The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-11-16 00:00:00

STAITSMAN.

the two Cases exhibited. The Principal gritted of
the adjournment in the former case bad been the
hopes entertained of his Majesty's speedy maw
very, a ground similar to that on which they had
recently adjourned, and onethat was now in &pe-
culiar manner applicable to their proceedings, when
t !ie grateful intelligence of his Majesty's rapid con.'
talescence,and the symptoms of his returning health,
were taken into consideration.
Lord 6REY---44 My Lords, notwithstanding
my original intention of titlo44 no part in this de-
bate, and of expressing no opinion on the policy
and grounds of the motion which him been thought •
fit to submit to your consideration,. 11216L'Ott which so
much unanimity appears to prevail,.). am induced.
to rise and signify uty entire zoncurrence. in the sen.
timeots so ably delivered by my Noble Friend',
(Grenville), sentiments at all times of importance
in a constitutional point of view, but which derive
new weight and interest under the existing. circum-
stances of the country. The 'two estates- of the
realm cao have no legitimate existence, no ability to
legislate, no authority to act when usefecempanied
at their assembling by the Grown, or its appointed
representatives. Such is the doctrine of the coned.
tution, .by which the'Royal functions are insepara-
bly connected with the .powers and authorities of
the two 11r.stses. orPatliatneot, e connection essen-
tial to the - coustitutiouf .and to:the support of the,
governreeut of these realms,. The Noble Lord
who spoke last, has given us IMMO Isfurmation„o&
the proceedings of .17.84. My.lotrtle, thole ..14P-
ecAngs were of a nature formed to.saahe..a doep
impression on the minds of all those .wito
.partici.;
pated more immediately ha the responsibility incur-
red on that occasion, and of all those likewise who
twit, any share in the discussion to which they gay°
•xins. 1 was then in Parliament, a Member of the,
other, Hensel and attended with an anxious interest,
to the count and progress of those discussions. To
many 'of the .14(0414 Lords who now bear sue, the.
retentive memory and, accurate kaowledge the
Noble Lord re equally superfluout. They leg**,
rot to be imbued with information, ot which their
mjads arc already in possession, and which no length.
of. time can oblitelate or efface. They cannot for.
get, any more than myself, those memorable events,
and are conscious of too minute an acquaintance with
their causes and effects to need the aid of the Noble
Lord's superior powers of recollection. Desirous as
1 VII of not interrupting unanimity on this occasion,
I shall forbear to oppose the motion before . the
Manse. I cannot, however, omit to make a few re.,
marks on the speech .which we have just henrd,
and which appears.tq me to contain
.n water of; the.
most serious import, and to involve principles of a
very pernicious tendency. The Noble Lord de-
nies that any material deviation had taken plac,e
from the line peescribed by the precedent Irf
and adds, that it was his peculiar widi to Oa twin* '
dated ss nearly as the difference in: the: circurer
stances of the two cases might admit, the canduct to;
be adopted at. the latter to that adopted at the fore.
trier period. My Lords, after the lapse of so marl
years, after the extinction of those anixtosities.aud
dissensions which prevailed at the time alluded
stow that the differences -:iett then subsisteciareno;l
snore, I am ready to declare that all the prelimitlagy.,
steps t. ken in eunvequence of an event of the ..sole;
melancholy stature, as that which *4 noW
with feelings that are universal, were wise and pen-
th:ut, conformable to the dictarcs of a gonad and
well-exercised discretion. But 1 will not go along
with the Noble Lord in bestowing my. approOatien
upon the whole of that proceeding en, tl.tf polsey
and views by which it was dir••cted.: The Noble.
Lord has greatly end in stating (and as if for the.
purpose of stating snore preci,ely) the real grounds
on which the two Houses did at their meeting. iP
November, 1788, agree to a fortnight's adjenro;
went. . Tile expediency of procuring a snore gene.
ral attendance was the alleged reason for propgsieg
that measure, an expediency which wus acknow.
ledged on all sit!et and by all descriptions of men.—
'fhe adjournment was carried, and a Call of the
Douse took place. Such were the broad lines of
tlistinction between the conduct of the Government
of that day, and the Government of the present....
