144 ANNUAL REGISTER, 
General Gascoygne, moved for 
a creat variety of papers, the prin- 
cipal of which were relating to the 
island of Malta; the assumption of 
the isle of Elba, and the Italian 
republic by France; and the annex- 
ation of Piedmont; and also with 
respect to the cession of the colo- 
nies in the West Indies, and else- 
where, which ought to have been 
Tetained, as well as Malta, 
Lord Hawkesbury, agreed to the 
motion, respecting the cession of 
the West Indian colonies, but found 
it his duty to move the previous 
question on the others. 
Mr. Windham censured, in the 
strongest terms, the conduct, which 
it was generally supposed, that mi- 
nisters had pursued, with respect to 
the deputies from the island of Mal- 
ta. Those deputies, as it was said, 
were not suffered to wait on lord 
Hobart, at. his office, for fear of 
giving offence to the French govern- 
ment. 
The chancellor of the exchequer 
denied, that any indignity had been 
1803. 
offered to the Maltese deputies 3 
they had received every mark of 
respect and kindness, while they 
staid in this country; and when 
they went, a ship was specially pro- 
vided for them. They had tes- 
tified, in a letter, of which lord 
Hawkesbury had read an extract, 
their satisfaction at the arrange- 
ments which had been made. 
After some observations, from 
Dr. Lawrence, Colonel Graham, 
and Mr. Ward, : 
Mr. Canning consented to vote 
for the previous ‘question, on the 
assurance of the noble secretary 
(lord Hawksbury), that, at a fu- 
ture time, there would be no ob- 
jection to entering into the discus- 
sion of the conduct of Government, 
with respect to those Maltese de- 
puties. 
After several mutual explana- 
nations, the previous question was 
carried, on all the motions, except- 
ing that which related to the cession 
of the conquered colonies, in the 
West Indies. 
CHAP. 
