Star. — London, England, 1801-04-15 00:00:00

P.4RLI/IMENT,IAT PROCEEDINGS. aiOt7SE Or LORDS, Tui.SUA) . , APRIL Ty. Lord Erna.: tr.k hi, fiat on the Woo thi,• d.ty, 01. jrlt tam,. a. The Duke 01 ISr, ct t and .I.crd lit CLif FORD Wert (worn and to tin it fi.as. _ _ . !4,vcral Papers, relative to a pending Appeal, were prefented by the proper Officer; from the Court ot Chancery in Ireland. - rb,..carl of Crear prefented a l'emion from certain Per ron,: ioi.fineel in the Four Courts MarnialA a Prifon, praying !itch Relief as their Lordfhips in their wifilom, &c. might deem proper...—Ordcrod to lie the TAW , . Lord Aces L AND acquainted the Houfe that lie had a Tlotien of a wry particular nature to Ming forwai cl. The Order for the ccefution of Strangers was immediately moved and, in ronfequence. we are precluded Irons Rating what bOk place while the Order continued in force, which was about half an hour. On the re-admitlion of Strangers, their Lord- Alps proceeded to hear Comiel and F.O.denee relpeaing the fecund reading of DI:CRWOR Tli'S DIVORCE. BILL. The Order of the Day for the fecund reading of Duckworth's Divorce Bill having been read, Mr: Garrow appeared as Counfel for the Petitioner,. and tail, he was prepared to lay before the Houle all the Hernial proofs requilite in fupport of filch applications for relief, as that, on behalf of which he had the honour to (land at their Lordfliips' Bar. With regard to the general nature of the cafe, it was a very flagrant one, the adulterer having at all times, from the nature of his profif fion (that of a Dentill), confidential accefs to Mrs. Duckworth ; but as the criminal fags were pal pable, he would not outrage their Lordthips feel ings, by either going into a naufeous detailolthem, or calling mord than a tingle withers to prove one a thole t . aets, as he believed that would be fufli cient to fully the Houfe that tile Petitioner was entitled tu the relief he prayed for. He mentioned that in the Court below, Mr. Solicitor General had been the Counfel for Mr. Duckworth, and among other ingenious arguments had endeavoured to avail himfell of a vicious propeni ty on the part of that lady, viz. a habit of intoxication commented in early years, and which had evidently grown upon her as the advanced in life ; upon that ground Mr. Solicitor had gone the length of declaring that, fo far from Mr. Duckworth being entitled to heavy damages, he ought in juillee to give a pre mium to the adulterer for ridding him of fo bld a wife. Mr. Garrow raid, he mentioned this merely to account to their Lordthips for the damages being no more than two hundred pounds, He then proceeded to call his witneffes ; and af ter eftablithing the niarriage, the verdia of the Jury in the Court of King's Bench for 2001. with cons (which altogether amounted to 77 rl. and upwards), he called a maid fervent to prove the adultery, which fhe did by depofing that Mr. Butt (the defendant in the caufe for trim. ton.) flept at Mr. Duckworth's hnufc while he was in London ; that, from the pofition of the bed-clothes of the hed Mr. Bott flept in, and other finequivocal fymp toms, it was evident a man and woman had flept together in it, and that there was no other man in the houfe than Mr. Butt. Mr. Garrow fail, he would content himfelf with refting his cattle on this evidence, unlefs their Lordfhips vrifhed him to proceed further, and in that cafe he had other witnelfes ready to prove criminal faits equally ftrong. The LORD CHANCELLOR, (Lord ELDON), raid,' the learned Counfel had abed very judicioutly in 'ening his cafe on the evidence already adduced. Upon the quellion, whether Mr. Duckworth thpuld he examined at the Bar? it was negatived. —The Bill was then read a fecond time, and or dered to nand committed for a future day. The Duke of NORiOLIC laid, the Standing Or der for the attendance of a petitioner for aDivorce Bill to be examined at the Bar, if the Houle thought fi t, was con fi ned to the hufband only, but according to the fpirit cf that or‘er, where the wife was a petitioner, the ought to attend at the Bar in like manner to be examined, if the Houfc thought tip. I I therefore moved, that an order be made for Mrs. Addifon to attend. Lord LoyetHROKOCGIT objeacd, on the ground that there was a material difference between a ge neral order atrating all parties, and a fpccial or der in the cafe of a tingle individual, who mull in Inch a cafe be the fubjed of it nominatim. His I.ordlhip fitid, a limilar application to Mrs. Ad. difon's was not very likely to happen again, and he (lightly hinted The might poffibly not obtain the whole objet' of her petitteo, though perhaps the might in the remit rcet.ive liime relief. The Duke of NOlt FOLK was proceeding in a re. ply—' hen Mr. Cowper put an end to further de bate, by informing the finuti: that an order had been made and fermi on Mrs. Addifou as a mat ter of comic. _ _ The Lad of Mom.