the Queen had consented to go | provided the residence abroad
abroad, the bags were not to be could be accomplished.
opened; but since she would The resolution conveyed to
not consent to that, they were her Majesty, contained this de-
to be opened! This speaks vo- claration of the House of Com-
lumes to the nation. It, at mons; namely, that an inves-
once clearly shows what was the tigation of the contents of the
great object of the threat at St. bags, let what would be the re
Ömers and of the bags in Lon-sult of that investigation, must
don. It is impossible to remove be derogatory from the dignity
from the public mind the im- of the Crown, and injurious to
pression which this is calculated
to imprint on it, and which it
has imprinted on it. We are
told that the bags contain most
horrible accusations; yet, all
these were to be sunk for ever,
and we, out of our labour, were
to give a princely income to the
person against whom these ac-
cusations were preferred, if that
person would but consent to go
and live out of the country!

the best interests of the nation.
In this resolution the Ministers
concurred; for this resolution,
the Ministers voted; and, in this
resolution they said, we have
laid some bags upon the tables;
we have moved for an investi-
gation of the contents of those.
bags; we know that that in-
vestigation must, of necessity,
be derogatory from the dignity
of the Crown and injurious to
the best interests of the nation;
and, therefore, we know that
we have done that which is cal
culated to injure our master and
the nation. And yet, after all
this, these same ministers have
a majority to support them in the
House of Commons; amongst
those very same men, to whom
they have made this explicit de-
claration, and in which declara-
tion these same men have con-
curred!

This, which is the greatest point of all, the opposers of the Ministers do not seem to have paid any attention to. This is the great matter in which the people feel concern. This is a matter of extreme importance; and yet no one, with the sole exception of Sir Francis Burdett, has taken any notice of it. A great deal has been said about the danger to the morals of the nation. A great deal about the delicate feelings of wives and But, as if all this were not daughters; and these are well enough, they have still a Maworthy of attention; but, is not jority, amongst these same men, a great sum of money to be when they afterwards declare, spent annually, raised from the that they will go on with thể labour of an almost starving investigation. After/oshaving people; is not this a matter passed the resolution, upon worthys of attention? Yet, as which I have been observing, far as I can perceive, those who they come and declare that they are aiming at place, as well as will proceed with the inquiry; those who are in place, think and, upon their making that very little about this matter, declaration, the very same men,

3

who had joined them in so- seems, been commenced in the lemnly declaring, that the in- House of Lords. The Green quiry, let what would be the Bag has there been opened; result of it, must be injurious and, in due time, we may exto the best interests of the na-pect to see the report. Her tion; these very same men, Majesty has, at every stage, proupon the ministers declaring tested against this secret mode that they will go into the in- of proceeding. Upon every ocvestigation, still stick to them, casion her protests have been and still give them their thump-treated with silent contempt; ing majority! and there are not a few persons Well then, sir, surely her Ma- who think that her Majesty jesty may be excused for taking ought to have given no answer the liberty to believe that the at all to the resolutions sent to House of Commons does not her from the House of Compossess the quality of absolute mons; and that, if she had infallibility; and that her Ma-deigned to give an answer, it jesty may hope to be pardoned ought to have been simply to by the rest of mankind for not observe, with surprize, that, having totally surrendered up though her Majesty might by her understanding and her sense any persons of common feeling, of female honour upon the mere be thought an object of condoexpression of the opinion of lence in consequence of the that House. great losses she had sustained; The debate of Monday the though she had recently become 26th of June, upon her Majes-Queen; though she had rety's answer given to you and to cently returned to the kingdom; the other three worthy deputies though she had still more reof the House, will be remem-cently sent a message to the bered as long as that House House, complaining of injuries shall have an existence. I have and insults; yet, she had never inserted, in the way of appendix heard a word from the House, to this letter, the speeches of upon any subject whatever, till Lord Castlereagh and of Mr. it thought proper, very kindly Brougham, delivered that day, to come and voluntarily offer and of Sir Francis Burdett deli- her its opinion that she might vered on the 22d. It is impossible to say precisely what Lord Castlereagh meant further than that he meant that there should be a proceeding in the investigation. Sir Francis Burdett took the straight view of the matter. This speech has produced great impression; and that impression will remain during the whole of The proceedings upon the these discussions. In the mean Green Bag may now take their while, proceedings have, it course. My sincere opinion is,

safely surrender her rights! This is the sort of answer, which I would have advised her Majesty to give; and I am very certain, that, as it would have been impossible for any just man to find fault with it; so it would have given infinite satisfaction to the public.

that her Majesty ought to feel how destitute of power and of no interest with regard to them. pecuniary resources the Queen's The contents of the bag have enemies of that day were, combeen characterised by Mr. pared with her enemies of this Brougham; but the public did day; leaving in mind, too, what not stand in need even of that. a wretched, what a rascally, The charges being in a Bag: what a vagabond people it is, that was enough for the public. amongst whom the witnesses, Their being submitted to a com- upon the present occasion, must mittee selected by the minis- have been found; recollecting ters; and that committee being that the SAVOYARDS are notoa secret one; these circum-riously the lowest and basest stances were not necessary to part of the population of Euenable the public to make up rope, recollecting that Savoyard their minds as to the contents and Chimney-sweep, are synoof the Bag. The bare circum-nimous terms, in French, in stance of the charges having Spanish, and in German; recolbeen brought in a bag, together lecting, further, that a Savoyard with her Majesty's frank and priest may always be at hand heroic conduct, was quite enough to quiet the soul of a Savoyard to make the public come to a perjurer, a score of whom may, conclusion upon the matter. probably, at any time, be pur chased with double the number of dollars: the public, bearing all these things in mind, are

