The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-12-24 00:00:00

IRISH COURT OF EXCHEQUER RILL.

61 r. C. GRANT brought 111 the Rill tor the better
regulation of justice its the Court of Exch. goer in
WWI read a fir►t tone, sod ordered to
be printed.

COLLECTION OF THE REVENUE.
Sir HENRY PARNELL roue to move fur paper.
regarding the Collection of the Revenue, and the
Civil Departments of the Naval and Military Ser-
vices. It moving for these papers, his first I.lj. et
%MN to ascertain the total expel .e of the Collection
of the Revenue; Next, the exnenue of Coltechng
the Civil Departments r,f the Naval and Military
Services • autl thirdly, the tapelike of the Ordnance.
The lion. Baronet concluded hi. moving_

" That there be laid before the House an acConnt of the
amount of rate and per ceilinge at which the Kruse receipts
of the Revenue were collected in Encland, Ireland, soil
Scotland, for the last year—specifyiug the distinct amount
paid in each district."
l bee CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER intimated
to the lion. Baronet that there could he ou desire
to withhold information upon the auhject of Ilia
motion, which, however, he toggested to the mover
the propriety of withdrawing at them particular nun-
ineiit, for a reason which was inaudible iii time gal-
lery.

Sir H. PARNELL immediately acceded, and the
motion was withdrawn,
CESSION OF PAIZGA.

Lord COMPTON rase to put a question to his
Noble Friend (Lord Castlereagh) reliving to the
pittratimi of the unfortunate mantle of Mugs. who
were now, by the eessloll of their country to Ali
Padre. exposed to serious evil,. The particular
point upon which lie now solicited information re-
lated to the manner in which the properly of the
unfortunate Parganiotes had been valued ; first.
were their churches and public buildings considered
in the calculation ; and, in the next place, was their
public property valued ? He knew that a valuation
of their private propert►• had been nude by the
Commissioners. The Noble Lord was proceeding
to advert to what had been said on Ih4 subject
upon a former night, when he was reminded by the
Speaker of the great incot.venieoce to which such •
practice exposed the House. The Noble I.,trd, in
resuming, begged pardon, and expresmed his aoxi-
ons hope that if aoy of the utiforturiate Parganiotes
found their w■y into this couivry in the hope of
urging their claims upon the con•ideratioo of Go-
eetorrient, it should be recollected by those to whom
they might apply, that these poor people were now
without a .home or • country, and therefore 'Well-
ligrly entitled to cominiveration mud indulgence.
Lo►d CASTLEREAGH complained of the manner
in wlrch question* were put to Members of the
Govermneut without previous notice, with respect
to matters not within their own particular depart-
ment of the public betsinea-. Under ►uch circum-
stances it was often impossible to communicate
infoitnation with the accuracy which could he
wished. With respect to the particular inquiry
now made by his Noble Friend, be should reply,
that lie thought When the question was regularly
before the Iluuge, lie had fully explained that the
public buildings at Parga were not included in the
valuation. But lie had added, that the valuation
fur the private interests of the inhabitants had been
•o liberally provided, as almost to cover the value
of the public property. A fiall and ample coma
',rogation had been secured for the property of the
people, and it would have been quite impossible to
have extended the valuation further.
FRENCH FUNDS.

Mr. Hints, in moving for an account of secu-
rities in the Fietich Fonds, placed at the diapiwal
of the British Government, said, that at the riot.
ciusiun of the war the Treaty of Aix•la-Chapelle
hail been tattered into; and Ly the articles of the
Treaty, certain sums in the French Fonds were
put to the uccouut of the British Government.
He wished to know from the Right lion. Gentle.
noon opposite, whether the one.fouttli of the live
null winch was to have been paid in mule
mouth., from the sth of January, 1819, hail been
paid ; because, a so, a sum of wit mil.iuu would
be in the hands of Government, available to the
current espeases of the year. lie wished also to
know, what had become of a further soot of six
millions a x hundred and fifteen thousand francs
to which the British Government had a claino—
whaher the sums were in tke bands of the Coin-
anismoners appointed, or whether the stuck had
been ►old ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said. that
no French .tuck had been sold by the Bntiah
Gu-
veroweut. That a sum of money had been, how-
ever, received uy the Government wit Of the
funds in question, and applied towards the cspenses

