COBBETT'S Parliamentary Debates, DURING THE FIRST SESSION OF THE FOURTH PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT-BRITAIN AND IRELAND, AND OF THE KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN THE TWENTY-FIRST, Appointed to meet at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of June, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Seven, in the FortySeventh Year of the Reign of King GEORGE the THIRD, Parliamentary Debates, During the First Session of the Fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the Kingdom of Great Britain the Twenty-first, appointed to meet at Westminster, the Twenty-second Day of June, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Seven, in the Forty-seventh Year of the Reign of His Majesty King GEORGE the Third. HOUSE OF LORDS. Monday, June 22, 1907. bation."-The commons having withdrawn, their lordships proceeded to prayers; after which, the several peers present took the usual oaths and their seats. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Monday, June 22. [CHOICE OF A SPEAKER ] About two o'clock, the attendance of the commons, at the bar of the house of lords, was commanded in a message by the black rod. About 200 members, who had been previously sworn in by the lord steward of the household, according to custom, in the Long Gallery, went up immediately, and having received his majesty's command, signified by the lord chancellor, to elect a Speaker, returned, and shortly after proceeded to the exercise of that privilege in the usual form, This being the day appointed for the meeting of the New Parliament, the Lord Chancellor came to the house at two o'clock, and being seated on the woolsack, immediately rose and said, " My lords, I have to acquaint you, that his majesty, not thinking fit to attend in person this day, has been pleased to issue a commission under the great seal, empowering certain commissioners, named therein, to open and hold this present parliament." The lords commissioners then present, namely, the archbishop of Canterbury, the lord chancellor, the earl of Aylesford, and lord Hawkesbury, being robed, and having taken their seats in front of the throne, Mr. Quarme, the yeoman usher of the black rod, was deputed to order the at- Mr. Yorke rose, and addressing himself to tendance of the commons; a number of Mr. Ley, the senior clerk, said, that the whom forthwith appeared, preceded by the house was now called upon to exercise one clerks of that house. The commission was of its most antient and valuable privileges, then read, and the lord chancellor spoke as in electing, from among its members, a profollows: My lords, and gentlemen of per person to discharge the functions of its the house of commons; We have it in com- Speaker; functions always important to the mand from his majesty, to let you know, maintenance of order and decorum within that his majesty will, as soon as the mem-its own walls, and the execution of which bers of both houses shall be sworn, declare to you the causes of his calling this parliament; and it being necessary that a Speaker of the house of commons should be first chosen, it is his majesty's pleasure, that you, gentlemen of the house of commons, repair to the place where you are to sit, and there proceed to the choice of some proper person to be your Speaker; and that you present such person here to-morrow, at three o'clock, for his majesty's royal appro was at the same time most essential towards obtaining for the proceedings of the house, the respect and sanction of the community abroad, Some apology was perhaps necessary, for hi presuming to offer himself to the house on this occasion, which implied an assumption, that the person whom he should recommend as the most fit and proper, to discharge the arduous duties annexed to the chair, should immediately appear to the house to possess in a pre-eminent degree * guished merit, he should not hesitate to name the right hon. Charles Abbot. (a general cry of hear! hear!) If he possessed more eloquence, he could with pleasure dwell on the merits by which this right hou. recommended. He could dilate upon the independence of his character, his accurate knowledge of the laws of the country, his intimate acquaintance with the forms and the practice of the house of commons, and his love of the constitution. But all praise must fall short of the merits which the house knew so well, and estimated so highly. The services which Mr. Abbot had rendered as chairman of the committee of finance, and as chief secretary for Ireland, were, however, so deeply impressed upon his mind, that he could not restrain himself from making particular mention of them. As a member of the committee of finance he had had particular opportunities of observing the meritorious conduct of his right hon. friend as chairman of that committee; and he had also particular reason to know, how much cause Ireland had to regret his being called from his high station in that country, to fill the chair of that house. Mr. Abbot was, in one word, in every sense, one of the best servants of the public; and if every other servant of the public, at the present time, and in the times to come, performed his duty with the same fidelity, zeal, and diligence, the country would find in such service, the most effectual means of extricating itself from the difficulties with which it was now encompassed. He should trespass no farther on the house, but conclude with moving, That the right hon. Charles Abbot, be called to the chair of that house. the assemblage of great qualities which was requisite for the office. He was aware, that there were many gentlemen in the house, who, by their abilities and conduct, and the authority annexed to their names and persons, were very capable of filling this im-gent. was so eminently distinguished and portant station with dignity and advantage. But there was something farther than mere personal qualifications which afforded not only a fair presumption, but even the assur ance and full conviction, that the right hon. gent. he meant to propose was, even among the many other highly gifted persons whom he saw around him, the most worthy to fill the chair of the house in these times of difficulty. In addressing the house on this occasion, he had, in addition to the satisfaction of discharging a high public duty, a