The National Register. — London, England, 1812-07-19 00:00:00

440 UMW at present, the terror at a criminal information was kept hanging over a masi's head. The first clause enacted, that no i formation should be filed by his Majesty's Attorney-General within the United Kingtiom of Great Britain and Ireland, unless such information should be so hied, OT exhibited within a given time, the precise number of months to be specified in a future state of the Bill, after the misde ineanour or offence done or committed. That was the purport of the first clause ; and the second clause enacted, that if any information filed or exhibited ex-officio, be not proceeded upon, and the defendant brought to trial within so many months, next atter the day of such in forminion, all further proceedings upon the same information shall, atter the expiration of that time, cease and determine, except such trial shall, upon cause shown, have been postponed by any rule or order of the Court of King's Bench. Such were the contents of his Bill, and he did not think it necessary to enter upon any anticipation of objec tions that might be made to it. Lord ELLENBOROUCii, in a very argymmtative speech, replied. Loids ERSKINE 4111 STANHOPE supported the Bill. Lord HOLLAND, repl.ed, and the House divided on the question for the second reading of the Bill. Contents, 7 ; Non Contents, 16— Mojori , y, 9. INSOLVENT DEBTORS. The Temporary Insolven► Debtors Bill for England was read a third time and p.isbtd.—Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, JULY 13. A number of Petitions frorn ditKrent places were presented by va rious Members against the Nightly Watch Bill, all of which were oroered to lie on the Table The Malt regulatio , Bill was read a third time, and passed. The Army Prize Money Bill , and the Life Annuity Bill, were read a third time, ai;d passed. VOTE OF CREDIT. The CietaceLLoß of the Excmtou ER brought down the following MCSaithe : "G P. R. " The Prince Regent. in the name and on behalf of his Majesty, considering the very great importance of affairs, and the necessity of providing for such emergencies as may arise, and relying on the zeal and affectionate experience oti his faithful Commons, recommends to the House to take such measures as may tend to disappoint and defeat the enterprizes and designs of the enemy, and as the exigencies of af fairs may require." The Message was ordered to be taken into consideration to-morrow. PRIVY PURSE. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved for leave to bring in a Bill to enable the Keeper of the Privy Purse to transfer certain pro perty of his Majesty, vested in the Public Funds. The object of the Bill was to authorize the Commissioners to distribute certain por tions of the monet allotted to the Privy Purse, in the manner con formable with the Royal inclination.—Leave was given to bring in the Bill, THE LATg DISTURBA NCES. Lord CASTLIRLAGit moved the second reading of the Bill for the better pr: servation of the Public Peace throughout the Kingdom. Mr. Vt . HITIIRLAD objected to the second reading of the Bill, on the ground that it proceeded upon false enactments. The Bill stated, " that arms were industriously concealed." There was no evidence before the House of Commons to prove that allegation, and the only evidence before the Committee was documentary, derived from certain Magistiates who had received anonymous information to that effect. Those very Magistrates were in salt a state of consternation, that their evidence could not be depended upon. From the whole of their conduct, there was no ground to suppose that the laws in force had bent vigorously executed. He then took occasion to recommend to his A4:*jesty's Ministers to take this opportunity of ascertaining whe ther peace could not be made upon honourable terms. He thought this a most favourable opportunity. Sooner, h. , wever, than make peace on any other than honourable terms, he would risk the exter initiation of the British Empire.—(Hear, hear !) Mr. SMITH supported the Bill. Mr. M FITZGLItALD observed, that those who gave credit to the testimony bcniie by the Honourable Gentleman who hail just sat down, to the state of the country, and to the consternation excited by the late tumults, bould not concur with the Honourable Gentleman who had . preceded him ; that the measure itself was founded on the assumption of a necessity which did not really exist. If the subject of ',cwt. had any connexion with the question before the House, it was this only--that it was , a subject which he should have thought on such on occasion every Honourable Member would wish to avoid. Con liCiOnS as every man in that House, except the Honourable Gentleman, must be, that peace, on honourable terms, could not be obtained at the present moment, he was persuaded that no one but the Hon Gentleman would have adverted to the topic; although he was glad to hear the Hon. Member declare, that unless on proper and honourable Urns, peAce ought not t, be concluded. Adverting to the observations made by the Honourable Gentleman who had spoke last, lie observed, that the temporary nature of the Bill not the ideas of that Honourable 2 1ULY 19. ctions to th Gentleman, and as to that Honourable Ge n t le m an ' s oh j provision by which the Magi strates were em p ower( d t o search arms, it ought to be recollected that in times ot danger the inconve etice, and even the ordinary rights of individuals, must