The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-02-26 00:00:00

THE MUTINY BILL

The motion being put from the Woolsack for
the third reading of the Mutiny Bill—
Earl Gaoseenon rose, and said he could not
suffer this important Bill to receive the final sine-
lion of the House without expressing a few words,
which a fair cousideration of the subject suggested.
He did not, indeed, imagine that the Noble Lords
opposite would condescend to take advice from any
one, much less bail he the vanity to believe that they
would yield to any opinion expressed by so humble
an individual as himself ; but if lie or some other
Member at his side of the I louse did not undertake
to give some advice upon such subjects to the Noble
Lords, the House might rest satisfied that nut a
word by way of advice or snggestiou would proceed
from any of the Noble Lords who sat around the
ministerial bench. For once, however, it might
be fouud advisable to act upon the principle, foe
est, et ab Aosta &were. The first impression that the
Bill suggested was the necessity of diminishing the
armed establishments of the country. He could
out, indeed, in looking around him, perceive any
case even of supposed expediency that could warrant
the maintenance of their present large army. It was
indeed open for him to propose is diminution of the
numbers specified in the Act, but the sudden dis-
solution with which they were threatened, prevented
the possibility of fairly con►idering either this or
ally other question with propriety or advantage.
Not this question alone, however, was to be left in
a vague and unsettled stale, the question of the
Civil List, one of the most important, as it relates
to the general economy of the State and the dig-
nity of the Crown, was left in a state in which it
bad not been placed at any time during the last
century. Another question of perhaps greater de-
licacy, but of little less importance in relation to
the constitution of the country, namely, the state
and condition of the Queen, was left equally dis-
regarded by Parliament. Of this question, he
should however state, that when it would he
brought regularly before the House, lie should
canvass it with the utmost freedom. The con-
sideration of the state of those boroughs, with
respect to which proceedings had already been
adopted to • considerable extent, was now rudely
interrupted, utmost at the moment in which
the question might have been brought to a bits,
determination. These and many other impor.
tent questions were left in • state of embarras.-
curia and difficulty, and when he cousidered the
amount of the army—the disordered state of the
fioances—the general distresses and agitation of the
country—he could not avoid complaining of the
precipitancy with which, at a season so inopportune,
the Minister of the Crown should have advised his
Majesty to interrupt the ordinary sitting of the
Legislature. This, however, bring the last time
that he should have an opportunity, 111
Parliament, of offering his opinions to his Majesty's
Ministers, he should suggest the propriety of so
far altering the present system of government,
as to inert, in some degree, the wishes of the
great body of the people. Let them look around
upon the great mass of the nation, and they would
pee a state of privation and suffering that has
hardly ever been equalled. This state of suffering
was generally attributed to the injudicious measures
hitherto pursued by the government of the coun-
try ; rod who was there who watched the progress
of public misery, and reflected upon the untold
instances of individual wretchedness comprised
within it, that might not trace the recent atrocities
committed in Para, and those which, if report
spake true, were contemplated in this metropolis,

