The National Register.
London, England, 1817-02-03 00:00:00

THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE.

The Speech front the Throne having been read,
Lord DARTMOUTH moved the Address, which was second-
ed by Lord Bullies. (It is unnecessary to give these speeelies
of the Noble Lords, as they were in substance similar to
those delivered on the same occasion in the House of Com-
mons, for which see the Commons debate.)
Earl °trey rose and said, no one more cordially than him-
self concurred in the praise so justly bestowed upon the
skill, enterprise, and courage of the Noble Admiral, and the
fortitude, coinage, and exemplary resolution of the officers
and seamen who so successfully execnted the attack upon
Algiers.—( hear!)—Yet lie regretted the necessity of
imposing hurtful) in times like the present, upon an already
exhausted and suffering nation. The Speech also alluded to
the war in India. He was surprised that an opinion should
be asked upon the merits of the war, before their Lordships
were made acquainted with the causes by which hostilities
were produced. lie concurred in the sentiments expressed
respecting the prospects of a continuance of peace. But he
entertained doubts as to the policy of those arrangements
which the• Government had made for the preservation of
peace. The next topic in the Speech, was the intermit situa-
tion of the country; a topic at this moment most interesting
indeed—a moment of public distress in his view imp' eye-
dented, and admitted to be extreme even by the Noble
mover and Ministers, whilst they pronounce it temporary,
and of a nature to be speedily surmounted by the employ-
ment of the skill, industry, and capital of our people. Flom
this even a new era of wealth and prosperity is expected to
proceed. These anticipations are so congenial to the inter-
ests and feelings of all, that the first sentiment they excite is
the hope of their being realised. He was ready to declare
his belief that some of the causes of the pressure at the pre-
sent moment were temporary. But still, when, he would ask,
had the same degree of distress, and iii every branch of cony
coerce,--(Hear, hear!)—been felt at the end of any former
war? Was it at the close of the American war? Was the
comity): then suffering, as now, under the want of food and
clothing—the landed interest on the brink of absolute po-
verty—commerce decayed in every branch, and the CO111111(1-
nity weighed down by a grievons buratt) of taxation? 'l•he
whole amount of taxation at the close of the American war
was only 12,000,0901. At present it was five times that
amount. •- The sliver]) mentioned retrenchment consistent
with the salty of the country and a sound policy. This
phrase of " sound policy" was lunch too louse. Will the
Noble Lord give the House and the country a specific and
definitive pledge? Will the Noble Lord reduce the peace es-
tablishment to 19,000,0001. exclusive of permanent charges
on the Consolidated Fund? He had stated to their Lordships
the deficiency of the revenue. He would ask what were
the :,.emus to meet it:. 't he !speech declared that there should
be no new hurthen, and that the Sinking Fund should be un-
touched, for such probably was the meaning of that part of
the Speech which alluded to the sources of public credit as
they now existed. Was the deficiency to be met by a loan
or by Excheuuer Bills? Hut this would ultimately prose a
borate!) to the• public. It was therefore not cm reef that ne
new buriben would be imposed. —(tear, Atm.!)—He wished
he could giie any credii to the promises of retrenchment
contained in the Speech. But Alinisters had, in ill last
Session, declared the Peace Establishment at one momeut•on
the lowest scale possible—set Parliament forced theui to re-
duce it much lower, and abandon what they committed them-
selves with, as absolutely necessary for the public safety.—
(ilea?, kear!)—Of what value were their professions of eco-
nomy even at present, wheal in some lesser articles there
was a degree of inattention and extravagance, as if they
meant to insult and irritate are nation. The whole matter
rested upon this —" If you cannot raise your means to your
establishment, reduce your establishment to your means.••
(Hear, hear!)—Let the splendour of the Crown appear, as it
will most honourably appear at the present moment, not in
the trappings of the Court, out in sacrifices to the wants and
wishes of time people—( near, hear!)--iie would not encou-
rage the delusion already so general, that emoluments of a
particular description were the causes of the public distress,
however odious some of them may be; but he wont,' admit
that the pelvic had aver here a right to some sacrifice. Ae
regretted that any allusion had been made by the Noble
mover and secOuticr of the Athircss to any attempt to excite

FETIIMARY 3.

sedition; or the unfortnnate occurrence which had recently
taken place. No one felt more deeply than himself the in-
dignation excited by this outrage, but lie rejoiced in the be-
lief, that however criminal the act, let there appeared no
design against his Royal Highness, of a nature so atrocious
as had been supposed. Its stated as his belief noon the
evidence. and lie trusted Nlinist-rs would not make it the
ground of any new measure which would affect the public
liberty of the subjects 11 f the 'vain). No one oas more ob-
noxious, or inure attacked than hillISCIf by some persons, to
whom daugerous views orlon the Coostit were ascribed.
Vet he should be more charitable. and o bilst he considered
their opinions erroneous anti destruetive, acquit them of soy
cijogitial designs„ or seen t etillopirill':" The Noble Lord
concluded with observing, that he did not approve the
vi nit of the Speech, and the vague pledge of economy which
it held out t and moved an Amendme-t to the Address, the
Same as that tooted b' 3lr. Poilsonby in the Hothe of Corn-
IIIOIIA.

