The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1810-03-29 00:00:00

Ire would c mt-z•at IM itself ith referring to only one--that of a libel put& itself by I. Mattheirs, in 177). Tina was r.fmred to a Committee of Privi leges j and, in in.isepteoce of their report upon it, the !louse acted. Holding the opinion. that this was the proper coarse, he. would move, That the charge u • n oimd Sir F. Burdett, fur r, breath of privi lege, be referred On the Committee of Privileges, for their report Odeon." The StEARea ob.ervcd, that there could he no Standiog Order as to a particular fart, of which it was for the Howe to judge as they thought proper. If the House thought of adopting the views, of the Right Honourable Gentleman, their first vote smut be to order the Committee to bit ; but, at present, no such separate motion could be entertoitteti ; and the only comae. the Bight Hationroble Geutlrmau could pursue, was tomtura the sane, ae on Amend ment to the Retolution now under consideration of the House. Mr. SIERTDAN and epics referred to the taints of the Standing Order, as Wilding nu the I lmt.e. The SPEAKER said, the House must cousider the speciticcharge before them. Mr. SHERIDAN tli o " That the Com mittee of Privileges should Le appohited to alt. On Wednesday next." The SPRAKER s lid, the motion must lie framed as an Amendment to the Resolution before Life Ffonse. He then put Mr. LetlH,ri:lge's lirst lotion; and. while Mr. Sheridan was writing out his Amendment, Mr. W. Amin spoke to order. He renetrked ou Cie state of the original question, and proposed 'intendment, to refer the mutter to a Cohunittee of Vrivilsgrs. His Right lion. Friend had slated oils cane in support of hi, opinion, but many more might he aolvaitesd. In the year 1701, a letter of Mr. Culpepper, addressed to the Seraln.r. charged as a breach of privilege, wts in this 'mintier referred to a Committee of Privileges. Thinking, there fore, well of his Right Honourable F. letas design, he could only Isis!) it to be carried into effect in another shu t )... as the in0.".1: proposed seemed rather to be an awkward one of getting at the motion. He would reemnisted to his Hight lion. Friend to witli.lravr Ins amendment, on the understanding that au ailjournine.it, to be moved by an Hon. I' feud of In:, Aiould be agreed to, and the discus- saia•postpoued to a future day. In the ititertue diate time, the Committee of Privileges might sit, and their report be taken into coasideratiou on that adjourned debate. Mr. BRAND was convinced, that if the Hon. Mover of this question had been aware of the great interrupt on it wo u ld h oer giv en to th e other im portant business on wi.ich the House had been so long and deeply engaged, he would lint have kyr Ina:well to britig it forward.—(llcar.)—lle would have been the more averse to do this, at this time, as nu danger could accrue from the pouponenaent of his Wieldiest, and the utmost elanz• r to the interests of the country ini : ;ht aries front their nut coming to a speedy decieion ou the conduct of those Minster% to whir costal) the atfiirs of the na tion were now entrusted. Ant that he would refuse to consider the qu sewn, now that it was brought forward, as one of the atuiost importance. To him, any question iiivolvi.•g the Coustitiitiiiii, and th e li berties of the subject, was of mina vital cons, queace and Intermit, than twenty expedition. to It &chi ten, or any oilier part of in. Oolie, with all their • radon a and disaatets. it was indeed a question of wrest maiguituile--a question which had not only j o rged the attention of the worthy Bart. (Sir 1.. bi.. 4 . ; •) I ut of many gnat legal and constitutional •writers. (heat dilli-retice of opinion had existed as 'Wale nght of the House of Comiionsi led the limiter had been agit dad %le) gre.il men. on both std..% with arty soperior ability. Nut wrht;ther the House bed a light to commit, in the • preservation of its owe, dignity awl character; of tins neither lie nor any one helore him ever ex premed a doubt ; but where the hue was to be drawn. situ to what bound their privileges extend ed. It was not his intention, at preseut, to enter into distinctions on this point; but he most say, that even from the passiogre read in support of the charge. great doubts arose, and the num. r became of such anxious valiceili to the Constitution. that he meet deprecate any thing like mip•-tuosity iu coining to a dteinuu. It was not Doctiquiry to state his °wenn' ou the resolutions proposed by his Ho noarahle Friend (if lie would allow hint to call