The National Register.
London, England, 1819-12-06 00:00:00

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6,181 f.

that it is a sore rattled, about which the less that is
said the better. This silence might also be meant
as a significant intimation to the Ministerial party,
that it was a topic to be kept out of sight of Par-
liament, and that no investigation, which it was
possible to ward off, should be admitted. This,

however, was a hopeless view. The Blood of Eng-
lishmen cannot even yet be spilt without enquiry.
It was said by the friends of •Government, that

they possessed information which it would, till
Parliament met, be premature to disclose, and
that .the magistrates of Manchester were equally
ready to prove their justification. Now what
has been really -done towards this ? Why,
his Majesty's Ministers have protested in the first
place against all enquiry by Parliament—in the
next place they have in lieu of it printed and dia.
tributed to the Members the letters and protestations
of the Magistrates, both previous to and soon after
the 16th of August, but without any of their own
instructions, and without one single atom of evi-
dence on the other side, and without affording any
opurtutiity of its being offered,. Lord Castlereogh

`has made his own statements to the House of Com-
mons. and Lord Sidmouth to the House of Lords;
but it is quite clear, as Lord Nugent most justly
observed, with what degree of regard such evidence
as this is to be rcceive3, which in the first place is
only hear-say and not. evidence in chief, and, in the
next, comes from persons actually charged as abet-
tors and participators in the guilt. But then comes
the statement of Lord Stauley, who, as foreman of
the grand jury at Lancaster, and son to the Lord
Lieutenant or the County might of course be sup-
posed to give an accurate and impartial statement.
iu a speech of great candour and good
sense, aid indeed exert every sentiment which
friendship could dictate, and every hope that charity
could suggest, that the case had been exaggerated
both against soldiers rand magistrates, and pre the
at count he had himself received of the transactions.
But with a sense of justice paramount to every other
consideration he voted for an enquiry ; yes, the
foreman of that grand-jury which ignored the Bills
at Lancaster, now votes for Parliamentary investi-
gation, in the House of Commons, and frith respect
to his statement of the occurrences, which Lord
Castlereagh had greeted as a final and complete
triumph, he avowed that it was a statement fur.
nished by the Yeomanry themselves. 'lf we hod
now time for the discussion, we could show from the
letters even of the magistrates of Manchester, that
it was both their previous lineation to arrest *Mr.
Hunt in the very midst of the meeting, and to em-
ploy, in the first instance, the military for that pur-
pose. On these points, then at .leas:, evecy
must allow the first to be highly imprudent as well
as (Intim:v.:try, and the second a direct violation of
the law and constitution, as inithieg but %positive
resistance stand everrender such a measere justifia-
ble. Faigiishinen may do wrong, but the sword is
neither the remedy, nor the punishment appointed
for their inisdoings. Mr. Hay admits -that the
Riot Act was only read " in the mean time," whilst
the military were arresting Hunt and his associates
on the hustings The House of Commons bas,
however, voted in a very considerable majority
against Mr. Tierney's amendment, but the queslon
will not rest there. 'Other means of yet eliciting
investigation are nut thereby excluded. One hun-
dred and fitly of those, whose names and characters
are equal, if not superior, to any similar number ever

[Psicz W.

ranged together on apolitical question, voted fat
enquiry, and amongst those who. did not,
there were several who merely abstained, from
the motive 'that other opportunities would arise
of shcwing their sense upon it, without mixing
it with oppposition to the Address.
A motion has been made in each House Ter
an inquiry .into the Manchester business, and
into the present state of the nation. It would natu-
rally enough be thought by the small number of
those that place any reliance whatever in tl:e pro-
testations of Ministers, that this was what they
wished, but it is no such thing—they exerted them-
selves to the utmost (and, we regret to say, success-
fully) to obtain oblivion for the past—they have
introduced several Bills for the purpose of putting
down what they call sedition, but which is, in fact,
only a spirit of discontent arising from their mal.
administration. The only one part of these Bills
that is tolerable is that which imposes a tax upon
the. publications which have been properly enough
termed Twopenny Trash ;" this is what ought to
have been done long ago. As to die:Bill regulating
public meetings, it is precisely what such•men!might
be expected to originate. If any stranger to the parish
be in such meeting, a magis rate will be empowettsi
to order him to depart, and in half an hour disperse the
meeting. How easy will it be to send one of their
own myrmidons into the crowd so assembled, and
on that account disperse immeCtiately any and every
meeting that may take place, stifling thus all the
complaints that would otherwise be made of lavish
expenditure and improvident extravagance. ne
shall pursue this subject hereafter; in the meantime
we should be very glad to see a Cull df the
house. An occurrence that is now fearfully

anticipated would render a new election necessary :4;
attil.the people ought to know those who are traitor*
to their trust, from those who honestly di charge
dicir duty to their constituents.

Mr, Stock*, late surgeon of the Conqueror, wee
tried on ten charges- He was accused of having,
contrary to his instructions, indulged in conversa-
tions with the Ex Emperor and his attendants; or
havino, delivered to General 'Bonaparte a lilxa
(O'Nfeara's statement) reflecting on the Nutt:uct ulr
Lieut. Gen. Sir Hudson Lowe; of having disobeyed
the orders of his commanding Officer, in not re-
turning to his duty on board the Conqueror at the
hour specified in his instructions ; of having wriltrii
bulletins relative to the health of General Bona-
parte, though such conduct was diametrically op-
psite to his orders ; of having, in a bulletin, de-
clared.'that the life of General Bonaparte wonldlie
in great danger, should he sonar a relapse of his
disorder, without being in possession of immediate
medical aid ; thereby insinuating that the said Gcn„
Buonaparte was destitute of proper 'milieu' at-
tendance •when necessary ; and of having repro-
tented in such bulletin that the health of Gen.
Bonaparte was in a much more alarming state that;
it really was ; he, Apr:-Suxkoe having waited four
hours at Longwood before he was admitted to the
presence of the General, at the time when he gated
the. General was d•mgeroasly ill. The court found
the.ten charges peeved ; and is:menet:a Mr. Stockoe
to he dismissed his majesty's sorvice,; but in con-
sideration of his turner faithful services and his
excellent character, recommended him to the Lords.
of the Admiralty to be placed out the half-pay

According to advice* from Spain, received on Si.
turday, the fever in -Cadiz Law u far tlis.apy earett.
that it is considered no longer formiaable ; r. nu the
lath of the prestnt In' nth had been named as CI st
day for the pertot mance of Te Denim nod gt octal
thanksgiving for the deliverance of the city from this
signal calamity. The letters are doted the .tilt
just. the number of sick is given at I,teiO, end tLe
deaths nt 3N. 40, and 31, for the S days itree.rtlin,;.
st;%illc is riiid.to be tentircly free Siam 4lac reCcr..