The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-03-29 00:00:00

tie atluowledgment of the means employed
for returning mairy•Meuibera to that Roma*, last
Session, "and the generally-admitted universality of
that practice, it was perfect knit,' only to hint et the
nwac iu which they were collected. He would not
go through these passages to sbew, what he believed
he could slier", that there was not one part of the
pamphlet which had not been expressed In stronger
terms in the House, except only the knit, which he
must consider a breach of privilege. (The passage
alluded to, was, that where the louse ere accused
of t‘ Larding it equally over the Mug cad the Peu-
ple.") He was apt to be sincere, and therefore
gave his sentiments without disguise; in this paper
he saw nothing more than the Hon. Baronet
had said in the House. last Session, in his speech
on the subject of Reform ; and if he conveyed it
in proper language to his constituents, the House
would have sonic difficulty iii considering it as an
Wiener. Upon the witole, title was necessary 'to
enable them to come to a forcipes, sedate, calm, and
dignified decision, such as justice and their own
honour rerpsired. They ouoht not to suffer this
discussion to be introduced to interfere with the
other iinportaut matter tender their consideration.
Was there a men in that Honor, or the country,
who doubted that the Right Hou. Gentleman op-
posite (Mr. Perceval) was glad to catch at this op-
portunity, to divide the attention of an inquiring
House and sit indignant people ?—(Hear, hear.),—
. He was sure the Hois. Gentleman opposite {Mr.
Lethbridge) would he sorry, on reflection, that ever
hot was fed to become the instrument to throw this
sop to retard their ilceision.—(Hear, hear...J.—And
lie was not wthuut hopes that he would even rise
to second the motion wish which he would now
onclude, ownely, to adjourn this discussion till
to-morrow re'looglit.
The SPEAK ca stated the qestion and this amend-
Ment.

Mr. LETHBRIDGE did not rise toseeond the Hon.
Gentleman's motion.—(d laagh.)—On the con-
trary, as the mover of the Resolittibtra, ate could
not consent to ao adjournment. He regretted that
it was not in his power to give hie consent. It never
had been his wish to pushy the question with preci-
pitancy; but heconsideredu as to the hands of the
House, after he made his pro!,osition, and had
on, as they, by their vote. seemed inclined to con-
sider as the must fit course. He would not now go
back, start neither would he %I.!' it, since the Hon.
Gent. h. id furnished hint with .o strong au argu-
ment for proceeding. The Hon. Gent. had said,
he consii.re4l the question of more importance than
20 elpetillioils. to Walchereo, or any other part of
the globe. How then could he ask for delay, and
delay on the tlecisiou of so momentous ■ matter ?
He. %.ott!dl not follow the Hon. Gent. through all
his able arguments, hut one word he moat be al.
lowed to say—He was as sincere as the Hight Hon.
Gent. who, CAI t in him speech, had accused him of
hating " lent himself" i'l this business. He could
lay his hand nit his heart, and he trusted the House
would believe him, wti 'II he asserted, that he never
lent himself to any man, or set of men, in his exist-
erice.—( Hear, hear )—lf he had, he should indeed
have regretted that as long as hr lived ; but his mo-
Coil had originated entirely in his own, and in all
he had done lie had anted solely from his own, ideas,
upon the subject.—(Hear, hear, from the T'reasury
side.)