By what rule the circulation of notices was guid.
•ca or limited, I have not been able to lea.-3, but,
• from some particular instances that come, to my
knowledge, I cannot give Ministers ate,- credit
for their selection. My Lords, adverting again
to the observations of my :Noble Friend (Lord
Grenville) in. thn early part of the ,whale, I
certainly think that had Ministers. affixed the
Griot Seal, 'under the circue.s aim of the sus.
pension of the Executive Power, or if they lira-yea.
turgid to do any act vs idch, by the •Couetitugenx sous
only-flo from the exercise of the Royal fuuctiook
they would have merited the strongest reprehension
of every rettectlag magi awl( that. the indignation of
the country at large woll4hoivelieen most justly ex-
cited. Now indeed that we are assembled, and in
considerable nunthere, I. cannot but entertain very
serious doubts of the propriety. of so ion an ad-
, joarnment as that which has been proposed. Al-
ready, above a month has passed and tire dude, ..of
_Oftener Ace have nut beets, perfor*ell.". .not
thisv arytonrils, in times like the present, a matter
deserving elf grave considetatiiin ? Should the .ar.
dent prayers,. which in common withal! climes of
his IliNeetre subjecti, I .devoutly offer 'to. Al-
mighty God for his Majesty's restoration to health.
be heartr,!thace we that prospect of it full and., en-
tire recovery which we entertain* ire 1780?., At \
this period it is uncprestionably desirable-that.oll the
energies of ,the royal mind should be awaketied.—
I am sure no man can feel more sensible than my.
self the distressing calamity that has befallen his
Wady, or ran send up snore eager wishes fur its
removal.. Rut at the same time, I trust that the
Moose will not shut its eye!, to the calculations
of probabilitii end to the actual condition of the
country. Let the lionairreliect well on the state
In which the empire .is plaisd. The time is. come
When all personal objects most. be eargl4eal, all
party contentions must cease. The Juucdoas of
the Royal-Power are sacred, and the duties of Par-
. Bement equally so. It must ;now because the great
end of our exertions and deliberations t) preserve
in fall vigour both the one. and the other, end . to
submit every •minor corn to the importerot purposes
of preserving the itt,tArity of lhe.Cuitetitutipn, and
of establishing the biterots of the mule's"

. _
Lord-ticou'nt.SlDllooll, adverting:Au the
'precedent of 'l7Bll, observed, that on the fird as-
sembling of • Parliament on the 20th of November,.
there.' was, in conseqleneit of previous notices, a
Sery.full attendance, but that in the present ipstauce
4.4"4"Pasajoic& fro. the Ilhoetness of 'the time;
•
to eikulkle flit:opt wilbil
.thn of a
eitoet.4llll3usee' from it; however, w laths
'hat distance the notices were inertially circulated
with the view to selectyarticuler bulividtials tout.
tend, such conduct would be highly reprehensible.
There could be, however, necessarily but a few
persons who coultr attend on the first of thin
month, and ke considered' the present assem.
bling of the estates of the realm, as similar to
thet which Wok place On the 20th of Novem.
. her, 1788 v . Upon the present occasion, they
had the mostAratifyiotassurances of a confident ex.
pectatiou of 'his Majesty's
.recovery.. • there.
fore assented to the motion for'adjournmenla trust.
ing .that no further proceeding wild 'be necessary,'
Should any. further.proceedihs, be. 'necessary when
they metegAln, which God avert, it would then be c.
(visite to have.proof bl the facts before them, and
he thought Ilia precedent of 1788, that which then
ought to be Mowed. •
The LORD- CUUANCELL Olt put the eines.;
Lion of adjourausent, which was agreed to, and the
lacose adjourned 1W this day fortnight, the 29th
I blatant. • . •

"""" 01,1!•

M*lllll 1q49,,,i!1ay.15.
T4e.:41‘41411.11 WOK, the :Chair at,half.past three.
several :cabers tvaceiarge and .look their seats.
