LON 
lacks forward to a fuccefsful iffue to the conteft in which 
he has thus been compelled mod reluctantly to engage.” 
This Declaration was of courfe laid before both houfes 
of parliament; and, on the 18 th of February, lord Ba- 
thurft, in the upper houfe, moved an addrels upon the 
lubjeift. Referring to the declaration of war by America, 
he laid he believed it was precipitated by the expectation 
of intercepting our homeward-bound fleet from the Welt 
Indies; for commodore Rodgers failed immediately upon 
the eve of that declaration. While the Britilh govern¬ 
ment fir owed a difpofition to reltore feamen who were 
proved to be natives of America, tile United-States go¬ 
vernment conftnntly refufed to reltore Britifh feamen who 
had deferred. This was a proof that the American go¬ 
vernment was hoftile to this country. They likewife 
claimed a right of cancelling the.allegiance of 1'ubjefts of 
other dates. He aliuded to their praftice of granting let¬ 
ters of naturalization. For this purpofe all that was _re- 
quifite was, for two perfons dating themfelves to be citi¬ 
zens of the United States, and vouching before a magiftrate 
for a third to be a citizen, and, having relided_ five years 
there, obtained him a certificate of citizenlhip. Thefe 
proofs might be fabricated, and no contrary interell exilled 
in the courts to invelligate them. It was impoffible, 
therefore, we could give up the right of impreffment, upon 
which our maritime greatnefs depended. His loralhip 
concluded by moving an audrefs to the prince-regent, 
approving of the rejection of the propofition from Ame¬ 
rica ; lamenting the neceffity of the war, but acknowledg¬ 
ing its jutlice; and expreffing a determination to fupport 
his royal highnefs in carrying on the war with vigour. 
Tlie marquis of Lanfdowne was glad he could concur in 
the addrels; but regretted, that, owing to the difpofition 
of our naval force, f'uch triumphs had been afforded to the 
Americans. War, once commenced, ought to be vigo- 
roufiy profecuted, that it might be fooner terminated.— 
Lord Melville laid, whenever the detail was entered into, 
it was capable of proof, that, at the time of the breaking 
out of the war, the force on the American ffation was 
amply fufficient for all the purpofes required of it.—The 
earl of Liverpool adverted to the numerous efcapes of the 
■enemy’s fleet during the better part of lord Nelfon’s ca¬ 
reer, to (how that it might fo happen without attaching 
blame to the admiralty. 
Lord Holland would not concur in theaddrefs, becaufe 
it was fo worded as to imply, that the American govern¬ 
ment had peremptorily infilted on our furrender of the 
right of imprelfing feamen ; and to this he could not agree 
on the face of the evidence. 
Lord Erlkine difapproved of the addrefs, and could not 
confider the war as the confequence of the queftion of the 
right of imprelfing. It originated in the former irritations 
between this country and America, previous to the or¬ 
ders in council; and, until thefe were removed, there 
could be no conciliation. It had been faid that this war, 
if the Americans perfifted in their claims, muff be eternal. 
If fo, our profpefls were dilheartening; for America was 
a growing country; and in a lengthened contelf, all the 
advantages were on her fide, and againft this country.— 
We believe that few Englillimen would be of lord Er- 
Ikine’s opinion, as to the ulterior iffue of a conteft between 
America and England ; for furely the refources and power 
of this country are not of fuch a nature as foon to be ex- 
liaulted and deltroyed by the tranf-atlantic pretence to 
authority on the bofom of the feas. 
