The Sun. — London, England, 1815-03-07 00:00:00

t ln t answer the puse. He therefore ro.g.! for „"e purpo rpo se of mov i ng an amendment to the n'°- ;; 11 1)0W befor e the ijoufe. He commented on arhrlments used in favour of the Bill With sc'ele severity, and declared he could see no re.a, s?'l whatever for the House going now into the ," ° . 7e mittee ; h e s h ou l d therefore move, that,tlw k'Peaker should leave the Chair on the Monday ' i her th e Easter recess.—(A c moved, .. thatl he those should go into the Committee on e NiOnd ay after the Easter recess. tt,~ lltoßrNso N an d G eneral G ASCOIGNE rnu explained. Avlr. Bor. LER was und erstoo d to oppose the B i ll. -14 rd ComPToll spoke at cons id era bl e l engt h i n u u PPort Of t h e Bill. Ele complained of the lan rge which some Members had use d w hil e d e - Ring its merits, and contended the measure was or euusisteut with sound policy, and with the welfare A the com mun i ty at large. 14 rman Sturrn su p porte d t h e Amendment, as t h e e t ,, un ught that a lth oug h Mi n i sters meant well, were mistaken. A '' T ember, whose name we could not learn, de tilen(led the measure, as necessary to the welfare of ;People, especially of the lower classes. „O.II..PROTHEROE was in favour of the delay pro ed, in order that an opportunity might be " 4 to ascertain whethertain a medium pri ce c o uld ht terests attained, whi c h wou ld conc ili ate a ll in . Stt W4TIc.INS WILLIAM WYNNE wished to go r ° the Com m i tte e , as it was necessary something 3lould he don e to relieve the- ai7riculture of the try j„. r n He was inclined, Ito t , vever, to adopt the Al r, price of 75 5 . i ns t ea d o f oos. Al4Ravarr thought that the Petitions now, before the House sufficiently shoved the ,s ense o f Public. H e s h ou ld support t h e A men d ment. • at% C ALCRAFT complained of the extraordinary Precipitation with which the measure was pressed I Thr ough the house. If th e measure were arreste d 1. feW sho r t d a y s , terms of conciliation might Settled. 11 it were agreed that after the Com truittee sho u ld h ave taken place, and the blanks "n tilled up, the R e p ort s h ou ld h e postponed, I '4)cl, he consider e d a fair proposal, he should' _give the Ho use no trouble in the Committee, IL. Ivlui the duty of Parliament to listen to the yoke • the people before they came to a decision. If u ti l€y did not, they would hear more of it in ano er place e ; and it would be less tor the dignity of House to tread back its own steps. Since begiuning of February last the price of Corn ' 5 1 , 4 already risen in the following progression- 7 - tiii) 6 l, 64, and since the introduction of the . 67 5• This sufficiently explained the, ten--„, of the measure. Ai g l,« W iteiam `.:mrrit thought that 80s. was a g"er ired Price than • tan tile - Interest of the country re-,. He hoped t h e House would alter it in without any sacrifice of its h0n0ur......., A shotri tl ‘:ote for the Amendm en t. t neadm ent ll e nsued on G ene ra Gascoigne's Against it rit '.. , lB7 111)'''''''''' ajorit.} 61 .111 ' •'' . *** again s t it —l26 A se cond r . tioo, whether ' ision took place on the other ques o I'l " C unnittee, -de H ouse should now go into a When the numbers w ere — F ""r going into a Committee lll ...... . 4g-aiiist it Azalorayin 64 -krotli of going into a Committee —l4O Th e ii ,use then b aring tuen gone into a Committee, Illr ' RoßtNsoN moved, that the blank be filled tp with sos., th Gen• GASCOIGNE moved, as an amend men t, th a t Mr blank be filled u p Ict.,with 745. illem i •, nt — ook was understood t o supp or t t h e I,efo .t nt. Mr ' CoURTENAY thought that the evidence l a id t o th e H ouse, did not warrant tl.e. conclusion "lat 4. the price of. 80s. was necessary . 0 WEsTeim considered th e course w hi c h t h e use Was now pursuing as calculated to pro 7: Il lote the interests of every class of the community r ; 'ld whatever tvfl might be th e temporary fe e li ng ielt had arisen upon this subject, he for one '141(ould not consent to a b andon the opinions which t Ilad professed.—(He ar , )—On the hear, hear ! c''eutrary, he considered where the Hous e s aw q Were consultino•,., the ai • I •vantage of tile pe o - Ple, al t h ough a different feelin g m i g h t b e enter ;tJtjueo without doors, they would be forgetful of lheir duty if they c ou ld b e induced to swerve front ci I:it speci es o f l eg i slation which their own ,Con:, views induced them to consider belle& ` ll 4 ' ;‘ '.---(Elear, h ear !)