Star. — London, England, 1817-05-30 00:00:00

&volution. Acts f Parliament had been passed for eacluding irdirdnals in place from a seat in Parlia anent. If a man if fined his sou to o••• lla thr Chute'', or to any it o. , he was at ill • ~ease et justrUCtirilhirp 352 41 in fit bun (or his profession or he trade, aud washem-for latter caie, to sup. ply him with a•stak in trade, But tl etc young are Vt . only to triainatencied at our Up pence. but we are in furnish them over and above with a stock in trade. and they themselves only find p stock of irn,aidence and corruption—Weer, flew). It did not mailer if npression had not been e'er. fused against a single individual. ft was st so s much the Worse if the power entrusted to - Minier was n ot - ",, e i, e d at all, or only exercised with mode. ration ; hrcause the abuse of power had a ten d ew - . to ate •en inquire into their rights, and wianfolly to aunt 111.--(Near, hear, hear) With;wt taking np more of the lime of the C o urt, he would fairly put it to them, whether, under all the circumstances which had taken place—looking at the situation in the country—the grievances which were untedressed and unenquired into—the calmness, rvtietness, and resign:total which were displayed 1 „ they cauld stand still and see his M jesty's Ministers, with the view of screening their de. linqueocy, perpetuating abuses and corruption, and insuring to themselves the same corrupt support front another Parliament which they had received from the 'nese it—whether they could stand still and see them commit suicide on that Constitution which had so long been the boast of Englishmen. and for which O ur ancestors had fought and bled—(lt'ar, hear)? The worthy Member then moved a series of ltesolu tions, for which see Advettisement. Mr. Busisreao seconded the motion. It was un necessary, after the luminous speech which they had just heard, to enter at any length into the subject ; but he could not sit down without expressing his hearty assent to the motion of his worthy Friend. Became a lew desperate individuals had bee., guilty of outrages, that WAS no CaUSe for suspending that which was the greatest boon we had derived from our ancestors. Mr. SAwJxr. DIXON opposed the motion. The Habeas Corpus Act was our of the greatest impart ante, and ought not to be auspend.d without strongest reasons for so doing ; vino he had a la tree opi nion of 'ti nk I id in general t totheve the present Minisito s be actuated by ti,otives to base as those w ech had been ascribed to them. They must know that even if they carried the measure at the present .00ment, svithour it were juatifiea by good grounds, they must appear in all succeeding times the most- foolish, if nut the most wicked men that ever existed. He considered it both unjust and im. politic to throw out such gross imputations against his Majesty's Ministers and bath Houses of Parlia. newt—fur it was to them that not only they vein selves, but all Europe were indebted for all the pri. 'lieges trey enjoyed at t . at moment. Every Mem ber of the two Houses of Parliament hod shewn the utmost desire to attend to the existing distresses of the country. When he heard the "Talents" making 'so many declarations of what ought to be done for the country, he confessed he would be very glad if they were in power for a short time only, to see h o w far they would carry their professions of economy into practice. It would thus afford the country an opp"rtunity of judging whether they felt as they spoke. He did not deny that distresses existed in the country, for on the contrary, no man was more disposed to feel for and relieve these distresses, yet he did not consider them owing to any political circumstances, but merely to the want of that monopoly of trade Which we enjoyed exclusively daring the war. This, in the opinion of every unbiassed mind, was the prin cipal. it not the only cause of our present calamity. He had heard with some but-prize, that as the crimi. 