The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-04-14 00:00:00

civatlei them in their places , had n o p led g e been osed to himself; but, as it was impossible he be convinced of the necessity of such a con „Th• - ;:tt he could not admit of the reservation which ;: c elaiHisters proposed, nor of their continuance in ;jS ; e, lie highly applauded llis Majesty's comlo.l, p osmitting . the late Ministry publicly to defend aor conduet in office, even het ire any accu;ation o r charge had been made against them, except such s had iseen suggested by the ingenuity of the duly slam But he lamented, that the same spoil • d conotency which reflelled honour on the commencement of their administration, had not continued throughout those transallions which had Wily garotted such general notice, and was of opinion it was totally owing to their own Oita creeon A na want of candour, that the 1 t•e NV :,;my had been compelled to reiigit their st tiatams. • --They bad undoubtedly forfeited their chanillas with the Public ; and were it possible that t!.ey *bond be restored ench to his form-r liar cook! never again be the same Ministry, : (1 eyes of the country. 'Citify mule lose that strength whi,:h they formerly derived from ens eontileace of the Sovereign and the Peeple. The I !Public were will aware, he said, of the talents of die late Mini.tty ; but, was it possible, otter the niasaihrins which had Wily taken place, t h ey could exonerated by the Puhlic from the ch rage of in. discretion and inconsistency? Ihe pr, sew M:ntstry, k•.• observed, were as yet untried,-.a circumtance which undoubtedly gave them • fair clillS io be poi:nutted to make toe experiment, (, • rAd r ry of :Ica! front She opitosire boob;) tough he iolitioted this might be ikiVanCed as an Argument Agiams im plicitly co .tiding the nation to Leif guidance. Ur . one thing, hoe ever, be was Certain ; namely, that . nu 'dinistiy whatever could he more Viall.ing in pru dence or policy than the last. He concluded, wen: Luting several arguments against the adoption of the resolution. which we could not diatinaly coileht. hold BOIIINGDON ruse, and said, hour-the rat he had of the circumstances atten ling the chime of Ministry, he was inclined to hcheree the last mode of meeting the present Motion, wouid be, to propose at.other, which would resole; it uoneces- buy to come to A decision on the original Mn wa. This WAS the mouon of adjownrn nt. He 0m.1111 , ..1 i n the Cl. q resit stAteinetit 01 tile h able Lind, .c; 4 O spoke last out one ; end was of opinion that any thing *hien hod tall-n iu Ad unrecorded epees. fro" a ,fainter at the nc er flouse, certionly could not be adduced f i , y as en atgument to goal d proceedings OR in this. He was scarcely our posed the Lite altnistry had demanded leave of His Majesty to make a public ittstsficatii•n of Weir co ; and he was less so, when be found His Majesty had been pleased to grant it; int he was romer astonished to rind they were perfumed, wanout interruption, in both Houses of Pailamment, t make • . innovation on the psi- Tate lettings and condo ot the King, as utijustiti abie as it was unpiecedentel. He maintain- d that the posiog of the resuont woo, Ibeat b st but nugatory proceeding, and was ansfly unwortity of the Attention of s he House, as it would become a very sriamiesoisie pre.edent in tutu. e ewes. I her. had, he said, a Resolution been passed in both Houses of Paihomeni, in the cominencemeont of the last centtoy, voting that any treaty entered ant's with lbw House or the Grown of Spun, would M inconclusive. Yet the ;mimeo! peace nos in ode, ass Address of flicks was voted by PerhAment to the Ministe,s wow tied be.-n em ployed in etiettiog it. It then, a motion of this kiiid„ so pointed, so direct, was incapable of bin"- ing the decision of Parliament for a few months, what could be expelled ti um the passing of a Mo tion similar to that now before their Lordships? Ha absolved the present eilinistry Irons any insion tenon of writing on His bleiesty the Meitinfe in question, or leaving him want's) , 'gametic of its extent or tendency ; but he toilet not Absolve them from a charge of negligen-oe and inattention to CirCtirßitariCell, which nognt love been loieseen would lead to the most fatal co..seqenees. Fie conten.led it was extremely improper to resort to that imperfect mode of sounding the King's mind relative to a great question, by the mans of a dispitc ; especially when this was so equivocally worded, that it