The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-02-26 00:00:00

ARBITRARY IMPRISONMENT.

On Tuesday, the 17th inst. there was a dinner at
the Black Lion Tavern, Yarmouth, to celebrate the
liberation of Messrs. Evans and Son, Besibow. and
the miler persons imprisoned under the.Saspension
Act. and to consider-upon the most efficient mode
of rinsing a isibircriptiuu for them : John Fowler,
Esq. in thor,Cliair. Several resolutions were pro-
Mto to erect' this purpose, which were seconded
r. Nash. Palmer.. jun. who, in au animated
speech.. took a review of the disturbances upon
which Ministers called foe the suspension of the
Habeas. Corpus ,Aci, contending that no one of.
the instances justiik them in doing so—that the
only disturbance of a ',miens character was the one
for which the men at Derhysufierid and this was
to be attributed to the exertions or Oliver aitil the
other spins employed by him. 1k writhe man who'
had raised the storm, he bad led these men to defamer.
lion, and was now enjoying the fruits of his villainy.
The employment of spies was in itself most detest-
able; it betrayed the weakness of Government, it
*hewed a pervenrion of its only end. Governments
were created for the protection of the people., not
to betray them to destruction. Could the employ.
meat of such wretches be called on instance of
their festering care? If it were, it Will/ ench as the
wolf extended to the lamb. It was from the reports
of these wee the Green Bag was oil l J : it was by
their evidence alone the people of England had
been doomed to bee snider a Government having
power to imprison at its will any one whom it might
please to suspect. That spins had been the cause
of the disturbances in the country, who could
doubt, after the exposure of the system by Means.
Bennett, Phillips, and Faxakerly, iu the House
of Commons, and the refastd of Ministers to en-
ter into the investigation. But if tile measures
before entitled to had justified the uspetirrioti of
our liberties, it did not justify the treatment thine
men had experienced ; it did not justify their soli-
tary confinement in gaols far inisti their houses--
loaded with fetters, and treated as felons. The
country was agsiu upon trial on the coritents of
anothir Green Bag, before a Secret Committee
appointed by the eel men whose acts acre called
in questiou, and, what was more extraordinary, con.
sistiug of agrees proportion al themselves. Mr. P.
concluded by apologising for hating trespassed on
the attention of the cuuspauy; when lie rose, he
merely inteuded to secuird the Itesolistions, but he
heel hero irresistibly carried sway by the Juiciest or
the subject.
Several loyal and patriotic toasts ;.receded and
followed the Resolutions. intermixed with -appro.,
prime song. The dinner, wine, and dessert were
excellent. Conviviality and god fellowship were
the order of the evening—ubout 201. were
berthed, mid the subscriptimi goes on well. WS
could wish to see the example of Yarmouth, ia this
instanter, followed by every town and village in the
kingdom.
ORiciel Returns. printed by order of the House
of Commons, *de—
nt suavest of all Irish Treasury Bills oaletitodies sad
lirdifur, on the 1311, Feb. 1618, at 4,0114/141.74.111
snoltot of Meows made by the Bask Of Waked /41. to
Gotrerossertt ea Lead sod Mak, Berhequet Bills, sad other
securities, ea the 101 b Oct. 1117, at 10,01111,41110. M. 11d.1
mil us the bib Jam. ISIS, 10,033,583 i. is. Id.
The total ..oast of the we rodeos of the Reweave ut
'related, as paid tato the lbscheeprer fur the year ended the
bib Jae. 1817, at 4,814,481 L; sod for the year doled the
bib Jae. 1818, 4,3118,8171.
The Liberty of the ?ma has received a severe
check at Weimar. The two Opposition newspaper.,
entitled /Veseeris and the mead gr the People. have
been @oppeessed. Dr. Wit LAND, the Editor of the
latter. ha. left the country; end one Prufespor con-
nected with the Journals has been imprisoned six
weeks; me hes been passed over in his turn of pro.
motion; and two have been forbidden the Court.