The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-11-09 00:00:00

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mwe at all. But when he had changed that
aWs Le had stated it fairly and openly to the House.
ye tleoight it his duty so to do, on that most import-
as"winous, and in his consc.ence, hr believed, most
feat measure. Ali they could hope then, was, that
it might be thrown out on the thirst reading. He
b,,ed he stood fairly before the House ; the attack on
was peculiarly distressing and acute, coming from
the quarter it dial. For he thought that the long au,
i
.ealettisee which that Noble Lord had with his cha-
rater. should have protected him from so unjust and
asrerons an as cusation.
Lord LAUDERDALE said, that he felt it necessary
' so make a few observations in the way of reply. If he I
thought tha: Noble Lord could conceive that he
meet the sli.4litest personal attack on his character,
i• would este him the utmost possible uneasiness.—
Yet the expressions he made use of were such as were
e.rstantly used, and he met the question in the manner
,„ rthi II All such Parliamentary acts were usually met.
11, 'email repeat that he had a right to defeat Paths-
sestary Address by the same menus, and he should
4", wheeler might be the opinion of Isis Noble
friends.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL begged permission to
1.. r r. rds, in consequence of the observations
..welt hail fallen from the Noble Earl opposite (Grey).
lir &old mt have thought it necessary to do so had
hr, at apparently been particularly alluded to. He
„ley fairly ask, whether in the whole course of the
I,,,,weisaghe could be justly accused of holding out
a,.y eertation which he had not realized. (Hear,
hen, treat the ministerial benches.) He might have
stated. and very properly, as he conceived, that
re Nuhle Lord was bound to vote fur the third
oolisg who had voted for the second ; be-
rme the question would still remain open.—
He Lad distinctly stated that iu his jutlg-
inert the Preamble had been proved. And he per-
fectly agreed, that if any. Noble Lord had voted for
Coe second reading ander an impression that import-,
ant alterations would be wade, and those altera-
ti .rs were not made, he might very properly vote
azainst the third reading. With respect to the Clause
of ifirorce, he would fearlessly ask whether any part
of hip coodect could be justly marked with the term
tr:a or mancruvre ? He most distinctly stated in the
outset, that the object of that Clause was nut the
'Mein( the King, but the cure of an evil of State,
'apposing the adultery to be proved. He had also
stated, that although in his opinion the Clause of
Divorce was a necessary consequence of the proof of
slithery, yet if the religious scruples of those who
mu best informed on that part of the suhject, should
lees strong as to create a considerable opposition, be
amid yield to those scruples and consent to withdraw
Me Clime; and upon that pledge he had yesterday
"Meg fur its rejection. 11'hetlier, in giving that pledge
mildiat vote, he was right or wrong, it was not for
MINK but for others to determine; but he contended,
+, dew man had a right to impute to hint any improper
win in the vote he had given; anal he appealed to
their Lordships whether Isis conduct had not been fair
sal explicit throughout.—(Cheers from the Ministerial
7! ikahn.)
'' Lard ELIFSBOR01:611 agreed in opinion with the
galls Earl, that malty Noble Lords might have
"MI iree the 'midrib's of the Divorce Clause on
Pounds very different from religious motives; and
teastlaently might cons. ieotiously vote for the third
tending. lint be considered it perfectly clear, that
Use who had voted against it, from religious motives,
were bound to oppose the third reading ; and he took
it to be perfectly clear, that the staying away, to
avoid • .thug, would not excuse them ; (Hear, hear),
fur he, who, by his presence, might have prevented
the commission of a crime, becomes, by his wilful oh-
ace, a party to its commispion.—(Cheers.)
Lord CALI lIOIU'E agreed in opinion with the
Noble Lord who bad spoken last. No one woold sup-
pose, that lie, who was in general, an opposer 4.:( the
' bosensuient, would now become its advocate;
let, in imtiee to the members of that Govern-
ago, he thought it fart fair to observe, lie con-
ceived they were perfectly warranted, in the line
of conduct they haul taken yesterday. Nothing
meld be more becoming in a Minister, than when
observed a previous. impression of his own, opposed
by the opinion of the most respectable and enlightened
part of toe community, to yield to that opinion.—(Hear,
hear.)—Something too was slue to public opinion; and
be could not but consider the vote given yesterday by
the members of the Government, any thing but a proper
'egression to the religious scruples of the Bishops.—
(Near, hear, frost. the Ministerial Benches.)
The Earl of 1/ONOUtfILMORE considered the
whole of this conversation as highly irregular.—
Re pet it to the House whether the whole conversa-
ibm bed not been a kind of admonition to the reverend

