Star.
London, England, 1820-06-20 00:00:00

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circnmstances subsequently happened, we ate not
permitted to know in any authoi iced shape; but
there can-be no doubt, nor was it scrupled to be
stated, that the delay afterwards proposed with regard
to the meeting, is to be attributed to the course of
prrceeding adopted by the House of Commons ; a
mode of acting which is certainly directly contrary
to that which has always hitherto been the rule of -
this House, which never permitted itself to be lit
any way governed by the • proceedings of any other
assembly. We are now, however, informed by a
communication from the Crown, with an expression
of regret, that the negotiation which was commenced
subsequent to the original Message, has failed, and
the very extraordinary protceding has been resorted
to of throwing down a number of papers upon the
table, for the House to do what they please with,
but with an intimation that no proceeding is intended
to be founded upon them by his Majesty, s Ministers.
This, 1 maintain, is wholly unprecedented, it being
the constant course, where any communications are
speCially made from the Crown, for some procceding
tit be founded upon them by. the Ministers of the
crown. But it is evidently the object of the lliniss
tors of the Crown, in this- instance, to attempt to
shift all responsibility from their oleo shoulders to
the two Houses of Parliament, and this is a course
which it becomes your Lordships to re.)ist. lt iss
indeed, consistent with their whole conduct, of which
if has been the uniform object to throw cff respell.
sibility, wherever they possibly could, upon Parlias
ment ; but it remains for Parliament firmly to resist
a course of conduct which is so utterly inconsistent
with what ought to ba the conduct of responsible
Ministers of the Cia.vn. It is for. them to say what
is the proceeding they propose to institute, and not
to throw upon this House the task of considering
what is the course that ought to 'be pursued. His
Majesty's Ministers must have made up their minds
as to the contents of these papers, and as to their
effect with a view to the proceeding or not of the
Secret Committee; and undisubtedly the mere manly
and direct course for them to pursue, would be to -
say at once what they propose and what they mean.
As it is, we are left completely in the dark, the Secret
Committee is poitponed without any avowed object,
and the whole conduct of Ministers leads only to
lower the dignity and character of this House,
and place it in a situation which.l.must call tient/
disgraceful." . .
. . •
The Earl of H A RROWRY vindicated the conduct
of.Ministersfrom the charges trade by the Noble
Lord. He said his Majesty's servants had no Feces
dent to go by—nothing that applied to the present
case; and as they had no light from precedent, and
only very dubious glimmerings from analogy, the
present
.question ought rather to be looked at as ti
the propriety of its own grounds than as not being ac.
cording to any ascertained usage. As to the postpones
ment of the Secret Committee, to Aldrich the Noble
Lord had alluded, the reason.which he hod given fot
it was not accurate. .17: had,lf he recollected rightly,
taken place in consequence ofithe feelings expressed:,
by Noble Lords on-both sides of the House, and their
wishes that means might be found. to spare Padiaa :
Ineat so painful a duty, and did not result 'from any.:
measures pursued elsewhere. As to the course pa,
sued is this last.instance by thendvisers of the Crows; :
they were not only perfectlyjastified, but they'would
pave been blamed for ' otherwise, s hen
the discussions and explanat nil. Which had caused
the postponements were closed. It would have been
serious charge against Ministers, •if they had not •
laid full statements of the whole negotiation before
the Houses of Parliament, -that both might have the
mesns of judging rightly of whathad been done, else .
there would have been a ground of accusal...l,aq
They were now blamed for not coming forward to
propose a measure upon these papers ; but the Noble
Earl was mistaken when he thought this mode of ..-
proceedin,, unprecedented. It wets not niutsoal to lay
papers on the table by the King's command, which
the House was not called 9n to consider, and 'these
•
not papers of minor interest, but of the greatest
importance--such, for instance, as treaties ofrana,
As to the charge made against Ministers of welshing
throw off the responsibility, he wished to observe
what he had stated before, that they had no guide
from precedent,-and but little assistance ham alas.,
logy. It was, besides, a question so delicate, sear':
tressing, and one which at the same time so involved :
the dignity and honour of the Crown, and the is% •
terests of the country; that it was right in Minister*,
to call in the assistance of Parliament. This was then
first time that he had heard a charge made
the confidential servants of the Crown, lust •
timately connected with the feelings of die Sovet2z
nd the security of the State, for having con
both Houses of Parliament, o,ne the hereditary Caul.
cis of the crown, and the other the Representatives
of the People; but Ministers would bevy been, more.
.lanseable had they determined to steer thecourse of
the Legislature through a sea without compass, end
where the best interests of the Nation might hare •
been wrecked. He thought the House had num ma-
son to be satisfied with the considerate tonne which
his colleagues had adopted.
Lord HOLLAND said,, hat his Noble. Ftiend
had not so much 'argued the qfestion as on of pre-
cedent, as in regard to its reasonableness. Him
Lordship contended, that the former po
had, hem made without any reasons hav:PgleSe:l-
leied. The Message which had been first bteirht
down stated, that the utmost had been done •to
avert the necessity of painful disclosures; and, he-
fore the contents were known, other papers bad
been sent down, 'to do more than the utmost, be
supposed, on the same principle. Ministers were.
in this instance, scrupulous indeed, in not stating to
the House either the particulars or purport of their
sealed bags, and other communications Ontkit *as
not so *Ken they brought down sealed bags a
the People. On referring such bags to
Court toes 0307 di4 Pot Wd* saiacwar abstain
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