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binet had been more obvious than ever. He was much deceived, if the changes in Germany, and the Rhenish Confederation, were not only meditated, but actually completed, before the signing of D'Oubril's treaty ;most certainly before the arrival of that ambassador, with the treaty, at St. Petersburgh. -With respect to the uti possidetis, he could not recognize that principle, as forming the basis of a treaty, compared with either of the two bases agreed upon. His Majesty's government had proved that it sought for peace, in the spirit of peace; but the conduct of the French had been a. tissue of perfidy and evasion. As to the last letter, said to have been sent from M. Talleyrand to the noble Lord who latterly conducted the negociation at Paris, he should hope that no such letter had ever been received; and that no minister of a bostile power would dare to send to the plenipotentiary of Great Britain, a communication replete with such base and injurious calum

nies.

Lord Grenville, in his closing speech, strongly insisted, that the uti possidetis had not only been adinitted, and acted upon, but had actually been selected by the French government, in preference to any other; in support of which his Lordship adverted to the statement made by Lord Yarmouth, in the House of Commons.

The Earl of Lauderdale, feeling himself called upon for some explanation, entered into a review of his own conduct, during the negociation; and contended that the papers themselves, as well as the verbal communications of Lord Yarmouth, would all shew, that, throughout the negociation, he had had the uti possidetis solely in view.-The original motion for the address was then put, and carried nem. dis.

In the House of Commons, Dec. 30, some days previously to the discussion of the Negociation Papers, Lord Yarmouth stated that he had been desired, by the French ministers, to inform Mr. Fox that France would agree to treat on the basis of actual possession; but that there might be stipulations for such exchanges as should be mutually satisfactory.

On the night of discussion, in the lower house, Lord Howick moved an address to His Majesty, similar in substance to that of Lord Grenville in the House of Lords.-He observed, that in rising to perform this duty, it was impossible that he should not experience many painful feelings; among w which were, his deep regret for the failure of an effort, sincerely directed for the restoration of peace to this country and to Europe; and his loss of a friend and instructor, without whose support he had no confidence in his own strength. His Lordship went over nearly the same grounds as Lord Grenville had done';

contending chiefly, that the first overture came from the enemy, that the negociation was instituted on the basis of actual possession, and that we had been treating fairly in conjunction with our allies.-In adverting to the note of M. Talleyrand to Lord Lauderdale, of Sept. 4, as it appeared in the French publication of the correspondence, it ought to be made known, that that insulting note had never been delivered; if it had, blame would have been justly imputable to his Lordship, for remaining a day longer in Paris. Nothing was more false than the insinuation in that note, that, after the death of Mr. Fox, the war party had prevailed in the English cabinet, and had indulged a disposition to break off the negociation. No difference of opinion whatever subsisted among His Majesty's ministers during the whole period of the negociation. In the last conversation which he had with Mr. Fox, Sept. 7, that great man expressly stated, that, anxious as he was for peace, he had insisted on such a peace only as should be found, first, consistent with the honour and interests of this country; secondly, with our connections with Kussia; and, thirdly, with the preservation of Sicily to its legitimate sovereign, or such an equivalent as he would be willing to accept of.

Lord Yarmouth rose to vindicate himself from the degree of blame thrown upon him in some of the papers before the House. From considering the original grounds of the present war, and the then present situation of affairs, every thing seemed favorable for the commencement of the late negociation. The war originally broke out on the subject of Malta: he thought, therefore, that if, in a treaty for peace, Malta should be secured to England, a great object would be obtained. Another inducement for commencing the war, had been the growing spirit which manifested itself throughout Europe, for resisting the encroachments of France. Through the crooked policy of Prussia, the coalition which had been formed on that principle had been dissolved, and Austria laid prostrate at the feet of France. Under these circumstances the negociation commenced.