% mnvcd the difcharge of the Order tOr the fecund reading of the Infolvent Debtors' Bill, which good t; x- to-morrow ; which lacing agreed to, his Lordfhip moved that the Bill re.t.: a fecond time next Tuefday.—Adjourned. F MUM• OF COMMONS. A M. Mips from tbt• I.•r t% 'ikforlt• 1 the Invite their I nr,l - had ap, eat to the Ea* :oNtt. gill, u d the Arpr. rt tier, Indenture Bill. without am .ttebentlment. Mr. lirt.tt nt. broc,tht a, tbc k , putt of th Stk." (' , ..ntr.ittee appointed to roollchr .hr l'erforis in Holy Orders Gt in the w.at r•-d ,o lir on ther.ible, And ba printed hrr thi oG. .4 thy Mer.h •rr. AU. the kci•ort of the l'amtnitto of SoiTir. whir!. wa, t'm 3. -, J artecd to i and alto R•por, met t',e kith Coro Ito inty hal, *loth wit otidtred !..r r. ad a Mira WTI` to•IIICITOW.. _ . . _ 11r. enov, !ne key,: I,rinr!n 11.11 re Tat:‘, ttu tit( impurt.oion of ku— hum Irdantl.l.e.abr gown. 'lle frith .:ugar spi. it Intl; the frith Tea Duty Bill; and the Law: f 101, it etc r. 4.1 a feted and cauuniLtcd fur in,11 , 47 , 1%V. . . Mr. J.. vv. moved Po. an Account of the Amount of tht li■ir Powder "I'vt frvrn tts commencement tattle stb MAE.' ill. 7 VI. dining:l:bill each Scar; au Account of the Omer+ of tr4PrUng th• 'Am, for thcf.mt Period; an Ac roust we the Armorial /Sumac' Tax from it,: cciteiiiii-nectoicrit to the stL if April, tgot, dittingutatioz r•arb rar ; and an Account of the Charges of edllti`tinor and ma razing the Lunt, for the Lim: Per:..id, which were tevaally Tba I i..ufc in a Committee un the InnkeTer; Allnvranee OM. ..r.lllc Ceenneon brt wet.. Pct.' iatoi. it wLict.cert.,in Re. J..!atiori, wet. reatUrd t., t'..ta. to Ira the Puce t "AnY —lttryt's t J-Li!.... •'. COMMUNICATION FROM TI THkONF. The CitaticF Limit Of the EX(I4 k n,y adverted to the irdOrntation he had on the preceding day .;seen to the Houie, that a communication from the Throne, relative to the Northern Powers, ?night be expeaed either this day or to-morrow. intelligence, however, had, he laid, in the mean ime. been received, which rendered Inch a com munication at the prefent moment unneceffary ; and he therefore begged leave to recal what . he had stated upon that tubjea to the lioufe. MR. SIIERID:IN'S MOTION. Mr. PELHAM laid a few words relative to a mo tion of which notice had been given by an Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Sheridan). It was underftood the Hon. Member alluded to the indifpotition of a Nohle Lord (Caßlereagh), and expreih:d a wilh hat the Hon. Gentleman would, in con(equence • of that circumilanec, poilpone his motion. Mr. Su Fit In admitted the Noble Lord alluded to was highly intereded in the motion of which he bad given notice, and he was lorry to hear of the Noble Lord's indifpofition. He had no objeftion to accede to the requelt made by the Right Hon. Gentleman, and to podpone his motion, but as it was entirely uncertain when the Noble Lord would be in his place, he thould wait that event, before he fired on a day for its di lc Aim]. FIRST REPORT FROM THE COMMI I'M. OF SPCRECY. The Comnittee of Secrecy, to whom the fevcral Papers, which were prefentcd (felled up) to the Houle, by Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, upon the tit and ad days of this inftant, April, by his Majelty'i command, were referred ; and who were dirceled to examine the matters thereof, and report the ame, as they Lhall appear to them, to the Houk— —"Have proceeded, with the utmoll diligence, to the confideration of the matters referred to them ; but, from the extent and variety of the information relpedlng different parts of the United Kingdom, which has been laid before them, they are under the ncceffity of requciling the indulgence of the Houle for a Ilion time, before they can fubmit the refult of