Star. — London, England, 1830-03-03 00:00:00

had expected himself in terms be would now reed—be reminded t he house, that when they once committed a prosecution to the law cour ts, they had no longer any further command in the case, let the oaee be what it might; and if the house were inclined to show lenity, t h e y would no longer have it in their power to do so. This case was proposed to be coded by Lord Choy, by the house ceiling the part y t o the bar, and eepethending him. Mr. Pitt, on the con. had voted the publication a libel, it teary, said' that l i f i the house midereuots maga, that the author should be can w :rt peceleir tetea to r eugody of the wales" at aran'tehad been need not remind the house of similar eases, in whtch the house jealous of 's its own dignities, and not delegating them to inferior court: l . l "d Mr. Alexander been had •_ ninesPtemonths bar house, th e ease would have been dispsW of From the rriod of the revolution to present time, no ease ex. hoed in which any sttorney.general had assumed a right of pros e. eating any man for a libel upon any person for his conduct within the walls of that house. No such case was to be found Go the jour. ' nab of the house. In 1089 the attorney-general had been directed to prosesun lie. Steel I and in 1702 the attestaellleaeca hd hem directed to proseeoto an individual who had attacked the house. Bat this watt by the directions of that house; and If the attcacsel - genesa was to file hiformations against Mr. A, B, C, or D, who attacked mem bers with at on the government side of the house, where was t h e At t orney-General who would defend the other ? Suppose a mem ber on the other side of the house, from the north, though It mat. tared not whether from the north or south, but suppose such 'mein. h er on the opposite benches—a troublesome man on an estimate (a laugh)...sa awkward man to get rid of (a laugh.) Suppose him calumniated for his want of attention to Maven ; suppose him libelled in the newspapers, was the Attoettry.General to assume the right of prowling him ? But suppose the Auorney.oe- I neva did not protect him. Suppose his protection wen all the other way, or even that he afforded no at all , could any member of the opposition side so =himself, or the house, as to ask the treasury benches to defend him ? Any man would degrade himself by so doing; and he ought in such a ease to sofa. He would not undertake to say what was IL. bellow, or not, be be should be scarified if wrong; but be mag us., that there was nothing in the ease of The Moriehip Jiistestelf which might not have been brought to the bar of that House, and lie saw nothing in it that required the interference of the Attorney. GeneraL If, when Government had got hold of Mr. Alexander, and had sent him to jail for four months, they could have Impel. coned Complaint—if they could have caught hold of the genius of public distress, and had sent it to But for three months, it would have bass a capital expedient. But if, when a person was sent to jail foe complaining of public distress, that dis tress existed, unhappily, more than ever, it was disgraceful to pretend that he was sent to jail, not for misrepresentation, but bemuse he had expressed his feelings too warmly. It was in vain to pretend that Mr. Alexander had suborned, or fallaciously feigned a case of distress; for whilst he was in jail in the year 1830, unfortunately distress was stalking abroad in every town in Eng land. Dimon now existed In an aggravated form In an increased ratio. This was a hard case. Had Mr. Alexander created a files impression of distress, he ought to have been Imprisoned for three years. and not for three months; but distress was real, and the man was suffering for only saying what ever man In that house and in the kingdom knew to be true. (H y_ ear i bear. bear-) Wm that distress real or not ? Look at the meetings throughout the country, the memorials of juries, the petitions to that house. Did Mr. Alexander fabricate all these meetings, or stimulate all the complaints ? The distress existed now, and yet for saying so this man was soaring in • (Hear, hear.) Had Mr. Alexander overstated or under st atedthe case ? He (Sir C. Wetherell) was not an advocate for the licentiousness d the press, nor was he disposed to cure its scurrility and abuse by pre- . fixing to Its limits. He would assert that in all legitimate forms of complaint, terms quite as strong were employed as those used by itir. Alexander, who was sent to Newlyn, for so many mon th s. The Chancello r the Exchequer had opened a budget of finance; and the Attoroey-General had opened a budget of informations. t He felt himself under the necessity of complaining in the stroogest term, of the whole of these proceedings. It was sufficiently dames tory of an Attontey•General, If he used the strong powers of the law and the w eig ht of the crown against individuals, even in a moaner so egtfroal as created a divided opinion throughout the country of the propriety of his proceedings. Such infonnetiona ought never to be filed but in eases of evident necessity, and whic h they were backed by respectable opinion. If their pie** In The Journal were to be thus prosecuted, why were not much worse pin. sages spinet Mr. Calming proceeded against by the Attorney-Ge. nag ? Mr. Canning had been accused In ipoinphlet of inAning d come of disaffection and apostasy, which latter wee a tom :in troduced in the libel that had occasioned the prosecution. of Mr. 6 Alexander; but the Attorney-General had not felt It his duty to institute any proceedings Against the author. or publisher of.thme .Ijbeli Ogabst Mr. Canning. So far frith this being the twee, the whole.pamphkt was decanted in