The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-02-22 00:00:00

PRESENT srruATIoN OF THE QUEEN.

On the motion that the House do frPOIVeWM in-
to the Committee.
Mr. Hung rate to solicit some expl.nation Of the
course meant to be putsued towards tie Qum. He
was most anxious that the people 6.ltould be lode
informed upon so interest* a sohj.ct. 11. Kitt
taken the liberty of addressing a quern/in maw ilia
important topic the other night to the Noble Lind
opposite (Lord Castlereagh), and he was 'me 1h.6
answer be then received could Hot be deemed satis-
factory. If there was one Slibitet mitre than 1111
other of more interest at this motreent to the House
and the country, he was rare it was that its which
the interests of her Majesty were nivolved. Par-
liament was now about to separate without 'DeWitt::
the situation in which her Majesty stooll. The 1.6 w of
the land fully reconnized her as (4,irefi, yet wit-
withstanding her undoubted claim to thAt hitfh
Unction, she was uttachitowledir-d, and it a•
as if a determinal existed that %lir VI•oll not to lie
acknowledged. lie did not preteo:l to more lovAl•
fry tbau other men, but hr profebse.l that tultilte
which sit Englishman was bound to feel for all the
Royal Family. It war, therefore, that he felt the
greatest anxiety that the sittivion of the Queen
should be fully explained.' lie did not pretend to
interfere with the right or power of the Crowii
alter the particular forms of prayer in the church.',
nor would he touch that right, though he own.:
confess, with great deference, his astonishment
at the way in which it had been exercised,
the surprise with which that circumstinice
been viewed by the great majnitty of the pub-
, lie. What he chiefly wished to know front the
Noble Lord was, in what state the revenue of the
Queen was to stand during the nest quarter. The
1 grout held by her Dilsjesty .433,00 a per ann. was
applicable to her Dull, as Princess of Wider, not as
' Quern. It had now by law ceased, and she was left
wholly without provision. Was this a state iii which
the Queen of England could remain ? Was she to by
rn unprovided wanderer on the Continent, or 6.,
have a revenue consistent with her high, (NOR!, and
station in the State ? He could not refrain front
expressing his sorrow that on a recent occasion Ili-
precedeot of Queen Caroline had not been folluweil
towards her present Majesty. He lamented mac.'
that any such distinction should have occurren.
and he above all deprecated that Parliament
separate without sett;ing this important sultject. It
her Majesty were to land at Portsmouth to-morrna,
who mut to receive her, and how was she to be re-
ceived ? Were there ally orders issued on this point
to the public functionaries ? was she to be treated
as Queen, or GI a private individual ? He lamented
much that the Noble Lord ahould on a former night
have atyled-her Majesty by the term*, " that person,"
or " that illustrious Iverson." This was too indefi-
ante a meaner of alluding to the station of the
Queen of this kingdom. The laws assign her a
nub, and entitle her to suitable provision for its
maintettatme, and it was upon this point he solicit-
ed information from the courtesy of the Noble Lord
9P11:04. He pot it to bit leek ogs rio healer. the ta t.
ter ovulate rest without a full and atetant expiate's-
Ileseemid not say that the King sae ietliopored
' to grant tab* alljoety 9 officient ellowersee. bet be

^'

