The National Register.
London, England, 1809-04-30 00:00:00

APR/IL 30.

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

Integrity and intelligence, they seldom are so much known to
the world as many who are inferior to them. If all elections
wete purely popular, such men would be altogether excluded
from the 1 louse of Commons, although they are indeed its or-
naments." The Noble Lord then proceeded to defend what he
had done in this transaction, but did not justify it ; for, al-
though he did it from perfect purity of motive, yet, in point of
precedent in a Pa-ha:ln:Mary proceeding, it was dangerous, and
others might follow it Upon nu worthy principles. lie left the
whole transaction to the House, and whatever should he the re-
sult of this discussion, he should most humbly submit to the de-
cision of the llouse. lliv Lordship theu bowed and retired.
Lord Archibald Hamilton then real his Resolutions, which
purported, that as it appeared, that Lord Clistlereagh's attempt
to o4tain a seat in the House of Commons for a certain person,
by giving a writersiiip as an equivalent, had been frustrated by
tile disagreement of parties, and not ay any opposition from his
Lordship ; he had been gull iy of a gross violation of his duty
as a Miaisse of State, an aimse of the influence which he dei iced
from his situation, and had materially injured the purity both of
tile House and the Constitution.
Lord Binning wished to call the attention of the House to
the pangs which Lord Castlereagh, a man who for so many years
tad served the public with so much zeal and activity, must
experience at the charges made against him, and embodied in
Resolutions—charges, which i was necessary only to mention
to wound the acute feelings of a man of honour. 11 is defence
had been fair and manly. He had not thrown any disguise over
his actions, he had merely explained the purity of his inten-
tions. Was the guilt of Lord Castlereagh as great as it had
been represensed ? lie had not aimed at the attainment of any
peconiary advantage. His only wish had been, not even to
pr :cure, but to facilitate the 6eutleman to a seat in this Mouse.
:''lpptViitiolls were to be banished from :he minds of the
111)3. Members assembled to decide on this important question.—
The evidence which had been produced before the East India
Cononitiee was atone to form the ground of every opinion, and
to forbid or justify the condemnation of this tinexecuted inten-
tion. Puilishinent ought to he equal to the offence. lie hoped
Elea wisdom and impartiality would direct the judgment of tae
lIOLV.Cs anti that in its discharge of the justice due to tin: pamic,
it would not forget that to which all indivadnnl W:;3
His Lordship concluded by moving, that the Order of the Daj
be read.

Mr. C. W. Wynne had seldom been more disappointed than
at the close of the Noble Lord's. speech. From w hat had fallen
from hint he had concluded that he would follow a middle' path ;
t t, finding the original resolution: too severe, he would iia%e
proposed an amendment; and in this he was almost disposed to
Fecund him, as he certaioly thought that a ditferetice in the pu-
nishment should he made accordia; to the degrees-of cut ir ility.
'But, after the heavy charges wh'ch had been, I.:id before 6o
I ouse, after the confession or the accused, vere the Comoons
to reject the consideration of such weighty In tilers, as too tri-
fing to deserve their af.teution ? if Lord Ctvtlereaglfs negoe
Lion had not been carried to a successful tissue, it was not his
fault, but tile result of opposing circumstatices. His intention
'was too decided to be mistakon. Were it lightly prise ••i over,
a wide door, would be opened to a thousand abuses and dan-
gerous offences. Should ever such a . case occur again, and
after such an instance of impunity, it might be expected it
would ; a disgraceful precedent would,'be found in (he annals of
our time. 1 t would be said, that the Parliament of 1809 had
undoubted proofs of the corruption,of one of the Ministers of
the Crown ; hi own confession was adduced, by .chick he owned
no intention and an attempt to exchange the' iolluenceof his
patronage for the acquisition of a vote in the 11,,Ouse of Commons,
an vet he tart with no punishment.
Mr. William Smith was of opinion, thatthe culpability of
the accused merited that severe reiwehensims which the resolo-
fiats expressed.
Mr. Manners Sutton was of opinion, that no proof existed in
the care of corruption, or official intertiience on the part of
tin.. Noble Viscount, for personal aggrandizement. The primary
olject of their resolutions he conceived to he, was the main-
tenance of the dignity of the House, wit- to assert its own in.
dependence, and to entitle it to the coafidence of the country.
( ! /scar !) Those objects, he apprehended, were full)
gained by the notice which hind been taken of the subject, with-
out coming to any of the specific tzsolotions proposed by the
Noble Lord. lie concluded by supporting the propositiou of
Lord 13inaing.
Mr. Grattan said, he agreed eirirely with the Honourable

