The National Register.
London, England, 1820-10-22 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

now enter into en examination of the evidence adduced
in support of the Bill, he had no hesitation in sa:ing, that
he so entirely disapproved of the principles of the Bill,
he should most erflaisily oppose its 11(1111i$S1011 into that
House. He, no"' ever, hoped it would ties find its way
to the threshold of the House. He mum indeed be per-
mitted to say, that the result of the evidence was not such
as in his opinion to sander it necessary for the Queen to
continue he r defence. With respect to the people of this
country, they appeared to be of the same !Mail with hint-
self; and is this point of view, looking at expediency
alone, he could not see the utility of pressing a measure
which professed to have fur its object the preservation of
the putolie muualt atoinst the force of it ball example. The
people were of opicion that the chat:4e of setting a bad
example was not proved against the Queen. The people
disbelieved it, and therefore the idea of passing a Bill to
prevent a bail example was idle and absurd. The Noble
Lord concluded by moving that the Petition should_be
read.

_
The Petition was then read by die Clerk. It was of
considerable length. The petitionets viewed the Bill
berme the Lords a lilt the greatest atiliettuil, mid ignited
That should it come down Io the 111,11. e of Commons, it
would hr rejected. It was signed by 2,0.10 persons.
Mr. LOCKHART expi eased his sentiments against the
Bill—his sentiments being consointut to those expressed
by die petitiimers, and lay the Noble Luid. The Bill was
contrary to the Act of Edward 111. regarding Treason,
and a violation of Magna Cliaila ; and it was fatal to the
middle and lower ranks, a ho wet r endangered by sit iking
at the higher ranks. It violated die Act sit Edward 111.
regarding Treason, for it in effect charged Treason; and
if the Clime were not Treason, was the ()deuce known to
the law? But they had heard of the siateineet that the
(titmice was committed woli a foreigner, and yet the Bill
did not set forth that Chu olfetice was committed in a
foreign country, not within the Icahn. Where, then, was
the Care with which the Bill had been drawn, and how
could either House of Parliament assists:: to itself a power
to soften down a crime I list was cognizable to the laws?
There Was, however, another grimed of objection. He
maintained that it was extremely doubtful whether the
wife of the eldest son of a Sovereign who should commit
adultery was guilty of High Treason, though some autho-
rities had ruled to the contrary. Much reliance was
placed on Lord Coke's dielinn on this point, anti that
opinion was avowedly founded on the eases of Aetna Bo-
leyn, and the secend of Queen Catharine, Spelnian being
quoted as the authority. He, however, inlet red that
Anita Boleyn was not even tiled for adultery; on the
contrary, one Act charged her with having " conlederated
with divers persons against tine King." Nothing was said
of adultery. And Queen Callon me no where appeared
to have been charged with that offence. He drew his
rental Ls On this latter case fium the nianmst►ipl statement
of Mr. 'flioniss, Cie' k of Hem), Fill's. Council (pre-
served in die Comm Library), who said that she was
Charged with leadiiig a Jasmine lite, and %stilt designing
meatus to etlllllllli adultery. lie theiefore contended, that
the cases on a Ititit Lord Cuke !Minded his dictum faded;
and submitted that the distinction of foreigners was iii
volous and doubtful. Alter tile neglect to which our