—H e disclaimed Vie presellt 4i' d il as a boon to th e l an dh o l ders, and said if he i n ~,,,1,,1u.t consider it as a measure of state policy, i t .. '"'ell the happi ness of all class es Iraq i nvo l ved, he ciAght slot to b e enterta i ned. In conclusion, p r i c 4l : e ( l 3 r seodsl.inuself in favour of the restrictive. AI'IL\HILT ROUND THE HOUSE OF C OMMONS. s 1, v. A i A t• litnlN G was preparing to'speak; %,I*.LAtirtON rose to order. A ;; . .iiitary force If: t'uleoestitutionally pla.; l / 4 ai at the doors of the -4.1 0 t i• lie should the:'e! -, ,,re move that the House L(l(liourn--(Hear, Near, hear !) ti could nei,-I)rd CASTLFRi,AGII stated such a mo __op ll' °e made to the Committee, but to the House. v i e lvlsbed the Hon. Member had first inquired I, ‘ , \ l "her the military force brought to the neigh ,:i'j4;lloA of the House had been assembled to f r !'d a riot by the authority of the Civil Magis he4tic.7 ""t---(Three rounds of the loudest hear, coit.,T"it; io consequence of a tumultuous mob, c ' e d for the purpose of menacing the House tOitl'eC.ota.tuous, the civil Magistrate - had required' ti 'stance of the military, he' had only - 4..i.5. ..,,,.„., t.„ f."l the duty which Parliament required him h eal 'eir"lo•—(Loud and repeated hear, hear, ‘,,,,. )--Ile trusted the Honourable Member ti t ,, lll(l be one of the most firmly resolved to 4„!"P° l 't the, great civil authority of the country Irost the „,e„„, of a 'mob, otherwise the .14' L1. :.` , ' would 10:•.• its funetious : the character of 41_11ieseutatires of the people ••.vould be l o st , and L;lbbers wo,dd degenerate into hart of that niob f.,i i ‘‘ )iicit they had ly.'en insulted. (Several rounds til l ,.. L '' l , hear !) Before the lion. Gentleman gave 4 Ilivii(..umtenauce of his Haute to the aSYertitya that tli,„ c it4 Y force had been hiought Without the 1,,'" of let:al authority to the doors of the 1 . , '' e, 'tie h' ed fi e ‘eo u id inform himself of the . .1i1,.' 1" notiightly.arraign the conduct Of that ‘ll.4te who had protected Parliament, (Lund and general bursts of 'Lac, ijear, hear, hear !) The CHAIRMAN having stated that the question of adjournment had been moved, - LAMBTON explained ; that on cooling to perform his duty as a Member of that Howse, he hall , found all its avenues guarded by a mihtary • idrce. He conceived the menace of a military force as dangerous as that of a mob. Lord CASTLEREAGa stated, that the force in question had _:n called to appease a tumult, and not tt , '..lenace or overawe Parliatnent.— (Hear, hear !) Mr. Fr .!:GER.iLD thought it his duty to inform the House on the subject, as far as his knowledge extended. It was necessary that proper protec tion shobd be afforded to every Member coming to attemi to his duties in that House. He had found Westminster Hall filled with a tumultuous mob, endangering the safety of Members as they passed ; calling upon them to state their names, and the vote which they meant to give. On learning afterwards that an Hon. Friend of his had been exposed to very great personal danger, and with difficulty been rescued ; be had thought it his duty to inform the Speaker of what had passed, as the First Magistrate of the House, and he supposed that the military force which now guarded the avenues, and secured the free ingress and egress of Hon. Members had been brought by Civil Magistrate under the authority of the Speaker's warrant. Mr. IVIIITIMEAD was not surprised that the Hon. Member (Mr. Lambton), in the warmth of his feelings should have immediately acquainted the House with what he had seen. His error was venial, not knowing the reason for which the military had been called. He concurred entirely with the Noble Lord, that on hearing a tumul tuous mob had assembled, and was committing acts of violence, it was the duty of the civil power to protect the Members of the House, and that to whatever extent that protection might be wanted, it must be afforded. He apprehended owever, that the course which would most befit the dignity of the House, would be for the Chair man of the Committee to report progress and ask leave to sit again ; for the Speaker then to re sume the Chair, and an inquiry to be instituted into the causes which had occasioned the calling out of a military force. He concluded with a motion to that effect. Lord CASTLEREAGH concurred- with the Hon. Gentleman in what he proposed, and considered it perfectly correct. He, theretore, seconded his motion. ► 'rue question was then put and agreed to, and the Chairman having reported progress, and ask ed leave to sit again, the Speaker took the chair, . and the House resumed. Mr. LAMBTON then acquainted the Rouse, that on coining doxi.rn Parliament-street, to attend his duty, he had been very nearly rode over by a squa dron of Horse-Guards, which came down to the doors of the House. Conscious of the constitu tional jealousy with which Parliament viewed the employment of a military force, he had conceived it his duty to inform the House of what he had seen : he was but young in Parliament, but al though a military force might have been collected for its protection, it might also have been intend ed to overawe it... Mr. CROKER stated, that as soon as his carriage approached the House, a considerable number of persons inquired of his servants what Member it contained. Receiving no reply, they followed it to the place where it stopped, when one door was forced open, he could not say by whom, the other was also torn open soon after, and he was seized by the collar and dragged away. Several blows were struck at him, and he was informed, that unless he should tell his name, and which way . he intended to vote, he would never be suffered . to enter the House alive. He refused to yield obe dience to the commands of a mob, but with all the exertions which he was able to make, he found it impossible to force his way, and he might, perhaps, have never had it in his power to state these facts to the House, bad not the mob been ignorant of who he was, and in the midst of tu mult and confusion began to attack each other.