Star. — London, England, 1819-12-14 00:00:00

■ l . . 1 - i • i ~ .• • • . • ~', i i .. c . t r • .; . 1 • ' ' ' . ' . it i Apiculture? He could not assemble them out of the larish;neither could he go to a neighbouring parish. le would nut the case of Lord Shefield or any other man. It was. therefore, an anomaly to divide into crstriczs and townships, and yet say, the People could only meet in parishes. The measure, he continued would produce any thing but Conciliation, as it rol;lied the-P'ople of those rights which they had enjoyed ever since they were a People, and to which, more than any other, they felt themselves attached— (Cheers). He would not enter into the ques i tion how 'far the exigencies of the times required a measure like the present, now that it was conceded, by a Right Iloneurable Gentleman opposite, to be an infraction of the liberties of Englishmen—(/fear, hear) —he would only put it to the HOuse to consider, whether, after the manner in which they had defended their berti , m against a foreign the, and resisted, during five and twenty years, all the attacks which he could make Upon them, it was prepared to see them fall at once before such beings as Hunt and Cobbett T—( Cheers): It was paying too high a compliiaent to those indi viduals, to supptwe welt- a sacrifice to be necessary; but it really Appenred, - is if Ministers paid them that compliment, by the measures which wet , : taken to preserve the Country from their machinations. For these- reasons he should vote aeainst the Bill. The ATTORNEY GENERAL rose, in reply to some of the arguments of the Hononrable and. I.earned Gentleman who had just sat down, argu ments which, he ctratended, could only be founded n;•on an unacquaintance with the enactments of the Bill itself—(Hear). if he understood him rightly, he said, that Meetings in themselves were not dan gerous, an.t should not be udder the eye of the law, as they only served as the organ of popular feeling. If this were true, the House had lost a great fieal of tim:: in their endeavours effectually to meet a danger which never existed ; for. all the new measures went noon an assumption, that a real and great danger did exist—(Hear, hear). He next objected to some ( 'ituses in the de;..iii of the Bill,' particularly that giviag to the Magistrates the power of .dispersing a Meeting, upon a proposition being made, which did not meet with their acquiescence. Now, he distinctly deniod, that under the present Bill, Magistrates had power to disperse a Meeting; they certainly could put any into custody--and in the event 'of being resisted in so doing, could have recourse•to force— ( Loud and repeated cheering from the Opposition). Gentlemen might cheer, but he had more than once before, stated the same opinion. Now. with regard to the argument, that a Magistrate might act upon a speculation of there being persons at the Meeting whose appearance would warrant him in dispersing it, he asked, did the Honourable and Learned Gen tleman forget, that' in that case the Magistrate acted upon his own responsibility ? This Bill did not give a greater discretion to Magistrates than the Riot Act. It there were no improper persons at the Meet ing, a Magistrate could no more interfere - than he could proceed to read the Riot Act to a peaceable assembly. It was impossible so distinctly to draw a line for a Magistrate's duty, for in cases of great panic and terror, that guide had he but his own discretion? As to the case of the spy, that was too monstrous to be answered, for it was not na rural to suppose, that a Magistrate would put his own friend in a way of being convicted of a felony. All these objections, however, he could not help tell iag his Honourable and Learned Friend, was a little out of time, as the Committee would-have been the most proper place to make them, and not upon the third reading of the Bill. In answer to the objection about Trade, he observed, that it was admitted rooms were excepted ; he would ask, was not that enough, or could it be necessary for ten thousand 'persons tod meet in the open air, to discuss a matter of trade or profession ?—(Hear!)