'lid outrages which had lately taken place were con fined' to a few obscure and indigent wretches, there fore the Habeas Corpus Suspension was unnecessary; and he. was equally astonished to witness the levity with which such outrages had been treated. It was so far well, that the outrages were the acts of a few, but was it at all credible that they would always he the doings of a few ? Had not the sad experience of all these mighty revolutions which had occurred in Empires, shewn that the acts which led to them often proceeded froth the most trifling causes ? The be p'toning of strife was as water let out, and therefore st could not be too promptly checked. A snow-bill, to use a vulgar phrase, never lost any thing by rolling, bat on the contrary gathered. The inflammatory publications which were issued at a cheap rate, had now, thank GOD, been checked in their progress, and those political ignorant demagogues, who had so long distracted the country, were now silenced. But the principles ahich actuated them were still the c a rne, acd were only kept down by the salutary restrictions imposed by this Act. Viewing then the matter in this light, he begged to say, that ezoold he even trend alone, he would hold up his hand against the proposed Resolutions. Alder man GOoI*BEHERZ--The speech of the Worthy Gentleman who had just sat_ down, had Dwelt occupied the time of die Court, without his baying one thing to the point. He had done every thing in fact but spoken to the question, and while he had congratulated himaelf on the personal safety be enjoyed, he had entered into the severest censures on the weak and illiterate part of society. The worthy Gentleman seemed to have entirely forgot that the object of the Court was not to throw any stigma on the ignorant and infatuated, but to enquire whe ther it was proper that Ministers should insult the good sense of the country by. proposing a measure Jar which there existed not the slightest necessity. The Worthy Gentleman had praised the Ministry: _ and had advocated the cause of every administration, the "talents" excepted, whom he chose to grapple with as men of no talents. It would have been much better for him, instead of so doing, to have shewn who were the Ministers who were best entitled to their country's praise. Certainly the best Govern , silent on earth was that which defended the righti of the people, whisk with a jealous eye watched over every attack on their rights, and resisted every mea sure calculated to impair them. But could any man, w laid his haud on his heart, say with a good con 'sane that , the present administration had acted in this matintr, for onthe contrary had they not shown their little attention to the ince:lsta of the people by tut measure they had lately accomplished, and th e ohe wit.i.h they uuw proposed At the arguments British bosom, was releced to roiseey by ti e e;fi adopted by the last speaker , merely went to show, that war generally made a nation poorer, but that tresses of the times; he cot:ld net sntiere to remain though the Habeas Corpus had been suspended, we in London, and see the faces of those who had made nu.tht to be thanktul we could still breathe and walk millions from his pockets, and thoo• ef p er m, s I , ke . oo n : he retired to Maitchester, and there lilted op about and enjoy social comforts , &t. 'ro le all these were objects of gratitude, but the Constitution gave his voice in behalf of his country and tt:e Constitn us a right to expect more. It entitled us to demand tion. For having thus lifted ti his v iice be was as our -free barn right, as the sacred legacy be. thrown into a dungeon. The hands that were raised queathed to us by out forefathers, and hallowed by to the Governmetit for redress were loaded with %no their blood, that not a single Briton should be ar- minious chains. He Was tern Irons his family by rested, that he should not be for a single moment de- ruthless hands, that se , mod unconnected is itle the prived of his liberty till a sufficient cause had been common pulsetiens of bernanny. His enly clime &hewn by his conduct that his liberty was dangerous, was to have petitioned ter what were the ri g hcsof all. and even then lie could only be committed on OA h. Mr. Jam was aaare, that no observations that he He trusted the spirit which animated our ancestors could make would have the smallest effect on the would not forsake us, their children. He trusted that Court, but at the same time, he would on nu account at a moment so interesting in 'eery view as the p r e. shrink from his duty. He trusted there was no man sent, those who revered the Constitution would r a lly actuated by a stronger attachment than be was to the around her,, and spew their love to her by preventing Constitution, and on that account he was determined her destruction. It had been foolishly said, "if you to stand to his post. Had he consulted his wan fed. don't like the country you may leave her," Such an ings, he perhaps should not ha‘e spolien, but there asserti-n, perhaps, deserved to be treated with con. were two or three poi:its in the speech ot the Honour. tempt, but he would notice it only by saying, that it able Mover, which be could not hop noticing. I t was I , ve, trite love to the country, which kept her WAS, in a tree country like