The Statesman. — London, England, 1820-11-08 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN'. varnals that bee Majesty had been degraded for maul grouts intercourse, and still that she was not divorced. /le had stated djstinctly on a former occasion, that he believed her Majesty to have been proved guilt• of adultery by the evidence before their Lo..dshipa, vet, thinking that this Bill ought to pass, and believing, that it would not pass. he wished now to state, that in his opinion, to degrade the Queen and nut to !divorce her. would be to degrade both the Queen and King, and likewise, that to declare the Queen guilty of adul tery, and neither to degrade nor di% orce her, would be to degrade the King. lie bad voted against the se cond reading of the Bill on the ground of expediency, but he was decidedly of opinion that tae Queen was unworthy to remain Queen Consort of these realms. After a fen• words front the Earl of HARROWILIT, which were inaudible, and Lord I'OLTHORPE, wha thought the words " adulterous intercourse" ought to be admitted In the Preamble, Lord LIVERPOOL said that, in the present stage of the Bill, the question gas not one of expediency— it was, whether the allegations had been proved. lie, therefore, called upon those Noble Lords who had voted from the principles of expediency, merely to vote according to their views of the guilt or innocence of the defendant. the Bill, founded on the supposed londuct of the cos-. 'Joining party, be thought it quite inapplicable. A great constitntional principle was involved in the pre sent cue.—The King " could do no wrung he could not commit a folly, far less a crime ; and, therefore, recrimination was out of the question.—(lleac.) Lord LA 11/FRI/ALE, with due submission to the opinion which hail fallen front the Reverend Reach of Bishops, thought that the Douse ought not to agree to the Dicorce Clause. lie confessed that he approach ed this part of the question with some difficulty, for he could not forget that it bad been said in the llou.e, that were the Degradation to pass without the Divorce, it would virtually be s degradation of the King.— Were such to be its effect, he would be the last man to vote f. tr it ; but he denied that it involved any such consequence. Why was it that be objected to the Di vorce Clause ? Was it because he meaot to say that his Majesty should be excluded front that relief front the bonds of marriage, on cause shown, which was open to every subject in the country ? No. Or was it because his Majesty could nut come before their Lordships in that pure state which would defy re rrimination ? Certainly not.—ln wishing to exclude the Divorce Clause, he contended fur no other proposi. tion than simply this, that the parties had not cows be fore them in a situation that admitted lot its applies. tion. The Queen and King of these Realms, entered the marriage contract. and were hound by as solemn obligations, as other indit iduals. But there was ano ther obligation iniptnied uo then,, for he knew of no ranks in the State, without concomitant duties. The' Queen hail been proved incapable of discharging the public duties of her station. But still, could - he say, that there was one law for the King, and another for the subject? No, he agreed with the sentiment so well and so beautifully expressed by the Learned Doctor fur the Queen, (Doctor Lushington) that the laws of Dud were tht saute for the King and the peasant. Ile knew that adultery was no crime, according to the law, but.it was according to the ecclesiastical law, which formed a part of the common law. And if he was rightly infortneckthe cc clesiastical law called adultery not a crime, but a pee cotton. Ile had given much consideration to that sub , ject of late, and there were some in that house, that knew, that he thought in the commencement of that proceeding, that the divorce clause should be the mow rat consequence of conviction. lie would state the grounds on which he had formed his opinion. It was that a person standing in the situation of Quern of these realms, at the head of society, the person to whom society was to look for an exampie, it 'total' be highly injurious to the interests of the nati nn , that • prrsoa ettu. liemlf as the Queen had been proved to Lace done, should hold that situation. lint was he there• t fore to say that the zing, whose example was equally powerful, should he permitted to a c t as he please t i 11l lie said so, he would be doing an act of the greatest's.; justice. Lord ERSKINE observed, that the Noble Earl had omitted some