Star.
London, England, 1802-02-11 00:00:00

PAR LIANEN7,I R - PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, WLDNESDAY, FEB. so.
The Loan CNA Ncei roe came down to the Houle rather
earlier than u;.ial, and Giortly ttfter prayers were read.
• It was expedeci jud3ment would have been given relative to
the important appeal Johnfon v Stotts—however. that
proceeding,after fume routine Fufmefs had been traufaacd, was
deferred by their Lon?.hips till to-morrow.
The hearing of the appeal, Stewart v. Miller, was deferred
tin Monday.

The further hearing of the cafe, Sir WillLnn Anguilla Cue-
nitigham, Bart. t, •Itheri, which was fixed for to-
t:to:row, was pcitponed till Monday.
Th:ir Loratips tten, after waiting tome time, adjourned
dB to-morrow.

HOCSE OF COMMONS.
rtecTiom or A SPEAKER.

At four o'clock, the MASTER of the Rom.: rife
and fa;d, that the event communicated to the
Houk on the preceding day, rendered it nccelfary
they should proceed to the elation of a new
Speaker. It wa: imprflible not to regret 114 lofs
they ha I experienced of the a'aility with whic! the
duties of the Ch:, r had been exercifed by the Right
Han. Gt. ntlem who had jnit quitted it. Polfec-
frog, a; that Right Hon. Gentleman did, know-
ledge fo cnmprchenfivc and fo ufeful, and infor-
znatier' lb extenfive and fp accurate, he had tilled
the Chair v•ith the utmolt ability, dignity, and
impartiality, even difficult as his predcceifor had
made it LO (bins in that litnation. It was fome con-
fattiot, however, if the talents of his Right Hon.
were loft to the Houfc, that they were
about to be exercifed in a fituation for which he
was peculiarly fitted ; how well the duties of that
fituatioa would be exercifed, it was needlefs for
him to fay, for there was nothing in legal Science
winch the comprebenflve mind of his Right Hon.
Friend did not embrace, from the minutell parti-
cular of forenfic difquifition, to themoli enlarged
fyftem of national jurifprudence. That Houfe con-
' tained, within itfelf, an abundance of knowledge
and ability, but it always happened, that a few
Gentlemen from their litaations, or the nature of

_.

their (ludic;, were more peculiarly fitte4 for the •
exercife of thofe duties which were attached to the
Chair. Of thofe few, one might be generally
pointed out as eminently acquainted with Parlia-
mentary knowledge ; it was not, at the fame time,
to be fuppofed, that one was to be diftinguiffied to
the exclufion of all information upon the fubje6i
in others—one only could be chofen ; but the
choice of one did not imply the want of fufficient
informaion and ability in others.-If, then, a
great knowledge of law, and of the conftitution, if
an intimate acquaintance, not only with Parliamen•
Lary hillory, but with thole records on which the
' proceedings of that Houle were founded, if an un-
w_aried attention to bufinefs, if a conflant endea-
,l vonr to direct the attention of the Houle to mea•
fetes of acknowledged public utility, and which
I were calculated fir the benefit of the country, if
uaccating exertions to aflif the Houle in carrying
into etre& thofe meafures, if thofe were col-linea-
tions which fitted for the Chair, then he was con-
vinced the Houfe would agree with him, that the
Gentleman whom he fhould have the honour to
propofe was peculiarly fitted for that fituation—
He meant Mr. Abbot. The Held,: had witneffed
the meafures that Right Hon. Gentleman had
brought for ward, and they mull be convinced that
his condu& had been one continued fcene of ufeful
exertion. If filch had hitherto bLen the conduct
of that Right Hon. Gentleman, furely they might
expea, if they made him the objet of their choice,
a difplay of exertion eminently calculated to con-
tribute to the public interell and the public welfare,
to add to the dignity of the Houk, and enfure
the accuracy of its proceedings, whiltl, at the
fame tint-, thole exertions wool,. be airrulated by
the illuft•ious example of his prealecelThrs. Con-
vinced of his ditlinguiffied ability for the office, he
propofed, that the Right Hon. Charles Abbot do
take the Chair of the Houk.

