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

MONDAY, DEC. $l. STATE OF THE NATION. The,CuaNcELLott Of the ExculQuita moved the Order of the day, for the House resolving into a Committee on the State of the Nation.—Ordered. • - After which tit: Right Hon. Gentleman moved, that the Re port respecting the conference with the Lords on the subjecfof the Resolutions submitted to their Lordships on the 2e.d instant, should be referred to the said Committee.—Ordered. Th.. Mouse having re-olved itself into a Committee, Mr. Lushington in the Chair, .The etiANCILLOR of the Ex CH EQUER rose. The Resolutions agreed to by !be House on a former evening having been sent to the Lordt, 'and their Lordships having also agreed to those Resolutions; it was incumbent en the Crarmittee to adopt such measures as a due consideration of those Resolutions nii;lit point out. The Resolutions in effect, pronounced the incapa city of his 7 % Tajesty, through indisposition. to exercise the tune. tions of his R ,yal office, it became therefore the right and duty of Parliament to supply the deficiency in that branch of the Legisl-rtire. The mode of carrying that important task into effect, had already been suggested and agreed to, and it gave him sincere pleasure in observing that the procedure by means of Bid, had met thr etiocurreiice of brstli Hawes of Parliament. (Hear I hear ! .frons the Ministerial benches) It remained, therefore, oely to co:'sider, what may he the most expedient rneasitres to adopt in supplying the deft cts to which he had ad verted It appeared to him that the House would do well to conform as nearly as circumstances would admit, and as the state of affairs' might rendei . reasonable, to the proceedings upon a oceasion in 1788. With that impression upon his mind he did think that certain restrictions and limitations ought to be put to the Regent's exercise of the Royal functions. The first' of these exceptions.was, as to the time to be limited for holding theoffiee ; the next to prevent the creation of Peers of the Realm; the third for the prevention of grants of pensions or places for life, except where the grant of such places or pen sions were alo:olutely necessary to the interest of the State. And lastly, as a provision for the care and custody of his Majesty's person, that a proper Council should he appointed for the purpose. All which he roposed should be carried into effect by a 13i11.-I'he fact for the consideration of the Committee, at present, was what authority it might he deemed proper to grant his Royal Highness, towards the execiition of the office which devolved to him, and what form the Pill conveying to him such powers was to hear? In furtheratire of that oti;ect, i.e had pre pared certain Resolutions. The first of which was as follows : " RESOLVED, " That it is the opinion of this rommittee, for the purpose of providing for the exercise of the Royal Authority, during the continuance of his Majesty's illne-s,in qich mauve r, and ro such extent as the present circumstances, and the urgent concerns of the Nation apppear to require, it is expedient that his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, being rt. Aideut within the realm, shall he empowered to exercise and advnini:l r the Royal au thority, according to the Laws and Constitution of the United Kingdom, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, and under the style and title of Regent of the United Kingdom ; and to use, execute and perform, in the name and on the be half of his Majesty, all authorities, prerogntives, acts of Go vernment, and administration of the same, which belong to the Xing of this realm to use, execute and perform, according to the Laws thereof, subject to such limitations and exceptions, as shall be provided." In submitting that resolution he thought it expedient to sepa rate those parts which might create discussion. That the Prince of Wales was the most fit person to assume the exercise elf the Royal functions all seemed to agree, but that part which led to a disagreement cf opinion, was the introduction of restrictions upon the Royal Authority, in the person of the Regent. The question then might be thus stated; first, whether or not it would be proper to admit any restrictions, and if any, what re strictions; and next, whether any, and what limitations ought to be adopted. He trusted the Committee would keep in mind the nature of the deficiency, for which it was their euty to pro vide. It would occur to the Committee that they were not called upon to provide for a vacant throne—( Hear ! hear ! ) They were simply called upon to provide for . a temporary sus pension in the exercise of the Royal Authority—two import ant objects to be attended to ; one to provide for the security of Elie exercise of the functions incrusted to the Regent, with ener of-the pub - ECTUrit _ d to - the removal of :Orstion of the King, iitist These points might l measures he .should providing for the Re the limited period of a general considea :ter—they must put out providing for th,e Regency, m. . only I. be guided in theit decisions by the urgeny of the vase, and the interests and wel fare of the State. They ought not to take any view respecting the character or credit which was justly due to the Royal P v t. nonage, for were they, they would be acting an unwise and a weak part, and would establish a precedent in a particular emit; which would not bear reference in general.