HISTORY ‘OF EWR OPE, 
eause that rendered the order of 
council necessary, and which might 
justify the members of that house 
for takilig the proper steps for the 
confirmition and continuance of 
that measure.” 
. The duke of Grafton said, that 
ministers had gone to the extreme 
length of a measure founded im an 
assumption of power, unknown to 
the laws and constitutien of the 
country. They would be obliged 
to have recourse toa bill of indem- 
hity, to legalize their conduct ; for, 
anless this could be obtained, the 
bank-directors wére liable to an 
action from every individual to 
whom they refused payment. 
Lord Grenville replied, that he 
had no objection to that measure ; — 
though the bank were not legally 
obiiged to act upon the requisition 
contained in the order of the 
council, 
The earl of Guildford thought, 
that there were parts of the inquiry 
proposed, which by no means re- 
quired secrecy, that, on the con- 
rity they ought to be made as 
public as possible. If thé bank 
was in sich a flourishing state as 
Was represented, it ought to be 
laid before the public, for the pur- 
post of removirg all ground of sus- 
picion. The duke of Grafton spoke 
to the same effect. But the earl of 
Liverpoo! approved of a Secret‘com- 
mittee, where subjects of a delicate 
mature were to be investigated. 
- The duke of Bedford consider- 
‘ing the ill conduct of niinisters 
throughout the war, and the alarm- 
‘ing state to which they had reduced: 
the country, thought it not impro- 
able that the measure in question 
was Absolutely necessary ; though 
he could not but remark, that, when 
s- 
[181 
he read the order of council, he was 
astonished to find that the unusual, 
demand forspecie was imputed to 
ill-founded and exaggerated appre- 
hensions of individuals, notwith- 
standing that ministers had been 
the cause of raising them. He was 
a friend to open discussion, as their 
lordships would thereby be enabled 
to form a judgment of facts within 
their own knowledge, and to as- 
certain how much of the present 
calamitous state of the country was 
connected with the bank. He did 
not know, he said, that there was 
any reason why the committee 
should be a sceret committee. If 
there was, he was not prepared to 
admit it. Be thatas it might, he 
could not conceive that their lord- 
ships were to determine a great 
national question, of such immense 
importance as the present, on the 
report of nine lords, be they whom 
they might. The words, as they 
now stood in the resolution pro- 
posed by the secretary of state, au- 
thorized the committee to report 
their opinion on the necessity of 
confirming and continuing the mea- 
sure adopted by the bank, in con- 
sequence ot the order of council ; 
which was neither more nor less 
than, that the bank should continue 
to stop payment, and’ to give only 
paper, instead of cash, when pay- 
ment in money was demanded ; a 
thing both incongistent and alarm- 
ing. His grace, therefore, moved, 
by way of amendment w Jord Gren- 
_ville’s motion, to leave out all that 
part of it which related ‘to the com- 
mittee’s reporting their opinion on 
the continuance of the measure. 
This amendment, 
Lord Grenville said, he would 
certainly oppose, as it terded to 
. [N'3] take 
