boroughs, trade was discouraged, religion neglected, and every thing to which the attention of the magistrates ought to be turned, wholly disregarded.

Mr. Pitt observed, that wishing to know the contents of the bill, he was as desirous as any gentleman could be to have the motion carried. If it went to a reform, it would be one reason to induce him to be partial to it; but to the latter part he objected, conceiving the house would be guilty of a violent action in charging the boroughs with abuses, and giving a countenance to an infringement of their charters, before such abuses were made to appear. By what he had stated, he meant to urge no obstruction to the bill, but merely to suggest to the honorable gentleman the propriety of adopting some other mode, by committee, or otherwise, that might be more consistent with the forms of the house.

Mr. Sheridan answered, that what had fallen from the right honorable gentleman (Mr. Pitt) was perfectly fair and candid. He believed that the right honorable gentleman's objection went only to a few words in the latter part of the motion, in which he saw no novelty or deviation from rule; but to gain the right honorable gentleman's acquiescence, he was willing to alter the motion as the right honorable gentleman had recommended. Sir James Johnstone objecting to the motion, the house divided, ayes 54; noes 00; majority 54.

JUNE 25.

INTERLUDE REGULATION BILL.

The Speaker having stated to the house that the lords had made several amendments in the bill,

Mr. SHERIDAN trusted that he should be able, without trespassing too long upon the patience of the house, to induce them, in consequence of the few remarks which he must beg leave to make, to postpone the consideration of the amendments to the bill in the other house. The noble lords who proposed them seemed not to have been aware of what they were about when they suggested them,

or to have at all considered how far they could be connected with the other parts of the bill. It had gone out of their house, (as the Speaker well knew) a bill of general regulation; and it came back in such a state as, he believed, no bill had ever before been returned into that house. The noble personage, whoever he was, that had made the amendments, appeared to be possessed of something like a dramatic mind, and to have converted the bill into a perfect harlequinade, full of theatrical shifts and changes. The preamble of it stated, that "notwithstanding the wholesome regulations, provided by the acts in being, divers persons had exhibited, in certain houses and places licensed, operas, burlettas, pantomimes, musical dramas, and other theatrical and dramatic performances and entertainments, contrary to the true intent and meaning of the said acts, &c. &c." This preamble the noble amender of the bill had preserved, without the alteration of a syllable, although he had inserted in the subsequent pages of the bill, clauses to authorise still more houses to perform pantomimes, musical dramas, and other theatrical or dramatic entertainments. In short, in consequence of the amendments, the whole bill was not only rendered incongruous, inconsistent, and absurd; but as it stood, it went to affect private property to a very considerable amount, and to destroy security that had been established for more than a century, on the sanction of parliamentary faith, in a manner that he was persuaded that house would never consent to; because that house would never do so violent an act of injustice to individuals, as to injure their most essential interests, without affording them an opportunity of being heard by themselves or their counsel in their defence. Just as well might the house consent to a bill being brought in to abrogate and annul any other grant of the crown; for instance, if from motives of private pique and personal resentment, a bill should be

introduced to take away a certain grant of one shilling duty upon each chaldron of coals brought into the port of London, which was appropriated to the use of a noble individual, every man of liberality would spurn at the uncandid suggestion, and refuse to do an act of such glaring injustice. He therefore had not a doubt but that the house would concur in his motion, "That the consideration of these amendments be postponed to this day three months."

The Speaker put the question, which was agreed to unanimously.

DECEMBER 12.

KING'S ILLNESS- REGENCY.

Towards the latter end of October the report of the impaired state of the King's health became a subject of the deepest interest to the nation. On the 24th of that month, His Majesty had a levee at St. James's for the purpose of quieting the alarm which the report of his indisposition had spread amongst his people; but upon his return to Windsor his disorder took a new and unfortunate turn; and before the end of the first week in November, it was generally known that it had settled into a constant delirium. The Prince of Wales repaired immediately to Windsor, where he was met by the Lord Chancellor; and they, in concert with the Queen, took such measures relative to the domestic affairs of the King, as the necessity of the case required. In the mean time, all those who by their rank and situation in the state were required to take a part in so new and unexpected an exigence, assembled in the capital; and an express was dispatched to Mr. Fox, at this time in Italy, to hasten his return. The parliament had been prorogued to the 20th of November; and as the intended commission for a further prorogation had not been issued by the King, its meeting took place upon that day, as a matter of course. The peers and the commons remained in their separate chambers; and the Chancellor in the upper, and Mr. Pitt in the lower house, having notified the cause of their assembling without the usual notice and summons, and stated the impropriety of their proceeding under such circumstances to the discussion of any public business whatsoever, both houses resolved unanimously to adjourn for fifteen days. At the same time Mr. Pitt took occasion to observe, that as it would be indispensably necessary in case His Majesty's illness should unhappily continue longer than the period of their adjourn ment, that the house should take into immediate consideration the means of supplying, so far as they were competent, the want of the

royal presence; it was incumbent upon them to insure a full attendance, in order to give every possible weight and solemnity to their proceedings. For this purpose it was ordered, that the house be called over on Thursday, the 4th of December next; and that the Speaker do send letters requiring the attendance of every member. Orders to the same effect were made by the lords.

