The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-03-28 00:00:00

SIR FRANCIS BURDETT.

. Mr. LvrintatoGr. said, he rose, in pursuance of
-what he had promised to do upon the subject of
the breach of privilege he had noticed upon the
last night. Ile rose with a degree of pain mid .em-
barrissineut which lie had never before felt. He
was now to make a complaint against a Member of
the United Commons of Englund, for having, in his
opinion, violateti privileges of the House. He
did not believe it would be necessary for him to go
"any further into the subject. but content himself
with moving. " That the document should be laid
before the House, which the Hon. Baronet had ad-
mitted was published by his authority." He had
marked certain passages iu •the paper. which he
thought would justify him, in the opinions of all, in
the motion which he should feel it his duty to sub-
mit. .

The SrEAREI wished to know whether it was tits
desire of the Hon. Metnber, and of the House, that
the market passages or the whole production should
be read.
Mr. LETIIBRIDGB again lamented the necessity
of the part which his duty obbged him to act. He
had marked the passages to which he objected, but
of course had no objection that the whole should ion
read ?

The Clerk then began to read the publication.
Mr. H. Suustka, in speakihg to order, wished to
know whether MI would proceed immediately t.
the question, while there was a business of such icus
portance standing for discussion ?
The SPEAK IA observed, that there was one part
of the question at least beyond the power of the.
Hon. Member. A complaint having been made,
the House must go on: The publication must be
read ; and the whole being read, the Hon. Member
charged with the offence should then offer what-
ever he had to say in his defence; he would then
withdraw, and the House would proceed to dispose
of the matter in the manner they judged most lit.
The Clerk then went on to read the publication,
which occupied the House for upwards of an hour.
On its being concluded,
Lord FuLtisTONe rose to order. The Himont-
able Member had stated a gross breach of privilege.
mud, in support of his.charge, had caused a publica-
tion to be rend, which occupied more floor an hour
and a half of their time. lie now thought it but
fair, that, out of this mass, the-lion. Gentleman
should point out how, and in what moaner, the lion.
Bait. had offended, and what was the course he in-
tended to pursue. It must impcarto every one, to
be quite impusbible for time [lon. Ilsrt. to he expect-
ed to Wet up and answer the whole.of this publics-
,, iu his own defence. .

Mr. LETIIBRIDGE rrplied, tie codial have no
objection to point nut the poosoges which struck
hint us offending against the character and pet.
vileges of the House. As he had. before stated,
he had marked these passage. in the paper given in,
both in order to sere their Inn", and *hew pre-
cieely on what ientienlar parts hi.; complaint was
founded. Ile dull not think it becoming iu ki.n to
tall oat the House to read all this long paper; but
when it appeared the wish of the !loose Is, do so, if.
he Ii sd objected, he would, wills much justice, have
been accused of calling on them to decide upon
garbled extract..—(Near!)—Hr was now ready to
adopt any suggestion of the (louse. He declared,
in his place, that he had no personal hostility to the
Host. Baronet. In twinging forward this motion,
he was actuated by much higher motives.—/Near!
hear ! )—As an Englishman, in defence of their glos
none privileges—as the Representative of as bides
pendent and free a body na any i.e Old England, lie
was induced to undertake this draw. Ile would
now proceed to point out the particular pillages
which appeared, in his tuned, to bear Vim out in his
charge. The first passage that struck him in this
light, was the very first in the letter, where it was
said, after the introductory matter, that the ques-
tion was—
" A question of no less importance than Ibis ; whether ore
liberh hr still to be .venred by the loss of oar foritithere,
or Le io lie or the at.olorie he•rey of a part of ihrirlinfr srhjetls,
c•llecleil blether by rnewrshrhiels at se erg 'fewer, Jw tee t•
de,r,ier!"

