GENERAL HISTORY. 



[9 



CHAPTER II. 



Bill in the House of Lords repealing an Ad of the last Session of 



Parliament ; read for the first time. — Lord Sidmouth presents papers 



from the Prince Regent. — Lord Castlereagh moves the appointment 



of the Finance Committee in the House of Commons.~-^lle presents 



papers from the Prince Regents— -Debates. 



ON January 29 the House of 

 Lords transmitted to the 

 House of Commons a bill repeal- 

 ing an act made in the last ses- 

 sion of parliament, empowering 

 his majesty to detain and secure 

 such persons as are suspected of 

 conspiring against his person and 

 government. 



On the motion of the Chancel- 

 lor of the Exchequer, the bill was 

 then read through for the first 

 time. The sequel began to ex- 

 hibit a considerable difference of 

 opinion, especially with regard to 

 the gentlemen of the law, several 

 of whom doubted how they were 

 to understand that the parties 

 taking the recognizances had a 

 legal right to do so. A clause 

 was introduced by lord Folke- 

 stone, proposing that all persons 

 bound by recognizances under 

 the Suspension act be henceforth 

 completely discharged from them, 

 but that this clause should not 

 apply to any other recognizances. 

 Objections being made to this 

 proposal, his lordship withdrew 

 the clause, and the bill was on 

 the same day read a third time, 

 and passed. 



On February 2nd, Lord Sid- 

 mouth said, that in cotiipliance 



with the commands of the Prince 

 Regent he had to lay before their 

 lordships certain papers relative 

 to the state of the country. It 

 was his intention to have moved 

 that those papers should be re- 

 ferred to a secret committee ; 

 but as two noble lords, the mar- 

 quis of Lansdowne and lord Hol- 

 land, who wished to be present, 

 were prevented by a melancholy 

 occurrence (the death of the 

 earl of Upper Ossory), he would 

 move on the following da^ for the 

 appointment of a committee. 



Accordingly, on February 3rd, 

 the noble lord moved that the 

 papers which he had yesterday 

 laid on the table^ should be re- 

 ferred to a secret committee to 

 be chosen by ballot. 



After some discussion on the 

 subject, the motion was agreed 

 to. 



On the same day, Feb. 8rd, 

 Lord Castlereagh moved the ap- 

 pointment of the Finance Com- 

 mittee in the House of Commons. 

 The last committee, he said, had 

 drawn up six extensive and labo- 

 rious reports respecting the offi- 

 cial establishments, the reduc- 

 tions and modifications of which 

 might be advantageous to the 



public 



