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praise my feelings could now so liberally indulge in. There is nothing, however, that I could say that must not fall short of what his merits would require, and the justice of this House would expect to hear. I shall forbear enlarging upon the clear and upright manner in which he discharged his duty as chairman of the committee of finance; of that committee I had the honour to be a member, and the impression then made upon my mind by his perspicuity and address, has been since confirmed by the enviable distinction this House has thought proper in two successive Parliaments to confer upon him. In Ireland, he will not be readily forgotten; when this House called him from the office of chief secretary in that country, to that chair, the sensible and general regret his departure occasioned was the most flattering testimony to his inte grity and talents, and in every situation to which my right honourable friend has been called since his entrance upon public life, we find him not so much deriving distinction from any situation he may have held, as conferring dis-" tinction upon it. Sir, I shall not trespass longer on the attention of the House than by saying, that I consider Mr. Abbot to be one of the best servants of the public, and if other public men act with the same zealous devotion to the public interests, the same chaste adherence to the line of their duty, the same honest intentions, the same firmness, talent, and integrity, the country will have the same reason to rejoice in the fitness of its public men, that this House will this day have in the re-appointment of its tried and approved officer, the right honourable Charles Abbot, I beg pardon for troubling the House at such length, and have only now to move that the right honourable Charles Abbot be called to the chair.

Mr. Bankes said, that in rising to second the motion of his honourable friend, he had never risen with more satisfaction, not only because he felt he was speaking the sentiments of the House, but because he was discharging an act not only of public duty, but of private friendship, to one of his earlier and most esteemed friends. To what had been already so ably stated by his honourable friend, he did not think it necessary to make any additions. To the members of the present Parliament, who had belonged also to the late one, it was surely unnecessary to say a single word in enforcement of his right honourable friend's pretension they had witnessed his (Mr. Abbot's) able and upright

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upright discharge of his duty, and they would now duly feel how, upon the present occasion, that merit could be best appreciated. The accession of new members, however, might have made it necessary. They might not have been so fully aware of the many qualifications requisite for that high office, with which his right honourable friend was so eminently gifted. He would not dwell upon that diligent research which had given maturity to a judgment naturally sagacious and profound. His deep and extensive knowledge in every branch of the constitututional and parliamentary history of this country, did not more distinguish him than the easy affability with which he dealt to all around him the advantages of a richly gifted mind. But he (Mr. Bankes) would not trespass longer on the House. All those who knew his right honourable friend would rejoice in his election, not. so much upon his account as upon that of the honour and dignity of that House; and the few who did not know him would, in a very short time, acknowledge the superior desert that was now about to be so eminently rewarded. He concluded with giving his most bearty assent to the motion of his honourable friend, that the right honourable Charles Abbot be called to the chair of that House.

Mr. Calcraft said, that no man more strongly depre cated the influence of party feeling in any question, than he did. He had been not an inattentive observer of the manner in which the right honourable gentleman had hitherto discharged his duty to that House, and he should be always willing to bear the most favourable testimony to his conduct as Speaker of that House; at the same time, he wished to be distinctly understood, that the governing principle with him (Mr. Calcraft), in now voting for the right honourable gentleman being again called to that chair, was the honest and conscientious manner in which that gentleman had acted upon a most trying occasion, when upon an equality of votes on a memorable division for the impeachment of Lord Melville, that right honourable gentleman, by his firmness and independence, gave, as it were, a form and body to the wishes of a justly indignant people; as shortly the same, or a similar opportunity, might again occur, he (Mr. Caleraft) was anxious to secure a Speaker upon whose consistency the public might confidently rely. He was aware, that that House was not destitute of men equally qualified with the right honourable

honourable gentleman, bating his experience, for the high situation in question. On that experience he relied much, but much more on that manly independence of character, which he admitted on a great question of trial he had exhibited. This was to be an inquiring Parliament, and' perhaps there never was a session so distinguished by zealous contest, or that promised less of that "cordial unanimity," the honourable mover had alluded to. In such a momentous crisis, he agreed, that the man we should resort to, should have approved himself as independent of all party and all unworthy influence. He thought that the right honourable gentleman's past conduct justified him and the House in expecting a continuance of the same, and he, for those reason, should heartily concur in the motion submitted to the House.