this, impossible for any friends here. It was love to the clintry which led one rationally to expect unity of sentiment in every the friends of Reform to wish for the coriection of thing, tor, on the contrary, in every free country there public abuse& and thus to skew Europe the true ex- necessarily esistesi a diversity of opMioa. He could cellence of the Constitutions The Cuinstitutson re. not concur in the opinion . of the Habeas Corpus Att quired only to be shewn in all its purity. in order to being o the Lite's blood of the Constitution," yet no be adMired, and he certainly was t..e best friend of man could value that Act more high i k than be did. bis country. who manfully resisted aggressions on the At the time, however, when it passed into a law, public rights, and demanded what the Constit u tion there appeared to have existed a difference of opinion gave him, whjfe, on the contrary. be .544 S his coml. respecting it, as Bishop Burnett had told us in his try's for, who wished ahoises to exist. and branded history, that it passed the Lords by a very small ma- With the epithets of revolutionary enthusiasts, all who j oity indeed. The Suspension of the Act was not 'sincerely desired to see her restiaed to her 'anginal the entire Suspension of the Constitution, but he purity—(l/car, hear, hear.) Acting as be had Ulii. firmly believed it had been the m st eff:ctual means formly done on these views, and sincerely desirous ot restoring the public peace, and the public credit. whilst he lived to advocate the legitimate rights of Prior to its being suspended, we had seta meetings British subjects, he should most I eartily support the of the most tumultuous and unprincipled nature eon measure of hie worthy Friend, and he could only add, veiled, but happily those had been prevented by this that he most cordially approved of every sentiment ',Allll4ly measure. We had seen public confidence *lace had been so forcibly and eloquently stated by restored,itir since it bad taken place, Stocks had risen the I - I , nourab:e Mover—(/clear, hear, hear.) 10 or IL per cent.—(Hear, and putted lausherr) -- Sir Wtraaast Curtis defended the Committee em- The Stock brokers, who err the best judg,s, Si) se— ployed oil t'.. Grin Bag Plot (a bush), who had (A laugh; and No, no, no).—This was the first time acted. In: .a. 'is conscience beli• ved. arum the purest he had eve, iiearal me present Stinist.rs charged with tatetis as anti die b. at intentions.. Only one ri t o ii i 4 is 4 aiming at despotic measures, and he could not, and rusted among the Committee, namely. that strong would not believe that they were men capable of h e . measures w ere' necessary , though - he believed two of ill actuated by such motives. No mau posses , ad of the twenty-one Members did nit think ouch measures etimnorn sense or reason would wish to see his taunt. were called tor, as Ministers load adopted—(A e mi a. try revolved in the miseries naturally attending a des arid He Zr, &Jr, !sear.) " I an, (said Sir Willi to ) tho potic government. He had. when tae question was staunch 'nand of heeded:, and love. nee r •uniry, a nd last Let Ore them, given his vote :against the Petition, the Constitution of my country, but I .sw such cite bec use be was persuaded, from a hat be lead heard, necessity for the. Suspension that I was obliged in my a , ii train whist the worthy Baronet had stated to conscience, obliged to vote for it (.4 ke t ch.) Yes, I speetina the opinion of the Committee, that there was did a". I assure you. after having read alt ihe I , 4 p e r, 311 absolute necessity for the measiuc. He thought aver most carefully, and laithiully. and impartially. just sow that it was rash in the Court to proceed to We are called together to-day. I think, rather prem.,. tto Houses f Parliament so soon, and he thougot it turely, and I believe it 86 all owtoo to a qua stn n thereone better that they should trust to the wisdom being put by a Member et the HOObe to the Minister, ot the Legislature. He should ti.erefore move the pre. vious question, d an, parson appealed to second him. Who Answered that it was Ms intention to move tor the revival of the Committee who had formerly sat Mr. Alderman Heroare.-- l'he question now oe on the business. Perhaps I may be one of the mino tore the Court lay in a narrow compass, and conse ber on the Committee, and if I am, I'll assure you, I quently rendered it unnecesary for him to detain them shall do my duty. But why der T . ugo to the H oise by many observations. That the Habeas Corpus wets With a Petition, before you know what the House tie great bulwark of English liberty, no man could means to do I You are, I think, doing very wrong, doubt ; and certainly it ought not to be suspended, and should wait to see what will be diaie before you except on occasions of the greatest importance, as in 'go to the House. I shall vote agai '.t the Amalie• roads on the Constitut , on_ were at all times to be eons—they are very premature."