But,

at the very outset, great difficulties arose: France knew that we should insist on Hanover; but, at the same time, she had partly guaranteed that Electorate to Prussia. With a view of getting over that difliculty, a verbal communication had been made to him (Lord Yarmouth) by M. Talleyrand, intended to facilitate the restoration of peace. It was be gun in secresy, that, should the issue be unsuccessful, the subsisting connection between France and Prussia might not be dissolved. By the particular desire of M. Talleyrand, he had not committed this communication to writing, at least so as to submit any paper

1099]

Parliamentary History.

on the subject to the British cabinet. It was
afterwards stated, by the French government,
that a Russian minister was expected at Paris,
with the view of meeting there a British ple-
nipotentiary. On his return to Paris, after
coming to this country, he repeated to Tal-
leyrand the substance of the conversation
which he had had with him, respecting the
restoration of Hanover, and the basis of ne-
gociation, which was admitted to be correct;
but, at the same time, Talleyrand stated, in
a fair and manly way, that circumstances had
altered, which would produce an alteration of
terms. However, when he then mentioned
the understood basis of actual possession, no
objection was made to it, nor did he believe
that any would have been made, had not the
French cabinet discovered a great jealousy of
ours, when they learned the death of Mr.
Fox. He declared that he had never received
instructions not to produce his full powers,
unless the basis of actual possession were
committed to writing. His Majesty's minis-
ters were well aware of the probability of
D'Oubril's signing a separate treaty with
France; yet he received no instruction from
them, how he was to conduct himself under
In this state of affairs,
that circumstance.
Lord Lauderdale arrived.

Lord Howick now expressly stated, that Lord Yarmouth returned to Paris with verbal instructions; and, afterwards, when his full powers were sent to him, he was instructed not to produce those powers, without an acknowledgement, on the part of France, of the basis of the uti possidetis: in a subsequent letter, his Lordship was instructed not to procced with the negociation, until France returned to her acknowledged basis.

Mr. Montague declared that he saw nothing in the late negociation but the triumph of artifice over credulity. He much disliked that expression in the letter of our first minister, of perfect attachment to the minister of France; it was too much for the taste of an antigallican Englishman. Buonaparte's main object, throughout the negociation, had been to carry on his designs against Prussia more securely. It was bad policy in this country to make war upon Prussia; as by that means, we rendered it impossible for us to assist her against France. Hanover had been used as a bone of contention, to set this country and The hon. gentleman Prussia at variance. blamed ministers for appointing Lord Yarmouth as a negociator, that noblemaa being unacquainted with diplomatic discussions. Even Lord Lauderdale, notwithstanding the intimacies which he had contracted with the Brissotine faction in 1792, seemed to have been kept at Paris only to witness the fresh thunderbolts of war that were forging against this country, and against Prussia.

Sir Thomas Turion considered that the ne

gociation had been broken off entirely upon
Russian grounds; had it not been for which,
we might have got over all our other diffi
culties with honour. He had no doubt that
Russia would have agreed to a separate treaty,
could she have done so, advantageously to
herself. Yet he thought, as the whole pro-
ceedings of the French had been a tissue of
chicanery and finesse, we ought to have bro-
ken off the negociation much earlier.

Mr. Whitbread differed from Mr. Monta-
gue. Mr. Pitt, of whose character he seem-
ed to entertain so high an opinion, had not
only ceased to cherish political animosities
against his public opponents, but had actually
recommended to the selection of his sovereign,
his great political rival. He was sorry, that
the inexpediency of having entered upon
the late negociation, seemed to be an opinion
gaining too much ground in this country.
Were the supporters of that opinion prepared
to say, that, between this country and France
there no longer existed any method of con-
ciliation?Against such a principle, he
must continue to raise his voice, and to lift
up his hand. However he had coincided with
his honourable friends, who composed the
present administration, upon the expediency
and propriety of entering upon a pacific ar-
rangement with France; however he ad
mired the candour, sincerity, and manliness,
which characterised its origin and prior con-
of the nego
that there were, in the
duct; yet, with deep regret, he must declare,
progress
ciation, some parts which he could not ap-
prove. Notwithstanding the assertion of his
noble friend (Lord Howick) that, during the
whole period of the negociation, no difference
of opinion had subsisted among his Majes-
ty's ministers, he could see, from the awful
period when death closed the scene upon the
enlightened statesman, who first conducted
the negociation, characters which distin-
guished one part of it from another. He
conceived, that peace was equally desired by
both governments; nor did he see any justi
fiable ground for the charges of duplicity, de-
ception, and bad faith, which had been so
liberally, and perhaps inconsiderately indulg-
ed in against the enemy. His reason for be-
Lord Yar-
lieving so was, that the enemy had no interest
in such a system of acting.-
mouth had been arraigned, for a premature
exposition of his powers, in opposition to the
orders which he had received not to produce
them, unless Sicily were given up; but,
between the period when those instructions
were given, and that act of the noble lord,
great changes had occurred. Sicily was no
longer considered as a sine qua non, but as
an article of barter, on a full and appropriate
consideration; and M. d'Oubril had actually
signed a separate treaty with France. He
could not perceive that any injury had res

sulted from the exhibition of his full

powers.

