The National Register.
London, England, 1820-08-20 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

The I.earned Counsel then resumed his argnmeut.
Itrliat lie complained of was, the want of a definite ground,
and the introduction of so great a variety of circumstances
quite irrelevant to the main fact ; and that was holding
out a motive to the passing of the Bill by their Lordships,
which never could have had place here the proceedings
really jndirial. Some of their Lot might thus be
induced to pa •s the Bill from one motive, cud some front
another; it was impossible that they (the. Colinsel) could
apply themselves to all that variety of inducement which
might weigh on their Lordships' minds, when they consi-
dered this Bill not on the ground of being a judicial pro-
ceeding, but on the ground of state ne••essity and
expediency. " In the in esence of my royal mistress (said
Mr. Denman), permit me to say, in attempting to adopt
(Ids which is miscalled the trial of her Majesty, we are
departing from all established forms of justice. She
asked for a trial by her Peers. She did not desire that a
message should be sent down, and papers laid upon the
table ►ealed in green bags. She (lid not wish Judges
should decide on her ease without hearing witnesses exa-
, mined on oatli,nor did she wish final judgment to be given
by him who Was desirous of obtaining a separation." He
claimed the right of recrimination. It was too obvious
the whole object of the Bill was to release his Majesty
from the solemn obligation of tiles tinge. He might ask
the House of Lords in such a case, to look to the hus-
band's conduct. Could he prove Isis wife eloped without
his consent? If it should appear that a young and ami-
able Princess, coming from a foreign country, had found
her husband's mind alienated shortly after marriage ; if,
on the death of a beloved child, she was deserted and ob-
liged to wander in affliction ; if, atter an inquiry into the
charges against her Majesty, she was acquitted and re-
ceived by the father of the husband, who never deserted
her ; if, nuttier the circumstance of a long separation, the
husband had withdrawn all protection from his wife, he
would ask their Lordships whether they could hear such
a case?—lf this Bill was to proceed, lie claimed, on behalf
of his client, the right of recrimination. This most be so,
sinless it was said morality was for the low and not die
high. The Bill had the greatest tendency to produce a
disputed succession. Suppose his Majesty was to marry
again and have a child, would the, e not be doubts of the
validity of such a marriage? The case of Mary, daughter
at Queen Catherine, and Minimal, daughter of Anne de
Bosileyn, proved that marriages which did not please the
people would always bring doubt: upon the legitimacy of
the offspring. Bills of this description opened, as it were,
an office for scandal; and if the House took the Crown
front the Queen on the ground stated its the Bill, they
might be bound to visit the heir apparent with the
same justice.—He called on the Lords to pause before
they gave sanction to such a Bill. It would appear, by
reference to history, that the French revolution was pre-
ceded by accusations against the Queen, of the most dis-
gusting character. What effect it would have on this
country time would sheer. He contended that the Queen,
as a woman, was entitled to the most delicate attention
from their Lordships. He concluded by requesting the
Lords to consider what ought to be the married state, as
between husband and wife. Inquiry in this instance
could produce no good effect. His royal client disclaimed
any wish to shrink fiom fair trial; but to a Bill of l gins
and Penalties site protested. She had no opportunity of
knowing the witnesses, as in case of indictment. He for
one would never give sip those sentiments of homsge due
to her Majesty's rank and elevated mind. He should never
fail in the duty he owed to the Laws of God and Man.
The QV EW then withdrew._ _

