The National Register.
London, England, 1818-02-02 00:00:00

TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER'.

alluded to the late three successive trials. It was a topic of
great delicary, because the prod saved cinema those prosecu-
tions, the parodies on sacred subjects, no man could justify.
He strongly disapproved of those parodies yet he, in com-
mon with the hulk of' the Wiwi, rejoiced that an individual
without any support had triumphed over the extraordinary
severity of his prosecntors. He could not say that lie adieu',
eti Mr. Hone's chaeacter,,because he did not like the parodies
he had composed and published ; but his abledelence of him-
self convinced him, as it has convinced three juries, that he
had been guilty of no legal offence. The Hon. and learned
Gentleman (the Attorney. General) should not have pit:mem.
ed at all in such a case. The regular mode of going with a
charge before a Grand Jury ought to have been adopted in
this instance. But it was unquestionably the right of the
Gentleman to prosecute es officio, if he was so disposed. Bait
vihy wasthe prosecution continued after a jnry had pro-
nounced a verdict of acquittal/ A jury was the only com-
petent tribunal to say what was or was nota libel. The judge
had given his own opinion, in opposition to the jnry, the only
competent authority. The opinion of the judge was not desir-
ed at all on such a question. fie did not mean to say any
thing disrespected to the honourable gentleinaa. opposite, but
he was, by his official character, disqualified to say what was
libel and what was not. Yet he, after a jury had found that
the subject of prosecution was not libel, proceeded to a se-
cond and a third trial. As the trials ended, no evil was dasflr
but if it had turned out otherwise, it' a conviction had. been
obtained on the third trial, it was manifest from the nature
of the proceedings that the panishment would have been as
great as if a conviction had been obtained for the whole. The
evil of prosecutions of this sort was great indeed, but it was
not to be compared with the evil of ilestsing the confidence
of the country in the trial of jury. He had said this, becau'e
the present was the only opportunity of adverting to the
subject. In every part of the Address lie willingly acqui-
esced.

Sir Smitten. Roattaav began by giving his entire approba-
tion to the Address. He deplored the loss which the nation
has sustained in the death of the prestunptive heir, He then
adverted to the outrage which had been committed upon the
constitution, by the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act,
and censured in severe tarsus, the conduct of NI inusters, who,
lie said, bad magnified petty acts of outrage produced by the
distress of the times, into plots for the subversion of the go_
vernmeut. He blamed the spy system which the ministry had
adopted, and to it, attributed much of the mischief which had
accrued. He equally condemned the prosecutions which had
been institnted against Hung, at the sometime bestowing the
severest censure upon the publications for which those pro-
secutions hail been carried on. He thonght they had tattier
have been left to perish, then to acquire a fresh consequence
by the interference of the Attorney General. He concluded
by a most severe review of the conduct of filinisters, and
avowed his intention to oppose any bill which might be offer-
ed to inde 1111 l ify them for the part they had acted in spurting
with the liberties of the people.
The SoLicrron GESlittiAl. was surprised to hear his Learn-
ed and lion. Friend mating light of such proceedings as the
trials at Derhy had developed. Never was evidence more
clear, and never was Royal clemency greater. He felt sur
prised at the language held relative to the trial of Hone,
his Learned and Hon. Friend could not find tel sufficiently
strong to convey his detestation of such productions as that
mon had been tried for publishing, and yet he blamed the pro
Sedition. And why ? because it gave the libels a wider eir.,
collation—the conclusion to which such an argiunent would
lead, would be, that the mnore atrocious the libel the greater
would be its of impunity.
1.0111 FOLKSTON a eCIISUred the conduct of' Ministers in the
late proscenium, as calculated to destroy the dignity of oar
Courts ofJustice and bring odium upon` duties.
Limit) C IPITLEK UIC; LI declared, that desirous as lie was of
meeting the objections anal anisseulversimis which had been
brought torts aril, not only wills regard to the adder . •
diately under consideration. hut as respected the couduct of
Ministers during the recess of Parliameut, yet as he was
aware of the numerous up port 111 l Ales that a ((old soon present
themselves for discussing them separately and in detail, he
should a user se himself tor those occasions, when lie trusted
'
that a sati•faeriary exploitation would be famished. ()laser.
vations had bean made, against which he must imniediately
protebt, and particularly against the statement which retire.
waited the trials at Derby tat have arises. out oldie proceed.
illgs of a spy employed by Government. lie now undertook
utmost fully to disprove such Mi assertion alieneser the proper
time of investigation should amive. He could not etnieeive
what pats of the conduct oh ad.uioist ration had indtined the
Hun. and Leanied Gentleman to conclude that his Majesty's
Ministert had it in contemplation to propose slew measures
restrictive of the liberty of the subject. lie was not CellSel
QOM thou they hail manifested any dieposition of such a nature
and he was happy to assure the litinse, that lie should, on
an early day, be prepared to emiuminicate information with
regard to all that had oven passing in the country since the
last session. He believed sincerely, that this intermnation
would satisfy, not oily the Hon. Members opposite, but
would satisfy the II arse and the public, that the measures
adopted during the last session had been founded not merely
on prudential cosisiderations; but on a strict necessity, and
that it was to them that we were indebted fur the internal
tranquillity which had been restored. The energy of Parli-
ament hail not wily provided the Suspension Art, but had
ensured its speedy termination. 114 Majesty's Alittiatirs,
who had been placed in u situation of great difficulty, would
not shrink from the most rigid scrutiny iuto their conduct,
and would be found, he confidently hoped, to hove faithfully
discharged the trust confided to them : to have administer-
ed justice duly tempered with met ey, and to have contended
successfully against the danger with which the country halt
been threetened. The greatest of those dangers be belies.
rat had passed by ; but he would nut hill Parliament into a
belief that I.,erfect seem ity was restored. It gave 'limn,
however, sincere satisfaction to congratulate the House on
the unprecedented rapidity with which the country had
passed from a state of depression to one of progressive
prosperity, which there was every reason to believe would
contiuue.