Mr. BAKER took fingular pleafure in feconding
the motion, though little had been left him to fay
by the Learned Gentleman who made it. He
Inuit beg leave, however, to oblerve, that he him-
fell had witneffed in the Hon. Gentleman propo.
fed to fill the Chair, the moil careful invelligation
of fubjeas the mot} intricate and laborious, and
the frequent exertion of qualities the molt dentin'
to the difcharge of the high duty which 1w was
now propofed to fill, which came molt happily
recommended by the temper, moderation, and
fteadinefs with which he had not only made the
arrangements he had engaged in, but with which
I he met the diCiculties and the ohjeCio;., -.t•Lich he
had to encounter in their prol:cittion. There was
another circumgance which fliould unto lecom
mend him to the choice of the I lottie, refutes the
confideration of his intelieEtual endo.,..menrs Mr.
Abl,ott was at a time of life which r-rinittA the
Houle to look for his continuing long in tin. Lace,
a circumllance which thould not he overlooked, a,.
frequent change, were not only unluitable to the
dignity of the Houle, but aifo obitroetive the
progrels of public bufinels, the cootie of wli:ch
ihould not be liable to interruption.. The only
thing he had to lament was, that the country and
the Houfe were to be deprive.; of the talents and
knowled_e of the Learned Gentleman who had
left the : his re;_,,ret on this was, how-
ever, diminilhed, wnen he had the honour of le-
conding the motion that Inch a gala:man as Mr.
Abbott should be his fuccetfor.

Mr. SIitRIDAN ohii:rved that, on a former ne-
e:dim, when the Learned Gentleman who had
gull refigned the. Chair had been propofed to fill it,
it was his misfortune to differ from a great ma-
jority of the Houle- A s to viint had been faid in
favour of the Learned Gentleman propofed this
day, it had his molt perfat concurrence ; nor did
he think, that on the grounds adduced, a more
proper choice could have been made. He freely
acknowledged the various talents of that Learned
Gentleman, for whom he perfonally entertained
the highell relpea. That Learned Gentleman, be
trusted, however, would forgive him if the reafons
which induced him to oppose the elation of his
predeceffor fhould Rill prompt him to continue his
oppofition from the fame motives which influenced
it at first. He never could be brought to believe
that a knowledge of the law and profeflional men
were chiefly to be looked to in the choke of a
Speaker. It was not a praCtice warranted by an-
cient cuilom, or proper to be purfued as a rule.—
It might not be fir-idly Parliamentary to allude to
one particular defcription of Members as more in-
dependent than another; but Rill what was called
country gentlemen was always confidered as hand-
ing more aloof from influence than other defcrip.
tions of the Houle, efpecially the profeffional gen-
tlemen of the law, who hold places under the
Crown, and are removeable at pleafure. There
was not a fhadow of doubt but that it was his Ma-
jelly's prerogative to appoint his Minifters and the
Executive fervants of the Crown; but it was alto
uncontroverted that the Horde of Commons fhould
be peculiarly jealous in the choice of the perfon
who fhould regulate their proceedings, and keep
that choice as clear as poffible from the nomina-
tion of Minifters. Perfons who thus held places
under the Crown are known to be generally in
the habit of deferring to Minifters, and fuch an
habit muft more or refs vitiate their judgment and
opinion. To refign fuch a place on the eve of an
elation, if the Learned Gentleman had done fo,
was perhaps fomewhat indecorous, and argued
fomethinif like a prefumption on the choice of the
Houle. To fuch a condua he had before objated
on the elation of the late Speaker. At all events
the eleCtion to fuch an high office fhculd be kept
altogether aloof from Minifterial influence : nor
' did he fee that technical minutia and mere prolef-
fronal knowledge were neceflary qualifications for
that (Winn ; a liberal knowledge of the conilitu-
tion, and an acquaintance with the proceedings
of the Houfe, joined to integrity and indepen-
dence, were the great and foie requifites : but an
Hun. Gentleman ( Mr. Baker) appeared to think
that Mr. Abbott's time of life was a hong recom-
mendation. Yes, it might indeed be fuch, if it
was certain he fhould be continued in that office ;
but experience has (hewn that it was not death
alone that removed Gentlemen from this Ration :
that the very profeffion of the law, which is now
deemed fo elfential a quality for thi office i 5 often

