whose seizure making a part of the original hostility committed against the American but before a knowledge of it had become general; all proceeding on the faith of the arrangement, yet all left by the Order ex-frigate, must be regarded in a light ana two nations, that he is ready, as I have already had the honour of signifying to you, to favour any mode of bringing about so happy an event that may be found consistent with the honour and the essential interest of the United States. NOTES REFERRED TO IN MR. SMITH'S SECOND posed to capture and condemnation.-3. logous to a continued detention of the ship The Order does not provide for the im- itself; that in the other case, viz. that of portant case of vessels which had sailed the Orders in Council, you are not authoon the like faith for Dutch ports other than rized to tender explanations for the disthose of Holland.-4. It does not include avowal, or to propose any new arrangein its provisions the extensive list of ves- ment, nor to conclude any agreement, but sels going indirectly from the United States, solely to receive and discuss propositions but directly from foreign ports to those of which might be made to you, not concealHolland, nor vessels trading entirely from ing, at the same time, that, to be satisfagforeign ports to Holland; and in both tory, they must include two conditions, these instances proceeding on the faith of both inadmissible-one altogether irrelethe arrangement professed to be respected vant to the subject, and the other requiring within the defined period.-It is true, in nothing less than a surrender of an unthese last instances the vessels were not to alienable function of the national sovebe captured without an attempt, after con- reignty.-Notwithstanding these repulsive trary warning, to proceed to those ports. considerations, such is the disposition of But I need not remind you that the inju- the President to facilitate a final and comries incident to the delay and to the break-prehensive accommodation between the ing up of such voyages cannot but have been considerable, and will have resulted as manifestly from the disappointed faith in the arrangement, as in the cases specially provided for, and consequently with all other losses fairly resulting from the same bona fide confidence in that act, they will fall within the just indemnification for which the principle, assumed in the Order, is a formal pledge.-1 conclude, Sir, with pressing upon your candid attention, that the least which the President could have looked for in consequence of the disavowal of a transaction such as was concluded by your predecessor, and carried faithfully into effect by this Govern- At our first interview (on the 29th ment, was an explanation from yours of June) verbal communication was not disthe disavowal, not through the Minister countenanced, but commended; for, after disavowed, but through his successor—an I had made myself understood as to the explanation founded on reasons strong and purpose for which the interview had been solid in themselves, and presented, neither requested, you asked me if I thought of verbally, nor vaguely, but in a form com- taking a more formal course; but immeporting with the occasion, and with the diately added, that you presumed I did respect due to the character and to the not, for that the course I had adopted was good faith of the disappointed party; that well suited to the occasion. My reply it has been found with much concern and was in substance, that the freedom of conwith not less surprise, that you are charg-versation was better adapted to our suhed with no such explanations; that you ject, and more likely to conduct us to an have apparently wished to bring the sub-advantageous conclusion, than the -conjects which have been formally and defi-straint and formality of written intercourse, nitively arranged into fresh negociations, as if no such arrangement had taken place; that one of the cases thus slighted, viz. that of the frigate Chesapeake, is a case for which reparation, not denied to be due, had been previously so long withheld, or rather in which the aggression itself has been spun out to the present moment, by the continued detention of the mariners, (A.) Extract of a Letter from Mr. Pinkney to Mr. and that I had not intended to present a note. At the second interview (on the 22nd July) it did not occur to me that I had any reason to conclude, and certainly I did not conclude, that verbal communication had not continued to be acceptable as a preparatory course, and it was not until the third interview (on the 29th July) that it was rejected as inadmissible. It is highly probable that I did not (as you say I did not) assign to you as the motive of the wish which I then expressed, my persuasion, that written communications are less liable to mistake than verbal ones; because that consideration is sufficiently obvious, and because the whole course and practice of office is, in that respect, so established and invariable, that I really could not have supposed the assignment of any specific motive to be necessary to account for my requiring a written statement of your proposals, previous to my returning an official answer to them.I had taken for granted all along, that such would, and such must, be the ultimate proceeding on your part, however you might wish to prepare the way for it by preliminary conversations. (c.) complied with, I felt a thorough conviction upon my mind, that I should be acting in conformity with his Majesty's wishes, and accordingly concluded the late provisional agreement on his Majesty's behalf with the Government of the United States.