the shape of a dpetelvaititt tred been uttered with great force against the right honourable gentle. man, by an honourable member of that hone. Another thine had been mole against Mr. Canning for ,Oringing a bill into. that Rouse which was an insult to she nation. No prosecution bed then been initittited, although there then had existed s Tory Administration and a Tory Attorney-General. The principle , adopted by the hon: gent. (Sir J. 8.) was untenable, unconstitutional, and utterly immoral and unjust towards itidiriduals. It was con. nary to th e spirit, th e p ract ices, and usages of that house ; and if it were once allowed that any Attorney-General should prosecute iadi, , viduels out of that house fee attacks on members for voting and speaking in that house, not only was the house degraded, and its privileges violated, but the most invaluable rights of the pet* Were senificed, and every man held his liberty on the surmise. of the Attorney-General. All depended upon !briber his temper. dispeah tion, or his attention to the times restrained him from using those powers which any man might use to infinite mischief whenever he planed. Having called the attention of the house to three points. if he were asked what he intended to do with the fourth, highs:mid say that he had am made up his mind to that point. Perhaps ministers bad made up their minds that Mr. Alexander should not be coo tined in /gewgaw, for it was hard for a Ulan to be confined for attack ing the King, on a third indictment, when a jury had previously recommended hint to mercy for the mine matter .contained .In the second Indictment—and owing to which recommendation, she Atter. nerGeneral dared not to bring him up upon it. He had endeavoured to wihere as closely as he could to all the various facts of the cases to which he had called the attention of the house; slid he would now conclude in a few words. With respect to the first prosecu tion, it was most intolerable most unbearable , most tyrannical, that a criminal pros e c ut ion sh ould be instituted against any man by a private suitor, exposing him to all the hazard. to all the agi tated feelings, to all the apprehension of consequences resulting from such a charge ; and that then the same lawyer by whom the first prosecution was cotu.nenced should suddenly change the chasten of the prosecution, and should, us atton e etgenerid, file an information in his public ch aracter, which ing itself, if it failed, might not be a final one. Thi s couls z not be borne; this must sot be borne. With respect to the fecund information, he need only refer to the verdict of the jury, by which it was sufficiently sfigmatiecl. With respect to the third prosecution, it had arisen out of no resole. tion of the house; bin the attorney general had taken it out of the hands of the house; by whom, if it had been brought before them, either the person charged might have been declared innocent, or a more lenient punishment might have been Inflicted than that proceeding from a court of justice, lie would now none for the documents to which he had referred ; and when they mines as he trusted they would come, before the house, he should be 0.4 if eno honourable members who had paid only a tenth pee; at the • attention to the subject which he had paid to it, and if his bon. and Turned friend who agreed with him in Opinion upon the subject, would join him in Maturing some remedy for the intolerable grievances which he had described.—(hear, hear, hear.) The hon. and learned gentleman then moved, " That there be laid before . she house copies of the several informations filed ea offkio by the At. t racy-General Kenna .11r. Alexander, the editor of a paper called Tlw Norniny Jourtiai—copies of the several judgments entitled again,' bun upon the record* of the above informations, and hew the same were entered—An mom minute of the words in which each jury pronounced their verdict against him upon each of the above informations—Exact minute of the terms in which any of the ! Juries irtm anti a recommendation of him to mercy." Lm the motion having been read from the chair, The ATTOHNEY.GENERAL rose and spoke to nearly the following effectt—o When, Sir, my honouraide and learned friend took occasion to express his embarrasementnt the late hour of half- Pan nine o'clock; *hen the house had its ?slime exhausted hY tamion upon, perhaps, a less Important pubjeet, •I at the house syntpathise w i t h me, since I labour:under at kat all oral ap- Mtbeasion, in not only having to answer my learned friend; but to obtaining your attention to the heroine; of my case. Fermata, bow. Ms, more especially appeal to the epadid (mention of the base, be. . trice it is not in, int:anon to introduce such matters as thosi W.ith Is pich my learned friend coloured his observations--on the contrary,'• hil l intruduee any irrelevant topics, but Maniocpics, myself to what • l'u I “ellnetial, and endeavour to include that Within the kiemtitts. tt Vete. 1 Cannot hettying that my learned f r i en d, i n of to introdush..• 14 Tattoos top puma to be unties th e Mather c . acumstabcd that he has avowed-i—nantely, that et hello soli.. otherwise •9 be the advothre of Mier. Ale:nodes ; and I certainly cannot :“ the for the min.nprsaemtstior which he has Omit .t. I 17Z" taat ketaii7, nodmilit—but n which, with as little doubt, he my been mistaken. I have also no doubt that another eirm • has had considerable weight tilletely, that Mr. Ales- 1 soda, the libeller was ths omen or nineeesentimf of agony of ben.. J. 6 L et idee's ht this ' house, to Which, upon his sea by I earl homed blood beloags. Vost, borrower, dint. &Went 1 ta P a ct such Senflonien mold lief Ft *Olt IrOltitr lave been availed bi animal+. l l' 21 4E 1 ; *an Lstegive a party in this" asks ' esiesiallY that he . 