Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-08-01


bouse would decide upon the means which
Il ought 10 adopt. He might say, on the au.
,hority OF the honorable and learned gentle
man opposite, that great exaggeration and
numerous misrepresentation had been prac-
tised on this most important question, out
side the house, whether without the know.
ledge or not of some persons engagedln the
affair, il was not determined, to oblige him
TO travel through the case with caution,
while he gave some general explanation OF
the circumstances, on which the motion
which he had to submit to the house was
founded an explanation which, without
precluding The necessity OF full and sa-
tisiactory explanation, was not to De consi-
,lered as tending 10 lead to the condemna-
ton of any person, but such as he thought
ought to be submitted, not only to the house,
but to the country, in order to keep the
mind of the public in such calm and de-
lberate state as would leave it to receive
the proper impression from the circunstan-
ces which would be laid open to their con-
sideration. 1t had been asked, what was
the course OF proceeding which bis majesty $
ministers intended to adopt but it must
have appeared clear to the house, that the
answer to such question was not easily TO
be given until after the question had receiv-
ed full consideration. And here he felt it
his duty to protest in limine against the as
ser,ion which had been crudely thrown out.
that his mgesty's ministers had undertaken
to act the part Of prosecutors and OF perse-
culors and he trusted, that when the house
adyerted to the words of the message itself,
that il would perceive that no communlca'
ton had ever been made in more gracious
terms daughter from the opposition in
terms which showed that the king had thrown
himself candidly upon the great councils OF
the nation, and in circumstances equally IN
teresting to him and to them, and asked
them to review the facts of the case, and 10
give to him the advice which the particular
situation in which he was placed, the inte.
rests OF the country, and the constitution of
the kingdom required them to give their So
vereign. With respect to the proceeding
which the house was then about to adopt,
there was 10 difference oil opinion on either
side OF the house, and it could not but be
difficult for the house 10 be aware Of the re-
suit Of that investigation, until the papers, OF
which it was yet ignorant, had been fully
examined.
And he could assure the house, that no.
! thing which fell from him on this OCCASION
no vote which he might ask, would tend IN
the lowest degree to tetter The Judgment OF
parliament on the mode OF proceeding, or
bias il ON the question, But while he thus
left The house free. he trusted that it would
| feel that the matter was OF the great-
est public importance, as affecting MOI only
itself, but the interests OF the couhtry,
! and the dignity and honor OF the crown.
| He had perceived that the lllustrious per-
! sonage bad transmitted 10 the house a mes
! sage, which, it was to be presumed had been
advised by the legal advisers winch the con-
sti,ution oil the country allowed her. aud IN
which fears were expressed as to the result
of the proceedings which would arise from a
secret tribunal acting upon the evidence o.
written documents, and as 10 the effects
which would be produced from them, and
which would be calculated TO tend to the
diffusion Of prejudices against her honor and
dignity. He could relieve the honorable
member from such fears as to the latter part;
and he sincerely wished that he could have
i. in his POI er 10 be able to express The Same
wishes for the former Goa forbid that re
: should not discriminate between charge
and crime. Ali information possessed upon
the subject would be laid before the com
mittee. and of course that information, wbe-
Their contained in written documents or not,
would be solely viewed as to It's rcspecta-
bilty and character He now applied to
the intended course of proceeding but be-
fore entering upon it, could not avoid ex-
pressing his establishment, considering the
able legal advice which her majesty was
/; known to have, that it could have been I'M
! pressed on her mind, that the slightest I'M
putation could have been cas-, on that illus.
trious parsonage, or on the meanest SUBJECT
in the realm, OF that they could be referred