Star.
London, England, 1811-02-04 00:00:00

PARLIAMENT ART PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, SATURDAY, FEB. it.
The Low) CHANCELLOR took the Woolsack at five
o'clock.

AFFIXING TRY GIMAT UAL.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that he rose in
pursuance of the notice be had given the day before,'
to move the Resolution authorising certain Commis-
sioners to affix the Great Seal in the King's name, to ,
the Regency Bill, in virtue of the Commission he had
yesterday laid on the table, and which he should then
move to be read. His Lordship's motion being made,
put, and carried nrm. dirs. the Commission was accor-
dingly read by the Clerk.
Lord HOLLAND then rose, an said, that after
the discussions that had already taken place, during
the proceedings in this business, and after the long
and unnecessary delays which had occurred, it was by
no means his intention to trespass long upon the at.
tention of the House, or to start any thing that might
lead to a protracted discussion ; but in the view he
took of the whole of this subject, and particularly of
the measure now proposed to be carried into effect,
he felt it to be his bounden duty to make another de-
claration of his sentiments, and express his entire re-
.

English from St. Ruch, and caused the fort of Ste- probation of the proposition of the Noble Earl. Helfunctions in an indivie— as Regent, and to deny to
pony to be razed. considered the whole course of the proceedings asithose the power of advising the of eing of the Great
The kingdom of Murcia loudly calls out for the contrary to all analogies of the Statute Law of the ! Seal to their measures for supplying the kingly de.
arrival of the French ; the chiefs of the insurrection Land. These proceedings had already kept the'l feet. The act now to be performed evanted no Bid
are there held in detestation. Since the last catas- country without a legal and efficient Government for of Indemnity. It was its own indemnity, and car•
trophe of Blake, the army which he had endeavoured the space of three months, and might have exposed it ried with it its own justification. The Noble surd
to collect is entirely dispersed. to still greater dangers than had been felt • which Learned Lord, then, with considerable animate. e,
General Sebastiani intended to repair in front of was, indeed, very nearly occurring from the differeace observed, that attempts had been made to deter per-
Carthagena, to commence the siege of that place. of opinions between the two Houses of Parliament. sons from doing their duty, by terror ; but, he trueed
SIEGE OF CADIZ.—In front of Cadiz the operations He contended that there was no precedent to be' that there was firmness and determination enough in
of the siege were advancing. found for this procedure of affixing the Great Seal, , those who had that duty to perform, to disregard ,dl
On the 14th, 40 gun-boats and 60 feluccas had by which they acted in the teeth of the Statute, which such attempts at intimidation. (Hear.)
been drawn across the Isthmus, a space of 600 toises, declared the incompetency of the two branches of the I Lord HOLLAND rose again, in consequence of
upon rollers, and put afloat in the canal of the Tro- Legislature to pass an Act without the concurrence, what had been said by the Noble and Learned Lord
cadero. of the third. The present measure went still farther j respecting the value and force of the precedents. In
A new battery, constructed at .200 toises in front of than the farmer one, which only put the Great Seal ; doing so, he should not make any appeal to the th-
rall Napoleon, threw shells at all points within the to a Commission for opening Parliament: whereas I buaal of that Noble and Learned Lord's candour;
'circuit of Cadiz. They had succeeded in throwing, this went to the full extent of passing a Legislative but he should appeal to the tribunal of his learning
from 15 howitzers, projectiles of 801 b. weight to the Act. No Act of Parliament could be passed by the and his. memory. He (Lord Holland) liaci in a
distance of 2600 Wises from the batteries ; the shells Parliament, consisting of the three branches of King, speech on a former occasion endeavoured to prove to
flew over Cadiz. Lords, and Commons, but in this case, the absurdity. the House that there was no precedent applicable to
The bombardment has thus commenced ; it will of a fiction was resorted to, professing to be in thel the case that justified the present proceeding. He
continue to go on with increased effect. The discon- King's name, when it was notorious, and had been ; bail only to tell the Noble Lord, that if he would
tent had become extreme in that unhappy city. They resolved upon by the two Houses of-Parliament, that I give him one precedent wherein the functions of the
complained there, that the English, instead of sue- the King was actually incapable of the exercise of the I Third branch were exercised, as now proposed, without
couring Cadiz, stripped the frontiers of Andalusia, Kingly functions, and consequently could have no ' the power of assent or dissent, he would give him his
and called the.force under Romana to the defence of will of his own. The precedent, as it was termed, of, vote for the measure—(Hear.) He should wish to