was a matter of doubt to the Se cretary in belond, how it should be construed, when tronsmitied odicially to him. So far was he from conclushog that the king lied been instigated by secret advisers to demand a pledge. lie was convinced, had the Noble Lord (Glenville) can didly and explicitly disclosed tne measure in its full extent, and with 41 its consequences. the c:...itige in the Ministry would not have token pager, our would they have been compelled to jus tify themselves from a charge to which nothing could have subjected them but their own im prudence and rashness. Coe state of Miens in Ire land, he did not consnier so deplorable as some were inclined to conclude, the Cat:wises would, he said, be taught hence to conclude that the defeat of their hopes was not to be attributed to the intrigues ot A cabal, nor yet to any predisposition existing against their claims, Hiner in the minds of the late eadmi entrant's' or the but solely to the constisu tienal principle entertained by His Majesty, by which he was. hound as the Sovereign of a erotestant Es tab idle:tent in Church and &ate, to protett the Established Religion of the Country from being - .reached on by that teligion, which OAS, for several centuries, only been tolerated throughout the 'e^ l,ll . He concluded with moving, •• That the /louse do now adjourn." Lord KINNAIRD replied with great spirit to •he Arguments of several Noble Lords, who preced ed him in the debate. He wished to know, did the Noble Lind who spoke lest wish to prove either his • .immon sense or his loyalty. in asserting, that the Homan Catholics would feel more satisfied in know ing that the objetlion to their claims were strongest. where they were least capable of being combat. d or overcome? was It loyal to point out to the Como hes the King alone as the opposer of their wale tare, and arbiter ot their political existence i FAS from it. 'I los was indeed to cherish tLu seeds ot discontent, and disseminate the most dangerous kanwledgis amongst a set of men whose patient torbeerence eel nosily recommended them so tar so the commisersttim ot the lis use, that it should not wonsmoy tr.fle with their feelings. He had euppoted M ka-w the political principles or s Nunle Frien s t (Lord &Auk), min how thence nn•r he was inclined to hope Ee 'fluid not sn rein have become the warm and pager advocate of the pre. seat men in power. Ills conversion had beets sn very extraordinary, that it evended even to his mode of arguing ; for he was convinced his Noble FrirnJ would never have asserted, that a want of experience in the grand concern, of the nation, was a fair argtrn nt to in..!.uce the country to e , .- trust the G.;vtrment to their hands; were it not that even his ingenuity could not furnish one single argument of greater plausibility. In !ev.i, it showed how wretched must be the cause, which required such a delence, it defence it might he termed. But wnald it be asserted, that the NAle Lord, at :he head of the. Treasury, had not hem tried, and found wanting? Had not another Noble Lord (Hawke'. bury) been in office, before, and aft or being shuffled from the for..ign to the home depotmeno been frtttaUy rej.-ited as unfit for either ? Had not the country experienced to its cost. tare foal effeßs of his diplomatic prudence? &furrier N Lord, not in th it H use, had also been discovered, when its office, is to be that pure unsullied patriot and state-man, which early pro fessions hat taught the wood to exp et. Some had asked what this Mi istry of all the gal nts had effrfted ; had they rot detteted and ezoosed cars rupion and bribery ? Had the former Mi asters any jos' right to tax the late with any .+ ant of promp d tion nr success in their ei roar) , expedrions? or, was it far to impute hat s went of statesman-like ' prudence. eu.icts cam d be cdrisieter d as a mete abstinent from :net career of mad enter prise w.deh ceariderised digit administration? — Is not any recent -ue,oas in Perkey, or atoote Vi deo, to be attributed to their expeditions ? Why have the tiimds of tills Ministry roused the feelings of the inoh,aod enroll:red to storm the sanduaries of science well the vulgar sensieis ci y of Popery (Near I hear 1J to an swer their own private vita's, and let t:e country appreciate their crinclud i• SIDAOUTii rated, that brisling it impuaible to agree to the motion, he rose to give it his net Mire. l'n this he was induced, by motives of aprrslic and not of a personal na:ure, as weal as by the late proceed.nt; in