Lords Sitting of 27 January 1806

MINUTES.
The duke of Gloucester was sworn, and took his seat, on his accession to the peerage, in consequence of the demise of his father, the late duke.—The earl of Jersey was sworn, and took his seat on the same occasion.—Earl Darnley adverted to the notice he had given on a former evening, respecting the Additional Force act. Of that measure he retained the same sentiments of disapprobation, and which, in fact, were fortified by progressive experience. It was in the recollection

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of their lordships, that he was the first who brought forward a motion for the repeal of that act. His intended motion, however, he was at present induced to suspend, in consideration of the state of public affairs at the moment.

VOTE OF HANKS TO THE NAVY.
Lord Hawkesburystated, that not being able to attend in his place on a former day, on which he had given notice of his intention to move for the thanks of that house to lord Collingwood, and the officers, &c. under his command, he had requested a noble friend (lord Walsingham) to move that the order for that day should be discharged; and to state, that on the next day of the house's meeting, he should attend in his place and renew his notice. In doing this, he trusted all their lordships would give him credit, that he could not, in the least, be actuated by any motives of disrespect, or the slightest abatement in a due sense of the inestimable and meritorious services of the noble admiral in question, and the gallant officers and seamen under his command; on the contrary, he was highly desirous to bring forward the motion, on the first moment his avocations, or the pressure of important business would allow him. Under this impression, he then gave notice, that he should, to-morrow, bring forward his motion for the thanks of the house. His lordship then moved, that the lords be summoned for to-morrow; which was ordered accordingly.
The Duke of Clarencebegged to offer a few words to their lordships on the occasion. It had, he observed, been his intention to have given notice, for the first open day, of a motion similar to that of which the noble lord had just now given notice, if such a proceeding had not taken place. Motives of intentional disrespect, or a desire to do any thing unpleasant, did not exist in his mind. When he considered the situation which the noble lord had the honour to hold in his majesty's councils, he was probably a more proper person to come forward on such an occasion than himself. His own motives, for what he had proposed to do, were of a two-fold nature: the first was, a conviction that it was incumbent on the country, on the very earliest opportunity, to express their grateful sense, in the strongest terms, of the great and important services of these noble officers, and the different officers and men under their command, who achieved the glorious victory of the 21st of October, and of which, he
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was sensible, they all felt the advantages. The second consideration which had actuated his mind, and which would continue to the last hour of his life, was the feelings and friendship he entertained for that illustrious hero, who had led on the fleet to that memorable victory. With these he was impressed during twenty-three years, out of the forty-seven which that hero lived, and during which period, it might be said, he lived with him with the intimacy of a brother. Thus, the feelings of private friendship co-operated with those of public principle and duty, in determining him to propose to their lordships to come to such a vote as he had alluded to. As the thing then stood, he felt no objection to give way to the noble lord, who had expressly stated his intention to bring forward the motion to-morrow.