66

"as

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"It is not many days since. I" House of Commons, and had "took upon myself to send to" directed her Law Officers to several Gentlemen, resident in" deliver it; that the Minister "different parts of the county, was apprized of this intention, copies of a proposed Requisi-" and that the sitting of the "tion to the Sheriff to call a Commission for proroguing County Meeting, for the pur- "the Parliament was so timed "pose of addressing the King" as to preclude Mr. Denman on the treatment which the" from presenting it, though he "Queen was experiencing at" rose at the very first possible "the hands of his Ministers," opportunity for that purpose. "and of passing such Resolu- This, however, is not all. "tions as the state of the coun-"The Prorogation took place; try might seem to require; but, quite contrary to the "but the event of this day," usual (I believe the invaria"and the scene I have just wit-" ble) practice, no communica"nessed in Parliament, do, in" tion, of any sort, was made to "my opinion, imperatively de-" the two Houses on the state mand that some further steps" of affairs, and the political re"should immediately be taken" lations of the country, inter"by all who value the stability "nal or external; though, most "of the Throne and the tran-" indubitably, the events that "quillity of the country. "have occurred, both at home

"It having been stated by "and abroad, since the com"the Minister in the early part "méncement of the Session, "of the proceedings against" have been of sufficient im"the Queen, that no provision portance to require that the "could be made for her Majesty" King's Ministers should have "while those proceedings were" advised his Majesty to state to "pending, and it having been "his Parliament his opinion lately intimated to her by" thereon.

"

"the same authority, that nei- "Under these circumstances, "ther could provision be made," and considering the present "nor a residence supplied, till" agitated state of the public "Parliament met for the dis-" mind, I cannot but contem"patch of business, it does seem" plate the prorogation of the a little extraordinary that the Parliament till the 23d of Ja"Parliament being at that time" nuary as a measure pregnant "actually sitting, and the two" with the greatest danger to "Houses being to meet, and a "the state, to the tranquillity "call of the House of Commons" of the people, and thence to "having been ordered for to-" their liberties, and to the perday, that under these circum- " manency of the civil and reli"stances a prorogation should "gious establishments of the "take place. But the case is " country I am, therefore, dis"infinitely aggravated by this" posed to propose, that a re"faet, that the Queen had pre- quisition should be presented "pared a Communication to the" to the High Sherif to call

a public meeting of the county, to the objects of your proposed "as soon as possible, for the meeting; seeing that those ob"purpose of praying the King

"to re-assemble the Parliament jects are all proper, and of great "without loss of time; and I importance; most anxiously "take this the most expeditious wishing the objects to be ac"mode of making known to

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you my opinion, that in case complished; ready to applaud any of you should agree with every effort to effect the accom"me, requisitions may be im- plishment, I can hardly express "mediately prepared, and sig- the mortification I experience at "natures procured to them,

"which requisitions may be perceiving, that the means you "either forwarded to the Sheriff propose are not only not caldirect, or if sent to me, shall, culated to answer the end you "when collected, be transmitted "without delay. I have the “honour to be, Gentlemen, "Your faithful humble servant,

"FOLKESTONE.

"Lower Grosvenor-street,

Nov. 23, 1820.”

Now, my lord, I entirely differ with you in opinion as to the means you here propose to be adopted. Your objects are, to obtain justice for the Queen; to cause her to be placed in possession of her rights; and to

have in view, but that, in what

ever degree they may be efficacious, they must, if employed, tend to prolong that delusion of persons in your lordship's situation, which has hitherto been such a scourge to the people, and which, if it do not very soon cease, will, in my opinion, bury such persons under the ruins of a fabric of their own pulling down.

restore the people to a state of The means proposed consist tranquillity. These are great merely of calling the Parliaobjects. The accomplishment ment together. And, now, my of them ought to be desired by lord, what ground is there for us all. We all ought to labour supposing, that they, if rewith a view to that accomplish- assembled, would do any good ment; and, as being more of any kind? My taste may be deeply interested than other bad; my mind may have got an men, having more at stake than unhappy twist; but I can truly other men, the nobility ought say, that there is no part of the to be uncommonly sedulous in King's prerogative, the exercise the performance of that labour. of which has given me so much. Agreeing with you, then, as pleasure, as that of proroguing

the parliament, if I except that me, it will be, that he will be of dissolving it, which has al-graciously pleased never to call ways given me still more plea-it together again.