He appealed to the House if this alone was not
sufficient? if it was not, be was sony fur it, but it
•
certainly struck him in tlist point of view.
The second pAss:ige was in the same lever, where
he spoke of the power of cosintitting, exercise.' by
the liniise, in this wav:—
"
If they bare the• alWolute power of impri ))))) an( ark re-
lerisine, why may they not send their priwiliem an York jail,
as well as I. a jail mu London h% by not confine tiwo in so-
litary tells, or load them with chains and bulls 7•hee hone
mat gems them length.. ere ; bat tetntt a. there to ye.,,,.. them ;
art are feint the tole ithelgew (Otte retest Tr Atte e•ca powers.
wed (ether are to ere,) knee pewee withest nay anntened, aged
ri/h.W levering the inertiew, whom eh I ninon to potash, any
endette Vowel, ass ...ems 0. redress

The fkird passage WWI the conclusive pert .r the
biter—

" The Argument, he which I enitesvonretl to emorinee the
Genttrines of the Atiu.se 44444 MONS. that their acts, in the
rase id %Ir. Jones, were illegal, I shall now lay lwfore yon,
in a siva, full m.d connected say than it could possibly be
door hs thr l'aeliAmentary Reporters; and, in diving this, I
ot! that now remnants in .li, power learned, the carraution
nt' I t os I err.. if, most emaninns Abuse of Power, and mast
If all encroachments upon the kight, and Liberties If
I .r ruhnrc R."

The other inoiorgesi which he hsrl marked, were
contuiord iu whet was c.tlefl the Arg'onient.
•I'lie tirst of these well He follows:

" Had I Met kW' CIS prevented by indisposition front !king
prearat when the House of Common passed Ivy vote a sen-
tence of imprisonment on Mr Gale hlar, I. I Iglioutd have
endeavoured to skew, that, under all the false not too of pi.
a.lege, t4ey are erercierve a paver, aid co .witt•mg act of
apprerrion, ill soiled to tall'elotrrrter gnaolians of politic
liberty, and destructive of the lint sad mist important ob-
ject 44 the Constitution, viz. tic rceoaal security If the sob-

