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who was bent to yield nothing, Mr.Wilberforce's resolutions were the most fortunate thing that could happen.

There is, perhaps, some ground for suspecting, that the motion of that gentleman was not made without an indirect concurrence on her part. As he had corresponded with her on the subject before he made his motion, she could scarcely, unless he observed the same laughable secrecy towards her as towards the members of the House, avoid expressing her opinion of the plan which he proposed; and, if she had disapproved of it, it cannot be supposed, that Mr. Wilberforce would have exposed parliament to the indignity of a refusal. That refusal proved clearly, that amicable arrangement was altogether impossible and if she had at first declared her views with the same openness as now, no negotiation would ever have been attempted. To proceed in the investigation of her conduct, was now the only course open to ministers, unless they were willing to degrade themselves and the crown, by retracting all that had been done, and by admitting, that all their suspicions had been groundless, and all their accusations false.

Accordingly, on the following Monday (the 26th of June) the order of the day being read for resuming the adjourned debate on the motion, that the papers which had been presented to the House along with the royal message should be referred to a select committee, lord Castlereagh moved a further adjournment to Friday se❜ennight. The reason of this delay was, that the House might have time to ascertain, whe

ther the Lords would institute any proceedings. It would be in every respect indecent and inconvenient, if two judicial investigations were to be carried on simultaneously in the two Houses of Parliament. If the Lords should, in the mean time, commence any measures, which, in the sequel, would come before the Commons, lord Castlereagh stated, that he should desist from any motion on the subject; but if the Lords took no step, he should then bring the matter before that House, and endeavour to put the charges and the evidence in such a shape, as would best tend to her majesty's complete vindication.

Mr. Western moved, as an amendment, that the debate should be adjourned to that day six months; and the ground, on which the amendment was supported, was chiefly, that by adopting Mr. Wilberforce's resolutions, the House had declared, that the inquiry was such as ought not to be proceeded in. On the other hand, it was contended, that the utmost amount of the language of these resolutions was merely, that the inquiry, as attended with inconveniences and mischief, ought to be avoided if possible; not, that it was under no circumstances whatsoever to be entered into. Nay, the very act of entreating her majesty, by yielding to the authority of parliament, to spare the House the necessity of a most painful investigation, implied, that if she did not yield to that authority, the investigation must be undertaken. Both Mr. Wilberforce and Mr. S. Wortley supported lord Castlereagh's motion. The former said, that, if the House had been unanimous in the vote of the preceding Thurs

day, they would have been spared all further trouble; but that now there were no means of avoiding the inquiry. In this painful situation, continued he, the course proposed by the noble lord is the most advisable for it is in every point of view desirable, that the

investigation should be begun by the Lords, who are already a court of justice, rather than by us.

Lord Castlereagh's motion was carried by a majority of 195 to 100. Thus, ulterior proceedings were for the mean time confided entirely to the Lords.

VOL. LXII.

[N]

CHAP. XI.

Proceedings in the House of Lords on the Bill for the Degradation of her Majesty up to the time of the second Reading-Sir R. Ferguson's Motion on the Milan Commission-Dr. Lushington's Motion with respect to the Queen's Plate-Answered by Lord Castlereagh-Mr. Wetherall's Motion concerning a Libel on her Majesty-Successive Adjournments of the House of Commons— Conduct of her Majesty and her Partisans-State of the public Mind-The Queen's Protest against the Bill-The Biil committed -The Divorce Clause opposed, but carried-Lord King's Amendment-The third Reading of the Bill carried by a Majority of nine-The Measure is abandoned on Lord Liverpool's Motion— Parliament prorogued-Unusual Proceedings in the House of Commons on that occasion-General Remarks on the Result of the Proceedings against her Majesty.

THE
THE House of Lords, as might
have been expected from the
nature of lord Castlereagh's mo-
tion mentioned at the close of
the former chapter, immediately
commenced proceedings. The
secret committee sat, and made
their report. Upon their report,
a bill of Pains and Penalties
against the queen was introduced,
and read a first time; and upon
the motion for the second reading
of it, evidence to support and to
refute the charges, upon which it
purported to be founded, was
heard. But for the particulars of
the judicial investigation, as well
as of every other preparatory or
collateral step taken in the House
of Lords, from the final refusal
of her majesty to accede to any
accommodation up to the time of
the second reading of the bill of
Degradation, we must refer to the
Appendix to the Chronicle (page
961). There were, however, other

proceedings, connected with this affair, of which the House of Lords was not the scene; and of these we must give a short account.