• .A-iief rfsit.weeordeeriqueth,eHorough of.Ag-
mondeehsa‘la the room of.. homas Drake Tyr whit
Drake, Esqi, **eased,
.
• "Thg C,HASc WA? R.:4-7 the ExcoEQUERI
.thea iWatice as folfews ;
" The .1/*9411 ROO *MOW without any.
'ootifieetion, of shit* • filjestY's Itroal,plessure, and
in pursuattee of ,the Aesthete ttpultv.on the last day,
or theirsoleeting,. I ant. sixinas. once more, to offer,
to their attention such obseevatioos as present them-
selves'to my mind upoo the subject. *hick then
brought them unexpectedly together, apt' which
led them to determine, as soon as met, upon
an immediate adjournment t 3 this day.. Thu
peculiar and afflicting circumstances which in-
fluenced the House et. that- time, to adopt
unanimously, the course of proceeding which 1
took the liberty of then suggesting, will, I trust,
be now thought to have warranted the line of,
conduct, which was then pursued; from that mode
it Is not noW my, inteutiun departs aed therefore,
after having simply stated to the House, such ob..
secvatioup al appear. to an* .to ,contain in them stiffs.,
ciont grounds and justification for a siusitiar motion.
this Jay, leaving it with the House to decide upon
thole adequacy, I shall move that . the House at its
rising this day, do, adjourn tilt the 29th of this.
month... And here, Sir, I confess, that, upon the
last day °lour; meeting, I _should have felt. caviar
much disposed. to,base submitted to the considera,:
tion of the House, the propriety of theireven theor,
adjourning over to the period. 1 am now about to.
propose, had the MeMbers.been then assemblattin:
sufficient numbers, 'or, had I thought sufficient time
antlYetice had given upon a subject •of such
perumoaut lionc:st and *penance; as, however,
theiressimpling on that dayetwas so sudden and *m-
eekawl,' as so short an Weisel had.elapsed lie-
oeeett their meeting and ,their knowledge of the
.44leting circumstances that node that meeting ne.
eassaerres their aninbers Were not; vol could
M' sisipat /is was desirphle, and that. many. Gen.;
liemsn_ were, absent whose advice and experience
asigktic •foeud SO beneficial—runder alt tke3e cir.
enantances, I coo c,-; vett, that.it.e wild not be pro.
deet .to pro wed, to .the aduptiuna of.. any other
course than Abet of
.adjournieg over fur a period
sutlicicnt to, carry into felt effect the measures
necessery, for ensuring epee this day a compe.
tent attendance. In the propriety of this opi-
ono*, the •Hoese unanimously concurred with me;
and:if there could,then be any reasonable doubt of
the -propriety of such a course of proceeding, then
I think. there Itkas.little ream* to question the pro-
priety of a.similer proceednignow, as 'donut ima.
gine that the House would either then or now, under
the circuu*stauces which then existed, or the aspect
which those circutnttances have since assumed,
think 454 justified in commencing at once to do
business,.or (in such a stage of those circumstance.)
procor _ling to originate any great public measure.
sidbuiti !hink rather that the House would consider
mere immediately, what ought to be done in the
present' instance, as matter of- regulation. In the.
former case, not conceiving that we were furnished
with. the information necessary to justify any pro..
positiowlimiting the period at which we were to com.
mace to. do busiuesi, 1 contented myself Wiel4
merely .nor'ng an adjournment. I presume. it is'
not. necessary for. me now to detail the circum.
stances which then induced the Houle to adopt the;
proposition of sojourning till thii day • it will .It 4
enough to say, that tit* feellegef tirtsiotise in ad.
Atturgiutover fur the space of a fortnight,
obsi-
trusty was.for the purpose of haeiteg the advistage
of whatever circumstances might occur in that in.
terval—thg same reason held now—nothing hub+
ottuireAl sincithat adjournment, which- •was of le
nature to mill for any immediate Parliamentary in.,
terfcrence, but rather the increase of the probability
that no such interference would be necessary.
