ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



previous question, which was car- 

 lied against the motion by 112 

 votes against 58. 



On the 17th the Marquis of 

 Buckingham rose in the House of 

 Lords to submit his proposition 

 respecting miHtary obstructions 

 in the streets; and after stating 

 the case ip question, declared his 

 intended motion to be, "That an 

 humble address be presented to 

 his Royal Higlmess the Prince 

 Regent, pr;iying that he would 

 inform the Flouse by whose or- 

 ders the military had been called 

 out on the 13th of this month, 

 and what was the nature of the 

 orders under which they acted." 

 The marquis then said, he thought 

 it right to state that heiiad watch- 

 ed the conduct of the military 

 yesteiday, and was happy to say 

 that it was highly exemplary, and 

 that the police oiiicers had been in 

 attendance. If, therefore, the 

 noble viscount (Sidmouth) would 

 assure the House that the power 

 and conti'ol over the military on 

 these occasions would be placed 

 in the hands of ministers and the 

 civil power, he should be ready 

 to withdraw the motion. 



Lord Sidmouth, in reply, en- 

 tered into a statement of his con- 

 duct on this and the former oc- 

 currence of a similar kind. He 

 said, he took no blame to himself 

 for not haviug sooner made the 

 pi'oper arrangement in this mat- 

 ter. He had examined the journ- 



als of parliament and the records 

 of his office, and had found no 

 instance of communication on 

 these occasions. Such had been 

 the practice ; whether legal or 

 not he had not stated. He ac- 

 knowledged, however, that the 

 paramount authority was the 

 civil, and that the military ought 

 only to be used in cases of neces- 

 sity, or as auxiliary to the civil 

 power in these matters of police. 

 He admitted that thei'e ought 

 to bo a ))ublic responsible person, 

 and that the Secretary of State 

 ought to be consulted, though it 

 had never i)een so. Now when 

 the subject had been brought be- 

 fore their lordshi])s, he did say 

 that some effectual arrangement 

 ought to be made. The Marquis 

 would use his discretion wliether 

 or not to withdraw his motion. 



The Marquis of Buckingham was 

 extremely happy to hear the de- 

 claration of the Viscount, and 

 thought himself not only justified 

 in withdrawing his motion, but 

 called upon to do so. 



Lord Sidmouth being asked by 

 tiie Earl of Essex as to the man- 

 ner in which the duty of the sole 

 management and control upon 

 these occasions was assigned to 

 the home department, answei^ed, 

 that he had received the Prince 

 Regent's commands to take this 

 duty upon himself as secretary of 

 state for the home department. 



The motion was withdrawn. 



CHAP1T.R 



