PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSIONS.
A.D. 1800
On Christmas day of the preceding year, the first consul, Napoleon, addressed a letter from the ancient palace of the Bourbons to the King of Great Britain, indicating a desire of peace in these terms:—“How can the two most enlightened nations of Europe, powerful and strong beyond what their safety and independence require, sacrifice to ideas of vain greatness, the benefits of commerce, internal prosperity, and domestic happiness? How is it that they do not feel that peace is of the first importance as well as the first glory? These sentiments cannot be foreign to the heart of your majesty, who reign over a free people, and with the sole view of rendering them happy. France and England, by the abuse of their strength, may still, for the misfortune of all nations, long retard the period of their exhaustion, but I will venture to say, that the fate of all civilized nations is attached to the termination of a war which involves the whole world.” The answer given to this letter intimated, that the French government afforded no ground for trust; but notwithstanding this repulse, Napoleon made another attempt at negociation. Talleyrand, in a letter to the British secretary, vindicated France from the censures contained in this reply; throwing the blame of war on the league of European powers, and offering a suspension of arms, that plenipotentiaries might meet at Dunkirk or elsewhere, as might be agreed upon, for the purpose of making a treaty of peace. The reply to this communication was equally unsatisfactory as that made to the letter of the first consul. His majesty expressed his concern that the unprovoked aggressions of France were defended by her present ruler; and refused to enter into a refutation of allegations universally exploded, and, as far as his own conduct was concerned, utterly groundless. This correspondence was the first subject of importance which engaged the attention of parliament after its adjournment; and while the minority animadverted on the precipitancy by which the door was closed against all hopes of pacification, the majority approved of what had been done, and it was determined to prosecute the war with vigour.
On the 17th of February a debate took place on a royal message, in which his majesty, after stating that he was concerting such engagements with the Emperor of Germany, the Elector of Bavaria, and other powers of the empire as might be conducive to the advantage of the common cause in the course of the ensuing campaign, informed the house that he was desirous of authorising his minister to make provisionally such advances of money as might be necessary for this purpose. Pitt declared that £500,000 was all that he required at the commencement; and after some little opposition, his motion for the grant was carried by a large majority. Ministers were also equally well supported in a proposal, made by opposition, for an inquiry into the causes of the disgraces which had attended the British arms in Holland: it was quashed at once.
The total supplies voted for this year was £47,900,739. The income-tax was continued; and there was a loan of £21,000,000, including a vote of credit. For two months 120,000 seamen and 90,000 soldiers were granted, exclusive of subsidiaries; but for the rest of the year 10,000 were deducted from each number. On the annual motion for renewing the act for suspending the Habeas Corpus bill, there was a stormy debate; but the measure was carried with the usual majorities. An attempt made by a maniac named Hadfield to shoot the king in Drury-lane theatre, led to the insertion of two additional clauses in the insanity bill, by which the privilege of bail to alleged lunatics was abridged, and the personal safety of the sovereign thereby consulted. Subsequently a committee of each house was appointed to consider of the most effectual means for remedying the distress which prevailed at this time, from a scarcity of corn; and a bill was brought in and passed, prohibiting the sale of bread which had not been baked twenty-four hours, it being generally admitted that stale bread satisfied the appetite sooner than new bread. The Archbishop of Canterbury recommended a series of resolutions in the upper house, and a voluntary association, by which each of their lordships should bind himself to lessen the consumption of bread and flour in his family, by using such articles as might be conveniently substituted in the place thereof. These resolutions were passed unanimously in the upper house; and the commons, from a message sent them from the lords, fully concurred with their lordships. This example of the lords and commons was followed very generally by the upper classes throughout the kingdom; and thus effectual relief was afforded by the simple means of self-denial.
Another measure taken into consideration this session tended to morality of conduct. Of late the crime of adultery had become very prevalent; and it was thought by political moralists that intermarriage, permitted to the offending parties after a divorce, was one fertile source of crime. A bill was proposed by Lord Auckland to prevent such intermarriage; but it was rejected by a considerable majority, it being doubted whether it would prove effectual to the diminishing of the crime to which it referred.
Among other parliamentary topics discussed this session was that of the affairs of the East Indies. Mr. Dundas having investigated the state of its finances, detailed them to the commons; and on the whole, from his statements, the company’s affairs appeared to be in a flourishing condition. An act was passed, instituting a high court of judicature for that of the recorder of Madras.