The public recollect the history of the former investigation. There was then a secret commission; and even that commis- fully prepared for any thing and sion could find nothing to crimi- for every thing that can come nate her Majesty. Crafty advisers forth from sources which have obtained her Majesty's consent, been so amply described in the to suppress the publication of speeches in Parliament, and in the evidence laid before that the public papers of the day. commission. At last, however, Sir Francis Burdett said that, if it came out, and all the world the contents of the Bag covered declared her accusers to be per- her Majesty with stains; she fidious and perjured; and the would be in the eyes of the Attorney-General apologized for people, as white as snow. With not prosecuting the perjured the public, therefore, the conparties, saying, that there were tents of the bags are not at all difficulties in the way interposed a subject of interest; and it by forms of law. He said, in would, in my opinion, be most his place in the House of Com- becoming in the Queen to treat mons, that there had been per- this sort of proceeding against jury committed; but that, tech- her with silent disdain; unless, nical difficulties prevented him indeed, her Majesty chose to from reaching it! go, in person, to the House of Lords and protest, once for all, against such proceedings. It is impossible for us to know

The public remember these things, and remembering them, remembering too, how weak,

what course the proceedings ner directly the opposite of this. may take; how long, or how It demands proof of guilt first, short, may be their duration. and then proceeds to inflict puBut, in the meanwhile, it is nishment. It does not first in evident that her Majesty ought flict punishment, by withholding to pursue the most vigorous rights and privileges, and then measures for obtaining her legal proceed to demand proof of rights. Her Majesty has been guilt. The existence of charges, told by the Ministers, that, in- therefore, is no ground whatdeed, which she knew well be-ever for suspending, for one fore, and that which it was single moment, the enjoyment really an insult to tell her, of even the smallest portion of namely, that her rights and pri- her Majesty's rights and privivileges as Queen were given her leges; to enter upon the full by law, and, that she must keep possession, and to the full exerthem until they were abrogated cise of which, ought, it seems by law; and that they would to me, to be the first object of give her some money if she her Majesty's efforts. would refrain from exercising them and go abroad. Her Majesty will not go abroad; and I trust that she will not refrain from exercising her rights and privileges.

Here her Majesty has

As to the species of support that her Majesty has to rely upon, it is now very evident that the political opponents of the ministers do not mean to attempt any thing for her Majesty, It is perfectly monstrous to except just as far as it may serve suppose that her Majesty's their own selfish and ambitious rights and privileges, or any views. It is equally evident particle of them, ought to be that her Majesty's reliance must withheld, even for a day, mere- be on the good sense, the virly because the ministers have tue, the justice and the loyalty chosen to fill a bag with what of his Majesty's subjects at they call charges against her large. Majesty. If, upon a pretext support, which is able to carry like this, the Queen's rights and her through every persecution; privileges are to be suspended and it would be monstrous to in their exercise, why may her suppose that the wishes of a Majesty not, at once, bid an whole people should not, in the everlasting farewell to those cause of an injured and innorights and privileges? The trial cent Queen, and in the cause of of Mr. Hastings lasted more his Majesty himself, finally prethan seven years; and who will vail. say that the Savoyard Budget The conduct of her Majesty might not, with very little diffi- has been such as greatly to enculty, be kept replenished for dear her to the people; who seven times seven years? This feel alarmed at every step may be Savoyard law, but it is which would seem to say that not yet English law. The law she is disposed to yield any porof England proceeds in a man- tion of her rights. This alarm

in the minds of the people, and may raise themselves, in arises, not from any doubts the end, upon her Majesty's which they entertain, with re- ruin. gard either to her Majesty's in- The zeal, the ardour, the nocence or courage; but from anxiety, which the people feel their fears that selfish and crafty in her Majesty's cause, are persons, by the like of whom wholly without a parallel. Perher Majesty has been so often sons entirely dependent upon deceived, and has been made the government have, upon this the stepping-stone to riches, occasion, lost sight of their own power and honours, may yet interests, and even of their own contrive to obtain from her ge-safety, for the sake of her Manerosity, concessions which they jesty. Every brave man in the have been unable to obtain from her fears.

kingdom has a heart devoted to her cause. And, under such circumstances, her Majesty can never be too forward to prove that she is not insensible to attach-" ment so great and so rare.

Such selfish and crafty persons may endeavour to persuade her Majesty, that she ought to keep herself in retirement; that she ought to shun the people; It is very clear that the enethat it is beneath her even to mies of her Majesty hope that shew herself to the people; they shall gain by delay; by first that it is to lower her own dig-putting forth serious accusations; nity to appear to be grateful to by giving them something like the people: Her Majesty's sad legal form; and then leaving experience; her long endurance as much as possible to be done of injury in silence; these will, by whispers, by rumours, and it is hoped, be quite sufficient to by all that train of proceeding prove to her Majesty the folly or which we call underhand dealthe insincerity of advice of this ings. They think that, after description. There can be no long agitation, the public mind loss of dignity in being beloved will become weary; that the and admired by a just and sen- public spirit will evaporate, and sible people; nor in showing to that the people will be weaned such a people that her Majesty from her Majesty's cause by deis fully sensible of all the marks grees. All these things occur to she receives of that love and ad- her Majesty's enemies, who are miration. by no means destitute in point The persons who would, by of cunning, and who will lay their advice, keep her Majesty wait for her, and will take some at a distance from the people, sudden and decisive step against are, in my opinion, the only her, when her Majesty may be enemies that her Majesty has to off her guard, and when her dread. Such counsellors wish friends have been lulled to reto see her Majesty have no sup- pose. port from the people, in order that they themselves may become her pretended supporters,

Therefore, it is my opinion that her Majesty should lose very little time, before she take some open