Star.
London, England, 1810-02-27 00:00:00

PiIRLIAMENTifRT PROCEEDING&

HOUSE OF LORDS, FEBRUARY '26.

lord REDESDALE having informed their Lordships, that It
'was Inconvenient for him to attend the House before five o'clock,
the Lord Chancellor again deferred judgment tr. the Appeal of
Kearney v. Brazicl•.
Two or three Naturalization Bills, and some private Bills, were
read a third time, and passed.
Lord HARDWICKE laid on the table a Report from the
Co❑:mittee appointed to inquire into the causes cf the Dearth of
Corn in 1 sno.

Five :Messages were brought ttp from the Commons, With
private Bills, by Mr. Lusliingtun, Mr. Mellish, and Sir James
Graham.

Lord MOIRA presented Petitions from the Debtors confined
in the Laois of Leicester, Maidstone, .iod Stafford. His Lordship
said, that he should content hiniself with merely laying the Pei•
lions on the ta'ole cf the House.; and (Lord Redesdale having sig-
nified his intention to propose some measUre on this head) that he
was willing, alter so many years of toil on the subject, to leave irt
tor the present, in the hands of the Lord (Redesdale), who had
"Alit spoken.

TIM REVERSION RILL.

I.ord GROSVENOR rose. It was not his design,
hii Lordship said, to trouble the House with a long
sp:_ech, especially as his indisposition, during the week
that had passed, unfitted him from making many ob-
servations now. After the objections made to the
first reading of the Bill now before their Lordships,
by the Noble and Learned Lord who presided in that
House, and since some disposition had been shewn
to strangle it in its birth, it became him, how-
ever unwilling, to advocate the principle of the
Bill. He hoped that it would arrive safe in its
destined port, notwithstanding the clouds (looking
to the Woolsack) that were gathering against it in
that House. It was, a measure looked for by the
country, and any absolute opposition to it would
indicate a stubborn resistance to all reform.—(Hear,
hear.) —lf it could be proved to be a measure
advantageous to the • country, which the country
called for, and had a right to look up to, it would, he
must say, be the grossest hypocrisy to compromise it
in any way, or under any pretence. (Hear. hear:)—
It was said, that the Bill infringed on the preroga-
tives of the Crown ; but what were all prerogatives
—the prerogatives of the Commons and of their
Lordships, as well as of the Crown, but for the bene-
fit of the whole ? The other House, which had al-
ready carried a resolution to the effect of this Bill to
the foot of the Throne, had voted, in the year 1780,
that the influence of the Crown had increased, was
increasing, and ought to be diminished. What was
that influence as exerted at this time ? Setting in-
fluence aside, he had other reasons, many other reasons
against the granting of places in reversion. A man
*light be qualified for the place at the time when he
was nominated to fill it ; yet, such were the changes
ira lu life, the same man might, on this plan (Re-
version of Offices) be wholly unfitted to occupy the
situation at t!- time it became his duty to fill it. He
should therefore move the scond reading of the Bill,
arid reserve himself to reply to such arguments as
should be adduced against the motion.
Lord SIDMOUTH was of opinion that both sides
had exaggerated the character of the Bill ; that it had
git on rise to imaginary mischances. and to mischie-
vous expectations. Friendly to the Bill himself; he
would say, notwithstanding that it might touch the
r..yal prerogative, that, i the welfare of the people
required it, it ought to pass. Even where the King
had a proprietary interest ( though, in such a case, the
House wruld do well to wait fora message till the
third reading of a Bill,) yet such Bill ought at last
to proceed. Consent should be had from the King
to this measure. Much as he felt favourable to the
and ready as he was to support it in all its future
stages through the House, would that House, he must
ask, proceed Co the second reading of the Bill till
they obtained his lylaiesty's consent to it ? He much
wished the House, in this stage of the Bill,to adjourn the
debate till Thursday, and made a motion to that effect.
Lord GROSVENOR and Lord SIDMOUTH
explained.
Lord GRENVILI,E thought the Bill should have
its second reading at this time. The House might
take the King's consent at any stage of the Bill (Hear,
Rear,) but he hoped the House woald now suffer it
to be read the second time.

Lengthened explanaiions here took place between
Lord wmouTit and Lord GItENVILLE.

The LORD CHANCELLOR (leaving theWool-
sack) first adverted to what had fallen from Lord
Grosvenor. He had, on a former night, stated,
fairly stated, for the sake of the House, the legisla-
tive objections which he conceived to operate against
the first Lill of the kind now before their Lordships.
Decorum towards the Crown should be carefully ob-
served. If their Lordships proceeded with the Bill,
should state, without reserve, his sentiments re-
specting it. He could not consent to the Bill. It
went to enact what the framers of it never meant, and
it left uncuaacd what it was r..!ally desii-if.d to do.—
Not only did it affect the prerogative of th. Crown,
'but the Lords Spiritual of the Realm ; of whom, not
cm, greatly to his surptise, had discovered this in.
fring,ement on their rights (a laugh,) though every
Bishop ought to oppose it. Still the Bill might be
read, and his Majesty's consent afterwards obtained.
Lord ARDEN pointedly opposed the Bill being
scud the second time.

Lord DERBY was for the second reading of the
P:11 now.

Lord SIDMOUTH, after some explanation'to.
Lord Derby, withdrew his motion ; and
• 1. he LO RD CHANCELLOR accordingly read
the Order of the Day.
Lord ROSS, from the long parliamentary expert-,
once that he had known, avowed himself more than
ever unfriendly to innovations ; particularly to such
• measures, however modified or' popularly palatable,
as might affect the prerogatives of the Crown. He,
indeed, feltAt deep-rooted dislike, an invincible objec-
tion, to any measures that innovated on the column-.
tion of the State. Much was alwaya promised from
• •slick ineasnres, but little, if any thing, ensued from
them. Prerogative was property.. A Noble Lord
(Grosvenor) had talked rather lightly-on this point.
What would that Noble Lord ay, however, were he
to tell hini, that it was no longer proper that he
should be at liberty to grant leases in reversion in or
near -London because,• for some tame Which timid
:not be told, he, or Alter House, ihou4ht ;it to de-
cprive him. of the right of disposing of hrs preperti in
-•Noble Loreto' had said Muds -abbot the
- • latteashiOnfluenceof thtligrinarch itiittil•the order.
• al the -ibrps4 to speak; but if the Xing poiiiitiadnny