§ Mr. Greythen rose, for the purpose of giving notice of several motions, which it was his intention to submit to the house on Monday. After all the attention which it had been in his power to bestow on the papers relative to the new war in which we were now unfortunately engaged, in the short period since they had been distributed, it appeared to him, that there were many important omissions, which it was material to have supplied before the main question should be discussed, and to enable the house to form a just and impartial opinion on the merits of the case. It could not be denied, that on so solemn and momentous a question, every information ought to be given to parliament, as far as it might be consistent with the interests of the public service. It was with a view, therefore, to supply the omissions which appeared to him in the papers laid before the house, that he proposed to bring forward the motions of which he then gave notice. The 143 precise objects to which they would relate were, some further information respecting the correspondence between lords Hawkesbury and Harrowby, and air Frere, and the discussions, if any, that might have taken place between the Spanish minister here and his maj.'s govt. There were other points, also, on which information was necessary, but as he did not conceive any objection that could be made to granting it, he was not equally inclined to think it necessary to give any previous notice of his motions respecting such topics. It would be felt generally how very desirable it was to have all the information that could possibly be procured on the subject as early as may be, before it should come tinder discussion. As, however, there might be some objection to the immediate production of the information he wished to obtain, which he could not then foresee, it might be more regular to read the motions he proposed to make in that instance, previous to his moving the question on any of them, that he might discover how the right hon. gent, opposite would feel, with respect to them, and if there should be any difficulty in acceding to them he had no objection to let them stand over, noticed with his other motions for Monday. The hon. gent, then read the string of motions he had prepared, the object of which was, to obtain copies or extracts of all dispatches or letters from sir E. Pellew and adm. Cochrane, relative to the state of the ports of Ferrol and Corunna, and the armaments said to have been carried on in them; also relative to the sale of prizes in the ports of Spain, in Europe and America; and to the quantity of naval and military stores supplied to our squadrons from the ports of Spain since the commencement of the present war.
The Chancellor of the Exchequerexpressed a wish, that the hon. member would postpone his motions till Monday, on the ground that it might be necessary to consider how far it would be proper to comply with them, consistently with the public service.—The motions were then noticed for Monday.
The Chancellor of the Exchequernext intimated an opinion, that it would be desirable to have the object of the hon. gent's other motions more specifically stated, in order to afford an opportunity of considering them, previous to their being submitted to the house.
§ Mr. Grey,in explanation of his object, 144 stated, that his wish was to have the omissions appearing in the papers before the house, supplied as fully as possible. In the first packet of instructions transmitted by Lord Hawkesbury to Mr. Frere, forming the first document in the published papers, there was a reference to previous communications, which, as they did not appear, it was his wish to obtain. Another object was to obtain copies of the discussions that must necessarily have taken place during the chasms of many months that appeared in the papers, for the purpose of completing the links of discussion, from the first question of difference to the final rupture; and lastly, he wished to have the house put in possession of the discussions that might have taken place between the Spanish ministers and our govt. here; and also the communications that might have been made to our minister by the Spanish govt. after his demand for his passports.