446 
‘being accordingly read, Lord Temple, 
after (ome appropriate compliments to the 
‘Cormittee for their affiduity, and to the 
Chairman (Mr. Abbot) particularly, on 
his exalted merits, proceeded to ftate, that 
it was neceflary, in this cafe, to confider 
the fituation of the clergy, as connected 
at an early period with the parliament. 
He then took a retrofpective view of the 
preponderating influence their former pri- 
vileges gave them in the ftate, that even 
then, though permitred to fit in the Houfe, 
they were under fuch reftrictions as to 
prevent their being juftly confidered Mem- 
bers of the Legiflative Body ; that, in the 
reign of Charles I. they were excluded 
from any fecular offices; that the Houfe 
fhould recolleét, that-church preferments 
depended almoft exclufively on the patron- 
age of the Crown, and if the Clergy were 
allowed to fit and vote in the Houfe of 
Commons, a wide~f{cope might be given 
for the practice of finifter influence. His 
Lordfhip went very minutely into various 
cafes taken from the law-books, and in- 
ftances from the Records of Parliament, 
to prove that no clergyman was intitled 
to have a feat in that Houfe, and confe- 
quently that Mr. Tooke was ineligible. 
His Lordfhip tnen concluded with moving, 
that the Speaker do iffue his warrant for 
a new writ for the Borough of Old Sarum, 
in the room of the Rev. John Horne 
Tooke, who was ineligible, being in Holy 
Orders. The Chancellor of the Exche- 
quer, after fome panegyrical obfervations 
on the information received from the Noble 
Lord on the fubjeét, faid, that he felt 
himfelf inclined to agree with the propo- 
fition as then made ; for though fatisfied 
in his mind that perfons in Holy Orders 
fhould not be allowed to legiflate on the 
general principle, yet the peculiarity of 
the prefent cafe imprefied. fome doubts on 
his mind of the efficacy of the prefent 
Motion; that he therefore was of-opinion, 
the beft mode would be to fet the queftion 
at reft, by bringing ina Bill to prevent, 
not only ali future doubts, but alfo; the 
offibility of any fuch recurring again. 
For this purpofe he fhould move, that the 
Order of the Day. be now read. 
Mr. Horne Tooke began by obferving, 
that he had but two ftruggles in his life 
before the prefent, which were in ‘fome 
degree perfonal. The firt were, in his 
application for a degree.as A. M. which 
by the way a great dog would obtain, if 
made to articulate ‘‘ probo aliter; and 
the fecond was, when a doubting fet. of 
Benchers rejefied his claim for his admif- 
State of Public Affairs in May, v8ot. 
(June f, 
fion to the Bar, without any reference to 
law or precedent. As to the prefent in- 
fiance, how it might end he knew not 3 
but, for the fake of others, he would - 
maintain his right ;. for he was not anxious 
about the privileges of his feat, becaufe 
he owed no money. He was treated like 
a culprit, and ordered to fhew his face. 
He next adnimadverted on the unparlia- 
mentary conduét of the Committee in de- 
legating their delegated power to others 
to examine old records ; and that, the re- | 
fult of the fearch was, that Clerc (an 
epithet applied in thefe days to any perfon 
who could read) fignified a clergyman. 
He obferved, that the Committee did not 
underftand the Saxon charaéters ; and in 
quoting tuventy-one cafes, they had made 
eleven miftakes. He then took argumen- 
tative ground to prove, that clergymen 
were not excluded from a feat in Parlia- 
ment any more than other perfons, extept 
exprefsly forbidden, and adduced many 
cogent reafons and precedents to fhew 
that clergymen, &c. were competent, as 
fuch, to fill fecular offices, and inftanced 
various perfons at prefent filling fuch fitue 
ations. He then combated the doétrine 
that he could not lay down his fun&tion as 
a prieft. This do&rine muft appear fu- 
tile, when it is recollected that there were 
many Canons which dwelt on the depofi« 
tion of Priefts. One ftated, that if any 
clergymen attempted to caft out Devils 
unlawfully, fuch perfon fhould be depofed. 
“* Now if I (faid Mr. Tooke) attempted 
to caft the Devil out of this houfe, I muft 
have been depofed, and of courfe been 
deemed eligible. But, in this cafe, my 
only crime is my innocence—my only guilt 
that of not having {candalized my order.” 
I feel myfelf in the fituation of the girl 
who applied for reception into the Mag- 
dalen. On being afked as to particulars 
of her misfortune, fhe anfwered, fhe was 
as innocent as the child unborn. The 
reply was—‘* This is a place only for the. 
creatures of profiituhion; you muft go and 
quality yourfelt before you can be admit- 
ted !°? He concluded with obferving, that 
the Noble Lord’s Motion was to him as 
nothing, -which the noble Lord and his 
family would be, if {tripped of the mono- — 
poly of the Exchequer. That for his part, 
he ftood upon the Aéts and authority of 
Parliament. Mr. Fox and Mr. Erfkine 
made forme very pertinent remarks againf 
the Motion, as did the Attorney General 
and Sir W. Scott, for it; after which 
“Mr. Addington withdrew his Motion for 
the Order ef the Day, and fubjtituted the 
el x Previoug 
