The Sun. — London, England, 1819-12-31 00:00:00

FOR"I'HI, SUN. NEW LMV OF LIBEL. Oue topic or other, th►►ugh possibly not of greater importance, has called my attention from The Bookselts l Petition against the new Libel Act. Thus it is in life ;—we postpone a duty from clay -to day, until it is forgotten it) a different occupation, and at last perhaps l.►id aside in ne gligence. The opinions of a body of men so respectable in their character, and carrying so touch well ac quired influence, o►►ght not to have been pratter mitred. Evel y one will feel the reasons of that influence as well as its weight 5 I need not dilate upon I e m . I sl►all discuss the Remonstrance of the Metro. I►olitau Booksellers with the candour which, I I always use, am! will, more courtesy r•'an often exercise. 1 - he former is toy general duty; the laver is their particular tight. Jr is not al- 4ys my tortone to t:►eet oppot►.nts, so re•pect able, and so well.inteutione►l. The;r statement—that the punishtnent of Death is visited by the new Law upon the Lihdler— seems to me foutaled upon an inadvet fence. Not the Libeller, but the returned transport, is sub ject to that ul!imate infliction. His re-lauding upon the 13.itish soil, i 3 a divinct offence,_ without any reference to the original offence which in curred his expatriation. A third Libel he cer- tainly cannot commit ; since he must ei , her re main abroad or be hanged for coming home ;--• but for his second libel, a foreign residence will always save him from capital punishment. It might as reasonably be argued that our Law pu- I;isbed swindler. and pickpockets with death ; because it has sometimes cured those returned transports of their maladie du pays. I cannot conceive, that reasons which are in sufficient for the general impunity of Libel, should be sufficient against the increase of its punish- n►ent. Neither, that a written slander should be less difficult of conviction than a spoken one, or less severely punished. As little can I imagine; that any man who knows how to write, can " ig norantly or imolvertently" write bilspherny or sedition. These offences define themselves; they possess a certainty in their own terms, not less preeie than the intentions of their Author. Unlearned men may utter them ; but their scription is a deliberate act ; their typography yet more deliberate ; their publi cation most deliberate of all. A private libel may not possess all this certainty, nor, perhaps, all this mal-intention ; but the Melropolitan Book.cilc,. wm recol►ect, that private libels are not the object of the new law. It were difficult to find twelve men, of clear intellrct and of sound principle also, who could acquit blasphemy as pious, or sedition as Constitutional. I say it with all possible respect, and without ny the least unkindness, that whoso enters upon a profitable occupation for the sake of its profits, is bound to its duties and subject to its hazards. An Apothecary is not mote obliged to beware of vending poisons, than is a Bookseller to beware of publishing libels. We resort to the one for the means of healing ; to the other, for the means of instruction. It their present gains will not afford more numerous and more vigilant cau tions, let the medicine and the book hear an higher price ; but in no case should cheapness or convenience justify the natural or the moral con tamination. That the character of a Libel is uncertain, — that its criminality and its innocence are undefin• able, variant as a cloud and shifting as a wave, — is a matter of objection, not to the nature of the offence itself, but to the mode of its decision. I was not the first , to advance a censure, which would argue against the improvement of new law by the,j-toperfection of 'be old. If the offence of a bOqiep3shas - been hitherto uncertain,—if" it ed, possTihs fixed character, whereby its guilt „mitypbe•ascertained,—wh e re is the dubiety to be found ,? whither is the deficiency to be traced ! The Metropolitan Booksellers compel mine eyes to that Law which nr.fixed the certainty, and placed it upon'the fluctuation of a verdict. Many of these Gentlemen I know, and all of 'Lem I respect. They are incapable —one and all—of desiring the impunity of crime. They would not willi ng ly, f or any purposes of gain, make their establishments the repository or the ally of the infidel or the rebel. It is not possible for any language to acquit them, more sincerely ' than 1 desire to do, from all participation with suds criminals. Nevertheless, I must re-urge the necessity of their added vigilance, no matter at what price or what trouble, against the publica tion of seditious or blasphemous libels. I ac khowledge the difficulty only insist that it must be conquered. To some of these inconveniences let me now advert. They must not engage careless servants, nor retain %Indict ;ve ones. They must tale eare not to circoldte suspicious works -; and to look Its the character.of the Publisher, before they circAt• Ive his works at all.