the reafon of the frequency of change—fordething
may occur, as has juft recently occurred, which
a lawyer may prefer, even to this diflinguifhed
ftation, or which he may look upon as an employ.
went in which he may be more ferviceable to his
country.• On the age of the perfon no great
ftrefs can therefore be laid, more efpecially asMi
nifters teem as jealous to permit a Speaker to re-
main long in the Chair, as parifh officers are anxious
to remove vagrants, left they fhould endeavour at
a fettlement. But to return to the bufinefs di-
redly before the Houle, he lhould, for the reafons
he had now and on a former occafion adduced,
proceed to propofc a Gentleman out of that dais
to which he had already alluded, and when he
named Mr. Charles Dundas, he was confident that
the Learned Gentleman already propofed could
feel no difparagement from fuch an opponent.
Lord G. CAVENDISH feconded the motion, con-
ceiving the Right Hon. Gentleman propofed by
the other fide, from his known conncEtion with
the Mini(try, extremely ineligible to fill a fitua-
tion which ought to be independent. He re-
commended Gentlemen to inquire into the cha-
raCter of his Honourable Friend (Mr. Dundas)
in the county he reprefented, and they would find
it diflinguithed for every virtue that could adorn
his rank.

Mr. COVILTEN AY exprefred himfelf quite fads-'
-
fied of the juflice of the eulogium pronounced
upon the Right Hon. Gentleman who had juft
vacated the Chair : at the fame time he mull fay,
he was fincerely lorry the Rightlion. Gentleman
on the Treafury Bench had ever left that fituation
in which he had obtained fuch unanimous appro-
bation. He would not difpute that the talents of
the Right Hon. Gentleman propofed by the other
fide for the Chair might not be very great ; be-
caufe he never before heard any thing about them;
but thole occult qualifications perhaps, in this new
appointment, would be Mond out. Yet, however
great his abilities, the Right Hon. Gentleman on
the Treafury Bench was as competent to fill the
Chair; and to fee him placed there again would
delight every one. He was Pure it would give
pleafure to the country at large ; and though the
nation in fuch an event might be deprived of the
Alliance of his fplendid abilities in his Majefty's
Cabinet, there was a conlolation in thinking that
his place might be filled by the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman now propofed for the chair—Yes' and his
talents might be found adequate to the fituation
too--for as it had been often obrerved, that great
occafions bring forth great abilities, that exalted
al: pointrnent might develope the inimenfe capaci: y
of that Right Honourable Gentleman's mind.—
' The Speakerfhip, it had been remarked, was a
place that requires impartiality ; lo it does—the
neon who poffelied it fhould not incline to either
in debate ; he fhould not look with a partial
eye to any part of the Houk, but confider him•
;elf as the Tridlec of the whole—if then he al
terwards lhooll be lifted to an higher office in the
.state, this habit of impartiality might be found
to attach to him—he may form new connedions ;
and perhaps it might be difficult to know whether
he do not prefer them to the old, or whether he be
cordial to either ; or whether, by his mode of
fpe thing, looking, or ailing, he meant to col:port
his new allies or his old conflant friends. Mr. C.
laid, he did not mean to apply there obfervations
to any one ; perhaps he ought not in flrid regu
larity to of them on this occafion, but the fubje&
before the Houle naturally produced Tome reflec-
tions on the fingular advantages of the Speaker's
Chair, to teach a man how to manage perfons
who may differ in certain opinions, and how to
produce unanimity. He hoped the Right Hon.
Gentleman, propofed by the other fide, if he
flouts' be ele'led, which was rather probable.
would avail himfelf of that fituation to become
qualified to a& with a diferetion in a higher office,
to which no doubt his great genius and acquire.
meats would one day raife him. It was argued
that a Gentleman of the Law was bell qualified
for the Chair, becaufe, as it was Rated, thnfe
Gentlemen were fuperior in their intelligence ; but
this he was by no means prepared to admit. In
his opinion, the fpccies of Rudy to which Lawyers
generally applied themfelves, was as little calcu
lated to invigorate the mind, as tumbling on a
flack rope was to firengthen the mulcles. He was
not at all an admirer of chicane and ftibtlety de-
rived from law learning, though he would not be
underflood to mean any refledton on that learned
profeilion' many of whom were fo refpedable.—
Plowden thought the Country extremely happy,
becatireTo many Lawyers were to be found in the
Houfe of Lords, who, according to him, are in-
troduced there, not by favour, or by chance, or
by fortune, but by the fpecial interpofition of Pao -
VIDENCF to watch over the ?eace and profperity
of the people, of which it is fo much their intereft
and Rudy to be tenacious. He quoted Plowden,
becsufe he knew his authority was much refpeded
among the Lawyers, and that he was often quoted
in Warninfier Hall

