CHAP. 1789. Mr. Grey. 6th, assent to any other enactment. The bill being read a first time, Mr. Grey objected to the manner in which provision was made, in case of the King's recovery, for his resumption of authority; but Mr. Pitt shewed that the clause alluded to had been misapprehended. On the motion for a second reading, Mr. Burke stated his grounds of opposition in a long and elaborate speech, delivered with his accustomed vehemence. He strongly censured the conduct of the ministry, asserting that the House and the country had never before been so ill treated. They had degraded the Royal Family, sown among them the seeds of future distractions and disunions, and their conduct verged on treason; for which the justice of their country would, he trusted, one day overtake them. He was called to order, and Mr. Pitt animadverted, mildly, on the impropriety of such expressions, the extraordinary style and peculiarly vehement and passionate tone in which they were delivered. Mr. Burke defended his warmth, as arising from public feeling, when he saw that, under the pretence of a government, provision was made for tumult, disorder, and debility. He then proceeded to animadvert on the different provisions of the bill; noticing, first, the retention of the King's privy purse from the Regent this revenue had progressively increased from forty-eight to sixty thousand pounds a year; which, he said, would form a fund from which the Queen might bribe members of Parliament. The Prince of Wales was excluded from the care of the King's person, and that might be proper; but could the same rules be applied to the Dukes of York, Gloucester, and Cumberland? It was as if the whole House of Brunswick was outlawed, excommunicated, and attainted of high treason. A clause, most extraordinary and objectionable, was that which gave to the Queen's council the power of pronouncing His Majesty recovered, and restoring him to his government; it subjected the King's restoration to artful contrivances. Eminent physicians had been examined before his insanity was declared in Parliament, and a like course ought to be pursued before his recovery was admitted. CHAP. LXIV. 1789. committee. 7th. No debate followed this harangue; the bill was read a second time, and ordered to, be committed. The various clauses were strenuously argued during four days. Mr. Fox did not appear, Mr. Sheridan Bill in the spoke seldom, and not in a forcible manner; Lord 7th-9thNorth frequently led the opposition, but Mr. Burke 10th-11th. took the most conspicuous place. To recapitulate, or even enumerate, the objections and answers, would be now a useless employment of time, an unproductive tax on patience. Two remarkable incidents occurred. A clause in the bill declared, that, if the Regent married a person professing the Roman Catholic religion, his authority should cease. Mr. Rolle proposed an amendment, extending the terms of exclusion to the actual celebration of a marriage ceremony, whether legal or not. Lord Belgrave opposed this motion as unnecessary, after the distinct denial of the fact which had been made in the House. Mr. Pitt concurred in the objection, alleging that the House could not investigate rumours and unauthenticated reports. Some altercation took place on an imputation of malignant motives to Mr. Rolle; but his motion was unanimously negatived. On another day, Mr. Burke addressed these obser- 9th. vations to the chair. It had been asked, he said, Mr. Burke. would they strip the King of every mark of royalty, and transfer all the dignities of the crown to another person? No, heaven forbid, when the person wearing the crown could lend a grace to those dignities, and derive a lustre from the splendour of his household. But, did they recollect that they were talking of a sick King, of a monarch smitten by the hand of Omnipotence, and that the Almighty had hurled him from his throne, and plunged him into a condition which drew down upon him the pity of the meanest peasant in his kingdom. Mr. Burke was called to order. The Marquis of Graham said, that neither the right honourable gentleman, nor any other man in that House, should dare to say that the King was hurled from his throne; and there was a general cry of "Take down his words!" Mr. Burke declared that he had been Called to or der. CHAP. 12th. LXIV. 1789. Amendment as to peers. interrupted in the midst of a sentence, and that Scripture itself, so maimed and mangled, might be rendered blasphemy. On the motion for a third reading, several amendThird reading. ments were proposed. Mr. Pulteney, observing the great inconvenience that must arise from a House of Lords fixed and unalterable, moved that the restriction on new creations should be limited to three years; and the amendment was adopted. Less fortunate was another attempt by Mr. William Smith to obtain a clause favourable to the dissenters, and one by Mr. Sheridan for restraining the royal assent to bills by commission. 