The nest pds.or, following the mention of nu-

merous authorities against the eel of the House in
committing Gale Jones, proceeded thus:—
." Pounded on sech p basis, petrified by such authorities
as I shall have occasintato appeal to in the progress of this
Inquiry,-1 have kttle doobt of being able to convince every
impartial 'Mod, Mat the House of Commons, by proceeding
to Judson:tit, passtug lenience of imprisonment, and issuing
warrant of cominituseut, has gone beyond its proscribed h-
oists, ortcil in a manlier ivroniiiteld with the awe ,f its
tines, oad violated the fiostkonental principles of the Law and con-
stitotion ed , land, and Mit shall prom by the application of
fhe atenised gethe law to theproceedings of that Home."
( Lund criasof Hear! hear! front the .Ministerial
side of the Hoisse.P--The Hon. Member then read
the following passage:—
" Having now stated the mode adopted by the House of
Continuos, in asaertisig its right to avenge itself, for what it is
pleased to call a breach of its privileges, when the authorities
which have been adduced are considered with that atteution
to whictsibey are so eminently entitled ; it vomit be thought
presumptuous *slaw Oust each and all of these proceedings
are contrary to the common law, Magna Charter, the Petition
of
Right, the Act of Habeas Corpus, the Bill of Rights, the
Basis oldie Revolution, the Compact between the King and
people, the Act of Settlement, the Condition by which the
King holds his Crown, and the numerous Statutes which
have provided for the liberty of the Subject. That in so do-
ing, instead of claiming, Modestly and incesaarlly, the privi-
lege of wearing a shield to protect themselves against the
Prerogative of the Crown, or ray ether arrogsoce that may
actually obstruct them in the discharge of their duty to cud
for the pe nple ; those liberties which they are bound in a r-
ealign, manner to maintain and defend ; that by proceeding
thus, they have exercised • jurisdiction not vested in them ;
• jurisdiction beyoud the limits of King, Lords, and Coin•
111104111, while Magna Glade remains unrepealed ; and repeal-
eil it can litem be, till England shall have fouud her grave in
the corruption of a House of Commons —(Hear ! heal !ion.
the Opposites. "--That, by this Act, they confound the legis.
!alive, enema'. e, and judicial, functions, which the Constitii.
nun has wisely ordained shall tibia)" be kept separate and
distinct "
'f he next passage, adverting to the %'arrant issued
by the Speaker, and directed to the Keeper of His
blaje!ty's Jail of Nrwgate, was to this effect :
" Let Ails iambs went, this t king, sea generic, be contrasted
"inhibit dellesipthou above given of the properties of a lawful
wserant. Mem U not evidently appear, that tho piece of un•
seedml paper, Arend iy the Speaker, by which an wet Ord :abject
hoe been waisawd, hears no feature ic f legality! And that, from
the co eat of this proceeding, in its progress, and to
itswirmskallus there was sot owe step that has not been
n
Is • "mealier maser with diseimpeet to the law,, a
direopret in which all the par's Aare been wondelally consistent
thnegkesa, in moutitating the mast relate/al act the maid of
area ram possibly riacceire."
(Cries of Hear, hear, from the Ministerial
Benches.)—The last passage which the lion.Geot.
qUoted was the following :
• " The cosmetician's of this usurpation; was when they
Oho House of Commons) gut rid of she Upper notate of Par-
ftimat. sad rut of the WA of the hung. They still, it menu,
Gee emboldened to retain as illegal power, not pretended to tees by
the King, but w hieh,these IsealSevereigna over the Kiag claim
as of right. But no 1110. v when they have seestirely departed
from the ends of their iostitistitio as was offered to be proved
by Mr. Maddock', and.acknovii;dged by themselves, in the
never. to. be-forgotten worming of the till. of May, lug, when,
from being the lower ur inferior (fur' it is the saws sense,
one Whig an English, and the other a Latin word), broach
of the Legislature, they have become proprietors, by burg-
age tenure, of the Representatiou ; Mid 111 that capacity
inflated with their higb•blown fanciful ideas of Majesty,
mid tricked out in the trapping of Royalty, thick privilege
amid protectiou beneath their dignity, assume the sword of
prerogative, and lard a rogelly over the Mai sad the people."
(I; 1 cries iker, from the Ministerial
oide.) •
These were the principal passages which it had
• appeared necessary for him to notice, and it was
upon these that lie brought forward his charge
against the lion. Baronet, who was the author of
thesis, of a gross breach and violation of their pri-
. vileges.
rot S • stated, that, according to the uni-
form practice of Parliament, it was now the time
fire 'he Nlenilser charged to be heard in any thing
he had to say in answer to the charge preferred
against him.
Sir F. BURDETT had very little to say OD this
suhject. lie had heard a work of his read, and
an lion. Gentleman point out passages, which he
conceived to Iso a breach of the privileges of the
(louse. To this lie could only say, that he did not
mean any attack 011 the privileges of the House.
Bust the 'lion. Member hail not furnished him or
the House the means of knowing what these privi-
leges were, against which he was charges! with of-
feuding. ( Hear !) Unconscious of offence, he
had no reply to offer, and would withdraw, if that
was necessary.—(Cries of No! No! from numer-
ous members on the Opposition side./
The SPEAKER again stated the usage of Perlis'.
meat. A charge being made a4aiitst a Member,
he might meet it as he plea-ed. lie might deny,
admit, justify, or excuse it. This was the uuifortu
practice; and it was equally the uniform practice
for the Member thereafter to withdraw. Follow.
ing preceding cases, it would then he for the
Hon. Gent., bringing forward the charge, to offer
▪ proposition declaratory .r Isis ollriuion of the soh-
ject-mitter, which it was gar the house to deal with.
as their judgment directed; either to adopt, 'intend.
or negative it. lithe Hooey, therefore, would not,
in the present instance, choose to depart from the
uoeliangeil, and, what he hoped would he their un-
changeable practice, they would order the lion.
Baronet to withdraw.—(//ear! hear! hear!)
Sir F. BUKDETT ivithilrew.
Mr.Wstsom and Lord thou LsTon severally spoke
to order. in an inandible tone of voice.

The SPICA KEIL observed, that there was no ques-
tion before the llotmeiond tbat'ihrre might hr one,
he took the liberty of interrupt mg the former Gen-
tleman.

