Page:Interesting letter from Queen Caroline to King George IV.pdf/10

 You have made your complaint to the House of Lords. You have conveyed to this House written doeumentsdocuments [sic] sealed up. A secret Committee of the House have examined these documents. They have report ed that there are grounds of proceeding; and then the House, merely upon that report, have brought forward a Bill containing the most outrageous slanders on me, and sentencing me to divorce and degradation.

The injustice of putting forth this Bill to the world for six weeks before it is even proposed to afford me an opportunity of contradicting its allegations, is too manifest not to have shocked the nation; and, indeed, the proceedings even thus far are such as to convince every one that no justice is intended me: But if none of these proceedings, if none of these clear indications of a determination to do me wrong had taken place, I should see, n the constitution of the House of Lords itself, a certainty that I could expect no justice at its hands.

Your Majesty's ministers have advised this prosecution; they are responsible for the advice they give; they are liable to punishment if they fail to make good their charges; and not only are they part of my judges, but it is they who have brought in the bill; and it is too notorious that they have always a majority in the House; so that without any other, here is ample proof that the House will decide in favour of the bill, and, of course, against me.

But further, there are reasons for your Ministers having a majority in this case, and which reasons do not apply to common cases. Your Majesty is the Plaintiff; to you it belongs to appoint and to elevate Peers. Many of the present Peers have been raised to that dignity by yourself, and almost the whole can be, at your will and pleasure further elevated. The far greater part of the Peers, hold, by themselves and families, offices, pensions, and other emoluments, solely at the