Star.
London, England, 1804-02-28 00:00:00

NUMBER 4702]

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

fition had gone abroad. He had a right to affunie
to himfelf; that the mnch-lamented dines of his
Majelly was a matter which materially affefted and
interehed this great nation at fuch an important cri-
es. He fhould with ,to know,therefore. what rea-
fons could be affigned by his lajelPfs hi:Milers fee
their having kept fo long fluent upon this point, and
for having thus withheld that information which he
conceived to be due to the Houle; and from the an-
fwer which he (hould receive to Rich an interelliqg
queftion, he thould either think himfelf warranted to
acquiefeing in the motion which bad been already
made, or Ibould himfelf morn, that the Hence do
immediately adjourn.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in
anfwer to the Hon. Baronet, laid, that though be
had not the happiaefs of being able to Rate to the
Houk, that his Meiefty was perfealy recovered from
his indifpofition, he would venture to fay, -that feels'
a happy event was eich, to all appearance, far dif
rant. In anfwer, however, to the quelliern which
had been put, he thought hinifelf aatheicifed to fay.
that in the opinioess( his Majeftereeepletkiliproott,
a communication filch as the one ended to, •and re-
quired by the Hoe. Baronet, could act prifißily .an-
fwer any good porpofe ; and further, that any pro-
ceeding, founded upon fuch a eqnstnunicarion, would,
in their opinion, be pettedly inconfifterit With their
fenfe of ,duty; both to the King and to the public,
befides being highly indecent in itfelf. as making im-
proper allufions to his Majefty's indifpofition, and
that it was therefore utterly unnwarranted.
Sir ROBERT LAWLEY then moved, " That
the Houle do adjourn."
On the previous quetlion being again put from the
Chair,
Mr. FOX rofe, and addreffed the Honk nearly
to the following purport :—Sir, i fhould deem my
felt highly deficient in the duty I owe to the Houle,
to the public. to his Majeftv, and to the Omaha-
tion of this Kingdom, could I bring myleif to ac-
quiefce in the anfwer which has juft now been given
by the Right Hon. Gentleman oppofite. Ido not
think, that in treating of this bufinefs there can be
any filch indelicacy as he' (tams, except it tan be
Paid to be indelicate to contradift public report, by-
giving the Nation proper information on the fubjed
in queltion. Now, Sir, what is the anfwer which
has been returned to the quehion put by the Right
Hon. Baronet ? The Right Hon. Gentleman has
(aid, • thpr he, LA his Majelty's confidential fer-
vent.; di.i not think it neceffary to make any Com-
munication. L..; me defire the Houfe in invelli-
gating this imp,: cant queflion, not to confider only
the common praftice, nor even the formal words
which are uted in this ptace, but to confider a little
the true and genuine Ipirit of the Britilh Conflitu.
lion : I know of no fuck body a. • his Majefty's con-
fider:till fit rants.' I know nothing more of that
Right tiro. Gentleman who has ufed theft expref-
fions, chats that he himfelf is appointed his Majefty's
Chancellor of the Exchequer, and is, on that ac-
count, fomewhat more frequently confulted than
other Members of this H-nife. In what inilance
then, are his Majedy's confidential fervants different
from any of its, who fit here for the purport of ad-
vifing his Majcliy, and for confidering the great
affairs of this nation ? Does not the only difference
confilt in his Majeliy having an opportunity of more
frequently confulting them-? All this fappofes a eon-
Rant, permanent. daily, habitual aline in thole con-
fidential Miniflers, by their being prepared and at
hand to advife his Majeay upon all preffing °eft-
fions ; but from the moment that his Majelly is pre-
vented, in point of fad, from exercifing the funetions
of Royalty, are they not then reduced exadly to the
Rate of other Privy Contsfellors.? In fuch a cafe as
the prefent, thefe confidential &runts are, in fad,
brought to a fimilar lituation with his Majehy's
other advilers. If they had communicated to the

HOUSE OF LOADS, MONDAY, FEE. :7.

The Lord Met Baron delivered hls opinion on the merits of
the Appeal. Mackreath v. Alkew, and thc (lather osnfideration
of It was poammed to Monday near.

