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the partisans of each side with great heat and animosity. I carednothing about the parties, but considered the subject at Cam-bridge as calmly as I could; and when the business was so faradvanced, that a Bill for appointing the Prince of Wales Regent,with certain limitations in the exercise of his power, was broughtinto Parliament , I went to London , and made the followingspeech in the House of Lords . The beginning of the speech ishere omitted, as it was merely a defence, (or rather an attemptat a defence,) of the independency of the bishops, and of theScots Peers, which had been glanced at by the preceding speaker.I had not written down the speech, but I had arranged it in mythoughts, and am so confident of the principles maintained in itbeing perfectly constitutional, that I am desirous of giving itthis chance of going down to posterity.
The Bishop of Landaff's Speech in the House of Lords on theRegency Bill, January 22 . 1789 .
“ My Lords,
“ I will not trouble Your Lordships with a long speech, andI know not, indeed, whether I ought to trouble you with any,for I have not the presumption to think that it will be in mypower much to illustrate a subject, which, as to a main part of it,has already received so ample a discussion on a former day. ButI trust the House will forgive me, if I say, that I feel a singularsatisfaction in being allowed an opportunity of delivering mysentiments, plainly and publicly, on as great a constitutional ques-tion as has ever been agitated in this House since the Revolution.