HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



81 



not, consistentl/ with his duty, then 

 mention them. 



The marquis of Stafford agreed, 

 under these circumstances, to post- 

 pone his motion. 



Lord Grenville thought, that a 

 more distinct communication should 

 ^ be made, of the reasons which his 

 lordship had hinted at. If tiicy re- 

 spected the administration of the 

 country, he thought the house of 

 lords ougiit to have been made ac- 

 quainted with them. Nevertheless, 

 he should feel ready to acquiesce in 

 the delay proposed, but, under the 

 present circumstances, he thought 

 the house should adjourn to the day 

 to be appointed for the motion of 

 the noble marquis. 



Lord Ilawkcsbury again repeat- 

 ed, that the reasons to Avliich he al- 

 luded, were not liglit or trivial, but 

 of great importance. He had said 

 all that lie could, consistent Mith his 

 duty, to prevail upon the marquis 

 to postpone his motion. If he had 

 been unsuccessful, he was sorry for 

 it, and ready to meet the discussion. 

 He thought it would be very wrong 

 to stop the wliole business of the 

 nation, by an unnecessary adjourn- 

 ment,' 



The earl of Carlisle could not 

 see any reason, which should induce 

 the house to postpone the motion, 

 except the certainty of ministers be- 

 ing about to resign their situations. 

 This, indeed, would be an event 

 which must give the fullest satisfac- 

 tion to the house. 



The marquis of Abercorn thought 

 the question already determined. — 

 The marquis of Stalford had agreed 

 to postpone his motion,- and he had 

 certainly a right to do so, without 

 asking the leave of the noble baron, 

 (Lord Grenviile,) who had since ob- 

 jected to it, with tliat degree of in- 

 tlexibility, to which he was so prone. 



Vol. XLVL 



Lord Melville thought, that, at 

 least, it would be proper, that no 

 subject connected ■with the defence 

 of the country, should be brought 

 belore the house, in the interval, be- 

 fore the motion of the noble mar- 

 quis should come forward. 



Lord Grenviile siiid, he should be 

 content, if this motion was to re- 

 tain the priority it now had, over 

 any other question connected with 

 the defence of the country. 



Lord Ilawkcsbury replied, that 

 he should enter into no such en- 

 gagement. If noble lords wished 

 now to bring on the discussion, he 

 was ready to meet it: but he must 

 say, that he believed it was the first 

 time that ever a request, made in 

 the serious manner, and accompanied 

 by the solemn declaration he had 

 given, was ever treated in such a 

 manner, in either house of parlia- 

 ment. It appeared to be a faction 

 pressing forward a motion, which 

 ■was not necessary to be hurried in 

 that manner. 



Lord Mulgrave and carl Spencer 

 condemned, severely, the applica- 

 tion of the term " faction" to such 

 a number of most respectable noble- 

 men. They, however, felt content 

 to take the language of lord Ilawkes- 

 bur}^ as an implied pledge, that no- 

 thing likely to produce much disa- 

 greement of opinion should be 

 brought on in the mean time. 



'i'iie motion was then postponed. 



On the same day, in the house of 

 commons, Mr. Addington, as chan- 

 cellor of the exchequer, opened the 

 budget for the year. lie began by 

 expatiating on the advantages which 

 had already been found to result 

 from tlie system of raising within the 

 year, the greater part of the money 

 wanted for its service, so as to pre- 

 vent an increase of the national 

 debt ; and then entered into a very 



G detailed 



