The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-03-07 00:00:00

MR. JUSTICE FOX.

Lord WALSl!46l:liii,- as -Eh airman of the
Committee, to whom it was referred to consider of
and investigate the aarious matters alleged in
charge against Mr. Justice Fox, came firrward, pur-
suant to his notice of yesterday, and of a resolution
of the Committee. He adverted generally to the
serious and uniform attention which the Lord', Com-
mittees had paid to the important vibjeet under t:.eir
consideration; and in which it • was their wish to
proceed in the most unexceptionable manner, AS
well with a reference to individual as to public jus-
tice. Under these considerationskthe Noble Chair-
man moved to the following effeet

That the s., i Committee be empowered le reportfrom time
to time, respecting the matters exhibited bef,re them, and to
state their opinions separately upon any of the Articles of
Charge, ii, on due examination thereof, they should find suffi-
cient grounds for the same.

The Earl of CARLISLE expressed his disap-
probation of the Motion. He was adverse from the
mode of offering any partial reports to the House
upon the subjvd. He rather thought the Commit-
tee should be instruCted to withhold all reports until
the whcile of the charges against the accused should
begone through. The course generally adopted by
Grand Julies would be the best to adopt in the pre-
sent instance, which was to consider of, investigate,
find, or throw out all the Bills brought before them,
instead of deciding upon any one, two, or three se-
parate charges of what they might have to consider.
He thought the duty imposed upon the Committee,
in the present instance, was similar to that wriii:a
Grand Juries of the Country had to
.fidfil. In con-
sidering the question then before the House, t'.e si-
tuation of the accused, one of a very serious nature
ought to be considered ; the possibility of his being
brought to the bar upon any one or two of the
charges, while the rest may be pending or undecided,
the situation of the accused person's mind, an such
an occasion, was worthy of consideration. Added
to this, was that of the contingency c.f his being
voted guiltless of the particular charges reported to
the House, and no opinion being subsequently stated,
or .decision made, as to the remaining charges ; a
contingency, which, be thought. in point of fairness
to the individual, as well as in justice to the public
at large, ought to be seriously considered, and, in
his opinion, was worhy of being made the subjeCt
of a specific Motion.
Lord HAWKESBURY observed, it was certain-
ly irregular to allude, in the House, to wiia. passrd
in dircussion in a Committee, otherwise he migh
particularly call to the recolleaion•-.4 the Wide
Earl, that the rifolistion, on which the motion before
the 1 louse WAS grounded. was not adopted without
the most mature and deliberate consideraiori in the
Committee. Th- topic now regularly under consi-
deration was by no means extensive, and its met its
lay in a narrow compass. The Motion referred not
to any decision if the Committee ; it went to em-
power them. horn time to time, to report their opi-
nions upon any, or upon what charge, which they
might deem of sufficient importance, to be brought
under the consideration of the I louse, with a refer-
ence to a question, for the removal of the accused.
The Motion went not to hind, or in any way pledge,
either the Committee or the House, to any specific
Or particular line of proceeding. It would be for
the Committee hereafter to decide, whether or not
they shall make a specific report on any particular
charge, without going through the whole. It went
to prejudice no peen whatever, in consideration be-
fore the Committee. Should they think any parti-
cular charge or charges weighty enougb fur a speci-
fic repoit, they would proceed accordingly. Nei-
ther would the House be affeCied by the. Motion ; it
would be at the option of the House, whether a
proceeding at its bar should be adopted in conse-
quence; or, upon its view of the charge, refer it
back to the.consisleration of the Committee, or call
upon them to state their opinion upon all the
charges; or whether a middle course should be
adopted: these options would certainly rest in the
House and their agreeing to the Motion of the
Noble Chairman, would in no shape offal the pro-
ceedings, either in the way of convenience, or in re-
ference to the consideration of private or public jus-
tice. The motion, therefore, which was unani-
mously approved in the Committee, should have his
Betided support.
The Earl of CARLISLE spoke in explanation.—
He repeated his idea of the possibility of their Lord-
ships having, in consequence of the report of the
Committee upon some particular charge, to put the
accused upon his trial; and, in the event of his be-
ing acquitted, and no opinion or decision beiag
given or made, as to the other matters in charge, or,
at least, in a way that such could go forth to the
world ; such a consideration may operate unfa-
vourably with resped to the accused. In this point
of view, bethought that some proceeding, obliga-
tory upon the Committee to go through the whole,
should be adopted.
Lord GRENVILI.E thought the merits of the
question now regularly before the House, lay in a
narrow compass. He had merely to express his de-
termination, that if he in the smallest degree appre-
hended that either the decision of the Committee
or the House, upon any particular point, with refer-
ence to the subjed under the consideration of the
limner, were precluded or pledged by the Motion,
he certainly should not give his assent to it. No
question, as to a report upon any particular charge
being specifically made, or a thorough investigation
of the whole, was prejudged by the Motion Nei-
ther would the House be in the smallest degree pre-
, eluded from entertaining the question of proceeding
hereafter in any particular mode. Neither the