The National Register. — London, England, 1811-01-06 00:00:00

-.--•dgeh...Aol o 9/reti: A . l ‘- - • . ecy to the authority t.. Regents t mid also . prerogative which should properly belong t 0 this high station, without entrenching too much, so as to endengerethe- return of the Royal Authority, that he ga4e his warm approbation to the four first Resolutions, . . Lord .ER KIN G agreed that the first step to be established leas, the King's incapacity to exercise the fuoctions of royalty ; but having established that fact, upon i whatprinciple was it that should proceed to fill up the vacuum the Royal Autho rity ? Was it not then the bounden duty tel fill up the deficien cy.? But it was contended, that giving unlimited authority to the Regent, they et ere throwing difficulties in the way of the re turn of die Sovereign to the resumption of his Royal Authority. His Majesty had the highest of all securities; he had the secu rity of his Parliament for his return, when he had recovered the fail use of his faculties. He contended, that the King's incapa city being established, it became the duty of the States of the Realm to supply the place of the Royal Authority, and to give effect to it in all its functions; to but the country in the same state it was before such a calamity took place. Upon what foun dation would they alter in any manner the functions of the Re gal Authority ? What c( :isoletiun must it be to the Royal mind, .on his recovery, to find that the Heir Apparent of the Crown . had been vested with the Royal Authority, and given full cflect to the Government of his kingdom. Had Mr. Pitt lived in these tunes, he was convinced his vast and comprehensive mind would have approved of such a measure--lie would have been one of the first to carry it into execution. For these reasons, and upon the general principle and constitutional grounds, he could not agree to these Resolutions, but should give his decided support to the Amendment. - The i.e RD CHANCELLOR observed, in no part of the Consti tution, in no part of the history of this country could he find that a Regent had ever been appointed without conditions, limita tions, and restrictions. The 24th Geo. 11. provided for a Re gency, during a minority of six years, with limitations, restric tions, anti conditions. fhe 4th of Geo. H. provided for a Re gency, which Was to continue 12 years, also with conditions, li mitations, and restrictioes. The same use was made of these in 1788-9, as was made of the precedent of 178 E-9, in 1811.— The great lawyers of that day, and perhaps as great men as ever . walked Westminster Hall, among whom were to be found the names of Lord.Hardwieke, Lord Mansfield, and other great men, were of the same opinion. He was the subject of a lintited Tel onerchy, and he never could consent to the appointment of a Representative of that lonareby without conditions, limitation; arid restrictions, because it was the glory and boast of the Con stitution of this country to have a .tionarchy limited and re strained, and he would maintain it, if he was sinking into the grave, that if these Resolutions were then to pass as they were then framed, his Majesty would not have the affections of even the meanest of his subjects. He felt he could not do a greater violence, °rite guilty of a greater breach of his duty to the Kin: and the Throne, than by consenting to the proposed Amend meet, and this last Resolution. SPENCER then rose. The Resolutions met with his de cided disapprobation ; and he complained bitterly of the pro- . traction that had taken place in cOnsequence of the proceedillgs of Minister s. The proposal tor restricting the Regent was with , out a precedent; 40 one. of the Regencies recorded in English history had . heen restricted or !linked in the exercise of the func tions of Royalty. Though there may have been Councils ap pointed to assist the Regent, still the powers of Royalty, the preregativc of creating peers existed in some way or other, ei ther in one Regent, (win theeßegentand Council : and that was eilongh to establish Lie argument that no Regency had ever ex isted but what had the power-of exercising all the Royal Prero gatives. He knew well the use of those great prerogatives, and coueidered them of too much value to al ow of their being sus pended, as )vies proposed by the Resolutions. He approved of the Ainteuln.elle The Dux?. or Niba oi.x spoke against the Resolutions, and maintained ti.a: great inconveniences. might arise if the "rinse of Wales, us isegent, had not a c.fintraid over the HOLISt? u)1(1. 