HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
tank of the defendant, applied 
equally to a trial iu Westminster 
Hall, ig prefereace to a trial at the 
bar of the house of lords, as- the 
more solemn and diguitied course of 
procedure ; that the expectation of 
the country would be disappointed, 
aud its suspiciuns excited, if the 
trial were not conducted with the 
greatest publicity ; that the great 
object of impeachment was to serve 
as an example to men in public situ- 
ations, and that the impression 
would be most profound and most 
Salutary, when the impeachment 
was conducted with the greatest 
rm and solemnity ; that whatever 
might be the issue of the trial, it was 
Recessary to convince the country, 
that there had been no collusion or 
underhand dealing in the manage- 
ment of it, by giving toall the pro- 
ceedings relating to it the utmost 
publicity ; that, with rgspect to 
the delay in the trial of Mr. Has- 
tings, it arose, not from the place 
where the trial was carried on, but 
from the numbers, variety and com- 
plicated nature of the charges, and 
from the dilatory course of proce- 
dure adopted by the house of lords. 
These reasons being deemed satis- 
factory by the house, Mr. Whit- 
bread’s motion was carried without a 
division. 
_ When this resolution was next 
day communicated to the house of 
_ lord Grenville moved an ad- 
to his majesty, praying that 
tions might be given to prepare 
ace in Westminster Hall for 
trial oflord Melville, and at the 
ame time the nuble lord suggested 
to the house several measures to 
prevent unnecessary delay in the 
gn the trial. THe recom- 
» that the tria!, when com- 
menced, should be proceeded ia 
“~ 
ae 
[tl 
from day to day till it was finished ; 
that the hour fixed for assembling 
each day should be rigidly adhered 
to: and that some understanding 
should take place, with respect to 
collecting the opinions of their lord- 
ships on disputed points of evi- 
deuce, without retiring on every 
such occasion to the chamber of 
parliament ; and he announced his 
intention of moving, to refer to the 
committee already appointed to 
search for precedents, to consider 
of the best means of proceeding in 
the trial without delay. ‘This mo- 
tion was accordingly made and 
agreed to onthe 14th of April, and © 
the whole of these suggestions were 
approved of by the committee and 
adopted by the house. 
On the 28th of April a motion 
of great importance was made in 
the house of lords, by lord Auck- 
land. viz. ** strictly to forbid the 
publication of any part of the pro- 
ceedings upon the ensuing trial of 
lord Melville, during the same.” 
This motion which was highly 
praised by lord Eldon and lord 
Hawkesbury, passed after some 
pertinent remarks from the duke of 
Norfolk pointing out the impracti- 
cability of preventing, ~by any re- 
gulation whatever, | that, which 
should come out in the course of 
the trial, from going forth to the 
public : and yet after the evidence 
was closed on both sides, the pro- 
hidition was renewed and confirmed 
by an order of the house, of the 
17th of May, ‘‘ that ne person pre- 
sume to priat any of the proceedings 
of this house, touching the impeach- 
ment. of viscount Melville, till after 
the house shall have given final 
judgment upon the said impeach- 
ment.” We confess, that’on the 
subject of these regulations, we 
concur 