another place upon the ANA. It appeared to him, that the motioit nt ad) Jurnment was the proper mode of meeting the Ineftione, because it implies that it is one upon which the Houss w slues to give no opinion. Any discus. aion n ly i :ream 1 his regret; yet he owed is to his Nook Friend•, to declare, than no men were ever placed in a More difficult situation, exposed as they wer - to usnapiy and cen-ure, in the circulation of which cilantdy had est •m gone so tar a. to publish mutilated morales from the minutes of the Privy Council, in do- puolic prints. That Ministers, feeling they had only done their duty, should ask leave to repel tots obiolity, ought not to excite wondrr ; bat .hat task being dioffiarg -a, he hoped the whale !Armies' %I/mild br forgotten the ground triton by a Noble Baron (Harrowhy) appeared to him perfectly Parltamentar‘, in stating that there was not even a basis for the most ord i nary _ proceeding ; loose paragraphs is-•d reports bring the principal matter brought into view. Ile stated this mei ely as the gooier it ground of his objetion to the motion. The Naiuful part of his duty now rermsia eJ for him to dist:ll4.Ae. He regretted that such a docussion should have taken place ; but MOM sun .es of moment berme teen introinced into it, it bee one iiecessary the they should b- understood correftly. Toese eir.sienstances he shnuil lay be• fore the House, solar as they came within his know ledge. Here His Lordship was called to on by the Earl of RAD'sfOlt., who ofsservei, that circum stances which came to the knowledge of a Noble Peer, as a Privy Crillillelf/t, and might affect the public interest, wee- not fit to be disclos-01. Viscnion SI DNIOUTH then entered into a long and minute d -tail of the proceedings on the Catholic Question between the C4h6rt and His Majesty, in woich hi declared his convietion that Lord Di curdle and Viso not Howick cenceived that His Majesty had Asse..ted to the wh .k measure, but that neither His Majesty nor himself had ever meant it should extend beyond the lido Ad of 1793. His Lord s; ip appreved of the motion of Adjournment, as shewmg that the House declined to give Any opi nion whatever upon the subject. The Earl of LAUDERDALE—" My Lords, io the course of my public life, I never heard a proposition more calmly, ably, and decisively ar gued, than the proposition which was this night submitted by my Noble Friend, to the consideration of this House. And never, tray Lords, was a made of ' answer suhsrituted, I will not only say, more unfair, but calculated to excite unfounded prejudices, to ptnpagate throughout the Country a doctrine Which must inevitably tend to produce improper feelings, and to mislead the general decision. Some Noble Lords have talked a great deal of consci entious scruples, and under the pretext of those scruples, they would call upon your Lordships to judge of a constitutional question. Next the Noble Viscount (Sidmouth), apprehends, and, therefor., concludes, that the resolution of my Noble i'riend • is &reds./ against the character of my Soveirign ; but I do centered, that a question, involving the tondun of the Executive Goverment. was never, in the history of this country, submitted to the de cision of the Legislature, in which the principle of responsibility was more clearly and accurately is cettaiaed. The Noble Viscount has argued, that in order to make valid the charge against secret ad eiders, it must be proved, that the advore was given previous to the adoption of the measure. To this deariae I cannot subsztibe, because I am convinced that constitutional responsibility embraces not oniy advice given previous to the measure taken, but goes as wilt to a passive acquiescence in delibe rating, as an :alive assistance in carrying them into effect Suppose, for instance, that .t dispatch was sent to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and that the Noble Secretary for the Home Department was ignorant of i:s contents ; if he afterwards contributed in the slightest degree to give efficacy and extent to that ship:itch, then I do athirm that he would be, in the spirit of the Constitution, fully responsible to this House end to the country, tot the conse- Tierces art that measure, whatever they might be. but let us view the circumstances of this it:souse tion. Let us, my Lords, conoder the various links by which the appointment of the New Ministry is conneded with the causes which led to the chaugc is His Majesty's Councils. The Noble Lords oa the npp:4ite pretrnd not tn Le ignorant of the events. an I of those cirturns.ances which immed ately lel to the result. With soch inturnitti.es, they assisted in executing the threat which vivs held not to obtain th- , sritten assurance (nisi's-the late Minim) ; and. elm:tore, in my orinian. the re sponsibility upon them is nitwit stronger. 