The National Register. — London, England, 1818-02-01 00:00:00

FEB. I. tern was garbled, and that information which ought to have I been communicated to the Committer. was withli el.!. Ito well knew that the Noble Lord was incapable of stating any thing which he did not in conscience believe to be true, but he could assure their Lordships that every kind of information which could with propriety he laid before the Cnumnittee had been produced to then:, and that nothing had been with. geld which was necessary to enable them to arrive at a fair and proper conclusion on the question submitted to their eon 'Aeration. The Noble Lord also denies that the Act of last session has been of any advantage to the country. In Cie Prince Regent's Speech, it was true, only the other causes which bad contributed to the returning prosperity of the country were mentioned, but it did not follow that great benefit Lad not hoen derived from the suspension of the Habeas Car. has Act. There never was a greater contrast exhibited by toe cnnotty than that which the comparison of its present state with that of last year afforded; and he would now main. tain, and if the occasion should arrive, would prove, that the act of last session had mainly contributed to this result. The edicts it had had in many parts of the country did not rest on assertion; they were already proved. The magistrates anti persons best informed in the county of Leicester stated, on their knowledge, that the passing of the suspension Act had produced tnatiquility in manufacturing districts where the greatest alarm for the peace of the country had preyiously existed. In another place, where there had been a more• formidable manifestation of treason, the good effects of th e measure haul been still more apparent—he meant that insur rection in consequence of which a bill of indictment had been found against the of who were tried at Derby. On that occasion, ten of the persons accused tied ; four were sentenced to suffer death; and in all, thirty one contesaed toemselves guilty of high treason, some of whom were trans petted, and the remainder pardoned. These men, beside% making a confession of their guilt, gave certain information that an insurrection of a much more formidable minim than that in which they had been enzafted was in contempla tion, and would itifallably have taken place had not the Ha beas Corpus Act been suspended. It was that 'straw(' alone which haul deterred them. Thus it was proved by inentitro vertiblv evidence, that the measuo e for which the Sold- Lord contended there was no necessity, had preserved the pest . and tranquility of the country. As to the penegyric that the Noble Lord bad passed on the privilege of Englishmen to he called to trial,and publicly charged with the offences of which they were ►nspectcd, his Majesty's Ministers had shown their reapeet for iht se gloriutii and exalted rights in the proceed. hags of that day. The act then tinder their consideration did not expire until the I st of March, and that there was no record on the jouraals of the house, that an act of that description had ever been repealed, er not suffered to run out to its ut most limit, But kis Majesty's Ministeis admitted that nothing could justify the continuance of such an act hut the necessity which originated it, and when that necessity ceased, it was due to the legislature and to the people of this country to re. peal it lot thwith. The Bill was then read a second and ?held time, ordered to be eng: ossed, and sent to the COMISCHIS.— Adjourned. Tnunsn xr. _ _ _ The Earl of Ltvenanot. rose, in the absence of his Noble Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to give notice. that it was thaintention of that Noble Lord to lay before the House on Monday next, certain papers relative to the internal state of the country, and to move that these do• currents be rsferreil to a Conunittee (tithed'. Lordships' House. He therefore now moved that their Lordships be summoned for Monday next. An order was made, that no Petitions for Private Bills be received after the 3d of alarrh next,und no Reports from the Judges on Petitions fur Private Bills after the 10th of April. flie Bill for repealing the Habeas Corpus Snspension Act was brought up from .the Commons by Mr. Brogden and others. The Lord CHANCELLOR read the title of the Bill and Mated t it had been retained without any amendment.— Adjourned to Saturday. —mar— HOUSE OF COMMONS. TUESDAY, JAT. 27. At a gamier before three, the Speaker came to the House, and at three o'clock went np to the Home of Lords, accom panied by several members, on receiving the it-nal commit sdcation from the Black Roil. On return the Speaker stated that the House had hearth the Speech from the throne, deli s ered by the Lord Chancellor, as one of the Lords Commis cioners. He then observed, that he had, according to the pro s isions of the act. issned writs for the representation of Gla morgan, and for New Romney, lately held by Mr. Hall and Sir J. 