their invciligation on all the points to which it has ettended. " Your Committee, however, think it incum- , bent upon thein to state, without delay, that they have received the fulleproofs that the dangerous and treafonable confpiracy for the fubverfion of the Contlitution and Government, which in the year 5798, in concert with a Foreign Enemy, pro duced the horrid and fanguinary rebellion in Ire land, and the progrefs and cent of which, in Great Britain, is detailed in the Report of the Committee of f Secrecy in the year 1799, has never been abandoned. The hopes and activity of the difaffeded were checked, and their intentions 1 fruftratcd by, the vigilance of Government, and by l the effect of the laws which were adopted : But their principles and deigns remained unchanged, and they have for fome time, and more efpecially l of late, been endeavouring to take advantage of 1 the diftrefs occafioned by the high price of provi. lions, for carrying thoferwicked deigns into effect. It has particularly appeared to your Committee, that the intligators of theft proceedings :lave, on repeated °cc:Ulan% fecretly exprelled their with for the aggravation of thofe evils, which they every where endeavour to ufe as a pretext and en gine for excitingpular difcontent : They appear popular to have derived their principal encouragement from the preffure arifing from the fcarcity ; from the hopes of aili nce from a Foreign Enemy upon the invafion o Great Britain or Ireland ; and la from the expi tion of the laws before referred to, which from the concurrent teftimony from ilif ferent parts of the kingdom, they acknowledge and declare to have been the prinCipal übltaele to their mcafures. " Within a few weeks pall, and to the lateß pe riod to which the information received by your Comm:ttee can apply, their aetivity has been great and encreafing in the Metropolis and in other parts of the kingdom ; every effort is employed that can tend to diflurb the public tranquillity ; and recent intelligence has been received from different quar ters, which juftifies your Coinrnittee in believing,, that, at this moment, the immediate objea of the difaffeeted, is to endeavour, by a fudden explofion, to avail thentfilves of the interval which may Hill take place befure aloft: laws ea.i be renewed. The dangerous fyllem of a keret Confederacy, under the obligation of an unlawful oath, which prevail ed in Ireland, and afterwards extended itfelf to Great Britain, has been revived, with additional precautions, for the purpof: of eluding deteetion, and of entUring concert, fecrecy, and difpatch : And, it appears to be in agitation, fuddenly, by thcle means, to call numerous meetings, in diffe rent parts of the country, at the fame day and hour, to an extent which, if not prevented, mull materially endanger the public peace; and that among the pertims moil forward hi infligating thcfc criminal proceedings, arc lonic of thole a° had been detained under the fufpention of the Habeas Corpus AEI, and who have been recently relcafed from confinement. " Thcfe confederations, your Committee have felt theagelres bound to eubmit, in the firfl to the wildom of the Houle, believing that any de lay in lo doing would be attended with material danger to the country; and, for the f.unc rcafon, they feel it a duty incumbent on them, to take the tint moment of Hating. to the Houle, their !Irons and unanimous opinion, grounded on the informa tion wh;eli they Inve received, that no time ought to be loft in renewing thole mealures of precaution, whieh the wifdom of the Legigature has before adopted, particularly the Aft for the Sufpenfion .d the Provillons of the Habeas Corpus Mt, and the Aa to prevent Seditious Meetings ; which, while they remained in force, were attended with the happiefi effects in prcferving the public tran quillity, and which your Committee have the moil confident !nip,: would have the fame falutary opc. ration, under the preterit cireumftances." NARFAS CORPUS SUSPENSION. Ms. Pr T. it A M moved the further confideration of tL R.:lx)rt of the Committee of Secrecy, Ecc. v. WI being read pro forma, Lome role agreeably, he raid, to the no tice L had given, to move for the revival of thole I.