76 ANNUAL REGISTjER, 1805. 



CHAP. vni. 



Varliamenlarij Debates continued. — Motion of BIr. Grey, to bring the 

 Editor of the Oracle idi>r>ihig Paper to the Bar of the House of Commons. 

 — Conversation thereon. — Agreed to. — Further Proceedings respecting 

 Lord Melville. — 2'he Editor of the Oracle taken into the Custody of the 

 Serjeant at.inns, for a high Breach of the Privileges of the House. — 

 Iiish Finance. — Report of f/ie Committee on the Tenth Naval Report 

 laid before the House. — Petition of the Editor of the Oracle. — Debate and 

 Division thereon. — Editor reprimanded and ditcharged. — Thanks of the 

 Hozise to the Commissioners for Enquiry info Naval Abuses moved for 

 and carried. — Proceedings in the House of Lords, respecting the Pri- 

 vileges of that House. — Committee of Supply. — The Chancellor of the 

 Exchequer announces the Dismissal of Lord Melville form his Majesty's 

 Councils. 



' I "'HE first measure of importance 

 *~ that occtirrcd, after the Easter 

 recess, was in the house of commons, 

 on the 25th day of April, when 

 Mr. Grey observed, that whatever 

 reluctance he nii^ht feel to take any 

 step which should seem inconsistent 

 ■with the most perfect liberty of the 

 press, he could not forbear calling 

 the attention of the house to a most 

 indecent libel on their proceedings : 

 it was of a nature so gross, that, 

 consistent wi(h its own dignity, the 

 house could not sufier it to pass 

 over, without expressingitisndigna- 

 tion against it. He then read from 

 the " Oracle" of the former day, 

 the following article, subjoined io a 

 statement, that sir Charles Middle- 

 ton was appointed first lord of the 

 admiralty. " While we announce 

 " this arrangement as the proper 

 " reward of public and private vir- 

 " t le, we cannot help sincerely re- 

 " gretting that pasty rancour, and 

 I 



" popular clamour, hare, at this 

 " time, deprived our king and coun- 

 " try of (he great and powerful 

 " abilities of lord Melville. In no 

 " period of our jwlitical history 

 " can we find such an instance of the 

 " strong effects of prejudice. With 

 " all our profound respect for th& 

 " motives which iiffluenced the ma- 

 " jority of the house of commons ; 

 " with all our admiration of that 

 " spirit, which arouses and animates 

 " the people in their expressions of 

 " indignation, at the supposed mal- 

 " versations of an individual; with 

 " all our regard for town and coun- 

 " try meetings, when properly di- 

 " rected, in supporting the cause of 

 " independence, freedom, and pub- 

 " lie virtue, — we cannot help again 

 " and again declaring, that lord 

 " Melville has tallen a victim tocon- 

 " fidence misplaced, to prejudice 

 " misjudged, and to indignation 

 " misapplied ; he has been con- 



" demned 



