particularly and avowedly directed. This afforded us a source of real and unmixed pleasure, as it furnished us with another, and a striking proof of the abundance of our resources, and of those means of internal comfort, happiness, and strength, which were placed in security, out of the grasp or reach of the foe. There was another topic of very considerable moment, and particularly in the present state of the public affairs, on which, though it was not touched upon in the speech, he should take the opportunity of saying a very few words. His Lordship here alluded to the state of Ireland, and the question of the Catholic claims; but spoke in too low a tone of voice to be perfectly distinguishable below the bar. He admitted the great importance of the subject, and the grave consideration which it merited. These claims had been considered before by the greatest authorities of the times, who had certainly expressed their opinions in favour of them; especially he felt himself influenced by the sentiments of that immortal Statesman, now no more, who had endeavoured to settle that important question; but who forbore, from reasons of the highest moment, to press the subject in Parliament. Whenever that subject was taken up, he trusted it would be in the spirit of conciliation, moderation, and liberality: but he must particularly hope, that in the present state of public affairs, it would appear advisable to every noble Lord not to stir this delicate question. He was convinced that those who viewed the subject in its proper light, would see it in the same shape. After various other observations, the noble Earl concluded by moving an bumble Address to his royal highness the Prince Regent, conformable to the various topics of the speech, with the introduction of the condolence of the House on the lamented demise of her royal highness the Princess Amelia.

Lord Eliot rose to second the Address which had been moved by his noble friend. His Lordship called to the recollection of the House the state of the country at other periods of his Majesty's reign, when he was in the full exercise of his Royal functions, and the many blessings he had conferred upon his people during a reign extended to so an unusual length; and expressed his great satisfaction at the happy prospect now opened, by the fortunate change in his Majesty's health, of his speedy recovery, and the resumption of his Royal authority. He paid the strongest tributes of approbation to the conduct of the Prince Regent throughout all the proceedings upon this delicate and interesting

Earl Grosvenor said, that he had come down to the House that night hoping to be able to support the Address; but now having heard it, and the speeches of the noble mover and seconder, he must say, there were parts of it which could not meet with his concurrence. On the sentiments of affection and respect towards his Majesty, which were conveyed in the Address, there could be but one opinion; and their Lordships, as well as the country at large, must rejoice in what was stated with regard to the financial prosperity of the kingdom. But he confessed, it was with considerable surprise, that he had heard their Lordships called upon to VOL. II.-1811.

support the present Ministers, as if they were new and untried men; as if they had never heard of their ill-fated expeditions, and above all of the expedition to Walcheren; as if they were men who had not been already tried in the balance, and found wanting. He regretted that the former practice of communicating the speech, on the night before, to the members of both Houses, had not been adopted on the present occasion, as thus an opportunity was afforded for giving it more mature consideration. Yet this was to be the less regretted at present, as a speech of so flimsy a texture, and containing so little matter of information either with regard to past occurrences or future measures, had perhaps never been delivered from the Throne. Even in times of profound peace, much more information might have been expected with regard to the situation and prospects of the country; but in a period so awful as the present, such paucity of information would indeed be surprising, were it not for a circumstance which it was quite sufficient to allude to, namely, the consideration of who were the Ministers of his Royal Highness; for certainly, if they were Ministers who possessed his confidence, one should have imagined that some topics of a popular nature would have been introduced; some mention would have been made of a reform of abuses, and a diminution of expenditure; particularly when the noble declaration of the Regent was recollected, that the supreme power was held entirely for the benefit of the people. He looked upon the speech as much more objectionable for its numerous omissions than for what it contained. There was some mention made of the affairs of Spain and Portugal; but there was nothing in it with regard to the internal situation of Ireland-nothing with respect to our relations with the Powers on the Baltic-nothing with regard to the affairs of India, which were soon likely to occupy considerable attention-and nothing at all on that most interesting subject, the state of our circulation and paper .currency. That part of the speech which related to Spain and Portugal, seemed to pledge the House to a continuance of those efforts which had been already made for the Peninsula; and he must compliment the noble mover of the Address, on the ability which he displayed, and on the ingenuity with which be commented on this part of the subject; but he must maintain that the House had not heard enough, or nearly enough, on the affairs of the Peninsula, to