Earl Han aoWn v said, no argunient had been urged by the
Noble Karl sufficient. in his judgment, to justify their Lot il-
Itips in adopting the Amendment. Even the most enlighten.
ed persons of the present day tilt the same degree of de.
spondency as existed now during the period of distre-s
subsr-
queut to the close of the American war. The analogy be-
tween both periods was clear, and the results would be the
same. He admitted that the ta was greater now than
iu 1183, but denied that it foi owl any !mit of the pi esent
(oises of distress, and in respect to the observations of the
Noble Earl, he woitld say, that if a balance were struck be-
t Wavn the disadvantages produced by it and the facilities
which it afforded to insore the safety and add to the glory of
the country, he tsr one should nat hesitate to decide for the
latter. He certainly thought the situation of the country was
one which called for the most serious attention of Parliament,
and lie triune(' that the noose wonhl shortly inquire how far
the existing laws were sufficient to avert the es ils by which
we were threatened. However Noble Lorik might differ
as to degrees of measures and restrictions, time was one
point on which there could be ins ditlerence of opinion, which
was, that when they beheld the magnificent edifice that had
lasted for so many ages, they would- all feel unanimous ill
supporting it.
Eat I GaOsVENOIt observed, that the only conclusion he
could draw from what he had heard on the colter side of the
House was, that although the situation of this country at the
conclusion of the AMCOR:aII War was very bail, it was much
worse now, in as much as our income hod exceeded our ex-
penditure in a much larger proportion than it slid at the for-
mer period. Ile never rose in that Idolise with feelings sit
greater pain than at that moment, not only on account of the
distress, the poverty, and the misery of so many thousands
of people then out IA ettoplontent, but on accomit of the dis-
tresses suffered by the country gentlemen of England. Those
most respectable classes of people, who had mire diffused
comfort and happilll,, around them, wets. now Hearty ex-
tinct. He still had a nitwit inure gloomy view of the country,
when he considered the opinions entertained by the present
Government, who appeared determined in every way to re-
sist the wishes of the people; and on that Very account, he •
looked with greater alarm at the sit nation of public aft ars,
because the opinion of Government appeared likely to be-
come the establ:shed system of the country ; a system tli ft
must end either in the dissolution of our whole political stro
tine, or in a military despotism.
Lord Sr. Joan considered the Members of that House PA
the Counsellors of the Crown, whose duty it was not to offer,
tip incense and flattery, but to give wholesome advice ;
and whoever should say they came. there for any other pur-
pose than that of giving their real opinion on the state of the
country, must be guilty of a great crime. He most say. that
he never witin %sett stuck a disregard to the feelings of the
public as was now shown by Ministers at the opening, of
Parliament. Economy, which had berm recommended la,t
year from the Throne, and soon after abandoned, was Stow
to be considered as a State crime, and therefore the Speech
was silent on the subject. Nothing could relieve the coon-
try from her present difficulties lost a total change of system,
the most have a new era in truth as well as wortk.

Lad BATHURST, ill jllStifteati in of the of Ministers
last year, declared that they hail made the reductions in ex-
penditure as low as possible; and they had other reductions
still in contemplation.
The Marquis WELLesuev Observed, that there was no ex-
ample in the history of this country of a speech delivered Irmo
the throne, or any address moved in answer thereto, which
were so inadequate to what the country required, :is the
Speech and Address then before the lions( . The difference
between our former anti present situation was so great, that
the present lutist be a very unfit occasion for paying compli-
ments to the Crown. This was a crisis which demanded a
very ditkrent line of conduct. The delay of the meeting of
Parliameht under the peculiar circumstances in which the
country stood, was a mitter of regret and astonishment, mud •
merited the ses crest censure. And then, alter the Parlia-
ment hail at length met, the Address in answer to lb:, Speech
did nut contain a single expression respecting the calamitous
state of the t'untitry, nor hold out n single pledge that any
inquiry should be made into the relations, tlw hearings, and
original causes of our present misfortune.. Such a pled,:e
should have been given: such an inqnity should hale been
entered into, and the result sent forth, not accompani,d by
any desponding opinion, but to lay the real until before the
country and at the same lime to signify a determination to
investigate every matter connected with the-subject, with a
view elfin:ling Out a Mlle! ly. Hoe', he asked, contd it cast
despondency on the public mind, if an ini:Mry was to be
instituted into the state of the natlou ? What would be the
character of this nation in the eyes of the would, if such a
low opinion was known to have actuated the Parliament.?
if it was known that we were so paralyzed, as to be
afraid to meet a full inquiry into the whole of our distresses ?
He shonld next come to a topic on which much had been said
—the supposed efforts of th,atfeeted persons to inflame the
public tam!. On this subject the ,Ministers ought to have
laid kome documents before the 114.1645 C, to skew whether, and
how far, there existed in the country a disposition to over-
ture the Constitution; some evidence to that effect ought to
have been laid before Parliament. If such dangers as were
stated did exit, why, he asked, was not Parliament called
together at au earlier period? Utile country was appueheu-
sive of danger from the designs of seditious men, why not as-
semble the •Legislature in order to determine win-t liet. ally
new measures of precaution were necessary ; or, at least, to
adapt some ameliorations that should repel the attempts Of
those per-ons, by quieting the minds of the people? Were
the Ministers certain that the delay in. calling Parliament
hail not encouraged those persons in their attempts? On the
subject of the monstrous plans of reform that had lately been
put forth, he must observe, that every one of them was dia-
metrically opposite to the whole substance, and even to the
spirit WI the Constitution of England. To give nniverso