1 vcii!l go further. and contend, that the •ery accept ance of their u:Bces. after the knowledge they ad mit to have, iit such a pledge being ileininded, is, in the sou:id do9rine of tf, Constirution, a suffi- ci.nt ground (or holding His tul t ittstv's present Ministers responsible, blth for the entinges which have taken place, and the plibige which has been required. Were His Ntajesty's present Ministers even to say, it Is tree we know that such a reqaisi bon was nude, but we were not parties to it, and even for ourselves have refused ; still the Consti- tution considers them responsible. In the good times of this country, when rho strong lestUng of Con sti.utional jealotisy anusted every M. 471 in the State, there was nn argument, rio excuse, no palliawm, for rty inroad on the yu.t and acknowl-dved privi leges of the people. When my Lord Somers him self, that able Stotesmin, to whose taletns and pa- triotiun the c-:unt-y was so peculiarly indebted, when even he, I say, pleaded to Parliament, upon the discussion of the Partition Treaty, that he was . - no petty to the measure, it refused to listen to the justification. It spoke in the sound, stern, and sa lutary language of toe Constitution, that he who th.;ilen — ds his name and s..naion and charafter to cArry it into execution, is the responsible person. A: whatever period it might bx ascertained that he prigaged in it, or whether there were others who had previously introduced it, was not a matter of much consequence. The Country hes a concur rent judgment against them all, might bring them to the Bo tit t"is or the other House of Parliament, and arraign thews for the mischiefs %elite, were the result. Offer hear!) What was Lord Gran by's case ? In his own defence he produced letter, that was written by the King's order. But it did not avail hint; wlierevr it originated, he was responsible for the execution. The pre-sent Minis. tees might say, we have not agreed to any such pled4e. 'PA* answer was, that in receiving their offices, they were bound by the spirit -4 that requisition, that they bad virtually given it. Having sheen the late Administration as a warning, the Executive could say, you know the conditions upon %ankh you are called to my Councils; you are aware of the kindest - men suited to my opinions. In LA, the very nature of the trans./lion, proves to the most common widerstand ing, that His Majesty himself felt he was aCting un der advice, and of course with his advisers, subjeaed to constitutional responsthility. The Noble Lord himself, who sits nn the Wo •Isack, must feel, that His Majesty was of that opinion, and therefore ws may account for the expeditious cleterrein Mon, in two hours, of that Noble Lord-4 snorter interval of time than he was usually expected to make up his mind. But, to advert to the Administration so lately formed, I am at a toss to judge in what moaner the cnntradiaory opinions of the cern reein parts can be reconciled ? flow reconcile the opinion of tha Secretary of State fir re.gn Affairs (Mr. Canning), as fotmatly express ed, with his vulvae:lion with the Nible Secretary Or the Home Department ? , Or in what mat.ner reconcile the immutals:e opinion of the latter Noble Secret ary, with the repeated pledges of his celleozue at the head of the Colonial Oepirtmcnt (Loral Cas tlereagh) to the Catholics of Ireland ? Were these centradiai sus to be g t rid of, in what way can we conceive the repeated and long-continued attach ment and prnrnises of the Noble Duke (l'ortlnnd) at the head of His Majesty's Councils ? Consider the. present Ministry, my Lords, in their individual chat. rafters, or in their collcaive capacity, and you must. conclude in one of these two opinions, either this there is no principle or cement of union amongst , them. cr that they have agreed to give up every &Brine and opinion to which t ey were most sa credly pledged. The Noble Earl here took a re , trospalive view of the Pailiansentary opinions of some of the leading Members of the present Calsiner. and on the views they entertained the necessity of Catholic Elm incipation. It that e i l estion seas not now discussed, or brought