pm.ai who voted the o her day, upon the conscien-
noes rote which they were bound to give to-morrow.
Mat they Lad given no pledge whatever to the House
either upon the subject of the preamble or any thing else
connected with the Bill. They had given the rem
11,11, of their votes upon all the stages through which
it had passed, and they had also mentioned the pus
tibility of alterations being made, but they had given
no pledge whatever as to the votes they should here-
after give. The Noble Lord here complained of the
little attention which their Lordships paid to his
Illifecit, and declared that be did not assume to him-
self any consequence in that House; yet he conducted
himself towards others with decency, and he expected
'that their Lordships conduct would be decent towards
hint. lie had spoken his admiration of the conduct
g his Majesty's Ministers upon a previous question.
And he had thought it impossible that any thing
t:.e :Noble Earl (Lord Liverpool) could do would
slacrease the respect which he entertained for him.
Bat the conduct of that Noble Earl front the begin-
"tug ta the end of these proceedings. had greatly
tended to increase the high opinion he had formed.
:their forolsidi a bad seen the ingenuous workings of
.his mind front the beginning to the end, and the con-
stant care with whieb he had pursued the ends of
Aulice.—(Hear, bear.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR considered the irre-
plat conversation which had taken place, to be an
inproper canvassing for votes upon the decision to
watch their Lordships would have to come to-utorrow.
fis on ed in respet t. aad in sincere ►espect to himself, in
respect to the House, and in respect to the 'sentry,
is consequence of u hat had fallen from a Noble
Li near him, to say, that he never had gasped, nor
Ire; wvtld stoop to the unworthy 'Mike of

TH

endeavouring to caret ant Bill against his convic- I
lion and principle. Ile Intd not said one *ors during
the whole proceedings respecting the Pena!ties oil
the Bill or it enactments, as to the ps4wer of the
House to mollify it, or not to modify it. With res•
peel to his vote of yesterday, he thought himself
hound in honour to vote as he had done hf I
whirls had been made in an early stage of the
pro..eoling, anal to which he knew himself to have
tern considered a party. He had been further hi-
de.. it to give that vote in consequence of the reli-
%erupts.' whirls some persons most conscientiously
held, although he thought such religious scruples
altolrether without four lation. He hail no doubt
upon his mind, when he stated that the clause
was mist clearly justified by every 1.55... of %..ripture
and of the country. Ile •had been fully satisfied
that if the Bill passed at all, the Divorce Clause
ought to stand as a part of it.
The Duke of HAMILTON said, that part of the
Preamble which cont.sinell the words dis4raceful and
adulterous intercourse was not warranted by the
evidence. Ile haul the greatest objections to the words
" adulterous intercourse" remaining: and although
he found it would be irregular to enter into any
discussion upon the preamble in general, until
the third reading, he would for the present
waive entering into the num/Tuns objectives which
he entertained. It was his intention to move
that the words "adulterous intercourse" be left out.
anal, as a consequence, that the clause which followed
containing the penalties should be left out also. Be
should pursue this course because he conceived that
adultery haul not been legally, clearly, and des 1111 l ssira-
lively Proved. For the present he stimuli limit himself
to the words "adulterous intercourse."