Lord OssfuLsron objected tr. the course pursued,
and said, in point of fact, there Cal no complaint
made agsinst the /lon. Bert.—(Load cries of
Chair ! Chair !
The STRAKER, to set the Noble Lord right, had
to inform him, that what hurl yet been donr, was
conformable to the establi.heil roles and unbroken
practice of Parliament —Meas. ! bear !
Mr. LETiinitintix sail, he would be very short
in what he had toatate„

Lord FOLOSTOOIL, to nrilrr.—.The Hon. Gentle-
man Will now going to make speech on the
charge. This lie ought to hove duue while the
Holt. Baronet. olio was the 019141 or it, was present.
it am not soffit lent to produce before his Honour-
able Friend the objectionable matter; he ought
also to have !emoted out the charge,, and urged the
argitinent in support of them. Otherwise how
could his his Hun. Friend he called upon, in his
defence. to MOM what he did not hear.

The Sri:4lMR Milli. the lion. Gent. (Mr. Leth-
bridge) had pursued a course in iirrlekt cosmistrucy
with the estabidted practice. Ile had conformed
to the. invariable forma of the Haute, and hull non.
to prwertl to taste the grouude for his uptilion, of

which the House would etercise its judizniut
was not for the Member charged to be proirtit
this time.
The CHANCE ttoa of the Etcstronet tont(
with the Speaker in the doctrine that this i‘a,
uniform course of parliamentary proceeding'
The whole of the paper had been read, and
particular parts on which the charge of hoot
kited their privileges rested, specified to th,
Baronet, while he was present in the Noah.. 11
upon these, not on Iris arguments, that the II
Gentleman grounded his charge and
and these the Member, who had ace ei
drawn, had had su opportunity of justifyieg,
either proving his innocence, or that his expreti.r
were respectful to the House. The Hon.
Gentle
man was proceeding, at what length they Igoe,
to state the grounds for the motion he had t 0,4
mit, when he was interrupted by the Noble le
(Folkstoire) whose arguments for the Mead
charged being prevent, to hear this speech,.
apply equally to his bring present during thee
debate.

Lord FOLIISTONE was unwilling to
the House, but could not help persetering,
opinion, even though it was iu (lard opprolti,
the Speaker. Alt the precedenti he could
lect since lie was a member of that House,
him out in this opinion, that his worthy :
ought to be present when the arguments in sum
of the charge against him were adduced. '
was the case last session with the Right lion.
tleinan himself (Mr. Pert-toad) and aith a Noi
Lord (Castlereagh) also on the other side. -
were charged with a high !mach of lolviloge, ay
yet were permitted to hear and reply at re:
length to the arguments against them, before ils,
withdrew from the House, and the lion. Genii,
man who brought fore and the charge Icad probe
left to do but make his motion. It was the
in the case of the Lord Advocate of Scott,
This, then, had been the course heretofore In
sued, and, in reason, as well as jnstiee, it otigia
be so now. After the pamphlet was read, it
Hon. Friend continued in the same mind thin
was when he wrote it, it was not possible fork
to make any defence. He could only aggni
his otivrice by persisting in it, and ,nothioi, sat
fered to induce hint to alter that opinion.
The SrEsaes begged to remind the lloos,, ti
there was no question before them, aid ti,,st etel
Honourable Member who had spoken, spoke men
to order. He conceited it to be his duty to bn
their recollection, what he hoped wculd she.
error into which the Noble Lord had fallen. '

were two modes of proceeding in cases of ..
privilege :—The it, in printed parrs, ilLarnere
or reports of the House ; and in these the in—

practice h:td been to proceed, as he l.f.m- expl,
ed. and in the manner ROW adoptell.—Tite
mode was where the titivation was the charge:
was, where the Member accused could not tell

the charge agaMst him was, till lie heard the at.
moots in support of it. It was this second order
cases that furnished the precedents alluded to
the Noble Lord. He took the sum of their

