Star. — London, England, 1818-01-28 00:00:00

‘ i certainly had to the lesser interference. They had the right of conquest. Upon that principle they had the right to have partitioned that country, not for the aggrandizement of other Powers, but for cleat ing other independent Sovereignties. In the time of the Romans that country had been.divided into three distinct GOvernments. So in the case of the Allied Powers, they had at the time a right to have parti tioned that country. The maintenance of the pre Government of France, he regarded as an object of important policy. Those reasons which appeared to render Louis XVIII. obnoxious to the French people, ought (so we understood his Lordship) to render hint acceptable to the Allies. The great object, and that which should have most of the care and anxiety of Ministers, should be the preservation of that peace which had been so long fought for, and towards that desirable object he deemed that the establish ment of the Government of Louis XVIII. would go a great way. He reprobated every thing that af fected to proceed under the emblems of liberty or equality ; and they should recollect the unprincipled course held by the French people while they acted and fought under these ensigns ; they should bear in mind the inevitable calamities which must ensue were that peace lost, in the purchase of which so much blood and treasure was expended; that peace which resulted from the war so gloriously terminated by the battle of Waterloo. Adverting to the report of the return of the troops from France, the Noble Earl observed, that the spirit of the Treety under which the occupation proceeded was, first, That they should not leave France until all the contributions imposed upon her were previously levied. Secondly, That sufficient time and facilities should be allowed tothe neighbouring Powers to establish fortresses in the Low Countries. And, thirdly, That a sufficient gua rantee should be afforded to Europe with respect to the continuance of peace, or every security that the state of Prance could afford. Upon these grounds it was that the present Government of France should be supported by the Allies ; and Louis XVIII. main tained, as the most likely way of ensuring the cond. nuapce of peace. Were that to be set aside, one of the first events would be an attack from France upon the Netherlands, and every attempt made to causes rising in these countries. With reference to the much talked of question of economy, he trusted Ministers would bear in mind, that no economy could be real or well founded, except bottomed in the preserve, tion of peace ; and with respect to the notions of equality or reform, there were no ideas so grosde mistaken as what were understood by these names. With respect to the Suspension of the Habeas C Act, there was certainly no necessity for conti= it.at present. But that there was originally a times. sity for its suspension, appeared to him to have been fully proved by the two Reports ; however, the grounds upon which he entertained those opinions, he should not then enter upon. On a future oppose tunity,'perhaps, he should have the honour of stating them to their Lordships, as well as the reasons which induced him to dissent from all those chimeras which lay under the specious name of Parliamentary Reform. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE followed, and made a variety of observations on several of the lead ing points which had been adverted to in the present discussion, deprecating any interruption of thit una nimity which it was so desirable should prevail. ifs censured the conduct of his Majesty's Government with respect,to the Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, for which, he contended, no necessity existed ;' on the contrary, he argued, principally from what ap peared on the State Trials, that the conspiracy, such as it was, was by no means an extended one; and further, that it clearly appeared, from what had ac tually taken place, that the existing law, and espe cially the Act of the 25th of Edward 111. was amply euilicient for the purpose. There was not a tittle of evidence to support the assertion of the conspiracy being numerous. The affair at Nottingham, on which so much stress had been laid, was put down by a party of the 18th Dragoons. Regarding tlaei harsh and unconstitutional measure of the Suspen sion. as he did, he was glad to hear it was the inten tion of Ministers to proceed immediately to its repeal. With respect to what was said of the increased pro-. !perky of the country, there could be none permanent or secure that did not proceed upon the ground of effectual economy; and