The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-05-17 00:00:00

Anima for y. Wilk. per-
son, who went down to Manchester acted merely to
iuBame the minds of the
Mr. WiLleeenitu denied that he had said so.
Sir le WiLso* resumed. He begged the Hon.
Gentleman's pardon ; it had been gaited that it
was so. Now he (Sir R. Wilson) happened to be
one of the Committee who instructed these persons
how they should act, and they were particularly
directed not to express any opinions on the culpa-
bility of the persona concerned, but merely to
make all the necessary inquiries. He next came to
the statement of an Hon. Member, that the military
had been first attacked by the people. And here be
should big to call the attention of the House to the
eiitleuce of the Re v. Mr. Staidey. on which be thought
there had not been sufficient st es* laid. This Gentle.
man states, that, having some business with one of
the Magistrates, lie went to the home where they
were, and got into* room from which he could com-
mood a full view of the whole trouser:6oa. He saw a
line of coustsbles from the Magiomates to the
'mating', through which there was' i free and
interrupted communication. indeed Mr. Hay, in
his official communication to the !Meister., stated
the same circumstance. if, then, this were the
case, what stronger proof could be given of the
criminal intention of the persons concerned J He
went on to state, that shortly after the arrival of
Mr. Hunt, there was a cry heard of " The soldier.
are coming !" and immediately the dispersion took
place. The soldiers presented the appearance of act-
ing u oder delegated authority, and were driving with
all the ardour and impetuosity that Men would do
Marching agaiust • foe who had mepeutely taunted
them with cowardice, each eudeavreirsng to. An
first. This statement would at least teed to them'
the animus with which the attack was commenced
and couducted. in their hurry and eagerness to
arrive at the field, he says they rode over a poor wo-
men, wisnm •lie sir stretched on the groom& appa-
rently lifeless. From this it could hardly be inferred
there was any disposition to wait to be attacked.
He adds, that he saw no disposition to riot or dis-
turbance, at or before the meeting. They allowed
him to pass without any attempt at violence;
but it was Widely different afterwards. They now
said, " Oli! we have "wen surprised when we were
defenceless, bet another day will come mid that
will be oars."—(Hear, hear.)—Even if the people
bad made. resistance after they were attacked, it
would have been quite justifiable, and as British
enigma, he anon say, they did not &their duty in
not making a vigoruus resistance: • at the game time
I.e was ready to make all due allowance for men
surnsuoded with their wives and children, particu-
larly as ate knew there :cad been instances where
Ike braseneseldiers had been struck with panic; bat
if they tuerdeue so on that &elision, it could
not Ifklebtbkerfusideiedt4ritne. Will it be be.
lieved !halo .1114 counsey, always so jealous of the
interfeeetsee of the military, such a transaction
shieskthave pasted by unnoticed An Hon. Menu.
bee 'opposite had said that it was now time the
whole matter should be buried in oblivion, and he
also said the Ministers were generously di to
pardon the trausgreeiious of the GOO utfir=
'sufferers. This, to be sore, might be the elihnin
of benevolence in the Ministers, but would serve
as sn encouragerneut to all future aggressioes. rte
this investigation were now denied, it walla
otain an everlasting disgrace to the coueleps
The House had nor an opportunity of realer.
ing the confidence of the people .to the laws aid
Institutions of the country, and if they omitted it,
the people might still be kept in a state of sub-.
militant, but it would be the eubustimion *1 pro-
deuce and not of allegiance.—(Load cheers.) •
Sir W. Da Catenatte said, that tliesion
baring been made to him on last night, he felt it
his duty to come forward on the present occasion.
He felt, if the House refined the 'oresent inquiry, it
would go down as a perpetual disgrace to poste..
rity. He held in his hand a letter. from a Gentle.
mats of the highest honour and intogrisy, who was
en eye-stilettos of the whole fralisterion.--iThe
Honourable Baronet then read the hitter. The
Gentleman stated, that he arrint# .an early
hour on the ground, amid milked. nil through
the meeting, and if a Riot Aetilloill been read
from a window. • door, or on the iteps of a
door, he must have heard it. After having seen
'Mr. Hunt. he determined to leave the ground,
and having got some distance. lie heard • strange
kited of shout, and turning round, he 41•11 P the yeo-
eta brandishing their 'weeds, and 'at the able titan
heard them give a tremendous shoat, which was
echoed by the people. This was not the shout of
deamice (for in their condition it would hive been
madness), but the shout of goodewill end pence.
He afterwards got into the [house of a friend, iu
which 'he received protection.] This,'he tad, was a
faithful account of the trensactioti from eye-
witness, entirely uninfluenced by party issejudece,
and governed solely by a love of justice. He [tad
no objection to mime this gelitlereati. Metepelt-
-ed, he was • 'man of the very first reiPeetability ;
he was a gentleman in orders, his name was Robert
Witobvsh, he resides at Manchester, aged should
Amami hesitation to be examined at the bar of that
hear.)-11t might not 'perhaps be
libproper to 'state; that he (Sir 11%. de Cresting -4)
'NIA been himself in Manche:ter a few days else
these occurrences, and made the most diligent
inquiries frees tradesmen and iu oboes, in fact every
where he could, and he must say, there-was slot the
least difference in the statement. Under thesetir-
cuaistances he had nu hesitation in supporting the
present motion.
• -An Hon. Member under the gallery made a few
illaitereatious in defence of the Loncmhire yeomanry.
lie was surprised to hear them called an encon-
,ititutioual corps; they were of the utmost ser-
vice to the country. Of the proceedings tat Mane
theater be dui trot mean to .approre. He thought
. . .

