The National Register. — London, England, 1819-12-13 00:00:00

.4C4 ffintperiat Vault,* want. HOUSE o:• LORDS. MONDAY, DEC. C. After the I.ord Chancellor hint taken hie meld. • Mn Fox Fitagetalel enu two Unties, the children of Lord Edward Fitz gensid, attended to take the oaths of allegiance and fidelity. in consequence oldie Act of last Session removing the attainder 1 , 4 t noble lankily. -iirrtetu iNFIIIIMATION4. &C.—Viscount SIDMI/U7/1 lAttl table the papers mined for by the Marquis ins Lana iiowne. resiiecting Ex-officio lalortuations, viz. an account of all Ex-officio Inforincions boacen 1618 and 1819, stating ?tools, and what proceedings were hail on the same. Also an accoiro of the number of indictments within the same period Or. dt gootioo of the Noble ViS:ollitt the pipers were ordered to be printed. LIIWL BIEL. Viscount SID MOUTH rose to noire the 'evend reading of a Bill to toehold the extension of blasphemous and seditious libels. 'Rite ob j ect Of tile Bill was to effectually suppress such libels by giving the Court power to therelse the punishment in cases where peristins art convicted .tithe offence a second time. It did not go encrease the puniettnent in the first instance. Having on a Loner occasion etated the ground on which the Bill was introduced the Noble Viscount omitted a recapitulation. lie concluded by Moving the second tendin' of the kWh /seed ERSK IN E said he should trouble that !louse with but }kw obsertations. speeered to him, that the circumstances did not iustify the proceedings. yet they were told it was expedient. The Rill gave in explanation in the preamble tojustify a measure of so much impurtattee to the liberty of ohe subject. The Noble Viscount was as bold in his speech as tile bill itself. No case be could be strong enough to warrant the chains they were about to Lung on every writer. The Noble Viso t said the bill applied only to seditimis and blasphemous libels There were many ehaties of what tens termed b:aapliemy, btu nu One could deprecate more than himself the attempt made under any (loc . trine to rvb the pour and contented Chrihtian of liih last solace, the dependence he had upon nffieion. He beheld Slidt attempt, with ', w ren, and it' he could morose the bill would do any goal with hj V: A' to the pretention of the idence, he shotilti not only go with the Noble lards, Let rim betnre them to pees it. It was 'toeless, because lie was enabled to soy upon experience. that the exihting law was strong enough to extinguish the evil. Some years ago another specit4 in libel was common. Ile abutted to horrid obscene publications, which rotund the way into Wattling schools, corrupting and putiaining the mind, of youth. (In that occasion, he repo:sewed a society of g.nticmen, who /amiably came ui the wholtv ion to stop the destructive flood ref contamieft tion. He stood Howard as Counsel for the Society, in the King'ss Bertelt. and he could say, some of the baneful publications were a, IISUM:41114 as the filthy productions of French oliscenity, pub lished and sold in the PaLeis Royale. Those libels were lint down by the law. (Hear, hear !) Th. much revered Doctor Portetes Wallop of London, and other persons equally eminent, aAistec in putting tnem down, and succeeded in their endeavour. Why could not the Attorney General, with the public purse ai hisconii imam?, put down the libels, now the subject of compLaint P The tact was, there bad been no seasonable effort to check the publi cations which the Government then so notch deprecated. ss The Age of Reason," when first published, was not porsecuted. but Sir S. Shepherd, the Attorney General, preferred prosecu tiog Mr. Hone's parody. which few persons would consider the wove of doe two libels. Tne 1.4 w din not define what seditious libels were to be punished with transportation.—A thousand se ditious hitch itti.Jit he written by men of wisdom, without knowing it; and the Lords did not want proof at the present day, that n prosecution for some libels only increased the sale and extension of them. The !Ards apposite could never suppase that the people of this country would cease to animadvert en the laws, and they ought to take care that they did not give eneou. ragement to libellers by the very means they propiked to adopt fur keeping them in check.