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liamentary reform, yet it is a fubject upon which he is certainly highly diftinguished. I promised then, that I fhould on this day refume my motion for an address; on the opening of the feffion, I mentioned it, and then faid, that it ought to be introduced in compliment to his Majefty and his Royal Highness the Prince, in the fpeech from the throne, and that though it were not mentioned there, yet it ought to be introduced in the addrets from this houfe; but the want of ufage and precedent, was urged as an argument for not adopting that opinion. Before moving the addrefs, I fhall fay a few words as to the ufage of parliament, relating to what concerns the Royal Family, and fhall fhew the Houfe, that thefe are precedents in favour of the principle of my motion, notwithstanding that there never could have been an addrefs exactly the fame of this, fince the reign of James the First, 'till the cafe of his prefent Majefty. Charles the Second, and the unfortunate James the Second, lived in times in which no ufage or motion of this kind could be made, as they were both in banishment at that period of their lives. William the Third could not have given a precedent, nor could Queen Anne as heir to the crown. George the First could not; George the Second was of age long before his father acceded to the British throne. Frince Frederick was of age before his arrival in England, and therefore his prefent Majeity is the only cafe in which it could have happened; why it did not happen, I do not prefume to conjecture; but this I am fure of, that his Majefty, George the Second, had certainly not a more fincere attachment to his family, than that which does fuch infinite honour to his prefent Majesty's domeftic character. It has been fuppofed, that it is not the ufage for parliament to interfere in matters which concern the Royal Family, except when called upon by the throne in the fpeech. I fhall mention fome facts to let afide that pofition, as alfo to fhew, that parliament have thought on frequent occafions, that it became them to do fo, and on occafions not of more importance than the prefent. In England, on the opening of the fetion in 1729, immediately after the arrival of Prince Frederick, the Houfe congratulated the King thereupon, in the very first paragraph of the addrefs, though his arrival was not mentioned in the fpeech from the throne; the fame happened in the Lords of England, and a mellage of congratulation was fent to his Royal Highnefs. On that Prince's marriage in 1736, an address was voted to the King three days after, though no meflage was fent to the Houfe, and aifo a meffage of congratulation to their Royal Highnciles, the fame as the Lords. In 1737, upon Mr. Pulteney's motion for an independent establishment for the Prince of Wales, not only no meffage was fent, upon which that motion was grounded, but a meffage was read by Sir Robert Walpole from the King, with intent thereby, to

ftop the motion of Mr. Pulteney, and yet there was on a divifion, 204 to 234 in fupport of Mr. Pulteney's motion. The fame day, the fame queftion was agitated in the Lords, and 14 peers protefted when it was negatived, and it is to be remarked, that Mr. Pulteney clearly proves from precedents, the competency and the ufage of parliament to interfere in the concerns of the Royal Family, of their own motion, even in the momentous queftion of the establishment of the Prince of Wales; and it is equally remarkable, that Sir Robert Walpole exprefly acknowledges the competency and the ufage, and oppofes the motion upon other grounds. When the Princefs Dowager of Wales died in 1782, an addrefs of condolence was moved, though no mesfage came from the King. Upon the birth of his prefent Majefty, he not being born Prince of Wales, no address was voted. When his prefent Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was born, his Majefty was congratulated upon the opening of the enfuing feffion, though it was not mentioned in the fpeech from the throne. All thefe cafes, Sir, clearly prove, that it has been the ufage of parliament to interfere in matters which concern the Royal Family, without being called upon by the throne; and now, Sir, a few inftances will fhew you that the fame ufage has prevailed in this kingdom, and further, that it has been the ufage to mention in the fpeech here, matters which concern the Royal Family, though not mentioned in the fame manner in England. The firft will prove, that I am not unwarranted in the motion of to-day, and the fecond will fhew, how wanting his prefent Excellency has been in not mentioning the subject of this motion in the fpeech from the throne. On the opening of the fellion in 1729 here, no notice is taken of Prince Frederick's artival in the dominions by the fpeech from the throne, and yet this houfe congratulates his Majefty in their addrefs; and alfo upon the death of her late Royal Highnets, during the feflion, this House votes an addrefs of condolence without any notification made of that event by meilage. The marriage of Prince Frederick, and alfo the melancholy intimation of his death, are mentioned in the fpeech here, though not notified from the King in England, either by ipeech or meffage; and to inftance in the Cafe of that very Prince, who is the fubject, though not the object, of the addrefs, now to be moved, his Royal Highness's birth is mentioned in the fpeech from the throne here, though not mentioned in the fpeech in England; which precedents his prefent Excellency might, if he had chofen it, fafely have copied on this occafion in compliment. But, Sir, as to precedents being wanting, if there had been no precedents upon this fubject, I fhould not think myelf concluded by the want of precedents. The beft lawyers lay down, that precedents without argument and decifion, are of no moment; they are always fuppofed to be made