—lf a necessity .for such Meetings existed at Leeds, or Norwich, or any where else, surely they could use their Town Halls. Ha concluded by expressing a hope, that he had an swered all the arguments of the Honourable and Learned Gentleman opposite, and unmasked their fallacy to the House, by shewing that they were founded upon an unacquaintance with the provisions of the Hear!) Mr. SCARLETT explained. Upon referring to the clause in the 13111, he observed, that the words were, "if any subject was discussed connected wit:. the Constitution, the Magistrate 'was empowered to in terfere." Now, upon this, considerable differences of opirion would exist. There was little danger that the !lon. and Learned Gentleman (the Attorney Ge neral), and he (Mr. Scarlett) would differ upon what was likely to. bring the Constitution into danger ; but sedition was a term which admitted of a large construction. He would state a case within his own knowledge r where this difference of opinion proved very injurious to an individual whose Counsel he harpened to be. This was a person of the name of Lloyd, who for saying, at a Meeting, Damn all Corporations," was taken up, tried at the Lancaster Assizes, and sentenced to tw•o years imprisonment, on the ground that the King was a Corporation!— (Hear, hear, hear). The ATTORNEY GENERAL said, that he had nothing to do with the explanation the Learned Gen tleman might have made as to his statement ; but he had fairly met his argument as he put it first. Mr. DENMAN had not been reconciled to the Bill since its progress through the Committee, and he would consequently not cease to oppose it in every stage--(hear, ear !) The Learned Gentleman then took occasion to repeat the arguments he had used before, asserting, that, as the law at present stands, Magistrates had no power to disperse a Meeting, tuber by the Statute cf Henry IV. Henry VII. or the D.7agistrates' Oath. He observed, that the Honour able and Learned Gentleman opposite (the Solicitor. General) must hare confounded these two Statutes together, in arguin g ; that Magistrates had that power. "Ali , : Bill. he contended, would be inefficient for its purpore; for how easy was it for itinerant orators to assemble fifty different small Meetings within a short greatly alarmed—('Hear,• hear):--In conclusion, as a Lawyer, And a Member of that House, he de clared it as his opinion, that a Magistrate had no other power than that of arresting individuals at a Meeting—(Hear, hear). • Mr. It. MARTIN stated, that the Irish Members had come over to defend the Constivition of the Countri. •He acknowledged that he was in some degree an alarmist, and conceived that great danger would ensue to the.Constitutioa of England and Ire -lan4s ifahe present measures did not pass. It Might be taken•as a proof of his sincerity, that Lie was ready to bear any share of unpopularity which the course he took might excite, and he knew that in England it would be attended with no popularity—(Loughter) —but he was convinced that he should earn great popularity in the county which he had the honour to represent, for having contributed to save the Consti tution of England and Ireland, by the passing of such Acts. Had he been.a Lawyer, some of the wor thy Gentlemen opposite, lie would have written a note to the Attorney and 'Solicitor General, telling thent— ,, I approve of much of what your Bill con tains, and 1 request a conference, that we may see whether we may not so arrange the rest as to come to an agreement '—(Laughter). He complained that, as it was now sure the Bill would pass into a Law, it was acting improperly towards the People to teach them to believe that the system under which they would have to live was, unconstitutional. The SOLICITOR GENERAL asked his Honour able and Learned Friend opposite, on what groundi, or what shadow of grounds, he had brought a charge of so grave a nature against his Majesty s Cabinet, as to say, that.they had discussed the propriety of im posing a Censorship .upon the Press? There was no foundation whatever for such an accusation. He then contended, that there was an Act of Henry VII. I confirming that of Henry IV. and giving to Magis crates the same power of dispersing Meetings as the Riot Act. It was oaly necessary to look at the wads of the Proclamation to ascertain the fact; for it said, ,‘ Ms Majesty our Lord the King commands you to disperse," &c. This was not, therefore, a new prin ciole. The clause had, in fact, been enacted before, both in 1796 and 1801. As to the objection, that the Bill would be nugatory, it stood refuted, if the object of the Bill was considered. That object was to prevent the assembling df tiftt or silty thousand persons together, and those displays of physical power, which were intended to overawe the S.ate, whilst they were preparing its overthrow. That di ll jest would be completely attained. It was not, as it had been represented, to prevent itinerant orators I from holdinz forth harangues in rooms or apartments (where, if they did, they might be apprehended), but Ito deprive