Star.
London, England, 1820-02-19 00:00:00

same •time, he was ready to Acina that die caw*:
WAS somewhat pew. The Hon.: and- lammed Gen.
I tlem.in must be aware, that by the Common Law:i
course, Parliament was, in fact, dissolved by the de-
mise-of the King. The addition of six Months to its
existence was first-made in the reign. of :-Kiag Wil-
liam,•and the provision was tiren:merely made be-
cause it was deemed expedient, on account of the
probability of a disputed succession, that all the
branches of the Legislature should not he suspended
at the same time. The provision -was made perma-
nent by Anne, for the same reason.- It was a very
natural provision, upou these.occasions. It was Ullar
voitisibly necessary, and at the same. time analogous
to, and by no means superseding, the spirit or pracs
tice of the Constitution. •The-practice undoubtedly
was, that the provision fir' the Crown- should be
made in the first Meeting of Parliament next . after
the demise of the late Sovereign. He did not mean
to say, because the same reasons .did not now exist
for 'suffering Parliament to retilain in being for six
Months longer, as upon the occasion when 'this rule
was obtained, that; therefore,. the practices should not
be adopted. But he was applying himself to the
argument, and if he sheaved that the grounds for
continuing the existence of Parliament upon occa-
slops of the demise of the Crown, could not on this
occasion be supposed to exist ; in other words, that
the precedents did not apply, he thought he would
answer the case of the Right Hon. Gentleman.—
In the case of William and Mary, the necessity of pro-
tracting the sitting of Parliament was obvious ; in the
other reigns the same reasons applied. In none of
these cases was Parliament actually sitting. But upon
this occa,ion,• Parliament had been actually sitting,
for he took it, that a slight adjournment did not
make it necessary for him to qualify the phrase. But
Parliament was sitting, and an impression was pre-
vailing abroad, that an immediate dissolution would
take place; and it he knew any person who had con-
tributed more than another to the circulation of that
notion, it wattlie Honourable and Learned Gentle-
man himself (Mr. Brougham). That Honourable
and Learned Gentleman was the last person in the
world from whom he expected a chhrge of precipis
tancy against Ministers ;—had he not been the very
first to challenge his adversaries to the lists of elec-
tioneering combats, and would he now reproach
these who had been anxious to give him a speedy op.
portunity of coming to battle ? He, at least, ought not
to blame Ministers, if they shortened the delay be=
tween the Honourable Gentleman and all the triumphs
he expected to reap amongst his constituents. Was
it supposed, that in the present state of she country,
when so many. distracting interests were afloat, that
there would be that attendance of Members in the
House, that constant presence, both night and day,
which the importance and exigency of the affairs of
the kingdom required ? it could rot be expected.
Mr. BROUGHAM thought he had some right to
complain of the course which the Right lion. Gen-
tleman had taken with regard to himself personally.
Ile had observed, not unfrequently, that the .Rignt
Hon. Gentleman had got at his joke by a complete
perversion of the fact. Upon this occasion, the Right
Hon. Gentleman, in order to make out that he (Mr.
Brougham) was inconsistent in two of his statements,
aas obliged to fabricate—he used the word with
every respects—but he was obliged to fabricate fon
him, this statement, namely, that he•was now averse
'to a slated), dissolution of Parliament. Now he (Mr:
Brougham), would appeal to the recollection of the
House, and ask them, did he not, two se-verli tunes,
declare his entire concurrence with the measure-of .a
speedy dissolution ?—(Hear, hear). He would say
one word in explanation of another part of his for.'
mer observation,. which had been misunderstood.—
The Right Hon. Gentleman said there were prece-
cedents in favour of Parliament broaching the ques-
tion of their own dissolution, and stated, that Ad-
dresses on the subject had been frequent. True—but
when was there an instancce of a House of Com-
mons Addressing the Throne for a dissolution of their
existence? At all events, -the coarse was quite novel
that the Crown should first announce its..iritention to
dissolve Parliament, and then call on Parliament to
discuss the propriety of it—(Hear, hear).
Mr. MACDONALD said, that the Right Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. Canning) had alluded to the prece-
dents in opposition to the doctrine he was supporting,
and threw them all. aside without giving any one
reason for doing so. He would ask, why, as in all
former cases, was it not notified to Parliament that
the Civil List had expired? Was it becauie Ministers
dreaded that the People, at the subsequent Election,
would manifest their dissatisfaction with the conduct
of their Representatives? The only other supposition
was, that there was something in the views of Minis-
ters which 'that Parliament could not be expected to
concur with. But the Right }fon. Gentleman, with
all his accuracy of understanding, had, in his argu-
ment, wholly confounded an Address from the House
with a Message front the Throne. He was rather
surprised to hear the language of the Right lion.
Gentleman that night; for he was long enough in
that House to remember hearing the Right Hon.
Gentleman absolutely threaten the House, that if
they did not agree to some particular course on a
certain occasion, he would feel it his duty. to advise
an immediate dissolution of Parliament.
The question was then put and carried.
CORRUPT BOROUGHS.

Lord JOHN ItUSSELL hoped, as Bills were to be
'continued which went Co provide for the public con-
venience, that the condition of the corrupt Boroughs
of Grampound, 'Penrhyn, and Camelford, would not
be neglected.' It appeared from an Act of the 15th
of George the Third, chap.. 36, that wehre gross •cor-
ruption was proved against any Borough, its dis-,
franchisement almost .necessarily followed. That
writs in such cases were frequently suspended, was
,also clear ; and he proposed to extend the principle
of that * Act to the caSes*Of the corrupt Boroughs he
had just named, on the present dissolution: • In casts,
of impeachment the dissolution of Parliament did
not stop all proceedings; and it was stated, on a me-
morable occasion, by. Mr.. Fox, that the prorogation
of Parliament, in place of having such an OperakiOU,
gaie.to Members a Witt opjobridnity of reviewing'
their proCeedlngs. He would; be softy to dol any
thing vexatious to the inhabitants of any Borough;
but. as to renhryn, Carnelford,, and (irampouud,
their corruptions were so notorious, that thetshonld
not be alloWed the e set:the of theefectivefrantUe.
'This. Bill -pYdlioted thitt iitr *fit ihuttld issue Ark Eli Ole
coe Airlialssient, 'and in.

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