The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-02-20 00:00:00

.ThIPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF

111), TEIBROART 19.

The Howe resolved itself into a Committee on
the Excherporr Oahe
43arl Gamma's& looped he should not be consi-
.4lesedphtrassieis installing a few observetions on the
.state of the fiummies of theeowatry. He had ex-
• proud. tufrerse blood in, the Speech from the florone
some inteutiowon the part of the Government of
. 1O I' • anaiffeetive system of essoriniy, bet he
..bod.bosahstiatad. •It had bulked been inti.
.ailed tbutmetMolritemsehes of theemusee.twel been
improving; hut it Was too utasifisilbat the *moire
•in Veleta woe: i a most deplotoble Nate, and so
•for arm :tilse.iummete .from Equalling 4be *unto-
dime of the eseaq, that in 'feet the expendi-
,.tatre monads! .4111 e. -swam by several million..
He..bod bean off Aphiou..owd in • that opinion he
miaimmuitlerable reduction might
have been elleaMee•iss several departments, -Mit of
.wbiob thesillisiletata bad not taken advantage. In
is period Iblasifiss prism's, .when the •cotintry war at
peace with ell the world, lie regretted that it plastid
,still be thought • tomtits,. to inliatain a standing
army in this country of nearly 100,000 met it
had on a. preceehysniglit been intimated by a Noble
Earl, that the priuy ,now In France ,eight, goon be
witlateaysn from thin coinntry. Ile sincerely hoped
inch would, be Or eve, ors it must have pletilleucy
toisiopeese the it-meted feelings of Ale FfeIICII
nation, and therelif in affect, coss.em the throne of
the floarbons. vs4oose government over Twice
wouhl, .be believes% be the most palutary for • that
country and for F.nrope, provided they ob,erted
the oaths they had taken to maintain its cOnstito-
tion. It was not consistent with the, policy that be-
longed to this country, to interfere so intinietely
in the coot-erns of listeign nation.. Asa powevfol
State, indeed, it became Rolland to ititeifere in
the politics of the Continent ;. but to wets
,its ex-
tent as lies heerspesictissed. we. 'beard and ridicu-
lous. tie Wowed that at the moment the House
was epilog *0 mijlious of Exchequer Bills, there
should be mllliolis of Biyik noses in circulation,
depreciating Use general einreocy of she country.
and prottetting 014 system of restriction to an inju-
Timis extent, of whirls it was impossible at present
to ilieceris the termination.
TYse• Earl of IJirceroot. did not rise to prolong
the diseinsion, nor sjul he think the present moment
the most proper foe ituiniriog about the propriety
• of continuing or withilraiviiig the army in France,
or about the possilde extension of the Bank restric.
tion. But the Noble Lord had said, that the re.
venue of the count y would be found by many mil-
-1 lions less than the expenditure. Ile knew not upon
what authority the Noble Lord had expressed that
opinion, but when the proper accounts should lie
laid out the table of the House, he should,. he trust.
ed. be able to stew, that•iswas altogether unfound.
ed. 'He paw as little retools for the complaint of
:The Noble Lord at the issue of Exchequer Bills,
especially whess, by the premium they now bore its
the market, money was obtained Isy Goverimient
et little snore than two per cent.
The Noble Earl expresaed his readiness sit any
time to enter into a disemosion on the propriety of
the present peace establishment. That establish-
ment had been lain year examined and ascertained
by a Committee appohuted by the House of Com-
mons; and if there appeared in the estimates
.of
the present year a single item over that so ewer.
tainesi by the Finance Committee, he pledged
himself to explain it in a satisfactory manner to the
House. The Noble Lord seemed to imagine, that
a saving might .he effected if the army were with-
drawn from France. Hr should not consider that
matter in npolitical point; but did not the Noble
• Lord know; that if the British army pow its France
wers withdrawn, there would be oo saving whet-
ewer.

