The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-09-17 00:00:00

kingdom. We may therefore conclude that the
rumour respecting the ussinqiination of the King was
ultugether unfounded.

The Hambur,;li Papers state, that the Treaty
finally arranging all the differences that subsisted
between Sweden a:;11 Denmark, under the me-
illation of Great Britain, was signed at Stock-
holm c a the lit of this month, at the house of
Lord ST HAN GTORD, the British Ambassador.
The King of Sweden iq to pay to Denmark
three millions of dollars (1-laniburgli Bank) in ten
annual payments, and also four per cent. interest
to he paid quarterly fur the principal sums remain-
ing unpaid. The conduct of Great Britain in this
delicate negociation seems, as we are happy to
learn, to have cart with the concurrent approbation
of the Contracting Parties.
The persecutions against the Jews seem to in.
crease in Germany, and have even extended to Den-
mark. Several Jewish families have wisely deter-
mined to traiisPr their wealth and industry`rom
Germany to France and other countries,
thank God ! religion is no longer made a cloak for
gratifying the worst passion' of the most depraved
I hearts! Jews born in France are entitled to all the
privileges of citizenship, under the present Charter
of the French Nlonarchy.

We have extracted from an Evening Treasury
Journal, notorious for misrepresenting the conduct
of the Reformers, an account of a disturbance at
Paisley, on the occasion of a public Meeting in
that town on the 13th instant, to take into consi-
deration the recent transactions at Nlancliester.—
We fear we shall have long to lament the mis-
chief arising front the transactions at Manchester.
Without, however, some evidence entitled to credit,
respecting these new events at Paisley, it would he
as idle as premature to enter into a discussion of
their merits. The same Paper odds, that the
I'aisley riots have extended to Glasgow, but admits
that in the latter place they were s' of a compara-
tively slight nature." We dare say they were very
slight indeed. In the present state of the public
Imind, it must be a very small portion of riot at
Paisl.l that would not excite some slight alarm at
IGlasgow, a town not tell miles distant from Paisley.

Wedneoday evening a large body of the Requisi-
tioonas and ,there of the Borough of Southwark,
assembled at the Na'gs Head, in the Borough,
when the answer of the High 13ailjt was read, ap-
pointing a Public Meeting on Thursilly the 234
instant, in the Town Ilan, .6 to take into consi-
deration the lat-. measures adu;,ttd at a public
rOrting at Itincliestei." The Chair is to be ttleit
at aye G'clock precisely.

We beg leave to direct the particular attention of
OUT renders to a report in another part of our
Paper. of an application made to the Court at the
late Lancaster Assizes, by Air. Serjeant Ceoss, for
a rule to chew cause why a nonsuit should not be
entered in a case wherein a poor hawker, of the name
of ll[axes, was PlaiatitT, and it constable, of the
name of BAaR%T, was Defendant.i appearsthat
a short time since, in the town of Bolton, BATES,
the Plaintiff, was selling copies of a letter addressed
by Mr. HURT to the Duke of Yon[, complaining
of the conduct of some hussar officers to hint in the
Theatre of Manchester, together with copies of the
answer of his Royal when BARRET, the
Defendant, conceiving that the publication was
and seditious, thought proper to arrest
!JAY ES, and threw hint into prison. There he de-
Untied him for the space of 24 hours, until it was
convenient for him to take his prisoner before a
Magistrate, who ordered HATES to be discharged.
on paying fuse shillings costs! It is somewhat
singular that the Magistrate, who saw no cause to
justify the iniprisotiment, should comniand him to
pay this sum of money. It there were any indis-
cretion on the part of HAYES, the imprisonment
would seem to have been a very sufficient penalty ;
but why, after being wrongfully deprived of Ins
liberty, as the decision of the worthy Magistrate
necessarily implies, the unfortunate hawker should
also be plundered of his money, we are at a loss
to discover. In AY Es was enabled to bring an
action against the constable, and obtained a verdict,
with 30t. damages, under the special recommenes-
lion of Mr. Justice BAY LEY, Mho " expressed his
regret that the Plaintiff laid heel, compelled to pay
the four shillings costs." The Counsel for the
Drfrtnlant has obtained is conditional rule for a
nonsuit, which will be argued iis the ensuing Term,
and thereby afford an opportunity of ascertaining
the power of constables to arrest and imprison
on
an allegation or suspicion of libel.
It is remarked by Bt. ACIISTON E in his invaluable
Commentaries, that, consideling the general cha-
racter of the individuals who till the office of con-
stable, it is a fortunate circumstance for society
that they are not aware of the very extensive powers
assigned to them by the ancient laws of thia coun-
try. lit the propriety of this observation we fully
concur, but we would draw f urn it the practical
inference that the Legislature ought to interfere
and prevent the possibility of any abuse of this
power that is of so formidable a nature. It would,
however, be a gross absurdity to suppose that a
constable could he invested with a discretionary
authority to arrest any iodividual upon a specula-
tive point, where the offence, if committed, must