There isanether consideration which rhave no doubt
will have its due weight with the House; before the
present heavy calamity had visited the nation; his
Majesty had furnished us with official proofs of hii
intention further to prorogue the Parliament till
the 29th of this month, as appeared from the Royal
Proclamation. I am sure, that in this and in
every part of this afflicting question, the House
will feel anxious to adopt that course of pro.
reeding which, under such circumstances, they
would think best calculated to meet his Majes.:
ty's ultimate approbation.
,1 am not aware of
any pressing exigency requiring the meeting of
the Parliament before the day stated in the Pro.
clamation. I know of no public reason to meet'
earlier, unconnected with that great public misfor-
tune, the illness of hii Majesty. If the House were
now disposed to let the same interval elapse *gait*
before they proceeded to any measure of pertna.
neat repletion, In tay.view of the question, they

...„........,-----
would be sufficiently justified upon the sante grounds
on which they had recently proceeded; but if their
can.exist a doubt as to the propriety of such pro-
ceeding, then.l should think none will remain as to
what we should do now, when I have communicated
to the house the intelligence I havo in theconrse of
this day been possessed of, and which 1 shall feel.
'ao muck eatisfactrun in stating. Having felt it my
.duty to have the best information on this afflicting
subject, I have to state, that I this day repaired to
Windsor, for the purpose of ascertaining the present
state of his Majesty's health—r there saw the Physi-
cians, anu I have the pleasure of acquainting the
,House, that all the physicians were unanimously of
'Opinion, that his Majesty's health was in a state of
progressive amendment [hear, hear, hear !] and
also, that that progressive amendment had alretly
actually begun to take place. [Hear, hear!] That
. this statement cannot be other than must grateful to
.every Gentleman who hears me, I cannot for a mo-
ment permit myself to doubt. [Hear, hear, hear n
•it is then„,.under circumstances so consoling, so
cheering', that I now suggest to the House the pro.
:priety uI waiting thallium decisive issue of this fa:..
venerable turn which the short lapse of the same
interest, may, :Wu:4as. 'We have good grounds
Lforindulging lit the best hopes that that -interval',
1. wilt be productive of that fortunate issue, fur which
the wishes and the prayers .of the countrin.lsava,l,
been so earnest;, and, on the other hod, I. liCello'
ground tot apprehending the occurrence OT any prep.
tug exigency requiring the meeting ,Of Parligtelent:
before thi eipiratlon of that interval ; itnieis:,.tlieti-
fore, cilicumetrincei. of eitreardisiary gid parstimittitt.
urgency had, occii reed, . tiering .04 , eilarlisd art lail
late neljourmnint, requiridg thaimasediate aid*.itint'
operations of Parliament, I do nut see hOw the.
Wiese can be.expected to proceed fdttliwith to the.
dispatch of the pulilisc-betstnals ; 'bitrwhao 'ilio .sex.
using clreunistances ore' of r-uppro, :.
so d 1 fferiet,--
whevi they arc calcillistadtd encousage eXpectatlons
the obit con,soling,.,ffeel confident that the Heinle.
will., ib a crisis of such delicacy, forbear to hied.
tuts, as . yet, any 'great public measure whatever.
With these,impressions, and under such a. 'kW of
the subject, I shall now move,...' That the House
do, at its rising this day, adjourn to this day fort.
night."
M r.W lIIT BR EAD said, that in the few observe.
tions he was about to mike upon what had fallen
from the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite to
him, he Would have it understood' that there was no
man who participated more than he. 'did in those
sentiments of satisfaction which' the prospect of
his Majesty's speedy recovery must so generally in-
spitehile, howeier, he was, with all others,
most anxious fern ilie complete restoration of his
Majesty's health, and while he felt as much as any
man on account of the serious attack under which
he laboured, he was not, however, to forget. Chit
there were at the same time other duties ind.consi:
derations which were not to be wholly esetlpolied..