Queen had berm sit ijecled, he thought it rather hard to
proceed in the way proposed by the Bill; it would have
been better not to have instituted such a proceeding—not
to have agitated the subject at all.—(Hear.)
Petition ordered to lie un the table.
Auother similar Petition was presented, but we did not
hear the name ut the place.
Mr. HUME presented • Petition from Burgesses of
Aberdeen, praying the House oat to receive the Bill of
Pains and Penalties, should it pass the Upper House. It
was numerously and must respectably signed, cud ordered
to lie int the Note.
SIR ItOUERT BAKER'S CONDUCT.—Mr. HUME rose to
call the attention of the House to a must important sub-
ject—to muse that Sir IL. Baker, the Chief Magistrate of
Bow-street Office, he called to the liar, to account fur his
conduct in permitting Fletcher, alias Fraitklin, to escape
Item custody. That man had gone unJsr the vat ions
names oh Fletcher, Furbes, and Franklin; anti lie had
been engaged with conspirators in the manufacture of
treasonable placards for years. They V11..:1;t1 recollect 110 W
Aliiiisteis hail dwelt on the placards, particularly those
against the Quest;—(bear!)—but tile system has been
going on since ISIS. Many lives had been lost, and many
pet its 11411 heat: rumnut ed to piison ; and the House
would particularly recollect the placards calling for a
rising 011 Inc Ist ut Aptil last. it was important to trace
the conspirators, und Fraliklin had been apprehended,
after immense labour, by Air. C. Peat son, to %shunt great
credit ass due heir his exertions.—lie (Air. H.) had
va-
rious affidavits, oil which lie rolllilied his statements, and
lie felt himself warranted iii declaring, that, in his opi.
nion ibis manufacture hail plocredeti wills the 1.110 ledthe
of Ministers.—( Hear, heat !)—He could mot separate the
conduct of Sir R. Baker froin that of Giver ; the
coutitlet of Sit lt. Bake! .tiengthened Is•picitni —Could
they forget that Edwards was allowed to escape; as were
wr " at II dotard Ca-ties,'' (as See geaut Copley called
4;,41 that U 1...111!tul geode:nail" Oliver; how
they separate the Gover iiiii ent flout concern in this mat-
ter, wine' such Whigs ate remembei ed. We thought the
suoject uitedit to be imputed 11110 by a Committee of the
House; anti ilia Sir It. Baker uaglit to be called helot e
the House furthwitii.—(Cheeis.)—lie couchided with
100Villg, that Sir IL Baker be let the ith called to the Bar,
to account for his premature dischasge ut Fletcher.
Mr. G. BENNETT seetnideti the motion.
Loud CASILEtsE.AGH said—they were required to
rotted W1111%11;11 on the statement. But could the Iluuse
*Midi fur an inomit, any thing au ridiculous and pi elms-
teruirs ? Could they toughie that Goverimient would lend
me aid to WWI ahollllll.lolo lerucerdingsi There %Sas tio
ecousion to (ileum age the in. lactitiet of treasonable and
seditious Ituels;—Hour, Woofer, Cal hie, and °the's,
supplied the mut ket must pltultlally. As to the &ottani
and promulgators of such bills, he most sincerely desired
that they may be pursued to punishment. lie a tilled
That the business should lie completely examined and
proved, atilt shat execrai tun as well as pitailiiiiitait should
Lill oil the gutty persons. But since the matter was in a
vain ed ligal Investigation, Sleet! It vs as in pent ess le
adjutlicatiou berme the Cum ts below, lie could nut see
bow that 111,11 SC CDIIIII with hay prhpriely htlerlate at tile
cut•tat hamicatt in the mode iequired fay the motion.
ileateet, Mr. Clive, arc. hollowed, the discussion
pi oceetle:ti to souse length, and Mr. Huwc withdrew his
motion.