11 .gfeeded here. Ant yet" we .IMeelearn that he bra, such a representative from my hon. and learned Mend. by whom it :ETalso, be would have been defended ; but from an oPrehrn- U his seat and agitaden et r induce Mtn to giro utterance to sentiments, which would be. , not es agreeable as to be tolerated by the Court of King's ; and be bee also imputed to me that I instituted them preercutions not to put down a licentious. nese of the press, which had become quite intolerable, but to put down this piety through the sides of Mr. Alexander. AU I say now ' is, that I hope the house will not ascribe any party motives whatever to me, and that they will not Impute any motive to me which I shall deny. I shall now, then, p ro ceed to the different topic in the older they have been referred to - by my hon. and learned friend—and Ma Bret charge is, that the Lied IQ *nailer had come into the Court of King's Bench as a private 'prosecutor. end that when leave to tile an information was granted to him, the Attorney.Cieneral filed an ex rondo information for the same meter, which my learned friend says was oppressive ; because, if the de fendant was tried on themes and that it failed, be might thin be tried on the ether, and dist this would be a grievous oppeamista. I, sir, however, venture taw that no Attorney-General, end I nut sure that no gentleman of West. minster-hall, of any towbar. meld give utterance to such expres. Moos, and I ascribe his wire lee in this respect to my boo. friend's not being so conversant with the rules and reales -common law. Sir C. WEIVERELL—This would not be common, but un common law. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL resumed—l beg to tell my bon. Mend, that if a man be once put on trial on an ex-officio Information and acquitted, he can never again, in any form or shape, be made to answer for the same offence. I therefore say, that all the half hoar's declamation of my hon. and learned friend fails, and this, too, from a mistake which I should not have ex pected to have witnessed from him. That was the main ground on which he rested his objections to any proceedings, but I trust he b now certain, as I am, that this pound has failed, as well as others, to which I shall proceed by and bye, but for the present I shall proceed to discuss his other objections. He says that the ottorney-gentrall =lln court es the private counsel date lord chancellor, or he ather say, that the lord chancellor applied to the Court of King's Bench, by the =o a st of the Wes coroner or attorney, for liberty to put an in in the lie of the court. But does my hon. and learned friend say that that wns done; for if he doe ao, l I must tell him he i. altogether mistaken. Upon that be said, that when it bad been done, I ought not to have filed an ex. officio Information. I meet this boldly, and will ask, was It because that m_y private application had been sanctioned by the , judges of the King's Bench that I ought nor? Suppose, even as my hon , and learned friend wishes, that the house passed a Resolution to qualify the power of the Attorney-General, and pre. vent 'him from filing an ex-officio information without the leave of the Judges, bow would his case stand ? I put it to the common sense of in who heard me whether, when the Judges once sane. timed it, the Attorney-General would do 11l in commencing the ex.officio proceeding. But what would my Learned Friend say to an Attorney-General who Would file an ex.oflicio information in a case after a Grand Joey bad thrown out a bill. Now, by comparing man to man, althOugh Gob forbid I Should attempt to compare myself with one of the greatest ornaments that this House ever possessed—.l mean my Load Plunkett—yet, as • law officer, I have his example, as well so that of ahem, to justify , me. What did he do ? He filed ex.officio informations after a Grand Jury had refused bills.; and bow did he defend his conduct There were certain eases that had occurred in this country which be might have cited in his justificatiowln which the same thing had been done; but he did not cite them, nor he did not want them, be. cause there was a aloe of this description. In October 1811, an Indictment had been preferred-against a person of the name of Leech for writing to Sir Edward Littlebales, oaring him • bribe to pro. cure him the Mutation ea Bariackmaster. (Hear.) The bill was 'ignored by the Brand Jury ; but the Court at King's Bench ordered a second to be preferred, which shared the some fate; and, after these two rejections, Mr. Saurin, the then Attorney. General, filed an ex.officio information ; and yet Mr. Saurin was ,never called to my account for doing so. I, however, need not plead 'this, for I did not set so t I did not ca ll f ur a second bill after one was ißaored , but I filed my Information after the Court of King's bed sanctioned 'the appliation of the Lord ChanatUer as • private prosecutor, en affldavit, denying the bets alleged. Upon that appliestiou the defendant - might have come in and have sug gested .some name for his milleke,' Or expressed Me remorse, and then no proceddlog it'd! 'would have taken plum. He then might ' have appealed die peoiecutor by his penitence, or by some explanation; bat what did be do ? He pursued • neer He engaged an excellent man, a learned friend of mine, to resist the rule ; and what was the coury pursued ? I trust I need :Liz that no gentleman stands-higher in my opinion than my friend Mr. Denman, 'who. of course, acted under the in. ' `structions of his client, - Mr: Alexander. . He Nested that It' was the ' effect of on the part of the Attorney-General thntite did nor MI ex-officio information, and that he therefore pailllanimenslw sought the - maitre o f the court. My lamed fdend. also made sir of arguments under the instruction of his client, thatiq;gravated his offence tettiold-..that other Chancellor had not been undo: 'the necessity of coning forward to defend their characters.