The ligbt Ilan., Gentleman hid acknowledged. ,
he bad felt, himself much distmeed upon there* du
of their meeting to have proposed an adjoatonienti
to 0)&1'0 extent of . whist he now asked—it lOW
perhaps,nas well that the Right Hon. Gentleman. itmi'
not acted up to.thetinilinition, fur had be done SO'
-.—had he rentiti4to haireiubinitted such, a prifipo.,
.litiorinto the Houses. bel(Mr.'Whithioady fete ':Octi.. '
snag that: tluillouse would have.reicited it; Ali:
to thg'ititeisdaiieq upon thit occasion, he not then
being present, cdeldnot ideals; bat as Co the goes
. .
lion'orsiffictot notice,. whitlietthetewelaline or;
not to ordeilettrslo:tio. Witten:.to every inlher,".B
.he could only say, that if there was time to stsie.4
,mons, the summons ought to have been general, ihd ,
if there had been an opiiiirtenitirte Witt ittle'notice
to one, why not to all I [Hear rj: 'This, it was
clear, there had been suricieut time for doing, and,
he thought that Ministers in °Mining' to do' set'_hadi.
not done their duty b;'the publie. [Tiiiiii]. With,.
respect, however, to to the proceedings ob bratn atty);
he acknowledged, that under 'idle ' slime' Circom•
stances lie would, had he been prineat,,hpeen'yottal fur
the adjournment for a fortnight; In 'order to ifird
that time for ensuring an adequate attendance. That
object' had been fully accorapfisheit, abil• they Were.
now met, for the first "hole, 4014 ' the . sessions.
This was Virtually the tirwi day of 'the SZlSioais toy
their former meeting was ittentittly for 'fig were,
of adjourning over, And,Open this; the °pent%
of the Session', they 614 under ' the alarming, ti.r'4
cunistances of his Majesty being no longer in a state.
to transact business 'And yet they were now eilod.
not to proceed to .proikle againsi so serious &Auk.,
Ciency in the conduct of iliaGavernment, but to. ad=
journ °mier, another fortnight' Where there, was
in actual,physital necessity, no doubt it ninst,:be.
Ataits to; but what was the urgency of the, pqccs-
.elirthen requiring 'them to"siiVend 'the' Eiutive
Gorefninetir for ,Inother fortuighti The Consti-
tution was" sasrindid'—it . existed not separable
from the Egeess iii. rower of. the' Kins-0,01 ie.!.
thq WorisdOw ,Calt.q.OposslO•totiriire the apspen.
skm of-ttrietOlisittufion for another fortnight-rand
upon Whit'grou'ed!--"up.ou. what authentic testimony.,
—upon what recorded evidence-410s it that they
wets now asked to dii this'? Upon neAch ground
—in short, upon nothing but the bare, unre.
corded-statement of the ChancelloPor the Eiebe.
quer I [Hear, hear !] Wislf
.iiilbh' suph' Mat;
ter as that, they were required 'tirgiotind a Paiiii:
mentary proceeding, in ireriiis of saii.importance?
Why • had not the ',Privy Council • been assembled,
and the Physicians examined before them ?'ors_ if
that had been done, ss by was net the evident e of
those Physicians laid before the 11011114 Its eriabielt
to form its own judgment, instead of tieing .OW 01!
to hazard conjectures upon the mere assertions of
a Member of Parliament ?. (Rear, he& !): In.
their ordinary courite, that Mews'- was not in the
habit of grounding their proceedings ellen' Mere'
vague assertions, coming from any individual. He
wouldlaik, if it ireulidnot seem sheep, hi a business
of the h tot ost tnenent,to depart from that rule which
governed them uniformly 'un other less important:
occasions, and to be content with, less satisfactory
grounds Of preceeding, in a case where tfie* most,
authentic noticenclesive ought atone tbbe admitted.l
Thei., were now, atter one adjiimfunient, Kuing..to
adjourn again, 'without any decessitifOt eithei ap-',
peering recorded 0ó their Journals This ini:ooti
consulting the iMportatao elf the crisis, nor the
dignity of their own Pieccedingt.' Lieftlt if dire'