on this occasion; its vow ought to be regarded as sacred, at least by any house of commons, or rather the same house of commons, with an inferior number of members in it to those who had come to the resolution now in force; nothing short of the very same number could with any thing of decency think of rescinding that resolution. He resisted this motion, therefore, on the general and broad principle, that the house ought to respect its own proceedings, that the constitutionrequires the house to shew that respect in all cases, except where any thing which it has done be manifestly erroneous; which could not be the case here, for it was not disputed, nor was there any difficulty to be found in the course of the proceeding insuperable, for the attorney general might have the aid of many learned members in the house, as to the mode of framing the information, particularly of one very learned person now in the house, [alluding, as was understood, to the learned pleader, Mr. Wood]. Considering all these matters, considering the character of the house of commons, considering the interest the public had taken in that character, and how essential to the public it was to preserve that character; but, above all, considering the most alarming danger of establishing a precedent by which any minister of state, against whom any prosecution was ordered by a full house, might totally defeat that proceeding by a thinner house afterwards, under the pretence of a revision, (for if this vote was rescinded now, there was nothing to hinder any other member from moving to rescind the impeachment altogether,) he felt himself called upon to support the present resolution of the house; to resist any attack made upon it under any pretence whatever, and the more especially by those who had always professed an hostility towards every measure that tended to the punishment of Lord Melville, and therefore he moved that the other orders of the day be now read.

Mr. Hiley Addington said his principal object in rising at that time, was to assure the house that the opinion which he had given on a former night concerning this subject, still remained unaltered. He felt some anxiety lest it should be supposed that he had changed his mind. He gave it as his opinion that the course of proceeding which the house afterwards agreed to, of the prosecution being carried on by the attorney general, was the most moderate and lenient that could be adopted. He thought so still. He wished the proceeding to be carried on with the least possible delay and expence. He knew very well that proceedings by impeachment were often VOL. III, 1805.

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protracted to an extraordinary length of time, that they were attended with enormous expence, and that by such a prosecution the noble lord might become deeply involved in pecuniary embarrassments, and suffer a long and continued anxiety of mind. It was on this account he wished for the less vexatious mode. None should grieve more than himself at finding the noble lord subjected to these increased difficulties, as no man would rejoice more than himself at finding him acquitted of the crimes laid to his charge. He conceived the only question to be determined was, whether the house would be acting inconsistent, if it adopted the motion now preferred. He admitted that occasions might occur, when the house might with propriety rescind its own resolutions.

Mr. R. Dundas (son to Lord Melville), for one, had thought, and still did think, that the mode of prosecution by impeachment was that which should have been preferred because, although it was so tedious, yet it was one most befitting the situation and rank of the person to be tried, and best calculated to promote the ends of justice. It was the mode Lord Melville himself wished for. With respect to notice having been given of another mode of prosecution being about to be moved for, he could assure gentlemen that Lord Melville had been completely ignorant of such a thing being about to take place, until two hours before he entered the house on the day when the impeachment was moved. As to the lenity of that species of prosecution ordered by the house, the gentleman who moved it might be actuated by such a motive, but for his own part he could not feel that there was any lenity in a proceeding that took Lord Melville to a species of trial which was inconsistent with propriety, and with the rank which belonged to him. He was not bound to say that all the gentlemen who were for prosecuting, by means of the attorney general, voted for this, as the most lenient mode; although he believed some voted with such views. He did not wish, unaccustomed as he was to speak in public, to trouble the house with any more observations; but he should conclude with voting for the motion :

Mr. Ker opposed the motion for impeachment. The house then divided on the motion for proceeding to the orders of the day:

Ayes

Noes

143

166

Majority against Mr. Fox's motion ---23

The question for the impeachment was then carried without a division.

Mri

Mr. Whitbread was afterwards appointed manager of the impeachment, and directed to go the following day to the lords and acquaint them with the determination of the commons. An order was also made for appointing a committee to draw up the articles of impeachment.

At two o'clock in the morning the house adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26,

The house was occupied for a considerable time on the Rous peerage; to be further proceeded in on Friday.

IMPEACHMENT OF LORD MELVILLE.

