The Constitutional History of England Since the Accession of George Third, 1760-1860, Volume 1

Thomas Erskine May

Crosby and Nichols, 1862 - Constitutional history

Contents

• Influence of the Crown since the Revolution: 15
• He enforces it against his ministers: 29
• Mr Grenville coöperates in the kings unconstitutional policy: 36
• Exerts his influence in Parliament against them: 43
• The king his own minister: 52
• Lord North driven from office by the Commons: 58
• The kings influence employed against them: 66
• Motions to delay the supplies: 72
• Reflections on this struggle: 78
• His Majestys opposition to Catholic emancipation: 85
• The Grenville administration: 92
• Their removal from office: 103
• Negotiations on the death of Mr Perceval: 109
• The bill of pains and penalties withdrawn: 115
• His support of Earl Greys ministry: 122
• Sudden dismissal of the Melbourne ministry: 125
• Lord Melbourne in office on her Majestys accession: 131
• Increased influence of the Crown now under due control: 138
• Doubts concerning the term royal family: 145
• Regent to be appointed by bill founded on resolutions: 151
• The regency bill stayed by the kings recovery: 158
• The kings fourth illness 1804: 166
• Meeting of Parliament during his last illness 1810: 172
• The issue of money authorized by Parliament: 178
• The rights of a kings posthumous child: 184
• THE CIVIL LIST PENSIONS PREROG: 186
• Settlement of the Civil List on the accession of George III: 193
• The Civil List Act 1782: 199
• Private property of sovereigns: 205
• The Royal Marriage Act 1772: 221
• The peerage of Ireland: 228
• Gradual fusion of the peerages of the three kingdoms: 235
• The lords spiritual: 242
• Collisions between the two Houses averted by the influence: 248
• A creation of peers equivalent to a dissolution: 254
• The baronetage and orders of knighthood: 260
• Various and limited rights of election: 266
• Attempts to restrain corruption: 274
• Territorial influence in counties: 282
• Nominee members the majority of the House: 288
• During the reign of George III: 301
• By lucrative contracts: 308
• Various sources of corruption condemned by Parliament: 309
• Mr Pitts motions for reform: 315
• Reform motions at the beginning of this century 821: 323
• Reform motions in 1830: 329
• The second rejected by the Lords: 336
• Disfranchisement and other Acts to restrain bribery 313: 352
• CHAPTER VII: 364
• Wilkes returned for Middlesex: 370
• Lord Chathams efforts to reverse the proceedings against: 376
• Similar proceedings in the Commons: 377
• Resolutions against him expunged: 383
• Consequent misunderstanding between the two Houses: 390
• Wilkes and the Lord Mayor interpose in their behalf: 396
• Reports of debates permitted: 402
• Publication of parliamentary papers: 408
• Petitioning at the beginning of the present century: 414
• Pledges of members to candidates considered: 420
• Right of Parliament to publish papers affecting character: 426
• Popular addresses on the same subject: 432
• Control of the Commons over supply and taxes: 440
• Rejection of the paper duties bill 1860: 447
• Orators at the commencement of this century: 455
• General standard of modern debate: 463

Popular passages

Page 418 - ... a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole ; where, not local purposes, not local prejudices ought to guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole.

Page 392 - Johnson long afterwards owned that, though he had saved appearances, he had taken care that the Whig dogs should not have the best of it...

Page 418 - But his unbiased opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you; to any man, or to any set of men living.

Page 135 - ... in order to prevent any mistake for the future, shortly to explain what it is she expects from her Foreign Secretary. She requires: 1. That he will distinctly state what he proposes in a given case, in order that the Queen may know as distinctly to what she has given her Royal sanction. 2. Having once given her sanction to a measure, that it be not arbitrarily altered or modified by the Minister.

Page 424 - That the power of publishing such of its reports, votes, and proceedings as it shall deem necessary or conducive to the public interests is an essential incident to the constitutional functions of parliament, more especially of this house as the representative portion of it.

Page 462 - LORD, from the evil man ; and preserve me from the wicked man ; 2 Who imagine mischief in their hearts, and stir up strife all the day long. 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adder's poison is under their lips.

Page 453 - Opera), the best farce (the Critic — it is only too good for a farce), and the best Address (Monologue on Garrick), and, to crown all, delivered the very best Oration (the famous Begum Speech) ever conceived or heard in this country.

Page 67 - That it is now necessary to declare, that to report any opinion, or pretended opinion of his Majesty upon any bill or other proceeding depending in either House of Parliament, with a view to influence the votes of the members, is a high crime and misdemeanour, derogatory to the honour of the Crown, a breach of the fundamental privileges of Parliament, and subversive of the Constitution of this country.

Page 453 - ... whatever the acuteness of the bar, the dignity of the senate, or the morality of the pulpit, could furnish, had not been equal to what that House had that day heard in Westminster Hall.

Page 180 - ... by his command, signified by word of mouth, the royal signature by means of a stamp. In order to prevent the possibility of any abuse of this power, it was provided that the stamp should not be affixed to any instrument, unless a memorandum describing its object had been indorsed upon it, signed by the Lord Chancellor, the President of the Council, the Lord Privy Seal, the First Lord of the Treasury, and the Secretaries of State, or any three of them. The seal was directed to be kept in the custody...

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Constitutional History of England Since the Accession of George Third, 1760-1860, Volume 1; The Constitutional History of England Since the Accession of George Third, 1760-1860, Thomas Erskine May
• Author: Thomas Erskine May
• Publisher: Crosby and Nichols, 1862
• Original from: Harvard University
• Digitized: Nov 16, 2007