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

the more efpecially when we are eapofed to any pnC.
fibility of invafion from a foreign enemy ; fur on no •
account whatever ought we to kave it in the power
of his Majefty's Minillers to hinder Parliament from'
exereifing its pia and conditntional authority.
The CHANCELLO st the EXCHEQLJER—.
" Mr. S . before I proceed to pay atteatiOn- •
to what bas fallen from the Honourable Gentlemaa
rerpolling the-ezpreffion,'' the confidential famuste •
of his Majelty, it will be necessary for me to fay a
few words in defenceof, and for the purple of main. • .
seining that principle of relponfibility which the Ho-
nourable Gentleman has affeaed to treat without:kr , •
difregard. As far, Sir, as 1 have been able to cons. ,
prebend the tenoor of his obiervations, it appeared; •
to me that he teemed to infindate that there erillO4
a alilpofition on the part of Miailters to conceal froinf• ,
the public what they have a right to know. Sir, so
my own part, I will moll emphatically declare, and? •
Fen furs the fentiments of the red of his Maker"' • .
Minifers coincide with mine, that there is no with, •
jaclination or defign to conceal from this Hattie or ,
Roos the Nation, any cirentneente which could be
iftiparted to them with, I will twit fay, a doe regard
to delicacy, but with even the obtervaace of a de-
cent propriety. If that communication which the
Honourable Gentleman declares this Houle hat a ,
tight to expel, has not been made to it on this. par.!,
titular emergency, that fault, if it be one, is to be
juflified on reminds of much greater importafices
on confiderattons of higher confequence, than any ;
fentiments of •a falfe and culpable delicacy. It itt. •
to be joftified on cireumflances, the knowledge. of
which, I am perfnaded, would meet the a; plobatiou
of a great majority of this Honk, but of ethic+,
bis Majefty's IMniftersontered into a prematuic •
fidtratton, they would but ill deferve that confidence
and rapport, which, to this moment, they have obd
tamped. This h a difcretion which they wit easiest.
your to maintain, and thefe ate obligations which
they will never lofe fight of. If I have a entree coo.
ception of what has fallen from the Honourable
Gentle Man, he has, on this night, thrown out the. •
very extraordinary idea, that on every temporary in.
difpofition of the Monarch, there arifes a neceffity
for an immediate communication to Parliament.
Sir, I will not trefpafs upon the patieoee of the'
Hour:, by labouring to controvert the abfprdity of
a principle, the ellabliffiment of which would be pro-
duetive, I will not ray of merely inconvenience in a .
practical view, but of great poffible danger-to the
confitutina of this realm. Sir, I know not upon
what reafonable grounds Minißers can be arraigned
of withholding communication from this Honk.
do not fee upon what principle it could have been
expeaed by any candid, impartial man. The ham
tin of yefterday, in my mind, prepared the public fdr
no fpeedy communication ; on the contrary, as, fat'
as I have been able to view it, it teemed to even fa-
percede the neceffity of any communication. The
Honourable Gentleman has commented upon the
terms in which the reports of the phyficians have
been couched, and has contraßed the bulletin of this
day with that of yefterday. He has attempted to
draw a diffinition between the expremons, • that no
rapid advancement was to be expeeed,' and that
'his Majefty was gradually advancing towards reco..
very.' Sir, I (ball not attempt to follow the Ho-
nourable entleman through all the fubtleties of a .
difinltion, at any time of little important, in War.
and certainly made much lets fo by the obfervation
I fhall have the honour of making to this Houle re-
fpetting thole bulletins. Sir, the phyficians in draw.
ing up their report, referred to the anxiety of every
defcription of his Majelly's fubjeas, to the public at
large, and fo prepared it as to meet that anxiety.
have now the happinefs to Rate to this Houle, that
the phyficiane who attend the Royal Perron. judg-
ing and reafoning from the cootie that a fimilar ma.
lady has taken place twice within the tail id years.
are unanimously of opinion that I,is Nlajelt!'s pre-
fent indifpolition will be but of Short duration. The
Honourable Gentleman has fuppofed a cafe when a
neceffity should aide of calling out the volunteer
force, and has atked, how it is to be aecomplithed
during the fufpenfion of the Bill now btfore you,
, but by a proclamation which necelTerily infers the
fign manual of the Monarch ? Although certainly
the fign manual is not to be difpenied with on many
occafions, yet in the poflibility of loch an occafion it
would not be necelTary, for the eliding laws am
• competent to the aftembling of the volunteer force,
and giving it every neceltery aair;ty. But if his Ma-
. jelly's fignature ware necaffery, I am happy to Rate
to the Houle, that th.rc would at this moment
guilt no oltrultion to public twiner,. I again re-
peat for the fatishaion of the Houk, and I tuft
for that of every individual in the empire. that as far
as depends upon the !TUC& of the royal functions,
, the bufinefs of the country will not be fubjea to
any fittpenfe or interruption. Let me thou implore
this Hunfe in favour of thole, whom, notwithliand•
ing the obfervations of the Honourable Gentleman, I
will Rill venture to defignate as his Majefty's cove.
dential Mainers, in favour of chafe who freely and
confidently, confident became they feel they are aa.
ing uprightly, &Rum to thallicl,t% a high and tre-
mendous rerponfibility, I will 1 fay, Sir. implore
this Houle to believe, that they will sae withhold
communication longer than it (hell be n. ceffitty. At
preterit I have no hesitation in drtlaring, it would be
both indecent and indelicate. I fh dl therefore. Sir,
think it my duty to objea to the moiihei of the Hon.
Baronet. The [mate of hi. hi,jelh• requires that
Parliament thoold continue fittinv, ; 1 hull that
the o ifdom and ditcretion of this. 11,,,tic Mill throw
no ohilaclet in oewa y t the public bi mind., ao in-
,onitenience which will inevitablr b: produced, by
tdoring the moti,,n th‘tt has b;:n lohmitted to
them. How the Hon. llar:•t•Lt can reconc•le the im-
f,.ttant wieftion befure the Hoeft, with the motion
~f adjournment propoted by h•na,,..1 am utterly at a
t,) Ent berate the Houk fhall conical
t,t cl,..er a s!tc4t pubic ria:efure, and confidlering the
inn:miaow gifts at which we dud, perhaps we of A