if the ftwtibeatiosta of the Netherlanrl3, to who'll the
Gower 1111 l eta were bound by contract. He added,
that were it 1114 for the receipt of lllo•e stung, the
Govertoneor wonid have tweet obliged to rain
donne the how Session a .orn of rote milltom, to
make et,od their part of the rontrve•t ;with regard to
these fort.tie•it ion*. Ile emielmitil recommend.
tog the Hon. Member ►o withdraw Ilia motion;

Me. • said he wiblted to ki.ow from the
Chancellor of the E‘eheqnte, who titer the finances
of this entintry were likely to be benefited from
farther 1)4% mew,' out of the French ferle?
The Ctimitert.i.nß of the EXCIIrQUER said, that
the finance% would receive mute libt.llllllllele from the
surplus of further payments.

The 'tinfoil Irv. then withdrawn.
BLASPIIEMOVA LIBEL BILL.
_ _

Lord CASfLERFACM .11.,vrd the Order of the
1)1 for into a Committee oil the Bliephe.
loutish Lob.l

Ou the riliersion being rut that the Straker do
have tier chair—
Mr. BERNAL said, he could not suffer the Wee.
sure to. pass without his articled opposition. Of SA
the tiletiPures that had been lately hurried through
the Manse, he thought the present Bill the most
objectimiable. lie feared the causes of alarm re-
presented to Gsnilemeo on the state of the times,
were given with a kind of ultra exaggeration. As
to what hw,t been said of the law of banishment, he
would pay, th it for two hundred years before, be.
uirbmrut was unknown to the law of E•igland. The
law which first introduced any tendency to banish-
mein waswars statute of the 39t h of Elizabeth. That law
WWI passed and applied to the bowl of paupers in the
country, and who were found to he thieves and arras-
sins, and hr statute stated, that those who were found
incapable Of reformation should he banished beyond
the sr*. There was one soloisty instance in modern
timer, where the punishment was entertained by
the statute law, lie meant the 39th of the King, but
that was not a r ermanent measure, like the present,
sod the punishment was limited to a period of
seven poles. The present measure was very ob-
jectionable. There were difficulties incident to the
punishment of banishment for life, which, perhaps,
VHS not contemplated by Members in that House.
lie *mild wish to know from the Law Officers of
the Crown, whether banishment for life did not
amount to civil death? Ile asked, did not the man
who lost hi. c.iiiiitry withdraw his allegiance from
the Gosernme lit of that country, and would not
the children of a man suffering that punishment
cease to le considered natives of the soil, and for-
feit their rights? Another point on which lie would
wish to he informed was, how a person sufferiog
that runishment was to be supported? Did tho
Government meant to provide for his support?
The was so severe as to be likely to defeat iSa
own object. A jury, on the second trial of an lay
diyiduel for blasphemous libel, would not be likely
to pronounce a verdict against him where banitAti
merit would he the necessary consequence of a *ea
cond conviction. He felt that these difficulties
lay in the way, and lie hoped the law officers of the
Crown would he able to meet and to remove them,
Mr. Maws* said, Its great objection to go lele
the measure was, that the necsasity of the Bill, so
far from being proved by Minister., was entirely
disproved. As his Hon. Friend did not answer the
questions put by an Hon. Nlember—questions
which he looked on as important respecting; this
measure, he (Mr. D.) would not dwell upon them,
but lie would ark a question which had been put
bsfore, and never answered—why (lid the Crown
Officers abstain from prosecuting the libels which
every one brio willing to condemn ? If they were de-
terred by the acquittels of Mr. Hone, then he
would say that the apprehension was as unbound
as the third prosecution of Mr. Hone. The ques-
tion wise, whether the law was sufficient or not ?
Ile would spore! to the convictions that had lately
taken !bluer, and the destructive punishmeine which
followed, as a proof of the strength of the existing
law. He was mewilliog to address the House at a time
when they seemed to manifest such impatience,
bat he felt it a duty. Had any persons, three years
ago, toll loin that his Hon. and Learned Friends
would have been the instruments of bringing in
those Bulls, he would have treated She declaration
or a calumny against his Hon. and Learned
Friends. No one thought anti! the debates of this
Session, that an attempt would be made on the
liberty of the press; on the contrary, every man
expected to rue that liberty held sacred. 'the No-
ble Lord said, that the banishment for life was to
he left to the discretion of the Judge., but what
kind of discretion was it ? Why should individuals
of respectability be subject to a punishment so opt
pressive, so ruinous ? Was the discretion of a Judge
to be the may security ? He instanced the case of
Mr. Johnson, a highly respectable bookseller, who
was sent to gaol for Moe months for selling a work,
of the content. of which, and even of its existence, he
was igoorant. Mr. Guttyl was also punished,
thong; he thought the work was a classical book,
plod tint a libel written in the English lengthier.
If those iiiihvidualt by any accident should fall into
a similar inadvertency—an inadvertency itisrpar-
able from 'flew business—respectable as they were,
they would be left open to the penalty of banish-
(neut. lie contended that no such power ought
in lie given to airy Judge in Etiglaiiii. Another
objection to the Bill was our of a very strong na-
tine. Ile alluded to the clanbe *loch authorised
NI result liar libels iii privaie house/. He agreed
with Honourable Geutlemen, that when libels
were pronounced blariihtmous and *editions,
they should cease to exist ; but it did not follow
that eller ttttt us powers were to be given to

