The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-11-11 00:00:00

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THE 11 itlT (SH PItE.SS.

LON DON,
SATURDAY, NovEmoiß 11. 1820.

With the liveliest satisroitiOn we announce in
the country the final overthrow of the 1301 of
cud Penalties; and upon this event, with. no WI.
sincerity, we add our congratulations not only to
the public in general, and to her 1119je,sy the
QUEEN, but also to the House of Lords, the
Ministers of the Crown, wort to our gracious, So.
verrign himself. This most pestilent measure, the
Growing of every evil passion. nurtured by perjury
sail credulity, closed its short but troublesonite
career yesterday in the Iloilo, of Lords l little
before two o'clock, abandoned even by its friends.
Its destruction, indeed, was sealed by the con-
temptible character of the first majority of 48. The
Ministers, however, with • kind of desperate info-
tuition, pressed the Bill forward withal! their itiflu-
eller, and brought it yesterday to the third reading,
when on the question that " this Bill be now read
a third time," the House divided, and their former
majority of 78 was reduced only to vine!—there
being for the third reading 108, ugliimit it 99.
The Bill was therefore read a third time; but the
Ministers, conscious of their weakness, and dread-
ing the effect of sending their favourite to the
House of Common. tinder the 'suction of a majo-
rity of nine, end in defiance of an opposition con-
si-tiug of uo less than 99 Peers, the most eminent
in the country fur virtue, wisdom, soil talents,
found themselves reduced to the deplorable neces-
sity of ,band g the Bull, awl on the question
that " this Bill do now pass," an amendment was
moved by Lord Livenroos himself, that for the
oorel nose, " this (ley six 'months" be substituted.
The amendment was put from the Woolsack. and
carried by acclamation, without a division.
It is impossible to describe the exultation of the
multitude Resembled in the neighbourhood of the
[loose of Lords when they were apprised of this
happy result. The news spread with astonishing
rapidity, and was every where received with a shout
of ecstasy. The QUEEN happening at the same
motnent to leave the House, her carriage was sur-
rounded by the joyful multitude, and their en-
thusiasm was at its height. Nor to the populace
alone was this joy confined; the guards assem-
bled within the enclosed space in Palace-yard
shared in the general feeling of exultation at
the triumph of the ()nags, and were at no pains
to conceal the expression of their joy. It was
indeed a moment when every sincere friend
to the prosperity and tranquillity of his coon.
try must have felt his heart expand with joy
and thankfulness., that the wisdom and virtue of
the House of Loofa have counteracted the evils
which the folly and credulity of Ministers, or their
less innocent love of place were preparing. Those
who conceive that hostility to this baneful pro-
ceeding in Parliament was confined to the Mho-
liitants or the metropolis or its vicinity. enter-
tain an erroneous, and, as it might have been, a
dangerous opinion. No less erroneous and den.
genius would be the supposition, that this feel-
My of hostility to the Bill did not extend
beyond the lower classes of society. Perhaps there
is nut a man in the empire better qualified to
form a correct estimate of die general sense of the
people, at least throughout the northern counties,
than the Earl of HAREWOOD, and this Nobleman
declared in Parliament his conviction that the men.
sure was extremely unpopular, sod gave his vote
against the measure chiefly upon this impression.
Similar declarations were made by many other
Lords during the debates, and even the friend, of
the Bill impliedly admitted the unpopularity of
their favourite measure, by eXpressing their convic-
tion that the people of England would, sooner or
later, 'mire at a just understanding of the subject.
We excuse the vanity of the expression fof the
iniporouit admission it contains; but what shall be
said of their sense of political expediency and
wisdom, who, in the fond and foolish imagination
tl.at their own opinions alone are correct, although
opposed to those of the great mass of the empire,
would endanger the trainrilloty of the comae'',
degrade the moral character of the House of Lords,
lierleaps of Parliament altogether. tarnish the lustre
of the Crown, impair its dignity, and shake the
stability of the throne itself—awl all this because
forsooth the people may at last discover thre wisdom
of such legislators! From such dangerous experi-
ments may Heaven protect us ! Political wisdom
is best shewts in avoiding present dangers ; but our
wise men are ever anxious to create evils, possibly
that they might have opportunities to prove their
talents in overcoming them.
When the Bill was thrown out the noose ad.
journed to Thursday the 2341 of November, the
sante day as that to which the House of Commons
had adjourned, but it is Ovobable that in a day or
two the Gillette will contain • Proclamation pro-
roguing Parliatnetet until such time as the Ministers
will think fit to summon it again for the dispatch
of public business. Binh nooses liner been sees.
pied almost incisively is this unhappy mu of the
Quasi for upwards of Gee months. and during:tint'
period the public busbies, of the nation has been
falliag into arrest. so that it would be entree sly
advisable that Parliament should be assembled us