Star.
London, England, 1821-02-14 00:00:00

points, doubt t started up in his thind ; even yet
kie could not say .that be had formed any firin opi-
nion upon the subject. But supposing the omission
had been legal, and supposing that it had not the 1.
effect of prejudging her Majesty's case—yet it was
quite a distinct thing to restore it again. And in
the consideration of this proposition he was pressed
by some difficulties. He could not view with appro-
bation the adoption, on the `part of her ,Majesty, of
sentiments and declarations utterly inconsistent with
her declarations in her first communication to that
Muse, and, he would add, with any degree of re•
spect for the institutions of the country. But whilst
he noticed this distressing circumstance, he ought
not to omit calling the attention of the House to the
propriety of giving. her Majesty the benefit of many
circumstances of mitigation. It was well known that
she did not cpmpose these declarations herself—they
were written for her by some persons who had ob-
tained an unfortunate ascendancy in her councils, and
be was sure, over the voice too, of his Hon. and
Learned Friends, the Legal Advisers of her Majesty.
But whatever weight he gave to these matters, he
did not still mean to alter or qualify his opinion,
that these declarations were no less discreditable to
her Majesty than they were injurious to the country.
111, however, he were asked, " Would you punish her
Majesty for these offences?" he would answer, No—
because he would not punish her for another's crime.
He would say, however, that several of these publi-
cations were grossly libellous, and he wondered that
they bad not been the subject of public prosecutions.
But if they were thought worthy the animadversion
of the law, let them be brought,into the Courts of
Justice. But it was not for the Queen that they
ought now to propose to themselves any particular
measure, but for the sake of the country—(Near,
hear).—He felt that the exclusion of her name from
the Liturgy had the effect of rendering the bulk of
the middling, and the well-meaning part of the
lower classes, more open to the assaults and sechic-
lions of those bad men who were watching every op-
poltunity in order to bring about their own mis-
chievous ends. The People said, " we are persuaded
that it is wrong to exclude her Majesty's name from
the Liturgy, and everybody is of the same opinion,
and why is it not restored ?" This was the question
that they would naturally ask themselves; and it
was easy to see that they would endeavour to ac-
count for the circumstance, by attributing it to the
obstinacy of Ministers, seeing that they had declared
their determination not to restore the name of her
Majesty to the Liturgy—(Hear, hear, hear).—
yhey knew that it was common with public men to
make declarations, and pledge themselves to a parti-
cular line of policy for their future conduct. But he
would take it upon him to say, that there never was
an instance when it was less the duty, or ought to be
less the feeling of Government, to make a binding
declaration for their future guidance, than the pre-
sent—(Near, hear). Had the question been, indeed,
one which involved many branches to be successively
brought under the attention of the House, it would
have been advisable, perhaps, for the Mihister to
make a declaration of the principle by which he in-
tended to be bdund in the subsequent stages of the
measures, for the purpose of giving the House an op-
portunity of understanding his views. But here was
a question with respect to which the opinions ofsome
of the greatest and honestest men in the country were
divided, and upon which, therefore, it did not behove
his Majesty's Ministers to pledge themselves so pre-
maturely. But it was natural for the People to say,
under the circumstances in which, by the consent of
Ministers, her Majesty was now placed, " Why is not
her Majesty's name restored to the Liturgy, unless it
be that Ministers have pledged tlaemselves that it
shall not be restored ?"—(Hear,
hear, hear !)..-H
This was the view of the People t they would not cow
cur with him, he fairly owned, in his opinion, the',
expression of which he would venture to renew at the
risk of drawing down upon him some ridicule, namely,'
that her Majesty was substantially prayed tor in
the general Prayer for the Royal Family. The
People, he would candidly confess, did not concur
with him in this notion ; but they declared that the
exclusion of her name was an act deliberately aimed
at her character. However, his opinion, he was sorry
to say his singular opinion, remained unaltered, that
she was substantially prayed for in the manner before
described. But the People asked why she was ex-
cluded? "If she is bad, said they, " then it is still
more desirable she should be prayed for, and to re-
store her name to the Liturgy." They considered,
too, that the good or bad character, strictly speaking,
of the Queen, ought not to influence the question.—
They did not understand why she was to be punished
in this particular way; and why, since she was re-
stored to other rights, she should not also obtain this.
They would naturally ask, why not reduce her in-
come? why not inflict some other mark of disap-
probation upon her, rather than withhold that favour
or right, or whatever else it was, which ought to be
the last to be taken from her? But the continuance
of this exclusion kept up a difference of opinion that
agitated per petually the feelings of the country, and
I introduced above all, political feelings into the
Church, where they ought to find no entrance t but
least of all, in such a manner as necessarily would
engage the thoughts of men upon that particular
day appropriated to the exclusive performance of
sacred duties (near, hear), and whilst the heart
ought to be indifferent to all vulgar contradictions,
and thus begetting jars and strife where harmony and
peace and love ought constantly to reign. Such was
• the view of the People. He did not mean to say, that
the insertion of her Majesty's name would prevent
the developement of bad passions or the designs of
bad men—for he believed that those who were de-
sirous of seizing any opportunity for the promotion
of their own 'wicked attempts a ere not much Church
frequenters. It was obvious that the People were
not in the habit of making those nice constitutional
distinctions which might occur in that House.—
But it so happened, that they took a different view of
this question from several in that House; and although
he was not prepared to approve of their notions, yet
he had no hesitation in declaring his belief, that if
the King had any idea of the feelings of the people,l
he would have considered it his glory to make a sacri-
fice, if there were any to make, to the wishes of his
People. He confessed, therefore, that this was the
consideration which operated upon his mind most
strongly and powerfully. The recurrence to the sub-
ject every Sunday, would necessarily have the effect
Hof keeping up the irritation of the people's minds. lie