—(Ceneraliari ker ) dreaded on account of their baneful consequences.— Mr. Pxansox had given way to the Honourable He was at a loss to perceive on what grounds it was Baronet in hopes that he was to throw some new light possible for Ministers to justify the measure they had on the subject, but he had only professed himself a now in contemplation. Viewing our domestic situa mourner at the 'Minal of the Habeas Corpus. A non, every where we saw tranquillity prevailing—no worthy Gentleman had said, that we arrogated a meeting of any outrageous nature now held, and we greater degreb of wisdom than WIT ancestors; yet his had the gratification of seeing a check put to that oon speech had contradicted the imputation. The torrent of blasphemy which threatened in its progress Habeas Corpus was obtained to prevent prosecutions to overturn the venerable institutions of our civil and on mere suspicion. Suspicion was the only ground ecclesiastical polity. Looking abroad, we beheld alleged now for suspending this bulwark against sus- Peace established in every quarter, and, if we might picion. Our ancestors saw the necessity of suffering credit Ministers, built on a foundation not likely to no man to be apprehended that was not charged upon tee shaken. We were engaged in a firm alliance with oath ;no man to be committed that was not furnished the Powers of Europe, and, in truth, he might say, with the charge, in order to be prepared for his de- with ' every State in the world. The arguments, fence; and no man to be severed from his friends and therefore, of former Ministers, respecting our foreign family, and immured in a dungeon, without an situation, could not be adopted by the present Admi avowed and adequate reason. We were now surely nistratinn ; and they were alike inapplic ible to our wiser than our Ancestors, for we could now find sut- domestic state. But we were gravely told, that to foie ficient justification for the suspension in the very going to the House it was our duty to wait and see causes which had urged them to enact the Habeas what the Committee would do.• In answer he would Corpus. But leaving this part of the Gentleman's say, that we had only to examine our widerstaadings charge, he would say, that we might pretend to be and to open our eyes, and we would then be as able' wiser than our ancestors without pretending to a to judge of the state of the country as any Committee greater degree of intellect than they possessed. A which any Ministry could adopt. Since the first sus pigmy on the shoulders of a giant could see farther pension he had expected that some extraordinary din than the giant. Although we should not, therefore, coveries would have been made, to justify that truly have the hardihood to claim the Habeas Corpus, un- extraordinary step, but he had waited sonic mouths leis our ancestors had before claimed it, we surely in vain ; and he could only say, that his decided and should not be guilty of great folly, it we endeavoured heartfelt conviction was, that them existed no neces to prevent the suspension of what their wisdom had sity whatever for this measure, and no solid grounds obtained. Nothing could be more absurd and dan. to support it ; for had there been any solid grounds, gerous than to allow Ministers, because forsooth they one was naturally led to ask what had the Attorney were so good, so wise. and so sure not to abuse their General been doing, and why had lie, instead of eno power, to arm themselves with powers contrary to ploying those powers with which the law invested the Constitution, and capable of being used to the flint ler the protection of the public peace and public destruction of the last vestiges of lieechana He morals, allowed such libels to go abroad and such might be told that it signified little to saddle and proceedings to take place as had, in the opinion of bridle a horse ; but he could not help thinking, that Ministers, called for this Act being suspended ? It the rider would soon take bisoseat booted and spu:red was absurd to argue that Ministers knew nothing of —(Applaere).