1.0 H.11.1.A ND spoke at coii side' rabteiength aga in s t the Re ,, solutions, acid in support,of the Aine.admeut. Lord finaauwsv stippol:ted the Ritsotutionl. Lord els v row. He never cinihi alitiie" himself with dcha , ing. Idea,. that a man shouill,in duty act disso.. . nant.to pr.v.!te ferlinfo;, Ift : was thus abindoning he princi . Isles ilivlantc d in hini by tiltirrt,t, and saying to " I scorn thy dictates." lle dihered to those cfrincifil.;s lir had br- REGISTER fore maintained; they were the principles his heart approved in private; and he was proud of keeping teethe integrity of his pri vate thoughts in his public life. He csatild not think it proper to have an unlimited itegenty ; it wad - coming on a level with the the Monarchy, and exalting a Regent at the expence of the Royal Prerogative. He adverted to the Manifest difference between the powers which the Regent was to have in 1788, and those proposed at the present times; had he lost in the public opinion ? He wai not averse to restrictions, such as were really expedient. On the proposition of giving liberty for beao wing Naval and Military honours he must object; did none deserve such signal notice, was there no act of human genius worthy of being honoured except Naval and Military heroes ? it is one of the noblest springs of British greatness, that the roaa to honour is alike free to all—from the humble cottager to the highest pitch of hereditary greatness. Many of the richest gems of the nation have shone in the shade; he would not wish to have the path of honour circumscribed, it should either be open to all, or shut to all—he deemed the restrictions in the Peerage proper, because it was a permanency—he wished to have a something to distin guish to other nations, and to our own, the difference between a King and a Regent. - Lord LIVE a root 'replied at considerable length to Lord Gren ville, and was willing to omit those words in the limitations which allowed the honours of the Peerage to naval and military heroes alone. Lord HOLLAND made a few observations on Lord Liver p vas spt ech. A Division was then called for, when the Question was put upon the Amendment of the Marquis of Luasdowne to the iirst Resolution— For it, 103; against it, 102—Majority against Ministers-6. Lord Liv Pool. then proposed an Amendment to the second Resolution, with respect to the restriction of the Regent in granting Peerages, by which he met the wishes of Lord Gren ville, by omitting the power given to the Regent to appoint Peers in cases of naval or military achievements, and extending the restrictions generally to the grant of Peerages. For the Amendment, 106 ; against it,loo—Majority in favour of Ministers-6. The Third and Fourth Resolutions were carried without a division. On the question being put on the Fifth Resolution respecting the 'lousehold, _ . . . Lord Liv R root. moved an Amendment, placing on precisely the same footing as proposed in the House of Commons, in the first instance by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In favour of the Amendment, 97; against it, 110—Majority agai►►st Ministers-13. A discussion then ensued, on a proposition from the Mini sterial side, to limit the votes ofpro.ries; and, after considerab:e argument, a division was called for. In favour of the respective votes— By Proxy, 99; against them, 102—Majority against Mini sters-13 The Report wait then brought tip, and on its being read, Lord Livi.:llrool. moved several Amendments fur the pur pose of placing the Resolutions in the same terms as when first submitted to the House, which were negatived without Divisions. The Resolutions as pa,sed in the Committee were then agreed to, and ordered to be communicated to the House of Commons by corference on Saturday. Adjourned at Half-past Five. SATUKDAY, JAN. 5. A deputation from the Commons requested a conference, which being granted, it took place hi the Paintei Chamber, when certain Resolutions respecting the issues of sums of Money for the services of the Arniy and Navy were presented to then, and their I aird,hips concurrence desired. A deputation of Peers then went to the Commons, for the purpose of transmitting the Resolutions received on the 3d of January, as amended and altered for the concurrence of the Conimons.—(Scc Friday's _Report fin' the I?esolutiuns). PROXIES. . The Loup CIIANCELLOIP. gaVe acit4e,,th*he shOuld,shortly name an early day for •thepurkose,of ,taking taw COliSiaOralla the voting by parg. i l'it: ,t • • ISSUE •OF PUBLIC MONEY. 7. ! rrIJL The Resolutions transmitted to the Lords frouithe-Coegpens were then referred td 7 a.Committee-of - themisqielriottiosi.:o%; - On the question being pot that. tire Lords:du agpeewitils the Resolution, • • • • i•- ',' • ••o -.IT 9(1 C Lord LuftstrooL rose AdAefendediki litie.:ofmeltalSlNlPer ued by the Minister, and c;illed:ov.• theritLitiento girrecito the Resolution. • He calk& Ml' them frOnr• - necessity—the•iPublic Service required the Money. • • •• • I, o ed G ReN.VILLE apM - ovectof the Itesoiutiou, on the ground of the necessity of the cases-. - Iv • J_. - . • -- . the - • F ' and . 66 ' they had not Merely tlse- .opinion Of .. Commm s, l i ttla but also tik opinion of,D4r i Vitt,Prd Cin id ,13 . 1 `k;ord Thisrlovr, ifti ell- tikt *teat mop of that day, and 001 his Noble Friend (Lord Grenvillg) had in.a.speech replete, wish that infrirmation, eloquence, and sound cenvincing argument fur which he war so peculiarly tminent, , green a most decided and learned opinion. It was because them pcopositiona were calculated to give all effi- ciency to the authority of the Regent, and gllo.all that right and • • 'i s • •