The Sun.
London, England, 1820-07-06 00:00:00

adopted, but when yo tr Lordships hare already
adopted the course of hsaring Counsel in a stage
of the proceeding where the motives for it were
by no means so strong as in the present instance,
I do slot see upon what grounds, in the absence of
all precedent, you can consistently refuse to com-
ply with the prayer of t lie petition,
Lord Repasnat.e-•44'',iLords, the argunient
that has been klduced by.. Noble. Lords, on the
other side is, that ,because yotP•l;a`ve iinfCe!irone.
wrong, that therefore you ought to do wrong
again. There appears to me no ground whatever
upon which, consistently with your forms and
usages, yon can agree to hear Counsel on behalf
of her Majesty, as prayed by this petition, there
being in fact ;to proceeding now before the House
respecting which the prayer of such a petition can
be complied with.-
' Lord flow.ND—My Lords, the Noble and
Learned Lot d argues, that we are not to do wrong
now because we did Wrong before, but 1 want to
know in what way the forms and usages of the
House can be applied in the strict and technical
way contended for by Noble Lords on the other
vide to this case, which is altogether imprecedent-.
e(l, and entirely anomalous. Sinew me any simi-
lar case of a criminal charge against any-indivi-
dual being laid upon the Table of this House, and.
then I will spew what orders and rules of this
House apply to such a proceeding. The thing is
altogether upprecedented, and it is therefore in
vain to talk of applying to the proceeding
.roles
and usages of-the House, which can have': no ap-
plication. As to tire argument, that the Queen
cannot be supposed to have any know page
of what is passing in this House, if such
an argument is carried to its strict extent,
it must go to present all petitions agaiast
any 13111 before the House ; but such an ar-
gument is so contrary to common sense, and
to' what is continu:slly evident before us, that it
would be idle to make a discussion about it. The
Noble Lord (Elletiborougli) says he would do
equal and impartial justice, the same to the Queen
as to the lowest individual ; but can he adduce an
instance of a Secret Committee having Papers re-
ferred to them respecting the conduct of ally hum-
ble individual, and laying a direct and positive
charge against that individual upon the Table of
this House I Where, then, is the analogy, and
how can the case of the Queen be disposed of by
such an argument ? The Noble and Learned Lord
on the Woolsack, with regard to the charge of
our prejudging the case through the medium of
that Report, says, that Jurymen are its the habit
of divesting their minds of what they have heard,
when a prisoner is to be tried who has tnrevionsly
confessed his guilt. But will the Noble and
Learned Lord assert, that the same Jurymen try
the inisoner who heard his confession of guilt ?
And is it not a val d objection to a Juryman that
he had already investigated the case of the pri-
soner whose trial is called on ? i cannot,therefore,
see, tinder all the eircumstauces of this extrdor7
(Homy ease, what objection tbere into the hear-
ing Counsel on behalf of her Majesty, as prayed
by this Petition.

The Margness of BUCKINGHAM concurred with
his Noble Friend, that the House had placed itself
in a situation of some difficulty, by agreeing, in
the former instance, to hear Counsel at the Bar.
But there was this difference between the present
case, and that in which the Petition was assented
to ; that then there was a proceeding pending,
whereas now there was none. In the present in-
stance their Lordships had
,appointed a Secret
Committee, they had suspended the sitting of that
Committee, and in the interval her Majesty bad
applid to he heard by Counsel against the pro•
creding. It was possible that their Lordships
might, after the arguments of Counsel, have pre-
vented the meeting of the Secret Committee, and
voted that they should proceed no further. But
what was their situation now The Committee
had made their Report, and the Noble Earl had
given notice of a Bill founded on that Report : in
the interval there was no proceeding. Suppose
then that they were permitted to plead, on what
proceeding could the House divide, after having
heard the arguments ? They would not determine
that the Noble Lord should not bring in his. Bill.
What !hell could they do the moment after Coun-
sel had withdrawn, which they could not have
done without hearing one word of the argument ?
Her Majesty did not ay to he heard against the
proceeding. 'There was none before the House.
When the proceeding was illVitUted, then %%as the
time to make any application connected with her
defence, and God forbid that lie, or any one, •
should object to grant any thing, which might
he necessary to her defence, or, it possible, her
justification.

The Eat! of DARNLEY contended that the Re-
port of the Committee was a proceeding, and one
of the most serious oatore, Oil which her Majesty
had a right to present a Petition. The situation
in which they stood was one io which they had
no analogy to guide them, and they were placed
in that situation by a series of meaSures which ap-
peared to him and his Noble Friends obj:ction-
able in many respects. But how did they stand at
present ? After referring the case of the Queen
to a Secret Committee, a Committee, he would
admit of the most honourable men, of men who
were incapable of bringing in any Report but what
the evidence would seem to justify, her Majesty
had petitioned to be heard by Counsel. He knew
nothing of the facts; he wished much that it was
possible for him to know no more ; but if they
refused the request of the Queen in the present
instance, it would seem as if they had not granted
her all the advantages which her defence required,
and whicb were granted to other petitioners.
He trusted, therefore, that the House would
not be iosinced, by the arguments of the Noble
Marquess, to refuse the application to be heard
by Counsel on the present occasion.
Lord DAcRE said, that her Mrsjesty having
beard, no matter by what means, that distinct
charges were preferred against her, was naturally
anxious, and prepared to defend herself as far as
it was possible to proceed at present, and to state
weighty matters, which in justice to her further
defence required to be stated in this stage of the
proceedings. Ha trusticd that the House would
feel the propriety of acquiescing i❑ such a re-
quest.
. _

'lie question for proceeding to call in Counsel