GENERAL HISTORY 



[65 



CHAPTER VI. 



Prince Regent's Message to both Houses, and proceedings in consequence. 



PRINCE REGENT S Mr.SSAGE. 



ON the third of June, Lord 

 Sidmouth ])resented the fol- 

 lowing message to the House of 

 Lords. 



His Royal Highness the Prince 

 Regent, acting in the name and 

 on the behalf of his Majesty, has 

 given orders that there be laid be- 

 fore the House of Lords, papers 

 containing information respecting 

 the continuance of practices, meet- 

 ings, and combinations, in differ- 

 ent parts of the kingdom, to 

 which, at the commencement of 

 the present session of parliament, 

 his Roval Hitrhness called the at- 

 tention of the House, and which 

 are still carried on in such a man- 

 ner, and to such an extent, as are 

 calculated to disturb the public 

 tranquillity, and to endanger the 

 security of the established consti- 

 tution of these realms. 



His Royal Highness recom- 

 mends to the House of Lords to 

 take these papers into theii- imme- 

 diate and seiious consideration. 

 George P. R. 



The message having been read. 

 Lord Sidmouth proposed an address 

 of thanks to the Prince Regent, 

 which was unanimously agreed to. 



Lord Sidmouth rose a second 

 time, and after observing that he 

 was not acquainted with any in- 

 stances on the journals in which 

 a committee was moved for on the 

 same day on which a message had 



Vol. LIX. 



been brought down from the 

 throne, he said that the hands of 

 parliament were not to be tied up 

 for want of such a precedent. All 

 they were now called upon to do, 

 was to j)ledge themselves to an 

 immediate consideration of the 

 subject ; with which view he 

 should move, That the papers be 

 referred to a committee of secrecy. 



After some conversation among 

 the lords, the motion was agreed to. 



Lord Sidmouth then proposed 

 to continue the same persons who 

 composed the former committee, 

 with the substitution of the Earl 

 of Talbot for the Duke of Bed- 

 ford who was indisposed by ill 

 health ; wliich was agreed to. 



Earl Grey said, that as the 

 learned lord on the woolsack had 

 so much business to transact in 

 the court of chancery, he would 

 move that his name should be 

 omitted for the purpose of intro- 

 ducing that of the Earl of Roslyn. 

 The motion was negatived, and 

 the committee as proposed by 

 Lord Sidmouth was adojited. 



On June 12th the second report 

 of the secret conmiittee of the 

 House of Loi'ds respecting certain 

 dangerous meetings and combina- 

 tions was presented to their Lord- 

 ships by the Earl of Harrowby. 



Report of tue Secret Com- 

 mittee appointed to take into 

 consideration the several I'apers 

 [F] se.ded 



