Lord Aucklandstated, that a noble friend of his (lord Grenville), whose absence, en account of illness, he had to regret, but whose illness would not, he hoped, be of long continuance, had requested him to state to the house, that if he had been enabled to be present, he should have joined in every tribute of applause to the merits of sir Arthur Wellesley. His noble friend had also requested him to move, that the lords be summoned for this day fortnight, when it was the intention of his noble friend to bring forward a motion to address his majesty to rescind the Orders in Council; and to found that motion upon the Letter which had been published from Mr. Pinckney, the American minister, to our Government; and the Answer of the Secretary of State. It was requisite that those papers should be before the house, and his lordship, therefore, moved for the production of the Correspondence between the Ministers of the two Governments.
The Earl of Liverpoolwished to confine the production of papers to those which had been published by the American Government; and observed, that no communication was made to Parliament respecting America, because our existing relations with the United States were not in that state which would authorise such a communication.
Lord Aucklandagreed that no other papers than those mentioned were necessary; but, in consequence of some objection to the wording of the motion, his lordship withdrew it, with the intention of making it again to-morrow.
§ Lord Erskineexpressed his decided opinion, that if the proposition of the American Government, respecting the rescinding the Orders in Council, was not agreed to, there would be War between the United States and France in a month.