—They must. - biod thernselve4 to one another, to be cautious as to the works which they publish, and as to the Authors foi: whom they print.—Let the original Publisher look to his press, and the subsequent circulator will be in little peril. It is not very probable, that a honk, not ostensibly written on Politi cal or Religious subjects, will inculcate Sedition or Blasphemy : and, if it does, its Publisher may very reasonably see to it.—Surely, however, a work may be Political without reviling the Throne, an Rvligions without profaning the , Altar.—flow rhrn, learned and respectable Wri- leis, of the bto.3t itObS inCipleS" Call be d~tcrtetl front treating on Political or Religious " subjects at all“—is utterly beyond my finite in telligence.—Equally so, how" tespeetable wutKs'' can be affected by a law against Sedition and Blas phemy —I mention no patticular namt s with an invidiotn, preference ; but in what manner, let me ask, can a against Sedition pruindice Mr. 11A - rcuArlo ? Or a law against Blasphemy ii , juie Mr. Itiel TON ? What Bookseller will hesitate, under any Lrgislatire strictness, to sell a Work which issued from their establishments ? the Metropolitan Booksellers, not only the " Nation's taste" depends, but the " Nation's vit " tue "—The responsibilby of the charge is great: so too is i's honour ; let me be allowed to add, a nd most gladly, to add—so too is its emolument. The liberal persons whose opinion 1 presume to con travene, know the importance and the sacredness of their trust. The spiritual not less than the moral and political welfare of the rising genera tion is in their hands. Bad men may creep in among them, whose purpose, like Satan's in Paradise, may be the destruction of the lair and hopeful prospect. They will desire the intruder to be expelled, and gratulate the law of his ex pulsion, rather than question its effect upon them selves.. The fiery sword which defended Eden, was pointed from its walls, not jut o its aanc- tuary. The Metropolitan Booksellers have not sug gested any means whereby the new Law might be rendered equally efficacious, in the lieu of those pleventions which they deprecate. Stich,' had they suggested ChM, would have merited the most respectful consideration. At present, how ever, we must consider the proposed punishments, not in reference to their pressure upon the good, but to their operation upon the bad. Blasphemy or pdifion insist not be toletated, because they are not novel ; neither may their " standard," character, or their " classical" language be their justification. No man regrets more than I (1,), any inconveniences which may fall upon the Me. tropolitan Booksellers by the necessary severity of the new Law ; but I am consoled in reflect- ing, that in proportion as the LAW is severe, it will be terrible ; that its denouncement may pre vent its infliction ; that fear will moralize those upon whom honesty fails. The share which those honourable men whom I now address will have in the inconvenience, will be their share in that great sacrifice, which the loyalty and the piety of the Nation will be content to endure, acid .which will unite us all the more actively, the more perseveringly, and the more sharply against " Sedition and Blasphemy." TENAX. PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. AN ACCOUNT of the SUMS voted on ESTIMATE in cad of the Years 1712, 1813, and 1819, for PUBLIC DEPART. MEATS belonging to the ARMY SERVICES. 1792.. (Exclusive of Ireland) 181— Great 8ritain....L.188.201 9 5 1 * A Ireloin 11,90 7 91 200,161 17 2 Great Britain 130,31.3 14 1 18I '• • {lreland ---- I 150,228 10 8 • MEMORANDIJM.—Intbe year 1792, the Salaries and Eurio inn:lents of the Officers and Clerks of the War-Office, consist. ed partly of Fees ; for which, fixed Salaries were substituted in the year 1798. 't he amount of these Fees in 1792, was 4,9971. 3s. 4d. and should be added to the sum of 40,2381. ss. 2d. above men tioned, to show the Total Expense of Public Departments in that Year. • War-Office, Nov. 29, 1419. PALMERSTON. THE MARKETS. CORN-EXCHANGE, DEC. 31. We had a very large quantity of all Grain at Market this morning, chiefly consisting of what remained over from the Arrivals of Monday and Wednesday ; but owing to the severity of the frost, and the stoppage of the navigation, very few sales were effected, and pi ices of every article may be considered nominally as on Wednesday. SNIITIIFIELD MARKET, Dec. 31. This morning the Market was very shortly supplied with Cattle, in consequence of which the prices have advanced, and all kinds of Cattle are dearer than last Monday's Mar ket ; Veal, Pork, and Mutton, have also got up in price.