-1-le would refute the principles on the proceedings, because every one knew that they which blinisters rested the suspension, out of their must have been acquainted with therm We had own mouths. The Attorney-General declared, that experienced the blessings of a free Constitution, and there were many seditious and dangerouk publics- we theirture more keenly felt thee privations of them. titans abroad; but that they were written with so much Magna Charm was the first step of our liberties, and cratt and cunning that he could not prosecute : yet it recognised the principle of the Habeas Corpus Act, no sooner was the suspension obtained, than the though as one Honourable Gentleman observed, that pigmy swells into a giant, and stalks into the King's principle had not been acted on for four hundred' lknch to prosecute what he had said could not be years. No man could too deeply regret that it had prosecuted. These prosecutions ought to have pre. been so long neglected, as this right had produced ceded the Bill for Suspending the Habeas Corpus, many and painful quarrels between King arid people. and then there would not have been • pretence tor it. He regretted the worthy Mover of the Resolutions Where were the dangers that made it necessary to, had imputed to his Majesty's Ministers the design of enable Ministers to go into every man's house, and to wishing to ruin the country by the introduction of A confine him at their arbitrary discretion ? Th e l a ws system of despotism. Perhaps he might be called a were quite sufficient for all that had occurred ( aft . milk and water reformer; or a s' wisheyowashy ore. /dam) : if not, they should have been altered or moil- tor," fur saying so; but though lie did tot approve, upliecl to suit emergencies, rather than that Minis. and could not approve of the system ot policy which tcrs might be authorised to do whatever they chose. the Administration of the present day bad, unhappio But the lows ware sufficient; for the Attorney-Gene. for the country, followed, yet he really could net ral was now prosecuting for libels which h e had de. think them capable of 'ruining the country deliberately Glared to be beyond the reach of the law. It was raid He was persuaded of this when lie considered he. Ministers would not abuse the power given them; private characters, and he would here adopt a lat. they had already abused it. A man of the highest known adage, oan injudicious advocate is the'eneni% respectabilitY, and as loyal a heart as lodged tu any .of his came." He believed it his loudly Frond (Mr. could leeee net ai thet part 'stoat Ministry acting so i/eliberately for the ruin of the country, 111 ed •C %se I ects! much wieer . to hie cork., 41. d w iild flare an almost one aa itt loos volt ; a wouldonly asp that Hun. urabl Gentlrme n that connection possibly existed between this attack nisters and the question neer before :item ? On t' e whole, never was flare a period ni , :re impull history of teis country than the present—never nes' there one in which more auxiety and sutp-es e WAS fat. 1 Wert) he contemplated the state r.f tle• country, every seeing was awakened in his breast, and lie cunf esse j lie viewed it with deep concern. He was the enemy, the decided enemy of innovations, but there could rot be a•reater innovation then that which h a d for its*. S t An pensi sed d I'arE ainibm:•4l,d.ititt:lnPitwp:;riawovsaisapitti;onwi tien wno l b i ?l n i cr i s : .ii r ns o y e t : it u dd p o s.: l.lisri o erie p idiledil l e A dig e tetoli t o t: flu itt e :T fi i ltitt r e‘oi r .. ceri r s ccer . ; t g ilst r iveirt i t s oa :: : a serious consideration arose in the mind. During s that recess the Parli a ment might, and if report. spoke otrittae,dwi,soasiitittsmtnie, while such a lt o % vested iii bled:tees, as the Suseension Act, it passed, would give them. Where then was the breasted free. don of electikin? Alas, it the Act should pass, it was also abolished. This, in heft, was a poweiful argument for supportarg a Petition t" Parliatntnt against the proposed measure, which, if it slit pass, was the roost dangerous that had ever been witnessed. He Loped, however, the voice of the country would be raised against it, and that Ministers would net s precipitate a measure so dangerous to the country, Nothing was shewn to justify it formerly, and surely no man, at least no indt penitent honest men, could say, it was called for now —(/fear, hear.) Sir JAMEs Sit Aw - 44 My Lord Mayor, at this late hour it would be impreper, in me to d e t a i n 'ea longer, especially after what you have heard fr. m the Gentleman who preceded me. Whet, ti . e nun was lately discussed bef o re this C. urt, I steed th e grounds which • led me to lie, idly ti. t hee., i r „, n my worthy Friend on your lett hand ; and sure, my Lord, if I differed with hint thin, I do so much more how. 