Lords Sitting of 23 June 1820

THE QUEEN.
Earl Greywas sorry that the noble lord at the head of his majesty's government was absent, as he wished to ask him a question on the subject of that most unfortunate business which had so long occupied the attention of parliament and the public. What he would have inquired, had the noble lord been present, was, whether he meant to abide by his intention of allowing the sittings of the secret committee to take place on Tuesday next, if no amicable adjustment, or rather no arrangement of the differences, should then have taken place. If the noble lord did on Monday bring forward any proposition, he should, in the first place, reserve himself for its consideration. If, on the contrary, the noble lord intended to make no proposal to the House on that day, but should act on his declaration of yesterday, namely, to allow the committee to meet on Tuesday if an adjustment was not concluded by Monday, he should think it his duty on the latter day to call their lordships' attention to circumstances which had taken place, by which
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the character of the proceeding they had adopted was materially affected. To the appointment of that secret committee he fully felt all the objections which had been urged by his noble friends before he had the opportunity of attending in his place in the House. But to these weighty objections was to be added this additional circumstance, that it appeared, from the votes of the House of Commons, that a measure had there been adopted, which placed the question in quite a new state. He found that a resolution, supported, as he understood, by the opinion of his majesty's ministers, had passed the other House of Parliament, explicitly declaring, that any inquiry which might be instituted, in consequence of the message and papers communicated to their lordships' House, can have no possible result except one, which "must be derogatory from the dignity of the Crown, and injurious to the best interests of the empire." Thus his majesty's ministers had engaged that House in a proceeding which they now admitted can terminate, whatever be its result, in no other way than that of derogating from the dignity of the Crown, and injuring the best interests of the country. This proceeding was then evidently one, in the prosecution of which it was impossible for their lordships to continue. He thought it necessary to say this much, to call their lordships' attention to the subject that they might be prepared for the consideration of the subject on Monday. He concluded by moving, that the House be summoned for that day.—Ordered.