The National Register.
London, England, 1820-11-13 00:00:00

3jui3triat Oartfainent.

HOUSE or: LORDS.
TRIAL OF HER MAJt›TV.
MOND.% NOV. .
The House met at the usual hour this morning. After
prayers had beets read, the I:st was called over as motel;
the number of Peers present was nearly 200.
The Marquis of LANS DOWN ruse, and said—" My
Lords, I assure. your Lordships that I am not at ail dis-
posed to go at great length into the examination of this
question; bus, I feel ii necessary to add a few observa-
tions so those I have already made before. I come to that
more important feature of the case, the character of this
measure. I ant anxious to make some observations On the
evidence—not to go through the whole of it, but to advert
to those particular puiuts to which some Noble Lords op-
posite have more diately referred."—The Noble
Marquis here went over a great part of the evidence,
pointing out its decrepancies, and declaring that where a
witness had been proved to be perjured in any one point,
however trivial, the whole of that witness's evidence
ought to stand for nothing. He then said, he had heard
many Noble Lords declare, with great appearance of min-
dour, that they would diantss front their minds different
parts of the evidence, in consideration of the doubtfulness
of the veracity of these who gave it ; but be would tell
those Noble Lostls that they were hound not to dismiss
from their consideration one tittle of the evidence, in jus-
tice to the Queen,—(llear.)--The case of Setiegaglia,
and other cases exhibiting the same character of falsehood
should be kept in the closest remembrance. It should
also be remembered that the Counsel for the defence Were
prohibited from going into general proofs of the existence
of a conspiracy, and it sit keeping with:H.llw rubs pre-
scribed to them, they had elicited the fact, trot somehow
or other, through all the parts in which her Majesty see
sided, there existed a conviction that those who were
ready to give evidence against her would get into the
most sure road to fortune. If their Lordship should pre-
some from what had come before them that this war the
case, and that a machinery and agency existed flow the
German minister down io the German waitingauaid, (a
diameter as respectishlo as a German minister enemed in
such si came)—if they were convinced that such an
epiniosi was creetaby the examination of the testimmeri
of Secchi and Cuchi, who seemed to speak so purely from
the lulus of, truth, were they not bound to look upon that
of.Patursoattol Garguilp, which had beets subject to such
doobton likely to be influenced by sitnilar views, and to
infer the general probability?—(Bear.)—The Noble Lord
then spoke with refereuce to the abseuce of the Countess
of Oldi and Mitrietti upon the part of the defence, wit— i
nesses whom it. would have been inexpedient to call, ar
the time mid place which their testimony could have em-,1
braced, had not been sufficiently epecified, and, of course,
their depositions could not lean to a distinct vouclusion.
He was, surprised at a wish expressed by some Noble
Lord., thist Bergatui himself should be called to the Bar.
eidLoinicries of Hear, hear, hear.)—He felt no hesitatiun
whatever in declaring, that whether Bergami admitted or
denied all the facts charged in the preamble, it would not
weigh a feather in his mind, or in the mind of any other
honourable man.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—Not many years
had clapped since, its a case of divorce, it was proposed
to call one of the parties to prove his connexion with the
wagtail who lay under the imputation. Upon that mica-
s*, a learned and able Judge declared, that if he were
bliseolf called to give evidence with respect to a female,
to; wbont he was under such circumstances, ha would con-
sider himself absolved from.the obligation to state the fact
against tee.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—Captain Hook, it was
said, had been called upon a speculation of this militia.
He was sworn, but he was slot believed.—(Hear, hear.)—
The Noble Lord then proceeded to make some observa-
tions upon the non-production of efficient witnesses by
the Crown. He had conceived that, at the continence-
meet of this inquiry, the cause would have been conducted
as the cape. of Truth versus the Princess of Wales, and
he imagined that there would have been no party, except
merely khe defendant. To this supposition he hail been
led by the Noble Lords opposite, whit had said, that
though, for the sake of form, they had taken the character
of prssecetors, not a tittle of evidence which, in the course
of the Investigation, should appear favourable to her
Royal Higbee'', should be suppressed. lie (the Marquis
of Lansdown) called up:, their Lordships to look at the
nassiner in which this purpose, so expressed, had been car-
ried into edict. The evidettee of Dr. Holland, who stood
in so peculiar a 'Bandon with respect to her Majesty—a
gentleman in independent circumstimccs, and incapable of
being influenced, might have been supposed to be unex-
ceptionable witness, mid yet he was out only not called,
bet it appeased that lie had at no period before the inves-
tigation been asked a single question by those who
professed such an anxiety, to discover the whole truth.
There yet remained one circumstance ttttt re, which re-
quired their Lordships most serious consideration. Pub-
lic opinion could not appreciate all the mischiefs of this
measure, regarding it as a precedent fur the future.—
biome Noble Lord, who had spoken in support of the Bill,
had quoted cases of Bulls for altering the succession.—
Would thine who did so adsnit that a ease of presutuption
was sufficient to alter the succession to the Cruwu ? Would
they sliest what there was in the cast for this bill, which
was not squally applicable to a case aflictilig the succes-
sion ? The object of this bill was said to be. to save the
costatry•from the areal evil with which it was threatened
the operation of her Maje•ty's vsample on the murals
ilesat murals
the cuuntry. He allotted to sioino4 —he leaked only
to the general hypothesis thm Kings much Queen+ of va-
rious characters sweat succeed to the 'ltemise of these
realms—and were then Lou dlships to be told that when
any number of individuals chose to sec its the conduct of
any Individual, either its poliStAbiON of the regal dignity,
or in the tiumetisate line or successful' to it, %emit us their
tuindspasan uubecoi ii iii g example--were they to be told
that this was to be made a gruntid for deposing mei de-
prival them?—Hear, hear.)—Was that a sort of prece-
dent with which the supporters of this bill wished to
enrich the constituismial history of the comm.) ? If it
was not, oil what ground could their Lordships advance
further in (Isis proceeding ? Once lay Shit down as a con-
stitutiooal practice. and let three or four snore such pre-
'codeine arrive, and we shouti come At once to Elective
Mumerchy ? Their Lordships, might be muted at the
term, but the fact was itisdoolsied. It was the whole pi iii•
sip'. of Elective Monarchy to look at the en; et of the
personal character of the iiiitivium.l elm misted with the
sews of pu es . lieu etlitary tilUltatelly rested on a teinewe
that the Constitution hol h .Js clinch sOic:l

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