§ Mr. Whitbreadsaid, he came down to the House to day, for the purpose of renewing a notice which he had given last night on the subject of the Message received from his royal highness the Prince Regent, in answer to the Address of the House, relative to Mr. Palmer's claims. The answer which his royal highness had been advised by ministers to give to that Address, conveyed the grossest possible insult on that House, going, as it did, to express a doubt of the inclination, or of the ability of the House to make good any sums which his royal highness might order to be issued in consequence of an Address of that House. He had given his notice on this subject, in consequence of having seen a printed paper, purporting to give an account of the proceedings in another place, in which it was stated, that his Majesty's ministers had advised the Prince Regent not to accede to the recommendation of the House. Nothing but imperious duty could have induced him to postpone such a motion beyond the earliest possible moment at which it could be brought forward; but he was under an absolute necessity of going to the country, and could not be in the House sooner than Thursday; he therefore now gave notice, that if no other member chose to bring the matter under the consideration of the House before that day, he should then submit a motion on the subject, although he should thereby be obliged to postpone another matter of importance which stood for that day, it being his intention that the present subject should take the precedence. He now moved, That the Answer of his royal highness the Prince Regent to the Address of that House be read.
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, he had no objection to accede to the present motion, nor to the bringing forward of that of which the hon. gent. had given" notice, but he would say now, as he would maintain, when the subject was properly before the House, that there was no insult contained in the Answer, nor any thing unbecoming the high personage from whom it came, or the ministers who advised it. He should do no more at present than shew his readiness to take up the challenge of the hon. gent. And he was convinced, that when the discussion should take place, the House would be satisfied that the censure of the hon. gent. upon the proceeding was unfounded and misapplied.
Mr. C. W. Wynnsaid, that if there was any instance on the Journals of a similar answer to an Address of that House, the minister who advised it might perhaps be justified, but he defied them to produce any such instance. In the present instance the privileges of the House were attacked. He would contend it was the case; for the power of the House to make good its engagement, was either doubted or resisted by the minister. He was sorry that his honourable friend had named so distant a day; because the duty of a member of parliament was paramount to all others; and in cases such as the present, he thought it would become them to imitate the conduct of their ancestors, by postponing every other business or consideration to a question of privilege. He was more surprised at this proceeding than at any which had taken place since he had a seat in parliament. As to the measure against which it was directed, it was one, however objectionable in principle, sanctioned by the practice of the House upon other occasions. In the case of Mr. Webber, the House injudiciously, he thought, had exercised the privilege of Address; and though his opinion was not altered with regard to the case of Mr. Palmer, or the general inexpediency of adopting the principle of Address upon such occasion, yet, when it was done, it must be carried into effect, and was entitled to all the weight and authority that parliament could give to its proceedings. The House of Commons might as well be required to wait the opinion of they Lords upon every public monument, yet monuments were voted without that sanction. The debts of Mr. Pitt were paid without any such postponement; and the salaries of the Judges were increased without waiting for the opinion of the Lords. For these reasons, he was anxious that the question should be brought forward, as its importance entitled it to an early and full discussion.
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that through the whole of his observations, the hon. gent. was pleased to run away with the assumption that he intended to question the privileges of that House. Nothing could be more unjust than such an assumption. On the contrary, he should contend, that the Address alluded to contained nothing which could, in the remotest degree, affect those privileges, or question the authority of parliament.
§ Mr. Whitbreadsaid he could not attend 320 on Monday, as he had already declared; but it was competent to any other gentleman to bring it forward at a more early period. All he should say at present, was, that the advice of the minister to the Prince Regent, could only be interpreted in this way; that where the House said, I will give the money, the minister said, you shall not.
§ The Answer of the Prince Regent was then read by the clerk.