The National Register.
London, England, 1819-12-19 00:00:00

SEDITIOUS ME E:TINOS' SILL.

Viscount SHIMOr CH rase to move this Lo!l should be
'referred to the consideration of a Cammittee.--Notwithstanding
the meaour‘s then 11 fur meeting the difficulties or the
countri, was Oa hOililed the House wadi, be of opiniiiti that
tory bad out.; lode to cheek the evil, if a 1.1 a; i, l,e that before
t:.e House um., out paused. An tndeavour had been made to
make one to the deana.: privileges of Englishmen an Instrument
for the t:estrnetion of pubtic rights. If tit: Lords approved of
vie prig: epic ut time Hill, the first questiou would be, whether
the laws iu force were :Ancient to prevent tuniultuus
meeting ~ tor whether sonic tow legislative measure was not
tiecessaiy t The law, as it stunt!, did not prevent siintilta.•tous
meetings. The Noble Viscount adverted to the nexstity sonic
time hack, or checking the meetings in Copenhagen Fields, and
observed, that the Lords would do well, looking to the disorder
Mulch meetings, to decide quickly whether it ought to be a
general or a temporary trueicure. The country be had no doubt,
hotwitlittanding .tsdifficultit, would be relitvad lean danger by
the energie, of earliament. The Noble Vi.lollt concluded by
moving Uldt tilt. liaise go into a Committee on the Hill.
The Earl La CARNAiiVON %as teady to admit they could
nut al« a) s apply long established laws to new exigencies. Fruit'
th p ritia of our ilevolution, the country had so chanted
Mach/ratter. ti It new and great constitithoratl laws might be
neteiwary. ...y were, Weever, .ailled to adopt new laws of a
dangerous at ens boa, withoto any ground foe departure twat
the casino...to Les of 12,e co.istitution. 'l'he Noble Lord felt it
was ne.xwary to t Vl.ey view no natttict the operation of Mt bill to
•'Muria p.nical tnah, tiVe ykai.—lt was a measure wily to be
endured for a short v. eroJ. lie tarn deprecated the improper
litterittet nee of tuaouitrates in county Miteetingi, as tending to
deprive the people of their fair coaatitutiosal right of calling
p Waiit messages The whole marasaey at the coast; was

THE NATIONAL REGISTER._

nominated by the Lord Chancellor and Lords Ligament. It
every Lord Chancellor would he like the present Lord Chancellor
the country would have little to fear; but Chancellors, Lords
Lieutenant. and Magistrates, would be found with party feelings
that would ruin those establishments the Noble Viscount mu
anxious to observe. The Noble Karl considered the power given
to the magistrates a amp inroad on the rights and liberties of the
people. He expressed a sincere hope that measures of this character
would have the shortest duration. He could never consent to
let the Bill exist longer than two years at utmost. The Noble
Earl expressed his sadsfection at the introduction of a measure
in the other House for a practical Reform in the abuses of repre-
sentation. He had never, however, believed that the distresses
of the country arose out of errors in either branch of the Consti-
tution, nor did he suppose those distresses could be prevented by
any Reform human wisdom could adopt. They had been
occasioned by war into which the people of England in 1793
were too anxious to engage. The Noble Earl concluded by
going, that it was his intention to move in the Committee, that
the duration of the Bill be limited to two years.
Lord KING objected to the principle of the Bill, on the
ground that it was part of a system of coercion, not justified by
necessity. Adverting to the state of the country, he regretted
' that no enquiry had beat allowed, with respect to the trans-
-1 action.lat 'Manehester. It was only to be accounted for by
supposing that ministers would not get in judgment upon
themselves.. The greatest danger they had to apprehend pro-
ceeded from the determined spirit of government, and the
adoption of coercive manures.
Lord HOLLAND said he felt ea much repugnance to the
present Bill, that he could not leave the House, notwithstanding
** the overwhelming majority" with which it would, no doubt,
be carried, without delivering his sentiments in a few words. He
did not intend to divide the House, and should noie.ve the root e
detailed expression ef his sentiments to a future occasion. He
considered this Bill as an unconstiunionsi, hellish, and mischie-
vous measure t unconstitutional, because it went to linter away
the inherent right of Englishmen to meet and express their
opinion and to make the exercise of that right a crime punish-
able in the most ignominious manner —6O6A, became it did
not go to prevent tumultuous meetings unless they met for
discussion... he would shoo when he came to consider the
question more minutely ; and therefore it did not prevent the
evils it profaned to desssoy—and mischievous, because for the
reaming stated by his Noble Friend it worth' convert open tumult
into secret conspiracy. and would substitute for clamour and
nonsene the dagger tithe assassin. (Hear, hear.) In orinclusitin
his Leedship said, be should vote against going into the
Committee.

The question was then put for going into the Committee on
Monday next, which wag tarried in the affirmative without a
division.

The question was next put on the instruction to the Committee,
moved by the Elul of Carnarroth for limiting the Bill to the hat
orJuly thew ; on this a division was dmanded and took Owe.
The numbers were--

Contents en I Non-Contents 57
Proxies 18-3 n I Proxies 7tl-135
Majority 97.
The house adjourned at two o'clock.
SATURDAY, DEC. 18..
This day the Lords being met, the Commons were summoned
to attend, when a Commission was read, appointing the Arch.
oi,hop of Canterbury the Lord Chancellor, and Lord Harrowby,
Commissioners,. for the purpose of giving the ltoyal Assent to
.* An Act tiir continuing to lit, Maj.aty certain duties on malt,
sugar, and Anal; in Great Britain, and on pensions, aloes, and
personal estates in England. for the sesta,: of the year 1880;
and also " An Act to authorize Justices of the Peace in certain
disturbed counties to seise and tietain antis collected or kept for
purposes dangerous to the public peace, to continue until the
45th day of Ivlatch,. till' Arta which the Howe adlatused.
to Monday.