Mr. Whitbread expatiated on the propriety of selecting Lord Lauderdale as a negociator; yet he thought that his lordship had been somewhat too peremptory; and he regretted the formal and categorical manner in which the recognition of the principle of actual possession had been demanded. Occurring at the moment, as it were, of the death of Mr. Fox, it excited a suspicion that the system of British policy was about to be changed.After adverting to the conduct of Prussia, to the former partitions of Poland, to the infraction of the treaty of Amiens, &c. &c. he observed, that it was impossible for him to join in any resolution, imputing the failure of the negociation to the injustice of France, or to agree to what appeared a corollary from it, that there was no alternative but interminable war with France. He must therefore make an effort, though perhaps unseconded, to procure the resumption of the negociation, before the avenues of peace were actually closed, and the gates of mercy shut upon mankind."He accordingly moved, as an amendment, "to assure his Majesty of the firm determination of his faithful Commons, to co-operate with his Majesty, in a vigorous prosecution of the contest: and to express their earnest prayer, that his Majesty may be graciously pleased to listen, as far as may be consistent with his own honour, and the interests of his kingdom, to every facility of just arrangement, calculated to put an end to the horrors of war."

This amendment was seconded by Mr. G. Johnstone; but, on being put, was nega tived without a division.

On the original question being proposed, Mr. Canning expressed his surprise at the silence of the ministers, in neither offering an explanation, nor entering into a vindica tion of their measures during the late negociation. For his own part, he condemned the negociation; he wished for war, as it might lead to a speedy and honourable peace.

Lord H. Petty, Mr. Perceval, Lord Howick, and Mr. Whitbread, subsequently spoke in explanation; after which the original motion for the address was carried without a division.

OBSERVANDA INTERNA.

Fisheries. Owing to the encouragement given to the Newfoundland fisheries by the present government, it appears that whereas in the year 1805, 407 ships, 52,997 tons burthen, and 3514 men employed in the export of its produce, there have been in the year 1806, $77 ships, 64,667 tons burthen, and 4,336

men employed; making an increas to the shipping interest of this country, of 110 ships, 11,670 tons, and 322 men, in this trade alone.

Mr. Stock's Charity. On Dec. 17, ten poor curates were elected to receive the present year's donation of £10 each.-Among others, Jas. Marshall of Ireby in Cumberland aged 53, has 10 children; his living £25 per annum. John Topping of Staple ton, in the same county, aged 43; 8 chil dren; 30 per annum. Henry Johnson of Martindale, Westmoreland, aged 48; 6 children; £30 per annum. Daniel Fidler of Little Wakering, Essex, aged 37; 5 chil dren; £40 per annum.

Propagation of White Thorn.-We learn from a communication to the Society of Arts, that the white thorn, which is so valuable for fences, may be propagated by cuttings from the roots, with considerable success, while cuttings from the branches do not thrive. The roots of plants a year old will afford each ten or twelve cuttings, and in three years, a succession of plants fit for use will be produced.

LANCASTER.

pur

This

Repository for the Poor.-Among other modes of assistance afforded by the Repository at Lancaster, the plan of selling blankets at reduced prices to the poor, has been adopted. Twenty pairs have been already ordered: which are to be paid for by those who chase them, in small weekly sums. method has been found in other places to suply the poor with an essential comfort, without taking from their carnings more than they can conveniently afford at one time, and to be more beneficial than where the relief has been entirely gratuitous.

LINCOLNSHIRE.