—t • I cannot attribute this to my learned friend, • who is the sequaint-: cane and the 'personal friend of the Lord Chancellor. This modeof 'Mgeding more directly tended to fasten the imputation on the Chancellor, and I therefore felt it my duty to proceed. That, however, alone would not induce me to do so; but a Mead th e . next day brought me the Morning Journal , In w hich there wait an article that infamW and aggravated every chaige. This treated toe 'aa wanting courege, intense I did not go on by an ex-officio infer. mation ; and ft also mated what its advocates are not willing to admit now, that the . Lord Citsincelbr, as one of the great altars of state, ought not to come IhrWard as a prirate pritectutor, and that it was the bounden ditty of the attorney-geheral to Forted ex-officio, end in no other way. Suppose now I were tp rest my defence on this alone, what better need I ask P B ut , I assure the Imam, that even though thus provoked, I should not have done so, but for other tom. cumstances. The house should be aware that the informations in these cases are generally prepared by junior counsel, and when this one came before me, I found that the counsel insetted &count, which . arguing from the affidavit upon which petalled/in to file it had been granted, could not be sustained. I must heregive some explanation. It was with respect to the imputation on my - hon, and learned friend near me (the Solicitor.tieneral) that he had obtained his 'high station by corrupt means; that it was indifferent by or through whom these had been used • but that altogether, gain was the object of the system carri e d on, and that imputations were cast - upon the whole government. I was about to sign the information, but when I saw this, I thought at once that it was taking higher ground, as the article impugned the whole government It oc. cowed to me that not only was this a high and proper ground to go upon r bat that the court of King's Bench might say to me, ou applied for lib ert y to fil e t hi s information as for a private libel, and yet here you have a court not covered by your applica tion ; and therefore if I h a d not gone on, I shoul d probably have been attacked by ,Mr. Alexander, or his counsel, as having been .guilty of subterfuge. I h a d, too , t h e aut h or i ty o f M r . D enman, for the .ex.olliciocauses being the most proper. I abandoned the pti. late prosecution altogether, and I filed the ex.ollicio information at once and altogether on tity own authority. I was not afraid to do so, nor can I allow any ...ch imputation. I did so; and I still say,. however I regret differing from my honourable and learned Mend, that I am under the impression that I acted cravenly—an im. pression which I shall carry to my grave . My learned Mend says that there is no lawyer in Westminster Hall who does not say that this was not an unconstitutional, and at all events an un. precedented proceeding. There is no doubt whatever that a Lord Chancellor has seldom or never been obliged to re. sort to a prosecution ; but I must say, that If this be the ophdon of the lawyers with whom my learned friend mires, we - certainly move In very' different circles of the profession. The sauna in. formation, too, has been attacked by my honourable and learned • fdeod, which I can by no means comprehend, and certainly I believe this is the first time Ante the House of Commons had existence, that an Attorney.Geneml has been attacked within he walls far filing an information on a libel against the King. My burned friend says, "Strip the article of its c olo uring, and it is no libel." To this my ' answer is, that the court and the jury thought it so. On 'another he toys, that the jury found Mr. Alexander guilty of shied 'against the King, but not against the Duke of Wellington, 'and that they recommended him to mercy; and this he calls merely a verdict with a farthing damages. But suppose the jury had ac. quilted him, Chit has nothing whatever to do whh the tint pineectt- L 4 ,111, which is the chief n d o f hi s comp l a i nt . M y hoc,ad learned blend also has' alludaf to the ease of Mr. Perry, of the Morn. lag CArtadek, In support of hii* arguinent, and• he now brings the words of the verdict in this Calla as an' aid. AU the use he can Make of It Is to quote Lord Ellenbor.ugh's opinion, for the purpose of showirj that the second infinmation was • libel. As he say% theju ry did gfee • qualified acquittal, 'and did 'plimiiitice *hat r. Perry wrote to be no libel ; • but ',: o t su i attach was shade upen die Attorney-General for lead. 'cud that press ,cution. And I would ask, was them one conselle.. 't lawyeetspon•elthrtor the benches of the house, who" would hive fasiituted an ;Inquiry Xi* the subject, if it was thought that there wasreny pound for it ? But what were the Word; of this alleged libaJ of the" Cbtaniekr crowd of Idemeitige milt upon - the oda, in the event of* change in .tior .pro. Sent system—of all monarchs the summer of George . the Third, Will Lave the sweetest epporttenity of - ratiliting 'himself popular."' No one then blotted 8w Vicary Gibbs foe his peosecution.