hien so) ovcrslie way ; yet, as he never feared to &liver his at.ntiinetits. whatever they might be, he had no hesitation in saving. that the hist pu‘stage cited would coin% u n der every detiiiitam of a breath of privilege---(llear, hear, h,ar,)—and that if the queattosi was Wl', he must rote that it was so, under certniii modifications, wind; lie would reserve to himself the liberty of proposing hereafter. In the other patioggcs he euold see no thing coning under s sinii'tir description. With regard to the Hisolntinu, lie must ask Gar time t o consider and iniestigate, before he deided that the rig:its there el.nrned, were, as asserted, the just rights acrd privileges" of the Howie. lie bad em ployed rill his time this morning in rceiling, as as he wee stile, the authorities on tuns subject, but had not had time to obtain all the information- he could wish to have, before he was calleadon to decide by his vote. liargrave, whose vast knowledge and accuracy of judgment were too well known to need his comment, said, that" summary judgments were Improper where the Cutirts of Ldw w ere open to de cide upon the care." The present was such a mar, for Courts of Law w. re peculiarly open to decide on libe:s. Such, ton. had beets the practice ofthe House in the instance of Mr. Reeves, whom the House ceded the Attorney-General to prosecute. He had many doubts on other point., which he lied not bed tune yet so resolve. He doubted how ter it was right for a Member to express to his eutisti torah; what be had urged in the House. What ref• fence there was in siatiog to his constottiente whet he had sta(ed, without reprimand in the Hower, be had yet t., learn. Ile lied alreudy Aided I.ls oriiiiion of all the pa•segss•, escape the last. The istieetien to the first rootage, was, where. speak loit of the lkletulsers of the Meese, they were iit sritied as tt collected together by means which it ii 1,6 t necessary for me, (the author) to describe." This appeared to Vim perfect abstinence and mo. ti - r•titta and he supposed the Honourable Ha coact must have overlooked it, or he would here used mach tho liret:t sod express terms. Alter tie atluowledgment of the means employed for returning mairy•Meuibera to that Roma*, last Session, "and the generally-admitted universality of that practice, it was perfect knit,' only to hint et the nwac iu which they were collected. He would not go through these passages to sbew, what he believed he could slier", that there was not one part of the pamphlet which had not been expressed In stronger terms in the House, except only the knit, which he must consider a breach of privilege. (The passage alluded to, was, that where the louse ere accused of t‘ Larding it equally over the Mug cad the Peu ple.") He was apt to be sincere, and therefore gave his sentiments without disguise; in this paper he saw nothing more than the Hon. Baronet had said in the House. last Session, in his speech on the subject of Reform ; and if he conveyed it in proper language to his constituents, the House would have sonic difficulty iii considering it as an Wiener. Upon the witole, title was necessary 'to enable them to come to a forcipes, sedate, calm, and dignified decision, such as justice and their own honour rerpsired. They ouoht not to suffer this discussion to be introduced to interfere with the other iinportaut matter tender their consideration. Was there a men in that Honor, or the country, who doubted that the Right Hou. Gentleman op posite (Mr. Perceval) was glad to catch at this op portunity, to divide the attention of an inquiring House and sit indignant people ?—(Hear, hear.),— . He was sure the Hois. Gentleman opposite {Mr. Lethbridge) would he sorry, on reflection, that ever hot was fed to become the instrument to throw this sop to retard their ilceision.—(Hear, hear...J.—And lie was not wthuut hopes that he would even rise to second the motion wish which he would now onclude, ownely, to adjourn this discussion till to-morrow re'looglit. The SPEAK ca stated the qestion and this amend- Ment. Mr. LETHBRIDGE did not rise toseeond the Hon. Gentleman's motion.—(d laagh.)