Curious Fossil Animals.-A few days ago as some labourers were digging clay in the brick yard of Mr. Pool at Bottleford, near Grantham, about nine feet from the surface they discovered the head and horns of an animal of the bull kind, of most extraordinary dimensions. The weight of the horns, with a piece of the frontal bone, is 31 pounds, the span from tip to tip is 2 feet 1 inch; and the greatest bulge of the horns 3 feet 2 inches; each horn from the skull to the tip measures 2 feet 8 inches, and is at its base 1 foot 1 inch in circumference. One

tooth weighs 2 ounces. There is an imperfect cavity in the clay, in which the body of the animal is supposed to have been, and on each side was a large piece of an oak tree, as black as ebony. Some part of the horns near the tip is completely petrified.

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.

Yew Tree poisonous.

-

A widow womaɔ

of Southwick, near Oundle, had three horses poisoned a few days ago, in consequence of eating the fibres of a yew-tree.

Since this information the public prints have mentioned the poisoning of several fine cows, by the same plant.

SUSSEX.

Antique Ornaments.-The late high tides which made such encroachments at Brighthelmstone and at other places along the Sussex coast, washed down a considerable portion of the cliffs (a combination of sand and other loose matter) about three quarters of a mile west of the sea-houses at Eastbourne, and completely swept away all the shingle below, which brought to light some curiosities that have all the appearance of being of the highest antiquity; at least of a period before the conquest of Britain by the Romans.- -They

opinion of the learned members of the Antiquarian Society.

DUBLIN.

St. Andrew's Church.-The Church-Wardens, and Committee for conducting the repairs of this edifice, met on Thursday, Jan. 15, to investigate the cause from which the fire proceeded, that broke out that morning in the vestry room, when it appeared to be accidental. From this vestry-room, there is a door which leads into the reading-desk of the church, under the pulpit and organ; and but for the timely discovery, the flames must in a very short time, have communicated into the interior of the church. The works of this beautiful edifice have been carrying on near fourteen years, and are now in such a forward state as to permit of divine service being performed there, on or before the ensuing Easter. The coup d'œil of the interior of this church is light and airy; the architecture, not any of the five orders-forming a light and irregular Gothic, which produces a very pleasing effect. The disposition of the organ, pulpit, reading-desk, communion table, and seats of this church, differ from any other (we believe) in the United Kingdon. The organ is elevated as high as the roof will, with propriety, adınit.

consist of gold rings or bracelets, bearing a polish equal to any trinket, when first turned out from the jewellers' hands; a mass of mixed metal, of the colour of gold, and of brass celts differently formed, and in the highest state of preservation; the latter, it may be fairly conjectured, were the weapons of war used by the Celta, who anciently peopled this island from the adjacent contínent. The person who first found one of these bracelets, by traversing the strand in Beneath the centre of this is the pulpit, search of valuables, which is customary with under which is the reading-desk, and below, sea-roamers after the shingle has shifted, hav- in front of this, is the communion table, ing sold it by weight, for nine guineas, and with the words, "Do this in remembrance. made the circumstance known, the search of me." At each side of the organ, is a galwas pursued by others, who soon picked up lery, with a light and beautifully ornamented four more varying but little in size and figure. Chinese railing in front, and elevated upon The belts were found in the cliffs owing to small brass pillars, being the places allotted for a portion of one of them being exposed by the boys and girls of the parish charity schools. the fall that had taken place. There is rea--All the seats in the lower part of the church son to believe, from articles of a similar nature that have been discovered in various parts, chiefly at the southern extremity of the island, that those above-mentioned, were deposited with the body of some dignified person, or possibly with a family of ancient Britons in their burial-place; if so, they must have come from the surface of the soil above the cliffs, and it is probable that some mound, or at least some evident swelling of the earth covered them, when they were in their original situation; and if this be the case, the cell of the cliffs from whence they descended, contains other burial-places, which may be traced by the heaved-up earth. If the conjecture be right, that these ornaments, &c. were originally deposited in a sepulchre, the scite of it will be found to be high, and to command a distant prospect. The ancient Britons seldom varied from their customs.

Charles Gilbert, Esq., whose disposition to curious investigation does him credit, caused the several articles to be collected and sen to Sir Joseph Banks, for the inspection and

gradually rise above each other from the centre floor or area, in an amphitheatre form; and the gallery is carried entirely round the church from one side of the organ to the other. Throughout the church are many pieces of ornamental carving in wood, executed in a very masterly and workmanlike manner. The ceiling is very neatly stuccoed and painted; in the centre there is an oval, of open-work stucco, from which is to be suspended that large carved and gilt branch which was wont to light up the Irish House of Commons.-The walls around, from the gallery to the ceiling, are empannelled and ornamented; the ground a light blue, the moulding and ornaments white.