The Bills bereft die Rode, pilseipally of a private nature, were
dm= forwarded owe itise.—Adieereed.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The Weft India Doek Bill was read a third time and pared.
Mr. SMOCS repotted from the Hereford Election committee,
that the Sting Members es ti duly eleded, and that the Petitions
Naiad their returns were frivolous sad vexatious.
On the medals of Mr. HILEY ADDINOTON, the minutes
d the evidence taken before the Committee on the Pardon of the
Cotten Mandadtarent. lair Scats, was ordered to be referred to
the Committee on the Petition meetly prefented to the Houk.
Lad PETTY prefented a aepoet relative to the Serra Lease
Company. which wan ordered to be bid as the table and printed.
The Dins of York's Mate 11111 was rod a third due; and
pdlol

resumer Tax.
Lord TEMPLE role, in order to pet a Tullio, to
the Secretary at War, bevelling to himfelf, and to
Many other gentlessel, in a very high degree. Early
in January taft orders had been fent to the different
Militia Regiments, by a perfon himfelf Col-
leaor of the Property Tax, to tranfrnit lifts of officers,
and the contribution they had to afford to that tax.
On the 25th of February, orders from the fame per-
fon were tranfinitted, fpecifying the funs to be de.
dueled from the pay of each officer, from the next
iffue of pay which was to take place. It was his duty
to put a queftion or two to the Right Hon. Secretary
en this very intereffiug point. The requilition went
to take one nulling in the pound from every officer
from the 6th of April to the 6th of °amber left, be-
ing one half year.—lt mull be obvious to every man,
that fueli an exaction was unfair, as the Supplemen-
tary Militia had been called out only in the la:ter end
of June or beginning of July, and the commiffions of
the Officers were dated in there months. It was alto
a fad, that many of tbefe Officers had only been ap.
pointed, and joined their regiments, within a month,
and from them 'had the property-tax been likewife
demanded. When appeals were made againft the
payment of the duty, an anfwer was returned, that
sf the appeals were found juft, the (urn taken for the
SO fix months would be deduced or allowed in the
next. But fuppofing the regiment was to be difband.
ed by his Majefly, would the money in fuck a cafe
be returned ? There was another point which be had
to notice, and that was, that even prefuming the le-
vying the tax to be fair, dill it was not monthly or
quarterly, as the Alt prefcribed. Taking fix months
ell at once -was too much, and, by that exidlion,
there was not an Enfign whole pay in a week
amounted to more than a labourer's Wages. He had
written a letter on the fubjea to the Secretary at
War, and had received an anfwer from him, Ilatiag,
that he could not -interfere in the arrangements
which had been made. He, therefore, 'abed to
know whether any alteration in the mode of collet.
ting.the Income Duty from the Officers of the army
was in coatemplation ? Unlefs the prefent mode of
colleaing the duty was fufpended, he ibould move
for a Committee to enquire into the condo& of the
Commiffieners.
The SECRETARY AT WAR replied, that after
what the Noble Lord had Paid in allufion to the letter
he had written nim, he hardly knew whether he was
the proper perfon to notice what he had now (aid.
He had appointed the Commiffioners on oath to exe-
cute their duty, and there his authority ceafed. The
perfons, therefore, oho were the objeas of the Noble
Lord's animadver lion, were the Commiffioners, who,
if they had abated the truft repaid in them, were
liable to the confcquences. He certainly agreed with
the Noble Lord, that nt'body could be charged In.
come duty on a Commiffion which he did not hold
for the full time.

Lord TEMPLE, in explanation, kid, that officers
appointed in July were charged from the month of
April lull. His Lordthip then read the anfwer which
Lad been made to an appeal of one of his officers.
The SECRETARY AT WAR Paid, that on the
"thole he fuppofed that many.of the grievances coin.
plAined of had originated from many of thefe officers
having negledled to return the lilts within the proper
time mentioned by the Commiffioners.
Lord TEMPLE °braved, that as the anfwer
which had berm made to him opon this fajta, was
not, in his opinion, fatisfaaory, he would beg leave
to give notice, that in the cootie of a few les he
Mould move for the appointment of a Committee to
take the matter into confideration.
Pill NAJIISTT'S INDISPOSITION.
Mr. Secretary YORKE role, and moved the Or-
der of the Day for the fecund reading of the Bill for
amending and confolidating the various Aas rela-
tive to Volunteers. On the quellion being put from
the Chair,
Sir ROBERT LAWLEY rok, hafaid, in nuke
to erica the further pr4refs of this important Bill;
and the re.dons whieb he would aUign for doing fo,
'sere, no doubt, occaSoned by a moll dilirtffing
.rcumllance, but one which it was of the utmoft
•rnpoetance Oiould be brought into the notice of the
I.inufc. It grieved him much to think, the ever
Lace the lath day of this month, our moll rari'ms
Sovereign had been confined with a difirelling
nets It was not his with to go into a minute invef-
!33tion, as to the nature or degree of his filsjeil y's
Etricf., but c- •: to exprefs tome thoughts which oc-
culted to him on this (*cation. It was, in his ePi•
rum, ably lutcly necelfary that foam fpecific commu-
stic.ttion &mild be made to the Hoofe upon this molt
!..lenitotts event. It we a communication which