Lice to be, that the party charged ought to
soul of the charge, and not the arguments,
them. If the latter was allowed, they inight as
remain to hear all that took place till the vote past
This would be found to he the doctiiiie laid doss
clearly wood distinctly in all the text hooks.
Mr. LETHRRI DOC again addressed the Hoare. In
making his motion, he could assure them heass:,l
be very short, for many reiissns, end
because he was so little in this habit of
them. Painful and difficult as the task he hod
dertaken was, he had at least the cuiii,tatiou
think, that the subject-matter was so eke,
lay in so small a compass, that it retried
abilities to bring it under consideration.
what had feller) from the Noble Lord oppoi,::
(Lord Folkstooe,) it would appear as it he
written out a long speech; and having
it tram his pocket. it had been pie'sed
and read by the Noble Lord; otherwise he
not conceive how he came to Bros on
suppositions he bud made. Ile would mail
what he had to say by triuwirn; two 11.iulut.
which would he the whole of shut he sould dn.
this occasion; these, lie trusted, would he ailopttt
by the House, it they wished to save Old En;,asse
and the country—( laugh ).—lle had sirrs.ll
apologised for his inability to address them; Le
spoke bons his heart, and wished the Hen. Ilszonet
was there lo hear him—(A laugh )—lt wi+e high
to put a stop to the practices of the Hon. Groat
He had heard such thing• stared as mode his hat
stand on end.—(A Ifuggh.)—lt was true, his f
ings had been so affected, that it actually prod
that effect.-14 loud laugh.)--He had heard of
Hon. Baronet's stating, that the House of
tnons had not a leg to stand noon. It sea 1:11I
t.
to terminate such assertions within their min wal
The Hum Gent. concluded by moving two'

lions :
lit. That the Letter signed Francis Bur.!ett, wal the
lowans raper, entitled Arguments, eusitained ie 4dt
Rerister, e instant,
the itath Much itant, are a laxness wilco.
&Win paper, reelecting cm the Just rights mud privileges si
the Howse.
SA That Sir Francis Burdett hiving scknosiedce,l
self to be the author or the saute, has violated these
sad privilnes.
Mr. B LATCHFORD seconded the Resoluii.
He read an extract from the Journals, in the I
smut urv, affording a precedents is the case of.
thur Hall, a Member, who, for a similar °Nenee
the present, was committed to prison. He
quoted this case, because it was the oldest on
cord; hut there were many of later deers ol
the determination was uniformly. similar.
hoped, that the House of Commons, in iShC, woe
not sbew themselves less jealous of their righ'
and privileges. their honour and dignity, than tip
forefathers were hundreds of years ages.—(te
hear!)—He begged the House to roulade,. th
question maturely, before they came to a deemco,
this most important question. lie deplored t
pussing,u nnoticed, so vehement an sit sck upon theu
It behoved thefts to recollect, that there exi.toi
the country a spirit which had lately shewn itsrl
happy was lie to lay. that its instigators and arils
rents weir few in number. This spirit was ar
e.:itly to call in question, and dispute the Bodice
of the House of 13,111i:fluent ; and, if not now.
ed by their sole on this occasion. 'night 0111.03 h
destroy the House and the country.
Mr. Po:OS(1N Y, ith great hnnuldy, ould sots

imaat. h
present St
a concurred
this au tht
d, and t!
o qv; 11,4%
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t}i.t neither the Ron Mover nr Seconder of this
motion. could have a greater rcripect for the privi-
leges of the House than he had. Ilia conduct, ever
same he was a Member, was a proof how little lie
would be disposed to reflect on its charact.sr or Ili--
pute its authority. flut the motion required, as
was agreed on all hands, the era, e•t di liberation ;
the Clerk had reads loog publication, and ilw Ilan.
Mover badivointed out the passage, which, he COll-
- trenched on their privileges ; iu any long
publicetion, it vas ddlicalt to deei.le as to the cha-
racter of parts, without au opportunity of comparing
the whole, and.in this, professAly grounded on legal
aroument. the difficulty was much increased. Ile
was, therefore. in hopes, that in order to give Cca-
•lemen time to weight and make up their minds on
•his important question, the Hon. Mover and Se-
• oscler would consent to adjourn. the debate. This
.vas rendered still more desirable from the minds
of many Members being entirely occupied with the
other important question which demanded all their
-attention at this time. The decision too, would
ivive greater authority, being conic to after due de-
iiiberation. And under these circumstances lie
staid move, ••• That the debate be adjourned till
erns day se'imight."
The Cita scet.t.oa of the Escurial:km did not
arise to oppose the adjournment, but to know whe-
ther the House would be disposed to consent to its
brio" post poric,l to so distant a day? In his opinion,
thersoliest posibleilay was desirable, both as due to
dignity of the House, and the Wings am,
-viduni Member, accused of violating their privilegra.
Ile was itot sure how far the order towithdraw would
operate an as to exclude that Member, till the
vote of the House on his own case—(Hear!
Gear! Porn the oppuite ailc.J The Honour-
atdr need not cheer him ; he was
"iris no opinion, but merely expiessing his
doubts, to be resolved by the Chair. lie must
sai, that it conl.l neither appear strictly cor-
rect, nor be very pleasant, that a person. charged
with a gross breach of privilege, should, all the
intermediate time, partake in the counsels of
the House he had attempted to degrade. Cases of
privilege had precedence 0441 other business, and,
he tiosted, that to-morrow, or Thursday, would be
fixed on for this dis.nission, rather than a mole
lis-
t tin day.