—On the con trary, as the mover of the Resolittibtra, ate could not consent to ao adjournment. He regretted that it was not in his power to give hie consent. It never had been his wish to pushy the question with preci pitancy; but heconsideredu as to the hands of the House, after he made his pro ! ,osition, and had on, as they, by their vote. seemed inclined to con sider as the must fit course. He would not now go back, start neither would he %I.!' it, since the Hon. Gent. h. id furnished hint with .o strong au argu ment for proceeding. The Hon. Gent. had said, he consii.re4l the question of more importance than 20 elpetillioils . to Walchereo, or any other part of the globe. How then could he ask for delay, and delay on the tlecisiou of so momentous ■ matter ? He. %.ott!dl not follow the Hon. Gent. through all his able arguments, hut one word he moat be al. lowed to say—He was as sincere as the Hight Hon. Gent. who, CAI t in him speech, had accused him of hating " lent himself" i'l this business. He could lay his hand nit his heart, and he trusted the House would believe him, wti 'II he asserted, that he never lent himself to any man, or set of men, in his exist erice.—( Hear, hear )—lf he had, he should indeed have regretted that as long as hr lived ; but his mo- Coil had originated entirely in his own, and in all he had done lie had anted solely from his own, ideas, upon the subject.—( Hear, hear, from the T'reasury side.) Mr. CURIVEN, on account of the importance of the Inquiry, on the discussion of which they were engaged, thouLdit Otis a very improper time to en tertain a n:or subject. He was sorry it had been iiitioduced at a time, when to conciliate was much more their duty than to inflame and irritate— (fleer.) 11.• valid on the Right lion. Gentle man (the Chance:lor of the Exchequer) to reflect on the original discussed of a breach of privilege, and the horrors to which it led. He called ou him to reflect how.the kingdom was then rent from one end to the other. ( Hear, hear.) On the present question lie, was nut prepared to vote, nor could he do so conscientiously, unless time was allowed him to inquire and make up his mind.on the subject. If they agreed to We two resolutions, and as far as he hued yet been able io carne to a decision, he thought the dignity, if the Itoose required some vote; they must proceed still farther to so ulterior object. A;imist this, in the present state of his infoiutution, he must be compelled •to vote.— He wet convinced that the House . most have , power to protect itself and punish those guilty of attacks upon its rights and priiileges ; but he was also convinced, that the inure seldom this• power was exercised, it wus the hetter.—At pre sent the subject was nut introduced so much for its can sake, as for the Right Hem. Gentleman opposite, who, like a drove g wan, was eager to catch at any straw to ssve him f ro m si, i ki ng ,— ( Hear, hear.)—lf the unfortunate paper had not hreti noticed, it would, in all probability, in a few dais, have stink into oblivion. Since it was noticed, its importance required deliberation, and he believed that a short pause would make the House unani mos& in the vote they would come to noon it. If, however, the Right H,,,,, (l en t; forced them to premature decision, thr consequences must lie Iris. The pause he is.keel for would they the people that they did not decide an the spot of their pas sions, but on their calm and delibmite judgments, ou the merits of the case itself. Their Journals hud been disgraced with the heated ontest carried on with %Valles, anal he hoped they would never again see them brought into such contempt. He hoped their vote would never br influenced by one spark of passion, but be dictated by dusty and ho nour. This could nut be the ewe, were they called on to decide now. Mr. Ow vs said, the last speaker had now re duced the question to this; whether the Howse of Commons were to be intimidated by any man, or art of moo, or whether they would boldly, and without fear, perform their duty ? (Hear, hear.) He trusted the) would hove the courage to a-s►rt their rights and independetice.--(lleer.)—This was an additional reason for his rote, hut it was not tequ:red ; as he lied suflivisnt grounds before to in duce him to agree to tn.- Resolutions of his Hon. Friend. lie umm astonished, atter hearing Geode men opposite, except the Right lion. Gentleman, ('mlr. Sberid•erj who appeared to consider it as trilling. (Hear, later, fhua the Oppusilion), attach so much importume to t h e• question. anal propose 014 its downs should be dela) ed. Could it be • question whii•h was most important, whir thtr a censure or (tumid should be passed int Ministes, f,:r a cort.t . in part tif it Gov'ernment, or the House was to lose its independence, mid be Neaten awn by fear, either' of its own Members, or Iv; utter party ? (Hear, hear.) The reasons for supporting this dally were most extraordinary.