+ Lich appeared by the Report of the Com mittee to be abfolutcly neccffary. The Report having b:cn primed and comph.tcly m the fion of the notice, be trotted the confidence re poled by them in the Committee would render it unnecelliiry for him to enter much at large upon the filbjeet. The haffe with which the Committee had made the Report now before the Houle, was of itlelf in fome meafure evidence of the necellity of the meafure he was about to prop:re, fince they had thought it in all refpeets advilablii to make an immediate Report of the neeeffity that exiited for the revival of thofe coercive mcafurcs which had been for a fhort time dormant, deferring to a future opportunity that more detailed and circum ftantial Report which it was their intention to make. The Reports made upon the fame ftibjea in On! years 1794., and 1799, had been referred to the Committee, and they had to lament that the machinations of dilaffeeted perfons mentioned in their former Reports, which had been checked by the coercive but proper mcafures of the Legifla• tore, were, immediately on the ceffation of thole Aets of neceillary rigour, revived with the fame malignity, the fitme perfeverance, and the film: evil and flagitious tendency. He trulted the Houle would agree with the Committee in opinion, and viewing the fubjeet in the fame light, they mull be convinced that not a moment was to be loft in carrying into execution the meafilres recom mended by that Committee. He was ready to allow the fufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Aft was a firong meafure, and ought to be viewed With conliderable jealouffrrince it materially in ere:Jed the power of the Crown, by giving it the authority to detain any perfon whatever at will. At the fame time the power thus conferred could not be greatly abufed, fince a heavy additional refponfibility arofe out of their increafe of power, and operated as a (comity which might with con fidence be relied on for the proper adminiftration of that power. He waited the Bill for Sufpending the Habeas Corpus Aft to be palled immediately, after which he fhould propofc the revival of the Sedition Aft. Having requefted the Ad of laii Section for Sufpending the Habeas Corpus At to be read, (which was read pro forma), he conclud ed by Moving for leave to bring in a Bill to revive and continue the fame. Mr. M. A. TAYLUII ezpreffed his furprize that the Houfe fhould be called upon to come to fo batty a difeuflion as that propofed by his Hon. Friend over the way. He was aware when ru mours of plots and confpiracies were abroad, much prejudice arofc agatnft thofe perfons oppofing mca lures apparently calculated to prevent any evil deft refulting from thofe machinations. He thought, however, it was the duty of the Houfe, before they contented to pafs the Bill now propofed for their confideration, fully and amply to difcufs the reafons and faits urged in its fupport. He was nut inclined to repute that implicit confidence in . the Committee which his Hon. Friend was in clined to give them. It was true the Committee was elated by ballot, but it was well known what a ballot was when a Committee of this kind was to be chofen, if tome from both fides of the Houfe had been taken to form it, the public would doubt lets have had snore confidence in its inquiries and reports, but all knew how the prefent Committee had been formed. He could not therefore con fent to take upon truß the opinion 'of a Committee fo compofed. Additional refponfibility, it had been urged, would follow incrcafed power, and there was little probability, therefore, of that power being abufed. He well knew that enquiry and re fponlibility founded very prettily together, but lie was alto perfally aware that enquiry never came, and that relponfibility was never looked to. Why fo much hafte ? Why were they to be called upon in an unprecedented manner to pats a Bill through all its Rases in one daq, and to futpend in a mo ment the Habeas Corpus AI,F when Government might already apprehend perfons fufpceted of le ditiouspraCtices and keep them in cullody at leaft for tome weeks before fuch perfons could make 'any effort for ,their releafe, when the fufpenlion of the Habeas Corpus At might, if it was need. tau, enable Government farther to detain them there could be therefore no pretence for hurrying the propofed Bill through the Houle in fo unpre cedented a manner, lime Government already pofteffed, for a time, all die necelfary power, and