lib] ANNUAL REGISTER, ISU. 



as being the regular document for 

 lurther [jioceediiigs, 



A siuiilar qiiestion from Mr. C, 

 Wynne, iu the House of Commons, 

 produced the same avowal of the 

 hlockade from the Chancellor of 

 the Exchequer. 



In both houses conversations 

 were brought on relative to the 

 Danish treaty, the pending nego- 

 ciations which Norway, and the 

 Ijlockade, on May 2 and b, which, 

 as no proceedings were founded on 

 them, it is unnecessary here to 

 report. 



On May 10, Earl Grei/ brought 

 oir his announced motion in the 

 House of Lords, prefaced with a 

 speech to the following effect. — 

 After some general observations on 

 the importance of a decision in 

 which the rights of a whole nation 

 were at stake, he said, the subjects 

 which presented themselves to the 

 consideration of their lordships 

 were, — 1. Whether, under a fair 

 construction of the treaty with 

 Sweden, such obligations can be 

 urged as must be contended for to 

 justify the measures now pursuing : 



2. Whether the obligations them- 

 selves are such as can be vindicated 

 according to the established prin- 

 ciples of the law of nations, and 

 the political rights of mankind : 



3. Whether the King of Sweden, 

 by the faithful performance of his 

 part of the contract, v.as entitled 

 to call upon us for the faithful dis- 

 charge of our part : 4. Whether 

 the maxims of sound policy could 

 justify the measures pursuing 

 against Norway. 



With respect to the first, he ob- 

 served, that we had acceded to a 

 treaty between Russia and Swe- 

 tleii, by wliich mc agreed, pro- 



vided Sweden performed ccrtjin 

 conditions, not to o,j|)0.-e the an- 

 nexation of Norway to Sweden, but 

 to use our good offices in obtaining 

 it, and even to employ force for 

 the purpose, if necessary. But 

 what were the conditions upon 

 which the employment of force 

 depended ? the refusal of Denmark 

 to join the Northern Alliance. Jf, 

 therefore, by our co-operation, we 

 made the King of Denmark join 

 the allied powers, we had fultilled 

 our stipulation. The subsequent 

 condition of the people of Norway 

 formed no part of our engagement ; 

 we did not guarantee the peaceable 

 possession of the country to Swe- 

 den. It deserved particular re- 

 mark, that Russia had guaranteed 

 this possession, but in our treaty 

 we liad accepted such guaranty. 

 Our ministers themselves had so 

 construed it; for in an article of 

 our treaty with Denmark is the 

 following declaration: — " Whereas, 

 his Danish Majesty, in virtue of 

 the treaty of peace this <lay con- 

 cluded with the King of Sweden, 

 has to his said Majesty ceded Nor- 

 way for a certain provided indem- 

 nity ; his Britannic Majesty, who b 

 has thus seen hisenjiagements con- ' 

 tracted with Sweden in this re|)ort 

 fulfilled, promises, &c." More- 

 over, in a former discussion of the 

 Swedish treaty, Lord Castlereagh 

 had expresslj' declared that uo 

 guarantj' was contracted with 

 Sweden for the peaceable posses- 

 sion of Norway. With regard to 

 the question of right, whether this 

 was an obligation which we couhl 

 contract, his Lordship maintained 

 that it was fundamentally void, as 

 being contrary to the most ac- 

 knowledged principles of law and 



