To these I am bound to adhere; and it is on the fullest consideration which this pressure of time has permitted me to give to them, that I am compelled to decline, but with all due respect to your lordships, a compliance with the requisition contained in those warrants to which this letter refers.

Perhaps, however, on an occasion of such high and urgent public interest, it may not be improper for me, before I close this letter, further to submit to your lordships my view of the mode in which all difficulties on this subject may be removed, in so far at least as any agency of mine may be required for the purpose of those issues-a mode which I am happy to think may still be resorted to, even within the period which the right honourable the chancellor of the exchequer did me the honour to point out to me, as that within which no serious inconvenience is to be apprehended to the public service.

for

Your lordships have recited in your warrants, the resolution by which the two houses of parliament have declared the melancholy fact of the temporary incapacity of his majesty for the discharge of his high functions. If it be proper me, in my official character, in any manner whatever to act on this declaration, I cannot separate my knowledge of it from that of the accompanying resolution by which the lords and commons did at the same time declare, that it was their right and duty "to provide the means of supplying the defect of the personal exercise of the royal authority arising from his majesty's said indisposition, in such manner as the exigency of the case may appear to them to require."

To this resolution all the subjects of this realm owe submission and obedience; and while it presents on the one hand, in my judgment, a fresh and insuperable obstacle to my obeying your lordships' requisition, it does, I

trust, afford, on the other hand, the means of obviating any inconvenience that could arise from my adherence to this my public duty. Í should think myself doubly criminal, if, while the two houses are actually proceeding in the execution of such their right and duty, I were to take upon myself to decide, for them, in what manner the defect in the personal exercise of the king's authority shall be supplied, in so important a branch as that of the issue of his royal treasure; much more, if I were to arrogate to myself the power of dispensing, for that purpose, with the express provisions of the laws by which my official duties are regulated.

But if your lordships shall think it proper to submit this difficulty to the consideration of the two houses of parliament, they have declared, that with them rests the right and duty to provide the means of removing it. With them resides, under the present exigency, the power to command those official seals, the use of which would constitute an imperative and unquestionable authority to the officers of the exchequer; with them rests the discretion of judgment in what other manner they may think it more fit to provide a sufficient warrant or sanction for any issue which they may determine to be requisite for the public interests; and I certainly should not fail to defer to their pleasure with entire submission, and to execute with the most implicit obedience any orders which I shall receive from your lordships, under the sanction of their authority.

I have the honour to be, &c.
GRENVILLE, auditor,

Return to an Order of the Honourable

House of Commons, -for

Copy of a letter from the deputy clerks of the privy seal, of the 4th January, 1811; stating their reasons why they could not prepare letters to pass the

majesty's royal sign manual;" countersigned by three lords of the treasury. This docquet is compared with the docquet to the king's bill aforementioned; and the clerk of the privy

4, 1811.

Privy Seal Office, 4th Jan. 1811. SIR,-In pursuance of your request, by command of the lords commissioners of his majesty's treasury, that we should state, in writing, the reason which induced us to acquaint the lord keeper of the privy seal, that we could not execute the command to prepare letters to pass the privy seal, for the issue of certain sums of money for the navy and army, we have no difficulty in complying with your request.

The course of official routine, before we present the letters of privy seal to the lord keeper, is as follows:

A warrant signed by the king, and countersigned by three lords of the treasury, is directed to the clerk of the signet, ordering him to prepare a bill for the royal signature, to cause let ters of privy seal to pass. The clerk of the signet then prepares a transcript of this bill, which being signed with his name, as examined, after having his majesty's signet affixed to it, is directed to the lord keeper of the privy seal. Upon receiving this, the clerk of the privy seal has a transcript of it prepared; but previous to examining it, it is customary for him to send a docquet, which in point of fact is a copy of the docquet subjoined to the bill, which is prepared by the clerk of the signet for the royal signature. This docquet commences with the words following:

"His majesty's warrant for issuing, &c. &c."-and terminates, "subscribed for Mr-,* by warrant under his

"Examined;" signing his name. Upon this being returned, signed by three lords of the treasury, the letters of privy seal are compared with the signet transcript, and, being likewise signed by the said clerk, are laid before the lord keeper, in order that the privy seal may be affixed thereto.

