The National Register. — London, England, 1812-11-29 00:00:00

ti(l d t 4 ;3:1(1 z ex. Thi 114 Jig 330 1 ti(11 Th cod :'.frs i by Illy Ot a , IV:- but 1f tige.l Iti no- wad )ect, ;goer lis is Sir sor, to ex aka seal es in zezre i! I . e 'ver, cip:111 unds sistec their n press ss t. i - g n ties, i . 5, smaf the The ha mew, ;Ir.. was, G. 3 pei time . i and or dent here ed ;Ace :;131 . 1 S2' Nor vint sines sere of ni iIeSS :alp; item. the I !coil lout 1os:1.1 of tl the •1-1.1 • . lir vitu minis (Jilt Y4te , Roe bn:i and Com caps e bar. wou a t , vhi. t t iturbc !), Anew ; l i on bacj ,t 111 4 p to th• enoi !Ilt hi I 63 111 ( OLII ;SieDr trat casi len; Hot B table Th , )ICSC::t PaS , i s WC. Per l o p 4. tlll &C the 6Ut t)1 1 '. 29i Ihe Earl of Mulgrave was introduced by the Earls of Westmore ;3,l,l an d H.irrowhy. ills patent of creation having been react at the his Lr;rdship . also took the oaths of his sear.'fix oaths were likewise administered to the Duke.: of Kent and I li pot, and other Lords, until four o'clock, whet the Ilcuse ad purni:(l. THVRSDAY, NOV'. `1.3. The Lord Chancellor came to the h ouse at three o'clock, and some ','.rrs took the oaths. A d j ourned at tour o'clock. rhe reminder of the week Lis been emp!oyed by the Lords i❑ :4i..n6 or the oaths and scats. 110UE OF COMMONS. ivrll kV, NOVI:MIMI% 01. 1 great number of Nlembers were present at about a quarter to three j leck, when the Usher of the Black Rod arrived, aisd desired tneir .:7:rndance at the bar of the House of Lords, to hear the Commission 'cad for assembling the I resent Parliament. On tiieir return, they procee(fed, as used, to elect a Sreaker, when Sir pas: N rcuoL7., rose, and observed, that their fast duty was exercise their antient and undoubted privi we tin the electi , -n cl a to the Chair of that House. It might, he thought, in •orne ;wee tend to assist them in a proper choice on the present occasmv ; i!lg v - nte red briefly to con , ider the duties, pnblic as well as pri vate, which the person tilling that Chair had to perform, and the cinaliEations necessary to a leper discharge of them They con sisted in re;ulatiag the proceedings of that House, in presiding over their legislative deli`Tritions in enforcing order and dec , aurn, in ex pres!iog the approbation of that House and its censure, and in w.itch i-g over its privileges with a jealous eye, and in aserting its rights with , f.rmness and decision. In addition, also, to those great poolic dit ties, there were others of a private nature, which consti.toei no mall part of the labour of the situation in Ihe present state and in , the improving condition of the wealth and prosperity of this country . The discharge of those various duties, require I talents and attain mews, such as was rarely found united in the same individual. There ran, indeed, hardly a qualification which went to the tiirmati, n of a perfect character, that the situation of Speaker did not, at some time or other, 'cquire. It demanded an understanding enliclvened as highly cultivated, learning various, elegant and profound, an ar dent attachment to our glorious Constitution, a minute acquaintaoce with the history of this country and its laws, and a correct and ac curate knowledge of the forms of Parliament, as recorded in their vo ,aminaus proceedings, or as existing in their unwritten practices. Nor would he pass over entirely the subordinate duties of the station— lainctuality ofattendance and quickness in the dispatch of public hit l i - sx,es , coupled with correctnesq. Among the qualities, also, that strc emiwntiv necessary to maintain and enforce the dignity of that ht,;) station, he would enumerate promptness of decision, firmness almoner, a suavity of temper not to be ruffled by rudeness, an easi nass of access, and an attention not to be exhausted by the laborious duties of the office in questi;m, and, above all, he would add, a strict impartiality essentially necessary to secure the universal confidence of the House. Numerous as these qualifications were, others were still requisite. The Thanks of the House would want much of their hieh and effect, if dolivered without an adequate and corresponding dignity of manner and expression, and their censures would lose part of their corrective force. unless they were uttered with a demeanour ;!:lil manner, firm and impresive. In asserting the privileges of that ri.use, against the encroachments of the other branches of the Con eituanan, they should expect in their Speaker a judguvnt beyond controul. and an integrity beyond influence. In transacting the pri v.ae business of the House, nothing was more desirable than ur. biaity of disposition, an easiness of access, a courtesy of demeanour. an indefatigable industry in adjusting conflicting claims, and a constant watchfulness in protecting the rights of individuals. Nor would he wholly pass over that liberal and dignified hospitality which became their Speaker, and which suited the rank and station the most dis'inguisheci Commoner in the realm. These appeared hint to ha the most prominent qualifications necessary t' exist Lithe individual who should have the honour of tilling that Chair ; if, in presuming to propose a person fit for that high office, it alit been necessary for him to resort to his own private judgment, of 4 person so qualified, he hoped he should have known himself well enough to have shrunk from the task, and left its performance to : °ille one better entitled to the confidence of the Hons.!. But he ould not avoid congratulating himself, and he would venture to con ratulate th e H ouse a l so, t h at i t was no t necessa ry on the present oc casion to select a Speaker on the hope and promise of future exec: l - ' 1 , 1 %e, and of qualifications to be developed by the :itiultion. • he 1 might fix its choice on the secure basis of tried exc , •llenee. : ,3 nose Members W.) were then present for the first time mig h t p se, perhaps, that while he had endeavoured to dcscaibe—im rertet:tly he most willingly admitted—thequalities • • be necc.,.