— * Lord Ellenlnirtingh did *not think' dime words a'llbel, but he' nut 'Maras Sir lfrieltry Gibbs 'fur 'betagof attintraryloidnienel pad, ropem,rae, fiir Nicety Gibbs, was not a . whig .Atterney. Ger ,Which seine now to Crime—net that f' appio sied va bandying the tennyerWhia' or They. Theiluty 'Dern, 4 4 1Ait had ef ib it or a ripld.reselog this b M ree2he ill i poi to be or lop diffenot.empen rin couttisgreirmw4ilonkr ite fttr ibili Wid iteslettlirefAblerati lhogi whitens,''s • aidveelnalrlenfild to riltalillia{o what ie whin him, sad to exagnerate when is is Ma !-• • ~ • . t j favour. Now this I apprehend to be the emit* pursued by my honourable and learned friend to-night. He did not lead the lb* to the house; he &tartly repeated that the king had been lightly spoken of. Now, what would the jury have done were this the am. and what ought to be said of Lord reoterden If he elbowed such • case to go to the jury ; and yet Lord Temerden is not an idiot, and he is even allowed by my Hon. end Learned Fiend to be most impartial. 1, too, will restos to say of him, that never. in the cootie of a long practice, hare I met with a Judge of more perfect impartiality, and more entire fairness, combined with the most arcuate knowledge of the rules of the profession. I fey, then, with that Learned Judge. that this is i libel, and if m Learned Fried himself were on th e J ur y, tha t hi s ow n Integrity and honor would have induced him to give his verdict against Mr. Alm ander. Was it not, I mho' libel to represent the King as Unpopu lar and degraded ? It began in this way :—“ George the • Fourth was an unpopular man; but he is now degraded." Its effect was *represent the King as having once been popular, but now as degraded by his submission to an imperious minister, is not to due to partake of the amusements of his subjects. or date to show his face amongst them. I confess that I have been brought up in habits of thinking—and I have often expressed it in this House— that when the person of the king is spoken of it ought to be with reverence and respect; and I do say that nothing can be more de grading than to represent the monarch as not daring to enjoy the amusements of his people. This was also the opinion of Lord Tenterden and the jury. . Now, as to the third ease. My learned flietal says that this libel on th e king iamb weaker then the other; but I contend It is quite the reverse; for it toys that he al. • loin himself to be derided and ridiculed by his servants. and II combined With mocks upon the King, Lads, and Commons. as well is many diteingubbed individuals; and then, what is ay learned friend's conclusion P—that because there wan some deify on he other ease, this ought not to have been' pissed.. But he ought to have understood that the *adios were given within live minutes of each other, the last ease having been _ going on while the jury were o u t In th e oth er : My lathed friend also mys that the constitutional mode of 'pro ceeding .would. by to bring a man to the bar of that house,• Mil subject him to summary punbhutent. Now, it has always been the complaint of the press that we meted anconstitudomily by be., cm both Judges and Jury in our own cause ; and it has eve been an unconstitutional. However, we now heir front an ex-Tory Attorney-General, that the true mode of proceeding would be to have the individual tothe bar. I *toad wish very tnudh to see his precedent for that course ; for my own 1 can vouch many. In 'befit* place I can give one that perhaps may stand high in my leserid Mend's citfutation ' that of Sir W. Scott, now •Lord Eldon. when Attrithey.tienerab He filed informations for libels on the King, Lards, and Commons. Nay, his predecessor, Sir James 'Mac. &meld, did so in the cape of Pryneand others. These things lam sure mj learned friend forgets, or he would not say I here been the introducer of unconstitutional and unprecedented prosecutions.--: (Hear.) I will now show the number of informations (or libels on House of Commons pending the sittings of the house. In the time of Sir J. Scott there cm one;—in the time of the next Attorney. General an information against Johnson, and an indictment against a paper called The Scarlet Do*. (Loud laughter and cheers.) . In the time of Garrow there were four infbemations and one India. meat. • In the time of Shepherd, 10 informations and two In dictmeits. In the time of Gifford, 10 informations and one indictment for libel's on the 'House of Commons chiefly, but not entirety during the sitting of Parliament. in IMG, there *re three. This will show that ft was not unprecedented to prefer Informations for libel. Does my learned friend mean to my, that where • man libels the King, and also attacks the houses of Lords and Commons, by name, that it is a leas libel on the King, because it combines a libel on all the others ? I will show hundreds of instances where libels had been published on all these bodies, and where nobody thought that it was ever uncon stitutional for the Attorney-Oenend to prosecute 'for a libel on the House of Commons *One. My learned friend has trotted 'this rev as if Mr. Alexander had been punished because he was the the representative of a particular party. In that respect be is much mistaken. I tho ug ht th a t th e punishing the newspaper Was the beet oxide of showing to the public that he *M not sap. ported by aseh' paity. During the agitation of the great r ai t z then whi ch asonestil to l rankle in the mind of my lamed Mend, and to seinant foe any little occasional Intemperance with which he treats the subject, the hoses! must menthe/ that a certain par don of the the press which adopted 's% side of the question was ex. tamely abundant in a variety times*, libels amongst mhos, of endenvottring to natal& things as they were. Far be It ?mama so blame thefm for to doing, be any of the party .wbboo=sop. =I might think that, in many mopeds, the *MOM judgment ind exact penetration to stacittak= thillielia in the dotes, bat 1 never doubted their lotegrity, tint! g :l3 ihr ientifins. I, bowem, thought • that the mans on. posio4o sustain 'the homer of the party Wee' Mt . . 