woul.l say this, that it was not consistent with the
dignity. of the clarets of &Wand not to have re-
gularly settled on her that allowance, which at all
limes was settled on peewee of her high rauk. He
would therefore submit to the Howe, that a suffi-
cient provision ought to be made—that they ought
to see the Queen treated as the Queen of England
aught to hr.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that he would best
consult the feelings of the House and the country,
to abstain se much as possible from entering on this
subject. Ile would only say, that until the subject
should he brought fully before the Parliament,
cert. should he taken that the high personage al-
luded le by the Han. Member should not be ex.
pined to any difficulties; there was no other
; there was no disposition to treat her with
ianshotess or inattention.—/Hear, hear.)
Mr. flume said, be put the question to the Noble
Lord, because when he saw Ministers loosening
voter to make good quarterly payments on the
Civil Lirt, it was not unfair now, when the annuity
of the Queen had expired, to consider in what
manna the allowance to her Majesty would be
made good.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that if the Honourable
Gentleman had waited until the vote rhouhl be
proposed in the Committee, he might see that the
psyment of the annuity would be provided out of
the Civil List.
Mr. TtetteLT said, that as a guardian of the
public parse hr would net consent to vote for any
sum of money, until the suspicions which had col-
lected about her Majesty should be removed. He
wished to speak out, and to guard against any im-
Oblation. The question indeed was a painful one ;
it was a subject which it would be well not to dis-
cues. But how did the question come upon them ?
11 might snit she Noble Lord to talk of the de-
licacy of feeling; but when from busts pro-
stowiseed in the pulpit, and in oilier places, it
appeared that something hung over the Queen,
it was his opinion that the discussion of the sub-
ject, whatever might be its nature, should not be
postponed for • single instant—that it ou,;ht to
meet the public eye—that it ought to be brought
!Deward and decided, as they regarded the
Monarchy itself. If in that discussion any thing
+should appear against the conduct of her 'Majesty
—if those ritepictoto should appear not unfounded,
no one before himself would mark his abhorrence
of the impropriety of such conduct. As the mat-
ter stood, he would not vote away the public money.
a Why should lie vote the public money to a per-
eon not recognised as Queen ? Ile would ask
the Noble Lord, whether or no there was any init.
melon) made to her Majesty of the death of the
late King? Whether there was any communication
between Ministers and her on the subject ? If there
was not, then he would 'sty that their conduct was
most extraordinary. In the prayers in that House
the natne of tier Majesty was passed over? Why
was it su pi:ow(' over ? It could not he accidental.
The prayers must have been so altered by orders
from the Council. He would ask the Noble Lord
the question. why the name of her Majesty was so
omitted ? To him and to the country it must be
evident ilea some party was scandalously treated—
either the King was betrayed or the Queen was in-
sulted. This was not a question fur party feeling to
indulge it. He would speak not Bonn honest Mem-
ber of Partioment—lie would therefore repeat, that
either his Majesty was betrayed, or the Queen was
'limited. He would say to Ministers, if you can
Make out a cave, do an. Ile had heard of rumours
most injurious to the Queen: if these rumours were
confirmed, he had no hesitation to say that the was
unworthy to sit on the throne of England. He
could not account for those rumours; but surely
her Majesty had the right which the lowest subject
claimed. He had beard that Commissioners hutl
been sent out from this. country, on the suspicion of
artists' imputations cast upon her conduct, and that
these Commissioners were empowered to collect evi-
dence on her part, and to mike it known. He
would wish to know from the Noble Lord whether
this is so. If the Noble Lord had evidence elocidet-
ing her conduct, was it nut right to an:ske known that
evidence hefore he asked a wrist of tl.e public mo-
ney to a person that possibly he (Lord Castlereagh)
may think unworthy ? If those rumours were r!Ve,
steps should be taken to rescue hit. Mjesty
from a situation could not but be con-
sidered us degrading iii the public estimation.
But, on the other hand, was not her Wijesty
entitled to a public heariug ? was it fair, iu
the absence of evidence, to throw suspicions on
her conduct? Her Majesty's name had been
omitted in the Liturgy recently made out. On
the death of the late Queen. " her Majesty Quern
Charlotte" was left out of the prayers, and the
Liturgy went on to say. " His Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all
the Royal Family." This was done twelve months
since. Why has her name been omitted now ?
Why was he ordered to pray for the same person
then that had been slighted now ? The Noble
Lord opposite might say, that the subject was
amplessaist to his feelings—that observations tone
would only create a ferment in the country that
might be attended with prejudicial consequences.
But who excited that ferment ? Why pray for the
Princess of Wales twelve mouths titter, and refuse
this mat k of decent respect to her Majesty now ?
He was satisfied, that if Ministers could stand otf
the question any longer they would, let the feelings
of his Majesty be what they may. He was sure
they came to it with great reluctance; but it
presses upon them, and they cast no longer
avoid it. For his own part he would pledge
himself, that if Ministers speak out, and if it
should appear that this high personage was un-
worthy to sit on the throne of England, nothing
should deter him from doing his duty towards his
King and the country. But if no case should be
made out, then justice ought to be done towards ber
Majesty, and though from the unhappy dif-
ferences which had so long existed between
their Majesties they might not late together,
still she mast be recognised as Queen—Queen
must come out of the mouths of the Gentlemen op-
posite.—/A lergh.l—lt must be so before one shil-
ling would be granted. The Noble Lord had ab-
stained from giving her Majesty the title of Queen.
It was known in England, and in a peat part of
Europe, that an inquiry had been instituted ; that
a regular examination of witnesses had taken place
on the grounds of aiminalwooduot.; stud,on her .
• ewcceedtu% to the two of Queen, -her 4WD! was