'their own army. They seemed to be extremely dis- 1788-9 was not complete • but it must be admitted, hear the Noble Lord's answer to a question which he
satisfied with the, present Council of the Insurgents, even by those who contended for it, that it was no pre- thus distinctly put. In looking back to precedents
who had formed an assembly subject to English in- cedent in the present particular instance, since the' end authorities, he might be permitted, without mean-
•fluence, and actuated by the spirit of a furious demo- proceedings of that period had never readied this lug any reflection upon the Noble and Learned Lerd,
cracy. stage. The Lord Chancellor might put the Great !'tei remind him that there were persons fully equal to
The Bishop of Orense, one of the Regency, hay- Seal to the Bill, but he. must do so upon his respon. Aiim in learning and Wisdom who had maintained
in g returned to different sentiments, after being one sileility • and the same responsibility must attach to !
_oleinions very different from his. [Here he alluded to
of the most violent of insurgents, publicly declared, the other principal Agents in this unconstitutional Mr, Sethi's, Mr. Serjeant Maynard, and others.] In
that ;t was evident that every thing succeeded with transaction. ,He should therefore hold them for such—`the year 1789, the precedent never had advanced to
the Empetor Napoleon ; that this was the result of a conduct amenable to the law of the land, until they . the present stage, and he had no right to believe, but as
decree of Puovtosecs, who would have it so, and were absolved by a Bill of Indemnity.- the thing was never done, he had a i ;eta to assue, that
u hich ought to be submitted to. At this discourse Earl GREY said, that concurring as he did in all the Lord Chancellor of that de/ would not haveput
the Junta took the alarm. They banished the Bishop that had fallen from his Noble Friend, lie must take the Great Seal in this manner to a Bill es a regular
lof Orense, General Castanos, and all the Members of this opportunity solemnly to protest against' this mea- Act of Parliament. This could not be called en
'the late Regency, and threw a great number of the sure, as totally contrary to the principles and spirit of Act Parliament, being only the Act of the two
principal inhabitants into prison. the constitution, and as a gross violation of the du- Houses assenting to their own Resolutions. Ther.=
The Duke of Belluno, who is especially charged with ties of the ,tirb Houses of Parliament, and of the law was nothing anelagous to this.
the conduct of the siege of Cadiz, has the means of of the land. Those who used the Great Seal in this ! - The Statute of Charles the Second "S in the teeth
at once embarking and transporting to the opposite manner were, no doubt, responsible for their conduct 'of the whole proceeding. Seeing the gi eat delays thlt
shore a body of 12,000 men. till they procured an indemnification. This measure had already occurred, and the great dangers likely to
On the 29th, the enemy's squadron advanced would be, at best, but the measure of the two Houses • result from the farther prolongation' of the business,
against Fort St. Catharine and the Napoleon battery. assenting to their own Acts, and making use of the he should not make any further observations, than to
—An engagement took place—.the fire was very i King's Great Seal for that purpose. It was not an repeat once more his conviction of the responsibility of
brisk. Several of the enemy's gun-boats ere sunk. I Act of Parliament, but a fiction, and an absurdity those who acted for such a purpose under a Commis-
We fired teem our batteries upwards of 3000 shot.-1 contrary to law. Not meaning to dwell in detail lion, with the Great seal put to it in the Manner and
'Our shells blew up the fort of Puntales, The cue- f upon the subject, he must repeat his protestation under the circumstances as pmposed.
my's gun-beats, after an action of three hours, chew i against the measure, reserving to himself, at any , The LORD CHANCELLOR then proceeded to
off, and made for Cadiz Point, to shelter themselves future day, the right of questioning the legality and put the question on the Resolutions, which passed
from our forniaible batteries of Se and a4-pounders.' propriety of this proceeding of making those who sos. 411.
ARMY Ot* Eseuemenuiet.—The Duke of Dalmatia acted upon it amenable to the laws of their country. : The Earl of LIVERPOOL then moved to fill nP
had marched from Seville, with 4 battering train, to; The Earl ot LIVERPOOL said, that although he the blank with the worde o The ifih
(as we under-
take post in front of Badajos, in order to hesiere should abstain from any observations that might lead stood) of February," which wasagreed to n°'7. din.
that fortress, and form a communication with the, to further discussion, he felt it impossible to let the , A messane was then ordered to he sent to the Corn-
-Prince of Essling. Badajos most by this time have remai Ls that bad been ntetig ley the two Noble Lords ' moos, desiring* conference, to.acquaiut them With the
len. The battering train eoasisted of V) picots of; opposite pass by, witheut some. notice, He pew Resolutions passed by their Lordeaps.
isitsvy ordnance, • could bit silently PO permit this measure to be 59 Adjourned till half-past four on Monday.
•