Mr. CURIVEN, on account of the importance of
the Inquiry, on the discussion of which they were
engaged, thouLdit Otis a very improper time to en-
tertain a n:or subject. He was sorry it had been
iiitioduced at a time, when to conciliate was much
more their duty than to inflame and irritate—
(fleer.) 11.• valid on the Right lion. Gentle-
man (the Chance:lor of the Exchequer) to reflect
on the original discussed of a breach of privilege,
and the horrors to which it led. He called ou him
to reflect how.the kingdom was then rent from one
end to the other. ( Hear, hear.) On the present
question lie, was nut prepared to vote, nor could he
do so conscientiously, unless time was allowed him
to inquire and make up his mind.on the subject.
If they agreed to We two resolutions, and as far as
he hued yet been able io carne to a decision, he
thought the dignity, if the Itoose required some
vote; they must proceed still farther to so ulterior
object. A;imist this, in the present state of his
infoiutution, he must be compelled •to vote.—
He wet convinced that the House. most have ,
power to protect itself and punish those guilty
of attacks upon its rights and priiileges ; but he
was also convinced, that the inure seldom this•
power was exercised, it wus the hetter.—At pre-
sent the subject was nut introduced so much
for its can sake, as for the Right Hem. Gentleman
opposite, who, like a drove g wan, was eager to
catch at any straw to ssve him from si,iking,—
( Hear, hear.)—lf the unfortunate paper had not
hreti noticed, it would, in all probability, in a few
dais, have stink into oblivion. Since it was noticed,
its importance required deliberation, and he believed
that a short pause would make the House unani-
mos& in the vote they would come to noon it. If,
however, the Right H,,,,, (lent; forced them to
premature decision, thr consequences must lie
Iris. The pause he is.keel for would they the people
that they did not decide an the spot of their pas-
sions, but on their calm and delibmite judgments,
ou the merits of the case itself. Their Journals
hud been disgraced with the heated ontest carried
on with %Valles, anal he hoped they would never
again see them brought into such contempt. He
hoped their vote would never br influenced by one
spark of passion, but be dictated by dusty and ho-
nour. This could nut be the ewe, were they
called on to decide now.

Mr. Ow vs said, the last speaker had now re-
duced the question to this; whether the Howse of
Commons were to be intimidated by any man, or
art of moo, or whether they would boldly, and
without fear, perform their duty ? (Hear, hear.)
He trusted the) would hove the courage to a-s►rt
their rights and independetice.--(lleer.)—This
was an additional reason for his rote, hut it was not
tequ:red ; as he lied suflivisnt grounds before to in-
duce him to agree to tn.- Resolutions of his Hon.
Friend. lie umm astonished, atter hearing Geode-
men opposite, except the Right lion. Gentleman,
('mlr. Sberid•erj who appeared to consider it as
trilling. (Hear, later, fhua the Oppusilion), attach
so much importume to the• question. anal propose
014 its downs should be dela) ed. Could
it be • question whii•h was most important, whir-
thtr a censure or (tumid should be passed int

Ministes, f,:r a cort.t.in part tif it Gov'ernment,
or the House was to lose its independence, mid be
Neaten awn by fear, either' of its own Members, or
Iv; utter party ? (Hear, hear.) The reasons for
supporting this dally were most extraordinary.--
They were called on. to postpone this stare,:
!edged weighty and importint matter, which
would tie.cupy them a few boors. because some
Gentlemen opposite attached more importance to a
question in which they were more iitituediately
in-
terested. ( Hear, hear.) For a week, they were to
continue to stifl'icr it to be drculatel through the
country, that they hail made the Bill of Rights a
a Bill of %V and all the other grass assertions
in thud pamphlet, by one of their tea a body, to be
disseminated, without coattadietioti, or asserting
their own character. The people were to be told
that they were oppressing and destroying their
dull the [louse of Com Mons weteln Silence
to suffer the aspersion ! Was it necessary, he
would ask, to go to a Committee of Privileges for,
any precedent of Such langtia:te as this being de-
elated a violation of their privileges ? The House
were conipeteut, sad were imperil:rally called
upon to pronounce judgment, at a ca,e
so strong, that it might alino,t be curried by
acclamation. If they abstaiued front dccirlitti;
now, the impression would be very different from
that anticipated by the Honourable Gen-
tleman opposite (Mr. Curwen). If they abstained
from deciding, it would not increase the respect of
the people fur them, but it would canse it to be
said, that they had imprisoned is Instable offender,
while they durst not proceed against one of their
own Members, more powerfully supportotl.-i-/Loud
cries of hear, hear.)-41iii was no .hasty opinion ;
he was sure suavest-old be the effect upon the free
people in the country, is whom he was most accus-
tomed. As for'llialublicution itself, never was
there one more grods and scandalous. The Hon.
bent. (Mr. Brand) had said, he coald find mily one
passage to which he could attach the blame of 'wing
• breach of privilege. He would point out ano-
ther, among many, and ask him whether he consi-
dered it us coming tinder that deliuitioo ?--(Elere
the Hon. Gentleman read the passage, stating, that
the House of Commons had a !spirited the sword of
prerogative, and lorded it equally over the Kinq and
the people."—Shouts hear.)—lte would trespass
on them no more. Enough he had. said; enough
appeared on the very face of the paper, to decide
its nature and tendency ; and he trusted the House
would not shrink from the manly discharge .r its
duty, oat of fear to the people or the Hon. Bart.
who was the subject of their debate.

