Star.
London, England, 1812-05-22 00:00:00

pensive, and the most disinterested, at least as far as
Spain and Portugal were concerned, of any in which
the country had ever been engaged. How could it
be said to be neglected, when this country was actu-
ally expending at t'e rate of twenty millions a year
in the great cause of the Peninsulas In this sum
were of course included the supplies and subsidies
afforded to our Allies, as well as the pay and main..
tenance of our own armies. Under these circum-
stances, to say that there was any abandonment of
the cause of the Peninsula, was an imputation on the
Government which could not be justiqed to the
country. The Noble Lord concluded with depre-
cating the stamping of a stigma on an Administra-
tion, the whole of which was not yet before the
House ; and contended that nothing was more im-
politic than to throw discredit on a Government,
when there was little prospect of substituting a better
in its room.

Mr. CANNING explained. The Noble Lord had
put to him the question, why he had dwelt so much
on the point on which he differed from Ministers, and
not on those on which he agreed with them ? The
simple and obvious reason was, because he felt him-
self called upon to answer to the one point, and not
at all to the other.

Mr. S. WORTLEY replied. Since he had a seat
in that House, he did not recollect to have heard a
speech containing so many unconstitutional assertions
as the speech of the Member for Yorkshire. He con-
ceived that it was quite practicable, with very little'
sacrifice of public opinions, so form an efficient Admi-
nistration. He by no means concurred with the
.Noble Lord, when he said, that every thing which
could be done, had been done for so desirable a pur-
p se.—The House then divided—For Mr. Wertley's
motion 174—Against it 170—Majority against Mi-
nisters 4.

While strangers were excluded from the Gallery
Mr. STUART WORTLEY moved that the Ad-
dress should be carried up to the Prince Regent by
such Members of the House as were of his Majesty's
Privy Council.

• This mot inn was opposed by Lord CASTI.IRL►ARH
and Mr. Yonxe, both of whom complained, that
many of those Gentlemen, whi) were in the habit of
supporting Administration, had not been present at
the last division.,—The House then divided on Mr.
Wortley's motion—For it I74—Against it 176
Majority fot Ministers 2.

[While this division was going on, Mr. Poxsojsy
harangued the Opposition in the lnleby. From the
spirit manifested by Ministers in resisting this motion,
he thought they might attempt to rescind the Reso-
lution altogether to-min-row ; and it was therefore
necessary that Members should attend as fully as
po)sible.]
On being re-admitted to the Gallery, we found
Mr. S. WORTLEY on his legs, expressing in a
very animated manner his utter surprise that a mo-
L tion of such high importance as he conceived the pre-
; sent to be, (carried by a majority of the House, in
which there were present 350 Members) should from
any oilcumsdince of management or finesse remain alf
a dead letter—( Loud cries from the opposition, Hear,4
hear.) He hoped, however, the House would not
stiffer themselves to be left in such a predicament,
but would take such measures as should be fully ade-
quate to carry the Resolution they had passed into
complete effect—(Hear, hear.)
Admiral HARVEY said he had been in the ma-
jority on both tfiese motions; and he wished to ex-
plain the reason how
The SPEAKER reminded the Hon. Member that
there was no question before the House.
Mr. WHITBREAD said, he would put the mat--
ter into the shape of a motion. They had been that
night debating on the commencement of an Adminis-
tration that was not yet 'formed. A motion of the
highest importance had been brought before the
House, and carried against Ministers by a• majority
of four. Atter this, an. Honourable Friend of ha('
under the Gallery had moved that the Address to the
Prince Regent, which had just been voted, should be
tarried up by the whole House,'which had afterwards
been withdrawn, and a motion made that the Ad-
dress be presented by such Members as are of his
Majesty's Privy Council. This was opposed by a
• Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, lately at the head
of thE Admiralty, who complained that the very
small majority which had been obtained, was owing
to eight Memuers being shut out on the division who
Would have votedagainst it. Here, then,, were eight
.Members who had neglected. their duty—(N., asp
from the Mini:serial Bench.) I say (repeated Mr. Whit.
bread) Members who had neglected their duty
for where can the duty of a Member of Parliament
be more imperiously called for, than by his attn.
-dance in this House on a question of such mag.
nitude and importance as the present ?—(Loutl cheer.
Sag from the Orpositiaa Betakes.) He should be glad
to know how_ far they were to go—was it expected
they should go or send round to all those Members
who did not choose to stay in the House, but retired
to take their tea or other refreshments in the adjoin-
ing coffee-houses, to ask them which way they would
be pleased to give their votes I—or would any of the
Constitutional Members of the House of Commons
be pleased to inform the House, what, in such cases,
ought to be done ? Would those Gentlemen who
had the Constitution for ever in their mouths, now
stand forward and say, that a Resolution, carried by
a majority of the House, in which there were present
350 Members, shouldremain a dead letter? WoUld
these Honourable Gentlemen, who had such a high
regard for the Constitution, wish so deeply to degrade
the House of -Commons, which formed so essential
a part .of it, in the opinion of the people ? The
Right'-Honourable Gentleman, and the Noble Lord
near him, complained of the small number of the
majority, which was four. He (Mr. Whitbread) re-
membered a question in which he voted in that House,
when the numbers were equally divided, and the Right
Hon. Gentleman in the Chair, by his single vote, gave
the majority; and on that occasion the Address was
carried up by the whole House. He was sorry the mo-
tion to that purport had not, in the present case been
persisted; if it had,the Noble Lord and the Right Hon.
Gentleman would not have been able to vote against
a question they would otherwise have been glad to
adopt. There was, however, evidently a piece of
trickery and finesse in the proceeding.
The SPEAKER said, he knew but of two modes
by which the House had ordinarily proceeded—the
one was, that the Address be presented by such Mem-
bers as are of the Privy Council, the other by the
•