thc Houfe might, during that time, difenfs at its kifure, and with all the rcquilitc attention, the validity and force of the reafons urged in behalf of the propofed lufpention. It was lingular that no fpecific charge had been brought forward againil any of the perfons detained under the laa lufpen lion of the Habeas Corpus All. If thc fame per lons were now plotting againfl the Contlitution, and engaged in difaffefted praClices, there mull be evidence againft them, or the Committee could not have found them to be fo plotting. Why then were not the grounds and the evidence on which the Committee had afted laid before the Houk, that they alto, as well as the Committee, might form their judgment of the neceflity of the propo. fed nicafurc ? !'his, lie obferved, was only the fe. cond day after the reed's, and many Gentlemen were not yet returned to town, not having the leaft fufpicion that a notice of only four and twenty hours would be given to fin Pend the Habeas Cor pus Aft. With t efpet to the other Bill his Right Hon. Friend intended.to propofe, he laid feditious Meetings might perhaps have been called, but it unfortunately happened when fuel' a Bill was pat ted that the people were prevented from meeting in a legal manner for the redrels of their grievan ces ; any Magillrate might take upon hint, mere ly from the iniptilfe of his own opinion or imagi nation, to dilperfe loch meetings, however legally called or properly attembled. Appearances, he laid, made him think it w.ts the determination of Government, in times of difficulty and diltrefs like the prefeut, to prevent men from Rating fairly their grievances to thc Throne. 'iiic people had, he laid, borne with the outwit patience thc !sta ture of thc times, and the return made to then) was charging them with Jacobinifm and difaffec. tion. He was unwilling to troll any man with power if he could avoid it ; at the fame time, he did hot fay he would eventually negative the !ma ture, if a proper time was allowed to difcufs it; but he waited to conciliate the people, and he could not content to coctcc them without the flrongell evidence of the neceflity of fuck a mcafurc. Mat • evidence was not now brought forward; t all, no ground whatever was alit aged to jun t.. the precipitation which was called for, and thou:el therefore woe againft tile motion. , Mr. Cl/14W fail, however nopeCiable the Cent. • mittee might be, tl:ey had no right to call foe • meafure of this nature withont laying before :b e Houle the grounds of their opinion. It appeat.d I to him, and he was forty to fee it, tlett the I appointed Minitters aired upon the ptceile fee I of their predeccifors. If it was neeeilary to ;, through all the fine; of the propofed Bill in , ; 1. • day, how did it happen that the Chancello r id e s; t Exchequer fulfered the Houle te adjourn forme., than a week, knowing, as he Milt from the papa.: : he laid before the Houle. the dangers wile: : hreatened, titter they mull he the feriae at • moment as at the relent ? Until, howevet, it ie. • t ame apparent to the Houle what thol e d eeger , were; he could liQt coafent to aft unjuili7 Contlituents, and invade the liberties of the : pie by ranflioning the propofed me:llitre. The CFI ANCV LLOR of the F.XCIIF.QSEP Lit!, t!:t! Hon. Gentleman who had jolt fat down had alle!.: • ed lb pointedly to hiantelf that he felt it at:et:trate to rife much earlier than he intended. The Hei • Gentleman had accufed him of futfering the Houle to adjourn when be knew (as lie was ready to a „e mit he did) c:f thole dangers at itirli were new preffed upon the attention of the Did the. • Hon. Gentleman mean to make it a matter .1 charge againit him that the propofed meafure v.. not brought forward at the time the papers re prefented to the Houle, before their nature w known or their contents invetligated ? I>id •iet , Hon. Gentleman mean to make it a charge again:! • him, that he had not before propofed a meafure which the Hon. Gentleman now deprecates as an invafion upon the liberties of the. People ? tunately the Committee had become every dee , more and more convinced, not merely of the top-. diency, but the abfolute neeetlity of the meaten : , now propofed. His Hon. Friend, if he mieh: • allowed to ufe that expreflion (Mr. M. A t ) had expreffed an opinion frequently delivered is that Houk, relative to