34 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



to contradict tlics official reports of 

 the physicians, and to tell the house 

 ■what it was they meant to say ; and 

 even to assert, that his majesty was 

 fully adequate to the fuuttions of 

 royalty. lie hoped, that the phy- 

 sicians miglit have been mistaken : 

 but still, their report was the only 

 authority on which the house could 

 rely, as to his majesty's state of 

 health. He had no personal objec- 

 tion to the discussion that was in- 

 tended for to-night, but still, it ap- 

 peared to him strange, that such a 

 discussion should be now pushed 

 forward by ministers, after all pub- 

 lic business had been suspended for 

 a fortnight, on account of his ma- 

 jesty's state of health. The chan- 

 cellor of the exchequer had spoken 

 of the '^ indecency" ol' those dis- 

 cuissions. JJe trusted, that, ntit only 

 in constitutional, but in personal 

 attachment and respeft for his sove- 

 reign, he was not to be outdone 

 by any of tliose who now called 

 Iheniselvcs " his conlidenlial ser- 

 vants," and it appeared to him inde- 

 cent for ministers to insinuate, that 

 any measure, for the beneiit of the 

 ftate, and the security of the mo- 

 narchy, could be injurious to the 

 royal feelings. lie, tlierefore, 

 thought the honourable baronet was 

 perfet^tly right in asking for infor- 

 mation u[)0!i this most important 

 point. 



The Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 repeated, that he could assert, from 

 the authority of the physicians, 

 " that there was no neckssary sus- 

 p;iNSioN of such royal fiin<^lions, 

 as it might be necessary for his ma- 

 jesty to discharge at the present mo- 

 ment." 



Mr. Canning said, the honour- 



^able baroiKit desiuved the thanks of 



the house, and of the country, for 



provoking this discussion. The ef- 

 fe6l of tlie motion Jiad been to ob- 

 tain such information as would not 

 otherwise have been given. As that 

 had been obtained from the decla- 

 rations of the chancelljor of the. ex- 

 chequer, he thought it would be 

 the better way to proceed in the 

 discussion that was fixed for the pre- 

 sent night. 



]\Ir. Grey thought, there was an 

 ambiguity in the expressions of the 

 chancellor of the exchequer, which 

 he would wish to have renio\ed. It 

 appeared to him, as if the right ho- 

 nourable gentleman luad meant that 

 his uuijesty was competent to dis- 

 charge some of the funttions of roy- 

 alty, but incompetent as to others. 

 The Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 again stated, that there was no sus- 

 pension of the royal authority for 

 any act which might be necessary to 

 be done. 



Sir R. Lawlcy then rose to Avith- 

 draw his motion. His principal 

 o!)iect in it was, tliat he thought 

 ministers ought to be bound, in the 

 exercise of their discretion on this 

 subject, by other limits, than what 

 the) chose tp impose upon them- 

 selves. 



Upon the speaker's putting the 

 question for withdrawing the mo- 

 tion, 



Mr. T. Grenvillc declared, it ap- 

 peared to him that fuller informa- 

 tion was absolutely necessary. So 

 far from being satisfied by that, 

 which was called explanation, h« 

 th ought the subje6l was more clouded 

 by it. It appeared to him, that 

 ministers still took upon themselves 

 to judge, when the rOyal authority- 

 was necessary, and when it was not. 

 lie thought, that constitutionally, 

 parliament was entitled to informa- 

 tion whenever there was a suspen- 

 sion 