'T. Duckworth. The Clandestine Outlawry Bill was then read a first and FteoEli times. Lord COCILRAKE rose, and desired to know from those who ro•ld el% e any information, whether it was in Cae view oldie Admiralty or the Government, to propose the application of any sum from the Omits of Admiralty towards the relief of the distressed seamen. Mr. W. DUNDAS, as we understood him, said, that he had no particular communication to make on that subject. Lord CoCHRA e then said, that he should certainly make motion on this matter at an early day, unless something was previously done by the Admiralty. General Toloesernm gave notice of a motion on the 7th of February, tbr the repeal of parts ofcertain acts of Charles 11. in which the Roman Catholic religion is called idolatry. Mr. P. °RENTAL!. Cave notice of a motion (we tn , lieve for Tuesday next) for sundry account* respecting the affairs of t h e Batik of E ng l a nd, specifying the number of notes issued and other particulars, He gave the notice in time from cour tesy to the Bank. Mr. STURGES BOURNE moved for certain returns of mo ney advanced to the poor in 1748. 1749, and 1750, Ordered. KING'S. SPEECH. The SPEAKER then stated, hi the usual way, that the House had been in the House of Lords, and had heard the speech of the Prince Regent in the name of the King, fr he Lords Commissioners, of which, having obtained a copy, he would read it to the House, which he accordingly did. (For the speech, see our report of the Lords.) Mr. WooLtrumic rose to move the Address. He recapi tulated the leading point* of• the Speech, and dwelt particu larly on the necessity of attending to that recommen.latiJu iu it respecting the increase 4.f places of Public Worship. Mr. W ksuan QeIN seconded the motion. The Speaker having read the Address, which was an echo of the Speech, Lard ALTHOR PE rose, and said, that lie agreed in every Kier' of the Address. But there vas oily subject to vi hick he tell Wawa bound to call the attention of the House. lie THE NATIONAL REGISTER. alluded to the late three successive trials. It was a topic of great delicacy, because the professed cause of those proseen tions, the parodies on sacred subjects, no man could justify. He strongly disapproved of those parodies, yet he, in com mon with the bulk of the nation, rejoiced that as individual without any support hail triumphed over the estraordi nary severity of his prosecutors. He could not say that he admit ed Mr. Hone's character, because he did not like the youmdies he hall compose 'l and published ; but his able defence of him self convinced him, as it has convinced three jnrics, that he had been guilty nt• no legal offence. The Hon. and learned Gentleman (the Attorney General) should not have ptosecul• j ed at all in such a case. The regular mode of going with a charge before a Grand Jury ought to have been adopted in this instance. But it was unquestionably the right of the I Gentleman to prosecute es officio, if he was so disposed. Itin why was the prosecution continued after a jury had pro. nonneed a verdict of acquittal? A jury was the only com petent tribunal to say what was or was not a libel. The judge' had given his own opinion, in opposition to the jury, the ouly rompetent authority. The opinion of the judge was not desir ed at all on such a question. lie did not mean to say a ny thing disrespected to the honourable gentleman opposite, but lie was, by his official character, disqualified to say what was libel and what was not. Vet lie, after a jury had found that the subject of prosecution was not libel, proceeded to a se cond and a third trial. As the trials ended, no evil was done; but if it had turned out otherwise, if a conviction 114 d been obtained on the thud trial, it was manifest from the nature of the proceedings that the punishment world have been as great as if a conviction had been old:ailed for the whole. The evil of prosecutions of this sort was great indeed, but it was nut to be compared with the evil of destroying the confidence of the country in the trial of jury. He had said this, because the present was the only opportunity of adverting to the subject. In every part of the Addrese he willingly acqui- esced. Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY began by giving his entire approba tion to the Address. lie deplored the less which the nation inis sustained in the death of the presumptive heir, lie then adverted to the outrage which had been connuitted upon the meditation, by the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, and censured in severe terms, the conduct of Ministers, who, he said, had magnified petty acts of outrage produced by the distress of the times, into plots for the subversion of the go. vestment. He blamed the spy system which the ministry had adopted, and to it, attributed much of the mischiet sclnch h id accrued. lie equally condemned the prosecutions e inch lied been instituted against Hone, at the same time bestowing the severest censure upon the publications for which those pro secutions had been carried on. fie thneteht they had better have been left to perish, than to acquire a fresh consequence by the interference of the Attorney fiewral. Heel:included by a most severe review of the roteleet of Ministers, and avowed his intention to oppose any bill which might he offer ed to indemnity them for the part they had acted iu spurting with the liherties of the people. 