He accused the Lords of "opposing the declared
and decided wishes both of the crown and the people;" of "acting
adversely to the crown;" and this introduction of the sovereign's name
to overawe the assembly was unconstitutional in the highest degree. For,
constitutionally, the sovereign has no right to signify his opinion,
nor, indeed, any recognized means of signifying it but by giving or
withholding his royal assent to measures which the two Houses have
passed. On any bill which has not yet been passed by them he has, as has
been already implied, no legitimate means whatever of expressing his
judgment. The time has not come for him to do so. Moreover, the
statement was, probably, not believed by any one to be strictly true,
for it was pretty generally understood that the King would have
preferred a far more moderate measure. But, indeed, in the very speech
in which the Prime-minister made this use of the King's name he
presently added an observation which was a sufficient condemnation of
his previous language. For, in denouncing the "vile attacks which had
been made on his Majesty in the public press," and disclaiming all share
in them (a disclaimer which however true of himself, could not, it is
believed, have been uttered with equal truth by all his colleagues), he
pointed out that "it ought always to be recollected that it is contrary
to the principles of the constitution to arraign the personal conduct of
the sovereign.
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