satisfy those of their Lordships who were at all doubtful on the subject, of the propriety of sending further reinforcements to those countries; they should not only know the real state of affairs in Spain and Portugal, what were the probable hopes or fears to be entertained with regard to these countries, and the grounds on which they were founded, but also what was the condition of Ireland at the present. moment. They should know what was the real state of the public, mind throughout the inhabitants of the Peninsula. He would acknowledge, that their Lordships were bound in justice and honour to continue their support to those who were struggling for their independence; but then the aids which they could afford, must be bounded by considerations of prudence and of necessary self-defence. Above all, it was to be maturely weighed, whether the succours which this country was capable of affording were such as would be sufficient to obtain ultimate success; and he was certain that the people would not hesitate at any expenditure, if the cause was likely to prove successful at last but in the mean time the dangers at home ought to be considered; and that, there was such a thing as self-defence which called for their primary attention. If the reports which he had heard were true, though he trusted they were exaggerated, that Ireland was in a state of ferment, and that families were emigrating from it into England and Wales, from the fear of a new rising; then it behoved their Lordships to look at home, and to reflect, whether those efforts that were making for the Peninsula were not to be bounded and limited by such considerations as those he had now mentioned. On these grounds, he must contend, that their Lordships were entitled to much more abundant and satisfactory information, before they pledged themselves to increase or continue their efforts in favour of Spain and Portugal. Some months ago they had all heard that the French army in Portugal was in the most deplorable situation; that it possessed only the ground it stood upon, and was reduced by famine and desertion. These reports came from so many quarters, that he could not help placing some faith in them, and entertaining strong hopes that the Allied Army, refreshed and recruited, had only to pounce upon and destroy its weakened adversary but disappointment had succeeded these expectations, and it was now found that the French Army had not only plentiful supplies, but had received numerous reinforce

ments. The noble mover of the Address had acknowledged that there were dark spots in the horizon of Spain; this was foo true: it was still uncertain whether their nobles generally were worthy of their ancient famne, or the people at large were determined to conquer or perish. There was one more subject to which he would call the attention of their Lordships, and that was, to reflect on the mischievous delays which had taken place in the appointment of the Regent, and the unfortunate debates to which it had given rise. There was no other mode of avoiding them on any future exigency of a similar nature, but by some legislative measure which should provide for the immediate supply of any deficiency in the Executive Government. He trusted that some measure of this sort would be brought forward in the present session. He did not mean to propose any amendment to the Address, but satisfied himself with delivering his sentiments on those parts of it with which he could not

concur.

Lord Grenville declared, that it was always with great concern that he rose to oppose any motion for an address; and therefore it was very gratifying to him to say, that in most of the sentiments contained in the present address he perfectly concurred, as well as in those conveyed in the very able and eloquent speech of the noble mover. Indeed, he must say, that since he had had the honour of a seat in that House, he never heard a similar motion conducted with greater ability; not only for the peculiarly happy selection of the topics, but for the justness and propriety of the views, and for the forcible and impressive language in which they were conveyed. It was truly gratifying to him to hear, such displays of talent; and he trusted that the noble Lord, who had already distinguished himself by his love of literature, would prove an ornament to that House, and would, on many future occasions, gratify their Lordships with similar displays of enlarged and liberal sentiment. The noble Mover had justly anticipated, that with regard to that part of the Address which expressed an ardent hope of the King's recovery, there could be but one sentiment in the House. On another part of it, also, he believed that a complete unanimity prevailed, namely, the conduct of the Regent throughout the whole of the measure that was now carried into effect. On the uniform dignity and propriety of that conduct, there could be but