Our objection to signing the letters of privy seal, therefore, was, that we conceived it would be departing from the official line of our duty, and acting contrary to the express letter and spirit of our oath, if we signed these letters of privy seal prior to the usual docquet being returned to the office countersigned by three lords of the treasury. We considered this of the greater importance, as we have always conceived the docquet to be a certificate, under the hands of their lordships, that the royal signature had actually been affixed.

Moreover, as the lord keeper always retains the signet, and docquet, as his vouchers for affixing the seal; and the entry of the docquet is the only record remaining in the office.

The tenor of the oath is as follows: "You shall be true to our sovereign lord the king, his heirs and successors, kings and queens of the united kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and them faithfully serve to the best of your power, as one of their clerks in the office of privy seal; and during the time you shall continue in the same, you shall not prefer nor colourably present to the keeper of the privy seal or commissioners for the execution of the office of keeper of the privy seal

for the time being, any manner of thing to pass the seal, but such only as you shall have sufficient warrant for, by writing or by mouth granted or given by the king's majesty, or some of his highness's council in the court of requests. You shall not disclose any of his majesty's causes to you commanded to be kept secret, until such time as publication be thereof made.-And you shall not seek to break any order used for the attendance of the clerks of the said office, or by colour thereof take any profits growing by the seal of the said office, and thereby defraud them of the whole due or any parcel thereof.

"So help you God, and by the holy evangelists."

By the clerk. in the

York

Kent

Clarence

hath taken the

oath above expressed, and subscribed his name before me t

keeper

par

of the privy seal; and hath also taken the oaths appointed by an act of liament, entitled,.“ Án act for abrogating the oaths of supremacy and allegiance, and appointing other oaths." (Signed) +

We have the honour to be, &c. JOHN LARPENT. JOHN JAS. LARPENT. George Harrison, Esq. &c. &c.

Against the Order to issue Money.

Saturday, Jan. 5, 1811. On the Report of the Committee of the whole House,

DISSENTIENT.

1. Because the principle on which the resolution is founded, would justify the assumption of all the executive

* Clerk's name. keeper of the privy seal.

Rosslyn

Ponsonby Seaforth

By the lord

resumption of the exercise of the royal authority by his Majesty. 2. For continuing to his Majesty certain duties on malt, sugar, tobacco, and snuff, in Great Britain; and on pensions, offices, and personal estates in England; for the service of the year 1811.

1811.

3. For raising the sum of 10,500,000%. by exchequer bills, for the service of Great Britain for the year 1811. 4 For raising the sum of 1,500,000%. by exchequer bills, for the service of Great Britain for the year 5. For raising the sum of one million by treasury bills for the service of Ireland for the year 1811. 6. For taking an account of the population of Great Britain, and of the increase or diminution thereof. 7. To amend two Acts of the 13th and 32d years of his present Majesty, relating to the wages of persons employed in the silk manufacture. 3. For punishing mutiny and desertion; and for the better payment of the army and their quarters. 9. For the regulation of his Majesty's royal marine forces while on shore. 10. To continue until the 25th of March, 1833, certain Acts of the parliament of Ireland, so far as the same relate to the improvement, of the city of Dublin, by making wide and convenient passages through the

same.

11. To continue until the 25th day of March, 1832, certain Acts of the parliament of Ireland, so far as the same relate to the duty on coals imported into the harbours of Dublin, and to the regulating the coal trade thereof.

