Star.
London, England, 1820-06-20 00:00:00

PARLIA.VENTARY PRPCEEDINGS.

•
. HOUSE OF LORDS, JUNE 19.
The Martinis of Berne, ind the Lord, Gaze and Doutmas
took the oaths and their seats.
• The Harboor Bill was read a Second time, and
comtuittl=Vednesday.
' Lord HOLLAND presented a Petition againllt the Ayr and
Calder Navigation BM, which was laid on the table, and or-
dered so be referred to the Committee on that Bill. -
The Earl of .SHEFFIELD presented a Petition from the
British Merchants. engaged in the trade with the British North
American Colonies, praying that no alteration might take plate
la the existingdeties on the Importation of Timber from the
Deltic end northern parts of
. The Earl of LAUDERDIAVea;ked if the Petitioners were
tbsi concerned In the trade with Canada? .
The End of SHEFFIELD stated, that they were, Merchants
trading with Nova Scotia, and on the suggestion of the foftner
Noble Lord, the Petitioa was ordered to be referred to the So?'
lect Conunittee on Foreign Trade.
The Earl of ROSEBERRY moved that the Order of the
DJ), for the committal of the BM to regulate the Election of the
Representative Peers of Scotland be discharged, ant that the
BSI be committed for that day sennight.—Ordered.-
Mr. S. Woavary, Mr. COMMIT% and others, brought up some
Private Bills, which were read a first time.
The Earl ef DARNLEY moved for Returns relative to the
attire state of his Majesty's Navy, including a full statement a(
the illinabei-of Ships fit for service and under repair, with the
-amount of guns, tonnage, and effective Seamen.—Ordered.
The Marquis of LANSDOW N presented a Petition from
the Merchants and Traders of Westminster, praying that a
clause might be inserted in the Insolvent Debtors' Bill for the
relief of those pewee who-are ciliated under a committal for
contempt of Coen. The Noble • Marquis observed, that an es-
sential distinction was drawn between those who were Confined
for what was in its proper sense a contempt of Court, that is,
who wei.• contumacious in refusing to obey an order of the
Court, and those who were guilty only of a constructive cdti-
tempt from an inability to pay sums of money, and fees which
they were bound by the judgment and rules of the Court to dis-
charge. It was the latter description of prisoners whom the
-Petitioners prayed might; be Included within the scope of the
humane provisions of the Insolvent Debtors' all; they being
put in the situation in which they stood from necessity, and not
being contumacious from choice. The Petition was ordered to
lie en the table.

The Marquis of LANSDOWN presented three Petitions
from the Inhabitants of the. County of Pembroke, and other
parts of Wales, praying for an improved modification of the
Welch system of Judicature.—Ordered to lie on the table.
The Bill for Estcouragin-° the Growth of Flax, and some Pd.
'rate Bills were committed.
Mr. &wooing, and others, front the House of Commons,
brought up the paan Bill which was read a first time.
Mr. Tension also brought up two Private Bills which were
read a first time.

'THE QUEEN.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL rose and said, that as
a communication had been. made to the House from
the Throne ielative-to a question of a delicate nature,
and a Secret Committee appointed, to which the pa-
pers alluded to in the Message had been referred, it
was found necessary to postpone `the' meeting of that
Committee in the first instance, and to protract the
time of the postponement, because certain communi-
catioßi and explanations. which had been entered into
a
hid given hopes that delay of the proceedings at
Silt proposed might be followed by 1 happy result.
He had,-hOwever, to express his regret, that the ex-
planations and communications to which he adverted
were not likely to lead to the result which had been
'generally hoped, and which had been expected by
himself, Considering the state in which the business
now stood, he felt that he could not have discharged
his duty, 'if, in common with the other confidential'
servants of the King, he had not adrised his Majesty
to lay before the House copies of all the papers which
had passed since the negociati.n commenced in coh-
pquence of the first communication-on the subject
which, bad been received by his Majesty's Ministers.
He then held in his hand papers which, by his Ma=
jesty's command, he was ordered to lay upon the
table. In the areantime.he thought it right that they
should be, according to the usual custom, printed
and ready for delivery on to-morrow (this day). The
Secret Committee had been fixed for that day, but
as it was expedient that the House should take the.
papers into consideration previously to the sitting of
that Secret Committee, he moved that it be adjourned
to Friday next. His Loidship then laid the papers
on the table, and the Committee wit fixectfor Friday.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN asked what course
Ministers intended to pursue with regard to those
papers ? The Noble Earl had laid them on the table,
but be had given no intimation of any meauve which
be intended to propose relative to theca. The post-
ponement of the Secret Committee 'was founded
upon thosepapers, and if Ministers did rex ;mend to
ground some proceeding upon them, ho,could not
account for their beiOg laid on the table.
The Earl of LIVERM)L.I4 I have no difficulty,
my Lords, in saying that it is-not my intention to
found any proceeding upon these papers. It *4l be
for your Lordships to judge of their contents, and it
will be competent for any Noble Lord to make any
tnoriori respecting them that he shall deem expedient,
or any motion as to the further proceeding or not of
the Secret Committee."
The Marquis of LANSDOWN.---fe It I understand
'tbe Noble Earl, he does not mean to found any pro-
ceeding upon these papers; but surely it must follow,
from the conduct of the Noble Earl .upon this point,
that his opinion is. made up, that the consideration
Of these papers will form no ground for further post-
poning the meeting of the Secret Committee."
The Earl of LIVERPOOL," My Lords, I have•
delivered no such opinion, nor do I mean to de it.
It will be for your Lordships to consider whether
there is anything in these papers that ought to have
the effect or not, of further postponing die meeting
of the Committee."
The Earl GREY.—" I cannot avoid, my Lords,
intruding upon your Lordships a few observations
upon the very extraordinary and unprecedented'
course of proceeding which has been resorted to with
regard to this case by his Majesty's Ministers. They,
in the first instance, brought down a Message from
the King, making certain charges against her Ma-
jesty, the Queen Consort. The papers communicated
rarith the Royal Message his Majesty's Ministers
move to refer to ft Secret Committee, and it is clear
that they had not then is camtation any delay
fin the aliging of that be Caniliiice. Wilts
4 4. •