-The disavowal by his Majesty is a painful proof to me that I had formed an erroneous judgment of his Majesty's views and the intention of my instructions; and I have most severely to lament that an act of mine (though unintentionally) should produce any embarrassment in the relations between the two countries. MR. JACKSON TO MR. SMITH. Washington, October 23, 1809. Sir; The letter, which you did me the honour to address to me on the 19th instant, was delivered me on the following day. I shall without loss of time, transmit it to my Court, where the various and important considerations which it embraces will receive the attention due to Extract of a Letter from Mr. Erskine to Mr. them. In the interval, I would beg leave to Smith, dated Washington, July 31, 1809. submit to you the following observations, Neither the present time nor the occa- as they arise out of the communications sion will afford me a favourable opportu- that have already occurred between us.— nity for explaining to you the grounds In fulfilling a duty which I conceive to be and reasons upon which I conceived I had due to my public character, I have never conformed to his Majesty's wishes; and suggested, nor mean to suggest, that the to the spirit, at least, of my instructions mode of negociating prescribed by you, upon that subject; nor indeed would any on this particular occasion, an occasion sevindication of my conduct (whatever 1lected for the purpose of removing existmay have to offer) be of any importance, further than as it might tend to shew that no intention existed on my part to practise any deception towards the Government of the United States. From the Same to the Same, dated Aug. 14. ing differences, was otherwise objectionable, than as it appeared to me to be less calculated, than it does to you, to answer the professed purpose of our negociation. -It was against the general principle of debarring a Foreign Minister, in the short space of one week after his arrival, and Under these circumstances, therefore, without any previous misunderstanding finding that I could not obtain the recog- with him, from all personal intercourse, nitions specified in Mr. Canning's dispatch that I thought it right to protest. Since, of the 23rd of January (which formed but however, I find by your letter, that it is one part of his instructions to me), in the not intended to apply that principle to formal manner required, I considered that me, I will only observe, that in the case it would be in vain to lay before the Go- which you mention to have occurred bcvernment of the United States the dispatch ween Mr. Canning, and Mr. Pinkuey, in question, which I was at liberty to have the conferences were held, under au exdone in extenso, had I thought proper But pectation, at least, on the part of the foras I had such strong grounds for believing mer, of their leading to a written commuthat the object of his Majesty's Govern-nication; whereas, in ours, I, from the ment could be attained, though in a dif- beginning, stated that I had no such comferent manner, and the spirit, at least, of munication to make. my several letters of instruction be fully (To be continued.) LONDON :-Printed by T. C. HANSARD, Peterborough - Court, Fleet - Street, Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent - Garden :—Sold a'so bi J. BUDD, Pall-Mall. COBBETT'S WEEKLY POLITICAL REGISTER.' VOL. XVII. No. 3.] LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1810. G5] "How curious to contemplate TWO STATE ROOKS, "With all the Necromantics of their art, SUMMARY OF POLITICS. YOUNG: Night Thoughts: The Complaint. [Price 1s. [66 one salary, which, it is evident, could not be intentional; which could make no difLORD CASTLEREAGH.- -This Lord is, ference at all as to the conclusions to be it would seem from the public prints, drawn from the statement; and which making, or somebody for him, great ef- was more than overbalanced by omissions forts to put himself forward again, and of other salaries or emoluments.Some even to establish some claim to compara-time ago (upon precisely what occasion I tive disinterestedness. Nay, a corres- do not recollect), MR. WAithman did, it pondent tells me, that he is not without seems, make, in speaking to the Citizens his hopes, that we may "" yet see Castle of London; a statement respecting the "reagh a patriot," as he seems so anxious enormous sums of public money, swallowed to disclaim all share in the pocketing of by Lord Castlereagh and his relations.public money.If one may judge from At the last City-Meeting, MR. WAITHMAN, the language of the partizans of the minis- having, as he said, been informed, that his try, it is the intention to disown both the statement about the emoluments of Lord Pistolling Privy-Counsellors; for, at the Castlereagh and his relations was an erBERKSHIRE MEETING, the whole of the roneous statement, corrected that stateProceedings at which the reader will find ment; but observed, at the same time, below, and find well