-- They were called on. to postpone this stare,: !edged weighty and importint matter, which would tie.cupy them a few boors. because some Gentlemen opposite attached more importance to a question in which they were more iitituediately in terested. ( Hear, hear.) For a week, they were to continue to stifl'icr it to be drculatel through the country, that they hail made the Bill of Rights a a Bill of %V and all the other grass assertions in thud pamphlet, by one of their tea a body, to be disseminated, without coattadietioti, or asserting their own character. The people were to be told that they were oppressing and destroying their dull the [louse of Com Mons weteln Silence to suffer the aspersion ! Was it necessary, he would ask, to go to a Committee of Privileges for, any precedent of Such langtia:te as this being de elated a violation of their privileges ? The House were conipeteut, sad were imperil:rally called upon to pronounce judgment, at a ca , e so strong, that it might alino,t be curried by acclamation. If they abstaiued front dccirlitti; now, the impression would be very different from that anticipated by the Honourable Gen tleman opposite (Mr. Curwen). If they abstained from deciding, it would not increase the respect of the people fur them, but it would canse it to be said, that they had imprisoned is Instable offender, while they durst not proceed against one of their own Members, more powerfully supportotl.-i-/Loud cries of hear, hear.)-41iii was no .hasty opinion ; he was sure suavest-old be the effect upon the free people in the country, is whom he was most accus tomed. As for'llialublicution itself, never was there one more grods and scandalous. The Hon. bent. (Mr. Brand) had said, he coald find mily one passage to which he could attach the blame of 'wing • breach of privilege. He would point out ano ther, among many, and ask him whether he consi dered it us coming tinder that deliuitioo ?--(Elere the Hon. Gentleman read the passage, stating, that the House of Commons had a !spirited the sword of prerogative, and lorded it equally over the Kinq and the people."—Shouts hear.)—lte would trespass on them no more. Enough he had. said; enough appeared on the very face of the paper, to decide its nature and tendency ; and he trusted the House would not shrink from the manly discharge .r its duty, oat of fear to the people or the Hon. Bart. who was the subject of their debate. Mr. WUITIMEAD • begging pardon of the Hon. Gentleman who had just sat dowel, aasured him he had never risen in that Howie to speak on a sub ject of greater importance than the present. He was surprised et the mistake into which that Hon. Geatlemau lead fallen with respect to hie IligLt lion. Friend (Mr. Sheridan). His Right lion. Friend, so far finin having mentioned the question as • light oneiliad distinctly stated, at the very outset of his speech, his opinion of its serious im portance. It was on account of its momentous im bue, that he and others asked for time to 'oyes n - tieate and consider it fully. Here he would do th e lion. Gent. opposite (Mr. Lethbridge) the justice to say, that he had acted with perfectcandour through out, and had displayed no wish to push the question to a precipitate decision. (in the contrary, he had, last night, evinced a disposition to agree to the postponement. But it wars the Right Hon. Gen. tleman oppoite, and lie desired them to mark it; it was he, who, mainly concerned in the other ques tion before them, was determined to break in n pon that interesting subject, by pushing in this 'new diacussion.—(Hear, hear.)—That question was of more moment to them, and to hitnself.--(4 laugh ' from the Ministerial ride)—He dispised that laugh, if it applied to his personal interests. Ile did say the question was of moment to every honest man who wished to be fully master of the sub. jest, before he pronounced his judgment npou it.—(flear.) Why were they to be pressed to this !needy decision in a matter of breach of privilege ? . Tune did not press now more than it did last year, When the Right lion. Spencer Perceval and the Right Hun. Lord Castlereagh, were accused of liar ing committed gross breaches of. the privileges of Parliament—( Load cheers.) On that occasion, when the charge was made, the Right Hon. Gen- Vermin not besug prepared to 'iturwer the charge, stated that fact, and withdrew. Ile at a future time returned to the House, heard the arguments against himself, and was permitted to answer them—(Hear, hear.) It was to these matters that they were to look to the degradation of the House, if it was degraded—(Heat. hear.) With Lord Castlereagh the course was just the same ; let them compere his acknowledged departure from the law of the House, of 1779, and sa t, whe ther Abet was not a moat gross breach of privilege ? —(Hear.)