The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-04-15 00:00:00

•

'I•A'TESMAN.

highest *degree disrespectful to the person of the Rte
GENT, and the other august Personages to whom the
Message related. These worthy and conscientious Mi-
nisters have now, however, discovered, that a little de-
lay is neither a very sinful nor a disloyal proceeding.
The notice of their alteration of project, equivoca-
(ion, and perplexity, in the Report of the proceedings,
of last night, will amuse the Reader, if he can be

amused with conduct so contemptible and disinge-
nuous in the Most responsible Members of the Go-
' vernment. The disgusting propositions intended to
be made, have met with such universal condemnation,
that the proposers of them see the necessity of pausing
for some happier moment or pressing them, or until
another consultation sb be held today with the
friends and originators o ese measures. In the House
of Lords, last night, the Earl of LIVERPOOL moved to
discharge the Order for the consideration of the Mes-
sage relative to the Marriages of the Dukes of CLA•
BENCE and CAMBRIDGE, for the purpose of postpon-
ing it to this evening on account of " particular cir-
cumstances," which he did not think proper to slate,
but which all who are aware of the ridicule and
dissatisfaction with which the modest propositions in
question have been received by all parties out of the
circle of Court influence, are at no loss to compre-
hend. Lord HOLLAND perceiving the situation in
which the House, as well as the Ministers, would be
placed by this postponemrnt, and participating iu the
general sentiment, moved an amendment precisely
similar to that proposed by Mr. BROUGHAM, 'moiety,
that the Address to the PRINCE RFGENT, PM-Wen the
desire of the House to enable his Royal Highness to
make suitable provisions for his brothers in marriage,
consistently wills " the burdened state of the People
of this country."—Tbis, we think, is a very fair ad.
dition, and a proviso that ought to be coupled with an
acquiescence in any Address upon such objects. It
is a pity that etiquette should stand so much in the
way of honest truth. It is not necessary, we pre.
some, to go much about the bush in order to convey
• meaning upon such questions. When Princes are
so doll in comprehension, plain terms may be useful
to their understandings. It may as well be declared at
once that the Personages for whom these extravagant
demands are made are already amply provided for, and
that the sums they require ought not and cannot be
granted by the country.' The avowal of such facts
may not be gratifying to Royal ears, but few will
quarrel with the truth of each assertions. The
Amendment was ultimately negatived, but it
put the Ministers in possession of the senliments of
the Rouse upon the topic of their conduct and the
nature of the Message.

In the Commons the same indecision was mani-
fested by Ministers in regard to the measure they had
advised the PRINCE REGENT to communicate. We
were early aware of the course they were to tike,
and of the cause of it. On the previous night many
i of their friends refused to vote either way ; but see-
ing them disposed to persevere in their injudicious
views, and aware of the necessity of appearing, a
I
number of the Ministerial Members had actually de-
!
termined last night to aid in the defeat of the
' sneasure.—Lord CASTLEREAGH therefore propos-
ed the postponement of the Committee for tak-
ing the Address into consideration till to-day, whets
he, no doubt, may be better prepared to re.
treat with grace, or model his future plans so
as to compass some part of his object. His Lord-
ship and his Colleagues could not, however, expect
to get out of this mess without some censure and
disgrace. Their vacillation accordingly gave occa•
sion to some severe remarks on the conduct of Mini•
strrs, and the situation in which the House was
placed, so inconsistent with the ordinary proceed-
ings in Parliament, and the respect with which the
Crown has hitherto been treated. But the most ex-
traordinary part of the Ministerial procedure is the
ignorance assumed of the measure which was to be
recommended, though it is well known that those
who brought down the Message must have been
aware of the measures which they were to recom-
mend, and that they had made communications of.
them to the meeting of Members at the Minister's.—
Mr. TIERNEY, however, supplied this defect of in-
formation, to the confusion of the ignorant Mini-
sters, and the astonishment of the House. The scheme
as submitted at the 46 little Parliament," was what
the French would call " superb," and certainly far
beyond the reach of vulgar imaginations. The items
are particularly worthy of being taken in connection
with the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER'S declara-
tions en the proposed repeal of a tax, the operation
of which was proved to be working the ruin of thou-
sands, because from the existing pressure upon the
nation be could not abandon it without imposing
other burthens upon the People. They are highly
illustrative comments upon the state of our
finances in general. Who will say after such p►o-
positions, that the burthened state of the country is
not considered with sympathy, or that economy es
nut the study of our Princes? It was proposed for
the Duke of CLARENCE an outfit of twenty thousand
pounds, with such an increase of his income as shall
make it forty thousand pounds a year. For the
Duke of CUMBERLAND an outfit of twelve thousand
pounds, with such an addition to his income, as
shall render it thirty thousand pounds a year.—
Similar outfits and annual additions were proposed
for the Duke of KENT and the Doke of CAM.
BRIDGE, making, in the whole, as annual addi-
tion of fifty-eight thousand pounds a year to the
sharps upon the taws and an additions for the pre• .

sent year, of a hundred and fourteen thousand
pounds. The taxes being already unequal to the es•
penditure, every new charge is, of coarse, equivalent
to a new tax, or to some part of it, and this will be
equally true, although a redaction to an equal amount
should be made in the Windsor Establishment; for
that reduction may be made, without these addition.,
and, if so made, It will certainly not restore the ba.
lance between income and expenditure. The subject
of these strange proposals will be again resumed In
both Houses of Parliament this evening. Its tho.l

mean time, accounts have been ordered to be

pared, to show the several incomes derived by these
Royal Dukes from their respective pensions, and their
military, naval, and other appointments.

We have often heard of the pride of Princes, and
hue seldom desired to see it manifested, but upon
each occasions the use of a little dignified honest pride
might be commendable. We are really estop,
oished that the feelings of the personages, in whose
names these claims are put forth, do not revolt
at the ignoble course pursued ; for can there
be a plainer acknowledgment that the measure is im-
proper, than that Ministers dare not offer it in a
direct and manly manner to the sense of Parliament,'
but are obliged to have recourse to the most sneaking
and onronstitutional methods for its introduction;
and when these fail, shuffle off by delays equally on.
constitutional, from introducing it at all, or at least
till fresh provision is made for its gracious reception?
Is this ■ situation in which Princes ought to stand ?
We blush for such nobility of sentiment ! and think
poverty honourable in comparison with it.

The Paris Papers to the 14th have reached is.—
The Chamber of Deputies is still engaged In dis-
cu,sing the articles of the Budget. Two Special
Committees have been appointed by the Chamber
of Peers to examine and report upon the Project re-
specting the Bank, but the nature and objects of
this measure have not yet been allowed to transpire.

The conferences between the Duke of WELLING.
TON and the President of the Commission of Liquida-
tion were continued, according to the Papers, but
nothing is yet stated as to any final arrangement.—
The private letters, however, assert, that the business
of the liquidations was considered as almost finish-
ed, and represent the Duke of WELLINGTON as
being on the point of departure for this country.—
The KING, it is said, removes to St. Cloud in June,
to remain there about five weeks.

A Niadrid article states, that of the Russian squadron
at Cadiz, only one ship of the line and one frigate are
in a fit state to put to sea, the rest of the squadron
standing in need of considerable repairs.

By the Ilambargh Mail we find, that the Emperor
ALEXANDER opened the Diet at Warsaw on the 26th
alt. with a speech, which we have inserted, intended to
revive the spirit of the Polish nation, and to inspire
them with confidence in the views of their new Go-
vernment. The King of Sweeter: was immediately
after his Curoctition at Stockholm to proceed to
Drootheim to be crowned King of Norway.