sure. I like even an adjourn- What good, I again ask, ment of it; and the degree of would be accomplished by rethis my liking is in direct pro-assembling this parliament? portion to its length. Saturdays What good of any kind; and and Sundays are my most com- especially what good as to the fortable days, during a session objects which your lordship has of parliament; and I look for in view? Easter and Whitsuntide as I used In the first place, I really do to look for the fair-days of the not see what the parliament has town in which I was born. A to do with this matter; or, at new knife was not more charm-least, what it has to do with ing to me then, than a day of the matter until regular applisilence at St. Stephen's is now. cation be made to it by message This taste has increased with from the Queen, or, which is my age and experience. I al-much better, by petition from ways feel gratitude to the King the people. The parliament, in when he releases "my Lords settling the Civil List at the and Gentlemen" from their la- beginning of the session, made bours; and the less the cere- provision for the Queen, just as mony he uses in doing it, the much as, and, indeed, more than greater is my gratitude. On a man makes provision for his my passage home, last Novem- son's wife, when he settles an ber, I had fondly indulged the income upon his son. It was hope of having to enjoy two not a bachelor King, or a wiwhole months; but, alas! I dower King, that the nation learned, even before I landed, was providing for. It did not that parliament was to meet contemplate the maintenance of the very next day but one! a Court, the Drawing Rooms of " Heave anchor, and let us go which should be held by a man. "back," was upon the tip of my The nation knew that it had tongue! God bless his Majesty, a Queen as well as a King; and, I say, for proroguing this par-in its munificence; in its boundliament; and, if he have, on less munificence, it made prothe subject, any petition from vision for both in the settlement

4

of the Civil List. The Grant is has nothing to do with these; enormous, if we take into con- at least, until prayed to inter

fere by the people in the way of Petition, or till regularly called upon by her Majesty after fruitless applications to her husband.

sideration the present low price of provisions and labour perfectly enormous; and, therefore, who was to imagine that her present Majesty was not, in the It never can be that this opsame manner as her late Ma-pressed and ruined people will jesty, to have her maintenance approve of a separate mainout of that Civil List. Upon the tenance; of separate place of late Queen; indeed, the parlia- residence; of these things supment settled, at once, certain plied from any other source manors for her life; made a than that of the Civil List; which provision for her in case of her has been granted to the King, husband's death taking place in quantities so abundant, for before her's, and did every thing, in short, indicative of the nation's generosity. To make comparisons might be thought are these to be occupied by juodious; but I am very certain nior branches of the Royal Fathat her late Majesty was not, mily, while her Majesty is placed by the people of this nation, in hired lodgings, at a new and held in greater estimation than heavy expence to the nation? her present Majesty; and I well But, there are several palaces know that she was not more worthy of every mark of our respect and affection.

the use of her Majesty, as well as for the use of himself. There are palaces in abundance; and

wholly unoccupied. Why are these to stand empty, while the nation is called upon to furnish a place of abode for their Queen?

To make these additional and voluntary settlements upon her Majesty, may require, and, in- Supposing, however, that the deed, do require, the interven-intervention of Parliament were tion of parliament; but, as to necessary with regard to her the placing of her Majesty in Majesty's affairs, where is the a palace; as to the providing likelihood that the present Parthe pecuniary means for the liament, re-assembled, under the maintenance of her state and present circumstances and under dignity surely the parliament the present Ministers, would do

any thing towards the accom- the importance of this measure. plishment of the objects, which The jester, who amused his huyour lordship professes to have mane hearers, and drew from in view? You well know that, them a horse-laugh, in deseribin this same Parliament, the Mi-ing the revered and ruptured nisters have found a majority in OGDEN; that jester who thus each House, disposed to refuse delighted the just and humane

to do that which you profess to

assembly of 1818; this jester

of millions. Her Majesty's law

have a desire to see done. Can also jested about the Liturgy; justice be done to the Queen in and ridiculed the idea of the your lordship's view of the mat-benefit which her Majesty would ter, without placing her Royal have received upon having her name in the Liturgy, and was name borne aloft in the voices there not in the House to which your lordship belongs a majority yers, with more gravity, but of more than three to one against with little more justice to the a proposition for adopting that subject, argued the matter as a measure? A measure, the adop-question of religion. And Mr. tion of which is absolutely ne-Wilberforce ("pious to the cessary to the last great and last!") observed, that, though praise-worthy object of your her Majesty's name were not lordship, namely, that of re-heard from the mouths of the storing tranquillity to the coun-people, she would always be try. It is true that many other remembered in their private demeasures are necessary to the votions. restoration of public tranquillity;

Now, my lord, with the but this is one measure; and leave of the jester, the lawyers, have not the present Ministers and the saint, I shall view this declared, in terms the most ex-matter as a mere affair of state plicit, that they will not adopt and of politics. The whole of that measure; and, in approval the Liturgy is, as you well of that declaration, have they know, the work of man, and not, in the House of Commons, that it came into being, and is found a willing majority of more kept in life, by divers acts of than three to one? Parliament. We are to suppose that there is nothing in these acts, and in this Liturgy,

I must diverge here a little, in order to state my opinion as to