them of the power of addressing and in flaming large multitudes, and leading them to acts of violence—(Hear, hear). Mr. DENMAN repeated his assertion, that neither the Commission of the Peace, nor the Statute of Henry VII. gave Magistrates the direct power of dis rersing Meetings by force, but only that of doing it through the medium of the apprehension of individuals. Lord FOLKSTONE recalled the House to the dis cussion of the principle of the measure, which had been lost sight of in the examination of the clauses. He contended that its advocates were at variance amongit themselves, for whilst the one said it was in the spirit of the Constitution, another admitted that it was a direct but necessary infraction of it. If, as it had been said, the People had acquired new lights sa as to see the blots and stains on the Constitution, which would be the better course, to have prevented them from seeing, or to remove those blots and stains which they had perceived ?—(Hear, hear, hear). He then complained of the extensive operation given to the Bill for allowing the seizure of arms, and con tended, that although the Honourable and Learned Gentleman (the Solicitor-General) might not know of it, as he was not a Cabinet Minister, the propriety of imposing a Censorship on the Press had been discuised in the Cabinet—(Hear, hear). It was true that the proposal had not been entertained, but he had it from a person who must have known the fact, that it had been made—(Hear, hear, hear). — He then took a view of the measures adopted by Continental Sovereigns against the establishment of Representative Governments, and the L'aerty of the Press. He had seen pamphlets threatening the Eng lish People with the introduction of foreign troops, to reduce them to obedience, if they were not quiet. He considered the BiJ demanding security from Newspapers as worse than the imposition of a Cen sorship on the Press. The whole of the measures, in fact, would serve to disarm the people of the means 'which they bad hitherto possessed, of counteracting the natural tendency of power to swell into despotism, and if they were passed, he should look upon the li bertics of the country al abolished.—(Hear, hear!) Mr. HONEY WOOD allowed that the people were in certain-cases disaffected. But they were not dis affected to the King nor to the Country, but , to his Majesty's Ministers—(.Near, hear!)—And if disaffec tion to his Majesty's Ministers was a crime, it was one in which he deeply shared, though no man could exceed him in loyalty to the Crown and the Conititu tion. To his Majesty's Ministers he owed not, nor never would give any allegiance. He thought that in the present case they attempted not only what would innovate on the Constitution, but what would destroy it—(llear, hear!) Mr. G. BANKES spoke in favour of the Bill. After whiCh a division took place, when there ap peared for the 13i 11,313—Against it,9s—Majority,2lB. The Bill was then read a third time and passed. . Upon the re-admission of strangers, Mr. JOH' WUARroN, was proposing a Clause for the admission of Reporters to Meetings. tie observed upon the neces sity of having accurate accounts of what took place,. the only means of obtaining which, could be by ex empting Reporters . from the operation of the Bill. Lord CASTLEREAGH objected to the Clause,' upon the ground that the . House would be, by such enactment, recognizing a body new to the Constitu - The d -so generally complained, of, had fitted by those who had an oppor ig, the tendency of reports increased statements which had been made. were sufficient to lead the House to Clause of the kind, but certainly erecting a body of men with licence to 'eetings, when the rest of the Public, was the principal ground of refusal. said, he should have no objection distance of each other; whilst the people at large, who I tion. The dangers • would be obliged to meet in large number!, when bee i r, it was admit . • ( ii 0 they had any particular grievances to discuss, would tunity of observing, • alone come under its operation—(Hear, hear, hear). by the fallacious sta , When he looked at the other measures, he was still These objections we more alarmed, particularly at that now in progress discountenance any in the House, for curbing the liberty of the Press. the danger of erecti When he recollected also, that this came from ,a- attend Public Meeti Cabinet which doubted for a time, whether they were excluded, was wou ld n ot appoint a Censorship to the Press, he was l Mr. TIERNEY • • . ; . • t. t" It . • 1 .141 . • e w i .