'During the discussion of the question rimy kinsircl i was put Incirculadon by the newspapers to Weaken lenses* of ministers. I happened' to go into the Many dating Wards, and inquiries were made of me as to the state of Leaden, these** being represented as filled with, persons rand ) to set die Idiots tarn On fire. Every one knew', that them was nothimi e l i tl4 . o sort; Mallbit the newspapers magnified and exaggemeol the During the discussion of the matter in pedininitht, Ihirligh the netts.' pspeforoightimie overstepped the marks's( preidimlis, net erne rise. cube Me initiated. It via believed thkt when the niesattre had: poised, that feeling Would subside. hires not ma I believe the bill re: aired the royal:assent early in April. The course paraded by thli newspaper wan to "moan to the people that his Majesty Intruded to dissolve the Parliament,ind tofu* Masse* to the bilL Thieves so represented, that many honest men, who took their opinions' from the newspapers, began to believe it. It was there tepee-, seated constantly that his Majesty was dissatisfied with his minis. tee, that the Duke of Wellimmn was to be turned out, and the measure to be reconsidered and repealed. In considering subjects of this sort, the public officer is bound to pay attention to the effect 'the libels are likely to . podia*. The state of the cottony was such, that it was desirable such ongry feelings should subside, and that • the opponents of the measure should acquiesce* in what had been dictated to be law. Yet Mr. Alex and er, pursuing a different course, wished to impose on hi e readers, and make them believe facia . Which they knew to be false. He was allowed to go on In bin own way till the end of May. On the day I had the honour to be presented to his majesty this; para gra ph came nut, re. presenting that the venerable Keel of Ki had had a conference with his majority of one hour the day *fore, and that the sub -*.t of. the conference, was the admitted Incapacity of Lord Lyndhurst for the situation of dhaieellor, and the ended. your to find a proper succeeser. It then went through a detail of the conversation between the king and Lord Eh don, the While of which was a libel. The first thing that Lord bl. don did-ea bearing oldie matter was to express his regret at this re. presentation of a newspaper which pretended to be, but was not, the organ of a party. No one who rad the paragraph would hesitate in supposing that the author had sense secret intelligence of - what was passing at Windsor. No man in this house would so suppose ; no man of education would believe it. Men deduction do not tithe their opinions from the newspapers; but the great mess of mankind may, and undoubtedly do. I put it to the house whether a repro. notation of this kind, this newspaper being considered as the Organ 'of a party, was not calculated to prods* a most pont. chat tact amongst the people. This was combined with Other libels of the 'name naive. It was said of my Lord Lyndhurst that there were repealed knockings at his door, and that tradesmen could trot get their bills paid. The effect Was to traduce a genteel ion *bleb :the pampa aimed &Corm the last men to hew • 14 ft: °lll4 as vrbiiitemd about that the' lord chaticsnee was unable to pay his way. The idea ' originated in paragraphs in this aewsperpor t and I hive**lesson to know, theugh I shall not go into the per iodos.' last parsons of rank, Members ft this home, train* intimations* ithith • bad their might in' the Alerting Jour*. . the lord chancellor thought' it ' to vindicate firloid4 He tad me,• in the conference I had with Int upon the aubject, that be never lie his life had been indebted the third ebb In come—that he was much astonished these reports had beetleirew. laud about him. He thought it right to pa an &Olsen tfpoti thl dim of the Court Of . King's Bench. As moo as I had resolved to Ale an ex-officio intonation against • Mr. Alexander I had 'an • wouoity of seeing thirty or forty **papers; so that I would not have the house suppose that the. libels mimed were the worst 1 had reed. 1 read libels on my right* honourable friend (Mlr. Peel), who knew nothing of his name 'being 'involved in the prosecution— libels in the form of letters, tic nature that no private matt would hive Submitted to. (ileitz,-heor.) The day after she inform.. Lion was moved for, Mr. Alexander was going on in the saint Mast, for he Published I' tooratioloit libel, defying #ll at henry, and showing his determittaion to pose**. I. had.dlia-mat. ate under consideration for mine dine. If I tame *died ' th =zi lam to blame. Ido not . think I have judged wrostg.• I • It footniary to restrain, if I possibly could, the licentious** •• cue „n of no just'value, by turning It Into contempt, which was predidag eh eitremely acrimonious erects, .and props ! tz g ait zinat o n r s ti w ie hi Iti eddetM llitt not ihar:bear: for . t;te re; t d di pinislial them all, the house would, indeed, have thought that I had had a *budget of Informations; but my object only was ea Iftettur.lherocurrence and Constant repetition of those nausea. ft.allhels,* . nbikii "are published from day to day. If I had . cl jutfilah thenewspina I shoild have *Wed Others,. and ;fart those only la ithith r *bald the king • 1 aid'tore linestas a hlonateltit I ' Mkeed; - ' " , tbfiled; OW kips EaOi•Aitool 4 thittlis ishglre* maw. - l'inn of spinier ity dutysviiim seltaihnoßbelemihr King. and Hisd.abun tautiOeo, irk Mo. Cy* of Inv ostetosers,. 