The National Register.
London, England, 1820-07-02 00:00:00

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2imperial
HOUSE OF LORDS.
MONDAY, JVN N
Ear: GREY presented a Petition from Richard Oa-
thorn • Hint, a prisoner fur debt. praying the House to
paps nne le,•islative measure calculated to give him relief'
under the following case. The Petitioner brought an
action against Si. N. Conant, fur falsely arresting him on
a charge of publishing a libel on the bite Lord Encabo-
tough. The Petitioner was ta'aeit Mtn custody bel'ore
roe iu lictinent was found for the s.iid hind, and he con,
tended at the trial that the airebt WAS couUary to the 1410'
of E.tglantl. A Apecsal verdict was 1.1'..t.11, autl tlieJetigev
held upon argument of the case that tile drfendatit had
Du grmtitl for complaint. Under those circumstances be
Petitioned the 11011S4', cow u aittiug of au injury. 'file
Noble L.Il supported the view taken by the l'etitioner,
as dii Lord Erskine.—'file Petition was or tiered to lie on
tim table.

TILE QUEEN.
Lot d I)ACRE rose to present a Petition from her
rt die .ty the Queen. He lamented that it was not laid on
the tame by the highest atithmity (the Lord Chancellor),
but as she Noble and Leerned Lard tele some reluctance
to present it, the Petition hail been put into his
Majesty complained that the mode of proceeding the
Huuse was annul to adapt was unjust, inasmuch as they
did tra ado% her time to pretense tint hairs 'nation ft
the Continent which she considered necessary to defeat
the ins.chissalissios of lire enemies. She complained that
an laps e3••1061 HIM be made tigaiest her in the minds of
the people of England, if the Lords proceeded with a
Secret Committee before she was prepared to rebut the
contents of the GI een Bag. The Noble Rarl said, altos,.
he aerer had possessed the honum• of the Queen'., confi-
dence, he presented the Petitiuu with a culls kilos' on
Isis mind, that it would be injut Mos to the interest of the
house and the Country to pi sicced hastily wills the Secret
Committee. If it was to act in the 'mime of a Grand
Jury, lie begged the Lords to consider what would he the
feelings of the people of England, when they saw in the
Committee four Cabinet Ministers, who had already ra-
ps essed their opinions. There were two others al-u, who
*ere to be considesed responsible fur leaving the name
of her Majesty out of the Liturgy. One of them (the
!tight Rev. Prelate), was to be considered a respuusible
adviser on that Occasion. 'fliere were many out of the
fifteen Lords funning the Committer, who were known to
the people to be biassed against the interest of thorn ions.
l'erson under accusation. He implored the 11 e.se to
culisitter the alasusing interest felt from one end of the
e•iuntry to the other on this occasion, and al-to that the
Queen claimed from every English GesPletnati justice and
eiittitable feeling. She demanded that they wusild nut
}totted against her before she had an opportuility
of
bringing hum the Continent persons necessary for her
defence. She further prayed as a subject, to be heard by
Counsel at the Bar spinal the proceeding the House
seas about to adopt.
'flie LORD CHANCELLOR did not object to receiv-
ing the Petition. He had been requested to present it,
bet (Watching the Journals, the noble mid learned Lord
found that it was irregular for hint, as Speaker of the
House, to lay such a Petition before .heir Lortlehips.
Alter seilie discussion between Earl Grey, the .Marquis
of Lausdowue, the Earl of Liverpool,
.and Laid Holland,
the Queen's Petition was read by the Clerk at the table.
It was to die following pariout t;—
" CAROLINA REGINA.
" To tine bads Spiritual and Temporal.
" The Queen hat tug been infos Med, that pioceedings-
are to be adopted against her in the House of Loris, by
means of a Secret Committee, she feels it necessary to
appeal to the Lords as a subject of the realm. She is
advised that, according to the forms of the House, the
course adopted will be a secret inquiry. She protests
against any secret inquiry; yet, if the House will proceed
is, that way, she declares, in sack an unconstitutional
tousle, she has twilling to fear, unless it is in the absence
of her witnesses, who will defeat the mxclrinauuus of her
enemies. If the House of Lords will allow nothing but a
secret inquiry, she begs it may not take place before the
arrival of witnesses necessary to &vedette the whole. She
asks for no delay in the inquiry; but the Queen cannot
suppose the House uf Lords will authorize a secret inquiry
lulu her conduct, when her advisers are unable to provide
for her defence by the examination of witnesses, which
can o►t arrive in time front the Continent. The moment
toe evidence arrives she will entreat the House of Lords
It, proceed in any way conducive to the interest of jos-
Lee ; lint in the mean time lies Majesty desires to suspend
Ilse proceeding, mid lo be Item d lay her Counsel this day
at tee Bar."
Lord DACRE, at the conclusion of the Petition,moved,
1:1..t Counsel be called to the Bar.

llie motion was put and agreed to.
Mi. Brougham and Mr. Dllllll4ll were then called to
the Bar.
Mr.IIHOUGHAI then said, be had the honour to at-
tend at their Lordships' Bar as counsel fur her Majesty
the Qneen, understanding it was the plea! tire of the House
that he should he heard, on the subject matter of the Pe-
tition just pre,i ided. He lammed that his feeble power
was nut more efficient in bee Majesty's behalf. It was
his ditty to enti eat the House for a few bouts delay, hut
lie bad the command of her M ijesty to make any .iClifiCe
I Stilt 'l' than otter the semblance ot, or wish, to otter any
into-traction, to fair, speedy Inquiry. It became incumbent
an him to make that statement, oecause it was important
the House of Lords should be sati.tied the Queen did not
want ;Jilfair delay. She only desired delay, not ot probe-
r itiuo, not of judgment, which would attetid the iugttity,
tra:t because injnatice would he committed if they weal
04/ fur some weeks. • All the piiiidples of law stook! be
set at defiance if their La ilbiiips should unhappily be
advised to refuse die 1011)0' a her Majesty. 'the Message
bent to the House, brought before t'ailiainent certain
papers in scaled lib4s, which related to the conduct or the
Weed during her residence abroad. What sort of tes-
timony, of by o hat means it bad been raked together in
/be odiods filthy hag, it was not fur him at that time to
explain; hut wriateser was in the hag, it would appear
teat it related to the alleged iidscou ~ ~ et of her M- Jetty
1/11 the other stile of thr Alps and Appriiiires, far limn the
tribunal by which slat was then to be tried. In that Case
it was °brooms teat her witnesses t come Born distant
parts, and it would require more than lite: or six weeks to
urarg them to Ellgh 1. Tile feat ned counsel requested it
delay of not extent. They had a gallant British ollicer
at liuutn, who would seta' the principal witness against