to • sense of extreme misery, originating in e
minds of the sufferers in polittcal oppression. Pi I
man, he trusted, could regard so atrocious a Prime
as the assassination of the Duke of Berry its Part.,
and that which, if the roamer of the loots were
correct, was projected %point his 11Iajeatf's Minis-
ters, with greater abhorrence than he felt. Such
acts, too, were as absurd as they wee atrorous.
If the murderers proceeded upon a principle of
vengeance, they arrogated to themselves an attn.
dote of the divinity—revenge. " Vengvenee is
mine, with the Lord." If they proceedtel upon a
principle of political animosity, nothing could be
more absurd than their conduct. Such • feelieg,
however, unfortunately might have arisen from 4
contemplation of political events. It was well isi.l
strongly remarked by a Noble Friend of his in It.,
debase es a Bill which subsecoeutly hermitic a
law, that • meson which had for its effoct to de-
prive the people of this commey of meeting freely
and expressing their sentiments in public, might.
lead to private assassistation—s.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE here soddenly inters-opt-
ed the Noble Earl, and said he could WA it by
sod iii silence hear it avowed, that any messures ever
pursued in this country by any Government, how.
ever he might have been opposed to them, rorild
justify any man, or set of men, in committing so
heinous a crime as that to which his Noble Frteti.l
had alluded.—/Load cheers front both sides r!fthir
House./—ilia Noble Friend seemed to he aterit.g
a species of apology for the crime of essa.sinotion.
Load cheertf—and lie was so shocked ;It hear-
ing such a doctrine avowed, that be could not
avid expressing his disapprobation of it.—(l fear./
Earl Causes:Nett resumed, and said tliat his
Noble Friend had quite mistaken his meaning.
Far from his mind be such an impression as that
any circumstances could justify so dreadful a crime..
Flas sole object in alluding to recent events iu
Paris and at home, was to point out the probable
effects of feelings highly exaspersted by the cot,.
temptation of supposed political injuries, and
thence to deduce the necessity of making some ern:.
cession to the wishes of the public, and to entreat
the reconsideration of the principles on which the
government had hitherto been administered. 11"
VMS also extremely desirous that a distinction ,hould
be &Imo between the great body of the people and
some knots of desperate men, whose character die.
graced the country. To such men nothilig should
be conceded ; but hr fervently desired that some
amelioration should be made in the principles of
government, such as was desired universally by the'
loyal and thinking part of the nation. Ile did not
wish to revive subjects of ancient dispute, hut he
could not avoid referring to the Declaration pub.
fished by the Allied t'owers against the former head
of the French Government, and which put him nut
of the pale of civilized society. He had ever felt
strongly hostile to dust indivirlual. but he also felt
strougly when he first pertssetillthat Declaration, for
the evident construction Of it was to expose that
person to the worst consequences of private pas-
stone. With respect to the recent measures pur.
sued by his Majesty's Ministers, it was evident that
they had mistaken the state of the public mind.
They had represented this country as eurnrolsed
from one end of it to the other, while they re-
garded Ireland as altogether tranquil. This
favourable opinion of Ireland, however, did not
protect her from the operation of the severe mem.
sures enacted at the commencement of this Ses.
sion ; but the result shewed how erroneous was the
opinion of the Ministers. This country has enjoy.
ed a state of undisturbed repose, while Irelaisd has
suffered considerable alarm and agitation. The
state of the empire, however, sltagether was not
such as required the maintenance of a large force.
A coercive system bad been too long observed, and
he hoped that his Majesty's Ministers would at
length put an end to it for ever.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE said, he was extremely
happy that he had interrupted his Noble Friend, ns
it had given him an opportunity of making an ex.
planation which could not but prove satisfactory to
all his f ietsds.—( Hear, hear.)
The Bill was then read the third time, and
passed.
SLAVE TRADE.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN rose, and said, that
as the preseut was probably the last opportunny he
should have during this Pediment of noticing a
subject of extreme interest to the anise of hums.
atty, and to the character of this countiy, namely.
tae diabolical traffic which still desolated the cow*
of Africa, he begged leaved to inquire 11 ste
Noble Secretary fur Colonial Affairs, whether any
definitive regulations had been adopted with re-
spect to the mixed Commission which had beeta
appointed by the condoned Govern inetits of (rent
Britain and Portugal, for the adjadication of se,.
sels taken in the act of trading in slave. '
ther, in point of fact, any appoint._
made by the Government of Portugal,
Commission was uow acting ?
Earl BATHURST, after a short
that its point of fact no person had
by the Government of Portugal '
bah Commissioner on the coast of
arrangement had been entered into

guest. Government Iliat the rum-opproot
Columba' er should be considered

a vitc.rocy after an appointment matte
quently that the Coitintowion. in pur.
terms of the Treaty which contrail&

eveut as a vocatscy unt filled' up,
activity.
The Marquis or LANSDOWN 111101.

meat WAR extremely satisfactory,
the Commission would prevent much
and loss, from making compeusation
gorse vessels which had been taken,
necessity dismissed in coosequesce •
ence of •jadicature to try them.
tiou too was made upon a very
fur the ships were often captured
went of the voyage, while all the
in good health, and no allowance

Aare. wh,.
intrartit had licett
rtugul, arid if the '
interval. replied.
id been nominated
to join the Elig.
of Africa. hut a‘
to with the
-appoint Meta el a
,red 111 the light it
mole ;and cons.
pup-mince ut lEr
teoll/111Iell eucli .a
war now w felt
aid. that dossiers..o.
as the ocri% it) of.'
uch inconvenience
aims to the
okra. and were of •
of the no...tarsi-4—s
•„
This compeasaw
' uulair pnaciplrs
Ist the tommassce- i
be slaves were luta
ice wall Wide her

thew which it must be especial wanhl have died
daring the palmate. and fur which an allowance
woo always MIOP by the speculators in the infamous
tralkc. By this means the owner of the ship fre-
quently obtained more money by the capture than
he enolel have gained had he been remitted to
complete his voyage. It was now satisfactory to
kiieo that if a Portuguese slave Asp resssamaystured.
no compensation should be made to the owners
from the want of a judicature to determine the
claim of the captor 4.
Fsarl BATHURST repeated his former statement.
I. :le Marion. of LAN,DOWN asked. whet here
wm.i any ohjeetinti to !Producing Sir (ivory.? o.llyer's
Report to the A dinifielte mu the Slave Trade?
The Earl of LITURPOOL wish that
the motion for the production of the Report should
not be then mule.
The Local Jurisdiction Bill and the Annual In-
demnity BM were severally read a third time and
parsed.

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