On Thursday, the 6th of July, Sir Ronald Ferguson moved, that an address be presented to his majesty, praying him to give directions that there be laid before this House an account of any commission or commissions, instruction or instructions, issued by his majesty's commands, since the departure of her majesty the queen from this country in the year 1814, for taking depositions, or making any other inquiries relating to her majesty, during her residence abroad: together with an account of all sums of money expended in the execution of such commission or instruction, and by whom such sums were respectively issued. In support of his motion, he stated, that it was

generally understood, that the contents of the green bag were obtained through the means of certain persons, commissioned to go to Milan, and to procure all the information they could on the subject of the queen's conduct. Common rumour did not point at ministers as the inventors of this plan-that honour was given to another person-the vice-chancellor of England. In order to get at the facts, Sir J. Leach recommended a person who had practised in the same court with himself long and successfully. One of his qualifications for the situation was rather extraordinary, for it appeared that he understood no language beyond his native tongue. A second, and, he believed, a third individual, were added to the commission. Το prove that the vice-chancellor was at the head of this army of espionnage, it was only necessary to observe, that he himself went to Milan in 1818, and remained there till September 19th in that year. The expense attending this commission had been very great indeed. He understood that it had cost the country 23,000l. In the first five months of its existence, a sum of no less than 11,000l. was drawn by these commissioners. Now, he would engage for half that money to procure such witnesses in Italy, as would blast the character of any man or woman, however respectable.

Lord Castlereagh, though he resisted the motion as unseasonable, declared that he had no hesitation in stating distinctly the true circumstances of the case. They were simply these :The statements concerning the conduct of her majesty reached ministers from so many quarters,

and had become so notorious here (statements, let it be observed, that were not procured by any system of fishing, but which came voluntarily from various quarters, many of them of the most grave and official character), that it was deemed necessary to inquire into their accuracy. For this purpose, certain persons were sent out. Their orders were, to look to every thing that could be devised in reason, to detect and separate falsehood from truth. With respect to the characters of the persons employed, application was made to a gentleman at the chancery bar, Mr. Cooke, for his assistance. There was no man in the country, he believed, who had the honour of his acquaintance, that did not respect him. When the business was of so delicate a nature, it was most proper to employ an individual of grave and thinking habits. The gallant general said, an individual was selected, who knew nothing of foreign languages. This, he conceived, was a pledge that nothing more was intended, but that the individual should go to the appointed place, merely to hear the evidence as a professional man.' It showed, that he was not sent out to insinuate himself as a spy into those transactions, but that he was specifically sent out as a person, who, when the witnesses that were to substantiate the facts came before him, was ready to take their depositions, and to take them in that form which was suitable to the practice of our jurisprudence, and surrounded with all those safeguards by which our law was characterised. The expense attending the alle gations on the one side, and the preparations for meeting them on

the other, would be laid before parliament in due time. Ministers wished for no mystery with respect to any part of the transaction. But he did protest solemnly against this mode of introducing partial motions; for it exhibited the air of a mere party proceeding, much more than it did that of a real desire to forward the ends of justice. His lordship concluded by moving the previous question, which was carried without a division, though not till the House had been insulted by a senseless tirade from Mr.Creevey, consisting of nothing but false and violent invective against his sovereign.

Lord Castlereagh then moved, that the order of the day, for taking his majesty's message into consideration, be postponed till the 15th of August. Sir Matthew W. Ridley moved, as an amendment, that it should be discharged; to which lord Castlereagh consented. The discussion upon it gave Mr. Bennett an opportuwity of making a speech, which, in style and matter, was a wonderfully successful imitation of Mr. Creevey's. Mr. Tierney spoke on this motion, as well as on that of Sir R. Ferguson, with great moderation.

On the 17th of July, Dr. Lushington brought forward a motion, complaining of the unjust and vexatious treatment to which her majesty had been exposed from the servants of the crown, by their withholding from her the possession and use of plate, which was her own property. He stated, that in the year 1808, his late majesty ordered a service of plate to be made for the use of the then princess of Wales. The plate was made according to her own taste,

and agreeably to her own directions, and it was presented to her for her own use. The order came through the lord chamberlain, and the articles were paid for by the king. From that time till the year 1814, when her majesty left this country, she enjoyed the use of the plate without any question as to her right. On quitting Kensington-palace, in 1814, when she went to the continent, she delivered the plate over to Mr. Mash, of the chamberlain's office, with an understanding and entire belief, on her part, that, if ever she should return to this country, she would have a right to the use of it. On her return to England, she found herself without one of those articles of comfort and convenience, which ought to have been provided for her. In this situation, she made application to Mr. Mash, for the restoration of her plate; but to this application, his answer was, that he was not authorized to deliver it up without an order from the lord chamberlain. The lord chamberlain was accordingly applied to in her majesty's name, and the following answer was received :-"The lord chamberlain avails himself of the earliest occasion to say, that the note which he had the honour of receiving from lady Ann Hamilton has been laid before his majesty. It being thought, that the plate in question is royal property, his majesty is not pleased to order its removal from the Jewel-office, where it is depo→ sited."

Upon these alleged facts, Dr. Lushington erected a glittering mass of declamation, exaggerating the cruelty and baseness of such conduct towards an unfortunate woman, expatiating on its

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