•
111 r. WHITBREAD said, his Right lion. Friend
(Ur. l'onswiliy) had it only in tieo, by the adjourn-
ment, to come to a decision, with a full knowledge
of the case. The Right Hon. Cent. opposite,
knew that a question all chug I * elf, personally,
Nit, also depending, and vet lie would wish to
get tilts new ease to interfere with that, of at least
.goal importance. He would not iinpute it to
him, that he wished by this means to distract the
attentioo of the public and the Hinise.—/flear
hear!/—fle would not stipimee that the Right
Roo. Gentleman ',firer:to:l at this accidental inter.
roptinn—( Hear ! hear !)—But, could the Right
tiustoorAble Gentleman say, tl at, after the ex-
hausting debate of this night, Gentlemen would be
able, Ly the time they cause to the House to.surie-
row, to make themselves pertectly masters of this
long and important subject, aue.ilviiig so nearly the
emanation of the country, and the weirdly
Baronet who had lately left the House. Fur
hims-tf, he *mild say, he was not prepared
now to make up his wind on the subject, nor
could he by to.moriow be ready to lay his hand
on his heart and give ail honest vote oil the ques-
tion. The Right Him. Gulitlenian's own case, as
there were many Gentlemr is yet to speak on it, could
not be expected to be terminated tomight. Even
if it was ter 11111 l atilt it a late hour On Thursday
morning, the earnest day they could come to the
discussion of this new toric, would be Friday, for
which dry he wislicd it to he tiled.

Lord Foi.kstome, on account of the importance
of the question to the 'louse, and his worthy Friend,
rejoiced that an adjournment to afford time for due
deliberation and inquiry would be agreed •ii.
Hr would venture to say, that all those Gentlemen
who would give it their serious attention, the
more they looked at it, the more they would find
that it was a topic that hurl occupied and divided
the most learned mid great authorities. When
they looked into these matters, he hoped they would
come down with very different feelings from those
of the Hon. 'Mover and Seconder of the resolutions.
Ile hoped they would come down, not with a view
to allude to former denotes, and to depress the spirit
of Jacoloinisin in the country, but to acknowledge
that the fundamental law of the laud was to be de-
s id it by their vote.
Mr. Braves said, the Noble Lord had stated
those reasons for the delay of the discussion of this
&object, which, in his mind, were an objection to
its Wilier postponement. At the seine time, lie
Iced surrounded the question with considerable dif-
ficulty and legal doubt, which did not appei tam
to it on the present occasion. But the Noble Lord
would recollect, that the liberty of a British subject
was novolved tii their con.iderabou. Therefore, if the
imprisonment were, as the Hon. Baronet had re-
presented, a breach of the law of the land, it was in-
cumbent that the I tou-e should bring it under their
ttamrifiute aneuriiiii. Fur it must he admitted. if
the first step iu this proceeding were nujost, it be-
came theta not to mini um it any longer. It was
to this view, he cane-iced it proper to enter Mime-
itintely into the whole of the case, which would be
doing justice to the %kindly Baronet, nod also
lir the individual now toothier' within a 'orison.
The lion. Baronet had stated, that the warrant
issued on this occasion by the Speaker, was
Illegal; now, that was not only important in
littlfs hut was particularly serious in its consequen-
c.q, because that illegality was still coots 111111 l im-
Prlionmetit. This was not the first time his Right
Hots. Friend (Mr, Perceval) had hint charged with
all iutention to delay any question, when some
slight reason could be assigned for the accusation.
hut if such motives could lie sompio-ed to :ictuate
Ito Right Hon. Friend, he might as well hose ie-
sorted to such an expedient for delay in the fernier
luaotes of this inquiry. With respect to the pro.
witty of taking this charge against the llonourable
Baronet under their investigation, hr felt, from the
!eaten, before stated, a reluctance even to the ad-
journment till to-morrow.
The CIIANCELLOR of the Excsirgrcaeonfeidereil
it his dusty to reply to the suggest 1111 l $ which were
!wade by thr lion. Clentlesuars opposite. Mien
that Gentleman chose to impute to hem a desire to
4rlay the Inquiry iiito the Estpeilition to the