in that view he trusted that Parliament would most seriously consider the state of the Establishments with a view to their reduction, so as somewhat to equalize the expenditure with the revenue of the country. The Earl of LIVERPOOL observed, that the pre. sent was neither a regular or a suitable opportunity for entering int* discussion upon the internal state of the country. When that important question should come to be discussed, he should be prepared to shew that the precautionary measures which were adopted had been called for by an adequate necessity ; and farther, that they had been the means of preserving the peace and tranquillity of the country. He should be prepared to prove a case where the lives and pro perues of his Majesty's subjects, as well as the saf v e t rL . of the - Et:entry, might be seriously inenaced, wherein Ministers would ill discharge their duty, if shey waited to consider how much risk might be run, or what degree of conspiracy existed, before they adopted measures necessary for the maintenance and security of all classes of his Majesty's subjects— ' nay, the very safety of the country itself. With re spect to the formation of the Speech, it was framed in such v. manner as that a corresponding Address may be assented to, without implicating any pledge or opinion as to several of its most important topics. The internal situation may be regarded as improved, were it only considered that what was done had drawn from the disaffected some of the means they had employed in inducing others to join in disturb ing the general tranquillity. • He begged leave to say a few words, in . consequence of some observa tions which had fallen from his Noble Friend oppo site (Earl Stanhope). The House would at once see, that, with respect to some of the topics adverted to by his Noble Friend, it would best become him (the Earl of Liverpool) at the time to refrain from saying aa, thing. With respect, however, to the policy of this country in regard to France and the Continent o e gg r ope, it must and will be the object of Govern ment to preserve the peace Which had been so hap pily attained. Their object should be to persevere , in that course always, and the most likely way to do that successfully would- be the sacred fulfilment ef their engagements, but with the expectation that other Powers would do the setae. Be did not, how) ,ever, participatt in those feelings to which his Nob li Friend alluded, with respect to the situation in which the Sovereign of tkat country is placed with respect to the People of that country. The subject was cer tainly one that it was proper he should at present abstain from entering into; but he was persuaded there existed in the Councils of every Power in Eu rope a due disposition towards the preservation of peace, and for the maintenance of the Treaties into which they had entered. The question then being put, the Address was agreed to, new. dis. and ordered to be presented in the usual way, by the Lords, with white staves ; as was also an Address of Condolence, on the motion of the Noble Earl, to her Majesty the Queen. HABEAS CORPUS SUSPENSION. Viscount SIDMOUTH proposed that the Stand ing Orders, which prohibited the passage of Bills through more than one stage on the same day, should be taken into consideration to-morrow, with a view to their suspension, as far as related to a Bill to be 'brought in for repealing the Act of last Session, for enabling his Majesty, to secure and detain persons whom he suspected of conspiring against his person and government.—This.proceeding seeming to meet the concurrence of their Lordships, the Noble Secre tary of State regularly moved the same, and the re• levant Orders were ordered to be taken into consi deration to-morrow accordingly. CLERK OE THE PARLIAMENTS. The Earl of LIVERPOOL, having adverted to the recent demise of the Right Hon. Gentleman who long held this important office, observed, in a low tone of voice, that, under the circumstances, it would be advisable to authorize the Honourable Gentle man who held the principle seat at the table to sign certain papers and documents, which were hitherto signed by the Clerk of the Parliaments. He would therefore move, that Henry Cowper, Esq. be autho rized to sign papers and documents of the descrip tion to which he referred. Lord HOLLAND thought that the subject should ,be taken up more extensively, and that a Committee should be appointed to inquire into the state of the Clerks of that House, from which, if he was not mis informed, no small inconvenience had arisen. The late Mr. Rose was the responsible person ; but as the thing now seemed to stand, the House