GENERAL HISTORY. 



[89 



sliewn such a determination to co- 

 operate in the common cause, she 

 bad a strong c'aim on our liberality 

 to promote her views in any legi- 

 timate contest. With respect to 

 the policy of oiir acceding to the 

 engagements between the two 

 powers, there was no object, ex- 

 cept the independence of the Pen- 

 insula, so important to Great 

 Britain, as that Norwav should 

 belong lo a power able and will- 

 ing to preserve its independence 

 against France. It was a country 

 full of harbours, from which we 

 procured a considerable part of 

 our naval stores. He did not mean 

 to say, that for this reason solely 

 Denmark ought to be deprived of 

 it ; but till that nation was pre- 

 pared to sacrifice its German do- 

 minions for its insular security, it 

 muit be dependant on France. 

 The noble lord then made some 

 observations to show that even in 

 the last year the conduct of Swe- 

 den had been of material service 

 to Russia, and that Denmark had 

 made no overtures till after the 

 almost complete destruction of the 

 French invading armies. The 

 question, he said, cimxe to this; 

 how far the Swedish government 

 had shewn a disposition to perform 

 the treaty ? and he endeavoured to 



Erove from facts that its exertions 

 ad been hearty and zealous. As 

 to the compensation given to Swe- 

 den by the cession of a West In- 

 dia island, he said it was not a 

 new idea, and that there never 

 I ♦a* an occasion in which such a 

 ' measure was more important or 

 less detrimental to this country. 

 The return, that of opening a de- 

 pdt for IJritish commerce in Swe- 

 den, was such an ellectual revcrs- 

 j ijJg of the continental system, as 



deserved to be purchased at al- 

 most any price. He concluded by 

 moving an address of thanks to the 

 Prince Regent for laying this trea- 

 ty before parliament, and to assure 

 his Royal Highness of their readi- 

 ness to co-operate with him to 

 carry the same into effect. 



Lord Holland, after some preli- 

 minary remarks on the moral na- 

 ture of the question, as affecting 

 the reputation of the country, ob- 

 served that the noble earl had 

 somehow overlooked the million of 

 English money that was to be paid 

 to Sweden. He then stated the 

 outline of the treaty, as he under- 

 stood its stipulations. Besides this 

 sum of money we were to cede 

 the island of Guadaloupe, in per- 

 petuity to Sweden, and assist her 

 in despoiling her neighbour of a 

 part of his hereditary dominions ; 

 and we were never to make peace 

 unless Sweden voluntarily gave up 

 her claims, or was put in posses- 

 sion of Norway. In return, Swe- 

 den was to do what she was al- 

 ready obliged to do by treaty, and 

 to give us a right of entrepot at 

 three ports, but this only for 20 

 years, although the cessions made 

 to her were for perpetuity. The 

 treaty before the House refers to 

 a former treaty concluded between 

 Russia and Sweden last year; yet 

 it is asserted to have been neces- 

 sary to secure the co-operation of 

 Sweden. Russia had in fact de- 

 rived all the advantage from this 

 treaty. By an act of robbery and 

 plunder, she had wrested from her 

 ally^ part of his dominion; and in- 

 stead of restoring it, had agreed 

 with this ally to rob a third party. 

 It had been asked, were not wc at 

 war with Denmark? He would 

 ask, were the two allies so? He 