csrry that u .ject into effect. Thst clause he con-
sidered grossly oppressive and unjus►. The Bill
did out g to puui>h rrii.ting an•: publishing merely.
but all thus, who 'should he guilty of composing
would be liable to the right of search. A moo
oncecmicicted of writivg a seditious libel would he
exposed to Lye his husow. his desks, hie private
recesses broken oFen. The liability of private
huu•ca to be subjected to that regrets, woo a grest, a

PRICY. id. • '

monstrous grievance—:t was an encaut.eement
ungrateful servants, also would lush to rut.. N err
wooers, or to profligate informer's, se lin inlaid
wish to court favour with Government. Thosetwe
entities had only to make it affidav t io the Li
ol Itteri•ig seen the like! In the ilcnt•n• .1 the mitt.
sidnal, Nod on dig affidavit the C tut, nut the str-
perior Courts alone, hut the Cour s ot Quarter
Session might issue their order in retarrit the 11,11,0 e.
and this order was to brexeriuted br a Justice nt•th.e
Trace. Now his would ask, had the patty Itemised vise
right of suiswerinz that sffielavit belo-e -.perch .1 e
he had not, to %hat • state did the. Homer restore
him ; and if lie had the power of a-sorrirg th•
affi-
davit before the execution of the this Fe
bad notice, and migiit remove the hurl. Thu. ire
law was either very *spore-love. or spry riuguttol.
He considered the right of search as r...raint
door to oppression. He knew of too Act of l'er.
hutment which gave a greater opening to the tild
passtmos of mankind. A former Act. bad Fusco re-
fs" rod to as • precedent. but ilseu• the turisigerieg
circumstances of it ought to have hero isslopieo,
and the words " maliciously and advisedly"
have been introduced from it—and the operation).
ilia/earl of being for an unlimited time us it was,
should hate been limited to the term of three tears.
Hie principal objection to the ms:lsloe, which ape
plied to the first and fourth clauses, wee, that
would operate es an ex post facto low—far, from
the wording of these, it would follow dart
who had been convicted of a blasphemous mod sta.*,
tines libel previous to the passoig of the Ac,, reed
of another subsequent to it, wool., be ttletrn re-.
dered subject to the penalty of bmislime•st for I' le.
But undoubtedly the greatest of alI, wohont waits
jug any of these he had before valet', was flue taboo.
lute absence of fill necessity arising from the im-
perfection of the law as it now eeieted.—(
Ile had heard with sorrow and shame many obsere
vatiotat made of late by Hon. Members on the "re-
sent tendency and consequelices of the press. hot
he thought that the liberty of the press ass to he
looked upon nut merely as n fair weathersfriervt.
but one adapted for all seasons. lie had thought,
stud he apprehended he had eXpre.snd hirsist•t*
wrongly on the present occasion, but lie mould tti,t
consent to lower the tour of the public ferl.og uts
this important subject.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. K. Maoris said, that attempts had been
made to prove that the present measure we. tweet
in the law, hut they had felled; had they, ttowerer,
been successful, it would not hear weighed rito
him. The only question was. %briber the proale
ties provided were disproportionate to the Ott ()C.v.
He thought not ; he thought it right to stun the
sanction of banishment to the second conviction for
a blasphemous or seditious libel, to murk in a pro.
per manner the sense the House entertained of the