be bend to the public safety. Sir F. BURDETT denied that the speech of the Honourable Gentle. man, who had just spoken, had at all shaken the arguments of th e Honourable Gentleman near him (Mr. Whitbread). He concurred with that Honourable Gentleman in thinking, that there was nothing in the evidence before the House which warranted the recital in the preamble, or which justified the necessity of the Bill itself. Mr. GRANT declared, that in voting for the measure before the House, he should not deeei himself guilty of any innovation on the Constitution. He supported the Bill, not because he thought the exigency ot the occasion required any departure from the principles of the Constitution, but because he thought that it required the assurnp. tion of those energies which belonged to the Conzaitution, anti were as essential to it, as the minor and ordinary qualities of every div practice.—(Hear, hear, hear !)—All that was requested was to giveto the Magistracy the means of meeting the occasion as it stood. He re. peated, that it was not proposed to introduce any thing new,—anv thing unknown to the Constitution; but solely to call into exerci,,e those powers belonging to the Constitution, the exercise of which ne cessity demanded. It was the Constitution which he invoked. He invoked it in behalf of themselves—he invoked it in behalf of the men whose lives were in jeopardy—those deluded people who, under the treacherous guidance of designing and desperate individuals, were in danger of being hurried into excesses of the most criminal nature: to assume the energies which belonged to the occasion ; to overtake the rapid march of crimes, to whose speed the low pace of ordinary justice was not equale-and to arrest in its progress the career of sedi tion and anarchy.—(Hear, hear !)—These were principles•not row for the first time broached. They were principles which had always een recognised by our ancestors. They were principles as old as our liner. ties. They were principles constitutional, social, and unive:aal. They were principles which 11 ,1 . built up our freedom, and which bound it together. They were principles which operated in all places and on all societies, whether of individuals or of whole nations.,- (Loud and general cries of Hear, hear, hear !) Mr. FRANKL AND would trouble the House but for avery short pe. riod, lest he should weaken the effect of the admirable address which they had just heard. I t was his opinion, that from time to time. a moral, like a physical epidemic, passed across the world, and that from causes, as invisible in the one as in the other, some obstrucion in the circulation, or some infl ammation, prod uced an irritatiel, which, mixed with other considerations, required powcrful meth. cia e e—(A laugh !)—I t might appear a ridiculous illustration, but is was a just one. This figure he pursued at some length, and con cluded an able speech, by declaring he should vote for the Bill. Mr. 8R0VC11.1144 commenced with complimenting the speech of the Honourable and Learned Gentleman (Mr. Frankland), which, how ever, he felt himself incapable of describing ; .it was too learned fo; a speech, and too long for a presc , iption.—( A laugh.)—lf indeed it leis a prescription, it was long enough to physic an hospital. He s hould not follow the Honourable Gentleman through the whole nnitena m edico of his address, but differing fro him as far as he untierteed him, he had no hesitation in saying that the r e medy would be wooe than the disease. Mr. BANK ES was apprehensive that the present measure woeld e ae; be found CO go fir enough ; he should,-however, give it is vote, in th hope that his fears would wove vain. • Lord A LTIIORP opposed the Sill. The original cause of the distur. bances being done away, by the revocation of the Orders in Council, lie thought such a measure as the present unnecessary. Mr. W. BOOTLE contended, that the Magistrates were entitled to the favour and protection of that House. Mr. STEPHEN declared the measure was, in his opinion, perfectly constitutional, but tearing as he did, that it would not go far enough, he should have felt it is duty to propose some provisions of a s trong ' er nature but for the pledge given that Parliament would again be ae sembled if such should appear to be necessary. Mr. LAMBE was in favour of the provision for putting down to* multuous meetings, icc. but he should oppose those authorising searching for arms. hoped, and peace, Nir Whetrespect • tiia that twheno the th e d y i s l t v u e r r b e e r a s w o a f k trusted,With their delusion, and had a proper sense of the valuable blessings wil! they enjoyed, they would return to their duty like true Englishmen (Hear, hear, hear !)—He, spoke in praise of the magistracy 012 . '. country, and supported the sill, at the same time expressing 2 7°' that the clause, authorising a search for arms, would be ineffectll_ The House divided. For the second reading, 131 ; Against it, Majority 115. tehneedPitibrolciincl Ihe Bill was then read a second time, and committed .L.t morrow. FRENCH PRISONERS. • Lord Cs airt.zasAo H rose, for the p u rpose of moving a r epeal of t ile laws relating to the aid given in effecting the escape of Frenc h soners of War. As the law now stands, w hi c h the No ble Lhe ord cr ar ob ,e served, called loudly for the interfere nce of Parliamt ; i t was only made a misdemeanour ; the o b j ect which he had n view 41 • THE NATIONAL REGISTER.