A message being announced from the house of commons, Mr. Whitbread, introduced by the black rod, advanced to the bar, attended by the following members:

Mr. Grey, Lord Temple, Lord H. Petty, Mr. Fox, Mr. Windham, Mr. H. Combe, Sir R. Buxton, Mr. Shaw Lefevre, Mr. Creevey, Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. R. Thornton, Mr. Pelham, Lord A. Hamilton, Mr. Curwen, Mr. Wm. Elliot, Mr. Bankes, Sir W. W. Wynne, Mr. C. W. Wynne, Mr. Plumer, Mr. St. John, Mr. James Martin, Mr. Tierney, Mr. G. Johnstone, Mr. P. Moore, Sir W. Elford, Sir W. Burroughs, Lord Marsham, &c.

As soon as Mr. Whitbread reached the bar, he read the following message from the commons, and delivered it into the hands of the lord chancellor :

"My Lords,

"The commons of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in parliament assembled, have commanded me to impeach Henry, Lord Viscount Melville, of high crimes and misdemeanors. And I do here, in their names, and in the names of all the commons of the united kingdom, impeach the said Henry, Lord Viscount Melville, of high crimes and misdemeanors. And I am further commanded by the house of commons to acquaint your lordships, that they will in due time exhibit particular articles against him, and make good the same."

Mr. Whitbread and the other members then retired, and the Lord Chancellor read the message from the woolsack. The bills on the table were then forwarded in their respective stages.

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Their

Their lordships made some further progress in the stipendiary curates' bill; after which the house adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26.

The Secretary at War presented an account of the effective strength of the regular army on the 1st of June. Ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed.

Mr. William Dickinson presented certain accounts relative to naval stores in the dock-yards, pursuant to the order of the house. Ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed.

Mr. Rose brought up the report of the Thames cartage and ballastage bill. The amendments were agreed to, and the bill ordered to be read a third time.

A message from the lords informed the house, that their lordships had agreed to the seamen's encouragement bill, and the bark stealing prevention bill, without any amend

ments.

Mr. Johnson, from the office of the chief secretary for Ireland, presented an account of the manner in which the sum of five hundred thousand pounds, granted by the parliament of Ireland to the directors general of inland navigation in Ireland, had been disposed of. Ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed.

Mr. Robert Dundas brought up the bill for the improvement of Leith harbour; read a first time, to be read a second time.

The Irish loyalist compensation bill was read a third time and passed. Mr. Vansittart took that opportunity of stating, that, with respect to another commission to which allusion had been made on a former day, he had the assurance of the Irish government, that, as soon as the claims now before them should be disposed of, the commission would be put an end to, which would probably take place before the term fixed by this bill for the duration of the commission to which it referred.

Mr. Sturges Bourne moved that an humble address be presented to his majesty, that he would be graciously pleased to direct that a further account be made out of all sums issued by his majesty, pursuant to addresses of the house, which had not been made good by parliament. Ordered, and

that

that the address be presented by such members of the house as are of his majesty's privy council.

IMPEACHMENT OF LORD MELVIlle.

Mr. Whitbread, pursuant to the decision of the house on the preceding night, went up to the bar of the lords attended by a great number of members, to acquaint their lordships, that he had been commanded by the commons of the united kingdom in parliament assembled, to impeach Henry, Lord Viscount Melville, of high crimes and misdemeanors.

Mr. Whitbread, on his return, acquainted the house, from the bar, that, pursuant to the order of the Speaker, he had gone to the bar of the house of lords, and impeached Henry, Lord Viscount Melville, of high crimes and misdemeanors; and had also acquainted their lordships that this house would in due time exhibit particular articles of impeachment against his lordship, and make good the same.

Mr. Whitbread then moved that a committee be appointed to prepare articles of impeachment against Henry, Lord Viscount Melville. Ordered.

On the motion of Lord Temple, Mr. Whitbread was appointed one of the members of the committee; and on the motion of Whitbread, the following members were also appointed to the committee:

Mr. Whitbread then moved, that the tenth report of the commissioners of naval inquiry, and the report of the select committee on that report, be referred to the said committee. Ordered.

It was also ordered on the motion of Mr. Whitbread, that five of the committee be a quorum; that the committee do meet at twelve o'clock the next day in the Speaker's chamber; that they have power to send for persons, papers, and records; and that they have power to adjourn from time to