was left with out a Clerk of the Parliaments. The subject should be inquired into. It involved also a proceeding re specting the granting of places in succession, and he believed it was a rule that no person in the office of Clerk of the Parliaments could hold any other with out the express permission of the House. In more than one point of view, he thought a Committee of Inquiry should be appointed. The Earl of LIVERPOOL thought, that under thecircumstances, such a proceeding was unneces sary ; but that it would he preferable to have a copy of the patent of the late Mr. Roses appointment be fore the House. Whatever might have taken place with respect to the Office in question, it was calcula ted only to operate prospectively, and after the cessa tion of the existing interests. The LORD CHANCELLOR approved of the Noble Earl's idea of having a copy of such letters patent, under which the office of Clerk of Parlia ments was executed, laid before the House. The' subject also, abstracted from that consideration, was of no small importance. Though he believed the business of the Clerks was never more efficiently exe cuted than at present, yet it should be considered, with reference to the judicial business which occurred three times in the week, that the Clerks had to sit sit{ that table from ten o'clock until four; and after that, ' to whatever hour their Lordships may think fit to sit. Under such circumstances, he thought it be- hoved them to think, with all that onerEas weight of duty upon those Clerks, how far it may be proper to take the subject of such an arrangement into their Lordships' serious consideration. The Motions of the Noble Earl, respecting the pro posed authority relative to signatures to be given to the prim Clerk at the table, and for laying be fore thrdships the Patent under which the Clerk of the Parliaments was appointed, were then, after a few observations from Lord HOLLAND and Earl Gaos- VSNOIt, agreed to. ' On the motion of the Noble Minister, the appoint ment of the Earl of Shaftesbury as Chairman o' the Committee of Privileges, and of the other Commit tees of their Lordships generally, for the present Ses lion was unanimously voted by the House; as were the different formal Orders regularly made at the commencement of each Session.—Adjourned e till to morrow. ... 1 1 I , 1 • i 1 0 . . , . . I; 1 . t 1 • I i ' 1 . 1 I . I ' 1 1 0 I•k 4 ( 1 i • t 1 0 1 i . i 1 1 1 . ) 1 1 ii ! i . - f :,. )• - i A i 1 r t 5 1 i t I t I t i C t e r 1 .4 it s f f , , ; . i a. ii cl i 71 V 4 o F • 1 . 4 a i El ~.. 1 ti c 4 i b • b i t b s ' ii ti . i ' ; 0 1 :I k if , e ci '.. 1 , ) s • : • ) • r s ' i i 1 t 1 - I t: 4 I 1 i " c 1 t'' 1 a t. • • r - ~ t • . ! t L .; i ,i • i , ‘ i 4,'1, , , ,‘I !. 3 t i ..., M; . . I ,\, . • , i _ iii: HOUSE OF COMMONS. About three o'clock the Spa m took the Chair. Soon alter wards, Sir THostas Traftwine, Usher of the Black Rod, ap peared at the Table, and summoned the House to that of the Peers, to bear the Royal Speech and Commission for opening the Session. The Seeress and several Members went accordingly. The SPEAKER, on their return, informed the House that New Writs had been issued for the return of Members for the Town of Glamorgan, in the room of B. Vaughan, Esq. deceased; and for the Town and Port of New Romney, in the room of Admiral Sir J. T. Bockwarsh, Bart. deceased. - Mr. ARBUTHNOT moved for New Writs tbr Yttppon; fel the room of the Honourable F. Robinson, who has accepted the Offices of President of the Board of Trade and Treasurer of the Navy ; and for Cockermouth, in the room of the Honour able T. Wallace, who has accepted the Office of Vice-Presider.t of the Board of Trade.—Ordered. The SPEAKER then reminded the House that h was usual on the commencement of a Session, to renew a certain annual Act, called the Bill for preventing Clandestine Outlawries, which, if it were their pleasure, would be now read a Brit and second time. The Bill was ordingly seed a first time, and on the Clerk proceeding to read it a second, Lord ALTHORPE asked If it was the intention of Ministers immediately to repeal the Bill for Suspending the Habeas Corpus Am/ The earliest opportunity, said his Lordship, ought to be taken of restoring that right to the people; and as he did not . wish to create any di ff erence of opinion on the subject that woul d , mese before the House this evening, if he did not receive a sa tisfactory answer, be should make a Motion to-morrow, for leave to bring in a 8111 to Repeal the Habeas Corpus Suspen sion Act. Mr.ANBUTHNOT regretted that the Noble Lord had not waited till any of his Majesty's Ministers were present, as he believed