'rhe SOLICITOR cLACit s L SOrprNSMI IGh.ST his Learn` ed and Hun. Friend making held et swig ptoeeedin_s as the trials at Derby had developed. Never was evidence mere clear, and never was Royal clemency greater. He felt car. prised at the language held relative to the trial of Honc, his Learned and lion. Friend could not tPtil terms sufficiently strong to convey his detestation of such productions as that man had been tried for publishing, and yet be blamed the pro. secutiott. And why ? because. it gave hie.liliels a wider cir culation—the conclusion to which such an argument would lead, would be, that the more atrocious the libel the greater would be its chance of impunity. Lord FOLKSTON u censured the conduct of Ministers in the late prosecution, as calculated to destroy the dignity of our Courts tildes:ice and biing odium upon Juries. LORD CISTLERRACiII declared, that desirous . as lie was of meeting the objections and animadversions which had beep brought forward, not only with regard to the address i 111 l ne diately under consideration, but as respected the conduct of Ministers during the recess of Parliament, yet as he was aware (tithe numerous opportunities that would soon present themselves for discussing them separately and in detail, he should reserve himself fur those uveasiens, when lie trusted that a satisfactory explanation wonld be furnished. 'Obser vatione had been made, against which lie must immediately protest, end particularly against the statement which repre• witted the trials at Derby, to have arisen out of the proceed ings of a spy employed its Government. He now undertook most fully to dispruve such iris assertion whenever the proper time of in vestigat• shred!' nosiest. He could not mince; ve lc lint part of the conduct of administration Inel induced the Him. and Learned Gentleman to conclude that his Majesty's Ministers bad it in contemplation to propose new measures restrictive of the liberty ut the snistect. He was toot consci ous that they had manifested ans . disposition of such a nature tend he was happy to assure the House, that be should, on an catty day, be prepared to communicate information with regard to all that had been pussing iii the country since the last session. He believed sincerely. that this information would satisfy, not only the lime Members opposite, but wuuld satisfy the those and the public, that the measures adopted during the last session hull been founded not merely tin prudential considerations; but on a strict necessity, and that it was to them that we were indebted fur the internal tranquillity which lied been restored. The euergy of Parli ameut had not only provided the Suspension Act, bust had ensured Its speedy termination. His Majesty's Ministers, who had been placed in a situation al great difficulty, would not shrink from the most rigid scrutiny into their conduct, and would be found, he confidently hoped, to have faithfully discharged the trust confided to them to have administer ed justice duly tempered with mercy, and to have contended successtnlly against the danger with which the country hail been threatened. The greatest of those dangers lie belies ed had passed by ; but he would not fell Parliament lotto a belief that ;:edict security was restored. It gave hie), however, sincere satisfaction to congratulate the House on the unpieeedented rapidity with which the country had passed from a state of depression to one of progressive prosperity, which there was every reason to believe would continue. Mr. BROUGHAM thought the speech of the Noble Lord sufficiently proved that the topics, to which so much obser vation hadbern directed, might be disen -stet without endae. the unettimity of the vote to which t h e li..itse was InvitCli upon the present question. it ;gave him the utmost saesfaittion to It ern, that the fullest itiforseatiou %mod soon be laid before them, and lie presumed ia.thealuls jtioper and authentic mode, by appoin: lag a Committee wish smitority to ex amine witnesses, and call for ivory species utevidence that belengtel to the course of parliameotat s investigation. Lord Coen RANE cuntiasted the opted' delivercd by the Lords Cmultes.oners, with that of the American Preside tit. and thought his Mica) '3 Ng islets would have better abated for their offenees in the employment of sp.cs against the lives and liberties of the people, he assuring Parliament that they were building hospitals ami alins•houses, for the stark tug poor, than in seeking to obtain eredit by the erection of new churches. The question was then put and carried unanimous • Iy.—Adjuurned. WFDNESDAY. SLAVE TRADE ABOLITION. Lord CASTLEREA%II brought up the treaty Kith Sol!: con cerning the abolition of the slave..tratle ; and inovi.d that it should be taken into consideration 011 Mont sc'nuight. Agreed to. AiSIZES. Mr. M. A. TAYLOR gave notice of his intention to make a motion for holding of assizes twice in the year in thu northern comities. Mr. CURVVEN, seeing • Noble Lord in his place, could not tofrain front espressing.his surprise that the circu mstance of the Poor Laws were not noticed in the King's speech. He wished to know whether any measure was intended by Go vernment on this important subject. There was n., point on which more benefit could be conferred on the country. He hoped the Noble Lord would brinc forward some beneficial proposition on this business; for, without the support of ad ministration, Ise should despair of any thing that he himself should propose. Lord CASILEREAGE observed, that Parliament hail already taken tip sh , s subject with much zeal, and that Goveinmeat was truly desirous to give it every possible atteutioo. It aas . . not, how - ever, intended to makj it a iloverovolent question. He had reason to believe that a friend of his would on Mon- ri l l nest propose the revival of the Committee. Lord CASTLEREAGH moved the appointment of the several Committees'. according to the 'halal practice t that for rels- glop, to sit every 'fuesclity ; that for grievances. every Thurs day ; that for Courts of Justice. every Saturday. 