—Let them recollect the fluent of disso lution, wade to them by another Right Hon. Sec retary, and that the threat nes afterwards carried into effect, and then let them say where the breach of privilege abouieleil, whence their degradation proceeded %—(Hear.)—Was it now too much to ask time to read the paper oil which they were to decide I' He last night steteal, that, from being en gaged to so late an hour ecu the subject of their then discussion, he conceived it would not be possible for him to peruse this document. He now as serted, that, from half-past two, when they ud jaunted, to four o'clock, when they met again, lie had not had time to semi the paper. Was lie then to be called on to decide o n so important a ques tion, on the mere heui lug .4f two or three extracts, and without being allowed to compare thein with the whole work, and judge .4f them Lulu the con text? (Hear, hear.) There was no ground la.d dowel for thus haste, but there was a great slain:tool object in coming to a decision on the Expedition to the Scheldt. how did that matter stand ?—After his Noble Frieuel (Lord Poreheater) loping been accused of rasing arguments on part of an Expedition never everted into execution, an nom Gen. (Craufurd) in defence of Ministers, had fought an imaginary campaign.and on that foundation had moved an amendment for th.ir exculpation. This was their situation last night ; and the House raw men hugging themselves in then hope., at the time *lieu he could have expected they would be calling on the mountains to cover them, and the waves to hide' them from the indignation of the people.— (llear, hear./—And here lie would take the op. portunily of stating, that in Lis opinion the rend • of the Right Hon. Secretary for the W ar ttr. neent, (Lord Castlereagh), had been liunoure7- frona beginaing to end of this inquiry. N t. „,„ 0 1 . 1 ! tribe Right Hon. Gent. opposite, is is..v shifts *encore duluy, had been incessaut isinl menne u . (Hear.) He wus one of tatter men not thk•abilities of that. Right Hon. Grutleniaa, alig t mind was so framed, that he could keep, art , i . and distinct, intermingling and g but; . -r He could only do one thing at a time, which , very celebrated man said, wus the usual a iu further e l e postmen, c ou ld b things wereldune in this country. W as lie, ilia, setnu mottle gifted, to be caller' on in the middl e of rrlt inusf important diseussiou, to ge ihto another? Tin Honourable Mover had postponed it f or teent)sfii "nho reoursa,soin why ftertirsit Wrightt it o be t, i g o i should th ere idly Members in thut Hous e , himself, could declare that they had not had +Joie to give the subject that deliberation it requite f The. Hon. Mart had asserted, flint he bed i. feat himself. He 'perfectly believed hi m . had not lent himself bat the Hight I-knout-4;1.. Gentlemen (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) I taken advantage of his facility.—(Hear, e fe ., He had said, this is a God-send— (beer a piece of goad luck ; and as it had well Leen sad, like a drowning man, he had caught a t th e straw ,: (Hear, hear.)—That Right Hun. Gent. knew Il i , proverb which said, "Many things fall n ut Iret ser ,, the cop and the lip,"—(hear) —and be was also aware that there were inany events in the chapter of uchilents, and that some accident might take glare between the - halter and the gallows—(Crier (1 hear, hear, and some marks of riisapprob at i ot . . Ile begged Gentlemen opposite not to tie alarine,:,. ll'they carried mutters as fur as they chose, the , could not go the lennth of beheading the Ros t lion. Gentleman. Ile had hexed a store of a,, Bier in Spain, which was rather applicable to the present cast : this fellow was cot:den:tied to he shot for some monstrous crime he had committed, 1 1 ;1 ,1 was carried out to the field to have the sentence executed. Just at the critical moment, the enemy appeared ; the hor.eruen appointed t shoot him mounted and rode off, and the culprit, following their exumple, they all escaped to- e. ther. To return to the question, from whiclrhe had been led a little to digreas, he holed the House wsuld do its duty without favour or tuna. lity. On standing in a tninority on the charge against the Right Honourable. Gentleman, he had . expressed the - tame hope...and he might he believes, now eaqthat. in his opinion, that Right Hon. Gentlemen hid experienced both