— He then effected his escape, and came up by the Coffee-room of the House of Lords, the only way which remained-practicable. There•svere.at that time no soldiers : and he was sorry to say, he had seen no constable. He feared there was the most complete neglect on the part of the civil power, and it was his belief that with a few constables much would have been done. When he reached the House, he thought it his duty to acquaint the Speaker with what had occurred, lest similar or still greater dangers should threaten other Hon. Members. On this account were the military sent for, and he thought it was properly, as Members should be protected both in their ingress and' egresi against the attacks of `the mob to make them reveal ther names, and the side On which they intended .to vote.—(Hear, hear, hear !) The SPEAKER, in the discharge of his duty, should state what - had come to his knowledge.:— Before be repaired to the House, seeing the pos sibility -that some tumult should take place, he had sent for peace officers, and directed Magis trates to attend with the civil power. He had dispatched the Deputy Serjeant to the High Bui liff of Westminster, whose office it was to see that the avenues of the House of Parliament should be free. TheSe precautions he considered would beenough. The Setjeant, and other officers of the the House, he thought, would have been sufficient to protect the Lobbies. He bad directed the stone passages to be attended by peace officers. About an hour before the last division had taken place, a Noble Lord had informed him that he had been insulted on his passage through Westminster Hall, had escaped with difficulty, -and only reached the House by passing through his own. He had then sent the Serjeant-at-Arms to tell the peace of ficers that their• duty was to keep the passage free, and that if they were not sufficiently strong for that purpose, they must procure an addition to their strengli. If a military force were placed round the House, it must have been in conse quence of these directions thus issued. If other Gentlemen possessed any additional information, he should be glad to hear it communicated. He trusted HonoUrable Members would approve that the House should be protected, and held himself responsible for the order which he bad sent. WI-11T3EEAD thought that the House was Perfectly satisfied with the conduct of the Right Hon. Gentleman, and the propriety of the order which he had given. What he should add would ()illy he in consequence of what had fallen from the Hon. Secretary of the Admiralty respecting the neglect of the Peace Officers. It became an imperious duty for the I-lo►►se to call the Civil . Officers to the Bar to ascertain whether they had done their duty, and to receive an account of the steps which they had taken for the protection of Parliament. He therefore should more that the High Bailiff of Westmins,ter be called to the Bar. The SPEAKER. suggested the propriety of also calling Mr. Baker, the Marlborough-street Ma gistrate fo the Bar, as besides the communication which he had made to the High Bailiff of West minster, he had also applied to that Gentleman. Mr. CitoKElt explained, that when he said he had not seen any Peace Officers, he meant on the outside of the door, for when he came from the House into the lower lobby, he then found abun dance of-them. Mr. FITZGERALD, on hearing of the danger, to which his lion. Friend had been exposed, had proceeded with ten or twelve Peace Officers to his rescue. With this force he had attempted to effeCt his passage as far as the carriage way, but such were the numbers, and the ,strength of the mob, that they could not be penetrated. Mr. WHITBREAD explained. _ _ Mr. Po&soNnv stated that the Constitution re quired that an application should first be made to the civil power. Should that authority report it self inguflicient, then it was for the House to take any further steps which might be necessary. It bad never occurred otherwise. The ATTORNEY-GENEIIAL was perhaps the last Member who had entered the House. Instead of passing through the throng he had descried, he ordered his coachman to drive to the great gate of Westminster Hall. On arriving there the carrriage doors were forced open, - and he was required to state who he was, and whether friendly or adverse to the Corn Bill ? Conscious that he must be pretty well known in Westminster, he told them that he had never been ashamed of his name, and should not conceal it, and after repeating it, added, that as to his vote he would not