Mr. ABBOT Paid, that in offering himfelf to the
notice of the Houfe, it was impoffible not to fed
deeply impreffed with refped towards the Houfe,
and gratitude to his friends who had propofed him.
When he refleded upon the profound learning and
confummate talents which had for a feries of years
diainguiflted the Chair, he could not avoid the con-
templation of his own infufficiency to perform the
duties of fo important a troll. If an ardent zeal
for the Conffitution of Parliament in all its branches,
a fincere admiration of the privileges of this Houfe,
and an attachment to its forms, were qualifications
on which the Houfe would defire to found its de-
cifion, II
he flattered himfelf they belonged to him'
in common with all Its Members. Whoever fhould
be the obje& of the choice of the Houfe would,
with the fandion of its fupport and alliflance, he en-
abled to accomplifh much; but if fuch a fupport
was withdrawn, his efforts mull be frtiitlefs, how-
ever eztenfive his talents. Whether the offer of
his Cervices as Speaker fhould be accepted or re.
jelled, he (lipoid ever retain the ma lively grati-
tude for the flattering manner in which his nomi-
nation had been received.

Mr. CHARLES DUNDAS returned thanks to the
Hon. Gentleman who had thought proper to pro-
pofe him as a Candidate for the Chair. He was

fenfible his talents were by no means to adapt
ed to that eminent fituation as tliclie of the Right
Hon. Centleman who had been previoufly pro-
poled. It was betides his Cole ambition to a‘ft at
he had hitherto done in the Ration of a privat:-.
Member of Parliament. He begged leave to recall
to the attention of the Gentleman scl:o had done
him the honour to propofe him, the dignity and
profpetity which had diflinguifhed the Parliamen-
tary and pul,:ic condua of the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman on whom he hoped, the choice of the Houfe
would be ultimately fixed. He hoped he fhould
appear jullified in declaring his inability to fill the
important fituation he bad been deemed worthy of
by his friends. In laying this, he was not adopt-
ing the language cuflomary upon there occafions.
but he was (peaking in the fincerity of his heart.
and he earneftly entreated the Hon. Gentleman
who had propofed him, and the Noble Lord who
had feconded the Motion, to withdraw their no-
mination, and join in fupporting the Right Hon.
Gentleman who had been lo properly brought for-
ward. He trufled there was not one man in the
Houfe who imagined lie would have prefumed for
one moment to have offered himfelf to their atten-
tion, had it not been for the partiality of thofet
Gentlemen by whom he had been nominated.
Mr. ORMSBY faid, that. as a Member for that
part of the United Kingdom called Ireland, he
could not avoid exprctling how gratifying it murk
be to him, and to the Gentlemen who reprefented
that part of the empire, to fee, by every at of tho
United Parliament, the bonds of affetclion between
the two countries drawn clofer, never, he hoped.
to be broken aflinder. Nothing could be a more
gratifying proof of the harmony that fulifilled be-
tween the two countries, than to fee that a man
could find a reward for the greatefl and muff emi-
nent fervices in an appointment to an office of the
higheft rank kind copfidence in the other. The aco
mination which had been made of the Right Hon,
Gentleman, who had lately filled that Chair, to
i the important office of Chancellor of Ireland, was
the ftrongeft proof of the cordial Matta:ll v. hich was
taken in this part oldie empire .tbr the welfare of
the other, by parting with loch great and diftin.
Fuifiled talents, for the benefit of that country.
Fhere was fomething equally gratifying to the
pride of that country, in the motion which had
been made for a fuccelfor to that Riqht Kin. Gen-
tleman, but he mull be allowed to 'fay, that they
paid dearly for that gratification ; hecaufe, by the
