Star.
London, England, 1807-04-10 00:00:00

Cabinet iltOrdd nut be TurnMoned as well as the eOll-
- Members. It was clear that the mode of en-
lightening the confcience of the Sovereign was to al-
low him to partake of the advicewhich could be given
on the fubjeet by thole Members of the Cabinet who
law the, fubjed in a different point of view front what
thole did who propofed it. It then certainly appeared
that the idea of the Noble Lord who had propofed it
was mifunderftood by feveral of his own colleagues.
It was rrifunderfiood alfo by Mr. Elliott, the Ira
Secretary, as well as by the Catholics. Under thefe
circumfiances, it could not but be tuppofed that his
Majelty alfo mifundertlood it. The fecond period
was after the withdrawing the Bill. Abort 3d of
March, difpatches were received from Ireland, which
Rated as the opinion of the Lord Lieutenant. and of
the .Chancellor of Ireland, that the concefliqns in
that Bill would neither fatisfy nor conciliate the
Catholics in general, nor prevent them from bring-
ing forward their petition, claiming oenetally an
equality in all things with the other chafes of his
Majelty's fubjed ,s. He therefore law from this what ,
little effect thofe conceffions would have in the way
of conciliation, and that additional claims would grow
out of any relaxation of the laws .with refped to
Catholics. He did not intend by any means to charge
the Noble Lord (Howick) or his colleagues with
intentionally deceiving the King ; but he did mean to ;
charge them with great negligence, in not informing I
themfelves of the extent of his Majesty's temples, and j
great want of perfpicuity in explaining their own
meaning. When they did underhand the full objec-
tions of his Majefty, then they refilved to abandon t
the Bill altogether, which was an ad that he could
not but altogether difapprove of. It teemed Itrange
that thofe who were to ttrid and excel about other
conftitutional points,' fhould confider it a Sacrifice of
private feelings to public duty, to abandon a meafure
which they had propofed as one of the molt indif-
penfable neceflity. And yet this was the light in which
they reprefented it in the minute which they fent to
the King,and in which they claimed the right of renew-
ing the fubjed from time totime, whenever they fhould
think proper. The late Minifters, therefore, placed
themfelves in a molt unconflitutional point of view,
and they placed the Crown in a molt extraordinay
and degraded fituation. What would have been
the fituation of the Crown, if, after having been
deceived once, his Majetly was always to remain in
fear of being furprized into giving his content to mea-
fures of which he could not approve ? The late Mini-
tiers knew that it was not a mere 'foie opinion which
his Majefty had lightly adopted, but that it was the
unalterable and fixed principle of his mind. What
advantage could theythen exped, in bringing forward
meafures in Pal liament, which they were Pure would
never gain the Royal approbation ? This could an-
fwer no purpofe but to give pain to his mind, and
caufe the appearance of a quarrel between hint and
his Parliament. Under thole circumftances, what
was the pledge demanded of them, or what 'dan-
ger could refult from it ? They were only alked not
to perfevere in bringing forward meafures which
never would receive the Royal approbation. If they
did not chhofe to give this affurance, and if his Ma-
jelly had the undoubted prerogative of changing his
Minifters, he elf° mull be allowed to be the only
judge upon what points he thinks proper to difrnifs
an Adminiftration. The pledge however was not
in the &ft inflance required by his Majefty ; but
his Minifters ha required of him to give implied
pledges aod ftipulations that he would allow them
from time to time to renew queftions, diftrefling to
his private feelings and to his confcience. It was
when this pledge and Pipulation were demanded of I
him, that he found he could not accept of it, and
demanded that they fhould withdraw the latter part
of their minute, and give an affurance in writing,
that they would not again bring forward this queftion.
As to this pledge, it wat not to affe& them as Mem-
bers of Parliament, but merely as his fervants. He
told them that this was a fubjed upon which his mind
could never change; and in addition to the reply he
gave to the Cabinet minute, he Aced, in a note
to Lord Grenville, that they fhould give him an
afforance in writing, that they would not again bring
on this bufinefs. if they would nut give the affurance
required, they might and ought to have withdrawn
from his fervice. There certainly never was, nor
could be, any pledge or Ripulation for the perpetuity
of their Adminifiration. After they had conceded
fo far to the feelings of their Sovereign, as to aban-
don a meafure which they thought abfolutely need.-
fary, he did not fee why they might not have conce-
ded a little farther, and either given that affurance,
or.elfe withdrawn from his fervice. For his part, he
did conceive, that the meditated conceffions would
be ruinous to the eflablifhment of the Proteßant
Religion in Ireland ; and he was not afhamed to fay,
that he was fo attached to the principles of the
darker ape, of the Reformation, and the Revolu-
tion, that he did conceive that the Protellant Re.
ligion of this country was the great caufe of all
its profperity. He thought the meafure was
brought forsgard by the Noble Lord on moll
impolitic grounds, when he Rated that it was be.
caufe ferrous dillurbances exified in Ireland:—
What was this but to tell the people there, that
difturbances were the means by' which alone they
were to gain conceOlons ? And, becaufe there
were difturbances amongft the lowell order of Ca-
tholics, therefore the remedy that was propofed was
to do fomething to fatisfy the higher orders, whole
loyalty had hitherto been In much boated of. He
would nor, however, give much for that fpecies of
loyalty that would not exert itfelf for the fupprellfion
of fuch difturbances without a boon. 'l'o the lower
order of Catholics every thing had been already
granted, and therefore he did not underfland the
mode of conciliation that was propofed, and raw no
probability of its producing the area. His opinion on
the contrary was, that the time to give favours was
not either during dilturbances, or immediately after.
-them, but he fhould rather wait until a long period
of tranquillity had elapkd, and their loyalty had been
better proved. Some Gentlemen Rated, that now the
Catholics were to be delivered up to intolerant per-
fecution : he believed, however, that there was no
one who knew him that believed him to be- poffefred
of a very perfenting fpirit, and he hoped that in his
heart he felt thofe charities which religion &dates.
Before be fat down, he Should fag aword or two as
to the implied pledge which it was fowled the pre.
fent Minillers had given. He uttetk denied that
there was any fuck pledge given, andrft by no means
followed, that bccaufe his ilajefly chafe to curtife

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