The National Register.
London, England, 1815-10-22 00:00:00

OCT. 2Q.

aiztiation, and all those criminals who, through obscurity, have
evaded the action of the law. Should the public fore :west the
pi c.lress of their designs, st ill they do not renounce them; they have
ectiorse to injurious- speeches and calumnious writings; they have
their a.iens and ralving words, and the weaker their numbers are the
more powerful 'hey wish to appear by means of nose and tumult.
They are encouraged ley impmeity; srveral sliew themselves openly,
and though their iniliscrction betrays their wcahnces, it is neve! the.
less certain that their praetices dietorb social order; and the public
interest requires that their turbulent designs and detestable valet-
prist4 should be efficaciously repressed.

There are men whose moral conduct depends solely on the fenr of
pliniNhmelit. It is alzaitist these eriniinals, %r ho torn. the greater por-
tion of the species, that our present laws are in many respects Ito.
availing.

Tile penal rode doe• tint express itself in a manner sufficiently pre-
eiie on the subject of seditious cries and speeches tending to insti-
gate crimes against the internal safety of the State. That code
caitiff not foresee the att;Ackii which might be diteeted against the
Constitutions! Charter, since the latter air! nut exist shin the cede
was fr4riied. caltinniinits imputation.% - insults, and ontra,geons ox-
proi,intss, publitly offered to tali` Mrmarelt, or the members of his fa-
mily, were not ranked among crimps. The law only tool: eomni7attee
of ontrv:to and violence directed agaiicst the depositariva of tire
priblie authority, and insults and Cilit1111:11C3 directed against private

Pvit to the necessity of a positive law on these matters, is joined
that of N speedy pursuit. Nud a panidlinteol, which, to serve as an
effeetnal ex.ini;ile,,nmq De inflsetetl promptly after the crime. Of.
lesser• so frequent that it is necessary to characterise them, :nay be
parsind earrectinuAlly ; now, pussnit in a correctional inaimer, id
iu its stature very speedy, anti the judles are iss 2eiteral very near
the spot in which the crime has been committed. Tile p!asi of
law shish I.iy hernre yon. Gentlemen. has for its object di:n.11111
aorta se-litions action's, not no,iceil in the penal code; cries,
speeches. Writings which ratite rebvllion, ealnusssiOlt
insults' and outrageous exuse,-iins ilf:aiiist the Kits:: an f:onsiy,
and the plan proposes to determine the pi:lli...laments dot: to the..e•
crimes.

We think it defines theta with preci.ion. Cries, 'needles, ea- !'
Ittottiies, cattilut, he lint in the eve of their ptitiplicity;
writing: which re-prodime, t,r, as it may he said, nmltiply the•e
fitteuer4 ,miner another form, acts which attack publicly and
witNetilst the ielm-tabie elisigits of the Royal authority, ought to
bf rva'ay

'Cue same o nervation :(lel,lie• to IlifFerent acts and "speeches
which derive thcir to it:t.:p it ofron•ive e•hsracte•r from priNellt cir-
eunWmees, and which teed to :halm. the eordisienee whirls is due
to the promises of the litn4, and to the Constitutionai Charter.

Without doul►t we should have considered the Kiln; and Ida an-
guat !loose as too highly elevated to It reached by ca!mnity,
or iejorv. dill not a long and ie" 0114 experience teitelt no that these
plocce:lta.ta form the prelude of revolution autl tren,on. and that
;boy teiti4. by tiestroyin, respect, to undermine the Tht one, and to
elimini.lt the veneration and love doe by so malty elaim% to tht•
Monarch for thr porposo of welluming his authority. limits di-
rected agatte4 him are offered toe the State. They compromise tilt•
dignity awl safety of the nation% i sy.lent followed by calumnies
itistilt4 itisetisibly prepares ntiu•l: for the development of the
-11,4 ahn•ninabic ilesigne, and at kW, by means tit* spreading the
opintott that an event cannot he avoided, becomes inevitable.
'Die punishments in the law proposed to you are imprisonment,
r tfveilatice wider the hittliority of the High Poficr•of the State, pri-
vation ut• the ri Of voting, e lection, and eligibility and epi difica-
tiofts for public and administrative functions or bearing arms.
The pitui-limentS are correctional, because it is believed that their
iminediate notification, without bei.:g injurious to justice, will be
stilt more effectual than their extent.

IVe have endeavoured to proportion then punishments to the
natnre of their crinies. Tinos, we have supposed that he who shad
endeavoor to excite tumult id tie State, cannot ity.lly lively!' I to
t,:reeise his political rights; he mho diourlii the public 01111*
'1.)1111.1 he excluded, at lea.t for a tine, from exerei-in,.; paiil;e rune-
t tnift; that lie who threatens, by indirect provocation,, public and
private safety, cannot, Without endangering the tranquillity of the
citiz.ms, obtain the privilege of bearing arms.
)V e. intend, Gentlemen, to read to you this Law-Prejeet. It
has been meditated by the King. The knowledge and exptiletleo
of the Chambers Wilt give to it the necessary authoi.k.