166] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1790. 
The parliament was foon after- of April was diffolved by procla= © 
wards prorogued, and onthe eighth mation. 
illuftrious family may have fallen, without any fault of their own; and we are — 
firmly perfuaded, that if penfions were to be thus only applied, inftead of a difgrace 
and grievance, they would become an honour aiid advantage to the country ; and 
that the national expence, which would by this reftrilion be reduced to a compa-_ 
rative trific, would be borne aad provided for with rhe utmoft alacrity; the wanton 
application and proful= exorbitancy of fuch gratuities, and not the power of grant- 7 
mg them, having ever been the obic& of complaint and animadverfion—the penfion 4 
Litt, aad not the penfon eitablihment. a 
Becaufe we conceive, thatfrom his rank. and circumftances no man had ever yet | 
a ftronger and more rightful elaim to the royal bounty than the lord vifeount Strang~ 
ford, in confequence of which, and of the unanimous addrefs of this houfe, a pen~ 
fion of 4004 fer ann. was, by his Majelty’s humane goodnefs and gractous con~ 
defeeafion to the wifhes of his faithful fubicéts the peers of this realm, granted tog 
him ; of which penfion, however, he has been dately deprived without any caufe 
whatfoever having been affigned for fuch deprivation, ee 
Becanfe that. when a pention has been granted to a member of this houfe, in 
confequence of an addrefS from the lords, we humbly conceive that to advife his 
Miajelty to revake the faid penfion, without previoufly acquainting their lordfhips — 
with fuch intention, and*with reafons of fuch revocation, is highly difrefpe&tful to 
parliament, and derogatory. from the dignity of this houfe. : , 4 
Becauie we have every ground to believe that, in the prefent inftance, the ford 
wifcount Strangford has been deprived of bis penfion on account of his conduét in| 
purliament, as well from the fience of munifters refpecting the caufe of this public ; 
mark of his Miujefty’s difpleaiure, as becaufe at the period of the faid de~) 
privaticn, and of many others evidently on the fame account, we have feen pen- 
fions and places, fome of them created for the occafion, and even the higheft favours, 
of the cyown Javithed with a more than ultel indecency of profufion and corrupt | 
extravagance, manifeftly with the view of obtaining undue influence in’ Parlia- 
ment—minifiry having thus evinced the tendency of their punithments by that of 
their rewards. Neither can wé, on this occafion, avoid lamenting the additional con 
w.dticn, which every day brings along with it, of the juftice of ony apprehenfions, | 
that the aforefaid meatures, together with many others, which have for fome time 
pat unceafingly alarmed us, are to be confidered only as parts of a’ general fy{- 
tem to undermine tie liberties of this cquntry by corruption, and to overthrow,” 
by fapping them from within, thefe bulwerks of our conftitution, which are too” 
firong to be openly attacked with any probability ef fuceefs, 7 
Becaule we conceive, that to punifh any member of parliament on account of his: 
parlimeniary conduct, by depriving him cf that which he poflefied from his Majefty’s 
fayour.is in the bine degree unconftitutional, being a direét interference.of the! 
execuiiye power with the peculiar province and privilege of parliament, and an open 
ztfick upon that freedom. of the legiflative body which is: fo effential to public lis 
berty; and we are therefore decidedly and firmly of opinion, that the man wha 
advifed eur melt gracicus fovercign, whofe truly royal mind is, we are confident, 
utterly ineapabie of any fuch meafure, unleiS grofsly abused and mifled, to revoke 
the penfion to rightfully and humanely granted to the lord vifcount Strangfordy 
es acted vot only difretpeétfuily to this houfe, but in manifeft violation of the funs 
dasiental principles of the conftitution. : 
; ; ; LEINSTER, : port FARNHAM, “3 
Cork and CRRERY, | CHARLEMONT, 
Morera, ‘PORTARLINGTON, | 
ARRAN, | Rp.'CLONFERT. § 
’ CHA 
