The National Register.
London, England, 1820-11-06 00:00:00

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legs. Before the eonureocromesit of this linslnesag and on •
the death of his late Majesty he was at some distance from ,
town, and heard with surprise, that the fist step that was •
taken vies to strike the Name of her Majesty out of the
Liturgy, and thus deprive her of the Prayers of the
Church! And yet the Learned Lord Oa the weelsoick,
who had just sat 'lowa, had declared, that no pergola
should be prestioned guilty before Dial, and that the stales
of... Justice should be held oven! However much he 'eight
condetust such a proceeding, he certainly then thought
that theliiitieters must Bove had so strong a ease against
bendlejewty, as to render her guilt evident beyond the
possibility of a doubt. Whe he came to the House, lie
found laying en their Lordships' table the infermatioas at
which this inquiry had been funsided ; and a determina-
tion to proceed by a Bill of Pains and l'enallies, because
as was stated 'by a Noble Earl uppopite, the crane of
adultery was not treason, when committed by a foreigner
beyond seas. The charges had been sent down to the
Hoare of Commons, where they refined to Mimics into
them; autl would any man now say a Bill of Paine and
Penalties was the proper mode of proceeding, when the
Melee of Commons refustel to proceed lu the inquiry at
all? The Ileum of Commons came to a resultution, that
cacti en inquiry way derogatory to the honour of the
Crown, and injurious to the murals of the people. When
this resolution had passed, the House immediately deter'
witted te address her Majesty, to accept the terms offered
her of a compromises butt she, with that tirinneu aid
cousciousuessof innocence which she possessed, deter-
mined upon potting herself on her trial in the House of
Lords. What shone% have been the duty of Ministers,
bat to restore her Majesty's name to the Liturgyg ands
according to the recommendation of the Noble Lord on
the woolsack, stiffer no prejudice to go against her Ma-
jesty instil she was proved guilty. Would it be acid Hutt
depriving the Queen of the Prayers of a whole people
was net deeiating her guilty—it was doing more—it was
pnuishing heti What were their Lordships doing now—
debatilig on reading the hill a second lime, only to reed
a third time, and then send it down to the Coramons that
had already decided against all inquiry on the subject.—
He (Lord Erskine) was afraid of the consequences of
the two Houses being at issue on this question. The
lionse of Commons were the Representatives uf the Peo-
ple; and, after they had declared that there was no
ground for impeachment or inquiry, but that they be-
lieved the Queen innocent, h:ivi could their Lerdships
send that bill down to them and request they would in-
quire into what they had previously decided not to inquire?
he Noble Lord contended, that there was no ground for
preceding by a Bill of Pains and Mice the
charge against her Majesty was a high crime and 'Made-
tneanour, for which she might have been tried by consti
lutiowil means. As this had not been the ease, if he
believed the Queen as guilty as from the evidence he
believed her innoceet, Le %%wild vote against the bill,
because an uneouslitutioual mode of pruceeding was
adopted, where a constitutional one was open. I /nest
mid the Noble Lord (Erskine) soon terminate my life;
but happy shall I be it' I die advocaat% those go eat
constitutional principles, the vindicating of which, in
early lifr;raised me from the rank of an humble individual.
—The Lord Chancellor bail stated that the fact of adulterous
eatereourse was the only one to be considered : he denied this.
The Noble Lord then proceeded to read the preamble oldie Bill,
and to comment on the gross indecencies with which she was
charged for some years, and in various countries: and yet this
sweeping accusation had dwindled down to a charge of her sleep-
ing on deck on board a poleax, attended by her chamberlain,
and this only sworn to by two witnesses, Who did not even de-
edam that they hail any suspicion of a criminal insereourae
having taken place. Th. Noble Lord then proceeded to com-
ment on the evidence of Dumont, which he said, was not en •
titled to Leahy and declared, that he wished he had the Queen's
cma iu the lower Courts before rife: of the Judges. If adultery
lied been the object of the parties, who could imagine that they
would have excaanged the convenient concealment below lot an
nem tent on deck, where they must be exposed to geecral obser-
vation and intrusion ? No person on csuth could have thought
of attempting an intercourse under such circumstances. It
would Ix: observed, too, that there had been no mystery about
bet Majesty's eanduct--no impreadon of that sort had been
produced.
Here the Noble Lord exhibited symptoms of strong indismn-
tioa, aad a pause of a minute or two wok plate. His Laitiship
then attempted to resume, but after a few wurda sunk down as
iu a faint. lie was caught in his fall by some of the Peers near
hint; dm windows wee opened, and a glass of water brougla ;
bat his Lordship axabuel to ill, that he was obliged to be twine
out of :Le House by Lords Grey, Caruervon, and ilelltual.
Lord LAUDERDALE suggested that the House should
adjourn for a quarter of an hour.
The House adjourned necuralingiy.
Hu the House resuming,
The 1.0111) CHANCELLOR said that he could nut allow
the debate to•goo farther without saying a word in explanatiote
His Nubia mid Leunted l;rientl (Lorttletaltinea. whose absence,
and•the cameo( it. no man more sincerely hunented, had argued
as if he (the Lord Chancellor) bad stated that the case on board
the Poliseatetormed the whole case tor the prosecution. lle lead
arid Lomeli thing. All lie had unseat to say tea, that that ewe
alone had allftiCiAl to detallittle Ilia individual judgment. 'Diem
were a „teat many lesser circumstances on which he had offered
r.o opinion, but which undoubtedly might have weight with
matey of their Lordships.
Lord LA UDF,RDALE now proceeded to address their Lord •
wrs. He allotted t:i tile repot, of his being sent out Governer
to With detailed its laismuocl, professed himself mutely unpre-
judiced, mil theu went on at gem length in a styleiso strongly
resembling die Lord Chancellor's speech, that if we were twit
*minuend the thin:; were impossible, we should have supposed
themo•tpeeches had been arranged at a cabinet dinner.
The Earl of ItUsEakiltitY thought that this was a case in
which nu Peer ought to give a silent vote; and he hdpect the
Howse would accept thistle Ms npulogge for the tew words he led
to say tliatU /id laotwitheimeting all lie had beani, he anal not
reconcile it to his berme and enacience to a Jurymen to give
his ass.:' to the passing •If thc hill. On attentively considering
the whole fans ass eirceinneracm of OW case, he amid moe say
that lie was conduced of the existent* of that adulterous inter.
course, without a tell conviction of which, as their Lontslops had
Wu matted by the fable bed Learned Lord on die Woularek,
nw Lora ought toeive his sots for this Bill. But by thought the
House were li4orni to extend their views beyond the Male facts
tittle: ease. Minuted that they would tint be enlisted by coy
thing that had fallen firm the Noble hated anodic ersea been
tilted Lautiertlan ), to exclude hoar their mnsideration the pos-
niety ut•the Die not hem., entertained by ties *Me/ linage of
Parliatilent. lie thooght that they were bound to look at the
wobble of the pesibable. driers and eurieryirenees of the 'manage.
Ile wise thelatiollhiLL wheetesiet wise abet, laottellips to act tiii4Wl
any impitamon et intimatautte. now without; eat lie knew •ut
ne good that was to be gained by cenceidthg from themelves
that ti•eie dietetic:a was, it lie ausget su atelat. upon Mai before
the country—nut by the mere rabble, lea by all the mute ralus-
blv set:able portion. id the lintel, retnnionitet. lie tu,piored
Wu. I,..at6iplap. to poll.‘t wet. Liaa 114.4. w. watch sus Labaetta.