Star.
London, England, 1802-04-01 00:00:00

amounted to nothing more than an application to
the Houfe to enquire how fuch and fuch fonts had
been applied • and if the report of that Commit-
tee
should be unfavourable to the Prince, there
could he no harm done. It was impoffible that
any proceeding adopted in that Houfe could be
judicial; becaufe if the Houfe (hould even vote to
grant a certain fum to the Prince, that vote was
not final ; it would be fubjeCt to the revifion of
the Houle of Lords. The motion then before the
Houk was fomething in the nature of an arbi-
tration, and a refute' on the part of the Houfe to
linen to the fair propols contained in it, would
be the fame as to fumatters to go to extremi-
ties when one of the parties propofed an accom-
modation. It was faid that the prefent propofi-
tion could not even in point of form be maintain-
ed. He believed infiances could be given of the ,
claims of individuals having been frequently at-
tended to by that Houfe. Sappofe that a perfon
who had fubfcribed to one of the loans (Mould ad-
vance more money than he was bound to give,
the only redrefs he could have would be an appli-
cation to Parliament; would Parliament then at
with juftice were it to fay, ,s we can give no re-
medy, you mull feek r-irefs from the laws of
your country P'
Lord Hawaassuav raid he objected very much
to having this queaion brought forward in a tol-
-1 lateral point of view. If it was a proper fubjedt
for the confideration of the Houk, the only mode
by which it could be fairly diktiffed would be to
move for the appointment of a Committee to era-
mine precedents, in order to fee whether the claim
did cliff or not. An enquiry could not be inflituted
as to the fad, without fira trying whether this was
a queftion of law. However the queftion flood,
it was on the King alone that the claim muff be
made, becaufe the King received all the money
and difpofed of it as he thought proper. The pre-
fent claim mutt be made on his Mikity, who had
received the money for thefe revenues; and it was
the fame as a queftion, between one individual and I
another. He had no difficulty in hating it as his'
opinion, that the revenues of the Duchy of Cora-
wall, when granted to Edward the Black Prince,
had been intended for his maintenance, and that
that was the proper and only application of them.
The prefent motion he confidered as one of the molt
unprecedented in its nature, and the molt dange-
rous in its confequences, that ever was made.—
The queftion then before the Houfe, did not, like
queftion: of general warrants, &c. go on any prin.,
ciple of general law; but it was a queftion relating '
to a civil right between individual and individual
on a point of property ; and no fuch queftion
thould ever be adopted by the Houfe. The Houfe
fhould always avoid interfering in queftions of a
judicial nature, particularly when matters relating
to property were to be decided.
Mr. NtcHoss obferred, that if the King had a
right to the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall,
where was the good of the law that gave them to
the Prince from the moment of his birth ?

Mr. Suzan:am Paid, the only quedion was, whe.'
ther there was any other legal mode by which the
right of the Crown could be maintained, except
the prefent? Suppofe one perfon was to go and fay
to another—" You owe me a large (urn of money,
and if you deny it, I will convince you that you
do, if you will only give me leave to do fo." The
other then might anfwer—" No; I will not Ellen
to you, becaufe you want to make me a judge and
jury at the fame time." The arguments naiad
receiving the prefent motion were exaidly similar.
The Crown Lawyers on that day would give no
opinion at all on the fulsjea. Some of them enter-
tained their doubts, others had no -doubts ;t
—The Houfe could not on that day get any law
from thefe learned Gentlemen, any more than the
Prince of Wales cpuld get money from the Trea.
fury. He wilbed thole Lawyers would inform the
Houfe in what manner his Royal Highnefs was to
proceed. A Learned Gentleman oppofite to him
( the Attorney General) in fupport of his argument,
quoted an Ad ofParliainent, which when informed
that it had a few years after been repealed, he ex-
claimed, " it does not fignify, it was repealed der,
ing the difputes between the Houle: of York and
Lancafter,and therefore that repeal was of no con-
fequence." The Learned Gentleman, in the Ple-
nitude of his hillorical knowledge, reprefented this
Aft as having been paned in good and peaceable
times. The fait was, the A& pallid during the time
of the ufurpation of Edward Duke of York, a very
turbulent period, and was afterwards repealed
in a period of tranquillity. The Learned Gen-
tleman appeared as if he reproached the Members
of the oppofition fide of the Houfe with their know-
ledge of thole events which didurbed the tranquil-
lity of the country: be even fumed to think it a
very feditious thing to read the billory of ;rouble-
fome times ; and he certainly did difplay a mod
loyal ignorance on the prefort occarm. (if
lassgb free all parts of the Hoeft.) As to the
Prince endeavouring to prefer his claim My a legal
procefs, he would afir..how it could be done ? If a
man Would pay more money into the Exchequer
than be was bound to pay, he could not recover it
back again : he mull apply to Parliament for re-
lief. lithe Prince Ibould even obtain a judgment,
bow could he put it in force ? In lhort, he could
not get any Court of Juftice to interfere between
him and his Royal Father. When it was confi-
dered what the fituation of a Prince of Wales was,
and how great his importance was to the country,
it was the duty of the Crown Lawyers to fay how
his cafe could he decided. The Atuation of his
Koyal Highnefs was the moll unpkarant that could
be imagined. Improper Reps had lien taken in
the mode of paving his debts; and fuch as mud
have been highly injurious to his feelings. The
creditors had ten per cent cut. off from their de.'
manis. He hoped the Honk would at length do
him jullice, and decide on his claims.
The CHANCELLOR of the Excircupta replied,
that in cafes where a reduflion of toper cent. was
fo made, it was only where the parties had deben-
tures at 5 per cent. for thole who accepted of them
at 3 per cent. fuffered no fuch dedudion.
Mr. SHERIDAN laid a few words in explanation.
Mr. Jarrsasss.• complimented, in bandiome
terms, the liberality of the Prince on that occa-
fum, uotwithaaading he wo a 101..5t of 301. per