Star.
London, England, 1805-07-10 00:00:00

NOUSE or COMMONS.

Mr. MACDONALD (fon of the I.A.rd Chict Baru,
oths and his feat for Kirkwall. Dingwin,
11r. HUSKISSON prefented certain Accounts fro,. ,he
of :siltoms and Excite, which were ordered to be mitt

)n the motion of Mr. WHITBREAD, the Atticlts
of 'mpeachmcnt againit Lord Melville mere read, ar.d
orered to be fent up to the Lords ; and rn the mo.
tion of Lotd Tastat.a, Mr. Whitbread was direft:d
to tarry up thi fame.

WINITIBRIAD accordingly, attended by feveval
°f-de Members, went up to the Lords, and on
retain appeared at the Bar, and informed the Herif,
that ►e had been at the Lords, and had delivered at
their Bar, conformably to the orders of the Houle,
the .A.-ticles of impeachment againß Lord Vifeour,t
Mr. WHITBREAD then role to more that le. re
be given to bring in a Bill to continue the proctedi;..c
in the Houfe of Commons, againa Lord Vifeow ,
Melville, and to empower the Committee to Cox..
nue their fittings, notwithilanding any prorogation
of Parliament. He was induced to bring forward
this motion, from a confideration of the late period
of the Seßion at which the Impeachment had betn
voted, and of the many important articles °fermi.
-nation that Rill remained to be gone throurh. I
was of the higlieli importance to embrace the ear-
hell opportunity of examining the neceffary witnefres,
and from a consideration of all circumllanees the
Committee ought to have it in their power to avail
themfelves of the evidence of Mr. Trotter, with as
little delay as pollible.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE(WER
was averfe to this Motion, as it militated against one
of the moil marked principles of the Conaitution.
According to that principle of the Conflitntion it
should be in the power of the Crown to put a pe.
riosl to the proceedings of the Houfe at pleafure.—
This Motion had an obvious tendency to interfere
with that prerogative. He fhuuld be very unwilling,
however, to throw any obaruftion in the way of the
proceedings of the Houfe on the fubjefl in quAlion,
did not the principle appear to him of fuck abfolute
importance. To obviate this difficulty, he thought
they might occupy a certain number of days at the
commencement of next Seffion of Parliament, for
the purpcsie of forwarding the neceffary arrange-
ments. The queftion, he conceived to be, whether
they thould delay thole proceedings for a very few
months, or break through one of the moll important
principles of the conftitution?

Lord TEMPLE pointed out in very appropriate
terms the advantage of getting the necellary evi-
dence as early 'as poffible.
Mr. WILLIAMS WYNNE expreffed the fame
opinion—looked forward to the inconveniency they
would be expofed to in the event of the death of Mr.
Trotter, and was of opinion, that from his examin-
ation fuurces of evidence might be difcovered that
might prove of the higheft importance, and of which,
by any delay, they might be wholly deprived. He
infifted therefore on the propriety of a Parliamentary
Commiffion to examine evidence. This was no new
propofition ; there were many inftances on their
Journals of fuch a proceeding.
After Tome farther obfervations from Mr. Whit-
bread and Lord Henry Petty,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,
alluding to the cafe of Mr. Hafting% and producing
it as a precedent, propoled, in lieu of the motion Of
the Hon. Gentleman, 't That the proceedings againft
Lord Melville (hall not be difcontinued by any pro-
rogation or diffolution of Parliament." This Rein.
lution would equally ferre the purpofe pit-pored by
the Hon. Gentleman, and not being in pofitive terms.
did not wear that face of hoflility to the conftittnional
principle he had already alluded to, and which he
was anxious to p-eferve inviolate.
Mr. WHITBREAD having withdraws his mo-
tion, the propofition of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer was accordingly agreed to, and permiffion
granted to bring in a Bill conformably to the fame.