pride and pleasure in bearing his personal testimony to merits which he had long privately known, and which, the more he knew them, the more he esteemed and honoured, and the more he congratulated himself on his acquaintance with the person who possessed them in so eminent a degree. He anticipated, therefore, with peculiar satisfaction the testimony that he knew would be unanimously borne this day to every thing that he had said in behalf of his right hon. friend. It was a farther satisfaction to him, to think that the vote which the house would give on this occasion, would be distinct from all party prejudices and interests, the prevalence of which, in that house, was on every occasion to be deplored; but the prevalence of which, atthe present difficult and dange rous crisis, was particularly to be deprecated, as it might perhaps be pregnant with the ruin of these once flourishing, united, and happy countries. He was satisfied that, on the present occasion at least, no party Mr. Bankes rose and addressed the house feeling would find room among those he saw thus:-Sir, I never rose with more satisfacaround him. This happy unanimity would tion to second any motion than I now do enhance the pride and pleasure he felt on that which has just been submitted to you; being permitted to address the house on this because I am sure I am speaking the unani. occasion; and he hailed the approaching mous sentiments of those I address, when unanimous election of his right hon. friend I say, that I am persuaded nothing could to the chair, as an onren of the future cou- conduce so much to the dignity of this cord which he hoped to see prevail generally house, and the general interests of the in the house. It was not necessary for him country, as the placing such a person as Mr. to descant on the qualifications requisite to Abbot in that chair, which he has already fill the chair with propriety, as there were repeatedly filled with so much honour. many gentlemen present who had repeated- I speak in the hearing of many of those ly seen it filled in the most honourable man- members who formerly sat in this house, it ner. But, if he were called upon to give may be thought, that, as to them, it is totally an instance of every thing that a Speaker of unnecessary to enlarge; but there are now the house of commons ought to be, though many amongst us who had not formerly a the chair had, within his memory, been fill-seat here, and therefore I hope they will ed by many persons of very high and distin- excuse me for telling them, that there is no As go may perhaps by some be thought to be the mover and seconder of the motion. I person who has exercised himself in the duties of that most important office, with more integrity, ability, candour, and fidelity, than the right. hon. gent. who has been nominated to their choice. He is a gentleman, who, to the most diligent research,lifications which have been touched upon by adds the most profound knowledge of mankind, with great legal knowledge, extensive experience in history, and a great and accurate understanding in constitutional and parliamentary law. These are endowments which qualify him most abundantly to undertake that arduous and difficult situation to which we recommend him. The easy access which he gave to all who had occasion to consult him, is fresh in the recollection of many whom I address. To them, too, it is abundantly known, how usefully and ho nourably he filled the chair for several years. To myself it is a great gratification to feel, that in discharging what I conceive to be a great public duty, I am also obeying the call of a long and uninterrupted friendship. He was, sir, amongst the first of my friends in this world, and it is a great pleasure and satisfaction to me to find, in a great assembly of enlightened men, of great qualifications and parliamentary experience, that such a friend, whom I have known so long and so intimately, should be the person repeatedly deemed most fit to fill the situation of Speaker amongst us. I am sure that upon this oc-ence, with which he has always executed casion, as upon former ones, those who the high trust committed to him, and this,' know his abilities, perseverance, and integri- too, upon every occasion, but more partity, will again deem him most fit to resume it, cularly upon a memorable one, the circumand that those who have not known him so stances of which are yet fresh in your recolsufficiently as to have experienced his qualifi-lection. The situation in which he was cations, will never have cause to regret their placed was, indeed, singular; but it was acquiescence in the opinion and choice of such as may occur again. I allude to a those who have. On these grounds I con-transaction which took place in this house, cur with my right hon. friend in every sentiment he has uttered, and beg leave to conclude with seconding the motion he has submitted to your consideration. Mr. Calcraft.-Sir, I never rose with more pleasure in this house, than I now feel in rising to express my concurrence in this motion. I have witnessed, in common with many others now present, the great talents, the industry, and becoming couduct of that right hon. gent., whose character and qualifications are now the subjects of discussion. He has formerly filled that chair in such a manner, that I think I should not be doing justice to my own feelings, if I did not say, that I do not know of any one individual so well qualified to fill that dignified and honourable situation, as that right Lon. gent. In saying thus much of him I at a time when many who are now here were not present; an occasion, when, upon a division taking place, on the proposition of an hon. friend of mine (Mr. Whitbread), the numbers of the members on both sides of the question were equal. Such was the predicament in which that right hon. gent. was placed, when occupying that chair, to which we are now proposing to recal him; a predicament, in which he had a remarkable opportunity of exercising that firmness of mind which is so becoming in all situations of life, but particularly in that to which he had been called by the unanimous concurrence of this house. He gave, as it were, a form and body to the wishes of the people, by converting the propositions which were then submitted to us into resolutions of this house; I mean those resolutions |