worth his reading; that he had taken his facts "from the newsat this meeting, the partizans of the minis-"papers," which facts had never been try contended, that they were not to be blamed for the scandalous bickerings and quarrellings, which had taken place in the cabinet, seeing that the wranglers were now out; and, one of the speakers thanked God, that they were out. It is not, therefore, impossible, that my Lord Castlereagh may have the design of becoming a patriot; but, I must not let him, or any one for him, pass himself off, as to the past, at least, for what he has not been.There is an attempt making to create a belief, that, in my Statement of the 21st -The STATESMAN introduces the CIRof January last (just a year ago, lacking CULAR ARTICLE with these words: "On one day), at page 74 in Vol. XV. of the" Saturday night, we received for insertion Register, I published, respecting the emo- "the following statement, which, by its laments of this man and his relations," having appeared in the Morning Papers what was FALSE. Great pains are taking "of this day, we conclude to be destined to cause this to be generally believed." to make the grand tour of the press of The motives for this I can easily guess at; "the United Kingdom.-We feel at all but, be the motives what they may, it be- " times gratified in the opportunity of giv comes me to expose the trick, and to show" ing publicity to statements which have THAT MY STATEMENT WAS TRUE," for their object the investigation of truth. with the exception of a mere error in cast- "Lord Castlereagh is, indeed, by this ac-. ing, and a trifling error in the amount of" count, a much more neglected Statesman contradicted.I was rather surprized at this explanation of MR. WAITHMAN, because I had not observed any thing incorrect in his first statement; but, what was my astonishment, when I read, in that excellent Evening Paper, the Statesman, a sort of circular article, ascribing MR. WAITHMAN's pretended mis-statement to ME! I was struck with the audacity of the thing; and, I, at once, got over 2 iksolution that I had formed, never more to name either CASTLEREAGH or CANNING. C 66 "than we had apprehended him to be. This, however, our readers must bear in "mind, is a statement made by the noble lord, in contradiction of that which was "stated by MR. COBBETT more than 12 "months ago, and which having, until Tuesday last, remained uncontradicted, "Mr. Waithman was, therefore, as fully "justified in asserting, as the public in believing."- -This is very good for all the parties, except "Mr. Cobbett," who is not disposed to pass for a promulgator of falsehoods, though those falsehoods should be two years old instead of one; and therefore Mr. Cobbett, in order to prove that he scorns to shelter any statement of his under a pretence of lapse of time, here republishes his Statement, and, with the insignificant errors above-noticed, asserts it to be a true statement.First, however, let me remind the reader of the circumstances, under which the statement was made, and the cause of its being made. The DANISH ISLANDS had just been taken, and the Commanders, by sea and land, who made the capture, had bestowed, as being in their gift, (from long usage) four offices, two of HARBOUR MASTER and two of NAVAL OFFICER, upon two officers of the navy, and one military officer, all serving upon the station; but, Lord Castlereagh, being then in an office which gave him the management of the colonies, set aside these appointments; took the emoluments of these offices from three officers, serving their country in that pestilential climate; took the four offices from them, and gave them all to his own uncle, LORD GEORGE SEYmour, who was living in safety at home, and who was, at the same time, a Commissioner of Excise in England!This was the act that called forth the Statement, which my friend the STATESMAN, has, without due consideration, seemed to admit to be untrue; but, for the truth of which, with the insignificant exceptions above-mentioned, I am ready to vouch. Indeed, I will leave no doubt at all upon the subject.Here is the Statement. my life, when, indeed, I was at too great a distance from my country to be able to know much of what was passing in it, I was dreadfully alarmed for the safety of the throne. I heard of nothing but meetings of Corresponding Societies, United Irishmen, and Jacobins. Little did I imagine, that the loyal were so numerous as I have, since my return, found them to be; nor, indeed, was it till very lately that I obtained a complete and authentic return of their numbers: I mean, the Lists of place-men,pensioners, and reversionaries, contained in the Report, laid before the House of Commons, by the Finance Committee, in the month of June last. Complete, indeed, this return is not; but, defective as it is, it is quite populous enough to remove, from the mind of any reasonable man, all fears as to a want of loyalty in these United Kingdoms.