things which were true, and cer tainly he might consent to the omission of those which were false. He considered the Protest of her Majesty confirmatory evidence of her innocence ; but if their Lordships were determineato think her otherwise, how ►vulti they deny she hod been guilty of an adulter ous intercourse and refuse to divorce her, 7—(llear, hear, hear.) Lord I L tUE suggested the words " suspicious in tercourse," in the place of those to which objection had been made. The original words were carried. Lord CARNARVON proposed to introduce & clause tc the following effect —•• That, snbsequ•ut to her Alairsty's return, she had refused :WARM. a year of the public money, and the proffered homage of both 11Juses of Parliament." Lord LAUDERDALE said that nothing to that efrea had been proved, and could not properly be en t,.-tainrd. Lord CARNARVON withdrew the tlau•e, tnt g'l%. notice that he would wore it when the Report s',uuld be broucht up. The Preamble then was carried, and the House pro d.!! led :u tliscmis the clauses. TliE DIVORCE CLAUSE. This Mime having )wen read, The Arelshishop of YORK rose. He knew, be said, of ro religious expediency that could justify any thing s•f this sort. Marriage vas not a civil contract, but a sacred ordinance of religion, and he looked to the *void of,Ood as his guide in forming an opinion upon tt.is case. Ile coul•1 not therefore rote fur the Dirorrc. And y . et, if the House were to pass the Hill without the Divorce. the monstrous spectacle would be exhi bited of a King having fortis wile a degraded woman ! There was no possibility of avoiding this extremity without thrusting cut the Bill altogether.—(Lond cries of bear, hear. hear !)—He felt no hesitation in y►sterday gis lug his vote against the Bill ; but lie must declare, if called upon to give his opinion in his judicial situation, that lie must be under the painful necessity of saying guilty to the charge.. It hail been said, that regard fospublic morals, and the interests of re- E zlon, required that the Bill should pas 4. Much more w.iithl the patine morals, and the inter. sty of religion hare been served, if the Bill had never been spoken of. —(Hear, hear, hear!)—Those nauseous publications would not have got into private society. It would be gratifing to all good men to hear that the measure 5...: totally abandoned, but it would he gratifying to the encinies of order to hear that it was persevered i.. iii concluded, by praying to (hod that he might ,t itar to deprei ate the continuance of the Bill fur th • rtmt of his life. The Bishop of CHESTER Paid he believed the Queen to be guilty, hut he had voted fur the second tradistg of the Bill, upon the understanding that the Divorce Clause nag to be laid aside. He should vote against the Clause, as he judged as he would wish to be judged. 'l•be Archbishop of CANTERBURY said, that if this question was, whether divorces ri,trob. malri nsokii wi re consittent with the word of God ? Hr felt bound to answer, that they were. He must tell their Lordship!, that they were directly and expressly de clared to he lawful by our Saviattr himself. They were certainly not authorised by the Canons and In stitutions of the established Church, nor by the com mon I•w of the land. lint why so ? Marriage lies at the foundation of all swirly. and forms one of the first principles of social order. It had been the object of all States to protect it by every means in their power from r;;ssulution. Divorces had, notwithstanding, oc curred, both before and since the Reformation. They were, notwithstanding, consonant both with the Mo saic and with the Christian dispensation. Ocr Saviour had said, " that he who putteth away his wife fur any other cause than adultery, caused' her to coninit adul' tery." L'id not this obviously infer that divorces Isere allowable? His Grace concluded by saying, that he considered the charge of adultery established against her Majesty, and, under that conviction, lie had no objecCon of any deseription, least of all of a religions nature, to Cie Bill proceeding in the form in which it now stood. _ _ Lord NO said some few words which were inau• dible at the Bar. The Bishop of WORCESI ER admitted that the question of the divorce was not eitliout tome difficulty ; but, considering how much the rids of the country were concerned in the issue of this proceeding, lie felt bound to give his support to the Bill. (We under stood this to be the purport of his Lordship's obser vations, but he spoke in a tone so inaudible at the Bar, that we cannot vouch for its accuracy). The