108 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



jesty to take such measures, and 

 «nter into such engagements, as the 

 exigency of affairs may require. 



At an early period of the session 

 a petition was presented to the 

 house of commons, on the part of 

 the duke of Athol, claiming compen- 

 sation for certain royalties, wiiich 

 lie formerly ppssessed in the Isle of 

 Man ; and which, though now va- 

 lued at 620,000/. had been sold at 

 the inadequate price of 70,000/. 

 This petition had been referred to 

 a committee, who had reported in 

 favour of the claim ; and on the 

 IDth, a motion was made, that the 

 house should resolve itself into a 

 committee on that report. 



Mr. Franldand opposed the mo- 

 tion. The sale made betM ecu the 

 ancestor of the noble duke and the 

 crown, was an open and honourable 

 one, and the purchase money given 

 was thought to be very ample at the 

 time : if the revenues have since in- 

 creased, it is because they ■were bet- 

 ter managed, and under the direc- 

 tion of the British parliament. 



Mr. Rose observed, that the bar- 

 gain was a compulsory one upon tlie 

 Athol family, and that nothing more 

 was now required, but a very mo- 

 derate compensation, which was to 

 bo paid out of the existing surplus 

 revenues of the island ; and, after 

 some debate, the house divided. 

 Ayes, 95, — Noes, 38, — majority in 

 favour of the claim 57- 



The Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 presented a message from his majes- 

 ty, similar fo that delivered to the 

 house of iords. 



On the 20th, in the house of 

 lords, the order of the day being 

 read for taking his majesty's mes- 

 sage into consideration, the carl of 

 Carysfort observed, that the sum 

 of five millions, now proposed to be 



placed in the hands of ministers, for 

 subsidiary purposes, was equal to the 

 whole revenue of many potentates 

 of the first rank in Em-ope. He 

 thought that a general system of 

 frequently communicating to parlia- 

 ment the state of political affairs, 

 ought to have been adopted : had 

 that been the case, we should notnow 

 have been without an ally upon the 

 continent; nor, at this time, had to 

 fear the effects of the preponderating 

 power and influence of France. 

 That had long been the practice of 

 our ancestors, and particularly at 

 the period of forming the grand al- 

 liance against France, when parlia- 

 ment frequently advised the king 

 on the preferable line of conduct 

 to be pursued. He then moved an 

 address to his majesty, " praying 

 " that he would not prorogue the 

 " parliament, until he should bccn- 

 " abled more fully to communicate 

 " the state of his negotiations with 

 " foreign powers." 



Lord Mulgravc observed, that, 

 with respect to the negotiations in 

 question, their actual state rendered 

 it improper to make a communica- 

 tion to parliament upon them ; he 

 would therefore put it to the house, 

 whether, at the present moment, and 

 under the existing circumstances, 

 they would not put the same confi- 

 dence in ministers, which they had 

 done on similar occasions ? 

 • Lordllawkesbury said, he could 

 see no solid reason whatever for 

 adopting the amendment : — to com- 

 municate negotiations, while pend- 

 ing, would, ih his .opinion, be to 

 frustrate their objects ; he should 

 therefore resist the motion. 



The earl of Carlisle thought, there 

 could be no hesitation in agreeing 

 to the amendment. It could not be 

 supposed that he could be so absurd, 



a* 



