The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-07-04 00:00:00

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the House before Moir eyes. Flle might have Felled io his
legal arguments; but he trusted, however defectively he had
date it, he had at least dime enough to thew the neressity
for the House concurrjag it the atotiou which he would side.
mat :-That as bumble Address be preseated to his Ma-
jrciy, humbly praying that his Majesty . would be gr.i.
ciously pleased to give directions to his Attorney-Geiser:et
to enter a soffit prorogue to all indictinents which shall he
preferred by the Sorietty tallies Itself `• The Coustittateoual
Ade:sedition."
Mr. CREEVET seconded the motion.
Mr. BATHURST thought thit the apology of the Hon.
Gentleman for his inability might have been spared, as there
had been no waist of obloq-iy, invective, or exaggeration, in
brining the sobjs4; fetwird. Fie took the object of the
suotion to be to put down the Assuciatione. He thought the
Nsude adopted extraordinary, and ill fisted to the purpose.
He tiotiid give no opieion on the legality of tle- A.suctaiiuti,
as the Hon. Member hititrelf had staled nothing deb-
tale against that legalitk His objection to the mode
of pelting the Society down was, that it was impracticable,
Il required the ditoeney-Geweral to eater a unite prerepti
before he could know who were the parties bringing the ac-
tion. He would leave the legal 'peados to those who were
better able to manage it, and take up the subject, on the broad
and geueral grouweis of the necessity asserted fur peewit::
dues she Society. This principles of the Soenoy, as be mole,
*toed theme +mei° poirseo to penishnient offences of illoo.IJu•
publication', which were thought to deserve them. He could
see nothing tedious or objectionable in these principles, though
be were to admit that the offeoces might be snore properly pa.
wished by other peewits. The How. (kutlemars assumed
that no one bad a right to assume the functions of se public
prosecutor but the Attorney-General. He bad always ou-
derstemel the Condit totem iu quite another way; he hail sup.
posed that any one was • competent public prosecutor, and
that the exercise of the power of the Attorney.Gesteral was
rather an excepetun to the Constitution, than the direct sod
legal course to pursue. lie could mit believe that the
east,:
jot:lvy:o7 wbdeheilsiebeevreibeh:dhaubleysed theiom atHhenyouiroTier:itiecibeilltealsiuGueauwp!eleresen"asosu.
coo
uTde
have beta brought over to such a purpose. Me hi-
ke-ice' two things hoes what Se had witnessed, that the
Sretety sae doting a great deal-good or bad ha would
out then say; sod secondly, that the more the gerition re-
spectnig this Assuctatiou was stirred, the souse they "reused
to thrive. lie was afraid that the Woo. Gratleman was nut
sufficieutly aware of what would be the e fleet of his motion.
He proceeded iv justify the lustination by ref. rein, to a
similar (me %hub had beta organised about the period
of the French Reeolstiou. As there had been iso attempt
yet made to gain a legal decision sgainst the Society,
be thought that the House would not gut so far as to re-
gent.* the Crows to frustrate all its proceedings by force.
As to the wait of responsibility complained of, there must
be 'tames at the becks of the Wills preferred, and those par_
ties mast be kelpie to charges of vasticioue proseentiom,
if any grounds fur such charges existed. He apprebeuded
that the complaint of the Altos sey-Gencral nut prosecuting
instead of the Society, was not •well founded. If he were to
interfere, lie would, by the role of his office, leap over one step
which must be taken by the Association, that of peesentiug
the bills before the Grand Jury. He concluded by op-
posing the'musiun.
Dr. LUSH' fIGTON said that it was not a little singular
that Ministers, after priding themselves on their selfouffiei.
eney fur so long • period, and after all the petialties with
which they and their predeeessoes had disgraced the statute
book in the last 30 years, to hear one of them get up its his
place sod argue on the necessity of inabiestiug a society to
revers' blasphemy stud seditioa.-[llr. Bathurst signified
some dissent ]— he Right Hon. Gentleman denied buying
pleaded the necessity for establishing the Society; but he at
least jawlike' it by an appeal to the laws and coustitution.
He expressed his astisfaction that the Society was going on
to do a great deal lit the dissatisfaction of his (Dr. Lush.
ington'o) side of the House, though out to his owe.
The Right Hon. Gemileman evidently approved of suet As.
sociations.-(//ear.)-.11 was clear that he thought the At-
torney sod Solicetor-Gemeral unequal to their functions, nod
that he was wilting eo give over she Coestitmion to the care
goidauce, seed protective Milk Joie Sewell, Knight, width:,
Secretary of the Association. The Association was memo
say or it was not. If the Atterney.Gerterai slid his duty, it
was nut arcessary ; if he del not do kb duly, he ought to
be eusupelled to do it. list there was no such blame at-
tributable to either of his Huts, and Learned Friends.
