Star.
London, England, 1820-06-08 00:00:00

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same time, it was impossible now that he could give stantial-justice, and should not proceed in a manlier
that•full explanation ° which he trusted be should do which experience has shewn to be most ur.satisfactore
when the proper opportunity should arrive. He to the country ; the People were still goaded tIY
trusted, however, that without going into that.part measures growing out of Secret Committee proceed-
of the question-to which he alluded, lie should now lugs.' On these groends, even if he thoug'nt the line
•be able to. satisfy the Noble Marquis as to what were proposed (which he certainly did not) uas a consti-
the inceptions of his Majesty's
.Government. He tutional course, he should feel it his duty to oppose
trusted first, that he would be excused from mating the proceeding.
fully those circumstances which would thew that the The LORD CHANCELLOR expressed his painful
proposed course of proceeding was the fittest to be sense of the difficulties and peculiar delicacy of such
adopted, jilt were fitting to adopt any proceeding at a case as the present. He differed widely from his
all, or anything that would go to anticipate the deci- t Noble Friend (if he would permit him so to call him)
sion of the Committee ;
.-and the very reason why it as to the principle of the course proposed, that of .a
was advisable to . refer the case to the consideration Secret Committee, in the first instance. It operated
:of such a Committee in the firstinstance was enough most evidently to protect the innocent. IttnaV be
to close his mouth with reference to those points.— regarded in the light of a Grand dory of the cOuntir
He would now come to the most important enestion investigating in the first instance ; and the 'object of
,of the,Noble Marquis, namely, with respect to a si- a Secret Committee was on its inquiry to report
miler communication being made to the other House whether or not - there Were sufficient grounds for a.
of Parliament, and that it was possible that a pro- legislative or for a judicial proceeding. It . was by
ceediag way be brought judicially before their Lord- nseeemue,4tressusumg against the iunoeence.of the
,ships ; and that, therefore, it was not fit, at such 'a inclividasil tbat the previous mode of Secret Inquity
time, and under the circumstances, that a proceeding was proposed—it argued rather the contrary, and it
should originate in that House.. This suppositions was hut following the analogous line of_ procestfinie
must proceed on an assumption •of guilt. He by gr Ilis,Lordship then glanced ntshe principle and pre-
means wished. to make such an assumption noses., visions of the Treason Laws under the Statute of
1 What he said now on this point, lie wished to be cois- Edward HI. and on this head he eieminded 'the
sidered as hypothetical. He had no difficulty in say. law similarly to' what was advanced. by hii.Kobre
ing, that in some, and only in sooie respects, he Friend at the head of his Majesty's counci:s; anlithe
agreed with the idea of the Noble Marquis. He held it deur, that where the man was not guilty of
would further say, that if the case was as he would the offence of high treason, the woman could not be
'suppose—if the evidence was sufficient to convict the an accessary. In his view of the present vase, either
Illustrious Personage of a charge of High Tigress's, Parliament must interfere, or nothing could be done.
it would certainly not be fit to refer the case to the Neitherslid he agree with his Noble Friend (Lord
consideration of the other House ; but thatahe Law Holland) in ilie .opinion that the mode of ad: ailing a
Officers of the Crown should be•directed to institute Secret Committee was inconsistent with a judicial
proceedings in the Tribunals of the Country, and proceeding in fine, the mode proposed wasa more
bring the supposed offender to trial. But suppose effectual way of extending'
protection to the aicusel -
the Queen guilty of what by some might be supposed than any other, and eipetially when cornpared tO the
High Treason—the commission of adultery abroad ; . mode of bringing for Ward aHi 11. . ". • ..::
and suppose the evidence left no doubt of the fact., . The Marquis of LANSDOWN -repeated,: that-it
he had to inform their Lordships,- upon the highest was impossible' for the Ilcuse to assume that "the
legal authority, that, under such circumstances, it other House of Parliament might not think this'Atill-
was not High Treason by the laws of the country, .ter a subject of impeachment:.- The Noble and leratnel
nor was
.it cognizable by the laws of this country.— Lord had, to his surprise, talked of a Grand Jury.
