Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

Portland,

Monday, March 2, 1812.

Since our last London dates to Jan. 9th, have been received. The Hornet, with despatches to Mr. Russell, reached Cowes, Dec. 28. On the 7th Jan the Prince Regent addressed the House of Commons in a speech of considerable length, in which, after lamenting the poor state of his Majesty's health, he informs them that the measures which have been pursued for the defence of Spain and Portugal, have proved completely effectual; and expresses a hope that they will continue to furnish him with the means of maintaining the contest with undiminished zeal. Although American papers to the 7th of Dec. had reached England, containing the violent clamors of our congressional war hawks, yet the following is the mild and conciliatory language of his Royal Highness on the subject of his relations with us:—"He regrets that various important subjects of difference with the Government of the U. S. of A. still remain unadjusted, the difficulties which the affair of the Chesapeake frigate occasioned, have been finally removed; and he assures them that in the further progress of the discussion with the United States, he will continue to employ such means of conciliation as may be consistent with the dignity and honour of his Majesty's crown, and with the due maintenance of the maritime and commercial rights and interests of the British empire."

In the House of Lords an address was moved on the occasion of the Speech, which gave rise to a pretty lengthy debate—in which their relations with America were dispassionately touched upon,—Mr. Whitbread remarked that "from the correspondence between Mr. Monroe and Mr. Foster it was evident that the obnoxious decrees of France were repealed on the 2d of Nov. and challenged Mr. Percival to produce an instance shewing they had not been repealed." To which the Chancellor of Exchequer replied he plainly saw in all the enemies late commercial decrees that the principles were adhered to and acted upon. If America had evidence of their revocation, where was the public instrument to prove the fact?—The Decree for repealing them promised only a distant revocation conditionally that England renounced the new system of blockade, by revoking her Orders in Council, or America should make her flag respected—that was to go to war with England. Since that conditional repeal, however, the Berlin and Milan Decrees were repeatedly declared to be the fundamental laws of the Empire, and all neutral ships which should not conform to them were declared to be denationalized.—Was that a virtual revocation of them? It was not. But whenever France should revoke them, Britain would repeal her Orders in Council, but not relinquish her maritime superiority, which France would not otherwise reduce."