The National Register. — London, England, 1812-07-12 00:00:00

JULY 12. It appears also, that attempts have been made to create a persuasion amongst the persons engaged in these disturbances, that their pro ceedings were likely to be supported by similar combinations in Lon don, and in other parts of Great Britain, as well as in Ireland ; and that they are countenanced by individuals of a higher class and de scription' who arc to declare themselves at a future time. But no evidence has been laid before Your Committee to sanction any such reports. It appears to Your Committee, that even in the cases in which the rturagei have been most dearly ascertained, it has been extremely dif ficult, and in some instances impossible, to obtain evidenee of the per sons by whom they were committed. Of the numbers associated in the different parts of the disturbed d;strict, Your Committee have not any information that can be satis factorily relied upon ; but that it is considerable,the papers !ale before them give sullictent ground to think. Nether can they preseme to state, what is the ultimate object the persons thus associated have in view, nor for what precise purpose it is that these extensive combina tions have been formed. But Whatever may be the object, or who ever may time secret movers, whether these combinations are confined to purposes relating exclusively to trade, cr whatever adventage has Lien taken of the distresses of the times, to draw together, under that pretence, all discontented persons, witii views hereafter to be deve loped ; yet the secrecy and method apparent in the whole arrange me.a, the system of terror so industriously enforced by threats, asses ;:nation, and attempts at assassination, the oath administered, time cei t eroess and activity in procuring arms, and the training, before•men teamed, are all circumstances which have not failed to impress upon tne minds of Your Committee a strong sense of the danger wising from such combinations, to the peace and security of the country. Silt July, 1812. The CUANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQUER moved, that the Report should lie on the table. Mr. PoNsoNßv WISIICd to know, at what time it was the intention that it should be taken into cnnsideration. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER named Friday next. PONSONBY said, he did not with to press any improper disclo sure, but 1 c thought it would be for thri convenience of the !louse to klow what the nature of the Hill or hamled to la:: rounded on the Report would be. _ _ _ The CHANCELLOR of the Exciirguma had no objection to stat 7, that the object ot the procceJillo ‘votild ha to put down no..turnal mini:lo,3nd deteat the purpo:. s of thi!Rioters. Mr. WHITBREAD declared that he was surprised that the Right Geotleman was unprepared to 4tate the measureli Tlis only evidence laid before the Committee was the papers commit. nieved by Government. He %vas on that Committee, and had voted with the mi,iiirhy on a motion for not exclu:tity, other witnesses from hiving information. lie did not ki.ow that Government could br;ng twwaril any enactment for w hich he should vote, conceiving that the law as it stood, combined with the tin provement ut trade in the MAlM facturiog districts, would meet the exigencies of the case. Atter sons: further observations front Mr. BATHURST and Sir F. 13iiittur, r, tile Re;)Ort wits ordered to he taken into consideration on haday next. —Adjourned. THURSDAY, JULY 9. No buitc..ss of huportalice took place this way. FRIDAY, JULY 10. Mr. G i t.ts, without waking any motion upon the subject. wa , ; tor•icetting to recommend to the House to bring in a sill to prevent French Priscucts from making Straw Hats, as the privilege termed injure, in a very ala.rtning clewee, that particular trade. He was, however, called to order by the Speaker, and did nut persevere in lila obi rya:ions. A di'....tission arose upon the motion for the third reading of the Irish lint;cr Bill, and a division was the consequence, when there ap pzim:d 14 the Bill, 6 ; Against it, .`,.i—Majority 33. AMERICA. Mr. Ilitour.flAti rose to oppose the motion of Lord Castlereagh, :Mrs proposed t h at the Order of the Day should he react for trtkirg hito consideration the Rep-rt of the Secret Committee) for the pur pose ot askivg a question of Ministers. Accounts had appeared in the public :stating the determination of America to go to war %via: this country. lie w i shed to know, whether there was exaggeration in these reporti, or whether they coineirLd with the diplomatic intel ligence received by Government. Lord CASTLEREAGH sail, that the measure of war against this country kid, according to the intelligence he had received, but upon the accuracy of which he could not ple.ige himseif, paased the Lower 1 1 , use. The decision of the Upper House was not known, as it had keen conducted with secrecy. SECRET COMMITTEE. s Lord CASTLEREAGH rose to found a Bill upon the report of the Loinnuttee appoint e d t o enq ui re i nto t h e caus e a nd state o: the dis- Ntbances in various counties in England. He commence.i by assur ing the House, that nothing but the necessity of the case hid Induced Government to bring forward the measure he would propose. It was Plovtd to the H ouse , an d to t h e country , t h at t h e system o f disturb- ~" /RUPP . EAk TILE NATIONAL. REGISTER. 