The National Register.
London, England, 1812-06-14 00:00:00

360

claims, they inquired whether.or not the contemplated Administration
was to be furnished with .a greater extent of authority over the great
Officers of die Rousehold than what the former projected Administra--
tion was proposed to have, and which was usually granted in new poli-
tical arrangements ; to which the Earl of Malta answered, that the
Regent had given him no infirmation upon the subject; nor had even hint-
ed at such a concesssion. Upon this the Noble Lords refused to accept ,
of any offices in which they would not be permitted the power to give
stability to the new arrangements. The consultation closed with mutual
expressioneof'regret..To give strength and efficiency to any Government
tt was necessary there should be a mutual concurrence and agreement
in principles upon which it is framed--next, a geed . understanding
with the Crown—and lastly, a good and sound character to each Meth-
ber composing the Administration, and a countenance of honour, aild a
heart of integrity in the eyes of .the people. These qualifications 'only
gave strength' and efficiency to a Government. His Noble Friends. had
been rashly blamed for hastily breaking up the negociationS, but it was
not their blame that they listened to them. If any, blami could be
attached, it would be with the Noble Marquis and Earl Moira,.who
submitted plans of Governments.. via:twat haying well .weighed the
principles of the Constitution.. such principles as were held to be funda-
mental ,and established firmly at the glorious Revolution. It was a
violation of those principles which lost the House of Stuart the Crown.
The Right -Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to enumerate the various
changes of Administration from 1766 to the present day, in every ohe of
which the change of the Officers of the 'Household took, place as a ne-
cessary part of• the measures of such Administrations. He hoped his
Noble
,Friends (Grey and Grenville) stood acquitted from any wish to
monopolize poster to themselves; that they stood acquitted of any wish
to horethe tezlings of any person whatever, hut, above all, the illustri-
ous petisbnage s., often alluded to;_ they were incapable of any such
motiveir. they had acted; not on private, but public grounds. He en-
tirely arreed in the Amendment of his Noble Friend (Lord Folke-
stone) "'m-all parts, at -the same time he did conceive that it contained
toe much matter of detail for the House to enter into at present. He
was,therefere,readyero vote for the Amendment of Ms other Noble
FrientV(Ldrd Milton) ;:which was consistent with the dignity of the
Houses,Houses,antrthe principles of the Constitution.
Mr. ilecidetitsr shortly explained.
Mr. CA N N.ING declared that his sole object in rising, was to state
to theL'House the nature and colour of the_ transactions, as he and
the Noble Persons with whom lie had &en concerned, understood
them. • 'l' he Right Honourable Gentleman had truly stated, that the
*object of -the Vote of the House, in the former instance, was to induce
the Prince Regent to take measures for providing a strong and efficient
Administration—the Right Honourable Gentleman had also rightly
stated the characteristics of efficiency and strength in an Administration
—but the error into which the Right Honourable Gentleman. appeared
to have fallen, was, •that he took it for granted that there was only one
way of formingshch an Administration, and that was, to cut short the
labour of tlieperson appointed to form the Administration, by leaving
him nothing to do but to surrender his commission into the hawk of that
man, who cotild command the.grcater number of votes in the House of
Commims.-.-(ffear, hear!)—When to Marquis Wellesley the commis,
*ion was entrusted to form an Administration, it was iebviously.not
tended that she proceeding was to be conducted on' the ground of the
greatest numerical following in that House. '1 he view that was enter-
tained by • Marquis Wellesley and himself upon the subject was cer-
tainty not, when such a Commission was entrusted to a public
nian, that, because lie may-not have a.great numerical following in the
House of Commons-, therefore both he anti his coMmissipti should
merge in the superior pretensions of those The may confer with, who
may have a greater Parliamentary coming. It was perfectly true that an
Administration would be most strong and efficient When formed of
Alembers, amongst whom, there could be no canvassing, of princi-
ples, no clashing oe contradictory opinions- 'of men tined closely
by previous consent and cencirrence upon all the great leading fea-
tures of policy and government-intimately connected by the ties
of colifitlenti;il ieterceuree,. • and the habitual attachment to long
settled principles—and from this union of private confidence
and pub is associetien; to be onanimoue upon all the great measures of
State policy upon which they would have to decide. But when he ad-
mitted this to the Rieht firm. (;entlenian, he admitted a principle which
if it were to be a.cteLl'npore,- would render it impossible for anychange of
Admi ee,traticua to takeliace iu this:country, hut such as would include
only the Right Hon. Gentleman and' his ft-keels. Though such an Ad-
ministration, if it could he formed, would he the strongest, yet he
was of opinion, and in this he concurred With Marquis Wellesley, that
an Administration of considerable strength might be formed of public
men, who, t hough they might perhaps differ upon questions. of compare.
tive I y minor int erest,shourd yet agree upon subjects and measures of vital
importance, as connected with the external and internal policy of the em-
pire. In taking this view of the c ase, therefore, his Noble Friend had
selected the two great and prominent. questions which appeared most
essentially affecting the highest ituerests of the State. Undoubtedly,
there were Imre:. other points. of doubtful policy, upon which a differ-
ence of opinion inOit prevail, which difference, however, might in dis-
cussion be accommodated by mutual concession, if not by ami-
cable and diectual persuasion on either side. Why even the ques-
tion of the Orders in Council, which had been adverted to by the
kion. Gentleman, was one of this descriptions-involving wuch