Lord LAUDF:IIDALE thought the object of his No-
ble Friend would be attained by confining his amend.
meat to the word " adulterous.- If " intercourse"
were left out, then "disgraceful" would stand without
any application.
The Amendment was then put and ne.,atived.
Lord LAU DE:t DALE •e.l„ that the words im-
mediately following. " which eiontinoteol for a lung
period of time during her Hord residence
abroad,- eli uld be left out. The case was not.proveol
during the whole time, and the words he ohjecteol to
would Ise calenlated to pr.ooluce all errotteott• impression.
Lord LlVEllibin IL certainly thomzlot the passage
subject to ambiguities in the construction of its mean-
ing. But hr considered its real sense to have been
borne out in the evidence.

The LORI) CHANCELLOR. apprehended that
when a course of adulterous inte.cour,e w.im charged,
it was not necessary to specify time and places. If a
single act of adultery was then time and
place wust be specified.
Lord LIVERPOOL said, it hail jit.t °retired to
him that the words " fur a long period of time"
should be retained, and the sub-eiptent words,
" during her Royal Highness's resiileAce abroad" left
out.

Lord LAUDERDALE would withdraw his amend-
no•ot. and adopt that of his Noble Friend. hut mom•
mended him to insert after the word " during" the
words " a part of."
Lord HARROWDY thought it desirable that the
adultery should be specified ss having bee* committed
abroad, becanse nothing had been charged as haring
taken place in England. He thought the mention of
a part of the time of her Royal Highness's residence
abroad, would answer every purpose.

The LORD CIiANCELIiAiK asked if he Ir2S to un-
ieritand the auirwhnent of Lord Lauderdale altoge-
ther.

Lord FITZWILLIAM thought it w•mtll he a great
injustice to her Majesty to include any other tim,•
than the year 115 17, to which the charges had been
entirely confined.
Lord CARNA lIVON spoke at first in so low a tone
as to be inaudible below the liar. We understood his
Lordship to speak upon the in:•xpedieney of the Hill. If
the imputed adultery had been committed abroad with
a foreigner, and was not amenable to the law of the
land, where was the necessity fur such a Bill as
this ? But after her Majesty had refused fifty
thousand pounds a year of the public money, were
their Lordships to declare her conduct to have brought
public scandal and dishonour upon the country ?
He moved, as an amendment, that, " her Majesty
having rejected the sum of .50,ll0tti. per annum,
and the proffered honour of both Douses of Parlia-
ment, had brought great disgrace and dishonour on
the Royal family."
This amendment was put and rejected.
Lord KIM; then moved, " that all those persons
who had in any manner bren implicated, to concerned
in the ►Milan Commission, should be hereafter de-
clared unworthy and incapable of holding any place
or situation whatever, under the go►ermmcnt of this
country.
This amendment was also put and negatived.
Lord KENYON then rose, and said, he could not
omit that opportunity of expressing his opinion, on
that most extraordinary, and unchristian proceeding.
It gave bins great surprise and pain, that, amongst the
the Right Her. Prelates, the re shoubl hr a difference
of opinion on such a subject. He much feared that it
would tend to lower that Rev. Bench, most materially,
in the public estimation. lie could nut be induced to
think, that any question of material expediency
should be carried, in opposition to the principles of
religion. It had been said in the (impel " that he
that puteth away his wife, except for the crime of
fornication, causeth her to commit adultery." And
the same construction which he put on that pas-
sage, had been put on it by some of the higher audio-
rities--authorities as high as any in that Re-
verend Bench. It was according to the prin-
ciples and dictates of religion that lie eoverned his
public duties, and it was in pursuance of these prin-
ciples that he begged leave to move the following
amendment, that all those words after—wig of them,
he omitted.
Our readers will understand by this amendment,
that his Lordship wished to exclude the whole of the
Divorce clause.

This amendment was put and negatived, on which the
LORD CHANCELLOR read the Report of the
Bill at delivered from the Committee, which was car-
ried without a division.

Tne House then adjourned at twelve o'Lleek, to to-
morrow morning at tea.