Mr. W. Smith said, he rose to express his hearty concurrence with the motion; though not in Parliament for the last six months, he had been sufficiently long a member of that House to bear witness to the able and upright manner in which the right honourable gentleman had filled the chair. On an occasion of this kind, where the Honse was disposed to be so unanimons, he did not wish to disturb that unanimity by any allusions to party, but as an honourable gentleman had expressed a hope that the unanimity of that day would not be much interrupted through the remainder of the sessions, he (Mr. Smith) would take it upon him to say, that if every proposition that may hereafter during the present session be submitted to the House, be equally founded in justice and in reason, he was confident that House would preserve its present good humour.

Mr. Abbot then spoke as follows: "Mr. Ley, the important remarks which my right honourable and honourable friends have offered to the consideration of this House, upon the first act which it has to perform, so far as concerns the magnitude and variety of the qualifications requisite for adequately discharging the duties of the chair, will, I am persuaded, receive the full concurrence of all who are conversant in the history and practice of Parliaments. But if in every period, the election to this office has been deemed a matter of grave and solemn delibera, tion, a just sense of heimes in which we live, and the contemplation of those which may be yet to come, will render this a question of increased anxiety; and he whom

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the kindness and partiality of his friends have proposed to the House for its choice, highly as he values this public testimony of their friendship, and gratefully as he acknowledges it, must have within himself (that which I deeply feel) a fearful comparison to make between the extent of those duties and his own insufficiency.

Should this House, nevertheless, be principally desirous of providing for the uniform observance of is ancient rules and orders, as the best security for its privileges, and deem it most expedient for that purpose to call into its service the same exertions which former Parliaments have been contented to accept, I have only to offer the sincerest assurance of my unalterable zeal for its honour and interests; and with this humble and respectful declaration, I shall submit myself entirely to its disposal."

Mr. Abbot being then led to the chair between Mr. Yorke and Mr. Bankes, continued as follows: "Since gentlemen have been pleased to command me to this place, I desire their leave to return my humblest thanks for this distinguished proof of their confidence and favour; and these I shall constantly labour to deserve, by maintaining. the authority and dignity of this House unimpaired, and serving it with fidelity and impartiality."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer then said, he rose to offer the congratulations of an unanimous House of Commons, of an unanimous public. Form required that he should address his congratulation to the chair; but when he considered what the House had gained by the late appointment, he could not help thinking that his address should rather be to the House, for he was sure that the House was more properly the object of congratulation.. The gentleman whom they had just elected, had originally succeeded to the chair a very short time after that House had been deprived of the services of a man who, in the parliamentary acceptation of the words, might have been justly said, to have been, as a Speaker of the House, a. perfect character. The gentleman, who in the commenceinent of his office, was not found wanting even in a com-. parison with such a Speaker as that House remembered Lord Sidmouth to have been, must indeed have been well qualified to discharge its duties. He concluded with again congratulating the House and the Country on the present appointment, and moving, that the House do now aljourn.-Adjourned.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF LORDS.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23.

The Lords Chancellor took his seat at three o'clock, and prayers having been read, a temporary adjournment took place.

The House was soon after resumed, and the lords commissioners, (the Chancellor, Lord Aylesford, and Walsingham,), having taken their seats, a message was sent to the Commons, requiring their attendance at the bar.

Mr. Abbot, attended by a considerable number of the Commons, soon after appeared at the bar, and addressed the commissioners as follows: "My Lords, the Commons of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled, have, in obedience to his majesty's commands, and according to their ancient right, proceeded to the choice of a Speaker, and it becomes my duty to acquaint your lordships, that their choice has once more fallen upon me.

"In humbly submitting myself, at this bar, to his majesty's judgment, I have the satisfaction to reflect, that if it should be his majesty's royal pleasure to disallow their choice, they will have no difficulty in finding amongst themselves many who may be well deserving of his majesty's gracious approbation, and capable of discharging the duties of this high office to the advantage of his majesty's affairs, and the general benefit of their country."

The Lord Chancellor having signified his majesty's approbation of the choice of the Commons, the Speaker again addressed the lords commissioners as follows: "My Lords, since his majesty has been pleased to approve the choice. which his Commons have made, it is my duty, with all humility, to conform myself to their appointment and his majesty's pleasure, acknowledging with gratitude this fresh instance of his royal grace and favour.

"And now, in the name and on the behalf of the Commons in Parliament assembled, I do by humble petition lay claim to all their ancient rights and privileges, and more especially, 1. Freedom from arrest, and all other molestation of themselves, their servants, and estates: 2. Freedom of speech in debate: 3. Free access to his majesty's royal person as occasion shall require: 4. And that all their proceedings may receive from his majesty the most favourable construction: humbly intreating also, that his

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