Star.
London, England, 1810-12-20 00:00:00

PARLIAMEIVTARr PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, DECEMBER 19.
The House met a few minutes before four.
THE KING'S ILLNESS.

,After a short interval Earl SPENCER rose, and
observed, that he wished to ask a question of the
Noble Lord opposite, cr of any other of his Majesty's
servants, with respect to the course of proceeding it
was intended to propose on the present melancholy
emergency. He was aware that he was irregular in
thus asking a question, as to the course of proceeding
before the Report of the Committee appointed by the
House, to examine the Physicians attending his Ma-
jesty, relative to his Majesty's state of health, was
laid before the House ; but as it would be a great con-
veaience to many Noble Lords to be informed of the
; nude of proceeding which it was intended to propose,
• he trusted he should be excused for thus asking the
question.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL was aware that it
would be a great convenience to many Noble Lords,
from circumstaeces arising out of the present season
of the year, and other considerations, to be informed
of the mode of proceeding it was intended to pro-
pose, and he had no objection to satisfy the Noble
Lord upon that head. It was the intention of his
Majesty.'s servants to propose Resolutions upon the
two branches of the subject which must now fall un-
. der the consideration of the House. The first related
to the defect in the personal exercise of the Royal
Authority, and ,to the mode of supplying that defect,
if the House;should be of opinion that it was necessary
to proceed to fill up the personal exercise of the Royal
Authority ; and the second to the regulations, which
it might be deemed expedient to adopt, relative to
such exercise of the Royal Authority. Upon the first
branch of the subject, it was intended in the. Resolu-
tions to be proposed to adhere strictly to the prece,
• dent of 1788 and 1789, that being the course which
in his opinion was in strict conformity with the history
of the country, and with the Constitution. It being
the course pointed out by the Constitution, it must be
the same at all times, and therefore, the mode of pro-
ceeding intended to be proposed would be the same as
,ie 1788. With respect to the second branch of the
subject, the regulations fit to be adopted respecting the
mode of exerctsing the Royal Authority, that was a
question of expediency, and the course of proceeding
.IrlSt beliable to variation according to the alteration of
circumstances. He must,: therefore, decline stating
more precisely what course of proceeding upon that part
of the subject it was intended to propose. Upon the
former branch of the subject there could be no difficulty
in stating an intended strict adherence to the precedent
of 1788. With respect to the time, their Lordships
would have observed by the votes of the House of
Commons, that to-morrow was fixed upon by that
House for the consideration of this subject. If, there-
fore, there was any probability of that House having
any communication to make to their Lordships' House
by Saturday, he should propose that their Lot dships
should meet on Saturday for the purpose of receiving
that communication. The discussion of that commu-
nication, from the circumstance of Tuesday being
Christmas day, could not conveniently take place on
Monday ; he should have no objection to Wednesday,
tint understanding the succeeding day would be more
convenient to several Noble Lords, he should propose
Thursday for the discussion.
Earl SPENCER was obliged to the Noble Earl
for his explanation. He was not sure that be perfectly
understood the Noble- Earl as to the proposed mode
of proceeding, it was, however, evident that the three.
Resolutions of 1788, were intended to be the basis of
the Noble Earl's propositions. He could not avoid,
therefore, saying a few words upon this subject,
and in order to avoid the irregularity of which he
should otherwise be guilty, he intended to conclude
by moving that their Lordships be summoned for
to-morrow, when the Report of the Committee, it was
understood, was to be presented. He was anxious to
put in his claim now, although it might be considered
premature to discuss the subject at this time, in order
that it might not be imputed to him, or to other No-
ble Lords who entertained similar opinions with him,
when the discussion came on, that they liailacquies-
ced in the mode of proceeding intimated by the Noble
Earl. A t the period of 1788 he was a much younger
Member of the House, and took no part in the pro-
-eceding,. of that time, except by his vote and his pro-
test against the measure then adopted. All his ex-
perience since, all that he had read, and all that he
had derived from conversation from others, had only
tended to confirm him in the opinion which he then
entertained. It was his firm conviction now, as it
was Then, that the measure then adopted was one of
the greatest breaches in the Constitution that had ever
been made ; and he thanked GOD that that measure
bad never been carried into effect. A delay highly
censurable had already taken place, a delay of no
less than seven Weeks, and not a moment ought to be
lost in supplying the defect in the personal exercise of
the Royal Authority, the melancholy fact of the sus-
pension of which must be unhappily established by
f 1 a Report of the Committee. To proceed as the
s-ioble Lord had intimated, by a legislative measure,
was, he contended, contrary to the Constitution, inns- ,
much as they ought first to supply a third estate, the
exercise of the authority of which was now unhappily '
suspended. To supply this defect in the personal ex-
ercise of the. Royal authority, at a crisis like the pre- :
teat, wipe moment ought to be lost. He trusted
that then. Lordships would consider the subject with
• - the most anxious attention, and that the course which
the COirciustiOn pointed out would not in this instance
be cle*ted irTQUI. to the great and essential injury of
the Monarchy.. His Lordship concluded, by moving
that the Lords be summoned for tomorrow.

Lord GRENVILLE rose and observed that he ,
thought his Noble Friend (Lord Spencer) was by no
means premature in the observations which he had
submitted to the House. He differed indeed with him
on some points, and as it was probable that he might
be absent to-morrow, he was anxious to take the pre-
fect opportunity of stating what were the leading sen-
Vments of his own mind on this moa important and
interesting occasion. The House ihtd now to pro-
ceed, to the discharge of a most solemn duty—one .
which be must:still contend they ought to have di:.
charged it a much earlier period. If, as he much
feared, the representations which bad gone abroad
should be confirm_ e_ d_ by the Report of the Committee, •
on the Journals of the House

with whic.h the kingdom is

then, atter establishing c
'slit fact of that calactuty