Augustus Frederick; William Frederick; Grey, Charles; Capel-Coningsby, George; Bligh, John ; Grenville, William Wyndham; St. Clair-Erskine, James; Stanhope, Charles; Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, William; Maitland, James ; Howard, Charles BREV TIL: House of Lords FRA: Augustus Frederick; William Frederick; Grey, Charles; Capel-Coningsby, George; Bligh, John ; Grenville, William Wyndham; St. Clair-Erskine, James; Stanhope, Charles; Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, William; Maitland, James ; Howard, Charles (1814-06-05)

14 b.

Bilag til C. A.s Depeche af 5. Juni 1814.

Protest

against the Rejection of Earl Greys Motion on Tuesday in the House of Lords, relative to Norway.

The order of the day being read for the Lords to be summoned,

It was moved that an humble address should be presented to H. R. Highness the Prince Regent humbly to request, that H. R. Highness would be graciously pleased to interpose his mediation to rescue the unoffending people of Norway from the dreadful alternative of famine or of subjugation to the yoke of a foreign and hostile Power,

And that during the discussion of such proposal, as H. R. Highness may be advised to make for this most desirable object, all hostile operation on the part of this country against a people strugling for the sacred right of national independence may be discontinued, which being objected to after long debate the question was put thereupon: it was resolved in the negative.

Dissentient:

Because we consider the attempt to subjugate Norway to the Crown of Sweden as a manifest violation of the sacred rights of national independence and Ave cannot reconcile ourselves to combat in this case the same principles in defence of which His Majesty and his allies have in the case of the other nations of Europe so gloriously and successfully contended.

s. 307Because it was contended in debate and to our apprehension not sufficiently answered, that even if such an engagement could be considered as lawful, the conditions of our Treaty with Sweden had no view to the resistance of the people of Norway to the proposed cession of their country by Denmark and did not bind us by any obligation of good faith to assist in reducing by force that unoffending and independent people.

Because we cannot see without the deepest regret the employment of the British Flag to inflict upon a people, whose friendship it is the natural policy of this country to cherish and cultivate, the dreadful calamities of famine for the purpose of enforcing so odious and unjustifiable a project.

Augustus Frederick. William Frederick. Grey. Essex. Grenville. Rosslyn. Clifton. Stanhope. Wentworth Fitz William. Lauderdale. Norfolk.

[Protest

mod Overhusets Forkastelse af Lord Greys Forslag angaaende

Norge.

Da Dagsordenen var læst for de indkaldte Border, blev der foreslaaet, at en underdanig Henvendelse skulde fremlægges for H. K. H. Prinsregenten for at ansøge om, at det naadigst maatte behage H. K. Høihed at anvende sin Mellemkomst for at befri det norske Folk, der ikke fornærmer nogen, enten fra en Udhungrings frygtelige Skjæbne eller fra at underkaste sig en fremmed og fiendtligsindet Magts Aag.

Ligeledes andrages om, at alle fiendtlige Foretagender herfra mod et Land og et Folk, der kjæmper for sin nationale Uafhængigheds hellige Ret, maa ophøre under Debatten over dette Forslag, som H. K. Høihed maatte blive opfordret til at gjøre. Idet der reistes Indvendinger mod denne vigtige Sag, blev Spørgsmaalet efter lang Debat sat under Votering og besvaret benegtende.

Vi dissenterer heri.

s. 308Fordi vi betragter dette Forsøg paa at lægge Norge under Sveriges Krone som en aabenbar Krænkelse af den nationale Uafhængigheds hellige Ret.

Fordi vi ikke kan overtale os til i dette Tilfælde at kjæmpe mod de samme Principer, som Kongemagten og dens Allierede ligeoverfor andre europæiske Nationer saa berømmeligt og heldigt har kjæmpet for.

Fordi det i Debatten blev bestridt, men som vi er bange for ikke tilstrækkelig besvaret, at der — selv om en saadan Forening kunde betragtes som lovlig — i vor Traktat med Sverige ikke var taget Hensyn til den Modstand, det norske Folk reiste mod deres Lands Afstaaelse fra Danmark. Denne Traktat kan derfor ikke paa nogen Maade forpligte os til i god Tro med Magt at undertvinge dette uafhængige og harmløse Folk.

Fordi vi ikke uden med den dybeste Beklagelse kan se, at det britiske Flag bliver anvendt til at hjemsøge et Folk, hvis Venskab det er vort Lands naturlige Politik at skatte og dyrke, med Hungerens frygtelige Kvaler i den Hensigt at fremtvinge en saa oprørende og uforsvarlig Plan.

Augustus Frederick [Hertug af Sussex].

William Frederick [Hertug af Gloucester]. Grey. Clifton. Essex.

Stanhope. Grenville. Wentworth Fitz William.

Rosslyn. Lauderdale. Norfolk.]