GENERAL HISTORY. 



[49 



CHAPTER VI. 



Motion on the State of the Nation — Marquis of Lansdowne' s Motion on 

 the Orders in Council — 3Ir. Banks's Motion for a Bill for abolishing 

 Sinecure Offices. 



ON February 27, Sir Thomas 

 Turtoa introduced in the 

 House of Commons one of those 

 motions on the state of the nation 

 which are common at the beginning 

 of a session, but have generally no 

 other effect than to give large 

 scope to the members on each side 

 for attack and defence of the mea- 

 sures adopted by government. The 

 honourable baronet in his speech 

 took a very extended view of the 

 state of public affairs, foreign and 

 domestic, both retrospective and 

 present, from which he inferred 

 much past impolicy in the plans of 

 ministers, and melancholy pros- 

 pects from persevering in the same 

 system. It is unnecessary here to 

 repeat what has already constituted 

 the narrative of history, or will be 

 more fully shown in the parliamen- 

 tary proceedings. He concluded 

 by moving, "TThat this house will 

 resolve itself into a committee of 

 the whole house, to take intocon- 

 sideration the state of the nation." 



He was seconded by Mr, Tighe, 

 who enlarged upon some of the 

 topics introduced by the honourable 

 mover, and said in the conclusion, 

 that if at such a crisis ministers re- 

 fused the committee, it must be 

 said that they had brought the 



Vol. LIV. 



country into such a situation, 

 that they were afraid of look- 

 ing on the evil, and incapable of 

 supplying a remedy, 



Mr. Robinson rose to oppose the 

 motion. He said that such au 

 inquiry as the house was now 

 called to enter upon, embraced not 

 only questions which had been the 

 subject of past, but many that 

 were to form that of future discus- 

 sions, of wiiich he gave instances. 

 He proceeded to justify the war 

 policy pursued by the ministers, 

 and recommended perseverance in 

 the contest. 



Mr. Lamb supported the motion, 

 and alluded to the loss the ministry 

 had sustained by the secession 

 of the Marquis of Welleslej', 

 which he considered as rather ag- 

 gravated by the accession of Lord 

 Castlereagh. 



Mr. M. Montague, in a speech, 

 which seemed to excite much di- 

 version in the house, levelled many 

 sarcasms against the opposition, 

 and alluded personally to the ho- 

 nourable member for Bedford. This 

 notice called up Mr. Whitbread, 

 who retorted by an animated 

 attack upon the administration, and 

 a defence of Lords Grey and Gren- 

 ville for refusing to coalesce with 



[E] them 