fur. word beinre Parliament, it was not owing to the exertions or delicacy of the present Ministers, but to the genuine loyalty and unfeigned affeaion of His Majessy's late Mtnisrers. The Noble Earl con cluded, by putting it to the House •' Whether that acknowledged maxim, that the King can do no wrong, was an absurdity or not ? Do those. who argue upon the right of tie King to ail without advice, delude themselves or the country with the folly. that he is not equally a participator of that nature which is characteristically marked with im perteeion. I trust there are rune to encourage this delusion ; and hence it is, that the sound lain euane of the Constitution alines of no writing in y, hecause there is some strUj ell responsible." /on; MULC.:R AWL observed, were was nothing in the hivnry of the country to which the ;resent mvion, or indeed the whole conduft of the late Mi ne tern, affitrtt.'d a parallel. He instanced the array ed Opposition of the year 1783; and the case of the Duke of Marlliarough. whe n though in the midst of his triumphs and viaories, was stripped of all his offices, yet iiever condesiterided to mention the King's name. The present Ministers had proposed to His Majesty, what they know to be clutrary to his conscience, and had brought themselves into the tlilemmr, either to give a pledge, as to their future piocredingi, or to rehrignish their situations. He rem irked on the discordant materials of which die late Administration was termed, asserting that no such direiences 'Winne,* amongst the present hlititsics, as could cause the most delicate Imhof s to decline ecaing one with another. His Majesty's present Government were united no principle, and trod in the footsteps of that great Statesman ( Mr. Pitt ). He trusted that the instances et I , ltire former Administrations would not be a guide to the claw daft of the late Ministers, by changing into a vio. lent and taaious opposition ; and at:er Jeclarins his disioterestedness in coming into ()Ice, and emit' Umlaut; the principles and conduct of the present with former Akin iiii istratinns, de concluded with giving his decided insects* to the mociun Lords Holland and Lnurrick rose at the same time. bin the former having given way. Lord LINIEMILI pnxelklad, sod severely ems ! anted the animadversions which '1,4 Mhr from tl Noble Lord (Lati.terdale) resp ..1;not tee state or heat+ fitr?denir•l the charge brought against his 'side of the House, of attempting to revive reli gious anirorseities ill that country. Let the Noble Earl name any indir'..lual wh ) si•as guilty t.f such eondui, and institute a prov , ,dielg against him, laeltevitig. as h^ did. the -cnarge to be tt , tPlly unto/tar:ed. he thought it harsh ant injurious to deal out such insinuation:. The disturbances in the .sett of Ireland had happened am'e)g•t Ili^ lowest of the people. And w .at was the remedy whir h His hfakot)'s la:e had :ipp!icri? Offering them uolimi•ed commands in the army, even to Gonrrals on the Staff. It was absurd to suppose that such a measure would gain over 500 addi tional Ca'hr•iics in Ir land to the sr•rv,ce of the army. He laments I that Ireland had been made, a la:e years, the con • al sulijea of party p tlitics. He eondenseet the evil turesod• inns and apptehensions, which had been let mit tram autharity ; and thougft, that the eoudv ct nt those who held nut to the people of Irelansi. that England bad aard the part of an. oppressor, was highly reprehensible. The true way of go. ♦erring was either to concede Al, or else to tell them plainly, that it was neither polite nor prudent, to grant more than had been already ceded to one description of subjetia; alAi to deal oat justice, and to spew favours equally to ail ; bat never in complaisance to give up . behind RI certain parrimonial inheritance, to any Noble Families, vno mignt I ormelly have felt th.mselves ousted. lit also advised Governmsm rot t ,- .4 inter . _. fere for the sake of promoting eiedion por poses ; nor. when notormui oati ages were corninitteJ, was it prudent to iiislolpe a fallac;ous lenity. Let net Goverment prosecute Protevant Gentlemen with out suff.c'ent grotrids, as had lately happe:ied to %%faith two individuals, cancer niot; whom the Judge on the Bench had declared, that never had there been a fouler conspiracy. Lord HOLLAND expressed his surprise at find ing the Noble Lord coin:meting his disapprobation cf tae Bill, with a charge of factions motiviA. He d• - nied the charge, as applied to himself and his laic colleagues . Hs passed high encomiums oh ti • conduit pursued by tne late Lord bent 1..a0t Atha Duke of Beatord,) arid asserted, that the late Ar.l.. ministration wiinni listen to uo hirasures which militated' against the ge:.uine on:siots of the Con stitution. 