Earl GROSVENOR hoped the Noble Lord would
allow the matter was of sufficient importance to
justify any ribiseryatiops lie.inig,lot urge respecting it.
—.(fear.)—Fie had pipppOsed that the country
hash incurred a certain expense by maintaining an
army iu France.
The Earl of LIVERrooL (across the table)—
•' Not one shilling."
The Earl of LAUDERDALE-11 I understood the
Noble Earl opposite to coy, that the revenue of the
country, including the Consolidated Fund and the
annual taxes, was sufficient to defray the whole
amount of the peace establishment, together with
the charge upon the Consolidated Fund— leaving, of
course, the Sinking Fund in full operation. Such
a statement most give the Mute infinite pleasure."
—(Neer. hear.)
•The Earl of Ltsrartronr." The Noble Earl
must be sweleiently acquainted with the finances of
the country to know shot such a representation
world countenance • fallacy. All I mean to say
is, that the whole revenue. including the Consoli-
dated Food, will be sufficient to cover all the
charges. In this •I do not exclude the amount of
the !Sinking' Fund:"
The Earl of LAUDERDALE-4, I have under.
stood that the amount of the Sinking Fund for the
present year is fifteen millions. which is charged
ms the Conoolidated Fund ; and does the Noble
Lord think it a matter of congratulation to inform
.the,Howair that the .rpventie, .including this sum.
will be.foeud sufficient to cover the charges 3"—
(Hear, hear.)
• The Earl of LIVERPOOL-44'1 have already stat-
ed. that the mew, collectively taken. if placed
ass one sideof the account. will cover the expendi.
lore if placed on the other."
Cord Knee—•" The Sinking Fund, then, is
imarely. nominal."
The Rail of Lsvcaroou The Noble Lord
•is mistaken 0 be .supposes that the Sinking Fund
is merely nominal. It catraot indeed he operative
to•the. amount of 16 millions; bet when the cab.

ject
Phew,
to ,

ARDSRS• 4W :nt E HOUSC.

Earl COlllo;ll24lSiiiiit the Ilttuse•
hisesome time since made an order for the so-odor-
.tisito pf _an.sceossut of the tuunher•ofplaces granted'.
in reversion, but that the. return had notes &et Ap-
peared the ;aisle. Ije begged to be .infortued!
-lay the Noble Lord opposite, whether any instruc-
tion, had been issued respecting them
The Ayr! of Ltit.smooos. replksl.• that the Howe
alone should see that its orders had Leen.execated.:
I lad an Address been sent to the Crown, .praying
!qr. ke *rod tart ion af cystoid paper.. the 'Executive
should, that ease, provisle for the fulfilment of
• the Adder's., or the •Ministers of the Crown should
explain to the •Hoom.the remorse for not complying
vitth it. flutist this cape the order of the [louse
did uot,eifect the Peaeury ; thesefore he was not
•ssare 'whether any imaructions had been issued.
The tart of LA %MDR!, AL N thought it had been
asps!, when ass order vase made by the • House for
L'SPers. that the Cluverionetst should take care that
01 be •Peadured. ,Tice coaidout practice of she
House, when papers were not produced, Mel, first
to eviler that they be produced forthwith, and should
that order be ineffectual, a Committee
be formed to inquire lute she osatter, sod report
shy the orders yf thy Howe were not complied
with.
'The Earl of •Ltvettroot. protested against the
doctrine that the Crown should see the execution of
the orders of the House. Should a belief he en-
tertained that papers required by the House were
in she possession of the Crown, an Address. was the
only way of obtaining them, and in that the House
acted by entreaty ; -but should the documessts so
requi •r& be in any of the public offices, the House
ht Abets order their production,ated thus act by
authority.
The LORD Crtsocet.tost urged the same points
as lathe practice of the pollee, and coluerved, that
return each es that deeired by the Noble Earl had
beets formerly laid on the table, and might he en
unite in preparing !umber.
Lord Doti.. ND contended for the right of the
House to hare papers brought before it at its own
order, and moved. That the Iletsarn required by
his Noble-Friend should he presented forthwith.
The Earl of Lsamtpuor. said, that such a me.
tion.was unusual until the House had previously as.
certainty' •whether the delay had been improper.
Lord HOLLAND did not assent to what hod fatten
frosts the Noble Earl, but its the hope that
.the Re-
taken would immediately be laid ou the table, lie
should not press his motion.
The motion was then withdrawn.
MALT DUTIES.
The Malt Duty hill went tjuptagls,a Committee
of the ,whole flour, stud •was ordered to be re.
ported.