Bishop of LLANDAFF thought the divorce clause should be retained. He did not •ee any force in the objection 1111116 to it on religious ground; for he knew of nothing in the Christian religion against a dissolution of marriage for adultery. The Bishop of LONDON agreed with his Right Reverend Brother (the Archbishop of Canterbury), that divorces were authorised by the words of our Sa viour. As to any objection to the Uivorce Clause of The Queta had rendered herself unfit to remain Queen Consort of this country. She had deriaded herself by a lung course of adultery ; hut their Lordships wished her to continue in another situation, they wished her to remain tied to his 3lajestv (this was his Lordship's expression.) It was true that his illajesty h:d n•• feelings of his own upon the subject, hut the proce. r .ing seas altogether a state proceeding, and the Divorce was a necessary consequence of the degrade. tion. If their Lordships did not pass the Divorce Clause, it would be thought out of 'lours that they bad rejected it merely to show that they would not gratify the purposes of the King. Uod forbid that they should ever lend themselves to such a purpose ; but only let their Lordships observe in what a situation they would be, if they were to pronounce her Majesty unworthy of being Queen, and yet worthy of being the wife of the King. Ile should vote for the Bill altogether. and he trusted their Lordships would so pass it. The Bishop of CNISTILR, in explanation, de,larei that he trusted he was actuated conscientiously when he declared, that no consideration whatever should in duce him to vote that the divorce clause should form part of the Bill. The Earl of DARROWBY did not think the omis sion of the Divorce Clause would be attended with the inconvenience mentiuned by the Noble Earl. The' suffering that clause to remain. would, in his (Lord ll.'s) opinion, give an aspect to the whole proceeding different from the true our; for it would give the measure an aprearance of being intended for the case of a particular individual. Ile found among those persons, most likely Loin their situation to understand this subject, (he meant the Ilishops,) that a consider- We difference of opinion existed. Ile found too, that their Lordships had iu evidence a letter written by his Majesty to the Queen twenty-four years a g o, lain:il l ; the terms of a distinct and complete separation, and he observed that a sotbseirent Act of Parliament had noticed that separation. !Le ferring too, to the practice in ordinary cases, a practice ! handed upon strict justice, he thought the Mouse ought nut to do that in the pre.ent case which they would not do in any other; especially when their doing- so would be misunderstood by the community. Ile did not deny that a case might occur in which the dilE-nlties might be so overwhelming, that it would b! essentially necessary, even in a Sate proceeding, to dispense with the 'ordinary practice, and pass a divorce clause as a consequence of the degradation. Such a case might be the danger attending the sue- cession to the Throne from a spurious offsprin:r, and aeverol other c:. es; but nu one of them appeared to exist in the case before the House, and he therefore ' for the reasons lie had given, should vote f u r the reject- For he apprehended, the decision must tern ap„l question of expediency with a proper regard o r was due to the King. When the Bill e:s brought in, he u iderstood that no one was to vote for it, unless the most substantial coao7 of adultery. contained in the preasosb: e , be made out. After this some Noble Lords proper to vote against the Bill, upou the gn om e ( W . expediency, although at the sametime some ut thole nu e led ged guilt, and others suspicion. Ile could no t 4 thought that he was acting right, if at K .; a stage of the Bill he had said guilty, and then h rottd to stop the measure. He never could hi reconciled it with his ideas of Parliamettary After some other rem:less the Noble Lord stated, • to degrade her Majesty without divorcing b e e, c o y i be to draw the bonds of connexion between 6 1 , 5: the King closer. One of her Majesty's rights sera. emptions was, that she was considered a that she could hold property in her owe Niue: •!, she could sue and be sued as a single woman. she was degraded from her rank, her rights, i‘t: alleges and exemptions, then she would bennue, wires in ordinary cases, solely dependent on her Leslaa. (A langli.)