11 ha d They discountenanced All violent proceedings, when individuals in Ireland were fouad in 4 state of insubordination. Toe change of Ministers at this critical period, was injurious to the interests of the country. he d flied the charge, that the discassi .rt tit the present spestion *as the bi mging of toe Monarch to the Par of the House, or to be a' issue with the Crown, fhe free dom of the countre, and the soirit of the Constitution. hinged ui.aa 7be principle tl.at the ica s could riff so wrong ; and, trom the instance of Lo d Denby, he insisted, that, whet the ihtennons cat the Esc:wive-Government were pot into writing, thus into a tangible shape, it VIP Ai fair to demand wno were the secret advisers? 13 the present in stance, helud a right to infer that those who vie ceeded to ostensible and responsible *tunas's& of Go. vermin-on )(tete so to be considered. It la is principle were not conceded, the Constitution was go.te ever. He de tied the distindion rootlet! a Nook Viso count, between the King's legislative arid executive chara:ter. Were Minist ers,wnen they c ime into office s to give any pledge of their future advice to tlieSove reign. theyaeould anintelael the first principles of the Constitution ; so Sir W,lli on Temple toll Charles Second, that for His Majesty's Counsel:ors not to give counsel, was more than His Majesty could de mand, because it involved a contradiaion. lie de. nied the dottrine, that there was no important mea sure but.what must first originate with Govern ment.' - The measure of Parliamentary Reform, f y the late Mr. Pitt, as well as of the Abolition of Os Slave Trade by the late Miniver', were instances cf praelice to the contrary. kits Lordship, in conchs sion, observed, that, above all things, it was the greatest misfortune to the country to have Ministers telt o not only made an unconstitutional pledge, hut h ad also made a pledge against four millians of His Msi-sty's sunken so as to shut the door against their claims for ever. The Earl of WESTMORELAND opposed C:e Motion. He said, he had fallen under the displeasure of certain Noble Lords last year, and was called to order for mentioning the name of his !Sovereign in terms thought by them to be disrespeanful , but how was he to proceed upon the present occasion, when a Noble Lord now thought proper to arraign the Sovereign before the Public, upon a question of right or wrong. It had been said, that a garbled statement of confidential document; had gone abroad ; but from whom did these accounts come? he might as well say, they were drop ped from the pscitet of some confidential per son who might have been employed in an otn chit capacity ; and in such case, would it not have been more proper to sunsuit the investigation to a Comer oee of that House ? Having made soh se onse-vations upon the fan of the mute of rnisunder standog, with retpet to the Catholic Ad. the No ble Fart adverted to the several other measures of Cite Ex-Ministers, which lie insisted only went to prove, that thy under coal two and two to ma s tour ;ao I lOtladt.l • rung of their measures upon justice and mercy, but could not coati:Am wahout wane further pledges He assured t: Haus2,thAL the present Ministry had tot been bets..o by anypledge, but on the cootsary, were touch mere free and unstuck:l,-d than the Noble Lord (nlottiville) As to the doetrine that the King can do no wrung, it was a well estnblished promition ; but Monte Lords Wad made the guess suns here Lobe s that Its tdaje.ty, upon every occa sion wnatever, must have tie advice god opinion of His Ministers this wish the Ling to have no sews timelt or optat.,n of Lis °:,n. tits Majesty's pre sent Miuiants had aconite.; their oiSces without entering into any pie tgc wh 'sever, they cos' +eyed themselves respoosible tor every measure hantaght before that house, and had not a thought of shrink ing Irons any pledge they might be notnid in, at d were seedy to stand op Woe.: that House and d • C.aint; y, in support of the glorious cause is who k theb were now engaged. :should the present Ifit.ori non succeeed, it migct, perleio n be toll w.d u, an Address to f - Its Maks- y, to )::e removal oi utissal of Ws pssassat Ilsossters s but, Upon. ibis I