—if tiny punished a man once for the publication of a libel, and lie afterwanits thought fit to try his strength with the law by a second publication, he increased his punishment. Every copy of a libel puhiished after conviction rendered him liable, as the law stood, to additional punishment. That being the use. what ground was there tin the indiction of new punishment ? If the Government had nor inforted the law, the omission did not furnish any fair pretence for making a new law. Believing, as lie did, that the existing law was sufficient to check and punish libels of every description, he could never assent in the principle of the. Bill. The Earl of IlAtt HOW BY said, he had much respect for what tell from the Noble Lord, but on this occasion he mild not admit his roaming. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE considered the Bill destraw tive of the liberties of the Constitution. It was a Bill to apply the punishment of felony to misdemean me It was a punishment that was unequal, failing on room inure lisaitly than others. In respect to the Bill. the punislituent of transportation for libel would lead to difficalty on time part of the law officers. They wouitt tied it difficult to procure convictions. It would increase the eisint ;Mutton of .litries to give C:os.• convictions they coin • Veined hod been withlichi. Ile alluded by way of example to the present situation of RI) II nnaltrhtile Iheonet. the !Sleiliber for Wesintinster He asked the Noble Viscount whether he sup posed in tribe the Don. Baronet was tried for a second libel that a Jury would given verdict which might send Lim to Botany play' Stan caw:., would occur, and instead 'of convictions the Jurors would give acipitteis. Ile uppos.sl the Bill in its then state. Lord EI.I.ENBIiRIit:6II in a maiden ireecli supported the Lord 11101.LANTI , itlinittc3 that the Nobte Lord who spok e List has! stated the inte!ligibe ground fur Pie adoption of the Bill. Tar Noble Vii.einint who innnu,be it in said it isas to pi ti e rce tie Litirrry of the Mess. Ills exprrictiiie hail emil..tl him to taut, Parliamentary ‘it Iterie%er he hail been asked to pay money, in compliance with some Palliamentary measure. the statement almost Inv:vial-1y was :—.• it is to protect your pmperty." In nie present instance, the attempt to des r% the Liberty :of the Prt•!: was termed, in parliamentary liT,te, an etrirt to i - ve ty. Thy Noble Laid could not wlitiii •.• leopl • apt, sn a.-atioattily wiek• i' as they NOT deser;heil. The rm..]: of Er... Altai were a n, moral remit, rind ton easy to j, cantllll,4: be 1/111/111.141t101.1. a 1./Cll 110110.1 kine cud anti dote. Five years a i ..o the table of that Home NAS covered with Petitions tin the treetion ul Cl.welies and Ulitipels. the that ne cwsion the Petitaintrs were called niiskid penple—misled by re . bgiun thee were to'd tte people were so iireli.izious, that it wet; um spiry. Perhaps the intention of the Noble L o rds w.t, to follow the system of (hirer Utoinwill, by funning a sort of •pi- ritual Government. They bad heard ut the thretclionary power of the Judges. but that was a sum.' ot dependence galling to the mind sit au Eng:6lllmin. F l om the no w of lint s on ," to Mt. BUlke . :i I.oo'. there had not, perrlicps. been a man in public IJt who had avoided writit , libel Gist or three lima. Millen,. bq der. Pope. Swine Addison, and Steel acre libellers, and bed Steel lived tinder tie opera: ion ot a Bill like that heliire the lintsu, IP' would ilo doubt have been seta to Botany Hay. The Noble lord, in a speech of considetable length, stretittobsiy oksposeu the nuclide 01 tl.e Bill. , The Bill ails subsurtacntly opposed by Fails Grey and Bleu ainitun, and impputtett by the hail of Liveipool, and LOND•C lAA NCIA.Lot( 1.410, liar ~ p v4.01'6.1%1,1 the aeresesus 111/00 orbit NllO 1411 j at *id dove hailconsist ewe Ntlh an ee.•uti.•ll' 1.1'1•P•441% to the pet servutiun ut pre lite con ittu:4“. yoa ; - THE NATIONAL REGIST`ER. The DUKE of SU‘,SEX enold not help saying few va us .1a on whit hail fallen front the noble earl (Li tei pool) on the sob : pill of the education of the poor. The Laitcasirriati pp stens lie 114411 tolta aye panoplied! $ he hod dvfemicil is when attar Lea. a n d lie would lake Ilse liberty of that the practice of tcaelittig tinder it was founded on the strictest priuriplee of irlighn and 111011111. To the search for urns,' bili, and the nettling Mill,. he *wild, with a feat exceptions, else his vosisent ; but the ',resent bill should have hi, strong opposition. To Ike princitilc of the whole ;I ens lie objected, and he would !ell why, most of the ittf..inhitimi on which ministers act ed, it would appear by she papers on the table, heti been eret.eti the lnnruoation of parlianseist% .loly.