~, to limit - the number of Reporters to three or four at each M.eetiog. Lord CASTLEREAGH said the Magistrates might, if they pleased, admit Reporters. Constables, and other assistants of Magistrates, 'were excluded from the operation of the Bill, and Reporters might, by connivance, come under the denomination of assist ants, and be permitted to attend. Mr. TIERNEY said, it was evident the Noble Lord objected to the principle of Reporting. Lord CASTLEREAGH repeated, that the Magis trates had a discretionary power to admit Reporters. Mr. TIERNEY observed, that the apprehension of being charged with felony would pi übably prevent Reporters from making the dangerous experiment of abiding by a Magistrate's will. Mr. W. SMITH said, that if Reporters were-ad mitted by connivance, it could be easily imagined what Reporters would be admitted, and what roused admission, the power of the Magistrates being dis cretionary. . • Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN said, the only way • of getting correct reports was by authorizing men of education, who were accustomed to the employment, to attend. It was pretty well ascertained that they were more capable-of giving reports than the parties immediately interested: Mr. J. P. GRANT stated, the Magistrates were prevented by the- Act, from permitting Reporters to' attend ; for the moment it was determined to read the Proclamation, all persons not belonging to the parish in which a Meeting took place, must with draw, or transportation would follow. Magistrates might, perhaps, take upon themselves the power of allowing Reporters to remain, but they would still have the power of transporting those whom they granted the power to. The clause was negatived without a division. Mr. HUME then moved a modified clause, giving the Reporters a right to attend Public Meetings after a•notice of twenty-four hours to the Magistrates. A division took place bpon this clause, when the numbers were—For the clause, 88—Against it, 262 —Majority, 174.. , Mr. HUTCHINSON then, rose to propose his Clause for exempting Ireland front the.operation of the Bill. • The Honourable Member repeated all his former arguments against the extension of the mea• sure to that pan of the Empire,. and called on the Noble Lord and the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Plunkett) to state the circumstances,' in the present state of Ireland, which called for its adoption. Mr. PLUNKETT repeated his former arguments in favour of extending the Bill to Wand.. Mr. TIERNEY said, in 1794 Ireland was exempted, and. so it was in 1817 : why then should it now, in its qniet.state, be included ? ' ' Lord CASTLEREAGH considered, that by at tending the Bill to Ireland, they were protecting her against an evil which might otherwise overtake her. Mr. BROUGHAM thought there was no necessity for extending the punishment to Ireland. The Gallery was then cl6red for a division—For the Clause, 69—Against it, 265—Majority, 196. Mr. P. GRANT - , moved an Amendment in the Clause empowering Magistrates to suppress Riots, the object of which was to define their power more accurately. It was negatived without a division. Mr. BROLTGIIAM wished to know, from the Noble Lord opposite (Castieree.gh), if the - provisions of the Bill were to be extended to Agricultural Meetings? Such Meetings were usually held in the open air, and therefore. as speeches were delivered at them, they were liable to the consequences of the proposed enactment, unless a specific Clause were introduced to protect them. It was quite clear they could not be held in houses, as it would be an impracticable task to procure accommodation for the cattle exhibited upon such occaslu.3 . .—(A laugh). Lord CA STLEREAQH said, he never heard of any elo quence beirg displayed at the Meetings adverted to by the Ho nourable and Learned Member, till atter the bottle had circu lated rather freely, and then it was only over the feolve board ! --(A laugh). Mr. BROUGHAM assured the Noble Lard, that an Hon. Member for Norfolk was equally satisfied as he was, that the provisions of the Bill must necessarily extend to the Meetings in question, and would, if he (Mr. Brougham) had nut done so, call the attention of the. House to the fact. The question was then put, and the Bill read a third time and passed. The ether Orders were disposed of, and the House adjourned at Two otloek. THE EVENING STAR . LONDON. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1819. THU FUNDS. ?RICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK t • S per Cent. Reduced 651 ii 3 per Cent. Consols shut 3 • per Cent. 741 4 per Cent. 8S; 5 per Cent. Navy shut India Bonds 2s. Ss. dis. Exchequer Bills (2d.) 7s. 9s. dis. Ditto Small (£100) 3s. 4s. dis. Commercial 30 discount Consols far Acct. 67i. The Traverse Bill, sr rather the general Law of the Country, received a considerable improvement, last night, by the promised clause brought forward loy the LORD CHANCELLOR. In future, it will not be in the power of the ATTORNEY GENERAL, either from inattention, or on any pretext whatever, to keep an Er-officio Information hanging over the head of an individual, for an indefinite tine. The action mast be brought within twelve months, as in criminal cases, at the suit of a private prosecutor. In every case of prosecution,. at the suit of the ATTORNEY GE NERAL, on Information Er-officio or Indictment, in which the defendant shall have pleaded Not Guilty, the latter, at the expiration of that term, may then give twenty day, notice to the ATTORNEY GENERAL of his intention to apply to the Court to order the Arial, or set aside the prosecution. The Bill for preventing Seditious Meetings was, last night, read a third time in the Commons, and passed. The Publisher of Mr. HozHouse's pamphlet was called to the Bar, and having avowed the author, was permitted to withdraw. The passage that had been read by. Mr. CouatztiAT was then declared to be a libel, and a Member baying stated, previously, that he was aisthorized by Mr. Hozuouzz to declare " Whereat, we have learned, and have reason to him the author, Mr. HozPousr, without brought to the Bar, was ordered to be to Newgate. We have received this morning-, farther a‘ from Manchester, which are sholly occupieil details of the ext: ao. tliiiary pre7paratioas maki, provide a!jainst any breach of the public tranc t from the simultaneous Refcrin Mectinz,,s %%116 to have been held yeiterday, rot only in Mar! and Barnsley, but in several others of the a. towns and villages. In addition to 11.. e regularly- stationed in Manchester, eciv co l of the B.3th Regiment of Foot marched in • turday. Several troops -of the Cheshire were stationed at short distances, ready to be in ; and the whole cf the persons liable to of Watching and Warding were armed with cutlasses, or pikes, supplied from the stores: don and Manchester. On Sunday the Bcrougl and Constables had prepared the fc:lty.vin g mation, which was to be issued on theNhalday " Whereas it is apprehcntled that serious Dir Outrages may arise out of the fleeting advertised to this day, Monday, December 13, in St. George's cheater, and from other similar Meetings to be neighbouring Villages, " the Boroughreeves and Couttables of the khuschitster and Salford, most earnestly caution all the ants of these Towns, rho may not be acting and r with the Civil tor Military Authorities, to enntinw lawful Occupations, and as much as pessibl.! to reraja min houses during the whole of the day; and we urge the absolute necessity, that Females, vants, should keep within doors. " And we require all Innkeepers and Puillieuis in towns to remote all company out of their housn at ' is the afternoon, and to keep their doors closed ft of the night. " And-a any disturbance shall manifest itself in towns in the course of the night, we most 7 an the well-disposed Inhabitants to place lights ist tie windows of their houses—a measure which mat contribute to their even safety', and to thn assistance engaged in the prescrvition of the public pew. " (liven ander catr hands, this .13th December, " Manus &JAZZ, Boroughrerte, Joint OILIOLD, 2 COrUltOp Of RICHAA,IO Sims, 5 Wes, J. E, Scaouts, Boroughreeve, • • ThiA. SWOT; COMM- of SAUL SAM. I.IA2IIILTWS. S Wes From the accounts which we have also from the West or Scotland, it appears that of holding simultaneous Meetings yesterday tended itself to that quarter of the country. day the Lord Provost and Magistrates of the Sheriff of Lanarkshire, and the Justices Peace for the Lower Ward of that County, the following joint Proclarnatt,...._ the Evil-disposed, Disaffected. and Seditious Persons, Qty and Neighbourhood, intend to assemble, in YP different places in the vicinity, on Monday r.ext, early day, with arms of different kinds, and • weapons, with the view, it must be held, cf pro2sSi of pillage and plunder—to invade the Civil Attheriti.