4 4 . MbiliN •of it Ileablisoi iivatsti, mare; . Wag prosecuted• foe ihoz pue. L e :. i ll e ::refted Ptleal that" iirr l* dibtriationd • *ilid. ' ' yet I lave brought Mr. Alesandee se tri.L.:lf *et 'thee • I could have mooed and sepented -hie POMO% ' I should net have brought him to trial at all. I should btve be. better pleased to Jet him madereand that he win iiot pbe tried, but his conduct reamed me. I had,'• there. lag no option but to brag Id= es trial, and I will. do ' it is;cain. I have done nothing wrong.-(Hear, hear.) Vain afraid that my learned friend may have taken his teprekn. tattoos frown statements in The iffirgetto Journal and othet papers of that sett. It does not fad to my lot to be obit' to haul every newspaper. Unless souse vanity triad remindi Me of a libel on myself, I have @sidewise opportunity of knowing what they do ray I but, according to all the lafonnation I have received; the account given by the perm of what occurred on the trial has not bees so comma as their accounts generally are of what takes pipet a Cont. I beg to my that te treat me as the enemy of the press, because I have filed those Informations, is to misconceive• the whole mope of my intention. I will refer the house to what task place uppoen what is called the blasphemous libels is 1/1111; and, by a kicky accident, I found, last night, a note of A spack I mode on that occasion, without knowing that it bad been orted. It is a speech in which I profess the same sentiments which I now profess...ht which I state that I thought the Awn. 2 doi -Oessa iri elze sa t e_ not to be deprived of the power of filing ex -that it wee a power useful to the public, but ought to be esetched with care end responsibility. It was then segoed 6m prosseutioas bad taken place, and that the parties pro state& had been aordtted ; that Hone bad been acquitted, and that Week, had been acquitted for libels en the House of Cab man; and that, as prosecutions were Ineffectual to restrain the lioettiateneue of die peas, some new measure site namely. It win the genial feeling that libels had been earned to such a point as to call for some new monate. I stated that the opinion I entertained was, that the pro. mettle= hod been ink:did:only selected-that the parties would be acquitted. I thought ft unnecessary )o make any new laws to re latifs dm lass, because the old laws were sufficient. I sin glad the delteMelit remains to show that there has been no inconsistency in my cooduct. (Hew, beer.) I think honestly, I think earnestly, that If the Prat is allowed to become the perpetual source of pri. arena public slender-if it Is considered that everybody has a right to call a *ma, bemuse be is • minister, " knave"-" liar" -" Illoandret"-(for the Duke of Wellington has bean called many of these th(nge)...." a false *thee-- a false coward"- sod " asps* &every crime," one of two things must happen either the Preis must grow into utter disrepute, so that no man of common tense will allow it to influence him, or some mea nies moat be taken to restrain it. lam not for a new law. I think the old law sufficient. and, in my opinion, he who endeavours to correct the abuses of a newspaper, conducted by a bold and fac tious man, who bas no rqard to truth, feeling, or public proprie. ty, does service to the press; because, by ejecting from it those mambo's, who give a character to the body, he preserves its purity and incireasee the moral hallueoee ft ought to posies. What is the ass of the Press? Is it oat: to correct abuses by holding ththrup to public indignation= but the press will lose all its roll.mos, if it attacks without foundation. and Its calumnies will pass by lijte the wind. The press t h e will be, as Thersites is repro. sated by Homer, • son of privileged slanderer, who might rail Achilles a coward, and Agamemnon not a great king. I think my. self-y*lM meanlng'to say that l will carry the correction of the pears to any extreme-that whenever It is conducted upon the prinelplb urea which it has been conducted fur the last ten or twelve yisere, it is teethil and proper : and I ant not afraid to toy so.-. 1. *now it wins sane courage to say so- that its libels ought to be puitMed...( . lffiesr, bear.) A noble friend of mine told me, the other night, that be had reed in some news. paper that I bad sated teat 'lt wee improper for newspapers to publish the tellotes•df kitiet. In order to - satisfy the boom upon this subject, te to the very words I used, I have sent for the passage referred to. The house will give me have to read It, first, to show the tote [took; and. Idly, to show lwomuch I have been mitre preesuled ; end I wlll that show another instance of representation which husbeen - they unfocused* for me. Immediately after the in henatlat *as Sled, there moo ouch: the next day's newspaper a statetneit that If the •juries presumed to convict, care would be taken to publish their lames. the the country might know who they were. The Iffiskros. by . a person who called himself to this Doke of Wee not that to be noticed e t; 're nits* lies whom dander wee disregarded, were to Its sad say Many Ore, "Ms ' Wetherell has sent me to tell yilli that yen •ite's liar, a •thetosdrel, sod 6 villein," was it not likely that thsithdiviiial to ohm such 'stomata was addressed, wisuid klMelk - ilhe'llpithir detest Why ilisoll - vet the Duke of WellithpOs 'bete Isslisigs like midi& 'wool 11 was enough for the Thilbe if triellignet to know wt 'the 'Duke of Cumber. Mad itabild'OnstetAtheiiirise ouch _.5141111111106, 'hot ft was also dile MK the treed teneld brow Skit o*pothormi Mustriona, and si dmoilsodky-lisid•Mitide maj, bad eat loam the patron and foe** if the perthirlibe had ihihid the libel, and that person a . eltergyeaaa. Ondk vow wisewhipit the trill 'I was told that the awe