210] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



On Dec. 14 th, Sir James Mac- 

 Jcinlosh rose in the House of Com- 

 mons, to put some questions to 

 lord Castlereagh in consequence 

 of the announcement in the Lon- 

 don Gazette, of an ambassador to 

 Holland under a new designation. 

 The questions were, whether it 

 was known to his majesty's minis- 

 ters before the prince of Orange 

 left this country, whether he meant 

 to exercise powers, or assume a 

 title, unknown to the ancient laws 

 of the United Provinces ; and 

 whether he had assumed those 

 titles and authorities with the 

 privity of his majesty's govern- 

 ment. 



Lord Castlereagh replied that he 

 was not privy to any intention in the 

 prince of Orange before his depar- 

 ture to take any new titles, or ex- 

 ercise any new authority. The 

 prince had been invited by a provi- 

 sional government in Holland, and 

 it was not known to liis majesty's mi- 

 nisters what powers or titles would 

 be conferred upon him in that coun- 

 try. Lord Castlereagh was however 

 happy to state, that to his present 

 title and the authority he now 

 exercised, he was called by the 

 spontaneous and unanimous voice 

 of the whole nation ; not only of 

 the former friends of the House of 

 Orange, but of those who had been 

 most adverse to the power of that 

 family. His majesty's ministers 

 however had cautiously abstained 

 from making out the credentials to 

 the ambassador at the Hague till a 

 formal notification had been re- 

 ceived of the style and title con- 

 ferred upon the prince of Orange. 



On Dec. 20, Lord Holland ex- 

 pressed a wish to be informed by 

 the minister, whether the paper 

 purporting to be a declaration of the 



allied powers were authentic, and 

 whether the government of this 

 country were a party. His ques- 

 tion was occasioned by the words, 

 " The first use which their impe- 

 rial and royal majesties have made 

 of their victory, has been to ofter 

 peace to his majesty the emperor 

 of the French. Another question 

 arose out of them, whether or no 

 the offer had been rejected, or 

 whether a negociation was actually 

 going on. 



Lord Liverpool replied to the 

 two first queries, that the paper 

 was authentic, and that it was is- 

 sued without any communication 

 with this government ; but that 

 the allied powers were fully in pos- 

 session of the sentiments of the 

 British cabinet on the subject. 

 The subsequent question be de- 

 clined answering. His lordship 

 then rose to move a longer adjourn- 

 ment of parliament than usual, 

 namely, to March 1, assigning as 

 a reason, the earlier period at which 

 it had met, and the business it had 

 gone through. 



Lord Darnley advanced many 

 objections against so long an ad- 

 journment, arising from the state 

 of affairs in America, the incon- 

 venience to which it would put 

 the Irish and Scotch members, and 

 other matters ; in consequence of 

 which he moved as an amendment 

 the substitution of February 1, for 

 March 1. 



Lord Holland supported the a- 

 roendment in a speech which took | 

 a wide view of the present state of 

 affairs, and expressed his wishes for 

 a safe and honourable peace. The . 

 question being then put, and the 

 amendment negatived without a 

 division, the original motion for 

 adjournment was carried. 