the Magistrates, and the GovertiMent,
misled.
1111 said, it *as sot Isis intention to
House many minutes. If any thing
intiog to induce the House to consent to the
o of the Committee, he should find
voluminous details that had been laid
Howse, and the scanty information
contained.--(Hear, hear; hear.)--
occasion, when that question had been
House, he was anxious to address the
as there were so many more qualified to
he was, he could not expect he had
...41 to their attention. list every vote he
then gave was calculated to promote that inquiry
which is now sought to be iodinated. He should
be disposed to pursue the same course on the pre-
sent occasion, but that he ea* a disposition in the
House to elude that inquiry. No Wan was more
adverse than he was to the notions of Reform en-
tertaieed by those who attended that meeting; no
man entertained less respect for their leaders, nor
was there any who felt snore impressed with the
necessity of inculcating a spirit of stitiordination
to the laws.—( Hear.)—But the more stroniely he
felt on these subjects, the more was he persuaded
that the measures of Goverotuent were badly cal-
culated to check the paogress of these ()pillions, to
promote a reverence and affection for the laws, or
respect for those by whom they were edininistered.
It might he said that if this inquiry were instituted,
the House would open a door to future applications,
which might not he so proper to he attended to. He
did not see the force of the objection; but when-
ever a great public calamity took place—whenever
a violent attack was made on constitutional prin-
ciples—whenever a great number of British sub-
jects were killed in time of profound peace, he
thought the -House of Commons would oat do
wrong to institute inquiry. He did not think so ill of
the administration of our laws as to believe that if the
doors of the House were opened ever so widely that
many occasions would arise on which they would be
so called upon. On some occasions he thought the
privileges of the Mese of Commons had been
defended with more zeal than discretion; but if the
House were thus j•alows of their own privileges,
how much more jealous ought they to be of those
privileges which they possessed as British sulijects,
of the privileges of those who sent them to that
House. Upon the whole, he thought it wassiuffi-
tient for the House to go auto the inquiry to know
so mach of the fates as were admitted by the
Geotlemeti on both sides. It was sufficient for
them to know that a meeting had taken place at
Manchester, and whether it was illegal or toot was
not the queasion—if it were illegal, it wan not
known to be so by the persons Who attended it ;
and the discovery of the illegality of the meeting
was thought an exertion of professional courage
when it was first asserted-in that House by an emi-
nent lawyer, and a Metnber of that House, the
Member for Dublin. It was sufficient that there
were many suspicions circumstances in the case to
induce a belief that justice could be obtained
in no other way ; that the Magistrates end mili-
tary engaged in the transaction had received the
*auction of the Sovereign for their actions 'long
before it was possible any correct account of
the facts could have been had; that out at-
tempt to bring on au investigation was defeated by
the Coroner, and that another such attempt was
defeated by a mere technical objection only. It
wee sufficient for the House to know all these farts.,
and to 'be convinced that if ever an extra-judicial
inquiry were necessary, it was on the present occa-
sion. Never could a Letter opportunity occur
to rebut the charge which was sometimes made,
of that House not having a proper feeling of syni-
oAlty with the people, by instituting a temperate,
bat minute and strict inquiry into the whule pro-
ieeding. He did not my it would reinatate the
House completely in the good opinion of ell, but
it would be considered as an act of justice, so act
Of conciliation, and would be received with joy
throughout the country. For Ouse redone, anxi-
ous as he war to preserve a cordial agreement be-
tween that House and the people, be should give
his warmest support to the motion.
Mr. EGERTON defended the conduct of the
Magistrates; he said they lied had an arduous duty
to perform, and they had done it to the beet of their
ability; they were called upon to act suddenly,
and if they had erred, their conduct was liable to
be inquired into in a Court of Law.
Mr. GARR FELL said, that as he had the misfor-
. Wile to differ from the Geatlemeo with whom he
steoally acted, he was anxious to say, that the opi-
Moss he had formerly expressed on the measures
adopted, had not been at all changed, uotwitio
btandittg, all that had since occurred. As the in-
terest naturally attaching to the question had con-
siderably abated, he should not detain the House
any longer, as no doubt many Gentlemen would
aisle to address them on the question, who had
More claims on their attention than himself.
Mr. BERNAL slid, in a harrow pun.' of view the
interest of this question might be abated, hut if
his Hon. Friend had looked it it on broad con-
stitutional grounds,..te would'have perceived that
the tintless excited by'it was as keen as ever. He
had heard on the last night with some little sur-
prise the Learned Solicitor-General speak of the
meeting at Manchester as an •illegel meeting ; but
from the report of the trial at York Which he had
teen, he did nut collect that that fact has vita-
blushed there. He learnt front that repot t that
the prisoners were convicted an the fourth coast
alone; of all the othess they were acquitted. TWA
fourth coma charged them with conspiring
bring his Majesty's Government inn:eh:tired and
contempt; of that they were found guilty, hat ,
there was nothing in that which established it to be
an illegal meeting, and if it were not so, then the
soldier' had too business there. He had received..
with considerable doubt. the assertion of thin'
Honourable Member fur Dublin, as to the illegality
of the meeting; but. whether illegal or not, these
was another point of view in which it was extremely
important .to look at it. There might be persona ohs'
• attest:ha the meeting with the must innocentllleo!
• Aires, sad it rested on Government to shew that the
-Magistrates took every memo in their power to
execute the warrant by the aid of the cisil power
alone. On a former occasion the Noble Marquis
opposite had stated that a constable was attacked
br the people on the ffith August, and treated
'w th math cruelty, that he lost his life iu cause-
clams of it; now be understood that was conduit.
.-• . .