4C$ once which had been carried on in the several counties mentioned in the Report of the Committee, was of a nature the most alarming ; that the plan was organized, and carried to an extreme, Against which the existing laws could give no security. It was at filar, the Noble Lord stated, supposed that there was no necessity ter ref:trine to any other means of restoring the country to its former peace and tran quillity, but the complexion that throe counties had now eastoned, rendered it inditpensarily necessary to resort to measures of a mere decisive and authoritative nature. The form in which the large body of the rioters now appeared was military, their object evidently ma lignant, their actions diabolical cranes. He was of opinion th :t the origin of the disturbances by which the country was diseractel, was not at all necessary to be enquired into, their present state was the question. The extent was notorious. Depredations was hourly committed ; the properties and lives of respectable and itioflensive individuals were taken away, and there eaxisted no security tor any who were not joined with this bend of extermivators. They marched forth in the array of battle; they were not satisfied with opposing the civil, they were determined to prepare theinaelves likewise to meet the military power of the country. They said to each other, " it is impossible for any authority to shake us if we adhere to our plan. and make ourselves competent he engage with tile military." If Government would sink into apathy or indolence under such circumstances, what would be the state of the country ? It they were not immediately to resort to measures nene~ atrette than those that had already been tried in vain, where was the man wile con 1. say he was not appreheroive of assassination ? The Bill he should introduce to meet the system he was deprecating contained three clauses ; first, with respect to arms ; see and, with respect to rumul tuare meetings; and thirdly, with respect to the power of the Maeistretes, the Magistrates should have the power o: searching for :tons wherever they suspected they were secreted or stolen. They should have the power of eemandirg awns from any person, for tee purpose of keeping them in security, at tho same time that families would not he deerived of such arms as were necea:ary to drfenct their houses. They should have the po.eer of dispersing• all tutqultuary assemblies by night and day, and if any individual in such assembbes refused to obey the authority of the :Magistrate, he was to b: adjudged guilty of a mislemeitootir. The power of t he Magistrates was to continue tor a time to ba limited, and the Bill only to operate in those districts where the disturbances had t , hen place. Alter some turther observatiotts, Lord Castlereagh concluded by moving a Bill to tile above efr ct. Mr. W n term F. A contenLd, that the present laws were sulliciant, if acted up el with energe by the Magistrates to answer al! the pur e poses ietendad ha . this Bill. He eppesed all the arguments of the Noble Lord, and stated that the persons who had excited the disc turbanccs, For assumed a military thrm. He strongly disap proved of the practise cat sending spies amongst those deluded people, es the efnct prodiAd by such a practise was not so much the ebtain e 11W useful intannation, as the inciting them to such crimes as they had not before thought of. H.. argued against giving such power to the Magistrates in those comities. The state of liberty a man woted enkie in eve! y other part of the empire was so extretnely contrasted, that the counties to which the Bill referred would be considered as inha!iitett by people of a diikrent native, governed by a ddierent system, and by prejudices would become so meted, that we suppose them breathine a difliaent atmosphere, and even diroinginseed by a lfereot complexion. Mr. WI Leal, soece obesrved, that if the opinion were to prevail that our suffering these evils was without any remedy unless by at pecca, it %void(' be the very means of preventing that peace so much desired. The evils were :Omitted to exist, and they were licit to wait till they should be full blown, and attain tie:it maturity of strenetls, but to correct them in time, and t:ike them Ly milder means then could afterwards he employed.--(Hear, hear Sir F. B el( Derr observed, that the Lion. C,entleman who had just sat down (Mr. WiLlerterea) :coined nispoaed 16 go to the length of torttee for extorting information.—(No, No ! then Mr. Witberterce.) The Hon. Gentleman does not assent, but dna was the effect Of his words.—(A gneral cry of Ne, Ni l)—The Lion. Geetl :man certainly meant to say, as his words appeared to him, that such measures woual prevent the evil front apreadiog, :net prevent our going that h.:l%th that might otherwise be necessary . 1f he wider. oseti that the inteedett measure was designed to mike a capital c 'tenet (oily a miaderneenor, and to facilitate .i nial, he would certainly vote tne L tit this light he could net consider the Bill. 1 t would eive to tia eeia trate, on the contrary, an uuconetitutional newer, and anielit be the cause of tench operession. Mr. CANNING was illjillCl to think, that Ministers were dung rather too little thanitoo teuch. The Hon Mr. LAMill. expressed his assent to the bringing ie of the Bill. Lord C :sere ER EACH in reply, maintained, that tarture had in no in:e.tece ever been sanctioned by the Governmeie. 01 1 relanO. in the abseacc of ail law, the only safety was in martial lete and • e measure of pre elaiming martial law hid afterwards received time sanction of the United Parliament. If an Hon. Baronet thought pumse ',oil, JO Ili.* HiCred, were to be described as tolture, he ought, with egtual pro priety, apply the same tam to the whole bjsternotainilitary pumsh- ,t` 1 41 • 4 .~ "~?~; IL NIIPPr I