„a‘ to ! I le lbnled in a person filling that Chair, he hail been tracing merely the outlines of a picture which existed only in his own imagination ; they who had set is the four proceeding Parliaments would THE NATIONAL RPCISTEIL 741 trednuely rece goize the portrait of that highly-gifted inditiidnal who had, i!vring the whole of that period, presided over their proceedings. --(Hear, itsar !)--I - Te was tire he need not mention the name of Mr. Abbot.—(Hear, hay 1)—lt would he superfluous to refer back to the early parliamentary the of that distinguished person, when he dis elaYee such a firm and upright conduct, as a Member of Parliament, and exhibit d sit .h a devoted attachment to the principles of the Con. stitotion ; neither need he refer to those qualities which had origi nally recommeeded him to the choice of the Home. Rut he was .ware that he had to claim a very large portion of their indulgence awl candour tor having presonied to addr - ss them on their first meet. ing: yet, he would frankly confess he could not resist the opportu. lily of thus pu !idly testifsing those sew iments of esteem, regard, ..eocratien, and respect, w bleb justly belonged to that gentleman, and which he very sincerely felt towards Min. H.e anticipated with entire confidence, the unanimous concurrence of the House, in moving that the Right Honourable Charles Abbot do take she Chair of that Hettse.—( H ear. hear 1) Mr. rAterwaictur seconded the motion. The call of " Chair," having become general throughout the H use, ' Mr. A stot said, it was impossible for him not to feel gratified with the iv.ry iitg.i terms in which his Right Honourable Frii ;'d, and the Honourable Gentleman who seconded him, had mentioned his name, awl the highly favourable and .flatteriug manner with which what was delivered by these Gentlemen had heen received by the House. He begged leave to assure the House, that if he was again called to their Chair, lie wool I not undertake to discharge the arduous duties at tachei to it, if he did not confide that his future endeavours would meet with the !erne iolulgence as his past. Some attention to the way in rceeeh business is cal ti-rt on, and the forms of the House, might have, in.ritaes, enabled him to go during)) their ordinary pri vate nd public hnsieess ; but these were by no means the mein dif fi ulties of the offiee ; tor such were the many new and unlooked-for occurrences often su,:deoly sprung no in that Howe, th it un less the House %yen: onpared to suppo; i any (ma of their Nleno -, cts who might sit in that Chen - , all other conside . rations would be boner thorns, He only hope that so long as he filed the oilice no part of • his conduit euld ever be found detrimental to the interests or the honour of the House.--,Hear, !near !) • Mr. Abbot hiving then been condoefed to the Chair in the usual ortnner, proceeded to address the :10 , 12e - from ie Ile entertained a deep sense of the arduens ntites which every person who filled that Chair was celled upon to f iltii ; ancf so long as ee dischareed these duties, to the best of his jutige.ent and -tbility, he hoped be :dh o' - ceive the support of the House. He beeged • leave to I-I , use, that be was entirely devoted to its svi vice.—(Hea: hear !) Lord C re ER E AGM observed, that till the choice of rl • had been communicated to his R yal Highness the Plate-- fm• his approbation, to proceed to any other business v.. • • • ‘'tilar. He could not, however, hens coiteraeolatn.S: • the choice which they had made. He wds ure. that t el it as a inaver of individual gratification, ha! he rier.,eri • foiled returned to the Commons Howe of 1' :hern' , i, wei . elevated to the high situ itioa in which he had • Ire distinguished himself. There vv .s no m ,it iry :"' logs of the House could have commenced oiere aus ; ; e • •• ; he trusted that they would terminate their lane - in a r Le. responding to such ac• mmencement. He did i• wie .to •ie - ••• more of the filtc of the llou;:e, and should conclude with the Howe do now adjourn to-morrow.—Adjouraed. EDNESDAY, Nov. 25. • At twelve o'clock the Speaker took the Chair, and Ve5S immediatel••• th-realer summoned, by the Rod, to if • of Peers, to have the Royal approbation, by n, their choice of a S,,ealt-r. They accordingly proi_.•eded to . of Lords, and on their return, the Speaker acquailted the 1-1.)ir,.•, . the House had been :a the Howe of Lords, where the !:toyal a. - • • bation had be.n signifi..d to their election of him as tne'r Spa .• and where he hal claimed for them their accustomed pr:vi:eges, •• dons of speech, sc .mrity fri.m arrest to tl..!inselves, &c. The Chair being taken, he Members were called up to the table al•phabetical order, according to the . Counties they lepi - Nttwct. and took the oaths. Generally speaking only one or two appeared trout each county, until the name of Cornvvall was pronounced, whei , more than twenty members left the ministerial benches, and advAn: e i to receive the oaths. This remarkable (lit:proportion, so sineifla , ly ex. emplified, excited not a little mirth and son confusion in the Howe. —The swearing contirued until four o'clock, when the Rouse Ati j)urned. THURSDAY, NOV. 26. • At twelve o'clock ,forty members being 14 attenflance - ,:the oath %vele adminii , ered to viem, and this bitsine occupied the whole ti.ni of their meeting. Nothing but the sl taring in of the Members has been .done sine , Titursday. . :C