and the questions of that honourable gentleman might as well bave been directed to any other Member of the House as to him (Sir J. Newport).

Mr. Stewart Wortley begged to say a few words as to an insinuation which seemed to have fallen from the honourable gentleman who spoke last, that a concert had existed between him and the right hon. gentleman on the other side (Mr. Ponsonby), as to the questions put by him last night, to that right honourable gentleman. It was, no doubt, true that he did lay before that right honourable gentleman copies of the questions he meant to put to him—(Hear, heur !)-He told him, "these are questions which I intend to put to you, and will you answer them."-He did so to the right honourable gentleman, as he would have done to any other Member of Parliament, and he did so as a man connected with no party. He had no doubt he knew whence the remark of the honourable Member proceeded. It had been said in a print of this morning, that he (Mr. W.) had gone to the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Ponsonby) and had offered to become one of his party. This he denied. He called upon the right honourable gentleman when five or six gentlemen were with him, and, being requested to retire into another room, declined doing so, but publicly stated the cause of his visit. If any of the gentlemen alluded to were now present, he called on them to say if this was not so. He declared that he was allied to no party whatever in the steps he had taken in this important business, he had taken advice from no man.

Mr. Martin said he had no wish to attribute any thing improper to the honourable gentleman (Mr. Wortley). All he meant was to express his astonishment, considering how things really stood, at the extraordinary surprise at the questions put to him, affected by the right honourable gentleman (Mr. Ponsonby).

Lord Milton said, after all that had passed on this subject, the House was still left in the dark as to the intention. of the honourable Member (Mr. Martin). It would be better if he would tell the House whether it was his intention to bring on his motion or not; and if it was not convenient for the bonourable gentleman himself, it no doubt would be convenient for other honourable gentlemen to have this information.

Mr. W. Smith thought as to the cry raised against his right honourable friend (Mr. Ponsonby), as if he had affected

NEW MINISTERS.

151

surprise at the questions put to him last night, there was really nothing in it. His right honourable friend had not affected surprise, being, as he was, aware of the questions that were to be put to him; but had only desired that the questions might be repeated, in order that both they and the answers to be given to them might be the more clearly understood by the House. As to the fact, of the nature of the questions to be put to his right honourable friend having been previously communicated to him, that was a mode of proceeding which all Parliamentary practice sanctioned; and it must seem to be a most unauthorised freedom to use with any Member, to put a question to him, without using such a formality.

Mr. Martin having moved that the motion, of which he had given notice, for Wednesday, be read, stated, that he had no hesitation in saying, that his object in the motion of which he had given notice, was to facilitate, as much as in him lay, the commission which he understood had since been given to Lord Wellesley, to form an Admini

stration.

After the intervention of some other business,

Lord Milton repeated the question he had already put to the honourable gentleman, namely, whether in the present state of the country he should think it proper to make the motion of which he had given notice for to-morrow? To this question, he submitted, the honourable gentleman had given no answer, but had only stated, that any motion he should make would go to facilitate any arrangement of the noble marquis, to whom had been confided the task of forming an Administration. This was no satisfaction to the House, as to the question whether the honourable gentleman would or would not bring forward his motion to-morrow.

Mr. Martin had no hesitation in saying, he thought it extremely improbable he should make the motion of which he had given notice, to-morrow; but at that time he thought it not inconvenient that something should remain on the Orders to enable any gentleman who chose it to agitate a question of so much importance to the country. His wish was to preserve to himself and to others, the possibility of making such a motion, not to pledge himself that it should actually be made. Should a concert be formed amongst a number of men to force the Sovereign to receive into his councils obnoxious Ministers, he should be one of those who would resist such a measure. He should not be one of

those who would say that the Sovereign had not a right of challenge against any noxious individual or individuals of the kind he had alluded to. As the right honourable gent. (Mr. Ponsonby) had shewn that he had no objection to interrogatories, he (Mr. W.) wished to reserve to himself the power of putting some to him to-morrow, if he should see occasion. He again repeated, it was highly improbable he should bring forward his motion to-morrow, but still it was not impossible.

Lord Cochrane presented a Petition from Peter Battie, shoe-maker, of Stafford, complaining of Mr. M. Phillips, a Member of the House, having obtained from him a sum of money, under pretence of procuring the discharge of a seaman, which, however, he had failed to procure. After a few words from Mr. Kenrick, the Petition was ordered to lie on the table.

The House then went into a Committee on the Petitions on the Orders in Council, after which the House adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3.