Powell's Christmas donation.-Alderman Vance, as late Lord Mayor, attended by the late High Sheriff, distributed the Christmas donation of a piece of beef, a loaf, and a piece of money, to each of the confined debtors in the four courts, and City Marshalsea, on Christmas eve, pursuant to the last will of Mr. Powell, a gentleman who had once expe

rienced the gloom of captivity, as a debtor, in one of those mansions of misery, on a Christmas day, without a dinner or means to procure it: but whose industry, after his enlargement, enabled him to bequeath the interest of £1000 4 per cents, to be annually distributed in the above humane manner by the ex Lord Mayor.

OBSERVANDA EXTERNA.

ARABIA.

name

Names of Countries. Europe is called by the Arabians from the Franks, or French, Afranjiyah; a which they gave indiscriminately to all the nations of Christendom engaged in the Cruzades. But, since the Arabians have had a more considerable knowledge of Europe, they have distinguished some of the nations by different names; as Ingitar, the English; Afransuavi, the French; Nemseh, the Germans; Rus, the Russians; Andalous, the Spaniards; Talian, the Italians; and, Lch, the Polanders.-This is of more consequence since the French revolution, than ever it was before: as it is absolutely necessary to personal safety, that a Frank, or European Christian, be not mistaken for a Frenchman.

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Military Hospitals.

There were received into these hospitals, during the year 1805, 204,490 sick soldiers, of all degrees, officers included: who have received attendance during 4,928,909 days: and have cost 8,901,200 francs. Of this number, 181,584 have quitted the hospitals, 6,437 have died, 16,469 remained in the hospitals. The average number of sick per day, has been 13,504. The mortality has been one in twenty-nine and a quarter.-The daily average cost of each patient, has been one fivre, twelve sous, two deniers. Not quite 1s. 6d. English.

VOL. I. [Lit. Pan. Feb. 1807.]

Silent Nation in America.

At a late assembly of the deaf and dumb, the Abbé Sicard mentioned the discovery of a nation in the northern parts of America, which had no language, but used signs as the medium of expression. A remarkable circumstance is, that the signs employed by this si lent race, are nearly the same as those devised by the Abbé for the instruction of his pupils. Astronomy employed to explain Prophecy.

M. de Lormel has published an explanation of the prophecies of Daniel, founded on the great period of the obliquity of the ecliptic! -This obliquity, however, has its periods of augmentation and diminution, as produced by planetary attraction-what then becomes of this principle of explanation?

Motion of a Wood.

From Beauvais we learn that the wood of Bourroche, about three leagues from that city, has lately descended from the side of the hill on which it stood, and has sunk into the very deep excavations which had been made by a stone quarry. Happily, no person was hurt by this occurrence, but instead of a mountain and a wood, the scene now presents only a valley in great disorder: the tops of the trees just peering anong the enormous masses of stone, while their roots and trunks are sunk to great depths below, probably never more to behold the light again.

This accident, which bears some resemblance to the fall of the Rosemberg, Panorama, p. 419, has, very fortunately, been free from its calamitous consequences.

Diminution of Animals.

The animals used for food in this kingdom, appear to be diminishing progressively and shortly, it is feared, will fail of the customary supply, Skins of all kinds are sensibly increased in price, and will soon be too dear for the arts. To choose, says the writer, one example out of a thousand, the binding of books is doubled in its cost within twenty years and we are actually employed in seeking after substitutes for calves' skin and sheepskin. The tanning of hog's leather is advised-if those who are fond of smoaked hams can spare it from covering those delicacies during that operation. Instances of the return of Ancient Customs in France.

The Holy Crown of thorns, given to Saint Louis by Baldwin Emperor of Constantinople in 1238, and which was preserved untouched amidst the revolutionary mania of 1793, was solemnly transferred on Sunday the 10th of August to the Metropolitan Church at Paris. The relic was exhibited to public adoration in a beautiful gilt frame representing the terrestial globe, surmounted with a cross, at the foot of which was a lion, with this inscription, Vicit leo de tribu Juda.

Thuilleries.

In front of the principal body of the pa20

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