'Then I declared my firm conviction, that there existed no Necessity for ties measure, a'.d I ant decidedly of the Same oillllloll Still. I%) 41 pears utterly inconcesvatle than at a moment when tranquillity pervaoes every district or it ;m inor , and when we also et joy plot• and sect ity abrie t e, Ministers should be hardy enough to propose to i'ar. .intent the ruspension or ti e brit and the dearest rights of the British nation. Entertaining this opi. won, 1 shad, my L o rd, in my place in Parli .ment, use every exec lion I pessibly can t. , resist a nn.isiite which to lie, at least, appears a m )st unjos unnecessary, and improper' attack on the liberties of tie people. 1 have heard nothing which can pos. slimy justify its taking place now, and I are as persuaded there was no real foundaion ter its eiki.ic pleee formerly. On these views lam determined to act w henever the question comes fairly be:. re the House of Commons."—(Hour, hear.) Sir WILLIAM CUllTts—‘ , You all mistake me. I du not give any opinion on the subject, for I enly said, wait till the Committee Repert, and then yru can judge, whet you should do. This is sli I said, and I tell you plainly I gave no opinion." • Mr. WAtTUMAN said, he was glad that he had no occasion to enter into any length of reply, in conce. quence of the very weak and frivolous ohject...as which had been made against his motion. The pourable Baronet (Curtis) had truly deprecated any declaration of opinion as to the further continuance of the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, until the Committee to be appointed by the House of Commons should nuke its Report upon that subject, although that Honourable Baronet knew very well what that Report would be. But the Court mutt recollect the conduct of the same Committee upon a late occasion, and the race which Ministers urged Parliament to pursue for the suspension of the Ha. beat Corpus—a race so rapid, that the voice of the country could not keep up with it, or even terns itself, before Ministers had attained their object— (Near, hear.) He exhorted that Court then, as wen as the country at large, not to be imposed upon by any plausible pretences, or to pause in their lieu cities against the impending danger of a system of arbitrary power. The pimple of this country had unt..rtunately been in general rather too slow this precipiwite in declaring their opinion upon public measures, and the enemies of public liberty, (Mr. Watchmen observed) always profited by club delal. As to the other Honourable Baronet (Shaw), halo= upon this, as well as upotq a turner occasion, dour infinite credit to his own character. It was indite. impossible for him to say any thing in favour of the Honourable Baronet, that could serve to tai , C lure higher in the estimation of his fellow-citizei s, ibAl his own conduct had done in this case—( f kw.) With respect to another Honourable Alderman ( Ile gate), he thanked him fur so much support as heal torJrd to the motion, and lie regretted, aitheugh he was not surptized at the degree of opposition *hire that Honouteble Alderman thought proper to sl• - •press. That Honourable Alderman, no doubt, e! sessed considerable talents, as he (Mr. ‘Vaittanan) was always ready to admit. But lie could nut !icy thinking that those talents were generally perverue: for however various the opinions upon eu•sti the Honourable Alderman never a t rerd wita an! party—he scented determined to putsue a CMITSC st his own—always attempting to maintaidinkesreh,o ; 1 11 . 1 ' . . between tight and wrong—( laugh. a The Honourable Alderman , in this instance, root'c :i at the idea of attributing to Ministers any chipesitti 3 to subvert the liberties of the country, altiiong.l very same breath he described the Habeas Corps' fathom A Act as the b palla di umeb Ministers s t w he ere C"st abo it u u t li t u o n without, as the Honourable sorted, even the shadow of necessity. But to use words of an eloquent writer- 14 When bliuistets at P eriod f profound peace maintained a large soled e :27:11:i.uistress, o —when, instead proposingead cl t endeavouring wish es, or redress the public glievatices.they lee's; to suppress the complaints of the people of this, e ay, while they sought to conciliate the pawcu .' 1. • raw, and to second the inordinate desires el :biome Government in Europe--whole clef' I ‘ , teems:web uitcntatiblisly forward as the adves f s :. • ituueil, and the opponents of the liberty :. thew was serious rub= l e e It to be alarmed eepi hod W 46 atiri ibru PRICE C4l Re ki4 lit• P a p ers /thi g h wean epnuoß ittas formed Cadiz, brida l at Algi fence ; Cool %ay h