passed over ialthe Litorgyi %ad then it is consider•
ed impertinent to ask on what grounds a stun of
money was to be voted to her. It had been said that
provisiow for the Queen was to be made good out of
the Civil List or the Consolidated Fund. What was
her claim 1f as Queen, why not call her so; or
at lettet why did slat kliiiisters pledge themselves
to bring forward the.subject of her settlement, and
its the mean time recognize her as Queen by the
vote of that He,did not come to the subject
with pleasure ; on the contrary, he might truly say,
that it was as painful • duty as he had ever dis-
charged. He looked for no favour at Court; he
never stroke to the Queen in his life; be treated her
as an individual of high rank, a rank which he
respected, not on her account, but for the honest
and sincere regard which he entertained for the dig.
any of the Monarchy of England.

Mr. iIItotIGHAM said, that if his Right Hon.
Friend who had just sat down had occasion to say
that lie felt himself in a delicate and a painful
situation in the performance of the duty which be
felt it necessary to discharge, the House, he hoped,
would give Inin (Mr. Brougham) credit for feeling
the much more delicate situation in which he stood.
and for the much more painful duty that devolved
on him. He was called on to make some obser-
vations on the present occasion, particularly as he
had the misfortune of differing with his Right
lion. Friend ; he did so with reluctance on this
subject, which hr looked on as one of great im-
portance, of difficulty, and of delicacy. It
was new to him that any such solemnity was
required respecting the Queen Consort as • recog-
ni Anti by Parliament—by the prayers of the Church
or the acts of the Council—or in the speeches of
the Ministers of the Crown—by any person in
office or out of office in that House—on all or by
any of these means he did not see that the rights
of the Queen Consort at all depended. He always
understood that she, as the wedded wife of the
King, is eo ipso Queen Consort. The demise of
the Crown, which makes one the Kiug. makes
the other the Queen. She must be Queen by
the same title that he is King. and she is not the
less Queen because no Liturgy prays for her, be-
cause no Order in Council mentions her, and
tin Address consoles her. Her title as Queen is not
affected by these omissions; these forms were not
essential, and if supplied would not better her
title. How then could lie listen to the mon-
strous proposal, that an immaterial omission—
s trifle, light us air, should prevent him from
voting, if culled on, or should raise a doubt of the
undisputed dignity of so high • personage as the
Querti of Great Britain ? The lawful Consort of
the King must be considered and treated as the
Queen of those realms. With respect to the vote,
lie saw no necessity for any vote at all ; if enough
remained of the Civil List to enable Ministers to
calculate to make good to the Queen her present
comity. it was unnecessary to propose a vote about
the Queen. The Parliament voted the public mo.
ney for the public purposes, out of which the Crown
bight resider the payment of her annuity to the
Queen. The Crown asks money for general pur-
poses, part of winch they may appropriate to the
special purpose of satisfying the payment of the
35,0001. This he considered v strictly technical
slew; then why embarrass the subject with other
considerations ? and that led hiss) to an observation
which every uric in the House must anticipate who
honoured him with their attention. He knew of no
cloud, of no suspicion which hung over the Queen.
He refused his ear to listen to any rumour. As
long its that high and illustrious person was the
King's Consort, he knew her by no other title
than that of the Quern Consort. What in-
quiries had taken place lie knew nothing of, lie
would hear nothing of; he would not listen to
them ; lie ',wild keep his mind free ; but if any
charges *Oust her Majesty should be ever brought
forward, that charge he would meet and decide on
es.must become an honest Member of Parliament.
He had a duty, a high and a delicate duty to per.
form, not merely to the illustrious persons them-
selves, fur God knows they were not the only par-
ties coin eroed, but also to his country--reserving
until that most painfol !moment should arrive, if it
ever slionld arrive, all expres•ion of his opinions, he
would be then really to see justice dope to the Queen;
until that moment, big with events of intim:t-
auter, of such importance, that they who alone are
intimately acquainted with the extraordinary cir-
cumstances of the case can judge of—big with im-
portance to the parties themselves, to the subject, and
to the constitution of this realm—till that import-
ant moment should come his lips should be sealed,
stud he thought that in justice to the illustrious per-
sons concerned little should be said on the subject
on one side or the other; it would be but prejudging
the question. But he might say of her Majesty,
that to all that had hitherto passed, both outside
the House soil within its walls, she hid not 'hewn
a slowness to meet any accusation, nor a difficulty
in the tosintettance of her case. Assuming then,
from her alacrity to meet accusations hereto-
fore, it was but fair to give her credit fur the pro-
bability that she would 'hew an equal alacrity
to meet future charges, and an equal force and fa-
cility in making her defence. The House would
allow him to say, that the more temperance and
calmness that should be brought to the discussion
of a subject so leg with public interest—so full of
incalculable importance to the Constitution of the
retrial—so bound up with the character of all the
branches of the Royal Family, the better. On
such a question it would be the duty .of every meta
to abatoion the feelings of party—to deprecate every
appeal to turbulent passions out of doors. At the pre-
sent 'mimeo the unwarrantable discussion of the
question would only have one effect—the total defeat
of the tints of justice, and the degradation of drag-
lug the subject through the mire of every hustings
in the kingdom. For himself, he stood in • situa-
tion of peculiar delicacy. He had two duties to
perform—the one a protessionel duty, the other of
a public nature as a Member of Parliament. He
' trusted that on this question the same spirit of jus-
tice, of inederation, amid impartiality which he vow-
ed to God filled his own breast, filled also the
breasts of every man in that House and out of it,
and would continue to influence their conduct as
long and as often as the question should be brought
before the public.—(Load cheers from all sides of
the Hoyle./
Lord.C.urri.eatteau said. that after the speech
of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, it was not we*
1.