the appointmeet of Commia tees. He knew of no better or fairer nexle of choice than that reforted to in the appointment of the C•ot: mittec upon whore report they were now called tit • on to ad. If a Cormiaittee was appenited by mination, much embarraffment mutt fleet:Emily • arife to Gentlemen wifhing to fubflittite one name for another; but when it was appointed by ballot, every Hon. Gentleman had the means of adclin one name, or craft another, without the poffilaili ty of difcovery ; and however Gentlemen on the other fade of the Houle thought proper to condemn the latter mode, they had formerly thought it ne neffary to adopt ie. He had no ll:Topic to acknow• ledge_ the regret with which he had prefented to thelioufe the papers he had laid before them on the laft day but one of the fitting previous to the re eels, but the pradice; of Jacobinifm and difaffee tion had been revived the moment thole meafure; which prevented them had ceared, an:l the con fequent revival.of thole me:tames became ablU lutely tat:car:my. He did not however mean to (late that Jacobinifin had extended its cnip;7e in Britain, or increafed its profelytes, but the pofition upon which it aded with foccels had in creafed. The people. diftrefled in confequence the preifure of the times, and the exorbitant ;trite of provifions, had been acted upon by lurking malignity, by infidions Jacobiniiin and difiaffeCtion, which led them to believe they could gain to thing by patient fir:liners and refignat ion, ar! could only obtain relief in their diftreffes hers ads of open hollility and violence. Let it not be fuppofed lie charged the people with dititffeeiicr. ; if that were really the cafe, the difeufflon of the prcfent mealure would be unneceffary, (Ince the Constitution depended upon the opinion of 1 1 :e. people. He difclainied any fuch charge—the people were not dirgufted with the Conttitatta. , a. It seas for the purport: of defending the great I , e. dy of the people againfi the machinations of the malignant and difaffeded few, that the prefela measure was thought neceffity. His Honourable Friend objeding to the meafure "ailed the people to be • conciliated—but what flirt of conciliation was to be offered, by rejefting the propolition of the Committee ?—To the rich it seal to be we will not vex you with laws by which you may tie coerced, but we trill leave your property M fpoliation and to rapine. To the poor—we will con ciliate you, but we will leave you a helplefs prey to the machinations of Jacobinifm. Was this the truc fpirit of conciliation ?—was it nu: rather the belt mode of conciliation to do our duty to the country, and prevent a few evil difpofeet perie from &fir:tying the happinefs of all ? Majar ty's prefect Militia's had, he raid, been charged with purfuing the fame fyftem as their Necked . - furs. To this he would anfwer, they purrucl I atoll: meafures which they thought calculated to benefit the country, without eating whether they clafhed or agreed with the meafures porfued by others. Of his Majelty's late Minifters, hoe: ever• he would fay,that had it not been for their wifilorn and their energy, we flu.suld not now be enabled to adopt meafures to meet the public nceilli.ies. Every meafure ought only to be juftified by its own necetlity, without reference to extraneous ear ' cumltances. It was the peculiar beauty of our Connotation, that it could adapt itfelf to ecety neceflit y, and accommodate itfelf to circurnflancos as they arofc. There were a let of men why, whillt me:acmes like the prefent were in obeyance, aded in open hoftility to the Conftitutiont and when coerced by the effed of thole mealures, ple:tded that very Conflitution they were in the habit of attacking and reviling, againft thole wea fitres by which they found their machination% pre : vented, and their guilty fames checked and Mud ttated. The necetlity oldie pi - pored meafure was tintimtmately too apparent, %chilli it was a me.z. lure of junky to the people and fislety to the Con- Ilitution. Under there imprealons, he Mould give the meafure his m..lt cordial fupport. With re feed to what had been laid by his Honourable Friend relative to another Aft which it was like. wik ieteneled to poltpone. he (hook! refrain fiom making any obfervation, no queftion relatise to t't being at prefent before the Houk. real whi fiat 110