Houfe the particulars of his Majelly's indifpolition,
we fhould then have derived our information from
an authentic fource. Inflead of ailing thus, how-
ever, his Majefly's confidential fervants tell us, that
they do not feel it to be their duty to make fuch a
communication ; but on the contrary, that they think
fuch a procedure on their part would be highly im-
proper and indelicate. The grand quellion with us
at prefent is—ls his Majelly in a ftate fit for exer-
cifing his executive and royal funßions ? The an•
(war which has been thus given to this important
quellion is, that there is at prefent no occahon for
difeuffing that matter. Every one mull feel forrow
and anxtet in his brean, on account of his Ma-
jai's indi i fition. I have no doubt that every one
o
entertains t e hope, that his Ma)efly will not be long
deprived of the ability of refuming and exercifing his
'royal funaions, but futcly, every one mud own that
it was the bounden duty of chore more immediately
acquainted with the fads, to have communicated the
' circumflances to the Houle, in order that we might
then confider whether or not it might be necef-
fary to adopt any immediate flee. There, I coo.
[ ceive, lies tht difference of opinion in difeuffiing
this queftion i—for I do not fuppofe that it can be
' alledged that, tinder f ,me peculiar circumflances
' fuch a communication might he deemed neceffary i
and the prior point is, whe (pace of time can or
cannot 14 allowed • . elapfe iirevions to doing fo ?
When I compare i.is view ..1 the fubjcft with what
we know flour e poblii. report, I certainly think
that we are e aili.J to : ,rmih,,:g fat more explicit
than what has yet traitf ited i for it would purely be
fatiaadory that we • ould '.wild our happinefs on
good ground., and ': int' :flied by a public corn-
mun!cation, that hi, Maj. i y goes on better, that he
has recovered confiderably r pee yederdity, and

hc, for one, was thoroughly convinced was due to that he makes a g'. ".'l progrefs towards conra-
the Houfe, when he conlidered the fituatinn of public lef:lnce. Such, the report given in the
affairs, arid the relative tituation in which our Conn- Bulletin of this iaf ; lf,c,uotwithflandutg its being
try flood in regard to our implacable enemy. lie M favourahl- ac have nn right, from that cir•
rich a procedure neceirary too, in order to in tdit.....r n•••lclres that his I►'.ajetll',
tiff Ltrofts which Came very diilreiling impref. (Olt 2:ds A c•,rr. plcte recovery will
11%, ai..: mink, doubts, had created in the publie• ...AU::: We are only 1.4 to fuppofe that h.
a. loon as the 0%;%4 of his lifajcisy's indiSpo- • ing a graJoal progress. TN molt iaai c ial c.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2B, iB,

