STATE OF THE NATION. (Hansard, 10 July 1834)

§ The Speaker
said, that under existing circumstances, he supposed hon. Members who had notices on the book, would put them off to some future day. He observed, that there was a notice (No. 11) which had been given by the hon. member for Middlesex, respecting the state of the nation, in reference to the present crisis. Perhaps it would be the pleasure of the House to proceed with that Motion first.

§ Mr. Hume
said, that he had last night given that notice, after the statement made by the noble Lord; and conceiving that there being no responsible Minister to conduct the business of the House, and that the entire Cabinet had resigned, it was his intention at the time to bring forward such a Motion; but the information he had since received, led him to think that a Motion of the kind at the present moment, would be premature; and he, therefore, would beg to withdraw it for the present, without fixing any date for bringing it on. At the same time, he thought that, under existing circumstances, and with no responsible Minister in the place of the noble Lord to conduct the Government business of the House, the House should not proceed with any business of importance. The House, he was sure, would agree with him; therefore, that it would be better not to meet to-morrow, but that after disposing of the ordinary business to-night, they should adjourn to Monday next. He would therefore move, that the House, at its rising, do adjourn to Monday next.

§ Mr. Warburton
seconded the Motion.

§ Lord Althorp
did not rise to say anything in reference to the Motion; he merely rose to make one observation in relation to what had fallen from his hon. friend, the member for Middlesex. His hon. friend had stated, that there was no responsible Minister in the House. What he had said in the statement which he had the honour of submitting to the House last night, was, that though he had resigned his office, he, of course, held it until his successor was appointed; and that he should consider himself responsible for the conducting, and bound to conduct., the ordinary business of the House.

Mr. Baring
certainly thought, that in the present peculiar situation of the House, it would be more consistent with the dignity of the Crown, and more advantageous for the discharge of the public business, that they should adjourn for a few days. It was due to the Crown, as well as to the dignity of the House itself, and was also matter of public convenience, that such a course should be taken.

§ Mr. Henry Grattan
should neglect his duty if he did not express his opinion on this occasion, as to the principles of the five individuals who had retired from the Government. He thought, that as representatives of the people, they were bound to do so; and that it would be only acting fairly towards the Government to express their opinions on the matter. They ought to take a part in it; he certainly would take his part—he would express his opinion. The English members and the Irish members, and the Scotch members, should do the same. He begged to say, that he would give his support to those individuals, whether five or six, who had resigned office upon such principles. As one of the representatives of the people, he felt it his duty to give his support to those who had retired from office upon liberal and extended principles. A colour should be imparted to the Government that was about to be formed by the expression of the opinion of that House. He could not avoid expressing his deep regret, that his right hon. friend the Secretary for Ireland, had been obliged to resign. He thought that his right hon. friend had been hardly and unjustly dealt with. He had often opposed the noble Lord, but he had always done so with regret. He trusted, that whether it was settled that the House should sit to-morrow, or that it should adjourn to Monday, it would not separate without giving a cheer for the five individuals who had retired from office. He trusted, that the sentiments of the five individuals to whom he had alluded, would influence the formation of whatever new Cabinet was to be constituted, and that that Cabinet would be framed upon liberal principles, without which it would be vain to hope to conciliate or govern Ireland.