deceive them. He meant to act according to the dictates of his own conscience, after the measure had been fully discussed. The time might come when they would regret their present interference. If it was ne cessary to sacrifice his life to the support of his sentiments, be should be ready to part with his existence. After this reply on his part, various opinions were expressed how he should be done by. At last those near him made a sort of escort and conducted him to the steps, up Westminster Hall, between the Courts of King's Bench and Chancery. There he was met by fresh numbers, who called upon hint to give a pledge how he would vote, and entered into a discussion of the many privations which they had endured curing the long period of war. To this harangue, be replied, that if they were disposed to hear, he wor►ld state his opinion to them on the. subject. They might be certain that Parlia ment would do its duty ; and if the present mea sure were not adopted, they would be entirely de pendent on a foreign country for that bread for which they now raised such a loud clamour. He then asked pertnission to go borne, but they cau tioned him not to attempt it, as he would most probably be roughly handled, as other Members of Parliament had been. At last he made a bar gain with his friends on the outside, that they would retire and let him go in, which they did, — Until some one had taken him under their protec tion, his situation was one of great peril. He ac knowledged that the Civil Power ought to be the first applied to, but a was convinced that, in this instance, an additional force was required. Sir ROBERT HERON had not intended to deliver , any sentiment on the ° uHect, tnough his opinion o n it had been limg deciiied. But now when it was attempted to terrify the House into submis sion to a mob, he should think himself unworthy a seat in that House, did he decline expressing, his perfect approbation ; and he would therefore give it his-warmest support. Sir FREDERICK FLOOD .declared, that he had been carried a hundred yards on men's shoulders, like a tnackarel at Billingsgate, and that he was Jostled about as unhandsomely as if he was tossed in a blanket, till he thought for certain he was dead ! and worse.than that—that he was quarter ed ! But, however, nothing should terrify an Irishman from doing his duty whether dead or alive ; and .even if he . was: killed he would still vote on the subject as well as if nothing had hap pened at all ! _ _ - The SPEAKER reniintled the Hon. Baronet that on an affair of such deep interest any levity was not exactly in its proper place, and , therefore begged that the lion. Member . would abstain from any thing not immediately bearing on the subject under consideration. W. \VYNNE should think it better in the present stage, and at so late an hour to postpone the consideration of the subject. The SPEAKER ordered the High Bailiff to be brought High htiih Bailiff stated, that on receiving a note front Mr. Speaker yesterday, he ordered the whole force under his controul to attend this morning; that he stationed them between two and three o'clock in the avenues of the House, some inside and some outside ; that the force tinder his controul was rather small, consisting of only eighty ; that lie remained with , his men till that moment ; that there were between thirty and Forty of his men attended ; that they were not at any time sufficient to resist the mob ;' that:he se cured none of the mob, as be was occupied in trying to protect the Members ; that he had no communication on the subject with any officer of the House ; and that there was no person of the mob now in custody. The SPEAKER gave the High Bailiff leave to withdraw. Mr. BAKER was called in, and stated, that he was one of the Police Magistrates of Marlborough street Office ; that lie attended at two o'clock with 50 constables; that he stationed thorn at the doors and about the avenues; that there was a great mob; that the police were quite incompetent to disperse or resist the mob ; that , in consequence of the instructions received from the Speaker, he had procured one troc:p ct horse ; that he stationed some of them in Parliament -street, and some of them near the House ; that there ‘vzis no one of the mob taken into custody ; that be witnessed no farther violence on the part of the mob ; that Sir Nathaniel Conant was called to another quar ter ; that the number of constables attending Sir. Nathaniel Conant, .he believed, was about 30 . ; that he did not know what was the number of constables altogether. Mr. Baker was thciii ordered to withdraw, and Sir CHARLES Molvcx called in. Sir CHARLEs MONCK saw no injury offered to any Member; took no steps to apprehend any of the mob, because his attention was occupied in seeing that the Members had a clear passage ; did nut send to Sir Nathaniel Conant ; and his party were engaged in another quarter.—Ordered to withdraw. Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that it was now evi dent, from the qtalitination of the Magistrates, that the civil pow& was inadequate to protect the House; and that therefore there was no necessity to prove that the military had been very justifiably called out. Lord NuGENT said that there appeared a most culpable neglect in not having exerted the civil power. There may be necessity for the military, but from the jealousy which the Constitution en tertained of the interference of that force on such an occasion, if there was any possibility of avoid ing having recourse to it, it ought not to be call ed in. Certainly, if a mob was allowed to terrify the House in its deliberations, there was an end to its representative capacity. But be felt, that if it should become customary to call in the military it would be equally ruinous. It was the duty of the High Bailiff to attend to the peace of Parlia ment as well as of the avenues of the House. The SPEAKER said, on inquiry had grown out of another. The first was, whether there was a necessity for calling out the military. The second is, whether the civil Magistrates have done their duty. Mr. W. FITZGERALD ti►onght there was enough before the House to justify the Magistrates. He therefore was if opinion, that there need be no farther examination, especially at the present moment. Mr. WutT,OtAn thought there was no time so good as the present. Sir JOIN NEWPonT, said, that now was the time the Magistrates ought to he examined; for that if it was longer put off it would not have near so good an effect. Mr. li.iNzsrm RD ,was called in and stated, in pur suance of a note he had received last night trom Lord Sidmouth, lie had been in waiting with 50 constables4op 10 o'clock this morning at Charing-crom.,and I. ) ,nliament-street ; but he saw uo obstruction from the Mob to any Member of Pailiament„ vor heard the mob call on at'y Mem ber to give an assurance how he would vote; that he stationed some of his constables at 10 o'clock at night at the bottom of the Speaker's Stairs, Old Palace-yard ; that he saw no shoving or pushing, that he was sometimes in the street, and some times in the house, occasionally in and out ; that he could not say whether he saw any Member go in or out ; that he certainly saw no person ob structed. Mr. WINNAIRD wris ordered to - withdraw, and Mr. BIRNIE called in, 111r.thiticzE stated, that he was a 'Magistrate of die Bow-street Office ; that he attended at 3 o'clock - , with about torty constables, in Palace-yard ; that he saw a great mob at the door ; that he saw several Members jostled ; that there was no per son heading the mob ; that it was merely a qt..; minions concourse ; that be was busy in pro— tecting..the Memhcrs ; that one of his officers was wounded by a stone about half an hour ago ; that the civil power was not sufficient to resist the mob that he sent to each office to send seven, except the Thames Police Office, which has a much larger supply.thiiii any other. Lord CASTGEREAGH said, he hoped the evidence was sufficient to slim the Hon. Gentleman, who'' moved the Amendment, that the military had not been unnecessarily called out. lie thought, it would be better to resume the consideration on a future night. The minutes of the examination were ordered to be printed. Mr. LAMBTON said, that he was now perfectly satisfied that it was ❑ecessary so procure the aid of the military ; but he hoped that the Houses would f€el that he had done nothing but his duty in stating to it a circumstance so unusual. Lord CASTLEREAGH, said, that the House must certainly be satisfied that the Hon. Gentleman had acted as he thought it right. Sir JOHN NEWPORT said, the House ought to be very much obliged to the Hon. Gentleman.— But he did not think that the civil power did its duty. The'alfair ought to be inquired into, and if the civil power should be found not to have been as active as it should be, it ought to be admonished. Mr. NArtn:rcacAn said, that certainly the mili tary was not called out till necessary ; but that perhaps the necessity might have been prevented, if the civil power had exerted itself as it ought to have done. He thought it would be better for the House to adjourn now, and to take the Bill into consideration on another, day—(No, no, froM se veral Members.) Lord C4STLEREAGH ,said, that on an occasion of so much importance, the sense of the House should be marked, and they ought not to permit their proceedino to he impeded. Mr. BARING agreed, that they should. not per,. mit their 4lclibtrations to be interrupted by a ras, tally mob. Y. - Lord NUGENT thought there should at least be an admonition to the Magistrates, and that the affair should be taken into consideration on a fu ture day. Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that when the mi nutes were printed, they could consider whether any farther proceeding on the subject Were ne l , cessary. flualt ADDINGTON said, as Sir Nathaniel Conant had been called away to another quarter of the town, that it be taken into consideration on Monday next. The Magistrates were ordered to attend for the remainder of the night, and to repair to their se