The National Register.
London, England, 1811-01-06 00:00:00

MONDAY, DEC. $l.
STATE OF THE NATION.

The,CuaNcELLott Of the ExculQuita moved the Order of
the day, for the House resolving into a Committee on the State
of the Nation.—Ordered. • -

After which tit: Right Hon. Gentleman moved, that the Re-
port respecting the conference with the Lords on the subjecfof
the Resolutions submitted to their Lordships on the 2e.d instant,
should be referred to the said Committee.—Ordered.
Th.. Mouse having re-olved itself into a Committee, Mr.
Lushington in the Chair,
.The etiANCILLOR of the Ex CH EQUER rose. The Resolutions
agreed to by !be House on a former evening having been sent
to the Lordt, 'and their Lordships having also agreed to those
Resolutions; it was incumbent en the Crarmittee to adopt such
measures as a due consideration of those Resolutions nii;lit
point out. The Resolutions in effect, pronounced the incapa-
city of his 7% Tajesty, through indisposition. to exercise the tune.
tions of his R ,yal office, it became therefore the right and duty
of Parliament to supply the deficiency in that branch of the
Legisl-rtire. The mode of carrying that important task into
effect, had already been suggested and agreed to, and it gave
him sincere pleasure in observing that the procedure by means
of Bid, had met thr etiocurreiice of brstli Hawes of Parliament.
(Hear I hear !
.frons the Ministerial benches) It remained,
therefore, oely to co:'sider, what may he the most expedient
rneasitres to adopt in supplying the deft cts to which he had ad-
verted It appeared to him that the House would do well to
conform as nearly as circumstances would admit, and as the state
of affairs' might rendei. reasonable, to the proceedings upon a
oceasion in 1788. With that impression upon his mind
he did think that certain restrictions and limitations ought to
be put to the Regent's exercise of the Royal functions. The
first' of these exceptions.was, as to the time to be limited for
holding theoffiee ; the next to prevent the creation of Peers of
the Realm; the third for the prevention of grants of pensions
or places for life, except where the grant of such places or pen-
sions were alo:olutely necessary to the interest of the State. And
lastly, as a provision for the care and custody of his Majesty's
person, that a proper Council should he appointed for the
purpose. All which he roposed should be carried into effect
by a 13i11.-I'he fact for the consideration of the Committee, at
present, was what authority it might he deemed proper to grant
his Royal Highness, towards the execiition of the office which
devolved to him, and what form the Pill conveying to him such
powers was to hear? In furtheratire of that oti;ect, i.e had pre-
pared certain Resolutions. The first of which was as follows :

" RESOLVED,
" That it is the opinion of this rommittee, for the purpose
of providing for the exercise of the Royal Authority, during the
continuance of his Majesty's illne-s,in qich mauve r, and ro such
extent as the present circumstances, and the urgent concerns of
the Nation apppear to require, it is expedient that his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales, being rt. Aideut within the realm,
shall he empowered to exercise and advnini:l r the Royal au-
thority, according to the Laws and Constitution of the United
Kingdom, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, and
under the style and title of Regent of the United Kingdom ;
and to use, execute and perform, in the name and on the be-
half of his Majesty, all authorities, prerogntives, acts of Go-
vernment, and administration of the same, which belong to the
Xing of this realm to use, execute and perform, according to
the Laws thereof, subject to such limitations and exceptions, as
shall be provided."
In submitting that resolution he thought it expedient to sepa-
rate those parts which might create discussion. That the Prince
of Wales was the most fit person to assume the exercise elf the
Royal functions all seemed to agree, but that part which led to
a disagreement cf opinion, was the introduction of restrictions
upon the Royal Authority, in the person of the Regent. The
question then might be thus stated; first, whether or not it
would be proper to admit any restrictions, and if any, what re-
strictions; and next, whether any, and what limitations ought
to be adopted. He trusted the Committee would keep in mind
the nature of the deficiency, for which it was their euty to pro-
vide. It would occur to the Committee that they were not
called upon to provide for a vacant throne—(Hear ! hear ! )
They were simply called upon to provide for
.a temporary sus-
pension in the exercise of the Royal Authority—two import-
ant objects to be attended to ; one to provide for the security of
Elie exercise of the functions incrusted to the Regent, with ener-

