, Renfrew, &c. &c. This was a petition at any length on the subject. The house by Mr. Boyd Alexander against Archibald was aware that it was the practice to fix a Campbell, esq. Ordered to be taken into certain day, beyond which, private peticonsideration on the 17th of March. County tions could not be presented. This was of Mayo. The grounds of this petition done, he apprehended, on this principle, were, the improper interference of the that all the bills might be passed within the marquis of Sligo and the sheriff, and the session. This principle, however, had been admission of illegal votes. To be taken into defeated by the latitude allowed with reconsideration on the 24th of February.-spect to the time of bringing forward bills Malmsbury. There were two petitions, one on these petitions. His object, therefore, from the unsuccessful candidates, and was merely to complete the principle which another from certain burgesses. Both or- the house had already adopted. In addidered to be taken into consideration on the tion to what had been done, he proposed 26th of Feb. Wick, &c. in Caithness. Pe- to fix the last day for presenting bills upon tition from Sir John Sinclair. Ordered to the petitions, and also the last day for rebe taken into consideration on the 26th of ceiving the reports of these bills. He held Feb. Colchester, Petition from some elec-in his hand a paper which shewed that the To be considered on the 3d of number of private bills presented towards March. Great Yarmouth. Petition from the close of the session, had been for certain electors. To be considered on the some years past increasing; and last year 3d of March. Linlithgow, &c. &c. Peti-particularly, it appeared that, out of 204 tion on the ground of bribery and corrup- bills, no less than 31 had been presented tion. At the suggestion of lord Howick, after the king's birth-day, and 78 reported this, for the purpose of forwarding the upon. This was far beyond what could business, was also ordered to be taken into be allowed in consistency with the conve consideration on the 3d of March. Hythe. nience of the house and of particular This petition to be taken into considera- members. The last Friday of February tion on Thursday, the 5th of March.-Mr. was the day beyond which private petitions Whitbread gave notice that he would the were not at present allowed to be prenext day move, that the order for taking sented. He thought that the parties would into consideration the Thetford petition have abundant time to prepare the bills beshould be rescinded, for the purpose of ap-fore the 26th of March, and therefore he pointing a more distant day.-Mr. Adam would propose that this should be fixed as moved, that the order for taking into con- the last day for receiving private bills. sideration the Linlithgow petition should This would be no inconvenience, as, in be rescinded, for the purpose of appointing cases of inclosures and agricultural bills, a more distant day. This had been done notices were fixed on the church doors in in another case of the same nature from the months of August and September, and Scotland. The Speaker said, that this in others, notices were given during the would leave a vacancy on the 3d of March, same months at the quarter sessions and in and if there was any objection to the mo- the county papers. Every person contion, a notice must be given. Lord How-cerned, therefore, would have full time ick thought the reason perfectly sufficient, to make up his mind, and to be prepared and therefore there could be no objection. before Easter. But this would be as ndMr. Johnstone thought that he would be justified in acting with the same severity here, as had been used towards him on a former occasion. However he would not have objected, had it not been that it was unfair to make any alteration in this case while one of the parties was absent.-Mr. Adam then gave a notice of the motion for the next day.

gatory as the former order had been found to be, unless a day was fixed, beyond which the reports on these bills could not be received. At present, five days inclusive intervened between the first and second readings. The bills were generally committed on the eighth day from the me of their being brought forward. He thought that the reports might very well