The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-05-01 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

DOUSL Or LORDS, MowsAT, Aran SO.

The Duke of MsvCI4ESTEII, Lnrd SOUTIIAMP-
Tex Lord TORRINOTON, and the Earl of Itilias•v.
took the oaths and their seats.
The several Bills on the table were forwarded in
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their diSerent stages.
immoral Bills were brought up from the Commons
sod read a first time.
DEFFN(T OF THE COUNTRY.
At the moment it was expelled that the Marquis
of Sr orroao would make the motion on the de-
fence of the country, which stood according to the
notice given for this day ;
Lord HAWKES BURY rose and addressed the
House, in which he informed them, he was ahuated
by an anxious wish to prevail on the Noble Marquis
to postpone his motion. He assured the Noble
Marquis and the House, that he had reasons of the
highest and most weighty- importance which im-
pelled him most forcibly to make this request. These
reasons, it WAS true, were of that delicate and peculiar
nature, that he could not at the present moment,
consistently with his duty, enter into them further ;
bet he could assure their Lordships, on the pledge
of nil own personal charaher, both as a Minister
and a Lord in Parliament, that, were they known
to the House, they were of such a nature as would
induce, he was certain, the Noble Marquis to post-
pone his motion to some future day, which might be
moo agreeable and convenient to him. As to his
own part, he had no inclination to hint even at any
other day, but left it entirely at the discretion and
pleasure of the Noble Marquis, confident that, under
the circumstances he had alluded to, he should find
the Noble Marquis inclined to comply with a re-
quest, which, according to the usage of Parliament,
had, under similar circumstances, never been refused.
The Marquis of STAFFORD said, thht import-
ant as he thought his present motion to the interests
of the country, and highly desireahle as he conceived
it was, that it should be brought forward as speedily
as possible, yet, from the information then given by
the Noble Secretary of State, and the pledge he had
made that the reasons far postponing it were of that
high import which rendered it at the present mo-
ment enrenaely incoovenient and improper to reveal,
he should certainly give way to those reasons,
thouhh unknown to him in any other way than from
she essertion and pledge of the Noble Lord, and
0 agree. for the present, to postpone his motion to
some Antra day.
• Lord GRENVILLE said, that in cases of this
azure, it was undoubtedly true that reasons of the
' first and highest importance might reside in the
bosoms and knowledge of His Majesty's Ministers,
which were not known to that House, and which it
might be highly improper to disclose. If such were
the ease, he would be one of the last men in the
Haase, or in the country, to press the Noble Lord to
disclose these reasons. He thought, however, that
when such a request wls made by His Majesty's
Ministers for a delay, such as was now required, cf a
motion which concerned as nearly and as import-
antly the dearest interests of the country, as any
rho' ; ever made in that House, that it became a
' •rmbent on His Majesty's Ministers to name
which the Motion should be postponed, and
it should peremptorily come on. This he
to be absolutely necessary ; and though
Marquis, who had given notice of this rno-
.., hid so candidly and liberally agreed to postpone
it ; yet he thought it his duty, as an individual Lord
of Parliament, to po:nt out to the House, that in a
matter of this importance the greatest care should
be taken, that, whilst this question was thus, from
motives of candour and liberalise, agreed to be ;mo-
oed, no other question hi business of a simi-
hid s nature should be allowed to be brought on either
'
/ Iyy Ministers, or any other Noble Lord. He would,
tberefure„horose that till the day fixed for the
present motion to be brought forward the House
should adjourn.
The LORD CI IA NC EL LOR left the Woolsack,
and said, that he could by no means agree tar a
moment to the proposition of an adjournment just
made by the Noble Lord who spoke last. He
thought that what had been so candidly advanced
by his Noble Friend (Lord Hawkesbury) to induce
tie Noble Marquis and the House to postpone the
motion to some future day, was folly sufficient to
entitle him to that proposed indulgence. It had
been the invariable usage and custom of Parliament
to acquiesce in tits • kind of requisitions. At as events,
however, he n:usr ohjrO to the proposal of the No-
ble Lord for an adjoin nment of the House till such
titneas the present motion was heed to be ahuaily
brought forward. This he did on the !lamer ,its
and weighty inconveniences that must incvitaLly
attend such a measure. In the first place, it woulsi
Enr* a d Y and unnecessarily retard, and for such a
gth of time, entirely put a stop to the procedure
of all the private Bills then in their progress through
the House. In the second place, there were several
Money Bills beim the House, the hindrance and
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d,-lay of which could nit Int be amulet. with the

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is...latest public and private inconvenience. In the
third place also, there were a variety of ether Bills,
whose progress it was desireable should be expe-
dited as much as possible for the itterest of all
parties therein cor.ccrned. As such, he submitted
it to the Noble Lord and to the House, how extreme-
Is unjust it wonid be to adjourn the House, and thus
I pat a top to all itniness publ;c u well as private.
merely to attemi the present motion. for the post-
ponement of whirl be thought. accot,Jug to the
usage of Parliamentary proceeding, sufficient reason.
had been already adduced by his Noble Friend.
Lord lIA WKESRUR Y said, that in rising to
Teo nest the Noble 111-arqui to postpone his motion,
Ilibe had, es fairly and canslidir as posible stated the
importance of these reasons which induced Linn to
\ de so i and thoagn he could not reveal the natute of
, them. farther than he mad done. be had still further
I risiged his chario,ter, Lai they were of the utmost
stoportacce and del.cacy, and could not be farther
its...chest apoo at the present moment. No other or
1 further engagement sc.ald he then cuter into. On
the contrary, if the Noble Marquis should be de-
, tetrniaed to bring forward his motion. which he
understood is ha? &litany himself agreed to post-
! pone. he way reedy and willing to enter theninto
the disetruion, if it should still be persisted in.
The Earl of CAILISLE said, be saw no reason.
from any thing which had been proposed bf the
;oble Sectetary of !taw that should induce iris