of-the pub-ECTUrit
_ d to- the removal of
:Orstion of the King, iitist
These points might l
measures he .should
providing for the Re-
the limited period of
a general considea
:ter—they must put out
providing for th,e
Regency, m. . only I. be guided in theit
decisions by the urgeny of the vase, and the interests and wel-
fare of the State. They ought not to take any view respecting
the character or credit which was justly due to the Royal Pvt.
nonage, for were they, they would be acting an unwise and a
weak part, and would establish a precedent in a particular emit;
which would not bear reference in general.—(Hear ! hear!)
A general assertion was made that the adoption of any restric-
tion whatever would tend to undermine the Royal Authority,
to cramp the exercise of the Executive Power and endanger the
vital interests of the Constitution. But was that proposition
supported by any one fair or reasonable argument ; did it beat
analogy, to the present case, or would it stand the test of in-
vestigation 1 The very admission of the argument would be
madness. He thought no one could say that, for so short a pe-
riod, the interests of the state required that the Regent should
Fircsess unlimited and unrestricted Royal authority ( Hear ! )
He did not mean to introduce the argument as to what the
limitations ought to be. That there should be, at least some,
he thought would be generally admitted. It would be for the
House hereafter to ascertain what those limitations were to be.
A prominent argument against the admissability of the preee-
ct, t of 1788, was, that we were now existing at a time of war.
It was upon that principle that he thought there would be less
danger in entrusting the aff.iirs of the country in the hands ol the
Regent himself, than by interposing the opinion of a (20uncil,
who might dissent from every act he might think proper to
adopt. They were given to understand, that what might have
been deemed wise in 1788, could not be deemed wise, expedi-
ent, or admissable upon the present occasion. He must bay,
from the view he had taken of the subject, that nothing had
occurred which could detract from the merits of the precedent
of 1788, as applied to the case in question. With respect to the
question of peace or war, he would ask, did the circumstance of
a war require, or not, the unlimited exercise of prerogative ?
That there might be a prerogative to 1w exerted in the course
of a war, could not be denied, but that during the next twelv,t
months the exercise (if the Royal Prerogative would be required
was not equally evident. That the Regent should have the iull
command of the army ; that he should have an unlimited power
over the public purse; and that he should have the means of
dissolving his Parliament, he admitted ; hut all that %vas not
conclusive as to the necessity of an enlimiti d possession of Pre-
rogative in case of war. When the Regent was restricted from
granting Peerages, that surely has nothing to do with the'ques-
tions of peace or war, and the only case in which it could make
a difference, he had provided for. That was, where it might be
considered essential in the event of any great military or naval
achievement, to confer some signal mark of favour for the bril-
liant services which may have distinguished any individual. The
Right i-lon. Gent. then proceeded to read the rest of his Reso-
lutions, the s:cond of which was to the following effect.

Rw sotv to,
14 9..dlyt That the power so to be granted to his Royal High-
ness the Prince of Wales shall not extend to the granting of any
rank or dignity of Peer.;ge of the United Kingdom, or of Ire-
land, to any person whatever, except in rtcompence of some
brilliant achievement by our Naval or Military Commanders."

ResoLven,
• " 3dly That the said powers shall not extend to the granting
of any office whatever in reversion, or to the granting of any
office, salary, or pel,sion, for any other term than during his
Majesty's pl-asure, except such offices as are by law required
to be granted for life, or during good behaviour."
With respect to the third Resolution he would observe, that
the King, at present, granted pensions for his own life only, and
to re fi..ct this limitatitut would be, in fact, granting to the Regent,
a greater power than the King possessed.

RF.• OLVLD,
" That such a part of his Majesty's private property as is not
already invested in trustees, shall be invested in trustees for the
use and benefit of his Majesty."

R rSOLVED,
" That it is the opinion of ~the Committee, that the
care of his Malesty's Royal Person, during the confirme
ence of his Majesty's laws' should be committed to the
Queen's most excellent Majesty, and that her Majesty should
have power to remove from, and to reinstate and appoint such.
persons as she shall think prow to the s.. veral other-s of his

TI I E N ATI ON Al..' REGISTER
_ - - - -
After some observations from Lord Reddvidale, the Lord gy and effect, for the interests OftWtolfare•
Chancellor, Earl Spencer, and the Earl of Westmoreland, the there was another Main object, to provide f
Resolutions were agreed to without a division. every possible obstruction to the restoration
The Repoct was then received, after which the House the resumption of the Royal p)wer. These
adjourned to Monday. reconciled in one yraceeding, and by the n'
propose. It woulq be recollected, that in pre
• HOUSE OF COMMONS. gency, the restriction Was only applied to the
twelve months. lite House must act upon
ration, and not look to individual character—
MONDAY, DEC. 31. cif consideration the Prince of Wales, and in
STATE OF THE NATIOn Regency, must only think of a Prince, and