°7lr

Gentleman who sat down, that upon this occasion the douse
ought to take care that the punishment should not exceed the
crime; and, therefore, if a Minister of State should be found
guilty of an act, not only in that capacity, but as President of a
Hoard of Coutroul, against the constitution, the natural conse-
quence of such conviction should be, the deprivation of that
power, by which the crime nas commi:led. Disposed as
he was to consider the Noble Lord's conduct in the most
lenient point of view, yet the act of itself was a pa!plible viola-
tion of the law. It appeared to him that the purchase of a scat
in Parliament for a pecuniary consideration, however uncon-
stitutional it might be, vet the purchasing of a scat in the
same assembly by the barter of a civil emrloyment, was a
crime of a blacker dic, because it hits selling that which, by
law, was not to be sold, in order to buy what was not to be
bought. He would suppose, for the sake of argument,
that it was not unusual for Miristers to purchase seats in'
Parliament, but did it, therefore, follow, hr asked, that the
Ministers had a right to employ public property for such pur-
poses? ()Paces of this tilt lire were public property. The con-
sequences would be productive or the mot mischievow effects
upon the vitals of the Constitu;inn. Althongh he could not say
that the conduct of the Noble Lord affected his moral character,
yet he thought there was sufficient evidence before the 'louse
to indu.e it to agree to the resolution proposed by his Noble
Friend ; and uo.cr this persuasion he should conclude by giving
his support to the original motion.
Mr. canning, ire a very :Ode speech, defended his Noble Col-
leorate, and concloded it Ii ,;n amembnent, " that it
is the duty of t:;c !loose to maintain a jealous guard over the
purit • of election, ;Lad consi.ieriti?; th t t the iti:eotiou to inter-
ia the election of a Nlemher of Parliament had not been •
..arried into any criminal erect, the 11,suse does not conceke it
necessary to enter into aay further consideration of the case."
Lord Archibald Hamilton ha% ing frptied, the House divided,
For the original motion—Ayes, lhi I Noes, '2l6—Majority
49.

The lioui;e again divided on the amendment proposed by Mr.
Cann ;).--A res., '44 I Noes, I G I Majority, 47.
• Adjourned.

Trednrsrlay, Apr 4 26.
CO'IMITT Et; OF SUPPLY.

•on the motion of \I r. Foster, the House resolved into a Com-
m it!re Of Supply, v. lien tile following grants Were voted fur Ire-

1 .~ ~
l l•tl

Tl)Tvarris defraying the expellees of improving, the
ha riiirir iioutil X15,000
For the support of the I)i..titing i!,.isters in the
pro lure of Ukfcr, for one oar, Croin t !le `45111 M3reh,
IST), to the corre-p.m.liti;;; period in
Treasury ii.citients for ooe y..ar
For making some allowance to the Cainini:,sioners
appointed to inquire into gratuities, perqnit,ites,.&c.
-in rortnin oßiees, for two years
!•.itel;lieu Moore. for lii. extraordinary ser-
vices as Accomi.ot:lnt-Gr,:eval, &c.

1.
:4500

340

The House to •r! resumed, and the report wwittrought up, and
order to be recei ve,l to-morrow.
The other orders of the day %Tee. then 441405 ed of.—Ad-
jourued at Half past Seven.

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