§ Mr. Greysaid, he did not mean to oppose the motion of the right hon. gent, but, previous to going into the committee, he wished to put a question to his Majesty's ministers, which he would have done antecedent to the motion that had just been disposed of, if he had had any suspicion that the discussion would have extended to such length. The question he meant to put was deeply interesting to the public, and in putting it he acted under a strong sense of duty, which obliged him to ask some explanation of the terms which had been used both here and in another place, on a subject which affected every British breast. Though, on the firs! view, the information that had been given seemed calculated to give satisfaction to the public, yet it had created only doubts and anxiety, which were afflicting to every loyal subject. He had risen, therefore, to ask some explanation of the words, which had been on a former occasion employed, in order to do away those doubts and that ambiguity which they had given birth to. If he did not mistake, the words of the Chancellor of the Exchequer were, that there was no necessary suspension of the royal functions. He wished to understand whether the right hon. gent, meant to state, that his Majesty was at present personally competent to the performance of the functions of the executive, and whether he was to consider him as pledged to these words. He wished also to be informed, whether the assertion was founded on his observation in a personal communication with his Majesty, or only on the reports of the physicians attending his Majesty. He put this question, not from any want of delicacy, but in order to remove the anxiety which at present affected the public; and he thought it his duty to, ask, and he was sure the House had a right to require, an explanation, that 664 it might know whether, in proceeding with the public business, it was not violating a fundamental principle of the constitution. He trusted the answer would be explicit; but whether satisfactory or not, it was not his intention to oppose the progress of the other measure, the order for which had been dropped yesterday, if the right hon. gent. were disposed to proceed with it this night. Should, however, the answer not be satisfactory, he should consider it his duty, to submit a motion to the House on the subject, on an early day next week.
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that whether the question which was put by the hon. gent, was one which when publicly known, would excite regret in the minds of an affectionate and loyal people, or otherwise, was not for him to declare. It was his desire to be as explicit as his sense of his duty would permit, and after the manner in which this subject had been adverted to on a former night, and what he had said on that occasion, he should have thought that all further questions of this kind would have been precluded, and abstained from. He had then slated what was in the recollection of every hon. member, and what the hon. gent, had now repeated. To that he should refer the hon. gent, with this single addition, that it was not founded on any personal intercourse with his Majesty, but on that which enabled him to state it to the House on better and more authorative information, the concurring testimony of all the five physicians who were in attendance on his Majesty.—
§ Mr. Greysaid, that if things continued in the state they were at present, he should think it his duty to make a specific motion on the subject on an early day in next week.
Mr. Pittsuggested whether it would not be right, that the proposition made by the right hon. gent. (Mr. Corry) for going into a committee on the Irish revenue acts, having for its object to replace acts which were not to expire till the 25th of March, should take place of another measure, the volunteer consolidation bill, the importance of which daily and hourly pressed stronger upon the country.
§ Mr. Corrysaid, that all the duties of Ireland would expire with the existing acts on the 25th of March next. It was therefore essential to forward the present measure, but if it was the pleasure of the House, to allow him to propose the schedule pro forma, and then to allow the report to be brought up tomorrow, that he might make such comments as he would have thought it neces- 665 sary to make this night in accompanying and explaining the schedule, he should be happy to accommodate himself to (he superior urgency of the subject alluded to by the right horn gent. After a short conversation between Mr. Foster and Mr. Corry, the House went into the committee, the resolutions were agreed to, and the report ordered to be received to-morrow