— shoo Id !Molders, theretOre, have allowed the Jaa)4l4e to se parate tit illlolll ineoliening she plauccr, and proposing their seatedieli His oilier ohjectiou to the sedition , : publica. titilla bill was, that be conceived the necessity fur it uni nitiated in she neglect of the 'Moisture .o 'nose(' ; and he would not encourage that ovelcct by Orion theist additiosoil powers. He hood' Ise had eupress..d his sen timents vials the eons test which belonged to the house, but, at the same time, as ills that firmness whirls a eosivie lion of t heir Is nth warranted lino in using. (Hear, hear.) T.e hid *as Ow* read ser-in4l withoost so divi sion. II Vl46n Iterral to he run. for tu.inorrow, said Ibr rrport to be -eel i wed on Thiel 4•14 y. The Reportaf•• The Search for Arnas • B il l" wort through ill Delmte. A onii. conversation than coshed, In which Lord Er. skint, the Alarquis of La.wdown, Lard Sidnionth, and the }lasi sof nlc?, tool ki,p ; w hrn an auu•udnhrnt, p. k•d by the Litter noble lord, extending the time fur Orioming arlioos agsiost tio• inetti•Frsies for an%• a lleged askeosolor to the 1` , 4 ITO 6..11 Ut . hilt• 11101116 in six, was ne4;itiveti without a division. The report was then received, nod the bill 01411.1 rd to be regrosso d. 'l•he report on the 'raining hill was likewise received. Adjourned at I I o'clock. TV FAO .1 V. DEC. T. The Traverse Bill pured through a Committee, find was re potted to the [louse. Lord 1101-LAN I) presented a Petition front the Lord Mayor. Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, again,t the teetr;etive measures then before the Mar:sc.—The Petition 'a 1114 read, and ordered t:t lic on the table. The Ann. Bill was read a third time and passed. laird SIDAIOUTH then moved the tiord reading of the Training to Arms Bill, which was twetirdinglv read and pa.sstal. The !louse went into a Committee on the Rill to prevent the publication of blasphemous and seditious libels N'istionnt CIUNUCTH, it the said Committee, proposed several amendments, one of wit cit appeared to us to provide.that every order for search anti seizu eof books is to contain the name of the person whoiai hook , are to be seized. Deft ritlants. in cases or libel, are to he turnisited with a copy of the indictment at the public ex pence. The Bill, with the amendments, was agreed to, and ordered to be repotted to the Howie. The House atkiourried to Thor day. THURSDAY. t)EC. 9. MANCHESTER MEETING, &c. The Pad of CARNA ft VON presented a petition from David Dawson, John Dawson, and Samuel Dawson yeomen in the County Palatine of Lancaster. The petitioners described them • selves to be good and loyal men. Their brother, Edmund Llaasom went to the Manchester Meeting die 16th of August, and was 'sounded on the °erasion. He was taken to the Manchester Infirmary, where he died. The Jury which sat on a view of the body, according to the statement of the Petitioners, coulti not say how he came by his death, notwithstanding the Petitioners had evidence to prove he was cut down by the cavalry. The Petitiohers prayed fur full and ample inquiry into tire transaction. The petition was ordered to lie on the table. TRAVERSE BILL. The Lord CHANCELLOR rose on the Order of the Day for receiving the Report of the Committee upon this 8011, and observed, that be should take the liberty to state his intention to move several amendments. The Noble and Learned Lord then intimated that the words " Rerwiek upon-Tweed and Wales" should be omitted. as beinz unnecessary. Lord HOLLAND rose to produce an amendment of his own, of considerable importance. The practice of ,tiering prosecution, instituted by . the Attorney-General, to hang over a man's head, was more in his opinion than the law ought to tolerate • and with a view to redress the evil. the Noble Lord proposed to intreluee the following amendment it further enacted, that in case any ex-officio information, filed against a defentlant, be not brought to trial within Its months suer filing the same. all torthcr proceedings s hall cease." The Lord CHANCELLOR said in the case of the Ring V. M . Dougal, 2 East, Cie question was agitated, whether the Attorney• General could be compelled to go to trial. The Judges were of opinion