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Parliament, on his part, unneceflary, by there not being the fmalleft poflibility for him to find himfelf again involved in the fame difliculty. If they did not do that, the two Houfes would do nothing, at leaft nothing to any purpose. He hoped alfo, that due regard fhould be had to the latter part of his Majefty's Meffage, and that fome legiflative provifion fhould be made, which would render it impollible for any future Prince of Wales to fuppofe he had an unlimited credit on the public purfe. Having fuggefted this, he was happy to say he concurred entirely in the prefent Addrefs.

Lord Grenville felt great pleafure in hearing what had been expreffed by the Noble Earl. He entirely coincided with him in opinion upon all the topics he had mentioned, most especially in the neceflity and propriety of freeing the Prince from his difficulties altogether. Whatever the meafure proposed might be, confidered as a meature of finance, it ought to be framed to that end; and he could aflure the Noble Earl and the Houfe, that when the matter came to be difcuffed, it would be found that in every meafure in which he at least had any fare relating to it, the utmost caution would be used to prevent any of thofe inconveniences which the Noble Earl had alluded to. He affured their Lordships that he had no other reafon for not entering more fully into the fubject, than that this did not appear to him to be a fit feafon for that purpose.

The Addrefs was then agreed to nem. diff.
Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

FRIDAY, May 1.

Proceeded on the private Bills before the Houfe.

The report of the Lau Briak Drainage Bill was brought up. On the question that the Amendments be read a fecond time, the Houle divided:

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Majority

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A divifion alfo took place on the queflion that the Bill be recommitted, after which the doors were fhut, and trangers

excluded.

Adjourned to Monday.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, May 4.

The Bill for granting Stamp Duties on Sea Infurances was read a third time, and paffed.

WEST INDIA ISLANDS.

Mr. Lufbington prefented a petition from the Weft India merchants, requefting a difavowal of the proclamations of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis. The petition stated, that they had presented different memorials to minifters on the fubject, and had lately received for anfwer, that, as the property confifcated by thefe proclamations, was ordered to be restored, no further measures were neceflary; but in confideration of the unpleasant state of warfare in which the islands were involved, they trufted that the Houfe would take fuch measures as to their wifdom might feem meet, in order to come to a formal difavowal of proclamations, which had been found to be fo mischievous in their effects. The petition was read, and ordered to lie upon the table.

AUSTRIAN LOAN.

Mr. Fox moved, that an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, that his Majefty be gracioufly pleased to give directions that there be laid before the Houfe, an account of the different fums of money paid to the Emperor, or to his commanders, for the fervice of the Imperial forces, with the different dates at which fuch fums were advanced.-Ordered.

SIR CHARLES GREY AND SIR JOHN JER VIS.

Mr. Barham faid, that he was deeply impreffed with the importance of the fubject which he was to bring forward, and at the fame time fenfible of the weakness of the hand into which it had fallen.-He rofe, therefore, not without anxiety on the present occafion, but, conceiving the object which he had in view to be no lefs fimple than it was important, he trusted that the strength of the cause would counterbalance the weakness of the advocate. He did not bring forward a motion calculated to lead to inquiry, without having fuch grounds as appeared to him fully fufficient to warrant investigation. He would first take notice of the time which he had chofen for the purpose, in answer to the question put to him upon a former occafion, Why he had fo long delayed bringing forward imputations against the conduct of the commanders who had been employed in the West Indies? It was

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not his intention to throw out any imputation against the conduct of thofe commanders. He certainly moved for papers with a view to ulterior proceedings. But without the production of thofe papers nothing could be done. Perhaps from the refult of their contents it might appear that there was not even the fmalleft ground for imputation. When he introduced the fubject on a former evening, he ftated that he then proceeded on the ground of public report; it was notorious, that it was a fubject on which meetings had been convened, and memorials prefented. Such being the cafe, the motion which he had to propofe, was, in either point of view, proper. Whether the imputations which had been thrown out were well or ill founded, the effect of his motion would be in the one cafe to fhew the innocence of the parties unjustly accused, and in the other to induce the Houfe to take fuch fteps as to their wifdom might feem meet. He was rather furprised that the intimation he had formerly given had been received with fome degree of afperity by Gentlemen interefted in the iffue of the question. The afperity had been hafti'y fhewn, and he affured them would by him be readily forgotten. So far from fhewing any afperity on his part, he was defirous to adopt that mode of proceeding which might be deemed most respectful to the Gentlemen concerned in the bufinefs. If the result of the investigation fhould be, that no tranfaction had taken place inconfiftent with their fair fame, or derogatory to the laurels which they had fo honourably acquired, nobody would rejoice more than he would. But reluctant as he might feel to undertake any thing that appeared like a perfonal attack, the prefent proceeding feemed to him neceflary, both in order to refcue their character, and to vindicate the honour of the country. He fhould move for certain papers relative to the conduct that had been obferved towards the French West India iflands, which had fubmitted themfelves to the British arms. The papers for which he should move came under the following defcriptions: Copies of the Proclamations iffued by Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis during their command in the Weft Indies; Copies of the Memorials to Officers, containing Inftructions relative to their conduct; Copies of the Memorials fent home to Minifters, refpecting the tranfactions in the French West India Iflands, with their Anfwers; Copies of the Aufwers of the Lawyers to whom those Memorials were referred.

