GENERAL HISTORY. 



[139 



ment in the event of the demise 

 of the queen. For this repeal 

 not only had no reason been 

 stated, nor any motive assigned, 

 but there was not one word upon 

 the subject in the preamble of 

 the bill. The noble and learned 

 lord had indeed hinted his opinion 

 that the clause which provided 

 for the re-assembling of the old 

 parliament must have slipped in 

 by inadvertence ; a notion which 

 greatly surprised him, when he 

 recollected that his lordship filled 

 the office of solicitor general, and 

 possessed high eminence at the 

 bar, at the time of the first 

 Regency bill, and was in his 

 present high station when, in 

 1811, the clause was copied. It 

 could not be said that any thing 

 was then done v/ith haste and 

 precipitation: on the contrary, 

 his majesty's ministers acted with 

 the greatest deliberation, and 

 were little disposed to overlook 

 the effect of any of the clauses in 

 the bill which they then intro- 

 duced. He must again ask, if there 

 were any i-eason for this measure, 

 why was it not discovered 

 before ? During the period that 

 had elapsed since the king's un- 

 happy malady, the prerogative of 

 the crown had been repeatedly 

 exercised in the prorogation of 

 the parliament. How happened 

 it, that during all this period no 

 discovery of inconvenience had 

 been made ? He admitted that 

 this was a case inferior in degree 

 of importance to that of the 

 demise of the Prince Regent ; but 

 he could not admit that it was of 

 so little importance, as not to 

 sequire the immediate attention 

 of parliament to provide for the 

 care of the king's person. 



He had complained that no 

 grounds had been stated for the 

 introduction of the measure, and 

 he had also to complain that no 

 good reasons were stated in the 

 preamble. It was set forth in 

 the preamble, that her majesty's 

 health might occasionally require 

 her absence from Windsor, and it 

 was inferred that an additional 

 number of her council was there- 

 fore necessary ; but if that in- 

 ference should be found just, it 

 did not follow that her majesty 

 ought to have the nomination of 

 the new members of that body. 

 After the clause respecting the 

 council, came the clause for 

 repealing that of the Regency 

 act, which authorized the re-as- 

 sembling of the old parliament ; 

 but of this there was not the 

 slightest reference in the pream- 

 ble. This was a mode of pro- 

 ceeding contrary to all parlia- 

 mentary usage. No grounds for 

 the measure were laid in the pre- 

 amble ; none of any consequence 

 had been stated by the noble and 

 learned lord ; and he trusted that 

 parliament would require very 

 strong reasons before they con- 

 sented to pass this uncalled for 

 bill. 



The noble earl then gave his 

 opinion respecting several cir- 

 cumstances which might inci- 

 dentally require to be considered 

 in the course of events. He con- 

 cluded by moving the previous 

 question. 



The Earl of Liverpool, ingoing 

 over the bill, defended the Lord 

 Chancellor in every point from 

 •the imputations of the last speaker. 



The Earl of Carnarvon chiefly 

 followed the suggestions of Earl 

 Grey. 



The 