he could not, but they held as a remedy, that the defendant might have a tnal at bar. The Noble and Learned Lord did not 'man to say that was a situation in which the su:vet ought to be placed. lie should stibind, however, hi the Noble Lord, before the third reading of the Bill, how tat the clause proposed was possible or tan. At that time he Was not prepare!: to agree to the clause. The Loud CHANCELLOR proposed to read the Bill a third time to-neirroiv. It was not certain that all the machinery of law. applicable to the subject. could revolve in his mind by to-morrow. If, however, it was not in his power to rend: r assistance, with it view to the consideration of the question. so far as it was connecusl with this Bill, he would give it in tl.e discussion of any other Bill any Noble Lord Might introduce to the llouse. And he said, it would be fit matter for a separate Bill. brought in with as little delay as possible. The Repel t was received, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time on Monday.. LIBEL BILL. I mil 1101.1. A Nf) nt e. on the order of the day for reteir7tv4 the Report of the Como !nee on the Bill to puma tl a pobitea lion of Illarphentour aril Stannous Whatcvei the dan ger might have been there was no pretence whatever for ta) the existing law should not he applied to the evil. With relwet to seditious libel,. the Hill was totally silent un the que-ttun— W hat 11 seditious hbal ? A seditious libel had never clearly betn deliver!. A clear definition of the offence ought to be in troduced into the Hill A p►actice night p►evail in a book,elset's shop of sellirg all book% sent by respectable ant horr. end a wan might be punished fureelling a libel ankh he had net es kilo% a In be it libel. now was a bookseller to know wlictltta it v. 0 itt P In othetinatances the nuater aas matte reponetb,e tor the triistionthict of his .set cants ; anti those who Wure not woi ty or writing and publishing libels were liable to puniiihnr•nt. Noble Lord I,lllpOsed to illlTOduce ti,e %Ind, •• lain nl3. and oinliciously,' in oilier to chant. toize ti ctiercc. The Mil 81 , 0 illtri.lLlCett a Tide., 01 putti-liu.tot uriknuwti to tio:cou:itry, namely toe law of Lsittsl no ill. of H.\ stworted the provisions of the Bill. Banishment hOlYi tilo4 of httting rid of those MIIO bed the pillow Lord b.1.1.1 . .N.11010.JUtA1 expressid an that the seditious and W.:1114.1mi/, ou A ilt to be elearb, defined. I le son:cited aotucilling like the following words, by way DEC. 13 " Any publication calculated to bring into disrepute and we. tempt his Majesty's tiovernimmt, or the ilouses of Parliamtnt. or to bring into contempt the Cini.tiati Itoligion as by law witablishvtl." Tile karl of 1.1 VERPOOL had no objection to tie words proposed by the Noble Lord, with a wew to definition, provided the Named the Prince Regent was introduced. Lord E:tSRINE objected to the puni►hment of transi.orts tion. It was impolitic to bond to the Colonies libeller:, who would not fail to corrupt the minds of the colonists to the injury of the Mother Country. Seven years imprisonment in would be aunt severe. and a !rater 'ILA: of pu nee'rnent. Alter wale further &hate the liepurt wak reetiv,-.1, and th. third reading tippointmi. The it :port of the Military Training Bill wa received.— Adjourned. retntr. Dsc. 10. TR IININO TO AR MS 131.1.—The Chaneellnr of the Ly !tenser and several Nirailierii f the Commons brought np 111.• Traill , sig to IA rills Bill, which was teceived by the Lord Clisneellor, and the am-oolmenb. a r.wd Its. Link 11111. l'he Ear; of C VINT A RYON rose nn the order of Ow day for the third of tie Bill to prevent the Publication of blaypitemom• sod srdittou, Libels, and aav•u_: rolled. the atenti a of tlw House to ti.e effect would bay • upon the liberty of the preyA, expressed a opinionflorid, d that such a Rol, it toleroleol at all by Par liament, ottzht to have hut a sharp du. al • . Noble Essl condo led hiss oromient by 11111 W ill: as amendment, toe slit thus of the Bill to two years. i-rowl Silt %lOU 111' °Now, d the atm tulatent, nn the grmiud or t h e nal followed the publication of oh- st roelott• libels. It ass is hi%opinioo. the duly of P..rha mem to cheek to the utmost ertenl thst torrent of irmilasiiiiitstion which lutd 111 W 1.,% been rullered to operate un2 he publie mind. Earl fill EN Olt supported the amendment. The Doke of 1% 1:1A.1%G Fos. iyukr in rivour of the Bill. His