--The Noble Lord, afters owe other remark, • concluohed by stating, that it would be for their Lort!sisi, to determine whether this clause should or shoohl x , t pass. Ile thought the rejection or adoptiouef ihat d am a matter of such vital importance, that their Lor:ships should take time to consider; and as for loisassii, h. would nut express an opinion on it, until inure W A wits thronn on it by discussion. And it entail's would not afford complete satisfaction to his min& Noble Lords expressed their opinions in co other v c than by saying content or not content. lie tranti, therefore, the discussion could not chose to-night. The LORD CHANCELLOR moved that the ;lobs should adjourn to to-morrow morning. The Marqness:of LANSDOWNE said he opposedli e rill iw foto, but he did nut conceive himself bound br any decision of yester.L.y. Lord DUNCAN then rose. lie said, he had not la opportunity of addressing them before, but he wished to state, before they separated, that he was quite rue. scions, that all the charges against the queen, oriel. Hated in a foul and infamous conspiracy. He start ii therefore oppose the Bill in every stage. There were loud cries of adjourn, when Isersl SHAFTESBURY (Chairman of the Committee), sae- Rested that previous to an adjournment the house should resistor. On which he pnt the ptestion ; a dirisien rn then called for, and strangers ordered /so withdraw :lout the division not being pressed, the house resumed, sad adjourned to ten o'clock to -morrow. 0 1 r dRTIFICES EMPLOYED AG4IXST the QVERS Lord DARNLEV felt that he },ad already occupied twit of the clause of divor ce . The following is an extract fron t a v e r y ii t e er e st i ne had e transmitted i t Oc.t. t through a pr ivate It°, and just recrived. 111:vate channel. too much of their Lordships time, but lie could not E ar l 1:11111.11.1.1 . 111 rase, lint notwithstanding !'"ter, Jaded datd haples s avoid expressing his astonishment at sonic of the send- ier the a ttenti on w hi c h was hewn Li m b y t h e 'louse, we , : to avoid the danger of intercepti on . w hi c h h r b e li ev , a m e nu th a t h a d been utter e d, partitadarlt by the metro- 'we prevented, by the enfe e bled t une o f hi s vo i ce, l politan Prelate. Ile prayed their lairil;hips attention, hearing any but detached words of his address. He ito hav e bee n th e f a t e o f t'o preceding letters. • . fur however unimportant the Kalil islital aught he trim " The vessel called the Adam., which was forme r: spoke against the Divorce Clause, and contended it 1 the vessel in which she made her excursions to Africa then addressed them, still the subject was 01 the toursot lotionsolicitedeither of which was not taand Greece, has just arrived here. Being on Vie capable of rousing to demand ailiverce 1 In this in . stanae, objects. wateli, as a professed champion in h er cause , an d f ro l t it appeared that the husband had pot away h is wife, Th e E ar l o f LIVERPO O L , i n explanation to some the conviction flifonat my own k unaledge, that al without any crime having been committed , mat part o f Earl F 'has been most shamefully beli e d, as we ll as t o counter.itzwilliasn's speech, which we did not ! therefore was last:am:en:al in the guilt, ev e n hear, disclaimed any private understanding of any ' act the active enmity of our Ambassador her:, a admitting that it hail been c ttttt milted. sy kind with any Peer relative to this Bill, and confi- his emissaries, in furnishing charges against her. I that on these grounds, l`he cannia Iraq, this MU, dcntly declared that every thing in that shape front ' this morn.ng went on board, with a must respectable either with the Divorce .111,e. ar without it. I herr .2 ---r hint could only have been heard in his place in that gentleman, as an interpreter, for the express purpete cannot pass it iv:ila the Dietary Chaise fur the ressorp iton . e.... —(llear, bear, hear.)---This was not a'of an ocular inspection of this notable politer?, and hr hail stated. 't hey cannot pass it without it, wit & ease of coo ~,,,, n divorce. Tha r L or d sh i ps must , also for ascertaining from the crew on• beard aim out deeratling the King.--(ilear.)--They might melte treat it as a public measure, and upon paltlic was the real impression on their minds, as well as an Act of Parliament. Ile hail heard nitwit of tite prind . dos. smite Noble Lords oppueite had assert- the conclusions they had made, on the conduct of he omnipotence of au Act of Parliament, lint it could no ed that l a quren could not be degraded and not di- 31ajesty. I lest began by declaring Oat' I had cope c h ange sh e natu r e of things. Mankind would mil revert!, witlinut bringing degradation upon the there with no other view but to aim rtain the truti. call her Queen, and Queen she would he to ill intent. King also. Ile could conceive many grounds and promote the undisguised cause of jtistica and purpoties.