The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-03-12 00:00:00

ay. of two obscure fellows, perhaps professed
spies. Their musty its absurd—it is impossible to
believe it. The Petition of the mon put by the
other side, in the , from of the battle, Francis Ward,
&hewed, that moo), of, those arrerted laud the heart
to entertain and head to emotive most mischievous
projects. It was fair to iukr, that if many of thooe
itypreheutled had. been sutured to go at large,
tome explosions would hate taken place. The
question should not be considered abstractedly. but
to reference to.. existing circumstances. Private
inconvenience. must yield to public good. Mi-
nisters could not, be called on to defend themselves
without disclosieg informatioti that ought to be coil-
Fettled. No illirgalatcts had been dime by Ministers.
A disclosure of all the transactions would fully jus-
tify them--and the.agta done., ith a view to crush
_treason belore the suspension.woolal fall within the
principle of the, Bill its !emelt as those done under it.
The principle of the Bill was founded_ on this.
,The circumstances of the country were melt m to
justify the isitrusting libilisters with extroundinary
'tamers—timer powers. liad beets used successfully ; •
tind now Mististrs called_ upon .tlie House not, to
conittel them to give isis the persons and disclom •
the evidence by which they were enabled to defrot
the designs of theAltsaffseted; and to protect the '
Magistrates• Cur hornet,. otitis each an important end.
in view, a little overstepped the law. •He trusted .
that in justice to his Majesty's Gmeninseut mod the
Magistracy of the country the House would puss the
Bill. • ... ..
Sir F. QUADVIT eattetwil. that the Hon. and
Learned Getstlettims. solos had just rat -down bud
said, that if circtinistaitees were melt and such, the
Suspension and Bill of Indemnity would be very
proper, but loot given no informatintyto convince
the House that in Ince they were so. He bud eis-
tirely misrepreisented the Hon. Member who had
opened •I ise detour; partieularly on the case of Swim.
dill. The Ilan. Member bail only stated that as
au ittstance.of the great danger of conferring extol-
orrituary powers on Magistrates. The Hon. and
Learned Gentlrtnan's speech was remarkably boo-
ren of reasoning. and orgutueat. The only ground
of argument for the measure throughout the whole
of it. was the necessity of coneeisling the evidence
given during the suspension ; and the impropriety
of betrayiug sources of secret information—an ar-
gument foe the first titite heard in this caviare,
that that information was to be kept sacred sod
conceited from the object* who by it had been
removed from their families, sisut Np in prisons, -
sod ruined in their prospects. It was not fit
for any assembly of fair, jurt, on& rational men..
There had been in yenier, in St. filmier-place. a .
Iron, whose mouth was Opel' to receive the charges
of eecret aceusers. on which that arbitrary Govern- ,
ment stool to act. What was the difference hewer',
nisch conduct and that of the Secretory of State ?
Was it possible to endure a modem like that, fruits
the effects of which no man could s: sided himself, no
ionocence offord serenity ? The Bill was set at 1
ill so confined in its objects, as had licen.iduted ; -I
its object was to protect all persons who hid Cons•.
spitted any acts against the unfortunate individdals
suspected Autism the last fourteen mouths, who.
ther actosted by simlice, private interest, or any .1
other motive, fos which, there had been scope enoogli. I
It was eaiy to bring accosotions when the accuser i
was never to be known. There now was avowed is i
system of employing and embodying spies, who for 1
their own sakes would keep, up the trade, and who .
were Always to be vereened. All the act* of violenee
?lost had occurred were the effects of institition.
Oliver was the source of. ell. There were persons
of credit ready to 'give informatiou at the Bar of the ,
House, that he had. beet) seers in the Park on the i
day the Prince Regent-mss smirked. Though this
was a* direct evidence that lie had been connected i
tit_ covertioneot frotn• the beginning, yet, us I
' inisters bad sit, interest in alarm--applying to
itt*he might in a case of doubt, the principle of i
foese--it was a joist inference, that lie had been
A I
ire conittensuced by Ministers, the only pea-
iiterested in public disturbaot•es. Against
*bit had excited so much disquiet mid disturb-
awe %brooch the country, why should not actions .
be snowed ? Because that would be a disclosure
of the informstionthat was no reason—the in-
jured ought to have legal redress and damages 1
against the itsfotmets, even though the latter should !
be, .iisdemnitied from the public purse. The '
Rennurable sad Learned opener of the debate
had sheered that the comae pursued was contrary
to the Coronation Oath *ad Magna Charts,
which mulcted that justice should not be denied I
nor delayed. How culpable then were Ministers I
in raining the Crown to violate the Coronation ;
Oath ? The Bill was necessary to those who bad I
transgressed spinet the rights and liberties of
the people. It had been argued on the other
side, that because great powers had been conferred, i
a Bill of Indemnity tnust necessarily follow. The
reverse of the proposition was true, that inquiry i
should be instituted into their mode of exercise.
The abuser of power were such, that the Bill of
Indemnity could not pass--loading men with irons,
merely on sccusation—id Scotland after trial and
acquittal, solitary conlinetnent —chanting men to- I
gedicr—an approximation- to the tyrant of old, who I
word to chain together the living and the dead. I
Riley haul committed suicide from seeing no chance I
of trial. Lord Coke had said that a prison without I
a prefixed tune, was a toile of hell. lit treneon, 1
aliens ought to be some proportion between means
and ends, but none such could be *Cell here ; lie
would vote against going into the Committee.
Mr. Law said, the Hum Baronet hail complained .1
of want of argument in the speech of the Gentle. '
mats who, preceded him ; he had, the rime com..,
phsint to make of hisapeech. It was easy to make
light tit the eoespiracy when it was over--
o Stints bare, rated, vibes the door!, past 1"
so now, the Hungers we hid tossed through hail
been altogether.,pist out. of view.. Danger from
distress—foon the ileturittslisatiois of the people—
from the mitoo of. Lodilisits mud politics-rood the
pliiii.of itykuutplishipg every thiog by organised
phinder suit us-putted ,slai*ii.iithost. I litlemnilY
wip glut a 110•Vewulf)i cossoistionice of bectotsing, exJ
tm""1"6"Y 1-lo*ers, but when Oilis.vrs. had actsil
colitsciela ttttt Ay, they slaitild be Write harmless,
unless vtly sir Ito acts of ti coots-toy, autism conid
Ile poised. Tio•ie were souse ,facts to shew that
the piwirs 4 had befall elLercoPti with mothrritinii
and Irony. The ituinber of 110111,11 A Arrystc.l was ex-
tremely small—this 'Mewed moder:itioss; pt. iiite,t
but on oath —llits evinced ili•erct ton. For the no:-