promotion of the Right Hon. Gentleman now pro-
poled to the Chair, Ireland would lofe the nal,-
ance of as perlevei ing, as diligent, and as unbiaf-
fed a Friend, as ever adminlitered the affairs of
that country. This was not Li, opinion only, but
the univerfal voice, and he (poke without the hey.
z iid of being contradifted. Every individual lab-
j.fet, every aftive, faithful, and diligent terrain of
the public, found in hint an unfolicited friend and
patron. If there were any of a different opinion,
they could only circulate their calumny ill whir:
pers, for the univerthl voice of the country was in
his favour. In his choice, between the two Gcn,
denten who had been propofed, he was athamed to
fay, that he could only give his vote from a pofi-
tive knowledge of the merits of the one, becaufe
he was not lufilciently acquainted with the other
Gentleman who had been propofal, to enter into
a comparifon between them. He had not the
'Mandl doubt of the qualifications of the Gentle-
man who had been propoled on the other fide of
the Hance, but he had not the materials to form a.
comparifon. In fupporting the Right Honourable
GentLman who had been &It pi-eided, 1:.: knew
that he was borne out by the orinion entertained
by the people of this country of his abilitko, for he
was lure that there was hardly a part of the coun-
try that was not aware of the efficient talents of his
Right Hun. Friend. He was fort yto fay that a
Right Hon. Friend ()ibis (Mr. Corry) who was at
the herd of the Financial Department in II eland,
was unavoidahly ablent from illnefs. It he had
been prefent he %% raid have borne ample tellimor.y
to the exertion; of the Right Hno. Gentleman
(Mr. Abbot), in Ireland, and no tetlimony could
he drawn from a more pure and }mom able fource.
He begged pardon for having taken up fis much
of the time of the Houfe, but the uniform indul-
gence which Gentlemen from the other part of the
United Kingdom always experienced in that Houle,
and the conftant attention that was paid to the in-
, terells of that country, had emboldened him upon
' this occafion to trefpals In long upon their time.
Mr. ARCHDALE laid,, he role merely in conic-
quence of an obfervation of an Hon. Gentleman,
that the talents of the Gentleman who had been
propofed were unknown. If they were unknown
to -that Gentleman (Mr. Courtensy), he could
only lay that they might he wilily known to any
man of common obfervation ; and, he would ven-
ture to tiny, that if the Right Hon. Gentleman
brought to the Chair thole talents which he dif-
played while in Ireland, he would bring with him
four moft efrential and invaluable qualities, viz.
Impartiality, Vigilance, Knowledge, and Decifion.
Mr. J. H. ERowut laid, he was lure the Hon.
Gentleman on the other fide of the Houfe would
not have expreffed a doubt of the talents of his
Right Hon. Friend, if he himielf had not been
for lonic years but very little converfant with the
bufinefs of the Houfe.—That Right Hon. Gentle-
man had been placed in the Chair of the Com-
mittee of Finance, and in that fituation no man
ever gave ftrongcr proofs of vigour and indepen.
dance than he had done.—The abilities of that
Right Hon. Gentleman were fo well known, that
he had been almoft always chofen Chairman of
every Committee to which he belongeo—the Com-
mittee on Records, the Committee on thc Pro-
mulgation of the Statutes, the Committee for the
Improvement of the Port of London, &c. His
conduit, upon thefe occafions, had given firong
proofs of his qualifications for the Chair of that:
Houle, independent of his legal knowledge.
Mr. COURTENAY explained.
The Houfe was then cleared, and Mr. Abbot
was chofen without a Divifion.—He was then con-
duaed to the Chair, from which he, in a moft
elegant Speech, returned his thanks to the Houfe.
He was afterwards complimented by Mr. Yorke
upon the occafion: and the Houfe adjourned till
tO-1110TrOW5