'By the Act of Edward 111, the commission of adul- Did he forget that thelloust- of Coma-irons was-the
tery with the wife of the King, or the wife of the Heir true Grand Juts- ; and woull he havi'she PetiZ: 31lify
Apparent, was rendered, if the Queen was consenting, sit as a Grand Jury on the criminal it might ...al-try-
High Treason in her, as her so
,consenting would wards have to try ? .
render her an accomplice. , But in a case like •The Earl of DONOtGHM'ORE said, Tie could
that supposed, a case wherein the Queen may have not let thitiMportant" and•tiomentetis tiolsitif:.ii ass
committed adultery with a. fpseigeer abroad, and without givingliis opinion upoit . it.' . 1.4.5 ' ' l?e
sr'
that foreigner owed no allegiance to his Majesty, she differed With those' with relight he- heti beerrni. the .
could- net be considered. as an accomplice in a crime habit of actieg.."oo this shhject ; and, there
which in law was not High Treason. It could not had reason to distrust hls own judgmeht.' • .
be predicated as a treasonable offence. He believed Seemed to, think: th!s a, 'iroceectlng -which ire'ituldier •
tavvi42
that the crime of adultery on the part of the Queen, minate and Coticlemti an Illustrious tenon: -But thls
or.the wife of the Heir Apparent, could not.be Made was not even thectintnuncernealt: of etridl I it 'vas
the subject of a misdemeanour. In. the Courts of the rnostrielicate,leeent, and respecifill method; by
Law the offense was considered as a civil:injury : 'which it'could be ineiniteri whether any crimifiatOry
and he would ask on what principle, where an in- proceedings should or should not bephteed jell% weft
dictment could not be laid for a misdemeanour, upon 'of trial. They were only called upon tocousseilebis
what ground could an impeachment be brought for Majesty, whether, for the honour of-the Crown, am
high dimes and misdemeanours in a case of the 'ulterior proceedings were necessary, with respect to
Queen? As to whether the present case was one which the Conduct of this Illustrious Individent. • Did they
could be entertained by Parliament, he should wish to not know that the greatest pains had been taken On '
reserve his Opinion: But if the case were one .to whicli agitate the public' mind Aka this subjects/ :Mid would
Parliament only was competent to apply a remedy, they, upon what was -said in . Newspapersestop a
in every case which was analogous, the mode now . grave Parliamentary investigation, in ordeesse id-
proposed was certainly the most respectful course of quire What the public opinion on this..greatsques-
.proceeding ; certainly more so than one in which, tion was? Ire agreed with the Learned Lord:on the,
where no knowledge on the part of the House or of Woolsack, that the proposed proceeding sees: inter-
the Public existed, a process was to be founded at once. posing the shield of Committees of betb. Houses of -
In cases of pains. ao,pen4ties„ when a Bill ore- Parliament before the Illustrious Personage. The
ginated in the'Other *me, at was thought proper to Queen Consort. of these Rciloss should ebessosansly •
refer the matter to a Secret Committee, before it,was free.front stain, hot frcni the imputation of blesniele,
regularly discussed by the Hpuse itself. He must Lord HOLLAND was anxious that his opinions
consider, therefore,, that the present was the most should not be misunderstood on this question. The
proper, delicate, and Eespeetful course that .could be Noble Lord who last addressed the House had not •
pursued, With respect to his Majesty'eCiovernment spoken to his argument at all. He lacked much of
having previcus or extensive information on the sub- the sensibility to be produced by public irritation ;
ject, being urged as an objection, he would ask whe- and if there were any arts, of which he knew nothing,
ther such might not apply to-any cases as in those of used to excite that feverish irritation in the public
conspiracies against the State, ;or several others, mind, he from his heart abhorred and detested them.
where Government might natutally be expected to He thought, however, it was their duty to allay as
have more information. than in cue like the present? much as they could all that' feverish instability. If
There could not, he repeated, be a more respectful they prejedged this case, lie would not say they.did
or fairer mode of profelding, than that of referring an injustice to the indivijual ; 'but he theughtsthey
the proposition to a Secret Cnnimittee, leaving it to would get Themselves involved in suspiciponietrof
such Committee to judge ofite.merits, to the extent which lie saw no way., He was far horn .thinking
of whether any, or what course of proceeding, was that no, inquiry should be instituted in this case; btlx
proper to he adopted. It certainly must he more ,he thought shat inquiry should be made by use
cakulated to satisfy the public mind, or the Royal Grand Inquest Of the Nation-s•-the .cther House of
Personage in question, than if they were to come in Pasliameet ; and they,, who were;the Sppreme Court
the first instance to Parliament with a proposition for of Judleatinas should not come, prejneiccel so any
a Bill—( Hear, hear! ), . judgment they might be called upon Jo..giee.. Ile
.