Scheldt, he stated what lie wetild never sit there
to hear, without rising to refute the accusation.
if the House would consider the state of the evi-
d •iiee which had been sulduced, stud the readi-
ness with which fe e..nhruced the discussion, they
would certainly exelillemte him from harbouring
that intention. If it had been his wish, it might
be remembered the evidence was not wholly print-
ed, and nape's relative to this Expedition remained
in (hi, state, on the table. Every one must do I
the justice to acknowledge, that, from the first,.
when this inquiry was emeadered necessary, he had
cautiously abstained from throwing any obstacle
in the way. How could any Gentleman, in the
present itistance, consider him the author of any
delay? Hid he cause the lion. Bart. to write the
letter and observations charged against him this
day ? did he cause him to publish these libellous
observations, on Saturday last. in The Political
Register of Mr. Cobbett ? No, there was not any
man could suppose lie Ind any part in the conduct
of the Hon. Baronet. The question then lit fore the
House was one of very serious and grave impor-
tance, for it involved the very existence of the
Constitution; and heconeeived, that whoever did slot
consider it a sulject of such grave importance,
would suffer the dignity sad the privileges of that
House to be trampled under their feet.
Mr. Bartivare agreed with the Learned Gentle-
man under the gallery (Mr. Steven) that the ques-
tion wv of such a mature as to call for the imme-
diate attention of the House. But from what had
fallen from those who had expressed their senti-
ments, it seemed to be generally admitted, that a
future day would, under circumstances, be the
most appropriate for agitating the subject. The
only consideration now to he entertained was, what
day would be the fittest fur the discussion ? In his
opinion a day ought to be named, by which
time the very important inquiry they were
now engaged in, might be completely disposed
of, which ought, at this very time, to be con-
sidered a great question under their investigation.
He had no apprehension about the individual who
was now iu confinement by the power of that
House, or that any illegality would be discovered
in the proceeding ; because he believed that the
privileges of the House of Commons had ut all
times been acknowledged and considered as a part
of the law of the bind. He was not aware of any •
difference which could result as to the therge it-
self, whether they took it into consideration to-
morrow or on Friday. But whatever day was ap-
pointed, he was anxious that it should not interfere
with the inquiry under consideration.
• Mr. W. WYNNE, mentioned the case of Steele,
respecting a publication called The Crisis. Then,
the charge was made on a certain day, the 13th of
March, and an adjournment of five days was agreed
to ; also the one of Major Scott, iu which an ad-
journment took place. Therefore, as to prece-
dents, he thought there could be no objection to
adjourn this question till Friday, because the
question now before them was of the greatest nu-
portance ; and, besides, it would not be possible.
after the rising of the House, for Gentlemen to
have sufficient time for investigating the passage
cornpll4ll34ll.llgßiUllt.
Mantloces concurred in the propriety of the
adjournment till Friday.
The SPlAlLkltthen put the question upon. the
arneudmeut proposed by Mr. Whitbread, " That
the charge be taken into• consideratieo on Friday,"
when strangers were ordered to withdraw, anti a
division took plac.

Ayes 146
Noel

Majority against t►e Amendment.. Sil

Vt'hile strangers were excluded, there was another
division, which, we understand, was on the amend-
ment of Mr. NEat:►vat., " That the question be
adjourned till to.tnorrow."
Ayes
Nuts
Majority
Strangers were again admitted, and the House
proceeded with the a.ljonrnrd debate on