upon due confideration, and therefore the doctrine of precedents does not apply to cafes that are new, or never before brought into agitation; and if a queftion has never been before decided upon at all, that can hardly be adduced as a precedent for deciding against it, when it is brought forward; nor can its never having been agitated be called a precedent, for that it never shall be agitated. But, Sir, there are cafes where a departure in parliament from precedents is wifdom-look at that body of precedents that fill and difgrace your journals, till one illuftrious man, now no more, nobly departing from them, in an addrefs with unprecedented boldnefs, thereby obtained for your nation a free trade. The whole ftate of your country is unprecedented, and when unprecedented acts of attention have been fhewn to you on the part of our gracious Sovereign, who has condefcended to be a mediator between this and the other kingdom, will you fet bounds to nothing in this fyftem of new precedents, but the gratitude and affection of this house to that gracious Monarch? It is a time to take unprecedented occafions for affurances of attachment to the crown, and his Majefty's Royal Family. Great changes have been made in our conftitution, others perhaps are meditated; these confiderations call upon you to declare it. The amputation of fo great a part of the empire as has taken place, calls upon you to declare it in the face of Europe; and when you are fowing the feeds of future riches and greatness, you are called upon in policy as in gratitude, to fhew that your profperity is to infpire you with new zeal towards his Majefty and his Royal Houfe; that fo you may fecure the Monarch, a guardian of your rights, and retain the Sovereign through his princely virtues, a protector of your interefts. Without intending to follow it with any other motion, I fhall now call upon minifters to fupport a meafure full of duty, loyalty, and affection to his Majefty, and move you that an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, to affure his Majefty of the loyalty and attachment of this Houfe to his Majefty's royal perfon and government; of the unfeigned joy of this Houfe, upon occafion of his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales having aufpiciously attained the age of twenty-one years, as an additional affurance to his Majesty's faithful fubjects of the ftability of his Majefty's government, and of the illuftrious and proteftant houfe of Hanover, which fills the throne of thefe dominions; and to affure his Majesty, that his faithful Commons of Ireland are anxious to exprefs their zeal and attachment on every occafion which can contribute to his Majefty's domeftic happinefs, at a time when it is fit that every part of the British empire fhould fhew itself to be most closely united, by one common bond of loyalty and affection, to their moft gracious Sovereign; and when his Majefty's faithful fubjects of Ireland, grateful for that paternal and gracious attention

lately vouchfafed by his Majefty to their rights and interefts, are defirous to prove that the profperity and advancement of Ireland, will always infpire additional zeal for the dignity and splendor of his Majefty's illuftrious perfon and family.

Mr. Dennis Browne feconded the motion.

Mr. George Ponsonby said that no man in the Houfe was more attached to the Royal Family than himself. He did not however find any precedent of fuch an addrefs being prefented. He therefore moved the order of the day.