they could inform him that his intended =nice would be unnecessary. Lord A. HAMILTON alluded to the delay which had taken place in Scotland, in the proceedings towards persons accused of High Treason, and intimated his intention of making a too. don on the subject. Mr. W. DIJNDAS hoped the Noble Lord would not insist on any proceeding connected with this subject till the professional Lord (the Lord Advocate) should be able to attend in his place. Lord A. HAMILTON said, as he had not prepared the Bill be meant to propose, he bad no objection to accommodate the Noble Lord for apy time between now and this day fortnight. General TTIOR2tUON g.ivenriite, that on tie 11* of Ito ' brad,y ha should move for a Bili w nistai certain porta of as. Am of AS Charles 14. requiring from petsons tokir.g official oaths, a , &duration d thebelief in transubstanuaties to bs idolatrous. Mr. JOHN SMITH gave notice, that he should move to morrow for the renewal of this Oommitteeon the Bankrupt Laws. *. GtIk.NFgLL gave notice of a motion for Tuesday, re lative to Bank Notes. Sir J. GORE gave notice of a !notion for Accounts of all 'Monica raised for the relief of Prisoners in County Jails. HABEAS CORPUS SUSPENSION ACT. rind ALTHORPE, seeing a Noble Lord (Castle reagh) in his place, took this opportunity of asking if, he meant to move for the immediate repeal of the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act ? He had no inten tion of interfering on the subject, if Ministers had made up their minds to take it up without any delay. Lord CASTLEREAGH said, it certainly was in the contemplation of his Majesty's Ministers to move Parliament for an immediate repeal of that Act ;-- but as it had originated in another place, it was deemed proper to let the motion for the repeal take precedence in that Assembly, where it would pro bably be made this evening, or at farthest to-morrow. ( Hear, hear, hear.) DISTRLSSID SEAMIX. Lord COCHRANE wished to know if it was the intention of Ministers to recommend that any por tion of the Uroits of Admiralty should be applied to ward the relief of the digressed seamen ? If not, he should take an early opportunity of calling the atten tion of the House to this subject. Mr. W. DUNDAS said, be was not prepared to give the Noble Lord an answer. Lord COCIIRANE that said, that he should cer' tainly ntake a motion on this matter at an early day, unless something was previously done by the Ad miralty. THE ROYAL SPEECH. The SPEAKER—" I have to inform the House, that this House has attended in the House of Lords, where they have heard the Prince Regent's most gra cious Speech, a copy of which I have obtained, and which, to prevent mistakes, I will read!' Having read the Speech ( for whied see our Loads' Report.) Mr. WODEHOUSE then rose, and said, that in moving an Address to the Prince Regent, upon the Speech delivered by the Lords Commissioners, he should feel that he but feebly discharged his duty to them, to the country, and to the Prince Regina, if he did not in the first instance notice that unexpected calamity which was so afflicting to his Royal High ness, and which had unhappily overthrown the fair ett hopes of the nation. The public attention appear ed to have been diverted, in some degree, from many: important considerations at home, by the long dura tion of widely extended hostility. But when the pleasing times of peace had again returned to us, we naturally looked more to domestic affairs and pro spects ; and the whole country hailed the promising life of an excellent and virtuous Princess, whose qua lities and endowments so justly excited the national and patriotic expectations of all. The extinction of such bright-hopes and prospects naturally affected all who felt a love of their country and its interests. It was -a groat and lamented public loss, and was mournfully accompanied with all the bitterness of, private woe. It would be useless for him, it would even indeed be a kind of mockery in him, before such an assembly as he was then addressing, to at-: tempt a portrait of the departed Princess. Much might hi left to the memory of all, andle could not' wish to obtrudt on those feelings which were at pre sent so deeply afflicted : but he might say, eonfidently that the House sympathised fully with , his Royal Highness, and associated themselves with all his.pa ternal feelings in the deprivation of his best hopes, both in a private and a public view. The knowledge of the sentiments of Parliament in such an event must be regarded with universal interest. It would afford an eminent proof of the indelible attachment of the nation. After all our great and splendid ex ertions, this