THE CORONATION. (Hansard, 30 April 1838)

The Marquess of Londonderry

said, that, anxious as he was on all occasions to act with courtesy towards her Majesty's Ministers, he was compelled a few evenings since, in the absence of the noble Viscount opposite, to ask for some information on the subject of the approaching coronation. On that occasion, he understood from the noble Marquess (Lansdowne), that the arrangements connected with that ceremony were still open to consideration. He could not avoid stating, that he felt extreme disappointment and extreme dissatisfaction at the course which had already been pointed out as that which was intended to be adopted with reference to this solemn ceremony. He knew, that the question of expense was one which, it might be said, ought rather to be noticed in the other House than there. Still he conceived that he might allude to it, and he fairly owned, that in his opinion this question of expense might have been better urged on almost any other occasion than the present. He should like to know on what ground this ceremony was fixed for the particular day which had been announced? How was it—under what unfortunate circumstances did it happen—that the coronation (which he might almost call the commencement of this auspicious reign,) should fall on the anniversary of the decease of a Monarch who was universally beloved? Surely all those who looked back to the proud period when he reigned, and who recollected the glory which the country had then achieved, must be anxious that his memory should be reverenced. He was one of those who viewed that reign with these sentiments, and, therefore, he could not but look with deep regret on the selection of that particular day for the celebration of this ceremony. He could not conceive why the coronation should be hurried forward at such an unusual period. That ceremony used to take place at a much later, and, he would say, a more convenient period of the year. Was it to be performed now because the noble Viscount felt it necessary to get rid of the business of Parliament, that he might the sooner enjoy his leisure? Why should the public business be thus stopped in what he might call the middle of the Session? Why should the ceremony be 668 fixed for such an unusual time? He understood that the banquet and many other splendid appurtenances of that august ceremony were to be dispensed with. He greatly disapproved of any such proceeding; and whatsoever views others might take of the subject, he conceived, that, if it were intended to make an inroad on the monarchy, the shortest way to effect that object was by abandoning, in the first instance, time-honoured and time-consecrated forms and ceremonies. He should say little as to the rights of different families in this country which depended on certain services rendered at the coronation. How were they to preserve those rights hereafter when the ceremonies connected with them were dispensed with? He wished to ask, ought they not to proceed with great caution, when a series of dispensations of this nature might possibly put in jeopardy the rights and privileges, the manors and hereditaments, which many persons held and enjoyed by observing certain forms at the coronation. Let them look at the situation of the great city of London. Was the noble Viscount ready to satisfy those who were interested that their rights should not be affected, when ceremonies in which they ought to take a part were abrogated? The banquet ought not to be omitted; all the ceremonies ought to be gone through; the more especially, when many illustrious individuals from foreign nations were likely to be present. When it was recollected, that the city of London gave a most splendid banquet on the occasion of the foreign potentates having visited this country, ought not those great personages who came over to do honour to the coronation, as the representatives of their respective sovereigns, to be received with equal distinction? It was very well to talk of economy, at the same time that 2,000,000l. or 3,000,000l. were thrown away and squandered on worthless objects, on the equipment of men who were incompetent to the proper discharge of great public duties, or in the erection or proposed erection of splendid Houses of Parliament. But he would say, that in this instance economy was very much displaced. He would ask, whether the large sum of money that would be expended in this great metropolis, if the coronation were celebrated on a grand scale, and which would circulate throughout every part of the country—he would ask, whether that would not be attended with immense general benefit? 669 And he would ask further, whether, if that sum were not circulated, the Ministers who counselled this curtailment of the coronation would not be responsible for the detriment which the country in general, but the metropolis in particular, must sustain? He should be very glad if there were any change, or any likelihood of a change, in the system which they were told was meant to be adopted. But he feared that no alteration would be effected. He hoped, however, that the noble Viscount would still do whatsoever lay in his power to alter the period when the coronation should take place, and also for re-establishing the system which had prevailed for centuries. He hoped that the coronation would not be Sent before its time into this breathing world But half made up—and that so lamely and unfashionably, as to be utterly unworthy of her gracious Majesty and disgraceful to this great nation.

§ Viscount Melbourne

said, he ought to offer an apology to the noble Marquess for not having been present when the adjournment took place before the recess, in order to answer such questions as the noble Marquess might have thought proper to ask. Had he been aware of the intention of the noble Marquess, he certainly would not have been absent on that occasion. The questions of the noble Marquess had reference to two points—first, whether the arrangements for the coronation would be subject to further consideration, and would undergo any alteration; and next, as to the time when the ceremony would take place. With respect to the latter point, as to the time, he had to state, that a change of the day, probably to the 28th of June, had been determined on. That change had been agreed to in order to avoid doing any violence to those feelings to which the noble Marquess had adverted. He thought it right, however, to observe, that the day originally intended was named entirely through inadvertence. Still, he might say, that there was scarcely a day in the year that could have been selected that had not some melancholy reflections connected with it. It should also be observed, that the accession of a Sovereign was constantly kept as a festival in all countries, and at all times; and yet that accession must, of necessity, be the anniversary of the death of the preceding Sovereign, Therefore, he did not thin, 670 that any very great fault had been committed in naming the day originally intended. It was however, he admitted, very proper and very wise to pay respect to such feelings as the noble Marquess had described; and, therefore, a fresh proclamation should be issued, to defer the solemnisation of the ceremony to the day which he had pointed out. He now came to the other question—whether those pomps and ceremonies which were dispensed with at the coronation of his late Majesty were now to be discontinued or not? And, in answer to that question, he begged leave to say, that it was not the intention of her Majesty's Government to make any further change, any material change, in the ceremonial from what had already been set forth. He was ready to defend the course taken by her Majesty's advisers. He could not, on the part of himself and his colleagues, plead guilty to the charge of want of reverence for the practice of their ancestors; and, from what had occurred before, he did not think that they were fairly liable to such a charge. When those ceremonies had anything like substance in them—when they were agreeable to the present time—when they were in accordance with the usages and customs of the present day—it might be well to adhere to them. But when they appeared to be mere shades and mere shadows—when they appeared to be mere vain pageants, useless, and idle, and, in some instances, tending to create ridicule—when this was the case, he conceived that they were prudently and properly given up and abandoned, especially when they had been given up on a former occasion. There was another reason, which ought to have some weight, and that was, that the dispensing with those ceremonies would effect a very considerable diminution of expense. Again, there was another point that ought to be taken into consideration. He alluded to the great fatigue which the duties of the day would necessarily impose on her Majesty, and which, perhaps, her Majesty would scarcely be able to undergo. He did not deem it necessary to state anything further. It certainly did not appear to him that any good reasons had been advanced to induce them to return to the old system. As to the motive which the noble Marquess thought proper to attribute to Ministers, there was no foundation whatever for the charge. They proposed, on good grounds as he conceived, to follow what was done 671 on the coronation of his late Majesty. The course then taken he always thought had given great satisfaction, not only to the metropolis, but to the country in general. The noble Marquess had adverted to a sort of discontent which he asserted existed in this town, because certain parts of the ceremony were to be dispensed with. He did not know that there was any such discontent; but, if it did exist, he did not think it formed a sufficient ground for altering what had already been determined on. In his opinion, the course which was intended to be pursued, manifested due honour and respect to the Crown, and a proper consideration for the wishes and feelings of the country.