The ATTORNEY GENERAL rose at a quarter before
one o'clock to address the House. He commenced by
complaining that the learned Counsel for the Queen had
deviated pons the question on which they were allowed to
hr heard. They wet eto be heard on the principle of the
Bill, ye they had gone into the origin of the Bill, appeal-
leg to the passions of their Lord Ships, and introducing
calumnious statements. The House had the advantage
of the assistance of the Judges of the land, who would
see that no vague uncertain evidence was received. He
defied his Learned Friends to rind a case to prove that
impeachment was a proper mode of proceeding.—
He should abuse the duty Mit listed to him, it' he endea-
voured, in that stage of the Bill, to expatiate on the emir-
ntity of the charges, or allude to the evidence in suppoi t
of them. He should not comment on the disgusting licen-
tious scenes to be rxhibite d. His Learned Friends might
with impunity raise the name of the Queen, which never
ought to have been mentioned, but they steroid never
ellicit from him any observation upon topics which ought
nut to be hitt minced until the proper period art ised. He
dt fended the principle of the Bill as applicable to the
case of her Matcsty, who could not be plot:coded against
by impeachment. He disclaimed any optical to the pas.
stone of Lords ; straight forward language, without re.
/aril to popular clamour, was the beet mode of tit oceeditig.
The decision of the House of Lords would tio doubt satisfy
the rneaweet subject of the 'calm.
The SOLICITOII.-GLNE11:11. next rte,e. He partook
of the objt ohm made sty the Attorney-General to the
line of conduet adopted by his learned 'veils on the I
other side. Instead of considerinz .!re grace qursti on,
his luau tad friends hod indulged .11 imecni C. Willem:
evidence, but 'dying on their uwn aspersions, they had
put themselves in the situations a accusers of all persons
concerned in directing those proceedings.—The Solicitor.
General then went over the sante ground as the Attorney-
General, without eliciting any thing new.
[At the conclusion of the Solicitor-General's speech, the
Queen again mitered the House.]
BROUGHAA, in reply, said, the main argument
of the Attorney-General went to prove, that the charges
against her Majesty were such as could not be in oceeded
unless they adopted a Bill of Pail's and Penalties,
%sold' they considered a Bill of Diviner. lie allowed it
to he such, but he called on his learned friend to /thew Idea
a sii,gle iustance in which Parliament was found legis-
lating away a marriage without being called upon fin that
purpose by the injured potty. Mr. B. Olen deplecuted
the Solicitur-Cieneres code amorality, which led Inn to
deprecate the adultery in a Princess more than in a Prince.
He disclaimed idention, in what lie had said upon that
subject, to wound the delicacy army branch of the royal
faultily; and concluded by expressieg his belied-that then
Loud:4l4,e would du strict justice.
MOTION TO STAY PROCEEDINGS ON TIIE BILL.—Lord
KING rose, and said it was his 'intention now to propose
a resolution to their lordships to this effect, vie. that it is
not necessary either for the public satety, or the secu-
rity of the Goverument, that this bill should pass iuto a
law.

Earl GREY IP sid, that the ia►prea:ioo nude upon hit

;~

mind, by what I* had heard in the arguments used by
the Counsel, was very strong against proceeding with the
Bill. He therefore wished that time should now be given
to their Lordships to consider what ought to be done upon
this proposition. He therefore hoped he would not be
considered as asking too cinch of his noble friend to post-
pone his motion till to-morrow, when their Lordship*
would all come better prepared tor the disenssion. if he
were now forced to come to a deci.ion, he must say that
he so strongly felt all the inconvenience of the course in
which they were engaged, that he should certainly be
much disposed to adopt some other mode than a Bill of
Pains and Penalties.

Lord KING intimated his willingnes to postpone his
motion till to-morrow.

The Earl of LIVERPOOL was willing to consent to
the delay proposed, but thouzlit that the debate ought
now to be commenced, by, at least, playing the proposi-
tion before their Lordships : they might then adjourn the
debate until to-morrow.

Lord KING, in compliance with this recommendation,
moved the following resolution—" That it is the opinion
of this House that it is not netessau y to the public safety,
nor the security of the Goverinnent, to pass this Bill."
The debate was then postponed until to-morrow morn-
ing, to which tio.e the House adjourned.

THE MINOLITY IN T;) ?.: HOUSE OF LORDS.
roa STOPPING ALL PROCEED; N:iB AGAINST THE QUEEN.

*renal' 17.
Duke of Leinst..r, Earl 1 'ortescue, Vise. King,
S(,r ier4ut, Carnarvon, 6: Say and Sele,
1, d✓cd, Grosvehot, Lords( : v,ydir,
.1 c', :e, Thanet, Clitten,
l: L..i:it9ll, ‘.',,...mer, Auckland,
Nt. Alban's, 11.:44;:er, Dundas,
MAN. of i lownshire, t '.iford , Dacre.
Earl of Essex. Vise. .‘n ~n, Belhaven,
I /,,,.114, .c i ) 1.1,1 C n,A Sondes,
J,.. •••3 , Lords II t ,Itnghroke, I little,
Ali,: made, Dow ne, Rolland,
ntl.t.., Torriogtor., I I awke,
Itr,ho:7v7;:h 110(Xl. Foley.
Stanhope, h ~;.yon,

FROM T ULSDAY T'S GAZETTE.