13th. The King's announced. Opposed in every stage, the bill was read a second time in the Lords, and had made considerable progress in the committee, when the Lord Chancellor informed the House that his Majesty's physicians had pronounced convalescence him to be in a state of convalescence; and, since that, the account of his progressive improvement had increased from day to day, and the intelligence from Kew that morning was so favourable, that he conceived every noble lord would agree with him in acknowledging that it would be indecent and improper to proceed further, when the cause of the bill might probably be entirely removed. The Duke of York, in animated terms, expressed his joy at the intelligence, and believed, although he had no direct communication with him, that his royal brother would feel equal, if not greater pleasure than himself. Committee adjourned. The committee was adjourned for a few days*. From the Posthumous Memoirs of Sir Nathaniel William Wraxall, who has detailed with great minuteness all the circumstances of the King's illness, and the proceedings in Parliament, of which he was a member, I have principally derived the facts relating to Lord Thurlow, and to Mr. Fox's state of health. See Wraxall's Posthumous Memoirs, vol. iii. p. 175 to the end. CHAPTER THE SIXTY-FIFTH. 1789. Proceedings in Ireland.-Death of the Duke of Rutlandsucceeded as Lord Lieutenant by the Marquis of Buckingham.-Exertion of parties-opening of the session of Parliament.-Debate on the Address.-Mr. Parsons - Mr. Grattan-Mr. Brown-the Attorney-general.-Mr. Grattan attacks the Lord Lieutenant.- Amendment of the Address-Mr. Curran-carried.-Committee voted-supplics postponed.-State of Government--objections to forming a Committee. Mr. Parsons.-Intentions of Government as to Regency-reprobated by Mr. G. Ponsonby-plan proposed by Mr. Grattan-resolutions moved.-Resolution for an address to the Prince of Wales-debated-Attorney-general.-Violence of the mob.-Proceedings in England communicated.-Address voted-sent to the Lords-carried to the Lord Lieutenant-who refuses to transmit it.-Mr. Grattan's motion - delegates appointed. - Debate. — Mr. Brown.-Motions by Mr. Grattan.-The King's recovery. British Parliament opened by a speech in the King's name. --Address moved in the Lords-observations of Lord Stanhope. In the Commons-Mr. Fox.-Estimates.-Navyarmy, ordnance.-Extraordinary supplies-new taxes.— Mr. Sheridan's motion for a committee on the revenue.— Mr. Pitt moves resolutions for excise on tobacco- strenuous Opposition --Mr. Beaufoy Mr. Fox-Mr. Grenville and Mr. Dundas--bill passed.-Exertions respecting the slavetrade.--Petitions to Parliament-report from the Privy Council. Speech of Mr. Wilberforce--Mr. Burke — Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox.-Further debate- Alderman Sawbridge -decision postponed.-Sir W. Dolben's bill renewed state of the dispute. - Mr. Beaufoy's motion on corporation CHAP. 1789. Proceedings in Ireland. The Duke of Rutland dies. Succeeded as Lord Lieutenant by the Marquis of acts-negatived.—Lord Stanhope's motion on general freedom in religion-bill rejected—a second threatened—produced and rejected--observations of Lord Abingdon.Bill for commemorating the Revolution-passes the Commons-lost in the Lords.--Mr. Grenville Secretary of State. -Mr. Addington chosen Speaker.-Prorogation-observations on the Session.-The King.-Procession to St. Paul's. -The Prince of Wales.-Duel between the Duke of York and Colonel Lenox.-Reception of the delegates from Ireland.—The ministry-the opposition.-Lord Thurlow. Supposed influence of ladies at Carlton House. Mr. Sheridan -General state of the country. In the Parliament of Ireland the question of the Regency occasioned no less discussion than in that of Great Britain. In consequence of the decease of the Duke of Rutland*, the Marquis of Buckingham had been appointed Lord Lieutenant; but the popularity of his predecessor did not devolve on him; his chief secretary was Aleyne Fitzherbert, Esq. afterward Lord St. Helens. Such, it is asserted, was the preBuckingham. vailing discontent, that on the first intelligence of the King's malady, the flattering expectation was formed of a speedy end to the administration, which was considered systematically inimical to the welfare of the country. If a change of ministers took place, a dissolution of Parliament was expected; and a political test was prepared, to be tendered to all candidates as the condition on which they were to be supported; and many bound themselves by oaths not to vote for any one who would not conform. Exertions of parties. On the other hand, every effort was made to procure from Ireland a formal recognition of the Regent whom England should appoint, with all restrictions and limitations which might be imposed by the British Parliamentt. October 1787. In the Memoirs of Dr. Watson, Bishop of Landaff, is a laudatory speech, which the reverend Prelate delivered, on the decease of the Duke, in the House of Lords. *Plowden's Historical Review of the State of Ireland, vol. ii. p. 228. |