queflions is, whether, as we can thus only hope for a
gradual progrefs, any hopes upon this fubjeft are fit
for coofideration in this Houle ? With me, however,
there refs no doubt as to the matter; I claim it as
a right belonging tolhe Parliament of England that
it aright to be confulted upon loch an important
fubjea. Becaufe the Millers are vocationally
confulted by his Welly, as Chancellor of the Ex.
chequer, Secretary of State. &e. that, therefore, they
cmupok the only channel by which advice is to be
eNtstmosicated, or that they are in a fituation which
can render them alone to be competent to judge
on this matter, without at aU confulting Parlia-
ment p—l fay., to allow his .Majefty's Minifters to
be this (Me ;edges of how long we can go on
without -Ma Wed.y being hi .1- Rate Rt for elercif-
lag the Rot at Facetious, is tertainly transferring to
them much mote power chair they, as Minifters, are
*Med to,' We hem it tins moment, upon' the
table of this Monk' a minetotication from thsflih,.
eretary ciliate to 'theirsiferent` Lords Lienttnisiabi
of Comities; by which'lnimbisifoemed, that we bilk
at prefat isferly retake -to eine& a formidable ale'
Immediate attack from theeritior ;—fuch is the nee='
tire of the information which has been given to the
Lords Lieutenants, accompanied with. inftrations
to Ore every exertion call the utrftbft vigilance for
the Defence of the Country ; and we have no tea•
fon • to, trnagine that any other. information has
f,n ciirtunanitated to them fence that to which
allude. If I do not grofsly mifunderftand the
Ustutts which have lately palled this Houfe, :dative
tb Volunteer,, I conceive, that, in order to avail
ochiftevirsf their fcrvice, they mutt be previoully put
under Martial Law, a Rep which mutt be put into
exetemlor, by means of a proclamation being iffoed
by Ms Mitjafty. This being the cafe, therefore, I
would Ia illl to know, what would be the fituatiOn in
'which we &mild Hod oarfelves were fueh vigorous
Reps Axis found neceffary to be-adopted ? There are,
betides thefe, other points te'lrhieh I would with to
dire& the attention of the Moore, in difeuffing this
important queltion. I am one of thofe who think
they have fupported this Conftitution to the utfnoft of
their power, and I have given my fentiments freely
on all occalions in which it became requifite f.. toile.
Let thole on the other fide of the Houfe, who have
exerted themfelves to maintain the Conflitutton in
its utmott purity, and who have paid this fubjeft any
degree of attention, Mk themfelves, whether the
miatrosil If the Xing over Parliament is not as effential to
the Britoil' confritution, as the controul of Parliament
over the Executive Power Is it not well known that
his Majefty has the power of diffolving Parliament on
five minutes notice, whenever he thinks proper? If
torch, then, be the principles of the Conflitation of
our country, I can only fay, that without fuch a com-
munication, Parliament ms y be deliberating contrary
'ro there principles, 8' being left without any con.
trial whatever, by which it mull be acknowledged
that fuch a Conilitotion is held together; and winch
ought to be conftantly and aCtivety enforced. Will
any man fay, that if the Houfe of Commons were
not to do their duty, that it would not be incumbent
on the Crown to diffolvelt ? Whether fuch a diffolit-
tion be, or be not, neceffary, is a point on which we
are not, by the nature of the Conftitution, entitled
to judge. But, Sir, to recur more materially to the
Mita under confideration—the want of intelligence
-communicated in a manner becoming the dignity of
this Houfe; I with to know on what principles it
can be allcdged that we are to troll this great and
important quellion to chore who Style thernfelves his
Majelly'a colAlential Knitters ? We are yet to learn
upon what authority a few individuals can claim fuch
an important privilege. I find it in no book; I find
it in no former praCtiee ; and I find it to be &rally
contrary to the Conftitution of this country. I may,
perhaps, hear it Stated, in anfwer to my objeftions
and doubts upon this fuhjeel, 'that we (his Majelly's
confidential Minifters), are perfeftly willing to lake
the whole refponfibility on ourfelves.' Can we, his
Majefly's other advifers, be Satisfied with fuch an
anfwer? No! It is impofiible that we can do our
duty, and at the fame time linen to fueh a propofal.
In the prefent inflance, I think there are cafes fo
• preffing and fo extremely important, that we ought,
for the Safety of the Conftitution, and of the nation
• itfelf, to endeavour to procure a greater and higher
degree of refponfibility. I may afic, Sir, if we are
to go on in this manner for one fortnight, for what
reafon may we not go on for • fortnight more ?
Where is the limit to the duration of fuch an Limon-
. flitutional and irregular procedure? Let his Majefly's
confidential Knitters' make what communication
; they ;steak, it is the whole of the Members of this
Houle, Sir, who are the proper perrons to decide.
It is the two Honfes of Parliament, by means of a
communication from the Privy Council, and not
thole who are his hfajefty's confidential Minillers,
. who are entitled to confult and advife upon fuch a
• fubjeft. Nay, further, I may even fay, that this
lioure is not calks' upon to take the communication
from theft Minifters. more than from any other in.
telligent quarter, unlefs they in particular have con
thole whole cducati, a mull enable them to
judge of his Maje:ly's real Situation. I would Rill
enquire, where is to be the limit as to the difcuffion
of bulirefs, which may come before us
If we go on with :his Bill, why may we not go on
with another ? 1 mull fay, that we are at peelent not
only its an anomalous, but in a moll dangerous (late.
• We are here dui-Lulling at a period when kis Majefly's
Minillers have thon:l:tt it nereifary and proper to in.
• Mena the Lords•Lieo tenants that we are in imme
diatc cepeetatitin of itivafi in; I ti ul, therefore, that
the 11, w,ll thus fee the propriety of adopting
I;ene me:times, s‘ hit chy thee may telify, that we
ale ‘‘iltitig to reit .em VW' duty to the publi", and ti•
u,rnt.4:ll the Llt:tith Coo!titiiti..n in its nttnott purity
And I,,tfeetinn. 1 Shall now ei,h clpfeiring
on ioi.•a, tha., on this and e•-efy fimilsr occenti,
n any d:licacy to i:teri one, 1.•
• A• I • re% 01 Slam Attenti.rg with the
1 (new and 155111v11, to the latety of our costuay ;