To

For the purpose of laying some ground for the proceedings of the two houses of Parliament, a council was held at Whitehall, on the day preceding their meeting, to which all the Privy Counsellors were summoned. Of fifty-four who attended, twenty four were of the party of opposition. The physicians who had attended His Majesty during his illness were called before them and sworn; after which three questions, which had been previously debated and carried in the council, were put to them severally. The first was, Whether His Majesty's indisposition rendered him capable of meeting his parliament, and of attending to any sort of public business." this they answered, "That certainly he was incapable." The second was, "What is your opinion of the duration of His Majesty's malady, and of the probability of a cure?" To this they answered, "That there was a great probability of his recovery; but that it was impossible to limit the time.' The third question was, "Do you give that opinion from the particular symptoms of His Majesty's disorder, or from your experience in complaints of a similar nature?" To this their general answer was, "That it was from experience. and having observed that the majority of those who were afflicted with the same disease had recovered."

On the 4th, the two houses being assembled, the President of the Council informed the peers, that the King, by the continuance of his indisposition, was rendered incapable of meeting his parliament, and that all the other functions of government were thereby suspended. He then declared it to be his opinion, that in this dismembered state of the legislature, the right devolved on the two houses of parliament to make such provision for supplying the defect as should be adequate to the necessity of the case; but that it was necessary, before any step could be taken in so delicate a business, that the deficiency should be fully ascertained; with this view he moved, that the minutes of the Privy Council should be read; which being done, the following Monday was appointed for taking it into consideration. A motion to the same effect being made by Mr. Pitt in the house of commons, Mr. Viner expressed his doubt, whether in a matter of such moment, and which would be attended with such important consequences, the house could proceed upon a report from the Privy Council without a further examination of the physicians, either at their bar, or by a committee of their own. Mr. Pitt urged, in reply, the delicacy of the subject to be discussed; and remarked further, that the examination before the council was taken upon oath, which the house had it not in their power to administer. Mr. Fox concurred in opinion with Mr. Viner; he felt the propriety of acting with all possible delicacy, but if delicacy and their duty should happen to clash, the latter ought not to be sacrificed to the former. A doubt was also

On

stated by the Speaker, whether, in the present defective state of parliament he was competent to issue writs for new elections. This was determined in the affirmative, and the house immediately rose. Monday the 8th, Mr. Pitt, either convinced upon further consideration of the propriety of Mr. Viner's suggestion, or expecting that the probability of His Majesty's recovery would become more apparent upon a fuller inquiry into the case, came forward to propose, that a committee of twenty-one members should be appointed to examine all the physicians who had attended the King during his illness. A like committee was appointed the same day in the house of lords, and the members in both were chosen nearly in equal numbers from each side of the house. The report of the committee being brought up on the 10th, and ordered to be printed, Mr. Pitt moved, "that a committee be appointed to examine the journals of the house, and report precedents of such proceedings as may have been had in cases of the personal exercise of the royal authority being prevented or interrupted by infancy, sickness, infirmity, or otherwise, with a view to provide for the same." This motion was carried after a short debate, and a committee of twenty-one, of whom nine were members of opposition, appointed to sit with the usual powers. On the 12th Mr. Wilbore Ellis appeared at the bar with this report. Mr. Pitt moved, "that it do lie upon the table;" which having been agreed to, it was next moved, "that the report be printed." Mr. Pitt afterwards moved, "that the house will on Tuesday next resolve itself into a committee, to take into consideration the state of the nation. The question having been put from the chair,

Mr. SHERIDAN observed, that he rose merely to prevent any false conclusion being drawn from his silence that he concurred in the propriety or expediency of putting the abstract proposition in the right of the Prince of Wales. He for one, felt it his duty to contend against the discussion of any such proposition, declaring that it was neither likely to maintain and secure the promotion of the good or of the peace of the public. It could not conciliate, but on the contrary, it might create dissentions and animosities; and therefore he insisted that it would be extremely unwise, as it was obviously unnecessary, to agitate it or press the house to come to any vote upon it. He begged leave to remind the right honorable gentleman of the danger of provoking that claim to be asserted (a loud cry of Hear! Hear!) which he observed had not yet been preferred. (Another cry of Hear! Hear!) He repeated his words, and asked, would the right honorable gentle