The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-07-14 00:00:00

77471.;

Mr. Pitt much. but the late Ministers very little.
It was wisdom not to allow that which could not
produce good. to become a source of evil.
Earl SPENCER said. he agreed in opinion that
the argument in favour of a Bill of Indemnity
ought not to be founded on precedent, but the ne-
cessity of the ease. He considered it to be a wrong
representation of the Noble Lord who sn.•ke last,
I that the late Minister,. had corn • to make an
appeal from His Majesty to Parliament. Som..
of the present confi frotial Miniskt s must have
betrayed their trust, by publishing mangled ea:raEl•
from the Minutes of tse Pr ivy ".:until, which lad
obliged the late Ministers publicly to state the cir-
cumstances of the Ira isattion ; but he denied that
there was any in•entin'n of bringing the Sovereign-
bet ore the bar of Parli anent, althoug'. it was neces-
sary for their own lustitication, that the late Minis-
ters should bring the subj••E& before the public. If
the Irish Catholics had such a spirit of loyalty, as the
Noble Lord who spoke last had asserted, this was a
strong reason why Parliament ►hould not withhold
from them th• concessions which had been propos-
ed ; hut it was impossible, in the nature of man, that
the same interest should be felt by them for the ge-
neral welfare, in their present excluded state.
Lord ERSKINE entered upon the consideration
of the breach of the law, and the indemnity required
on the aet itself. An Act of Indemnity implied an
aEt agaiost the law, from necessity, and of a press-
ing and imperious nature. Admitting His Ma-
jesty's right and prerogative to change his Mi-
n:sters, and to dissolve Parliament, he must still
doubt. in the late instiller. the prudent exercise of
this prerogative. The Concitution did not admit
that both aets should be exercised together, that is

with _shred and immediate reference to one an-
other, so as to make the new Parliament a sort ot
appendage to the appointment of new Ministers.
It was well known how the influence of the Crown.
or rather of Ministers, was felt at times of Election.
At the present moment, every thing was to be de.
;Iterated which tended to excite jealou-ies in the pr..-
pie, as to the independence of Parliament. WAS it
asked howa practical remedy could beapplied to these
evils? It was in the power ot their Lordships, by
their vete ot that evening, to thew the perfection of
the British Government, and to make their own
privileges respected; it was only for their Lordships
to say to the present Ministers, by their vote—, You
shall not, without cause, dissolve the House of Com-
mons; you shall not Alt without law, without a
House of Parliament.' It was no justification fir
an Order of Council that His Majesty's li.linisters
had advised an nnfounded dissolution. He there-
fore could not give his consent to the passing of the
Bill.
The LORD CHANCELLOR believed that the
British Constitution was as perfect as the ercum-
stances of society would admit. Mien the Parlia-
ment was satisfied that a great measure was not
stsiely witbio the law, yet that it was nnassary to
the general welfare, that interruptions to this law
should take place, and that there might be a ge-
nerals:id uninterrupted enjoyment of liberty, Parlia-
ment, under such circumstances, would not withhold
its approbation from the couclua of Ministers. The
present exercise of discretionary judgment had been
called for by imperious circumstances, and His Ma-
jesty's Ministers its consequence cast themselves upon
the candour and wisdom of the legislature. fhe only
question was, whether it was a right and necessary
measure, when His Majesty's Ministers in Council
advised the aa, which now called for an ad of in-
demnity ? Even it Ministers were blameable for
the dissolution of Parliament, still the question of
indemnity was a dissina consideration; nor ought
Parliament, by a kind of side-wind, condemn that
dissolution. by refusing the aft of indemnity for
what was done whew no Parliament was sitting.—
Here the Noble and Learned Lord entered into a
defence of Ministers in advising the dissolution of one
Parliament, and the calling ot another; it was in-
tended to shew not only this country. but all Europe,
that Ministers were likely to be supported in a
measure which was adopted for the general welfare
and defence of the country. He severely con-
demned tie late Ministers soliciting permission from
His Majesty to come dowa to Parliament. after
their dismissal, to state the reasons of their conduct,
f.:c. Was not tbis permission solicited to attend. in
Lift, the Noble Lord (Grenville) to take arms
against the Sovereign's authority, by his own per-
minion ? This he considered to be a most unprece-
dented conduct. It was, in Ira, impossible. with
any respea to His Majesty, that this permission
should have been asked; or, it asked and given,
that it should have been made use of. He con-
sidered it as holding out a most dangerous prece-
dent and example. By reason of this transaftion,
His Majesty's conduct had become a subject of
investigation, of which he knew of no example
in history. With regard to the Catholics. so tar
from being excluded the pale, they had the enjoy-
ment of the benefits and advantages of the British
Constitution. But still from the line of conduct
pursued by the late Ministers. His Majesty had
been pointed out by them as the obstacle to
what was called four millions of his subjects being
received within the pale of the British Constitution.
What was this conduct, but that of pointing the
finger of dissatisfaction at the King. instead of
&idling the Irish Catholics to look to the LAWS and
Constitution, and to obey them ? The Noble and
Learned Lord declared, that he was willing to be
responsible for having had a principal share in ad-
visiog the dissolution of Parliament, and that at a
time when it actually took place. The Order of
Council was indispensable, pending the American
Treaty. With regard to what was called the Ca-
tholic Question, he declared his opinion, that by
the principles of the British Constitution, they
and other Dissenters from the established Church,
were secured in the benefits and integrity of that
Constitution. The Leaned Lord then proceeded
into a minute detail of the Bill and Claim of Rights,
the Mt of Union, the Proclamation of the Prince
of Orange, /cc. with a view of 'hewing that the
Test and Corporation Aas were made with a view
to the security of the Established Church. With a
liberal and extended toleration to all descriptions of
religious persuasions, he still contended, that she
Law and Constitution required the protection of the
Protestant Establishment.
The Earl of C A RYSFORT expressed his anti-
meats with respea to the principles of the British
ecintitutimas In expressing the shades of diatoms
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