emery for him to say much; of the delicacy of the
situation in which that Hon. and Learned Gentle..
man stood, he Mt that the House agreed ; and he
too flood in • situation of delicacy. and' if he fol.
lowed the same coarse he could not do wrong. The
speech of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman must
have carried conviction to the feelings of the House;
they most see the propriety of the mode which
no doubt they would pursue, instead of torturing
the .question by insinustions. He (Lord Castle-
reagh) would not rise at all after the Hm►ourahle
Gentleman, but to state that in what fell from him
before that night, he merely alluded to the steps
which might be token to secure a provision for the
Illustrious Personage, and the steps now taken were
to guard against the inconvenience in the payment
of her provision. He had merely adverted to the
general provisions for her and the whole of the Royal
Family when the subject could be suitably submit-
ted to the considerm son M Parliament.

After Lord CASTLEREAGH Sit down the House
went into • Committee of Supply.
Th• CH•NCELLOII of the ExcurQuEn mo►ed
the first Watslotion, that 600,000/. be granted for
the supply of the army in England, and 5150,000/.
for that of Ireland.

After proposing these Resolution., the Cu ANCItI.
LOA of the EICHRQUER said. the House was aware
that on the Civil List there were a great variety of
pensions which were paid in quarterly payments—
some of these depended on the life of his Majesty_
such was the annuity of the Illustrious Lady so often
adverted to that night. It was his intention to pro-
pose a vote for a sum of money to meet those ordi-
nary payment., just as if the demise of his Majesty
had not taken place. The next quarterly day after
the April payment would be the sth of July. before
which Parliament would be assembled. He then
proposed a ft-solution, that a sum of 400.0001. be
grouted to satisfy such !tensions, annuities, &c. as
are charged on the Consolidated Fund and on the
Civil List, and which would have been paid in case
his Majesty's demise did not take place until the
sth of April, 1820.

Mr. TILIN EY said, that, not retracting a single
syllable, he wished to say, that, if he truly under.
stood the resolution, it was a vote to make good the
charges on the Civil List; now out of the Civil
List there was no sum of money recognized as for
the maintenance of the Queen. The Act of last
year, on the death of her late Majesty. made this
alteration ; and out of the Civil List there was not
now one farthing for the maintenance of the Queen.
The charge on the Consolidated Fund was an an.
nuity granted to her present Majesty as Princess of
Wales. That annuity has ceased, and the Queen
has not now one shilling, but is entirely dependant
on the bounty of Ministers.
The next vote was a sum of 50,0001. for account
of such civil contingencies as were not connected
with the Civil List.

The next vote was for a sum of 400,000/. on ac-
count of Irish Treasury Bilk.
The several Resolutions were agreed to, and the
Report ordered to be received to-morrow.

On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
CHEQUER, the House resolved itself into a Commit-
tee of Ways and Means.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved
for a sum of seven millions of the Unapplied Aids
of the year 1819, on sccowtt of the Ways and
Means of the present year.
The motion was agreed to, and the Report was
ordered to be received to-morrow.
IRISH ELECTION BILL.
_ .

On the motion of Sir HENRY PARNELL, the
iribh Election Bill was ordered to be read a second
time this day fortnight.