--(llear, hear.] on which a Queen fl ut ist lie degraded without and' whether their evidence stould be in favour 'llse Duke of CLA RENCK then rose, and in a moat a divorce. Supposing f or „ mit a. , th at a Queen of or against thee Queen, it would be eqaally conituatidiug tone, but with some warmth truth itta, should be C011110.r.1 of felony, the highest crime known litti desire to have It Inmestly. Upon pointing with his linger—" Order below the Ilan — to the law, the litng c•atbl have no relief, however this declaration the men to whom 1 addressed The bishop of Lennon and the Bishop el It ta heinous the fatale,. committed by his wife, bacon e a myself seemed extremely surprised, and declared mo• t Dar , e xpl a in e d. i.s far as we were able to hear tk di voreecould not be obtained. For be put it to the reaarend emphatically, " that every sailor wilt,, had been, or Right Reverent' Prelates, they stated that in the tee bench ofllishoptio nil toevery man whobeard Mica: welter still was on board that vessel, could !tact' /10thill4 to quot a t by the prece as sit christianit • or by an • law whatever , ed by the Noble Earl who had just spoken, . 1 . y, . y , say against the Queen, and that wla •s er attempted to a divorce could be obtained upon any other gruntal, but • i • t ; , act of adultery alluded to was marrying ma another , Ce nnona e or, as far as regarded Ler behaviou r on that of adultery. It would not be 'done either by the Lord DONOUIIII3IORE next addressed their last. board that vessel, was not worthy of belief." flan laws of God oi man. Ile would not presUme to giie an ships. Ile could nut help expressing his astonist ! iminion. upon the religious v i ew o f th e quest i on, b ut h e voluntary burst of disinterested testiatot y, in tit • vera latent that on this subject there had but been an tina l „t„ certain l y inclined to agree with what bail been said outset, quite surprised ine, atal horictliately cpeaed nimous opinion. Ihe Iti . alit Rev. Prelate who dil. by the Right Reverend Metropolitan upon that subect. ?W. i eyes to the more th at suspected character of the feted from all others on that studsubjec, as always en-' s ca r e was ;rhea ground upu.: a :deli it was sai d the evidence that had been already give,' bafore the Lords, titled to the grculest respect, his olatantlai no n t aw t r i • i e r co n t i t eatpi ot ot he n g . : r a i n n t i t,— tio t i l tia t the other party , had by the pilot anti the master of the same vessel. 1 always fell with great weight. for MIS he less asked to see such sailors as had sailed its the ship ion were valid, the King could o btai n a an di a v l u i r e t t .; surprised at the perseverance of his Noble File: 1 iv no means, and under no ci rc umstances what- during the Queen 's excursion only : co.. answer ;vas, . (I.ord Lauderdale) in eppasition to the ulaiust .1 en Because in his character as King, he could that the .lnibassaJor had immediately, on the vessel's universal opiniou of these Reverend au tho r ities . , tot be subject to recrimination, inasmuch as lie was arrival, had them all on shore, and bad jitst seat 0 9 1 His Noble 1 7 rivitil had certainly 'hewn "" I " men:tide to nu tribunal. It was known that a se• lime, (whose names are in the margin) for 31ilaa. knowledge on the subject, and he said it serionsla 1 ' Je .aration had existed between the King and the Queen, to be received by a friend o:• the Queen's. knew ai. itl::71 better acquainted on most subjs.' ts. II - " t or the last "1 years. It was sanctioned he his late ' therewho would tell theal whether they ottalit to proceed lie had di played considerable knowledge of the (aim , dajesty while in the exercise of Isis faculties, and eau. to Flisgland or nut; for they hail rlisSartly undtratood wen law. It was not necessary, therefore, for " it " ruled by Act of P ar li ament. Il e k new that it was that b o th th e capta i n an d p il ot b t fore ment i oned to display much knowledge out that anbject. In the waited ii) _ . 