—(Hear ! hear!) A general assertion was made that the adoption of any restric tion whatever would tend to undermine the Royal Authority, to cramp the exercise of the Executive Power and endanger the vital interests of the Constitution. But was that proposition supported by any one fair or reasonable argument ; did it beat analogy , to the present case, or would it stand the test of in vestigation 1 The very admission of the argument would be madness. He thought no one could say that, for so short a pe riod, the interests of the state required that the Regent should Fircsess unlimited and unrestricted Royal authority ( Hear ! ) He did not mean to introduce the argument as to what the limitations ought to be. That there should be, at least some, he thought would be generally admitted. It would be for the House hereafter to ascertain what those limitations were to be. A prominent argument against the admissability of the preee ct, t of 1788, was, that we were now existing at a time of war. It was upon that principle that he thought there would be less danger in entrusting the aff.iirs of the country in the hands ol the Regent himself, than by interposing the opinion of a (20uncil, who might dissent from every act he might think proper to adopt. They were given to understand, that what might have been deemed wise in 1788, could not be deemed wise, expedi ent, or admissable upon the present occasion. He must bay, from the view he had taken of the subject , that nothin g had occurred which could detract from the merits of the precedent of 1788, as applied to the case in question. With respect to the question of peace or war, he would ask, did the circumstance of a war require, or not, the unlimited exercise of prerogative ? That there might be a prerogative to 1w exerted in the course of a war, could not be denied, but that during the next twelv , t months the exercise (if the Royal Prerogative would be required was not equally evident. That the Regent should have the iull command of the army ; that he should have an unlimited power over the public purse; and that he should have the means of dissolving his Parliament, he admitted ; hut all that %vas not conclusive as to the necessity of an enlimiti d possession of Pre rogative in case of war. When the Regent was restricted from granting Peerages, that surely has nothing to do with the'ques tions of peace or war, and the only case in which it could make a difference, he had provided for. That was, where it might be considered essential in the event of any great military or naval achievement, to confer some signal mark of favour for the bril liant services which may have distinguished any individual. The Right i-lon. Gent. then proceeded to read the rest of his Reso lutions, the s:cond of which was to the following effect. Rw sotv to, 14 9..dly t That the power so to be granted to his Royal High ness the Prince of Wales shall not extend to the granting of any rank or dignity of Peer.;ge of the United Kingdom, or of Ire land, to any person whatever, except in rtcompence of some brilliant achievement by our Naval or Military Commanders." ResoLven, • " 3dly That the said powers shall not extend to the granting of any office whatever in reversion, or to the granting of any office, salary, or pel , sion, for any other term than during his Majesty's pl-asure, except such offices as are by law required to be granted for life, or during good behaviour." With respect to the third Resolution he would observe, that the King, at present, granted pensions for his own life only, and to re fi..ct this limitatitut would be, in fact, granting to the Regent, a greater power than the King possessed. RF.• OLVLD, " That such a part of his Majesty's private property as is not already invested in trustees, shall be invested in trustees for the use and benefit of his Majesty." R rSOLVED, " That it is the opinion of ~ t he Committee, that the care of his Malesty's Royal Person, during the confirme ence of his Majesty's laws' should be committed to the Queen's most excellent Majesty, and that her Majesty should have power to remove from, and to reinstate and appoint such. persons as she shall think prow to the s.. veral other-s of his TI I E N ATI ON Al..' REGISTER _ - - - - After some observations from Lord Reddvidale, the Lord gy and effect, for the interests OftWtolfare• Chancellor, Earl Spencer, and the Earl of Westmoreland, the there was another Main object, to provide f Resolutions were agreed to without a division. every possible obstruction to the restoration The Repoct was then received, after which the House the resumption of the Royal p)wer. These adjourned to Monday. reconciled in one yraceeding, and by the n' propose. It woulq be recollected, that in pre • HOUSE OF COMMONS. gency, the restriction Was only applied to the twelve months. l i te House must act upon ration, and not look to individual character — MONDAY, DEC. 31. cif consideration the Prince of Wales, and in STATE OF THE NATIOn Regency, must only think of a Prince, and )TAI.