GENERAL HISTORY. 



[107 



CHAPTER X. 



Purliamenlary Affairs. — Motions for Adjournment in loth Houses. — 

 Remarks on the Offices of Attorney-Gen. and Chief Justice of Chester 

 being held by the same person. — Mr. Golbourn's Bill respecting 

 Colonial Offices. — Sir Samuel Romillfs Bills respecting Corruption 

 of Blood, and the Punishment of High Treason. — Lord Morpeth's 

 Motion relative to the Speaker's Address to the Prince Regent in the 

 last Session. — Debates in both Houses on the Conduct of this Govern- 

 ment towards the Norwegians. 



HAVING now brought to the 

 close of the year our sum- 

 mary of the most important pub- 

 lic occurrences on the European 

 continent, we turn our view upon 

 Great Britain, and to those do- 

 mestic transactions which, if af- 

 fording less splendid matter for 

 narration, can never want interest 

 for the English reader. 



Parliament having metou March 

 Ibt, after the adjournment, a mes- 

 sage was received by both Houses 

 from the Prince Regent, recom- 

 mending a further adjournment 

 to the 21st of the Month. In the 

 House of Lords, a motion for ad- 

 journment being in consequence 

 made, the Marqtiis of Lansdowne 

 rose to say, that he had no in- 

 tention to oppose the motion, 

 though he felt some reluctance at 

 concurring in it, since he could not 

 hold it as a doctrine, that because 

 one important branch of public 

 business could not be proceeded 

 with (alluding to the pending ne- 

 gociations), the prosecution of all 

 other business should be suspended. 

 A great quantity of private and 

 other hubincjs stood for discussion 



which parliament was pledged to 

 take into its most serious consi- 

 deration during this session, and 

 why might it not in the meantime 

 be proceeded with ? The hearing 

 of appeal causes was another mat- 

 ter of such great interest, that their 

 Lordships had thought it requisite 

 to alter the whole scheme of the 

 courts of justice in order to give it 

 greater facilities ; surely with the 

 resolution of proceeding in them 

 with promptitude and dispatch. 

 Though he would not throw any 

 obstacles in the way of the motion, 

 he had thought it his duty to call 

 their lordships' attention to the sa- 

 crifices they were making in giving 

 their concurrence. 



The Earl of Liverpool found it 

 necessary to say but a few words 

 with reference to what had been 

 observed by the noble marquis. 

 He would throw himself upon the 

 indulgence of their lordships, on 

 the question of the propriety of aa 

 adjournment. The Prince Re- 

 gent's ministers had taken into 

 their consideration the possible or 

 probable inconveniences that might 

 arise from the measure, and the 



