^ET. 42.] PRELIMINARIES. 367 



On the 6th of June, Lord Liverpool in the Lords, and 

 Lord Castlereagh in the Commons, brought down a 

 message from the King, accompanied by a green bag 

 sealed, which contained the evidence upon which the 

 case against the Queen was supposed to be founded. 



In the Lords, a secret committee of fifteen peers was 

 at once appointed, to whom the contents of the green 

 bag were referred. In the Commons, ministers made 

 an attempt to induce the House to act with equal 

 rapidity ; but I was fully prepared for this movement, 

 and without much difficulty succeeded in defeating it. 

 Without having given the smallest hint of my intention 

 to any one, save Denman, I effected this by at once 

 entering fully into the whole case. Canning, in answer- 

 ing me, while he supported the ministers, acted most 

 honourably, and bore such testimony to the virtues 

 and high bearing of the Princess whose honour, and I 

 may almost say life, was assailed by a husband whose 

 whole life and conduct in the marriage state had been 

 a barefaced violation of his vows that ministers were 

 forced to give way, and an adjournment was agreed to 

 without a division. However, the counsels of men 

 who were base enough to pander to the King's wishes, 

 lest by opposing them the Tory ministry might be 

 destroyed, prevailed ; and it was determined to intro- 

 duce a Bill of Pains and Penalties, to degrade the Queen- 

 Consort, and to dissolve her marriage with the King. 



The House of Commons having deferred the appoint- 

 ment of a select committee, Wilberforce, of all men 

 the most fit to lead the resistance to this hateful 

 measure, on the 20th of June proposed an address to 

 the Queen, which, after expressing deep regret that the 

 endeavours to frame an arrangement (referring to the 