Mr. WUITIMEAD• begging pardon of the Hon.
Gentleman who had just sat dowel, aasured him he
had never risen in that Howie to speak on a sub-
ject of greater importance than the present. He
was surprised et the mistake into which that Hon.
Geatlemau lead fallen with respect to hie IligLt
lion. Friend (Mr. Sheridan). His Right lion.
Friend, so far finin having mentioned the question
as • light oneiliad distinctly stated, at the very
outset of his speech, his opinion of its serious im-
portance. It was on account of its momentous im-
bue, that he and others asked for time to 'oyes
n -
tieate and consider it fully. Here he would do the
lion. Gent. opposite (Mr. Lethbridge) the justice to
say, that he had acted with perfectcandour through-
out, and had displayed no wish to push the question
to a precipitate decision. (in the contrary, he had,
last night, evinced a disposition to agree to the
postponement. But it wars the Right Hon. Gen.
tleman oppoite, and lie desired them to mark it;
it was he, who, mainly concerned in the other ques-
tion before them, was determined to break in
npon
that interesting subject, by pushing in this 'new
diacussion.—(Hear, hear.)—That question was of
more moment to them, and to hitnself.--(4 laugh '
from the Ministerial ride)—He dispised that laugh,
if it applied to his personal interests. Ile did
say the question was of moment to every honest
man who wished to be fully master of the sub.
jest, before he pronounced his judgment npou
it.—(flear.) Why were they to be pressed to this
!needy decision in a matter of breach of privilege ? .
Tune did not press now more than it did last year,
When the Right lion. Spencer Perceval and the
Right Hun. Lord Castlereagh, were accused of liar-
ing committed gross breaches of. the privileges of
Parliament—( Load cheers.) On that occasion,
when the charge was made, the Right Hon. Gen-
Vermin not besug prepared to 'iturwer the charge,
stated that fact, and withdrew. Ile at a future time
returned to the House, heard the arguments
against himself, and was permitted to answer
them—(Hear, hear.) It was to these matters
that they were to look to the degradation of the
House, if it was degraded—(Heat. hear.) With
Lord Castlereagh the course was just the same ;
let them compere his acknowledged departure
from the law of the House, of 1779, and sat, whe-
ther Abet was not a moat gross breach of privilege ?
—(Hear.)—Let them recollect the fluent of disso-
lution, wade to them by another Right Hon. Sec-
retary, and that the threat nes afterwards carried
into effect, and then let them say where the breach
of privilege abouieleil, whence their degradation
proceeded %—(Hear.)—Was it now too much to
ask time to read the paper oil which they were to
decide I' He last night steteal, that, from being en-
gaged to so late an hour ecu the subject of their then
discussion, he conceived it would not be possible
for him to peruse this document. He now as-
serted, that, from half-past two, when they ud-
jaunted, to four o'clock, when they met again, lie
had not had time to semi the paper. Was lie then
to be called on to decide on so important a ques-
tion, on the mere heui lug .4f two or three extracts,
and without being allowed to compare thein with
the whole work, and judge .4f them Lulu the con-
text? (Hear, hear.) There was no ground la.d
dowel for thus haste, but there was a great slain:tool
object in coming to a decision on the Expedition to
the Scheldt. how did that matter stand ?—After
his Noble Frieuel (Lord Poreheater) loping been
accused of rasing arguments on part of an
Expedition never everted into execution, an nom
Gen. (Craufurd) in defence of Ministers, had fought
an imaginary campaign.and on that foundation had
moved an amendment for th.ir exculpation. This
was their situation last night ; and the House raw
men hugging themselves in then hope., at the time
*lieu he could have expected they would be calling
on the mountains to cover them, and the waves to
hide' them from the indignation of the people.—
(llear, hear./—And here lie would take the op.