12. To continue until the 25th day of March, 1812, an act for regulating the drawbacks and bounties on the exportation of sugar from Ireland. 13. For further continuing until the 25th day of March, 1812, certain bounties and drawbacks on the ex

portation of sugar from Great Britain; and for suspending the countervailing duties and bounties on sugar, when the duties imposed by an act of the 49th year of his present Majesty shall be suspended; and for continuing so much of an act of the 27th year of his present Majesty as allows a bounty upon double-refined sugar exported, until the 25th day of March, 1813, and so much of the same act as allows a bounty on raw sugar exported, until the 25th day of March, 1812.

14. To continue several laws relating to the granting a bounty upon certain species of British and Irish linens exported from Great Britain, and taking off the duties on the importation of foreign raw linen yarns made of flax into Great Britain, until the 25th day of March, 1821; to the prohibiting the exportation from and permitting the importation into Great Britain of corn, and for allowing the importation of other articles of provision without payment of duty during the continuance of the war, and until six months after the ratification of a definitive treaty of and to the perpeace; mitting the importation of tobacco into Great Britain from any place whatever, until the 25th day of March, 1812.

15. For enabling his Majesty to direct the issue of exchequer bills to a limited amount, for the purposes and in manner therein mentioned. 16. For granting annuities to discharge certain exchequer bills.

17. To render valid certain acts done for completing the regular militia, and to indemnify the persons con. cerned therein.

18. To indemnify such persons in the

United Kingdom as have omitted to qualify themselves for offices and employments, and for extending the times limited for those purposes re

spectively, until the 25th day of March, 1812; and to permit such persons in Great Britain as have omitted to make and file affidavits of the execution of indentures of clerks to attornies and solicitors, to make and file the same on or before the first day of Hilary term, 1812. 19. To continue until the 25th day of March, 1812, an Act of the 45th year of his present Majesty, for appointing commissioners to enquire into the public expenditure and the conduct of the public business in the military departments therein mentioned, and to extend the same to public works executed by the office of works and others.

20. To allow a certain proportion of

the militia of Great Britain to enlist annually into the regular forces; and to provide for the gradual reduction of the said militia. 21. To explain and amend an Act, passed in the 50th year of his Majesty's reign, intituled, "An Act to direct that accounts of increase and diminution of public salaries, pensions, and allowances, shall be annually laid before parliament; and to regulate and controul the granting and pay of such salaries, pensions, and allowances ;" so far as respects the grant of pensions or al. lowances by his Majesty to persons who previously to the passing of the said Act had served the crown in foreign courts.

22. For raising the sum of 2,500,0007.

by way of annuities and treasury bills for the service of Ireland. 23. For rendering more effectual an Act made in the 47th year of his Majesty's reign, intituled, "An Act for the abolition of the slave trade."

24. To repeal so much of an Act of the 19th year of his present Majesty, as prevents masters of ships re

VOL. IV. PART II.

moving their vessels out of the stream, except to the lawful quays in the port of London, before the goods are discharged or their vessels are cleared by the proper officers inwards or outwards, so far as relates to any ship or vessel entered inwards or outwards from or to any port in Ireland.

25. For further continuing, until the 25th day of July, 1813, an Act made in the 33d year of his present Majesty, for rendering the payment of creditors more equal and expeditious in Scotland.

26. For raising the sum of 4,981,300%. by way of annuities.

27. To explain and amend two acts of the 50th and 51st years of his present Majesty, for continuing certain duties on malt, sugar, tobacco, and snuff, and other purposes mentioned in the said Acts.

28, For increasing the rates of sub

sistence to be paid to inn-keepers and others on quartering soldiers. 29. For continuing, until the 1st day of August, 1813, two acts of the 45th and 50th years of his present Majesty, allowing the bringing of coals, culm, and cinders to London and Westminster, by inland navigation.

30. To amend the several acts for ena

bling his Majesty to accept the services of volunteers from the militia of Ireland.

31. To continue, during the present war, and until the expiration of six calendar months after the ratification of a definitive treaty of peace, and amend an act made in the 48th year of his present Majesty, for granting an additional duty on cop. per imported into Great Britain. 32. For the better securing exciseable goods, on board vessels, in the port of Bristol.