— The Hay Market remains the same as per last Monday's Market; Straw and Clover as per our last quotation. T E A 'l* R I CA . I. It E S E It. Peqarmed Last' Nizht. Ftsr.i, tar TlnyAr„ nv- LAvE. , --.Wild Oats Prover, Mr. Eliiston ; Lady Amaranth, Mrs. W. We-t. 'After which, Jack and the than Stalk. TVEATRE RoYAL, CoVEN7 GA rtnEv.—The Comedy of Errors ; Monti() of Ephesus, %% 7 :Fat-vett ; Adrismt. Nliss'Ste • phens.::4fter which.Harlegnitt a d Don gigte. ' 4 "„ 1, For PEMBERToN, and 'fauns, see the First Page; and for PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEmNat, tee the Fourth Page. PRICE OF STOCKN PHIS DAY AT TWELVE O'CL,,Eft. 3 per Cent. Red 614 3 pur Cent. 7 4 per Cents. 845 1 Mani. Lung Ann .. 171 Imp. 3 pee; Cent. Ann... Gsi India , Beads 1 s. dis. par Exch. Bills, 2d. 4s. ss. 3s. dis. Cone. for Account .. GBiii4i MAILS. A 1111 IV Dulillu, 1 France, 1 Flanders. Dut—t2 Guernsey and Jersey, i Holland. FITCH ‘VATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO.NIORROW. thaltiNK, 5 minutes after 3. I Evutting,3() fulmars after 3. N. Til F S SOLF:AII QUIS DICICHE FA I,SILY M Al' lI)EAT ? LONDON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1819. We received this morning the Paris Papers of Monday and Tuesday last. The Chamber of Peers assembled on Monday, when the priijet respecting the provisional collection of six-twelfths of the Taxes was communicated to them by the ter Of Finance ; it was referred to a special Com mittee of five, who were to report on Tuesday. The trial of SAVARY, Duke of Rovigo, came on before the first permanent Co 7 incil of War of the First Military Division, on Monday. The rt auk was that be was unanimously acquitted and or dered to be discharged.—The following are II tracts : " Dac. 28.—Sunday morning the King gave a private audience to the Marquess de Ma tialva, the Portuguese Ambassador, who delivered to his Majesty a private letter from his So vereign. " 11. M. At nault, Felix Desportes, and Hard, included in the Ordonnance of the 24th July have arrived at Paris, their return to France having been authorized by his Majesty. " The Chamber (91 Deputies did not eßemble yesterday. " The King gave audience yesterday to the Cardinal de Perigord, and afterwards transacted business with the Minister of Marine. His Ma jesty also gave a private audience testerday morning to Nem -General Rarnont-Dotaillis.— On Sunday the King transacted bu,incss with the Minister fur Foreign Affairs. ‘• Aldrbhal the Duke of aintzic is seriously in- disposed. Jr is reported in the salons of the Capital, that a part of the business of the Ministry of the Royal Household,such as theTheatres, Mlseum9, Manufactures, objects of Art, &c. &c., i s to b e transferred to the Ministry of the Interior. " Strange rumours are in circulation at Paris, but which we purposely abstain from circulating. We are, however, assured, that otdeis were is., surd to place at the disposal of each post of the National Guards 500 ball cartridges. It is also said that the individual arrested at Amsterdam with so much mystery is. Merlin de Douay.—( Ga zette de France.) FIVE PER CENTS. Monday .. 71 f. 34 c. DP.FRRIISD STOCK Of the 22d March, 1817, 93 1. 64c. 22d Sept. 1817, 9l f. 60c. 22d March, 1818, B9 f. 60 e. 22d Sept. IRI 8, 22d March, 1819, YS f. 60 c. 22d Sept. 1319, 831.. 60c. " BRESLAU, Dec. 15.—1 t is said that the Mtg.. sian Cabinet is using every means to augment it influence in Asia. A permanent Ambassador from the Court of St. Petersburg is henceforth to le- side in Persia. " AUGSBURG, DEC. 18.—The pldgne i 9 making considerable ravages in several of the Turkish Provinces ; it has prevailed for some time in Mol davia, and now we learn by Commercial Letters, that it has manifested itself in Bosnia." Virginia Papers arrived this morning to the 20th November; they do not contain any news of int- port lthce. (From the /Mali of the 18th Nov.) It i 4 said that Mi. Forsyth has r►tade a per emptory demand on behalf of his Government, for a considerable number of American prisoners, in Spanish prisons, who did not enter into the . P atriot service, but were trepanned by designing officers, under false pretences; and that he has required a statement of charges against others. We may now congratulate ..the Country on the Royal Sanction which has been given to those measures ‘thiCh its security so iolperioosly de manded. Lord ERSKIN“ has issued a Protest against the Newspaper Stamp Bill, but it contains such objections only as have been repeatedly urged by other Dleu►bers of - Opposition with much greater force, and which have been refuted over and over again by more enlightened frienis of the Country. It is evident, as we-Lave often said, that no honest, wise, and loyal subjeetvan be affected by such rcstrictious on the P4ssNsillifir state of the Country w iirvqed ky..l4abil Refordserg;-..i.. and Traitors of