lit are coo-Mere:l it a iiete•mry measure. The itiAllop of LANDAFF expo es e4l a hope that the Bill would prove a check to the thioemilizaiim of mai elari,lian doctrines, st hich li of of late too meth disturbed the peace of society. A ter a di,ru, inn of ronsiihrols'e lent oh the ameiehoeut was without a oirhoon, nod the House adjuumcit I ill to non 110t.'SE OF CONIMONS, MONDAY, MC. 6. Mr. P. MOORE pre sited it Petition A ont W. Great. head Lew of lot, emit ry, respecting the recent meeting there on Ihr Matieheiiter trate..tetion., complaining of its inn-mini ion by ti or 7.incomdattle.i. The Ma j or declared,. that he did not anthoitse the interruption. Petition trod, and ortli.red to he printed. Sir J. WiNiTOSH moved for a return of tacriminnl inf o , ihimiotia tiled by the At lot ney General in 1818 and 1819; the nAsi•es of Ilse M. 6104111. and psiblicatiwri; and the results of .11eil prwer (Haupt. ()Meted. The Report of the Committee of and Means wits turnnrbt sip and agreed to. HONE whether there was nny intention to impinge new rea.slaison or Julie. on Ilie importation of fOrrig o sill.", it b. ing well kunst that Obey were now introduced by a eoniel.ir nyment of *snuggling. Filly or I fibt. per resit. tuiglu be imposed, and produce a coubider si)le revenue. flue CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER reiuliell, that he mei tl in the st ntimrnl. Ilial hail fallen from the lion. /itemiser, hot he trate(' it n ()Oil he dithrtrlt to Coe entre Ike maput.,etnrel - 11141 sorb a ploeveding would nut int erterr glib hue. tsta. CALVEIIt moved for retains of the amount of the duty,NCl outing to an Act of last Session, oil Malt in hand, tte.—Ortle.vd. Mr. LA %IWION Kase notice, that after Christmas he shusld Wing lot-we'd the qitelttiou or PaFlianteatdry Re forest; *nil he might be sodulged with a few words to explAto bi. objeei. (Hear.)-11t. mea•tu • e wmdJ propose the repeal of the Septennial Art; the extension of the elee.i►e froitit•hi%e Fn Copslwldeto and Householder. pal. tug duet.' taxes; and inr extinelion or whet wale called the flitter Boroughs. (firer, send a lengli.)—He was sure tuts ploreedie.g would mote limn au) vibe, trod to pac.fylhu•edifltretires whirl' now unhappil►' existed; 411. i WllllOlllll he feared they would be duotned to behold what few shell dated to contemplate. '111\11. 1 1.11..01.'S i'IEE'I'INGS BILL. Lord CAS] itrewitist•ly to mottle that the del.. u. ii tome of the alit. e anoint which bnd bleu nllii.aiteed. 'Die) mainly emit-el:led I)ehating Societies; and to regulate Wages , . 14:r.; to prevent mat hlß 01 ("Melt and As to the ~, . ling of tile 14,11 Lica/ old irqapOrary. he deemed that stick litiiitai s make the Bill uite to encon lather than 10 ,tippi ess sedition—for it was the Main t..11T1 11. *4 , W the deluded that anvil proceedings could mit lie rimidimanci d by llarliaulrnl. 11 was thottio di sit/hit. the Bill something of a permanent clia -I.ll'll-1 ; hr siiiiiiid therefore nut object to its donation ,tars. o rat i on . k i tsiiiinlil it idiot ail pi ovum at 1 - ILitbi E V tr mai led, that the Noble Lord left his proposition in a ilmilditel stale. Ile did not say that ha tt ottid Inn tn.e its liu i alio') to live years, hail mated, that id: is tonal tint novo >01( II i isiill.al 101 l ~,, ......... N . l din, it Wniiid be for I how 01,1,‘Isite Ito submit uroptomi 101 l Ilie it prrlud Hiatt lhr t ears ~ir•r I , ny ay ti, ittill . llll 11$1.110‘011111, by toe BM Dc 11.101% d to .111 elit'l..4lloll of tiC Alt% I{l% EN oppinrril the Bill aliceyilirr, a not cal. eto,oed 10 inert evil tositilaiiiyil ot. Ile silicified, it swift 111,1 iw 11w of It 11Ch cis assii•s. il %%011 111 "OE done Ifli i.‘ 11, 'flip r 5% us. is‘i .1, sod lilt roil ile(111.1r) dna roam.clrr WI/111.1 .lilt I.lllllli 11.11.14:,E411. Thus %it es Hie I 1-' til•—haul O/ .11111 oVs I-14%411011 Willi is 1,11 Illy roinstr) ; and if 111% 11.9.6•10. to sr•lmi• Ilaulluel- In'.. Ilir liao•I to pui.ur ui.u ld by, to 41111 , •01111. isolimitlimi 1641 thry %%chid iiiteutl to (lot I (Am tlio•e %. 11 I Zlo 1:1i ALI) c‘ple•...tl hi. • :,,Lietion at the N111'14;1011% •11/I all1V1111110:1113 inuudut rll lOU the Dill LIII d. S I It. 11 IL not only the to incitile of he 1.i. 1 I n" 1 1 1, l'e.;,;114• of the syttle,t of h Diet, it oars the fore' uis.ier 4 God the e,.mors now propobetl ought to bidden the Noble Load to at ticles of linear:tut ul They wee' to : 4C , 4rr