--There are many individuals, and many whole families, to whose distinguished loyalty it would well become me to attempt to do justice; and, as opportunities offer, I may, perhaps, towards many of them, be able to perform this very pleasing and not unuseful task. At present I shall confine myself to the displaying of the proofs of this most estimable quality in the VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGH AND SOME OF HIS RELATIONS; and, I select this nobleman, not so much because he is one of the ministry, as because he is well known to have been, of all mankind, the man after the late Pitt's own heart; the man, of all others, the nearest resembling him in talents as well as in disposition; and, the only man on earth, perhaps, whom he could have found to execute his commands in Ireland.—— In making this display, it will not be suf ficient merely to state the sum that each person annually receives. We must also see how long they have been in the receipt of it; whence will naturally proceed a calculation of the total amount received, including, of course, the compound interest thereon; because, it is clear, that if a man has been in the receipt of a thousand a year, out of the taxes, during the EXTRACT FROM THE POLITICAL REGISTER, space of twenty-eight years, he has, in 21 JAN. 1809. "LOYALTY."- -I mean not vulgar loyalty, but loyalty in the modern sense of that word, as it is understood and passes current at Whitehall and in the neighbourhood; and of which loyalty I shall, under the indigence of the reader, give some Very striking stances. At one time in fact, received fifty-six thousand pounds from the public; or, which is the same thing, taken from the public that, which if left in its hands, would, at common interest, have been worth fifty-six thousand pounds.--Having made this preliminary, remark, I shall now proceed to my state meat, numbering the offices, as I go, for the sake of brevity in the case of reference. J. LORD CASTLEREAGH. Secretary of 4. Same person.-Lieut. Col. of a regi- 8. MR. JOHN ORMSBY VANDELEUR (a 7. MESSRS. JOHN STAPLES and THOMAS and (uncles of Ld. CastleLORD ROBT. SEYMOUR reagh) Prothonotary in the Court of King's - bench in Ireland, £. 12,511 a year 9. Same persons.-Clerk of the crown in the King's bench in Ireland, £.427 a year. 10. Same persons. - Filazers in the King's bench in Ireland, £. 1,105 a year. The total annual amount, paid by the public to these several persons, is £. 36,691; and, Nos. 8, 9, 10 and 11, having been held since 1766, the total sum, which, through those channels only, has been drawn from the public, including the compound interest, is, if my calculation be correct, £. 2,160,056. Two millions, one hundred and sixty thousand, and fifty-six pounds. No. 12, has been held for many years past; as long, perhaps, as the others; but certainly for about eight years past, as will be seen by referring to a list of places, in the second Volume of the Political Register; and, without including in the calculation, the several sums of money, which Lord Castlereagh has received, in the shape of salary, under the administrations of the late Pitt, Lord Sidmouth, and the present; without including in the calculation, these sums, amounting to an average of about £. 5,000 a year, for the last sixteen or eighteen years; passing over the interest and even principal of this large item; the total amount, drawn from the public by the above persons, does not fall much, if any, short of £. 3,000,000. Three millions of the public money, drawn from the public, during the last 30 or 40 years, by six or seven persons !-There's loyalty for you! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 解 * * * * -I, sometime ago, produced strik11. LORD ROBERT SEYMOUR (uncle of ing proofs of loyalty in the person and faLd. Castlereagh) Craner and Whar-mily of Mr. Garnier, who, as Apothecary finger of the Port of Dublin,£. 1,930 General and Officer upon the Staff, resida year. ing all the while quietly at Wickham, con12, LORD GEORGE SEYMOUR (uncle of descended to receive from the public, and, Lord Castlereagh) Commissioner of in part, of course, from the nasty, dirty, Excise in England, £. 1,500 a year. sweaty, smeary, hard-fisted and hard-fa13. Same person.-Harbour Master of voured" Jacobins and Levellers," the the Port of Christiansted, in the sum of thirteen thousand a year and upisland of Saint Croix, about £. 1,000 wards; but, the loyalty of this gentleman and his family is nothing, when compared with that of those above-named. Here we see noble Lords, who, rather than his Majesty's business should go unperformed, willing to become, Muster-Masters, Prothonotaries, Clerks, Filazers, Excisemen, and Wharfingers; and, Lord George Seymour, not satisfied with what he can do in his life-time, has, we see, entailed this task of loyalty upon his son, though, at present, a child of only eleven years old. Nay, so anxious is this nobleman to assist his Sovereign, in carrying on the affairs of government, that he has not confined his loyal exertions to England and Ireland; but has procured himself, through Lord Castlereagh (into whose patronage these offices a year. 14. Same person.-Harbour Master of the Port of Fredericksted, in Saint Croix; about £. 1,100 a year. 15. Same person.-Naval Officer of the Port of Christiansted, in St. Croix; about £.900 a year. 16. Same person.-Naval Officer of the Port of Fredericksted, in St. Croix; about £. 1,000 a year. 17. Lord George Seymour, and his son The rever G. H. SEYMOUR, 11 years old) sion of the office of Craner and Wharfinger of the Port of Dublin, valued at £1,930 a year, and now held, as just stated, by Ld. Robt. Seymour. |