The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-11-08 00:00:00

THE IRITISH PRESS.

LON DON,
WEDNESDAY, NovEmuea 8. 1820.

A minority consi►ting of ninety.five Noblemen,
the most distinguished in the empire with -reference
to the mural characters and princely fortunes of
the individuals, does not, it seems, deter the Minis-
ters of the Crown from endeavouritig to push the
Bill of Pains and Penalties through the remaining
stages. The infatuation that hurvirs them hliudly
into evil would no doubt exercise the same unhappy
intlnetice over their :Muds had their Majority upon
the second reading beets even more contemptible,
for assuredly even the Ministers themselves cannot
mistake their majority of twenty-eight, of which
their own immediate body and followers formed so
large a part,. as • manifestation of the Wile of the
Howe of Lords in their favour, nor can they de-
ceive themselves into the presumption that the
public will regard the division on Monday •s •
sufficient justification of so pernicious a measure.
Under all the circutUtaiwes of this case, and reflect-
ing upon the constitution of the majority, we have no
hrsitat' its loosing that a superiority of Z 8 in point
of nivribers deierres no more consideration than a

superiority of one ; for let the Intones of the Minis-
ters and place-holders. all of whom are personally
intirested in this case es the prosecutors, be re.
moved front the list of those who fur the Bill,
as in common sense and justice ought to he done,
and the tnijority of numbers will then be found
opposed to the measure. But in u rase of this na-
ture is no coirOderation due to the characters, ta-
lent', and per influence of the Lords severally
tomposiug .the majority and minority ? Look
through the lists of both, and though on either
side will be found the Dames of Noblemen distin-
guished alike for priv.ste and public virtues, yet

who that is capable of appreciating the qualities
that ought to command respect and reverence in it
free and popular state, can hesitate to give the pre.
Terence to the list containing what is called the mi.
nority I' There are to be found talents the most
commanding, wisdom the most profound, political
science the most enlightened and comprehensive.—
If any weight be due to the possession of wealth,
among the minority are to be found the largest
proprietors of England ; if ancestry he entitled to
any influence, there are to be found the representa-
tives of the noblest and most ancient families of
England; if disinterested patriotism, and virtue in
its purest and noblest sense, can ensure the venera-
tion of the public, where shall this tribute be paid,
if not to many of the members of the minority ?
They in fact constitute emphatically the aristocracy
of England, and it would be as monstrous to ima-
gine the their sentiments should not be embraced
by the mass of the nation, as to believe that they
were not formed by a conscientious regard to truth
and justice.
Yet in the face of such a minority, the Ministers
yesterday pushed the Bill into a Committee. In this
stage of the Bill the party principally affected lies a
right to be heard, but instead of making an appeal
to the House in person upon the minute particulars
of the measure, with which, of course, the QUERN
would not condescend to interfere. her MAJESTY
presented by the hands of Lord Decae • solemn
Protest to the House, in which she complains that
her prosecutors have " presmnsed to sit in judg.
meld upon the question between the Quteu and
themselves"—thut Peers " have given their voices
against her who had heard the whole case for the
(arge, and had absented themselves during the
defence"—sod that " others have come to the
discussion from the Secret Committee with minds
biassed by a mass of slander which her ene-
mica have not dared to bring forward in the light."
To these matters of just complaint the QUEEN
adds, that G. unless the course of these unexampled
proceedings should bring the Bill before the other
branch of the Legislature, she will make no refer-
ence whatever to thr treatment experienced by her
during the last twenty-five years." In this passage
is mainfritly implied a threat of recriruination, or
at least a full exposure of all the insults and in-
juries that have been heaped upon the head of this
unhappy Princess since the inauspicious moment
when she was first induced to confide the protec-
tion of her happiness and her honour to the cure of
his Royal Highness the Prince of WALE& The
QUEEN concludes her Protest by a solemn deck-
ration in the presence of God, her family, and her
country, " that she is wholly innocent of the
crime laid to her charge; and she awaits, with
unabated confidence. the final result of this units-
'allele(' investigation !"
Into the Committee, however, the Bill has come,
and there its progress seems likely to he for some
time impeded. The Ministers, notwithstanding
the explanations given in the early part of these
proceedings, still struggle for the divorce clause,
but the disposition of the House manifestly inclines
to lea-sting it out. The Bishops are divided in opi-
aims upon the propriety of dissolving the marri,ge.
sail many Noble Lords who voted for the second
reading of the Bill, did so upon a clear wider-
', standing that in the Committee the divorce clause
Was to be dropped. The Ministers, by creating
such a belief in the House, succeeded in ob-
taining many votes, and we kisow not how, in
honour, they can now persist in pressing the clause.
But at the same time it muy well be asked, why
the Bill was ever introduced but for the sake of the
divorce ? What advantage could be derived front
proving the QUEEN an adulteress, if Parliament
' were to preserve the ties which bound her to the
MEG ? It would be a miserable mockery of the
Kowa to tell him that the QUEEN had dishunoured
her Consort, degraded her own character and
disgraced her musk, and had rendered herself unfit
to be the QUEEN of this empire, and add, that she
was still good enough to remain his wife. It would
be a gross anomsly to declare ut the same moment
that the illustriou4 accused must not be QUEEN and
yet continue the KING'S wife ! It is not unlikely
that this difficulty may cause the overthrow of this
pernicious measure altogether. The Ilouse will
resume the discussion of the point this morning at
the usual hour.

The Paris Papers of the 4th instant have arrived. Tile
French Feuds are improviug. The Five per Ceut. Cumin
are 76 fr. 15 c.-13Juk Actitias 1,375 fr.

At one (o'clock yesterday her MAJESTY went to
the House of Lord* ; on her return she called UltOlt
Alderman Wool), in South Andley-steers, and re-
mained for half nit hour. The streets were crowded
by thouvarlds of persons, who manifested their un-
abated enthusiasm in her MAJESTY'S cause. Iler
MAJESTY slipeareci in excellent health and spirits.
This day the LORD MAYOR, accompanied by
the Loa!) MAYOR Eitel, .111 hIS new state caoriage,
will proceed from the Mauston-house to Guildhall,
attended by the Sle►ilf+, Aldermen, &c. where
the new Luau MAYOR will be sown in accOrding
to annual custom. They will return in the saute
prOCCISIUSI to the Alantion-house, where the LORD
MAYOIt will give them a sumptuous enterit t i iii nen!,
-generally termed hi• farewell dinner. To-morrow
they will proceed by water its the usual state to
Wastminster-hall, where their Lerdslups will visit
the sever.' Courts of Lig, according to custom,
and invite mid Judges, &c. to the grand civic en-
tertainment at Guildhall. They will tetatu is the
.same grand precession.

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