SUSPENSION OF THE ACT OF HABEAS CORPUS.
' Lord HoLLAND rose for the totirtuwestf present-
iug two l'ettliona to their Lordships; and he ex-
pressed Isis anxiety that they 441 141 precede the
Order of the ()ay. because they were similar is.
sobstaoce to that Which eras to jte the. groo Ud-o oi k
of the motto's shunt In he mode to the Hun e.
One was from a 011111 named Knight, whom. he laid
never heard of before; the other was from a num

1131,41 •Mitchel, of whom indeed his Lordship had
previously Iseanl, but it was net to • the irdvantege
of the individual.
The Petitions were then severally read. They
were similar in substance. and comPleitted that the
Petitioners had been arbitrarily. seized and imri-
soned on suspicion of high treason, but notwith-
standing their earnest ropiest, they had • beets re-
fused a trial. They were confined in aolitary and
close imprisonmesit for,several mouths, and finally
liberated On thcie.owp recoguizances. Knight, in
addition, stated that he had been told hythe.gertier
of Cold Bath-arida prison, that if lie wished to
write to any friends.in•town, his. letters should lie
safely delivered. He had, in consequence, weitten
letters to Sir Francis Burdett, and lienry (mosey
Bennett, Esq. hut he was surprised to see his lei-
ter:, on the evening of the same day, in the hands
of the SecrOiry, of 4late. The•Perdions conclndcd,
with praying their Lonlikips,pekto.grant a Bill. of
Indemnity to the INiiiisters, and ',hereby close the
door against the manifestation of the Petitioners'
innocence, and their chance of redress.—The
Peti-
tions were Qulrred to lie on the table.

SECRET COIIIIIITTEE.
The Order of the Day being read,
The Earl of CARNSIITOW rose and said—" Two
days ago it was my intention•to move that die Pe.
• tition of Samuel Drummond shonld be referred
immediately to the Secret Committee: but I rea-
dily acceded to the wish expressed by his Alaiesly's
Ministers. of postponing my snotiou him later (lay,
that if they imaginedadebate cosh! arise on so sim-
ple a proposition, they might be eitabled to inert it.
I think it now necessary to premise, dist I oin.wholly
ignorant of the person whose name is siguril to the
Petition I had the honour of presenting, and that I
mu not aware of the truth of the allegations which
that Petition contained. I know, howe►er... that if
I had to submit a proposition fur a specific jog it try,
it,would pare been irupeistive nit me to have under-
taken in inquiry into both these considerations. to
justify my motion; but that is not the case at pre-
sent. We have already gone into an inquiry, et
the suggestion of his Majesty's Ministers; we have
agreed to the tionnuation of a Committee, and that
Committee is now employed in prom-costing the
object of its appointment. The Ministers, its lay-•
inn their green I►ag before the House. have apprised
us that the object of the Committee was to inquire
into the state of the natioti, and the mole its which
they have exercised the powers invested. in them by
I'a►liemewt. I. therefore, may (ably conclude that'
the quest ion of inquiry is already decided. Hear.).
The only question. therefore, before. the House is,:
whedwr this inquity Atoll be limited to. throw points
which it might Ocoee Site Ministers to lay demo, and.
to those documents which they might think • proper-
to present, amid extend to such motet' rti might•'
tend ill elicit the truth. The inquiry is sotd:l
to be for the purpose of investigating the clsa-s
racier a►ul conduct or the Ministers. mad 1 tritst
that the more they art examined, the more clear

