The Sun.
London, England, 1811-02-26 00:00:00

The condea of the Noble Lord in exercising con.:
trout at the moment of his Majesty's incapacity
could not he justified. It loved their Sovereign,
they insist admit_ that he bad not been fairly treated..
If they lovort the Kingly Authority, they must can
dome the Noble Lord's condua ; but, above all,
they must eondertio him, tor endeavouring to bring
the Kingly Authority into disrepute. But what was
the opinion of the Noble Lord on the riubjea of
menial incapacity, when sitting -in the Coort Of
Chaucery ? .shess, what. his opinion was, he
wool(' reter to rt case which came under the 'cogni-
zance ot the 'NON& Lord in LEier2, just at the period
. which terminated the second illness of his Majesty
the case was that of Ridgeway" v, Darwin ; on which
eccasion in giving judgment he went beyond fnrMei
Chancellors, for he cart led the power of the Court
to a much higher pitch than in sty Lord Hardwicke's
tune. in stating his opinion on the merits of that
case, he says...." The Coua will look with a jealous
eye upon the interests of this Lady, and take care
that its proteetion shall he thrown round her, so hat
unless her mind is in that state to do ads 'which are
not illegal, her person and property shall be secere,"
Did the Noble Lord follow, this opinion with respeti.
to his Majesty.? ad he apply to Parliament to pros
vide that security for the public property No!,
Redid not.: He exercised that very restraint, and
allowed his Majesty in a state of menial incapacity,
to give the property of the Crown away. This, then,
was the concoct of the Noble Lord in 18041. and at
that period, as well as 'in 11301, certain he was, that
his Majesty was in a worse state Of mental'affliciion
than at present. Was it then a light matter, he •
would asks in the language of the Right Hon. Gent.
that the King should not have " fair play ?." What
did the Ministers do at that period ot his. Majesty's
recovery ? Whys they brotight, him up to town,
carve' him through the [while, streets in the morn-
ing, front east to ,vest, to convince the people that
be was in petted health, in the evening he was
placed under restraint, jWas this a fair mode of act-
ing i Was it right with respect to the public, or was
it just towards the bovereigri I Who was the prime
agent in the business? Why, my Lord Eldon ; the
171.1 who in his official capacity. of Lord High
Chan, ellor,of Griat Britaio; declared on every occa-
sion, „where caSetoof lunacy occurred, that he would
hot be Oaten; with evidence as to the tad, but
would exanaint the party himself, and discover whe-
ther or' trio (though it might be alleged the person
was sane) any speck of disease lingered in the mind.
The Noble Lord professed to be enabled to discover
such a thing in five minutes ; because, though the
person Under ,examiout ion might so cotoport
self as to give wto. the casual observer satisfactory
proof of sanity by the rationality ot his'artswera,
yet he well knew !hist by touching on a particular
chord, all ,the feelings of the unfortunate person
were roused, and that Alitining usuci. ;to elude detec-
tion was of ::its garret. There was another caseof a
lunatic, one Holland, a baokrupt, who, applied to
supersede the, commisSion taken out against.. him.;
this person appeared so competent to.transoet his
own bush:mil, anti conduil,led himself in so rational
a manner :Court, that soiree tiny onerdoubted of
his capacity of mind ; but my Lord Eldon judged it
expedient to examine him in private, and r" in five
minuteri,"',says .the Noble Lord, " from touching
that particular chord which I considered it my duty
to do, sittitigon this Court, I scion found the speck in
his mind which convinced me that the very worst
thing the Court could do was to supersede the
orninistnon." The Noble Lord, therefere, lie must
'fiketti was honed by that duty which he owed to
his. Sovereign and the country, to search out for
that speck in Majesty's mind. ~ If 'ins knew that
certain subjeets were not touched on in the inter-
views with his. Majesty because they might atre4.-t
him—if he knew that One, kepi ot the private scru-
teire were,withiteld from hiat—it hew knew that Mr.
Addingtoo could not tender iris resignation oLotfice
because the Sovereign, was not in a suite of mind to
receive its then he was eulpable. These were glar-
ing duty ; these, it he was pot
grossly atishiltomed, ne shOtild be able to prove if
the House would grant his motion. These were
charges which he had to Make against those Mini-
sters whom he had before named.--They had slim
their eyes to the real state of his. Majesty's health,
and violated their duty to the country. He asked,
therefore of tlits House to put him in a condition to
prove, his allegations ; 'which if tie did ,prove, the
Accessary coosequeoces, would follow—that Lord
ldon is not a proper .person to be of the Queen's
Couocil. The Holiourable Gentleman,
,after mak-
ing a tew more otoervatienst cinicluded with mov-
ing
o That a Committee he appointeil to inspect the journals
of tin: House tit Lords, with rotation to any proceedings of.,
• the preSent Session, utuelidig the cvnitionition of the rhy.
sicianiv on, 10.: iviAirlity, during his indisposition
ftt 18,,,4, and tit report tacit spiinen on the 32111 C to the
flousc."
On the question being seconded and put,
LO rd CASTLIf,HEiiati rose to offer some observa-
tions to tic House upon the, motion. The Noble
Lord declared,, that he telt he. shoeld not be dig-
ehaigiog that 4iity ,:'tries has. owed both to the pub-
lic and himself, if he did not notice the chargei of
the Hon. Gentleman—ehart3es which on so very
delicate and hoportant a subject could not be allowed
An pass tinnoticed by hum It what ihe Hon. Gen-
'lleum had asserted was Meant ag ripeima facie ease,
lie knew his duty and the House also .knew 'their
dUty better than to pass them by. At tinisatne
time he was ready to admit that tile Hon.
than had not coloured the fitnietnetit inviditcasty ;.he
would go further, and say, that if the peraena in
power at the time to which the Hon. Gentlotnan
hid referred, .could so far forget their allegiance tit
their Sovereign end their ditty to the count ry,,,ia
abuse the confidence reposed in them, for the pur-
pose; of
turning it to their edvarftage or to the injury
of their country, they Were, guilty Ora COnSijUltiotial
crime which could not be deleudedi anti which
Most hold them up to the wverest account. With
this declaration, he should riot abstaitofrom desiring
!o conic its for his sluirf• of the responsibility us far as
Ise was Concerned. The Hots. Gentleman had,
however, Charged Lord Eldon as being the moat
PrOilliriCrit in the offic, the most criminal; but he
ILord Castlereagh) could not permit neither the
iiodoor4ble'Gentletniin nor the House to suppose,
te did nor ',Wish to stand in the same situation
the Noble Lend, • partaking, as he bad