ITHE QUEEN.
Mr. BROGDEN bilught ay the inert of the comr3;ttee

341

appointed to search the journals of the Lords regarding the
Bill of degradation and divorce. It set forth the proceediugs
of this day, and staled that the secoud reuding had been
further adjourned until to-morrow.
Lord C aaTLEREAGII moved, that the House. at its
rising should uui•rurn until the 23J of November, and that on
that day the names of the members be culled over.
Sir GERA Itl) NOLL objected to the adjournment alto.
get her, on the ground that it nag utak that the House should
so long neglect the public bulimia. Be moved as an amend.
meta, dila the House at its rising should adjourn till to-
morrow.
Mr. P. MOORE seconded the motion.
Mr. TIERNEY observed, that tile whole depended
upon a balance of convemencies nod inconvenientics.—
The House of Lords might or might not be occupied
for three weeks upon the Bill before it ; and posing the
House adjourned, the only inconveiiieuce would be, thn t
alembeis would be required to attend o,edlessly for three or
four days. The inconvenience would be much more consia
derable by a pustponement to the 23J u November; fur then •
Members would be morally sure that they would be obliged
to spend their Christmas in London. if the Gill came down
from their Lordships, it might occupy a great deal of time
Cllr. Brougham we believe said ten years); his hon. and
learned ft tend said it would occupy ten years t but he ( Mr.
Tierney) did not think that pet haps more than nine would be
consumed by it, but the utmost inconvenience Members
would sitstuiu by an adjourument, and a call at the end of
three weeks, would be, us lie had said, an attendance fur
three or four days. Such was his view of the Question; but
at the same lime, be should be glad to hen: the opinions of
other gentleinen upon this polio. who, from residing at s
distance, might be better judges upuit the question of in-
convenience.
Mr. GULF:VEY trusted that his right hon. friend would
forgive him for say Mg that lie had met this question in rather
a strange way. He little expected that lie would have
talked of the private convenience of Members, instead of
meeting the subject with sonic expression, on the part of the
House, of an opinion that it never would permit the bi a of
pains a.l penalties to enter its doors. hen the trial began,
if tria it could be culled, a, nas the trial of the Quemi ; but '
within the last two days it had become the trial of a con-
spiracy, by the Govsrinueut of the country against the
Queen.—(Cheers.)—the Bill before the Lords, whether
the Queen were the object of it or not, was the most infa-
mous iii its nature to it could Ire imagined. W hat he felt on
this subject wits felt by all ; one sentiment pervaded all
and ull ages; as far as the 8.11 had gone it was impos-
sible to look at it but only a ithout abhorrence, but without
absolute contempt.—(Coutinued t beers.) —He did not be-
hove that there was OW word of limit in all that the mise-
rable Italians had been bribed and persuaded to swear....
Most furl duately for that national honour not a single Eng.
list wituess had been called a Ito did not swear that, so far
from degrading the country, they never seen in her conduct
any thing iu the slightest tle,,ree imlecorous or derogatury.—
One paint contained in the preamble was that the Queen had
violated her duty to the King; bat what duty did she owe to one
who, under his own hand, had confessed that he had turned her
out a doors ?—(('heers.)—That she owed,ailegtance to the King
as his subject was not to be disputed ; but that she owed duty to
the King, he (Mr. Creevy) must strenuously denied, nor would
he be any patty to try her Mr a supposed breach of it. Yet thin
House, as well as the House of Lords, was to be driven into the
enquiry; but without power to administer an oa:h—withont
power to assist it in point of law—with the public opinion on the
score of corruption and influence most decidedly ugainst it, he
hoped it would never consent that in such an assembly the Queen
should be put upon her Enid. For himself, he tilt a pet feet hor-
ror at the hare notion of it; nor was his shame less that, while
such a topic was presented, the private convenience of the Mew-
bets bad this night been the only subject of discussion.—(Hear.)
Mr. SCARLETT feared lest his silence should be misinter-
preted or lie would nut have claimed the attention of the House.
Medal not intend to enter into a discussion, but lie begged to
state. that he fur one would never, on any public grounds yeet
promulgated, consent to pass a bill of pains and penalties. One
observation on the proceedings of the peers he was entitled to
make; by the report on the table it appeared that certain quits.
lions had been put to the judges, which showed that the other
Molise lead been engaged in an enquiry of a very suspicious nature
respecting the collection of evidence by dishonourable means,
until it was stopped by an objection from the Counsel for the pro.
secution. He could only say, that if he hail been Counsel for
the prosecution against the meanest subject in the realm, and had
been told that the defendant possessed the power of proving that
some of the testimony had been obtained against him by corrupt
practiced, though he could not perhaps bring it home dtreetly to
the preseeutor, I:e should think that he (air. Scarlett) slid no
honour to his client if he interposed an objection to its productio.
(Loud cheers.) 11 such would be time line of his duty mile private
case, how much more did it become the character of the Govern-
ment employed in establishing a charge against the Queen of the
realm, before a branch tattle legislature, and the public officers
of the Clown a—lf, after this experiment, the Bill passed into the
Lords, it would disgrace and degrade the House of Commons.—
It there existed a set of men whose object was to degrade the
most sacred institutions of the country, and to bring unto con-
tempt shat had hitherto been revered, they could not adopt a
snore effectual method than that which Alinisteis were tow pur-
suing.—(11 ear, hear.)
Mr. CALCHA VT said, in his conscience he believed that this
whole question arose out of the ambition of one man, to become
Caancellor, and the desire of another to hold his situation.—
The Vice Chancellor wanted to beco:ne Chancellor, and the
Chancellor hail not the courage to go out until he had completed
his Indiana (A Lugh.) He did not mean to undervalue that
gentleman; lie was his nearest country neighbourhood, and a
spurting gentleman he was—(loud laughter), bat his polities
mid done much mischief. lithe Queen w 'old have stayed away,
ministers would have escaped this difficulty. They hoped She
never would have come, and relying on this hope one of them
in an unlucky hour, pledged himself to introduce the ~toe,aal.
ing it she came to England.
.Mier some observations from Mr. P. Moore. Ike. the ques-
tion of adjournment to the '23d of November. anti a call tit the
llouse on that day, was put and carried without a division.
Mr. BENNET wished to yak the aaorney•General, if the
witnes.ses could be detained for trial in ease of perjury.
Adjourned at half past ten.
An Ad,

[dress from the ladies of the towns of New-
port and Caerleon, Monmouthshire, and their neigh-
bourhood, is in course of signature, and in a very
short space of time it has received upwards of .500
in the former tows alone.

The lion. Capt. Spencer, of the Owen Glendon!. T,
was in good health at Buenos Ayres the latter c::d
of August last. Th., infamous report of this pit-
lout officer having Wien in a duel, it is now tv•cet-
tainel, was the invention of a dastardly American,
who !lad been reproved by him for s::11:
manly conduct.