every description, positively de manded. We refer to a Letter from our active Correspondent TRNAX, in our Paper this day, who has discussed the subject with great ability, and whose opinions on this occasion, must be sup potted by Readers in general, who seriously re• fleet on the dangers that assailed us: Notice was given by the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER last night in the House of Commons, of an intention on the part of Government to em• piny a certain number of the Poor of the Metro. polis on Dattmoor, a pant for that purpose hay ing been gracion3ly made by the PRINCE REGENT.' This benevolent measure, we trust, will be extend ed to other %VaSte lands throughout the country that may require and admit of cultivation. By this means, the distress of the People in various parts of the United Kingdom may be relieved, and not only the face of the Country be improved, but rendered profitable. But the wealthy part of the community of every description, should zealously come forward with contributions for the purchase of necessary implements, &c., as Government has pressipg occasions for all its disposeable funds, and it is indeed a pariotic duty of the opu lent of every class to assist in the promotion of so benevolent and so beneficial a design. The grounds of the Bill, called the Newspaper Stamp Bill, have been much misrepresenterh It is notorious that p , :blications of the most fla. grant nature, not only exci . ing hatred and con tempt of the constituted Government of the King dour,' and encouraging an alteration in the lives of the Country by wher means than by the esta. Wished authority of Parliamet:t, but calculated Rs destroy the comforts of religious hope, by blas pheming the Sacrt d Scriptures, have been vireo hued with malignant zeal. By means of the Daily and Weekly Publications of small Tracts of sedition and Blasphemy, the agitation of the minds of the lower orders has been kept alive, and, notwithstanding the prosecutions which have been carried on, and some with a successful issue, the diffusion of Sedition has spread, tur bulence has been exriied, and discontent encou raged. Without hinting a thought of blame against any Jury, .it has been ably argued, that the present Law is inefficient to check the evil, that the conviction of a Libel, especially if of a se ditious and not blespmernous nature, is most doubtful, and that the delay the offender has had the power to interpose has given time for the further publication of esbonny. It has been ob jected that the Ministers have been supine in di recting Prosecutions for Libels, and that the Law , Officers of the Crown have not actively exerted their powers to suppress the abuses of tie Press (ell hereby confessing the existence of seditious writ. ings to a great degree). Ts such objections the facts of ministerial efforts and legal diligence have been produced. In the time of one Arroarsav- GENER'AL, the House was assured that pro - ecutions wet e carried on to an arbitrary excess ; a sue- ceeding ATTORNEY-GaNERAL was complimented . in his day,' for his. abstinence and mild exercise of his official powers; and now, in a third in stance, we have been told that Periodical Pam /Meta and Tracts have teemed forth, to the dis grace of the Country, and ,to the destruction of Social Society, by the encouragement of assassi nation, and that these have passed with impunity. The year 1818 has been referred to as - the period in which the most abominable Tracts were circu lated, and no pro3-ecution had been commenced; hut in that very year, the very Pamphlet alluded to, together with several others, had been traTIS.• milted to the Law (Mire's of the Crown for their opinion, and five Informations, as the ATTORNEY. GENERAL stated in his speech on Wednesday, the 22d December, were filed against tire same indi vidual, who had primed, published, and sold this Tract. Notwithstanding such proceedings CAR eters persevered, in defiance of the Law, and in contempt of the Constituted Authorities, to ex pose to sale the 111.ispherny and Sedition, the re bellions and murder-exciting Doctrines, and was not withlipld by his convietion, and even to the very day of his rrceiving sentence, did be, for the giatifiratiOn of his malicious passions, and of his avaricious desires, throng() his wife, continue the dissemination of the pamphlets on which ha had been convicted. It will be alsojecollected, that the Jury were three quarters of - an hour our, deliberating on their verdict. if suelt a publica-','' timi as the denial of the truth of all ieligion could create a doubt in any one man's mi n d of the violation of th e l aw of the land and of blas phemy to Gun, is it unreasonable to presume • I tb& !nit tlut as den euc lovi dee age Lit res the AR! Bu the vet By tbil via tht bei An( for lan wit! the gen are and gri of tic dir W