The remonstrating officers acknowledge no inferiority of naval information or ability to Sir Home Popham. Their actions have corresponded with their professions: and they have not been accustomed to view with respect those whose conduct has been marked by speculative notions. It has been said, the local knowledge of Sir Home Popham, made his appoint ment, as captain of the fleet, requisite. Men of versatile talents have local knowledge in all parts of the world. The remonstrating captains did not discover any extraordinary advantage which the public service derived from his appointment at Copenhagen; and on Admiral Gambier's advancing it as an argument at Yarmouth, he was reminded by the captains, that he might as easily derive all the advantages he promised himself from it, by taking him in a situation that would not be offensive to them, as in that in which he had been appointed to.

"Note.-One of the remonstrating captains, who commanded a frigate in 1790, was actually employed to cruise for El Trusco, the foreign merchant ship, commanded by Sir Home Popham, then on her outward-bound voyage to the East Indies. She was stopped by the Brilliant frigate, Capt. Mark Robinson, on her homeward-bound voyage in 1793 or 1794."

On the 28th of January the thanks of both Houses of Parliament were voted to the naval and military commanders, officers, seamen, &c. employed in the late expedition to the Baltic. Lord Hawkesbury proposed the resolutions to this effect in the House of Lords, and Lord Castlereagh in the Commons. The motion was opposed in both houses, simply on the ground, that the enterprise was not of such a nature as to merit the proposed honours, for the officers by whom it was accomplished. The policy of the measure was not taken into discussion. The motion was carried without a division in the Lords; in the Commons it was carried by 100 against 19.

THE

Imperial Parliament.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21.

THE Lords Commissioners, consisting of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, Earls Camden, Aylesford, and Dartmouth, having taken their places; and the Commons being in attendance, the Lord Chancellor read his Majesty's most gracious Speech, which was as follows:

"My Lords and Gentlemen,

"We have received his Majesty's commands to assure you, that in calling you together at this important conjuncture of affairs, he entertains the most. perfect conviction that he shall find in you the same determination with which his Majesty himself is animated, to uphold the honour of his crown, and the just rights and interests of his people.

"We are commanded by his Majesty to inform you, that no sooner had the result of the negociations at Tilsit confirmed the influence and controul

of France over the powers of the continent, than his Majesty was apprised of the intention of the enemy to combine those powers in one general confederacy, to be directed either to the entire subjugation of this kingdom, or to the imposing upon his Majesty an insecure and ignominious peace.

"That for this purpose, it was determined to force into hostility against his Majesty, states which had hitherto been allowed by France to maintain or to purchase their neutrality: and to bring to bear against different points of his Majesty's dominions the whole of the naval force of Europe, and specifically the fleets of Portugal and Denmark.

"To place those fleets out of the power of such a confederacy, became therefore the indispensable duty of his Majesty.

"In the execution of this duty, so far as related to the Danish fleet, his Majesty has commanded us to assure you, that it was with the deepest reluctance that his Majesty found himself compelled, after his earnest endeavours to open a negociation with the Danish Government had failed, to authorize his commanders to resort to the extremity of force, but that he has the greatest satisfaction in congratulating you upon the successful execution of this painful, but necessary service.

"We are commanded farther to acquaint you, that the course which his Majesty had to pursue with respect to Portugal, was happily of a nature more congenial to his Majesty's feelings; that the timely and unreserved communication by the court of Lisbon of the demands and designs of France, while it confirmed to his Majesty the authenticity of the advices which he had received from other quarters, entitled that court to his Majesty's confidence in the sincerity of the assurances by which that communication was accompanied.

"The fleet of Portugal was destined by France to be employed as an instrument of vengeance against Great Britain. That fleet has been secured from the grasp of France, and is now employed in conveying to its American dominions the hopes and fortunes of the Portuguese Monarchy. His Majesty implores the protection of Divine Providence upon that enterprize, rejoicing in the preservation of a power so long the friend and ally of Great Britain, and in the prospect of its establishinent in the new world with augmented strength and splendor.

