Gazette Of The United States And Daily Evening Advertiser

PHILADELPHIA, JUNE 26.

The following speech made in the British House of Commons on the 10th of April, explains some transactions which have heretofore been obscurely detailed. It was occasioned by a motion for an enquiry into the conduct of the war.

Lord Mulgrave said, that finding himself called upon for an answer, had he not been possessed of a local knowledge, he most undoubtedly would have felt himself under considerable difficulty to have offered any sentiments upon the present occasion, in consequence of the very able, clear and eloquent manner that the question had been treated by the Hon. Gentleman that spoke last. The points that he should have occasion to touch upon in regard to Toulon, were, first, the share we took in the Civil Affairs; secondly, the mode of defence that had been pursued; and thirdly, the criminality of the Evacuation.

In regard to what had been said respecting the White Flag, he was astonished when he heard it said, that Lord Hood had forced the White Flag upon the inhabitants. The noble Lord took upon himself to say, that the White Flag was not suggested by Lord Hood, but was proposed on the 1st of October by M. Barrille, the President of the committee of safety in the municipality. This M. Barrille came to his Lordship, and requested that he, and the several Officers, British, Spanish and Neapolitan, would attend the ceremony of hoisting the White Flag. His Lordship said, he not only refused himself to accede to this request, but also expressly forbade the Officers to attend, that it might not be supposed that we meant in the most distant shape to have any interference in the Government of France. The reason for bringing forward the expression of 1789, was to quiet the minds of the People, and to convince them that they were to entertain no apprehension of the anarchy and tyranny that they had formerly felt. His Lordship said, that no two of the inhabitants agreed in their idea of the constitution of 1789. With respect to the four ships that had been sent away, there was an absolute necessity for putting such a project into execution. Gentlemen would recollect that the Town was delivered up by Treaty and not by Capitulation. The Hon. Gentleman was mistaken, if he supposed the whole of the French Fleet had agreed to the Articles of the Treaty. Several of the French were much averse to the terms, and held out for a considerable time, till they were overcome by a majority. Among the disaffected were 6000 seamen, that had acted at various times in a riotous and daring manner. Under such circumstances, what was to be done? They could not be confined according to the Articles of the Treaty, as they had committed no overt act of violence. Therefore the best way was to get rid of them, especially as they were willing to go. Then how were they to go? They could not swim away, and it was impolitic to send them immediately up the country to join the enemy. The method pursued was the best that could be adopted under such circumstances. In regard to the situation of Toulon, subsequent to this period, he understood that some stress had been thrown upon the circumstance of his arrival in this Country as soon as his dispatches relating to the state of the place. From hence it was inferred, that he had no confidence in our being able to retain the place. In answer to this he had to observe, that when he arrived in this Country, he entertained the most sanguine hopes that we would have been able to retain the possession of Toulon. No man regretted the leaving Toulon more than he did. The reason for his Lordship's coming home was, that he, in consequence of the new Commission that was appointed, could not act in the same rank that he formerly did.