era 'were *Meeting the Junes fee the verdicts they had My Idetevidisis were • theses." That . if ever it were pit"chime to any person, elm the 'Oases of juries bad been in WWI* they might be deterthefreen their duty by Aar . et saki* • 1 would Mt' *ink fano my put of the re. "Pgarali b ills Ildllltg e soch — psosons to maga punishment." I sea *reef silitilments, .11md I trust the house will be as ink • he juries by the fan Of the press. There is *AM* odereprossalaties keen which I hate - 'offend emit. I she/rata the jay that 'Mr. Alexander used the word "will" laskodif .04 ehall,"..and I said, l_perceive from his use of the wadellhit she gindenten la not an Englishman ; 'from what country it. esmel dotes pretend to know, but he does not use thssetasses 'with that felicity apse which we English. mea pills aleadess i and 1 cotheoded • that be was a Scotehmen. I. dehisce, 'Mr. Alexander made an attack upon me' for re peththiog hith at exeunt Of his co,.otry : be said It was illiberaL In toy reply I smad • that I was glad had given me an op. pestaaity to oee.et myself; that nothing • was flusher from my in. Masa than so reproach him en account of his country. I bay nasty -genffinelo if his coustry, and entertain towards di* • Iliffings If the 'greatest aspect and honour. Notwith. railiag that, the thsaght It to take notice of what per,and the relish •hoe bees that I am afraid I have given elbow to many weirdly persons. I received a lettei this day, in whisk is the teeming sessions :-" Yoe insolent coward, you knew veep well that If Lord 'Melville' or Lord Aberdeen had h ot at the heed of the sressuty, yen dere not abuse the Scottish anion."-{load laughter.) This is somewhat moving ; but it is a sample of genuine repeseentatiens when made by per mits who have interests In view. I. ask a the honourble gen. tleman . not to measure me, or jet* of my feelings by what they read In the newspapers. When I see any statement respect. ing an ladividuil, and which I knew is Inconsistent with his penal tonduct, it demise. leihmente me at all. I implore others to treat me is the same manner. A' Muse forma the motion, as my leaned ftknd wished to found upon the pipets which may be pro duced some Siberia rowelling, instead of opposing, I shall implore the home to grant him blirequest. lam perfectly willing to stand or fall by those papers 4 and If he can make then: the foundatioo of useful hnplovewiettte in the law of libel.l shall rejoice mit. He has stated that la he his Obleet. ' I have no wish to thwart hint. I would esthete** hewn would sit as jurymen and look at what the papers reallytheosther than what my hon. aid learned friend represents them. tlpoka review of all my tonduct, I do notecase myself of any Went* en act to restrain the liberty of the press. It is a' false View if the subject to impute that to me, nor will I enter into the (suing. of my Houourabk sad leirned Friend when he imputes to me wane optreseire end tyrannical towards .11r. Alexander. Ily ==6ll bad adieux abject than to prevent the excesses if li drielieber has canted to an' cres to which is was ogyavaglid raw' lie assure the House that I speak sincerely what l•way; diet with, the ebtomstances la which I was placed. I studio I to hits lead ; and I verily believe. , netwithstind. kg the of My Idartad Friewls , that if the same thing "Alt' I *old se act agein.--(Heer, bear.) 4 • _girl'. • )1 TT sold. th at notoithstanding the entertainment while' thr ban.' sad' learned seedcases bad given to the house. Whisk was pathos better adapted to another stage -notwitheand hg his ctincdts and angsdpeduths we ba, erabrateing (very thion,: as lit Stith of the speech of the hon. and learned member'-for Plympten, and appliaibk to nothing ; one thing was /Omitted the he hid tiled an ea leek, fulmination aft& he had begun by indictment. However, the learned gentleman hid not succeeded in orating Out the cruelty or oppression of that mode 'of pro ceeding. There might be some additional expense occasioned so the defendant in ansequeoce of ft-that was ill. ' in' feet, (bare' was an end' to the whole case a. regarded the charge of op premium' against the' Attorney.tieneral. Kist while' he gold this, he toed add that he thought the power et Slag a officio infonna. than otfOt not to be penoittbd to mkt. He confessed himself so old frahanW in his nelime-so'much a sieve to Indent opioiona in sci be n, :s tes erc re pr d ee l : f tb ar e fft .; l e thi b n y kin e g x l o ll :ci a o aM inf u no tlifY itat c h o m n s- trol tha ceu t re thought With the 'pest Led (Ihatiten, that the perm should be like the eir..-a clanked libellee. ' His leased friend (the A norney bletieral) admitted, die 'tht press Sonia *itself the remedy of its Own stoma. when it sunk Into scusillity and abate, and that peop!e' would •at With • **ohs inellbetrit to it t if so, why proacute an aphid that our thud' tattered power's* by its mis. eppllcation ? (Hot, heat) Would anybody believe.because the Mike of Wellidgtos might be called a' - award . .by ,Sir' Ales. ilsodae In atellOsentnel Jt urmo/. that such a statement could lower 1 hies lit diVeldwiation of the kW' this reentry' that k week, i likriNel Weimer ilea in Ma high end well.ouned i chif. r =ll6-101.tily ? ' Utley *ld lower the character of ti e• 'ethic it *mail be the ' of thew prosecutions;' but 4t g a t* ilini_ ireftriblite I Ili ' Puke 'ef ' Well lemon, or . to i g ir r, I. st - deep as Till a .Nri ts, l4l 4 ‘ 7l,umgapiNi hie gaiiill : disami 44 : wohd i re4 l .44l6 .4"" . was sibuott b il i;d it °t to w . s on u tut c l h po i . h s ei s s - Us * need. aphis& ihiajsumal.st as anormou s and unmet. • hoisted pones, • power *LW he anismaiasi to be it/di:caul t . • . • • ~~ .