sentiment, he trusted, would be found a striking feature among all those great moral energies which so highly distinguished die people of this land. The Speech also embraced a variety of topics, all of them the fit and important subjects of future discus sions. Upon these different lsoints, he should not trespass on the time of the. House, by entering tapbn details. The Speech communicated the general state of amity in which we were situated respecting foreign Powers, the improved condition of our domestic con cerns, and the increase of our prosperity and happi ness at home. The picture, he believed, was not too highly coloured. It was consolatory to know that ;here were such abundant proofs of the amelioration of the condition of our fellow-subjects. He did not, in this view of our affairs, speak the language of flattery or delusion. This was to be seen, whether we turned our attention to the state of our agricul ture, or reviewed the circumstances of the various branches of our trade, manufactures, and commerce. The country was no longer in that stagnant, strug. gling state, which various circumstances had tempo rarily occasioned. The scene, fortunately, was now changed, and we might look forward to the exercise of that vigour and activity and elasticity which cha racterised our exertions, and which constituted our Ipsraposity and our happiness, and which would banish the hated spirit of disaffection front the land. —The recommendation _respecting the increase of Places of Worship deserved serious consideratiou.-- The Treaties concluded with Spain and Portugal, for carrying into effect the long desired Abolition of the Slave Trade, now drawn - within such narrow limits by the merciful interposition of Great Britain, was a peculiar topic of satisfaction and congratulation. flais blessed achievement crowned all the other glo ries which the perseverance and resources of the country had obtained. He did not feel that he should occupy the attention of the House longer, and con cluded by moving an Address to the Prince Regent. which corresponded as usual with the leading topics of the Speech. Mr. ‘VYNDHAM QUIN.--In rising to second the motion, the Honourable Gelleman bespoke the in dulgence of the House, while he should shortly ad vert to some of the leading topics embraced in the Speech from the Throne. In doing so, be trusted that nothing would fall from him which might tend to disturb the harmony of the House. The long and continued illness of his Majesty was a subject in which all felt the sincerest sympathy : but there was ano ther subject of mournful importance to which he would call their attsntinn. Two years had not yet elapsed since an event had taken place which excited the highest hopes of the nation : he felt himself un eble to give any thing like 'adequate expression to the sorrow and despondency which lately 'the cthuitry from one extremity to the oth finding those hopes so sadly blighted by Oa death. Never was there a Princess more e, affection than that illustrious person ; and n sympathy mote purely personal than that x madmely end called forth. He little envi.el at the heart of that matt who felt unrnevet an awful dispensation. 'To dwell upon sec ject was irksome as it was unavailing ; so , say, that it was the will of PROVIDENCE to hence who was the pride and hope of this II: where you will, the calamity we have sell deeply felt. It has pleased PROVIDENCE her, but the memory of her virtues wee:, for ever enshrined in the hearts and affect grateful nation. He neat adverted to the re dation respecting places of worship. Theo person who had paid the least attention to events which had lately convulsed and nations of Europe, but must be convinced u and intimate connection between the stabili Throne and the morals of the People. 11:e I tleman then briefly adverted to the imp' ov en revenue, the state el the imports ant expert various other improvements in the internal s country, and contended that they were mate extensive than the most sanguine could have In short, every consideration warranted ti. sion, that the country was in a far better last year. The improvement in the se.,„-. 