Mr. Barham proceeded to state the grounds on which he moved for thefe papers; 1ft, because they might be granted without danger or inconvenience; 2dly, with a view to further

pro

proceedings. The fubject of investigation to which these papers related, was itself of the greatest importance; it was not merely founded on idle conjecture; complaints had been received both from thofe who were the fufferers, and those who were the victims of retaliation, in confequence of the proceedings faid to have taken place in the West Indies. There had been laid upon the table that day, by one of the Members for the city of London, a petition from the planters and merchants in thofe iflands, praying for a public difavowal of thefe proclamations- it was therefore the duty of that Houfe to have them produced. If the voice of the colonies could be difregarded, we ought never to be deaf to the voice of our enemies; they directly and clamorously charged us with a breach of the laws of nations, and of war. It was a subject, which involved the fame, the honour, and the humanity of Great Britain. The charge made was no less than that the conduct of the British troops had given rife to a new fort of war in those islands. It was of confequence to afk, Whether the folitary fucceffes which had relieved the uninterrupted difafters of last campaign, had brought along with them more difgrace than advantage to the country. In confequence of the fyftem purfued, we were told, that we had already loft one ifland, bought with the expence of blood, and maintained at the expence of character; and the others, if not already gone, were at leaft greatly endangered. If fuch was the importance of the subject, it would remain with the Houfe to decide, whether it ought to be allowed to pafs without further confideration. There was only one point more on which he should touch. At a time that the war feemed more to be carried on from feelings of animofity, than inducements of interest, we fhould by fuch an investigation fhew to the enemy our moderation and humanity, and that we thought ourselves bound to perfevere in the conteft only from the operation of neceffity, but that it was on our part a war of juftice, and not of plunder. He concluded with making his first motion for copies of the Proclamations, &c.

Mr. Manning rofe to fecond the motion. In order to fhew that no charge of delay attached to them in bringing forward. the fubject, he mentioned that he was one of the Committee of Weft India merchants; that they had presented one Memorial on the 28th of August 1794, and a fecond in the month of February 1795, and had received no answer from ministers till within thete four days. The proclamation iffued by the commanders led to a fyftem of general confifcation. Meafures had indeed been taken to restore the property, but these had been conveyed in a private and confidential way. The

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perfons concerned were not fatisfied with this mode of proceeding: They afked why a direct and open difavowal of the original fyftem was not adopted, in order that it might be conveyed to foreign nations. At prefent the obnoxious proceedings were still confidered as public acts, and the object of the propofed investigation was to obtain a clear and distinct dif avowal of them on the part of this country. Mr. Manning here referred to the Proclamation of the Commanders on the 10th of May 1794. He quoted the King's Proclamation of the 1ft of January, which promifed to thofe islands which fhould fubmit themselves perfonal fecurity, and fecurity for their property. How well the latter promife had been kept, would appear from the proceedings that had actually taken place. He faid, he had, laft year, concurred in the vote of thanks to Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis, for their naval and military conduct; in the capacity of Commanders, he highly approved of their gallantry and exertions. Their fubfequent conduct, however, appeared to him to call for inquiry. In that conduct, fomething might be traced like a juftification of the late Proclamation of the French Commander, and probably the new fort of war carried on in the islands, was only a retaliation of the proceedings which had first taken place. under British aufpices. If we looked to Condé and Valenciennes, nothing like confifcation or contribution had been adopted, with regard to the inhabitants of thofe places. Nothing of that fort had taken place in Tobago. The Proclama、 tion, with respect to its local operation, had indeed been annulled by the measures taken to restore the confiscated property; but with refpect to the character of this country, it could only be annulled by a public difavowal.

Mr. Secretary Dundas faid, that he could have wished to have previously heard fomething from an Hon. Member, who, it could not but be fuppofed, was moft deeply interested in the prefent fubject, Imputations had certainly gone forth, inconfiftent with the honour which through life had guided thofe gallant perfons upon whom they had been caft; but if an inquiry had not already taken place, it was at least no fault of the Commanders interested, who had teftified the greatest anxiety to vindicate their character from the various imputations that had gone abroad, impeaching the purity of their conduct. It was impoflible for him to concur in any thing that might feem to imply cenfure of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis, while he remembered for how many pleafant hours he was indebted to the difpatches conveying accounts of the numerous trophies which they had fo gallantly acquired in the fervice of their country. At the fame time he was aware, that

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