The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-05-04 00:00:00

tient:lli was an old Member, he would not Cons;
der proposing an amendment, as approsiug of
the principle of the Bill. His I lonourable Friend
had combated the principle ,of the tlm.ingli all'.
its stages, and is amendment was for the purpose
of rendering it as little injurious as possible. If the
Hon. Gentleman had been longer a Member of, the
House,* he would have percaivect many instances,
particularly in cases of taxation, where Members
most averse to it moved amendments. He stated
this as instruftion to the Hon. Gentleman, to pre-
vent his being betrayed into a like supposition in fu-
ture. He said any remark of his, after the able ar-
guments of his Hon. Friend, would but injure the
cause. The Hon. Gentleman had not answered any
one of those arguments. He concluded by declar-
ing his decided opinion, that it was a measure of
harshness the most unprecedented.
The NITORNEY- GENERAL defended his
Hon. Friend (Mr. Bond) and said, that betbre the
Hon. Gentleman dealt out instructions to new
Members, he should be corral himself; for that it
was customary to refer to the pleadings of Counsel.
He said, for his part, he thought it impossible to
agree to the resolution without imputing criminality
to those concmned. Fe thought they were guilty of
great miscandua. He did not think the instance
alluded to, respeding the judge, sufficient to establish
the fio of the good government of the town ; and
he thought it would appear odd if a judge WAS to
say to a sheriff---" Incked, Mr. Sheriff, you preserve
good order h,r,i." He supposedthe applause of the
judges was given in that way. He strenuously
supported the Bill.
Mr. GREY explained.
Mr. FOX said his amendment went to soften the
Bill ;if a land-tax of 4s. in the pound was proposed,
he should move an amendment Mr 2s. though hos-
tile to the Bill. He did not say the judges ap-
plauded the magistrates of Nottingham for being
without riot, but for their general good government.
Mr. FRANKLAND supported the Bill.
Lord G. CAVENDISH was against the Bill.
Mr. G. ROSE was for it. He said it appeared
in evidence before the Committee, that a person
was seen to shake an halter in the face of one of the
Candidates, and threaten him with death, and then
sit down with the magistrates in the booth.
Mr. HAWKINS BROWNE said, when he in-
troduced the Bill he thought it a strong measure
sanctioned by necessity. A system of terror was
introduced, and French practices proceeding from
French principles. The Committee did not consider
lenity but justice to be their duty.
Mr. SHAW LEFEV RE rose to remark, that the
Hon. Gentleman under him had mentioned the
county magistrates as influenced by the Crown.
He said, no body of men were more deserving of
gratitude and praise than the county magistrates,
who discharged a duty very often laborious without
any benetit but the good of their country.
Mr. FOX said he meant no refiedion on the ge-
neral conduEl of magistrates appointed by the
Crown ; on the contrary, he considered it an advan-
tage to have so many of them thus appointed, and
he held it to be a vital principle of the Constitution,
to have that mixed and blended disposition of the
different parts of the Government of the country.
He again repeated that he meant no reflection what-
ever.

Stringers were ord:.:red to withdraw.—On a divi-
sion the numbers were—

For it 164
Against it - 29
Mak ity —135
The Bill was then read a third time, passed, and
ordered to the Lords.