"We have it in conmand from his Majesty to inform you, that the determination of the enemy to excite hostilities betwen his Majesty and his late allies the Emperors of Russia and Austria, and the King of Prussia, has been but too successful, and that the ministers from those powers have demanded and received their passports.

"This measure, on the part of Russia, has been attempted to be justified by a statement of wrongs and grievances which have no real foundation. The Emperor of Russia had indeed proffered his mediation between his Majesty and France. His Majesty did not refuse that mediation, but he is confident you will feel the propriety of its not having been accepted until his Majesty should have been enabled to ascertain that Russia was in a condition to mediate impartially, and until the principles and the basis on which France was ready to negociate were made known to his Majesty.

"No pretence of justification has been alleged for the hostile conduct of the Emperor of Austria, or for that of his Prussian Majesty. His Majesty has not given the slightest ground of complaint to either of those sovereigns, nor even at the moment when they have respectively withdrawn their ministers, have they assigned to his Majesty any distinct cause for that proceeding,

"His Majesty has directed that copies of the official notes which passed between his Majesty's ambassador and the ministers for foreign affairs of his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia, pending the negociations at Tilsit, as well as of the official note of the Russian minister at this court, which contain the offer of his Imperial Majesty's mediation, and of the answer returned to that note by his Majesty's command; and also copies of the official notes of the Austrian ininister at this court, and of the answers which his Majesty commanded to be returned to them, shall be laid before you.

"It is with concern that his Majesty commands us to inform you, that notwithstanding his earnest wishes to terminate the war in which he is engaged with the Ottoman Porte, his Majesty's endeavours, unhappily for the Turkish empire, have been defeated by the machinations of France, not less the enemy of the Porte than of Great Britain.

"But while the influence of France has been thus unfortunately successTM ful in preventing the termination of existing hostilities, and in exciting new wars against this country, his Majesty commands us to inform you, that the King of Sweden has resisted every attempt to induce him to abandon his alliance with Great Britain, and that his Majesty entertains no doubt that you will feel with him the sacredness of the duty which the firmness and fidelity of the King of Sweden impose upon his Majesty, and that you will concur in enabling his Majesty to discharge it in a manner worthy of this country.

"It remains for us, according to his Majesty's commands, to state to you that the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation between his Majesty and the United States of America, which was concluded and signed by commissioners duly authorised for that purpose, on the 31st of December, 1806, has not taken effect, in consequence of the refusal of the President of the United States to ratify that instrument.

"For an unauthorised act of force eommitted against an American ship of war, his Majesty did not hesitate to offer immediate and spontaneous reparation; but an attempt has been made by the American government to connect with the question which has arisen out of this act, pretensions inconsistent with the maritime rights of Great Britain; such pretensions his Majesty is determined never to admit. His Majesty, nevertheless, hopes that the American government will be actuated by the same desire to preserve the relations of peace and friendship between the two countries, which has ever influenced his Majesty's conduct, and that any difficulties in the discussion now depending may be effectually removed.

"His Majesty has commanded us to state to you, that in consequence of the decree by which France declared the whole of his Majesty's dominions in a state of blockade, and subjected to scizure and confiscation the produce Rab. Chron. Wol. XIX.

L

and manufactures of this kingdom, his Majesty resorted, in the first instance, to a measure of mitigated retaliation; and that this measure having proved ineffectual for its object, his Majesty has since found it necessary to adopt others of greater rigour, which, he commands us to state to you, will require the aid of Parliament to give them complete and effectual operation.

"His Majesty has directed copies of the orders which he has issued with the advice of his privy council upon this subject to be laid before you, and he commands us to recommend them to your early attention.

"Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

"His Majesty has directed the estimates for the year to be laid before you, in the fullest confidence that your loyalty and public spirit will induce you to make such provision for the public service as the urgency of affairs may require.

