212] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



prosecution more than necessity 

 required. As to what had been 

 said relative to the officers in the 

 present case not being voluntary 

 prosecutors, he could not suppose 

 that they had contemplated any 

 other course after the letter in 

 which the whole proceeding origi- 

 nated. It had been pleaded, that 

 the letter signed by the officers 

 was not designed to be produced ; 

 but it was destructive of the ho- 

 nour and character of Col. Quen- 

 tin, and he had a full right to de- 

 mand its production. The hon. 

 gentleman concluded by showing 

 the grounds on which he opposed 

 the motion. Unless there was 

 some urgent necessity to justify 

 the production of such papers as 

 those desired, he could conceive 

 nothing more injurious to the ser- 

 vice, or more calculated to inca- 

 pacitate such courts for perform- 

 ing their functions. In some 

 cases that had occurred there were 

 important political questions in- 

 volved in the consideration, but it 

 could never be advantageous to 

 convert the House of -Commons 

 into a court of ordinary appeal on 

 such ujatters. 



Mr. Tierneif said, that he did 

 not wish to dispute the sentence 

 of the court-mnrtial, or to cast an 

 imputation on their conduct ; but 

 the proceedings, if produced, would 

 shew, that no officer could be 

 exempt from censure, however 

 just his motives, or exemplary his 

 conduct, who should attack a man 

 who was a favourite. (This term 

 occasioned a cry of *' hear" from 

 the ministerial side of the House, 

 re-echoed by the opposite side). 

 Mr. T. went on with a variety of 

 remarks tending to confirm his as- 

 sertion, and said he should support 



the motion, not as a criterion by 

 which to judge of the conduct of 

 the court-martial, but to try the 

 conduct of the Horse-guards and 

 the Crown. He could not hope, 

 by the production of the papers, 

 that the officers could have any 

 military redress ; but it was of the 

 last importance that they should 

 have them, in order to lay the 

 foundation for some proceedings 

 on the part of the House, that 

 might prevent the recurrence of 

 such a grievance. 



Mr. WellesleyPolesyioke strongly 

 against the motion, as highly in- 

 jurious to the discipline of the 

 army. 



Mr. Brand adverted to a pre- 

 cedent of interference by the 

 House of Commons, with the sen- 

 tence of a court-martial, which 

 took place in the administration of 

 Mr. Pelham, when the House 

 declared the sentence partial, ille- 

 gal, and unjust. 



After some other members had 

 spoken on the occasion, and Col. 

 Palmer had briefly replied, the 

 House divided— For the motion, 

 37; Against it, 144: Majority, 

 107. 



On Nov. 21st, Mr. Peek moved 

 in the House of Commons, the 

 second reading of a bill for amend- 

 ing the Irish Peace-Preservation 

 Act. 



Mr. J. P. Grant said, he un- 

 derstood that the right hon. gen- 

 tleman had declared, that the mea- 

 sures carried in the last session had 

 been completely successful, for 

 that the Insurrection bill had never 

 been put in force at all ; and the 

 other bill onl)' in one instance. 

 For his part, he had seen or heard 

 nothing to change his opinion of 

 the impolicy and impropriety of 