'The motions for these Committees were agreed to; after which, the Committee on Privileges were appointed and 01— . dared to sit on Mondays. aod 'Fridays. and to report on the matters coming before them. ADDRESS TO THE PRINCE REGENT. Mr. Wonewouss brought up the Report of the Committee appointed to prepare the Address,which was read. Lord MILTON said, that he did not wish to take up the time of the house ; but that he felt sincere and unfeigned satisfac tion at that part of the spePell which related to the iticrea‘e . . of the number of choirboy. Nobody who lived el. en fora short time ia the metropolis, eunid have failed to observe the deficiency its the her of the places of parochial worship. If it was thought ex e edictit to call on the piarlic purse to sup. ply the deficiency, he sh t Id think it rizlit that some inquiry should be mule into the affairs ut for Church Establishment, it order to see what modes of relict' therein could be made available for so desirable an object. If nothing could be done in that way, he should readily and cheerfully consent to some addition to the public burdens for such a purpose. But in the building of these new churches, he was of opinion that great atteution ought to be paid to the accommodation of the lower orders of society, who were slightly attended to in many parochial churches. Mr. CLURA EN slid, that however, acceptable it might he to many to spoils of great improvements in the situation of the country, and however convenient such a statement might be to (love lit, yet such a statement was made emjustly, if it was intended to support one present Establishments. It was his duty to say this ; and to add, that it was necessary to probe our affairs to the very bottom, iii order to discover the best means of relieving us from our existiug and pressing , difficulties. file report on the address was aitroed to. ADDRESSES OF CONDOLENCE. Lord CAITLEREA4II.—The Noble Lord commenced by oh serving, that he row to make a motion, which, he trusted, vs onto meet with the unanimous conchal rence of the House. The want of precedent on such a subject, he hoped, would be no obstacle to a measure which he b.sd no doubt accorded toile with the feelings of all present. The event which now called for their cundolence was of the must tragical descrip tion. The unexpected anal steddeu death of a another and her child in such affecting eircumstasiees, even in private life, was a subject of deep and pasinful interest to every feeline mind ; how much, then, must these feelings be aggra vated by the consideration of the high station and prospects of the illustrious individual whose lamented death now c a m ' for our condolence I Her recent Milt - 4w to the man of her choice was brought about antler theniost anspieionsand happy circumstances, and formed a painful contrast to her sudden and untimely end. it was painful anal unnecessary to threat now upon a subject upon which all had but one feeling_ Under the impression, therefore, of such fejlings, so strong and so sincere, it was surely their duty to give them expres sion, though they should have no precedent to guide them in doing so. 'flue only precedent of which they eonld avail themselves for their direction in this case, was the mode its which they haat presented their emagrettil inlets to her Ma jesty on the marriage of the illustrious pair. He proposed, therefore, that they should follow nia Baia precedent in con veying their condolence to Her Majesty. He said they had no precedent for any address of condolence beyond the throne : but the same principle which had guided them thus far, would also warrant them in addressiogthat illustrious in dividual whose tate had been so untimely conameted wills that of our beloved Princess. The bright prospects held ORE and the expectations formed, from the happy union of Prince Leopold and the Princess Charlotte were such as rarely oc cur. The rare virtues and exemplary habits which they ex. !tasked, were such as to reflect dignity upon their eshalted situation : and the sorrow excited by the fatal overthrow of 'hopes so confidently and so justly entertained, was min! more general in this country than in every foreign state. He there fore proposed that a Message of Condolence be sent to her !Majesty, stet that the same course be adopted as formerly is preseutiug their congratulations. Mr. CA LCRAFT felt it very painful to digs. nt from this mea sure; but such was Iris feelin4 upon the subject, that he felt he abeam be want i ng i n d it ty to himself and IV the public dad be not gate his negative to this motion. He waited use no harsh words, nor would he enter into any explanation on the subject; but he felt something within him which compelled him to express his tree ked dissent—(Hear, luCar, from the Opposition Benches.) Mr. M. A. Tay Lou expressed his strong dissent to the n:o -thin. The motion was then put. There was a general cry- of " Aye" from the 'treasury tante of the house, and as genet - Al a ory of " No" from the other side. The SPEAKER... 4 flue% the " Ayes" have it. It W4ll then agreed twat Culoncl Uzseenev'should present the Message to her Majesty. Lord CASTLEREAOIL then moved a similar Message to his , Serrate Highness Prince Leopold. (For the rakaittder el the /roamer - Oat y, se e the *Leh Peg—)