be akeitained by the exercise of reasoning powers,
and the application of nice itriticittli s of law.
What an endless train of outrages and insults
must necessarily resift front consigning +nett a
power to the hands of every drunken and ititotert
constable, who might abuse it fur his own metre-
nary views, or for the gratification of snothrei
malignity.
Such a discretionary power has, *mimed, been
assumed by Magistrates. and long sufferance has
ripened it into a kind of prescriptive right. It
must, however, be understood by the Magistritrs,
and by the country in general, that a Magiiitrate
who, by his warrant, causes an individual to he
arrested on an allegation of libel (and a fortiori a
constable arresting an individual on his own amino.
rity), is answerable for the exercise of this discre-
tion before • Jury of his countrymen. Nothing
could be more monstrous than the idea that, in
a point of such delicacy and importance, the
magisterial bench could justify oppression, 51,..
ther it proceed from a vindictive and angry ft,-1.
ing, • corrupt purpose, or even so error iii *pig.
meat. In every case of this nature the Nl4,4Nstrier
acts on his responsibility, and should he hr found
to abuse his authority, he will not be al!aw,ll tar
justify himself by pleading the purity of hex nn•.
lives, end his opinion that the written or proud
matter in question was libelous and seditious.

A deputation from the Liverymen of the City or
London yesterday waited on the LORD Msvon,
and, on the part of the Livery, presented him %kill
a remonstrance, compkining of his refusal to con-
vene a meeting of the Livery in the Guildhall, for
the purpose of considering the recent proceedings
at Manchester, although a requisition numerously
signed had been delivered to him for that purpose,
and praying his Lordship to re-examine the grounds
of his objection, and grant their request. The LORD
MAYOR, however, persisted in his original determi-
nation, and firmly, but politely, declined to sauctino
a meeting of the Livery fur the purpose expres•ed
in the requisition. His Lordship condescended to
enter into some argument with the Gentlemen com-
posing the deputation, and urged the impropriety
and indelicacy of any discuwaion on the Manchester
business in the Common Hall, until the facts of
tea
case bad been previously ascertained by legal in-
vestigation. We are surprised that the ingenious
Lord did not perceive the force of this objection
before he consented to convene a Common Council
for the sante purpose, for he must be aware that
the decision of the Common Council, whatever
it may have been, would exercise us strong an
influence over the public mind as would probably
be produced by au investigation of the subject in
the Common Hall. With regard to the right of
the Livery of London to assemble in Common
Hall, without being previously convened by the
LORD MAYOR, we. would hesitate to hazard an
opinion. This point can be determined solely
by reference to the Charters of the City, sod
the established practice. Rut even the latter wool('
be of little livid, if it were opposed to the letter of
the former, and the general principles of law which
must regulate every corporate body. Were we to
form an opinion from this lust consideration only,
we should certainly conceive that the Livery of
London could not niert in the Common Hall, in
their collective capacity, withnut the consent of the
LORD MAYOR ; but there is no principle of law to
Prevent them from meeting in their individual
capacity, as subjects of a free state, to disews
public events, complain of grievances, and pro-
pose remedies. The only difference, therrio,e,
which the refusal of the LORD MAYOR Cot
produce to the citizens of London is, that they
will not be enabled to entitle their Petitions to
Sovereign and the two (knees of Parliament 1,..4
" the Petitions of the Livery of London iu Cent-
mon Hall assembled," but must entitle them " t,:e
Petitions of the undersigned, being Liverymen
ai
the City of L011(101)"—r difference in form abut,
can in no respect affect the substance of their rept-

setstations.

Yesterday, at two o'clock, the Sheriff+ of Loe.
don had au audience at Carlton House, to recene
the PRINCE REGENT'S cominands as to wheel the
Corponitiou Should attend his Royal nightie.% with
the City Address, when his Royal Higlene.s was
pleased to appoint twelve o'clock this day.—After
which Rear-Admiral the Hon, Sir Hs:WRY BE IC,;•
WOOD and near-Admiral Sir Joni+ BERESFOO
were isdroduced'by Sir GEOKGE NA Y LER,
anti in-
vested by the PRINCS REGENT Wahl the Ord. r a
the Bath, as knights Commanders. His MIA
Highness the Duke of Your: was present.
In the Gazette de "nonce letters occasionally a!a
pear, relating the visit of u Evencliman to Elig3iiii!.
We know not whetlver our readers will feel 111.-
tered by the following observation made by tins
writer, but to us it *hews great cterrectiltss .3
thought. The writer says—" I wss IIItIVII .111.
prised at not fielding the English. in London
so ridiculous as they appear in R. sod '
sought the cause of it as I passedai.
*brag
the streets. I thick it is to be found ll'
the barn iiiii y that exists between their nialitio. '
their town, 111.41 f usages, their climate, th.!
laws, and their. cheiracier. Every thnog is arrow,'
so well, that every thing appears suitable:—
The simplicity of their drew is• consistent with that
of their Nausea--theeir 111.111glitilleNS with their richer--
their surliness with their liberty—their eagent Inv
rsess
with their thirst of gain—for, however opule
Englishman may be. he ;Ii always seeking
tie *a
NI
money. All this harmonises wonderfully, and lil
all together, et London none but fureigiiers act h''
tuesistentl)."