§ Mr. Whitbread said, that when he bad given notice of a motion arising out of the tenth report, for Thursday next, it was on the supposition that the report of the select committee might have been printed by this day, and that members would consequently have sufficient time to take it into consideration. As he was now informed that it could not be printed till Saturday, he was under the necessity of postponing his motion. As he understood Monday se'nnight would not be a convenient day, he should now fix Tuesday se'nnight for the motion of which he had given notice.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, he understood the notice which the hon. member had given, embraced two objects: the first was the impeachment of lord Melville; the second, certain resolutions which he intended to move against him. As to the first object, it was possible that the grounds which the hon. member night take, would be so connected with the voluminous matter of the report, that it might be absolutely necessary to allow members time to read and consider the whole; but, if the second object of his notice, the resolutions which were to be moved against him personally, did not depend upon so many circumstances, but laid in a narrow compass, he hoped it might be possible to bring them forward on the day first appointed. It certainly was not for him to name any particular day: that must be in the breast of whoever should bring the motion forward, but he felt very desirous, that whatever related to,him personally, should be sub- 150 mitted to the consideration of the house with as little delay as possible.
§ Mr. Whitbread declared, that it would be his personal wish to bring the motion forward as soon as possible; but when it was considered that many members would go out of town for the holidays, and would. not see the report till Wednesday next, he thought it would be too much to ask them to discuss it the following day. Many would wish to read the whole report before they felt prepared to give an opinion on any part of the subject; he must therefore adhere to his intention of bringing forward the motion of impeachment on Tuesday se'nnight, and as soon as that question was disposed of, he should be ready without delay to proceed with the resolutions respecting the chancellor of the exchequer.
§ Mr. Canning said, the matters which were to be made the grounds of charge against his right hon. friend the chancellor of the exchequer must be known, and any member of the committee was competent to say, whether what related to the conduct of his right hon. friend was capable of being considered first. He wished some other member of the committee besides the hon. gent. (Mr. Whitbread) to say whether that part of the report could be separated from the general matter. If it could be separated, and if it could be clearly understood in this distinct form, he saw no reason why any member of the committee might not move that it be taken into consideration on Thursday.
§ Mr. H. Lascelles stated, that the general matter of the report related to lord Melville and Mr. Trotter. The part which related to the right hon. gent. the chancellor of the exchequer, was distinct. There were only three points that could be made the ground of resolutions against the right hon. gent.: the application of the 40,000l. the conversations with Mr. Raikes, and the affair of Jellicoe. These points were plain and distinct, and required no delay for the consideration of them, at the same time that it was most important that the sense of the house upon them should be speedily pronounced. If no other member of the committee thought there was reason for delay, he thought the matter ought to be proceeded on without delay; and if no other was disposed to move that the points he had referred to be taken into consideration at the earliest period, he should
§ Mr. Whitbread said, if the hon. gent. did what he proposed, he believed he would 151 do that which was wholly without precedent. When one member gave a notice of a motion, it would be very extraordinary indeed that another should take the business out of his hands, merely because he might wish it to be decided upon a day or two sooner. It would be for the house to consider whether any thing resulting from the papers could be judged of before the papers were fully considered, and whether the the papers could be fully considered in any time short of that he proposed. Unquestionably the members of the committee had the means of forming distinct opinions without this delay; and it was as a member of the committee he had the means of forming the opinion on which he had given his notice. But that was not a reason for calling on the house to pronounce without consideration on what the members of the committee were already perfectly acquainted with. The committee, as a body, had not agreed to propose any proceedings on the report. If the committee had been of opinion to institute such proceedings, the chairman would have been instructed accordingly. He had asked the chairman, whether he meant to submit any motion to the house; and it was on being informed that the chairman had no such intention, that he formed the determination of bringing forward the, measure of which he had given notice. He again represented the extraordinary proceeding of the hon. gent. in taking the matter out of his hands Merely because he wished the business to be considered a day or two earlier. The papers would not be ready before Saturday evening. Many gentlemen Would have left town before that day for the holidays, and would not, of course, have the papers in their hands before Wednesday. He thought the day he mentioned sufficiently early, and he adhered to the order he had laid down.
§ Mr. H. Lascelles hoped that he was not disorderly in the notice he had given, as he assured the house that nothing was farther from his intention than to be guilty of any irregularity.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer asked whether the hon. gent. meant to bring forward both motions on the same day? thought the hon. gent. could hardly expect the house to decide so summarily.
§ Mr. Whitbread said, he had meant merely that there would be no delay on his part. He would be ready to submit his second propositions as soon as the house 152 could meet after the discussion of the first part.
§ Mr. Fox would not say that it was not competent to any member, who should think proper so to do, to give a notice for the anticipation of that of another. It was, however, a matter of delicacy, subject to that discretion which was usually exercised on every such occasion.