Cmittasittee wo, . load nut been previously found in
'those-lists; but-eren to thii-Comotittoe..sochass it'
ityL.desire that these Petitions should be referred.
Twill suppose it possible, but I atoll not say pro-
battle that, the moil of an inquiry might be that the
blioioletkidlould be found reprehensible; eppld yen
expect diet they would facilitate such a result against
thetwelves, by producing doctusents pregnant with'
beail of their own ill conduct? at vishatever-enty
its result, we may presume that the production
or more information thou that now.before the Com-
mittee aright enable them to forma mum correct
. judgment. Scarcely had two days elapsed when
-the -Ml.oisters themselves felt that the doeuments.
• cootained in the first green bag were not Sufficieot,
stud they brought down a second.
.Athlrd, peso;
limo, blight lie required; and it certainly was:
the general imps:piton. that if .More i,iikorgiation;
were nut to be found is the Noble Secretory's.
other. much ;Rohl not be .eollected Oil Sri
it. The object of the. Ministers in this prpeeedingl.
has not yet been openly avowed; Pot. they could I
trot deny that they desired •it might tend to a Rill:
of Indemnity. Itmes cruel,. then. if Ave intend to'
ahut the.doors of the courts of Law against the
unfortunate men, who either have been, or think
they have Iwo injured, .to deny them also a pre.
vious inquiry by a Committee of Parliament. If,
howev.r, such he really our intention, let us man-
folly avow it to the world—let us say to these men,
You have been injured. but it is not expedient
your cases should lie heard, or your sufferings re-
dressed. If, my Lords, you ire reedy to go this
length, and scoruftilly reject all the complsints
of the people, it is no more than saying, that
in trying Minister, you will hear every thing for
them, hut nothing against them. If we shall not
extend our protection to the people, and teach them
to look to Parliament with confidence as their na-
tural and beisiguant guardians, bow can we hope
that they will be (wind proof *Oast the seductive
blandishments of those who seek to pervert indivi-
dual distress to public disturbance. or seek to gain
the favour of Ministers by stimulating that they
might detect conspiracies? The friends of the Go..
rernmeut assert, that hy the rigour and activity of
.4hinisters the country has been preserved from
the danyers of intestiue disturbances; others, on
the contrary, declare that the vigour and activity of
Ministers tended rather to itellatne the martial dis-
content. Which opinion it; correct ? Is not flyleaf's!".
tin., worth examioing? Rut whether the Noble Vi-
scount oppositt /Lord Sadmouth) broke the peace.
or kept the peace, it is only certain that he swore
the peace.—/Hear, hear, read a langh.)—lt mat-
ters I;tae szto t'..... Prummoucl may lee, or who
the other petiticusers, our only consideration is,
whether, as we are going into an inquiry, that ito-
j quiry shall not be its satisfactory as possible. The
•Ministers desire to be tried,. but it is not by. God
sod their country; they establish a tribunal of
themselves. mid thereby give occasion to every im-
Oration, that they iii fact shrink loon every in-
quiry.—(Hem', hear.)—l think, therefore, my
' Lords, that as far amour own character is conceroed,
as frr us the satisfochan of the couutry is regarded,
as far is the trial of:Ministers becomes a matter
of importance, Parliament ought not to spurn
the yomplotiots of the people. If o Road Bill.
or any matter of still less consequence were before
you ; you would, es..a stouter of course, refer to •
C-ounnittee every Petition connected .wetli the sub-
ject; mid will you now refuse a right-to these Poi.,
• tiros, that state such Fiiinotis hardships, and such
taviolation of the ordinary principled Of our institu-
tions ?"—(Hear./—Tiie Noble Lord concluded
Ira' moving. duo the Petitions of Samuel Drum-
mond, John Knight, sisal Joseph blotting, be refer-
red to the Secret C ttttt mittee.
Lord Stntsourn—i' The Noble Lord has ab-
stained from entering into the twills of the Petitions
htfore your Lordships. mod confused himself to a
strung weal on the general propriety of referring,
as a matter of course, all Petottoos to Committees.
This is a large and Sweeping iirotiositicui; for, were
it admitted,' every l'ilition, no matter bow libel-
lous its words, or how frivolous its mailer. hut must
come in for its share aif the general indulgence,
and the attention of your Lordships must b
employed in examining its contents. I defy the
Noble Lord to find. in the whole loistory, of Secret
Committee", a similar proposition; it would be
incoushoteed stills the very motor and object of a
evict inquiry. The Noble l,orif would net more
comommtly to the usual practice of the House,
were he, on the allegation of a private injury, to
move that the Petition containitog it be referred to
a Select Committee. The Noble • Lord, however,
neglects the Petitioners altogether. Has he read
Drummond's Petition ? I hope yoor. Lofdthips have
read it. in it the Petitioner speaks of his having
been at a very orderly meeting when be was arrested.
Of the .order and decorum of the meeting held at
Manchester on the loth of March. we hereon heard,
even from the Newspapers; and however some
Noble Lords miglit•deapise such authority, I have
no Imitation in• referring the House to what has
appeared on that point in the Report of your Se-
cret Comtnittee. -At that meeting Drummond '
says toe boil been s attacked by a violent, not to
say a drunken soldiery.' My Lords, the Magi,-
trades hail heard that a riotons• meeting was bated-
ad, far the purpose of proceeding in a body to
the metropolis, under the pretence of petitioning,
while they meant to demand ; and footling the
civil power insofficieut to protect the country
from the consequences of such illegal proceedings,
they very properly called to the assistance of the
. military, under Sir John thing. Drummond was
one of those peroons against whom I had some time
previously issued a warrant to arrest him; canal the
meeting Isaviog taken place, to the trundler of
11,000 persons. Drummond was seined, while ac-
Aridly haranguing the mob io a violent and tu-
Aoultuary manner. The Riot Act was read by
Mr. Hothind wahine., the losemoly aisper.ed,
awl two. hundred persona taken pijloiwrs. With
•:4 lo the condoct of the military on that ,
1 hive blind .Poisvitucvv. not 00y from
Air, k
_. to Ilippg. but from all the Alogiiarstos
sh
let Mitschesier • that it seas exemplary. Dram.
;Med, in his Petitiott, states, that be had hem'
takon-to the -New Bayley, sucl.recites a number ef