favour and partiality, and th:,t that was one of the caus es o v the low opinion ha which the Howie was held by some. (Hear, hear, from Mixistera.) In the use el Lord Castle:edgli, another Right Hon. Secre tary had taken a vi ry active part, and was soma:- Qua to exculpate his colleague, that lie coined a stew word for that purpose, not finding the English tongue rich enough to furnish him with • descnp- Live phrase for Isis "mistakeable mete." Like the Hon. Gentleman eh& spoke last; he would never . be afraid of speaking his apinions, whatever they were. He rt. ferret! to his conduct during his whole parliamentary course, if ever he had abstainers r .from declaring 11111 sentiments, whether they were •km or against the popular opinion. Ilia if the 'Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Owen) would not be Wien dated into • short delay, so neither would be be intimidated by what that lion. Gentleman said, tato • false courage, and merely for the sake of chewing what he durst do, come to • vote for which he could net honestly say he e as prepared. (Hear.) Not having pled the publicetion, was • sufficient ground for . Inm, and those in a similar situation, to vote for .4fie adjournment. But there were. besides, other • sufficient resume for their giving such a vote. The late Mr. Yorke, he begged pardon, he meant ?dr. Yorke, the Teller of the Exchequer, who Was lately a Member of that House—(a laugh)—had, he supposed, left them a legacy; for, when he heard the Hon. Mover and Seconder of these resolutions talk so much of jecoliinierl plots, parties, and dare gers, he really could have thought, had the Right Honourable Teller hero still among them, that it was himself speaking through other organs — ( Laughter, and hand cries ,f hear, Aear.)- 7 Mheir that Gentleman brought forward his mutton re- , 'peeing Mr. Gale Jones, he had disapproved o f noticing the matter. What was the consequence? By their notice they had raised Mr. Gale Joliet. step by step, to a degree of consetluence, which he would otherwise never have rearsed. The Illoti..Mover had told them, that the words spokeu by the worthy Baronet (Sir Francis Burdett), In that House. Mid actually made his hair stand on end..—(A laugh)—Really. when that Hon. Gent next f It this phy-ieul effect, be would advise bin, police the House .iow knew he could tine utterance. tho' lie had been struck dumb with horror at the Honourable Moron, t s cxpre•*ions—he would &Avec him' to conquer the physical 'by 7 a moral effort, ind.,rather muse that the word* s hould at the moment, than allude to them threeshould be taken weeks after, in order to aggravate a charge.-- . —(Heer, hear.)—the referred to the Bauch d Lawyers, whom lie raw before him, if that trot. I be allowed as a practice in 'lei? Courts of Hear. hear.—The Chancellor of the hitch , - quer, Attorney and SolicitoreGetwral, Mr.Secre nary Ryder, the Master of the Rolls, Mr. Croke?, Ac Ste. were sitting oti the Treasury Bench.) — Now, he recollected the Hon. Mover had once he fore made a motion in the House, about d** ll " barrelled fines, and therefore could not be oar posed so !it:le able to Ppruk, when occasion oi fered.—(Learghter.)—There were some thing' which he found fault with the Honourable Ba ronet, and which he would here to carsick'' , before he came to give a decided opinion. Th u . {lon. Baronet hail made a speech. and followed it by a motion, which, if he had carried it. 1,0013 not advance the doctrine therein uph eld one atom. Ile had therefore never brought the fustier to issue, before the House, and he was censurable for publishing his opinions before he had done se. If his Noble Friend near him, (Lord Porchestrrt had not cons luilcd the elaborate and able speed. which he mule WI the Scheldt Inquiry. with a motion of censure on Min is ters, his speech wo uld . have been worth ',whit w e , . Yet this was oners the case in which Sir 'Francis Burdett stood, iti making a speech nu the rights of the House. and concluding with a motion to liberate iat • 14 , 1 fiN tqiih th, Ito 1., thin setl or t ies tho s e Ng patraatr I. Una Jr df. thus uf (J ut h a The ,C, l %NI tMe :le on.,' aro i +Hue Ditraf. tW ant :,re an • t 3 tj I .aal al U. / • ita that taa dal t said, hi eat lha ne ill ens he alio +II beptcr sit tt take dt relief ti shot,' aw irmed. bl , they g 4 Right s to the hl shot I, tia.l se atence t!1 never. a. ,k,l t Apt it, Lt :t1 the ti, taria. tit ;barge to ID, he ab might et Right ale nr and ab ties n! . to :Id be tra le tea, is Sect', to fined a tb oglibh I a nv - iu ke the never