The Right Hun. Gentlenami (Mr. B. liailinest) asserted, that
this Society was not an uncoisatitutioaal Society, mid that
he can find several parallel Societies. W'bst were those
parallel Societies ? lit the year 17113 there was a Crown and
Anchor Association, hut he believed that Society instituted
no
prosecutions. He did nut deny.that any individual might
prosecute if he were aggeieved, but he asked it' there was
any instauce, with the exceptive' of vise too coatenamt ble to be
• mentioned, he meant the Society for the Sappressuens of Vii &-
that Society, which prosecuted beggars, leaving uutosch.d
all the violstious which took place at the west end of the
tow*, by the great and noble, like cowardly hypocritet-fer
what, be would ask, was cowardice and hypocrisy? be would
ask, if it were not the prosecuting of the mein and ele force-
less, leaving the great and portliest uffeeder untouched ?-
therefore it was that lie held that Society in abhurreuee.-
(hear, hear)-aud with that simile exception be Inter sot
another Society of similar principles to the Coastitutiosal
Amorist's's. The Right Hun. Geniknela said there were
Associations for the prosecution of fe oas, bet dad he iv r
kuow of any Society of that deocriptint which did net con-
fine itself to the prosecution of offences agaiust its owe
members?-[Mr. Balboni, across the tablie said Yes.")-
He (Dr. Lushington) could 'member nu istatauces of
that sort. Bat. supposing that a mats were a subscriber
to such a Society, would he therefore, sitting as • Grand
Juror, be induced to find a bill? Burglary, rubbery. mad
murder, were moral offences, of the feature of which
DO doubt could be entertained; but as to political 'rinks,
every day's experience shewed that Use gresieat dirge-
race of opiates might exist on that subject, woe Joey
acquitting for • crime of which smother might ruuyiet, as
was the ease with The Batatirter soma years ago. Taking
some of the writings of Mr. Burke, if the passages received
that iaterpretalsou which had lately been put on similar
passages, there wonld he no difficulty in getting them con-
demned as libellous. Though the prosecutions might be by the
Committee of this Society, yet as that Committee was elect-
ed, and every individual member mast have confideeoe
them, such individual, though not of the Committee, would
readily believe, if he were sitting on a Grand Joey, that
there was grimed for *electing the case brought before hies
for prosecution, and therefore if ewe of those individuals were
on the Jury there could nut be a fair trial. He mast my
that he was astouished at what had taken place in the Court
of King's Bench, whore the Judges had is a newsier 'stepped
out of their way its deoliug with this Society. They bad
allowed that the Jury should be sated whether they behang-
ed to this Society or not ; and thus on this point the Court
of King's Beach and the Right Honourable Gentleutau
(Mr. B. Bethurat) were at hoer, fur they have coodeseceaded
to make es precedes.' to meet this case in derogation of Hui-
dignity and the dignity of Enelivh justice, they think,vz
the members of this Assoeittion were swill For Juryone'
and the Hight Hon. Gentleman thieltiag they were as gikojt•
as could be selected. Ile weld ask the Attorney-Celle',
what means of redress an individual would have •gaiiise
whom tiara Society had proceeded wrongfully ? Heee was a
Society with large funds at its disposal, well auk iv Ire
Counsel, while such • roes as 300 f, could be -uhscribed
by tree individual Peer, yst he would be glad to la-ou from
the Learned Gentletuau that the responsibility of Sharpe ei e
Murray Was nut to be idled ou, but that recourse Magid t' •
had, fur instance, to the Girl of Poweeseurrt. But wou
not the injured Individual he obliged to lasiee4 Isis self."
against a man of lora*? He begged of the Hon. s.
Leat °eel G...nt Stamm, if not ho pity to him, yes to pity to the ii.ete •
bir:e as victudis which the Suck'', weer going its make, 4.1,1
prospective iramoialiou of sebum the Right lion. Gentleme,
rejoiced so much, to tell htm, if after isinieeguisse that ours ,
and being found home-ewe, there was any one • ho ;to ti. •
Could have recourse for compesisatioa. He (I„?.. Laishicito o:
helieored that as the Society •t present existed so "soh them;
Could be done. 'Flits Society, like that for she Suppression
of Vice, crested the offeuce which they afterwards prose.
cat.. Was there, lie would ask, a man is that House who
did out reprobate such a practice •• yet that the Societe
had duns. Ile allude Ito the case of as individual who *a.