Lord HOLLAND argued, that the propose4mode
,did not think the proposed mode of prcceeding more
of proceeding was by no Means the regular or con- severe, or as severe as masy that might be adopted;
stitutional course, or that which would at 41 satisfy but he protested against it as unsomtitutional. •
the public mind. If by Parliament the decision was ' 'The Marquis cf L4NSDOWN aisseed in eery
to be made, a more inconvenient or uesstisfactory word of the explanatieri of his Noble Kietid. .' •
mode could trot be suggested. If the NOble. Earl It was afterwards ordered that the %Commit*. Ithould: be
conceived a legislative remedy, whether of divoreb ethheciliecnohTubitatitivotsbt"lataduirrhe'V" vaders""tk*t.d"untkelt Pf
or of pains and pEnalties to be the most eligible wi,e, The Bills upon the table berit,g req. esitviii•W an
the submitting of. such. Dill to Parliament was pzek• adjournment inunediare/f !col Lice.. • ' -;nit 'ts el., f..
i.. . •
J • r
ferahle to a judicial course of proceeding. The mode ~ . - iious.pdoi cpAllidsA ,-,. ''' ' m-I`,
At lialfinrt tw ' 'cliithe, Ct. • i --aleit
•of communicating the subject; to both Houses at
• o y
.4 . 4, .r? mss
once may place their Lordship* in a most uefasotirs illisicra (A straligir‘..w IS crostrd rt.biled iici% iatibid,;
able predicament, as it was more than.poisible that VIA it. , - . -i • , -Z.:jute-J-6..46 4 '. •. -,.* I is von t. se
the Commons may resort to a iudicial proceeding. h On the matlea 44%1 PalMaßGASTs•witutataUrd titre
jal' 414Tb:he: hadelift accef;tredr%;:e Pre4:reesisenbStlttlao!thardthe4l•LteortEeeut,
The circumstance. of a Committee of that Hoesei
offering an opinion, must greatly militite against its • a pew Writ was ordered to be te.sdi-o••t for antialk, •.. -
judicial character ; and it was most important, in al 'Mr.LEIGIIKR( K broughtiv the ROPttefthe.Sertei Cent-
oughtsridge Election, -sp:iteh oared abe•det..
constitutional poiet of view, that its judicial chi. i I'llt.
ve
an.ebeteStr
ratter should be untainted. The mode of proceeding ,
Q 1 0°
Lawson eand Spooner,.'
IthV4i:treillb:t tt!"-liiieTcnitedMand itr:i
by Secret Committees had latterly, and most de% nes, Mundy and Mr. Dailks were day el, tad for the s'S'd
servedly, become very nnpoptilar in ,the cueetry. Tiororgh, Itut that the. opposition to tbs. Petition wattling bin,.
They must recollect, and reel what haesh, what yrss lovk or vexation,. • • w
N. • •
constitutional and oppressive regulatioes „Cinauiteal .01 all (.70.OR the 1""4 ."° gi'mr.' CC
-R 8 *an le.-°°" was Awed
ezportodoato Ireland,. front, Januaryt • 10104
.Itt from Green Boa Commietees.' The term ever souiided: ..January, I nsQ,
odious and ungrateful in the ears of . ..People. Thel. The'SPEAKER rtibia the opporturitY Of ollbereingritit is
t to lih'aisiearlier time tlian7upub
House should seriously, coasider, aid, • no q?eisn-s" 17 uhVbe riPeliktt
,i ,_. .
tesiin_ 4 Laing the public business. .H. isopedthat half.'
hastily hastily adopt the proposed triode 4. riC 6'—' would be thought a convenient dwelt Su • ' -
N*ell
hatever they chi should be in the ptin4e eOf sub- l p• ' •
. . • 1 eiktu'Pt Nvils.4.l—efi Yek4l 44inihr.li °I
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