311:111c persons, whether after such a eh. ' had left Naples as witness .s in the Quieen's fa tir,t h ast ,•,., this was nut like a "it be tw ee n twu aration it would be just to grant a divorce. He I Tour, and would not believe, on any &mow. parties.Thehing appears only as prasecutor, t' l tgnfesseel he did not see t hi s objection i n th e light ' , that they had gi aen evidence at24l.st her. • 1 hey P" the head of the State. Ile did not appear person al ly ' laity other person s : lid ; last be was trilling to f illittrelY theref"eet asserted that tl 'e four alit emu nor dill he come to that House demanding a redress tout fur it in the religions feeling of the ' now sent were gating un her behalf, and could .el of grit•aances. 'llse King was merely an in-,atgry, and not to oppose Furl. feeling, w h en i imagine there c o uld b e any Wit or del:nitro in ;at dividual, and he sent saying, that he who wan. ere was ita immediate n ecess i t y f or t h e d i . ! ing them to 11111 an. liesiZles this, they stab,., nitie so feelingly alive tip the interests of others, ere. On th e s e aroma's, if the clause were put • oat any sari of reserve, th a t d ie I:abovsarlor t in At : altogether neglected his own on that occasion. u of should rote against it, on the consideration that a I d " to induce the "' to go, g av e ea " 'f ti t ...4 ' a bev''''el (lint.ii the whin e cour d so b any man in that House say i I use should be introduced to confine the separation, ,of money in hand, aaeording to the 4411111 placed op these prolonged proceedings Ise had been actuate Y to obviate the difficulties which the rejection of P"lte their names, exelasite at' all expellees a:AI any feeling towards that illustrious party. The k ing divorce cultist. ottigla other% ise create. charges of their journey, and is i.ii ::11 assurance that solicited no remedy. lie (Lord Donoughntore) non- . he IA/Itli CHANCELLOR spoke at considerable if they were forwarded he lice w ent at Milan ta cited a remedy as a subject. Their Lordships solicit ._ •th e explaining the common and ecelexiastical law ! England, they would be abundantly reward, if ! 'll is etl a remedy as the High Court of Parliament. It he laud upon divorce rates , and contending that they all verified with one voice, iltaiariag they had :t then they thought th a t t h e Quact , was such a woman li power of Parliament was independent of either, ! fruit their four comrades, in ;abuse bands they saw as should remain at the heath of society in this not bound to art upon their entre. He knew of the money yesterday, at noon, before they they off country, then these proceedings should go for nothing. 'authority in Scripture for asserting that a woman 'I litre of those remaining here saill, were also of ti. 1 Ile begged their Lordships attention, for he knew 1 a had committed athilterv, was not t o b e cons id ere d crew wh en t h e Q ueen was an ho :al, aho stat e there the advantage that would be taken, if it were said out of doors, that whets he, the first Peer that had brow ht tilulteress, because h er Cusband tu i g ht h ave cum- are a b out Id more of them on ho 1J • another vessel I daily expected in this all led adultery also. Such was the sanctity ? . port; of them are ready 'a ! forward the name of that illustrious party, bad spoken, w hi c h , _ I that he was treated with marked inattention. It ketisig the married mate on the attache d lconduct part of the f emale, i to ter while she was a passenger; would tend to disgrace Royalty, and enough of that a WOlll3ll coild not come to that Hous I and tort, to tl e ti , sue as the story of the kissing and Mame r had been done already out of doors. Ihe ' ' House had • Kvorce, unless it were as • 1 • ' ro• the with B e ..• . I I " ul I . peas ease, Ihe only a guts rpm, It la a fa..e.ii....., an d ranee had heard the defence, i gone through the evidence, they ha . he remembered was that of Mrs. Add:son's, and I 14hc i r " t i""1 whic h the y wil l ' and they Lad come to a vote that Queen Caroline was li swear never did hammy. was a very special case. 'llse adultery had been to the sight of any of them. Wes • and they not a proper person to beat the head of a . they tit with the woutait's sister; it was an hires.. ‘:` As . 1 tar" in e a sitt ,lnatreil fur any agent, banker, et owed it to theutaelves, they owed it to the King, t e adultorY. In that particular ease the House ass ; st f", " ere u " ti l s Queen's part. whom I °Nig" apply owed it to the dignity o f the Throne, and they owed it loud its gene _ , to in weinine Me tO re.. 4 -sr L ra t rnl ea , upo n the ground o f ".. . r a —....... t.ese WitePeeee. 110 mater:..' to the Irvaseas of the country.--•(A loud tosgh.)-- soy. What was the expedi • this ' easy to ease •to the issue. Rad wlto would directly contradict the eel. • I delta o f tite - captois and pflo: (two of the Isom reputed .. ... . . , T 1 Ini T