Right Hon. 7. Conolly. I fee no reafon for not agreeing to this motion, but that it came from the other fide of the Houfe. The addrefs is expreffive of our affection to his Majefty and his Royal Family. The Honourable Gentleman who propofed it, does not mean this as a foundation for money to be granted. I cannot therefore find any reason why it fhould be fcouted out of this House. I have heard it fpoken to in a full and candid manner, and the address is expreffed in fo humble, fo dutiful, and fo affectionate a ftile, that I fhall vote for it, though I do not know his Royal Highness, and the Hon. Gentleman does. I did not know that his Majesty was become of late so happy; I never heard he rejoiced when the Prince arrived at eighteen, nor at twentyone. However, being a loyal and affectionate addrefs, and though coming from that fide of the House, I certainly shall vote for it.

Mr. Pole. When I came into this House, I was determined to vote against it; but having heard it fo fully fpoken to, I certainly shall vote for it.

Right Hon. Mr. Brownlow.-I do not approve of this addrefs. When parliament addreffes his Majefty, it ought to be on folid reafons, as an answer to fome information required, or for fome favour. It is well known the Prince was born in 1762, and muft in 1783 be 21, and he can now take his feat in the House of Peers. I think it would be improper to put our Sovereign in mind of mortality; and I fincerely hope that that period will be very remote. His Majefty is in good health, and I hope that he may long enjoy it but why tell him that his fon is of age, to put him in mind of his increasing age, and his Majefty's declining? Notwithstanding the refpectability of the gentleman who is in favour of it, I must give it a negative.

Right Hon. Mr. Pelham.-I fhould have thought it not confiftent to addrefs upon occafions which do not feem to require it. The Hon. Gentleman called upon gentlemen in administration, and I being confidered as one of thofe, think it neceffary to fay a few words: If I was to give any encouragement to the addrefs, it might be afterwards moved, to grant an establishment for his Royal Highness. No man in or out of this House entertains a higher veneration, a more perfect affection, nor a more unfeigned

and loyal attachment to the royal perfonage, on whose account this addrefs has been moved, than I feel. But I never have seen this addrefs; I have had no inftructions from his Majefty's minif ters it is for the Houfe to determine, whether they will vote for it or not. As to exprefling the loyalty and attachment of this Houfe, that is fo fully expreffed in the addreffes already prefented, in confequence of the fpeech from the throne, that no doubt can remain of the loyalty and attachment of this Houfe. I fhould. be glad gentlemen would fpeak out whenever they think it neceffary to addrefs. I cannot have any with but the with of this Houfe. I therefore rely on the wifdom of this House to determine, whether it is now proper to prefent fuch an address.

Mr. Oberne faid, although he did not pin his faith upon courtiers, yet in matters of ceremony he thought they were generally right. This country, he faid, had no occafion for new proofs of its loyalty; and as his Majesty's pleasure was not known on this fubject, he thought it would be highly indecorous to prefent the address defired.

On a divifion, whether the House fhould go into the order of the day, there appeared,

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Tellers for the Ayes, Mr. Oborne, and Mr. Brownlow.
Tellers for the Noes, Mr. Corry, and Mr. Dennis Browne.

The Right Hon. John Fofter, according to order, reported from the committee of the whole Houfe, appointed to confider further of ways and means for raifing the fupply granted to his Majefty, the refolutions which the committee had directed him to report to the Houfe, which he read in his place, and after delivered in at the table, where the fame were read, and agreed unto by the House, and are as follow:

Refolved, That a further additional duty of 2s. be laid on every barrel of herrings, containing 32 gallons, except British herrings, which fhall be imported into this kingdom during the time aforefaid.

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that a duty of 25. 6. be paid for every fkin or piece of vellum or parchment on which fhall be engroffed or written, during the time aforefaid, any bill, aufwer, plea, demurrer, replication, rejoinder, interrogatory, depofition taken by commiffion, or any other pleading whatfoever in the courts of Chancery or Exchequer.

Refolved, That every fuch skin or piece of vellum or parchment, on which fhall be engroffed or written any number of words exceeding two thoufand, fhall be confidered as two skins or pieces, and pay duty accordingly.

Refolved, That no fkin or piece of vellum or parchment, or piece or fheet of paper, upon which any copy of any affidavit charged

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