- set at defiance the established Laws of the Cotatr. hereby give Notice, that all arch Merl Mectinp, * such threatening and alarming appearances, will be resisted by the powerful Military Tcrce placed at posal, now in this City, and about to be stroney re.: from different quarters—and that all attar'. ts is viobtica and Order, will, by these and ot%er means, be instanti! and the violators subjected to the conon!ue-.m c! prompt miHtary execution, as the unavoidable result tf ID. lawless and disgraceful conduct. And we further mutt warn and request the loyal and well-dispeeed inhabitaats City and suburbs, not to be led away by idle cariosity, it: with, or in following such, illegal Meetings; bct to kr selves, their families, and servants, within doors, in tion of their property: so that there may be no long r. event of strong measures becoming necessary, of the being confounded with the guilty. GOD SAVE THE KING." " Glasgow, 10th December, 1810." The Military reinforcements From different ten to which the above Proclamation alludes, sisted of the remaining troops of the 10th tics• Piershill Barracks, near Edinburgh, which westward on Friday and Saturday, leaving few men to keep the Barracks, and cf the stall the Counties adjoining the Disturbed Di. who were ordered, by the Commander cf the to rendezvous at Hamilton (ten milzs from GT: oo Sunday evening. In the Circular Order to the Yeomanry Cel is observed, that " the known loyalty and : osent to the King and Constitution, of the Yeoi renders it totally unnecessary for the Comm. Officers to paint out the necessity of every at; present." We stated some time ago, that bands of ployed Weavers were in the habit of parts!. streets of Glasgow and its suburbs as " Pabli gars," on the plea of" Want of. Work." On about one hundred of them were brought the Magistrates, Sheriff, and Justices, at the Office, and, after a se:ioos admonition as to t propriety of their conduct, they were diFraisse , the assurance that all such as were weavers, an, produce satisfactory references, wuuld imme. be provided with, wcrk. We have authority to state, that a paragraph appeared in The Durham Arkerilser of SaturdA 11th instant, purporting to be an Account of dence laid before a General Meeting of Magistrates of the County of Durham, on Wednesday /Ist, very incorrect; although the necessity of obscrry ,strict secresy respecting the Evidence as it read• • peared, makes it impossible to point cut the errors. The third representation of the ildelphi, by King's Scholars, Westminste*, took place last ni! The Comedy was admirably performed, and audience displayed a crowded and brilliant circle. Mrs. PAV.I7 who makes her debut at Drury-L: Theatre, next Thursday, in the character - of I. Teazle, has acquired great provincial celebrity Ccrete-roonrreport speaks very bietly of her taleno. Lol4ss97Wiiiiiin4ubihk4 by Za 1 irr, Zoog- Treepbe-itar ..% ' t'lthout b e . • to be comm' ;, farther ado' y occupied p - ations nuk• 11:4 ohlic tranquiz• tings ulich sty in ot die Marc,„• sof the '• 14 11.. c t•Cit:e corti.7. Abat . [!led ia iieshire Yen • eAdy to be c , 'The iabie to the e- -7rned with pi: . the stPre s ; , ! 1. Bcro lig •ce of acs hale venisotl to b e 4,4 b abl6aitfti l esic' .r enrtilf:got t °l / 1 311°n:anfed.ib. r ‘lad' e leti411: :-.t 12111:: ::i hrr1T :: 4;?.:74C.'''. • 4.; gev rnnt nrae a: t et L r 'j :• ^ ro H r, ies, Children, :id , ri !al d Puinleins in z, 5 houses at tow s• • used for the r • • L o • 1, Itv.ylf in either of ansiointy reed ••• T lights in tic a . may to.ott cue • ;: m al- :h•1 assistance of met peace. Ger. member, I AID. Ire, of Ma . . cr me, a- of Sa/forst.' I , :e have also recd . er. ?ears that t!ie • Ilia: yesterday r.i.l ant country. Oa;. 43, :rues of Gast% he Justices ci :p tat COllnty, • r. roe reason to Vine, Homo Persons, is ••• 'art Odle, in kn.! bodies • sty re t, Of some . 11 and eariono ' rte cf pro2s,!Ligto .a Di the Coc.ltr. ' . t Meetings, • tea, ljl in:, ••• • Tee pined zt oar 1, se money relate - . 1 !VS U 7 V.0126.:76 2.f be instavis: Due" enve-.cn ct the r•• thic result 0.1 t :further tow mar* wed inhabiraats of tat dle cariosity, it: rliti4 to • bet to keen''} doors, in the yaw , be no /any. r, is de s Katy, of the isms a ZING." 11 xn different 17. a. ation alludes, cell. to 10th ficssarr,o h, which rarclei y, leaving 3 cf the leorraery )isturbed der cf the Fosse. ilzs from Cacg,-,•;) comanry Corps, it )yalty and attach. , of the Yeonmaryi the Commandiai if every man being t bands of Inez- it of parasi,:ng the as ork." On . .t::•iday re broneht befog ices, at the Polke iition as to the tr.- ere diFraissed, WA weavers; and c:•13 'uuld immediately , 1 a paragraph wit:ch rr of Saturday, the Account of Eri ng of itlagisitates lednesday last, is •ssity of obscrviri Ice as it really it cut the errors. Adelpiti, by ti.;e k place last night. -formed, and eic brilliant circle. 'rat at Drury-Lane haracter . of I.as 'jai celebrity ; and .• • • ■