The fame fubjecl was warmly agitated in the commons 
on the fame day.—Lord Caftlereagh concluded a long 
fpeech by Hating, that the feamen in our l'ervice, who 
claimed their dilcharge as natives of America, were in 
3811, 3500 ; and in 1812, 3100—inftead of 15 or 20,000, 
as ftated by the American government. He confidered the 
latter as anxious to enter into the war with this country, 
in order to alfift the caufe of France. He moved the fol¬ 
lowing addrefs: “That, while we deeply lament the fai¬ 
lure of the endeavours of his royal highnefs to prefervq 
DON, 
the relations of peace and amity between this country and 
America, we highly approve of the refinance oppofed to 
the unjuftifiable pretenfions of the government of the 
United States; being fatisfied that thofe pretenfions were 
not admillible, without furrendering fome of the molt an¬ 
cient, important, and undoubted, rights of the Britifh em¬ 
pire. That, imprelfed with thefe fentiments, and fully 
convinced of the juftice of his royal highnefs’s caufe, his 
royal highnefs may rely on our zealous and cordial fup¬ 
port, and our affording every means neceffary for profe- 
cuting the war with vigour, and for bringing it to a fafe 
and honourable termination.” 
Mr. Ponfonby warmly approved the conduct of minif- 
ters in refilling the demands of America; and declared, 
that, while they fliowed a due fpirit of conciliation, he 
would give them his fupport. 
Mr. A. Baring faid, that an earlier repeal of the orders 
in council would have prevented war; but that there was 
a ftrong party in that country inimical to England, and 
which indultriouffy inflamed the public opinion. He 
thought we had net ffiown a fpirit of conciliation ; and 
that, if there were no more than fix hundred American 
feamen in the Britilh l'ervice, America had a right to de¬ 
mand redrefs. 
Mr. Fofter attributed the war to the difpofition fliown 
by .America to revive forgotten caufes of difpnte. As 
long as Walhington prefided over their councils, Ame¬ 
rica was true to her own interefts; but, when he defend¬ 
ed into the grave, and the influence of his policy had fub- 
fided, a new fyftem and new ineafures were adopted. 
Mr. Whitbread declared, that he confidered America to 
have been ill-treated by both belligerents ; and, after a pro- 
trailed feries of aggravated infults, had declared againlt 
us, hut not for France. He confidered the frauds and 
perjuries of the praftice of granting certificates only to be 
equalled by the perjuries and horrors of the licenfe-fyftem. 
—Mr. Canning, in an able fpeech, fupported the addrefs, 
but regretted the manner in which the war had been con¬ 
duced.—The addrefs was carried un^nimoully in both 
houfes. 
It was not unreafonable to expefl, that at this moment 
the claims of the head of the houfe of Bourbon to the 
ufurped throne of France would be publicly renewed. 
Wilhing to difclofe to the inhabitants of the French em¬ 
pire his real difpofitions, and the conduct he intends to 1 
follow, when Providence (hall replace him upon the throne 
of his ancellors, the titular fovereign, Louis XVIII. pub- 
lilhed the following proclamation, dated Hartwell, Feb. 1,. 
1813. 
“ The moment is at length arrived, when Divine Pro¬ 
vidence appears ready to break in pieces the inftrument 
of its wrath. The ufurper of the throne of St. Louis, the 
devaftator of Europe, experiences reveries in his turn. 
Shall they have no other effeft but that of aggravating 
the calamities of France; and will (he not dare to over¬ 
turn an odious power, no longer protefted by the illufions 
of viftory ? What prejudices or what fears can now pre¬ 
vent her from throwing lierfelf into the arms of her king 5. 
and from recognizing, in the eftablilhment of his legi¬ 
timate authority, the only pledge of union, peace, and 
happinefs, which his promifes have fo often guaranteed 
to his oppreffed lubjecls ? Being neither able nor in¬ 
clined to obtain, but by their efforts, that throne which 
his rights and their affeftion can alone confirm, what 
willies fliould be adv-erfe to thofe which he has invariably 
entertained ? what doubt can be darted with regard to his 
paternal intentions ? The king has faid in his preceding 
declarations, and he reiterates the affurance, that the ad- 
miniftrative and judicial bodies (hall be maintained in the 
plenitude of their powers; that he will preferve their 
places to thofe wdio at prefent hold them, and who {hall 
take the oath of fidelity to him; that the tribunals, depo¬ 
sitaries of the laws, (hall prohibit all profecutions bearing 
relation to thofe unhappy times of which his return will 
have for ever healed the oblivion ; that, in fine, the Code 
polluted 
B*. 
