[CHAPTER V.]
Prince George created Prince of Wales—The Regency Bill—Murray’s case in the King’s Bench—Speech of Lord Bath—His character—Speeches in the House of Lords on the Regency Bill—It is brought to the Commons, and opposed by the Speaker—Character of Speaker Onslow—Debate in the House of Commons on this Bill—Character of Horace Lord Walpole—Speeches of Pitt and Fox—The Regency Bill read a third time in the House of Commons, and passed.
April 25th.—Prince George kissed the King’s hand on being created Prince of Wales.
26th.—Sir John Phillips moved the King’s Bench for a Habeas Corpus for Murray, which was granted. Sir John was a man of a worse character than parts, though they were not shining. He had quitted Parliament on the desperate situation of the Jacobite cause, after having attempted during the last Rebellion to get the Subscriptions and Associations for the King declared illegal; and was now retired to Oxford, the sanctuary of disaffection.
The King sent a Message to both Houses to desire they would pass an Act for appointing the Princess Dowager of Wales, Regent, with proper limitations, in case he died before the Prince was eighteen. The Duke of Newcastle, seconded by the Duke of Devonshire, opened it in the House of Lords; Mr. Pelham, and the Chancellor’s eldest son[110], in the Commons. Both the brothers made awkward and ill-placed panegyrics on the Duke; and Addresses of Thanks were voted.
27th.—Murray was brought by Habeas Corpus into the King’s Bench; but, three Judges allowing the validity of a commitment by the House of Commons, he was remanded to Newgate.
May 1st.—The Regency Bill was to have been brought into the House of Lords, but was deferred, to be softened a little, upon objections made by the Bishop of London to the unprecedented powers that the Council had given themselves in it. The Chancellor drew it; and for the honour of his profession had contrived to show that a legal tyranny might be formed as despotic as the most usurped authority. And lest it should shock a free people, and draw an odium on the Government, he had submitted to bear the greatest share of the envy himself; for, though the Bill was directed to establish the power of the Pelhams, the Chancellor was likely to have the amplest share by his own voice, and those of his creatures, the Archbishop, the Chief Justice Lee, and my Lord Anson, his son-in-law, whom they designed for first Lord of the Admiralty, though on the original plan, that Officer was omitted in the Council of Regency, because they had not then determined to remove Lord Sandwich.
3rd.—A question was proposed to the House by Sir William Yonge, whether such members as were named to be servants to the new Prince of Wales were to vacate their seats, as their appointment was by the King. Stone and John Selwyn were of the number. It was agreed in the negative without a Motion.
7th.—The Duke of Newcastle opened the Regency Bill in the House of Lords, and it was read the first time without opposition.
10th.—The committee in the Lords on the Regency Bill. Earl Stanhope, whose studies were mathematical, and principles republican, to the honour of which, though without any parts, he had acted steadily in Opposition, when Jacobites and Royalist-Whigs, and men of all other denominations had changed for every other denomination, opposed the clause that gave the Regent a Council; an opinion that was rather more consistent with the effect of his principles, to oppose a Regal Government, than with his principles themselves; but it was carried by 98 against him, and the Earls of Thanet, Shaftesbury, Oxford, and Lichfield, the Viscount Hereford and Townshend, and the Lords Ward, Maynard, Foley, Romney, and Talbot.