7 ., had the most beneficial effects; and this, i t Pence with the wise measures which had be t secured our internal tranquillity. This the answer to a question put by a Noble Althorpe.) Had they rigidly confined the: , precedent, can any one suppose they a. been so completely successful in overtui most tremendous tyranny that ever affiir, tions ? Had it not been for the a ise adopted, and the vigour with which they secuted, this country had fallen from the, glory oa which she stood into a state of co: insignificance. Instead of this, she now eminent in strength and security, an exam nations to invigorate theirhopes and to Anil efforts. It was now we began to reap the our perseverance in the arduous struggle we had been engaged. The Hor,ourat,l4 then made some observations upon the succession teethe Throne. Under the ausi House of llrunswick, this country had a, arts, industry, in commerce, and civilizatic hoped the British Empire would long ci prosper under the influence of Princes of t It might be said that the succession via:: mediate danger ; but it was a matter of F tame that the Princes by whom we scar versed should - be born and bred in Engle: The SPEAKER now read the propose which was, - as usual, an echo to the speech Lord ALTHORPE would not object ti ofthe address, and should be very sorry that should be said to produce a difference of ( Herr, hear.) Much doubt and consider, rence must indeed exist, as to the part of tl which ascribed the present tranquillity of try to the measures of Government ; but . subject he would not enter at present. But one subject to which he felt himself Mimi attention of the House. He did not owe any specific motion upon it, and therefore to it noiv,..because the present he underst, the only nity of offering observe! subject, s e crE r i: l accompanying them will ponding motion. He alluded to the late cessive trials. It was a topic of great del cause the professed cause of those prosec, parodies on sacred subjects, no man could e o stongly disapproved of those parodies in•common with the bulk of the nation, rej an individual without any support had over the extraordinary severity of his proses ( Hear, hear.) He could not say that hr Mr. Hope's character, because he did not rodies he had composed and published ; b: defence of himself convinced him, as it had three Juries', that he had been guilty of net le; The Honourable and Learned GentlemaL torney-General) should not have -pmsecuted at a, such a case. The regular mode of going charge before a Grand Jury ought to have adopted in this instance. But•it was ansuestionah the right of the Learned Gentleman to prosecute ;; officio, if he was so disposed. But why was the pn secution continued after a Jury had reticencei verdict of acquittal ?—(lfear, hear.) A Jury watts :onlg competent tribunal to say what was, ur eat was not a libel. The Judge had given his own ce• nion, in opposition to the Jury, the only corepe: authority—(Hear, hear.) The opinion of the Jr,* was not desired at all on such a queition. He ,i,i not mean to say any thing disrespectful to the ?" nourable and Learned Gentleman opposite: l'jtS arae,•by his o ffi cial character, disquali fi ed to say • t 1 was libel, and what was not. Yet he, after a had &mid that the sußject of prosecution v.... ' 1 libel, proceeded to a second and a third trial. the trials ended, no evil was done; but if i: turned out otherwise, if a conviction had been . • mined on the third trial, it was manifest, front • nature of the proceedings, that the punishment s. have been as great as if a conviction had he tained for the whole. The evil of prosecutio:: ' this sort was great indeed, but it was not to he • • pared with the evil of destroying the confidence the country in the trial by Jury—(llear, At ar.) !• had said this because the present was the only cr:' tunity of adverting to the subject. In every p..: the Address he willingly acquiesced. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL stated it to I;: been the subject of serious consideration with !": whether, after the first verdict, it would be e: 0:•• go on, or to abandon the prosecutions, and t.:e was, a conviction in his own mind, that by y. them up he should be guilty of a gross his duty to the public. Unless he had felt from what came out on the first trial, that t! . : cations were not what he had previously cot.•. them to be, he was forced to proceed with th. two. And he now begged to say, that not •.% • : ing the verdict given by the Jury--(he cca.. - sorry to say any thing of verdicts given in .1 Of Justice), he had not been convinced, but far t: !t, that Mr. 1i0..e was not guilty of a libel i. second ptthlicatior., though he had been atquit:::. p. !K T , :e hud 4 neve r wh:t' a uch u ~ x. o r e d re :h., • ut ti lit y 4 H 1 • ' • IU cyt ET? 2joi; , ' 41 1.1!T, .t e : P;. 07 vie to linid.c • . e s Ie i.• le • ite L: ivies • ; th.it 11 • u• 111 Lt . . • to ar.y •••_ at a 1. .: rabie Li the ad '•n tle tupvatl It [fla re vs ato • r 271 re .:iiveral SUX I .II.) at ions di a ca:.. Lae r cu• tions. • d justifT es : but ejo;ced trump cosecut he admi like the but his • d convizt.• • an ithe ed of aG