iiIMINO

Riai=l

grievances and injuries ; lint it is remarkable tile.
when on his arrival in London he was examih rd
before me, and in presence of the Attorney 141141 So-
licitor-Geueral„he never complained army ill usage
at the time or his arrest, or of env injuries sols.r-
quently suffered. If, however, his complaints on
this point were well-founded, there is nothing in
the Petition to justify the interference of this
House; the Courts of Law are open to turn
for redress. And here I may be permitted to
observe. that with regard to Bill of Indemnity.
Ins Majesty's Ministers would disclaim any clsti-e
in one, which -nii,ght protect them, or.any swots,
officers, gaolers, •or srther.persous, from •I be coax,
qoences of violent or -rigorous treatment towards
the Prisoners ; and the paly object is ellave in de-
siring • Bill of Indemnity is, to prevent the wild:-
city of our sources of intelligence, which miAlit
be prejudicial to individuals, and iujn,tous to the
best hider sus of the country.—(Hear, Oar, from
the Treatityy fkuchs.)—Witli respect,to the other
.Petitions, it is impartible for me to go through all
the. matter contained in them, lint I have no lieita-
tion in asserting generally filet they abound in un-
truths the mom gross, and allegations the most iiii-
,fpandend if I hadeknapportunity of referring to
dneurearts which I helve in my office, I coulet
astiefactorily prove the general falsity of .tliese.V.e.
*ions. 'Whits been declared that attempts have
been amide at Reading gaol to exclude all hot the
.visiting Magistrates;' but this is niiinunded. opd
the most satisfactory refutation to the ealuspiny has
been given in another place. I remember that
Mitchel, in his Petition, asserts that his imprison-
ment was attributable solely to Oliver : row the
fact is, I had issued a warrant for Mitchel'. arrrst
long before I had ever beard the name of Oliver._
(Near, bear)—Bat it was not on that warniiii lie
was 'finally arrested, he was seized by order of
the Magistrates, who had watched his practice.,
and wisely resolved to prevent his disgust I
reaching maturity. In the mine mariner has .the
general tendency to insurrection been attributed to
the employment of Oliver; bat, my Lords. I sit-
dare to you, dust I had never heard the mime of
Oliver until some time after the introduction or the
First Report of the Secret Committee, in which the
existence of the conspiracy waisclestrly eseeetained,
and its progress mid character developed. I tru.r
your Lordships will egme avid' me, that these i. 1,0
ground for the present motion, and give it jour de-
cided negative."