enormity of the offence. He thought it became
the House to legislate on that ground, without con-
sidering what Judges or Juries might do. It was
his coovicaion that any impartial persist' lookie.;
st ail the new inessurev, uninfluenced by party
views or feelings, would come to the conclo-
sion that the liberty of the press would re-
main, after all these laws had beets enacted, as
intact and inviolate as before. The security tend
sureties were only designed to prevent people worts
out capital getting into the printing trade. He
believed it was generally acknowledged to by a
very great misfortune to any country, that persons
should enter into trade without souse sort of capi-
tal. It was particularly so in the printing trade,
and the Bill did not prohibit say man from en.
tering into that business who bad a small ca-
pital of his own, and was able to provide two
or three sureties. :fir. Memo then tnetittoreed,
as en instance of the improper uses to stitch the
public press had been turned, the insertion of a
paragraph in a newspaper (in Ireland, we under-
stood) tending to throw auspicious on the credit of a
banking-house of great respectability soul perfect
solvency, which caused a run that ultimately in-
volved the house in ruin. Suppose bend-1111N trete
circulated, accussing Alderman Birch of haring
made a vast quantity of patties of the bodies Or ltl••
rants dug out of the grave—l lasughlerf—though
the flesh had been as white and as tender as that of
a chicken, the story would be believed, the shop
would be deserted, and the devil a patty would be
sold.—( Lord laughter.)—He should vote for going
into the Committee.

Mr. Bonitos said, that he agreed with the Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. Martin), who had made so amus-
ing a speech, that the abuses of the press were very
great, and called for very strong reveasive mea-
sures. With respect to the observations of tte
Hou. and Learned Gentleman, he 11111 of opinion.
that some of them did nos apply at all, and of ors
of them not in the degree moil extent that lie had
laid them down. He theii,after stating the provi-
sions of the Bill to restrain the freedom of the
press.
which had been renewed in the reigit of Wil-
liam 111. and dad not finally expire till the year
1662, in relation to the right of reach, he pro-
ceeded to observe, that the power in this respec t
conferred by the measure under c”n.irleration, was
much milder, the power being •pecitiatilly eontiiiteil to
searching for such copies of works, and •tich only vs
had been previously decided to be libelloua by th.,
proper authorities. The enactment w.ua mt.-I:fled
merely to prevent the circulation of. the work, alit
wax, in his opinion, suffictetitly tender. It hsd bet's
urged by the opponents of the measure That the
people were at variance with the new Rills, which
he believed was a complete error. What reason
was there to stippuee that the whole body of the
people were tainted by • spirit of disaffection?
affection had certainly existed, but the questeCot
was, how far ? It was his firm opinion that the great
majority of the people certainly continued onto.
fected by dangerous principles, and therefore Wm
was no foundation fur saying that the people were
hostile to the measures. He now begged leave to
enter into a little esplaastion regarding entnetliliig
said by himself ou a former night, MI which veal
atiaapprehension appeared to have provoiletl
though he certainly bed been much more fahly