The House met about half past two o'clock, and resolved itself into a Committee on the Orders in Council, and witnesses were examined. It was then stated by the Earl of Lauderdale, that the case of the petitioners was closed, and Earl Bathurst intimated that it was intended to go on with the examination of witnesses in favour of the Orders in Council on Monday. The House then resumed, and the Committee was appointed to sit again on Monday, at two o'clock.

Mr. Perceval's Family Provision Bill was, on the motion of the Earl of Liverpool, read a second time and committed for Friday.

The Earl of Liverpool moved to adjourn to Friday.

The Duke of Norfolk said a few words referring to some Bill on the table.

The Earl of Liverpool said he had no intention of pressing the motion of adjournment, if any noble lord had any business to bring before the House.

Earl Grey, who had just entered the House, said he had three Petitions to present, which his lordship presented; one

was from several inhabitants of Margate, against the Margate Pier Bill, which was ordered to lie on the table, and the petitioners to be heard by counsel. The second was from the Mayor and Burgesses of Bury, for opening the East India Trade; and the third from a number of Christians of all denominations, praying for the removal of all disabilities on account of religious opinions, both which were ordered to lie on the table.

FAILURE IN FORMING AN ADMINISTRATION.

The Earl of Liverpool moved that the House do adjourn till Friday next.

The Duke of Norfolk-" Previous to the adjournment of the House, I wish, my Lords, to ask a question of the noble earl (Liverpool) opposite. If, however, the noble earl, who appears to be acting in the important station which we all know he held, is still Minister, and likely to continue so, I have no question to ask of him. If also be is no longer a Minister, I have no question to ask of him; but if he is only Minister for two or three days, until his successor is appointed, then I wish to have some information as to the present situation of public affairs?"

The Earl of Liverpool-" My Lords, in answer to the question put by the noble duke, I have to state to this House, that I am in the same situation in which I was last Friday se'nnight, and that in consequence of a well known event that then took place, I am only continuing in that situation until his royal highness the Prince Regent shall be graciously pleased to signify his pleasure as to any future arrangement."

The Marquis Wellesley-" Although, my Lords, I have not been personally called upon, I still feel it my duty to state to this House the share which I have had in the transactions which have recently taken place, with a view to the forming of some arrangement to meet the alarming difficulties of the present crisis. My Lords, his royal highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, was graciously pleased to lay his commands upon me to state to his Royal Highness my opinion with a view to the formation of an Administration. In obedience to those commands I stated to his Royal Highness my opinion with all that deference which is due to his exalted rank, but at the same time with all that freedom which, I humbly contend, it is a duty that a Privy Councillor owes to his Sovereign and the country to usc. I have this day tendered VOL. III.-1812. X

1

to his Royal Highness my resignation of the authority which his Royal Highness was pleased to vest in me, with a view to the arrangement of an Administration, which resignation his Royal Highness has been graciously pleased to accept. My Lords, I deeply lament that the most dreadful personal animosities, that the most terrible difficulties, arising out of questions the most complicated and important, should have interposed obstacles to prevent that arrangement which it was so highly desirable, which it was so essential to the interests and the welfare of the country to make. That such personal animosities and such difficulties should have prevented the so much wished-for, the so highly - desired and desirable arrangement, at so arduous and perilous a crisis, is indeed most deeply to be deplored. In consequence of these results, I humbly solicited of his Royal Highness permission, and his Royal Highness was graciously pleased to give me full authority to state to this House, if your lordships shall desire it, all the circumstances attending the progress of this transaction, in which I have had any share. But, my Lords, if I may be permitted to advise your lordships, that advice is not to call for such a disclosure, convinced as I am most fully, that in the present situation of the country such a disclosure would be highly mischievous to the public interests. If, however, your lordships command me to make the disclosure, I shall feel it my duty, and am ready to make it; but allow me again to advise your lordships not to call for it, under a full conviction that, at the present crisis, it would be highly mischievous."

Earl Stanhope-" My Lords, the noble marquis having very handsomely stated his readiness to make the disclosure to which he alludes, I think it becomes the duty of your lordships to call for that disclosure, for the satisfaction of the country, particularly after the declaration of the noble earl (Liverpool) opposite, that he is not a Minister, but a daisy, a flower, that appears in bloom in the morning, that dies at night, and is no more thought of. I trust, therefore, your lordships will feel it to be your duty to call for the disclosure to which the noble marquis adverts."

The Earl of Limerick-" My Lords, I rise as an individual, unconnected with any party, to deprecate the disclo sure called for by the noble earl (Stanhope); and I trust your lordships will adopt the advice given by the noble marquis, not to call for a disclosure which must, in the