"IIis Majesty has great satisfaction in informing you, that, notwithstanding the difficulties which the enemy has endeavoured to impose upon the commerce of his subjects, and upon their intercourse with other nations, the resources of the country have continued in the last year to be so abundant, as to have produced, both from the permanent and temporary revenues, a receipt considerably larger than that of the preceding year.

"The satisfaction which his Majesty feels assured you will derive, in com. mon with his Majesty, from this proof of the solidity of these resources, cannot but be greatly increased, if, as his Majesty confidently hopes, it shall be found possible to raise the necessary supplies for the present year without any material addition to the public burthens.

"We are especially commanded to say to you, in the name of his Majesty, that, if ever there was a just and national war, it is that which his Majesty is now compelled to prosecute. This war is in its principle purely defensive. His Majesty looks but to the attainment of a secure and honourable peace; but such a peace can only be negociated upon a footing of perfect equality. "The eyes of Europe and of the world are fixed upon the British parliament.

"If, as his Majesty confidently trusts, you display in this crisis of the fate of the country, the characteristic spirit of the British nation, and face unappalled the unnatural combination which is gathered around us, his Majesty bids us to assure you of his firm persuasion, that, under the blessing of Divine Providence, the struggle will prove ultimately successful and glorious to Great Britain,

"We are lastly commanded to assure you, that in this awful and momentous contest, you may rely upon the firmness of his Majesty, who has no cause but that of his people, and that his Majesty reciprocally relies on the wisdom, the constancy, and the affectionate support of his parliament."

The Speaker and the House of Commons having withdrawn,

The Earl of Galloway moved an address of thanks to his Majesty, in which he was seconded by Lord Kenyon.

The Duke of Norfolk objected to that part of the speech which related to the attack upon Copenhagen. No documents proving the necessity of that measure were before their lordships, and he therefore moved as an amendment, that the paragraph approving of that expedition should be omitted entirely.

Lord Sidmouth contended that Denmark had not manifested a hostile dis position towards this country. Her army was in Holstein, and her navy in ordinary: she was not at the mercy of France.

Lord Aberdeen defended the Danish expedition, on the ground of necessity.

Lord Grenville vehemently opposed it, directed the attention of ministers to Ireland, and urged the necessity of catholic emancipation.

Lord Hawkesbury defended the attack upon Copenhagen on the ground that government was possessed of information that there were secret engagements at the treaty of Tilsit; that the view of the parties was to confederate all the powers of Europe, and particularly to engage or seize on the fleets of Denmark and Portugal to annoy this country. They heard this from their public ministers then abroad. They heard it from their faithful ally, Portugal. They also received information of the hostile intentions of Denmark from a quarter to which they had often been indebted for the first knowledge of the designs of Buonaparte; from, or rather through the disaffected in Ireland. Ireland was to be attacked from two points-Lisbon and Copenhagen; and they never found the information of these persons, however they came by it, false. And, finally, they had a confidential communication, that in the council of the highest authorities in Copenhagen the matter was discussed, whether, on an option that they should join either England or France, an option which they understood was to be put to them, they resolved to join France. Having learnt this, ministers would have been traitors if they had not secured the fleet.

Lord Lauderdale, and Lord Buckinghamshire supported the Duke of Norfolk's amendment; which was opposed by Lord Mulgrave, and negatived without a division.

Lord Grenville then moved another amendment, declaratory of the opinion of the house, that it would neither be respectful to his Majesty, nor becoming the dignity of the house, to give an opinion as to the propriety of rejecting the Russian mediation, till the papers relative to that question were before the house: this also was negatived without a division; after which the address was agreed to, and ordered to be presented.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

THURSDAY, JAN. 21,

After the reading of the speech, Lord Hamilton moved an address of thanks to his Majesty, which was seconded by Mr. Ellis.

In the course of the debate, Mr. Whitbread deprecated the Copenhagen