The Sun.
London, England, 1807-02-05 00:00:00

were present when this matter was spoken of on
a firmer occasion, and that he should inform those
who were absent on that occasion, of the causes
of this extraordinary length of notice. He had con-
sidered the production of the Paper as so much a
matter of coure, that he had at first given but a very
short notice Of the Motion for it ; but on his coming
down to the Hone to make that Motion, the Noble
Lord opposite (lsinwick) had very candidly commu-
nicated to him his intention to oppose it. He could
conceive no possible ground for opposition, except
it might he that the publicity already given to the
Paper in the. Gazette was sufficient to render every
one fully acquainted with its contents; but he was
prepared to answer that by representing the proprie-
ty of having on the table of the House every Paper
which it was proposed to make the subject of a par•
• liatuentary proceeding. He learned, however, that
this was not the ground on which the Noble Lord
meant to withhold the Paper. The Noble Lord in
faet acknowledged that any parliamentary proceed-
ing would be most regularly instituted after the Pa-
per should have been laid on the table. But the
Noble Lord could not conceive that any measure
could be, founded by him upon the- Paper which
the Noble Lord should not hold it his duty to op-
pose. The Noble Lord, therefore, would not cows-
tenaece any such possible Motion, even so far
as to allow the Paper to be placed in a situation in
which it could be founded upon it. Under these
circumstances he was unwilling to bring the Houie
prematurely to a discussion involving so many ex-
traordinary considerations, and charged with doc-
trineS and principles so entirely new. The abilities
of the Noble Lord dpposite, the eloquence with
Which he always enforced his sentiments, and the in-
fluence which justly and naturally belonged to the sta-
tion, rendered it unwise to oppose him without having
first made the preparation which was essential to the
discussion which 'was to result from agitating so im-
portant a question under such extraordinary circum-
stances. But it would be obvious to every one who
was acquainted with the principles of Parliament-
ary proceeding, and more strikingly so to those who
were acquainted with the principles maintained by
the Noble Lord and his friends while they sat on
the side of the House from whiclibe now addressed
• the chair, what a novel and extraordinary, what an
unparliamentary, and unconstitutional doctrine it
was, that no motion. for Papers should be offered
. to the House unless, it should, at the seine time, be
Shewn, that no proceeding was to be founded on
those. Papers but such as Governnent 'would coun-
tenance. He lipped the' House would not counte-
nance a precedent as 'different from its former prac-
tice as the Noble Lord's doarine was from the tenets
he and his friends. had formerly maintained. He
had hoped that the Noble Lord, when he should
have time to retie& upon these matters, would have
produced the Papers without waiting to have them
moved for : this proceeding was the more naturally
M be expeCted, 'as the Paper related to a measure of
Government which was already, complete/ acted
upon, and made public ; and as the Noble Lord ac-
kmowledged that the discussion, the propriety of
which. he did nor attempt to deny, would most pro-
-perly take place alter the produ6tion of the Paper—
*was it to be endured that the only persons who
Wert not to be allowed to see the Paper, were those
who were called upon-particularly to discuss them ?
The Representatives of the People, who were to ap-
prove or to disapprove what was done in the in-
terests of their constituents, were refused the means
by, which to dired their judgment This was a pro •
ceeding altogether as perfeCtly unprecedented as it
was obviously unprincipled, and if the House would
countenance it, it would abandon its best controul
over the' Government, its best means of protecting
Itsown rights and the interests of its constituents.-
-It was not objeded that the document required was
'of that voluminous nature to take much time for its
preparation, or to give much trouble in the offices :
it was not objected that idle, curiosity was the mo-
tive for calling for the Paper without the intention of
founding any proceeding upon -it : it was not ob-
jeCted that any mischief would
„arise to the State
from the publication of the Paper, for it was as pub-
lic as it could be already. The subject was ticknows
ledged to be of a magnitude to require the attention
of Parliament, and the produdion of the Paper was
resisted merely upon the ground that no motion was
to be founded on it to which Government was dis-
posed to. give its approbation. He was not aware
that his intended Motion was of such a nature that
the House could not entertain 'it, and he was at a
loss to conceive by what arguments the. 'Noble Lord
could prove the measures taken by his Majesty's
Government to be so perfe6tly satistadory that the
House could find nothing in them. to disapprove.--
It may be so, thowever, but was no inquiry to pre-
cede the the resolution of approbation, and was the
whole question to be decided upon the authority of
his Majesty's Ministers, and upon their opinion in
their own favour ? The argument for refusing the
Paper was a complete , circle. The Paper was not
to be produced, because sufficient grounds were not
laid for a discussion upon it : and no discussion
could take place till the Piper was produced. The
want of grounds for discussion were to preclude the
House from having the Paper; and the want of the
Paper was to preclude discussion.. Was it not possible
that some improvements may, be suggested by Parlia-
ment upon the measures adopted by Ministers. But
even if no poSsible improvement could be made,it was
desirable that the Paper should be produced. It was
desirable for the credit of Ministers; it was desirable
for the credit of the measure itself. If it was a wise
measure, and of a nature to bear sifting ; if it was
prudently calculated to attain its objet}, and that ob-
jed was great and politic ; let that be seen, and the
country and the world would be better satisfied with
the measure. But if the measure bore another charac-

ter, that indeed was • a ground for throwing impedi-
ments in the way of discussion. If there was a con-

sciousness of deficiency on the file,: of the provisions
contained in the measure, and if that deficiency had
been followed by imperfed execution, that was cer-

_ .
tainly a very iutell:gible cause for having investiga-
tion. The ostensible grounds on which the pro-
duetion of the Paper was to be resisted were ob-
-viously not the real grounds of the opposition. If
the resistance of the Noble Lord arose merely
from the fear of giving some -Countenance to the
Motion that it was proposed,- to tbund on
the Paper, that would be easily 'avoided, by say-
ing that he consented to its being- laid on
.the
table, because it was public, but at the same
this to' disclaim all countenance of any raotioa