Earl C:soseetroe observed, in allusion to what
had occurred on a preceding night, that should he
on this eubject express himself with warmth, lie
might be told that his judgment was wit snQi_
ciently temperate to examine such question., hot
he trusted that if he expressed himself with the
most perfect coolness, he might claim their Lord-
ships' indulgence. He remarked, that noteith.
standing the loud tone of menace contained .in
the Reports of the Secret Committees, notwith-
standing the terrifying allegations icnotaitied in
!bent, and the mass of evidence mn which
they were said to have been founded, this evi-
dence. when brought before the country, cp.
!wired contemptibly deficient iii supporting the
charges that were framed on it ; sod in only one
solitary instance. that of Derby, had the. Crown
obtaitied a verdict—//afar, from Lord Liverpool./
—Was this u proof of the extatence of MICA it no.
!piracy as required. the ansprosion of the Constitu-
tion ? •No one was more likely than the Noble
Viscount opposite to conduct with propriety the
diusgreeaWe business consequent tin the Act i.l
Suspension ; but the purity of his nnhtutual
character was Ho guarantee for an equal pi ii-
priety in the conduct of his officers nod i•ervaut-.
lie contended for the right of the Pctittotteis
to litite -their VAMP referred for exanititation to
she Committee ; and the obeervatiotis of the
Noble Viscount with regard to Drummond. seem .1
to render that still more incoutestaldr. The Nnb:e
iLorel slid Vol coutradict one ii.sertion contented its
that Petitiou. It teas uot dewed that the WWI kid
been seized, and perhaps violently, by soldiers, at
the moment he was eddressing a large assembly.
The object of that address might indeed reod. r it
~uogpmpic.p( to the Noble Secretary's ears, for it teas an
addressagainst the suspension of the ll•beas Coi pus.
It might be disagreeable, but it was 1111 treason. It
was not denied that he had been drav,ged about
from one.prisen to another ; that lie had liven
fined for three quarters sof a year ; wt.l till/11,, !butt
hue leads without trial, been discharged out Isis t wit re.
cognizance. The people might and fad otailtitaken
a wild stash ridiculous design ; but it could mot I,e
contended that it was treason. He expressed a wish
that the case of the country were tried openly at the
Bar of the House, that the country might stir who
was right and who wes.wroug, and why the people iii
gesserel had been slainlvord.--(Heor,fi ono Ibe
ters.)—How well such a slander was ',seined, might
appear from the general burst of grief %illicit had
followed the !metaled death of the Priticets Urn-
lotte—ihat grief was not a mere atteeliment to the
trappiegs of power, nor a convenient kind of sor-
row ; but
..arose front a conviction that the !twirl%
had suffered in her death a loss which it would be
impassible to repair—that it had sects vanish from
Wise its eyes one who was the ornament of her
sex, the pride of her country; and oue who. had
Providence,spoired her esistroce, bade fair to re
,:-
lure the vision of a patriot Sovereign.—/fleas., bear.)
His Lordship concluded by stating. that, lust
heard bathing from the Noble Viscount opposite,
which removed his feelings on this question—con-
sidering the defence set .up as supporting Tillie
thins operating against the motion--he should cei.
tainly vote for it.
Lord Kiwo looked upon the proposition now b.-.
fore the House as most just and proper. Theis
was, at that moment, a Committee sitting to ic-
iplire into the circumstances which had called for
the inapeueion of the Habeas Corpus Act, and to
report thereon to the •House—to state, in fir,
those grounds on which Minister. meant to call for
the puling of a Bill or Indemnity. It was, then.
fore..a greet deal too.much for the Noble Viscount
to call that " a sweeping proposition," which ()oily
required that those Petitions. connected as they
were with the conduct of Ministers. should he
before this Committee. It was an infinitely more
sweeping aropmitions when persona caste forward
with naniplainta of grievances, to meet them with:!
Declaration, that they would not be inquired int...
'Here a Committee was appointed—to considc-
what ? Evidence prepared by those who nominal-
-44 that Coommittat.-by the parties interested ) anti

ject comes laefuge the Haw, I shell Andertake to ill .(her he faunaos l ; but if-Metr *gnu NI
shew. that we Ault have an effective Sirkhins Fyittl. -really desired. it cusp be matiefeee!llt under-
to • emieW•teble onsount..caturly. the elfgrrence! Aitken she • Committee nominated and peeked
hm„,„„,the
,who. **tent
.Ipf she incept ~,,a tile.i,ity the Ministers thetuselvev. Lifts; we know, had
whole amonot of the expeekditure." t I berkwiscrilated by the .Ministeci on the nomination
The Mit.then went tlitpttith the Committee, and I of that Committer, nor was there one name in the
was ordered for a third reading. 1 Committee which had nut been previously found in