Mr. BROUGHAM thought the speech of the. Noble Lord
sufficiently proved that the topics, to which so much obser.
vation had been directed, might be di,cu•sed a ithout endan-
gering the unanimity ot the vote to which the flutist was
iuviitrd upon the present question. It gave him the utmost
satisfaction to born, ulna the follebt iiifurwatiun %mild swill
be laid before them, and he presumed in the only pt oiler and
antLentie mode, by appointing a Committee with Authority to
and yell for every spet•irs of evidence
belonged to the course ofparliauteutait invesfigatiou.
Lord curiae A N 0.1111:10rd lift• blivrch drlis red oy thy•
Lords Coniiiiii•doners, with that of the A ine rieAn Presidellt
and thought his 31ijcs!)'s :Aliiiisters wt. uW hate bcttct at .l

fur their offences io the employment of spies aL;ainst the lives
and liberties of the people, by assuring Parliament that as y
were building hospitals and alms-houses, fur the starving
poor, than in seeking to obtain credit by the erection of new
churches. The questida war then put and carried unanimous-
ly.—Adjourned.

WICDNESDAy.
SLANE TRADE ABOLITION.
Lord CasTLaavaanbrought up the treat• with Spahr enc.
cerning the abolition of the slave.tr4tle ; and mut•cd that it
should be talen into consideration on Mond.), se'nuight.
Agreed to.

ASSIZES.
Mr. M. A. T iNton gave notice of his intention to make a
. motion fur holding of assizes tivicci in, the year in the nu, there.
counties.
Mr. Curtwaa, seeing a Noble Lord in his place, could
not ain from expressing his surprise-that the eireimistawre
of the Poor Laws were not noticed in the King's speech. it•
wished to know whether amY measure WAS intended by
Vrrllilltllt on this important subject. There was no point on
which more benefit could be conferred tn. the couture. He
N
hoped the .' dile Lord would bring forward sonic beneficial
proposition on this business ; fur, without the support of ad-
ministration, he should despair of any thing that lie himself
should propose.
Lord C LEREAGH OillerVed, that Parliament had already
taken tip this subject with much zeal, sild 'hut Giosernment
was Wily desirous to give it es ery possible attention. It %ibi
not, however, intended to make it a Government question.
He hail reason to believe that a friend of his would on Moo.
day next propose the revival of the Committee.
Lord Cescuticcscit moved the appointment of the several,
Committees, according to the usual practice ; that for
gionoo sit every Tuesday ; Rost for grievances, every litters-
day ; that for Courts of Justice, every Saturday.
'The motions for these Committees were agreed to ; after
which, the Committee ou Privileges were appointed and -
dered to sit on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, sad to
report on the matters coming before them.
ADDRESS TO THE PRINCE REGENT.
Mr. WODEFIOUSE brought up the Report of the Coonnitfre
appointed to prepai e the Addressovhich was Is:ad.
Lord MILTon said, that he did nut wish to take up the time
of the house ; but that lie felt sincere and unfeigned satisfac-
tion at that part of the speech which related to the increase
of the number of churches. Nobody who lived es en fur a
short time in the metropolis, could have tailed to observe the
deficiency in the number of the places of parochial worshir.
If it was thought eavedient to call on the public purse to sup-
ply the deficiency,•he shook/ think it right that some inquiry
should be made into the affairs of tha Church Establishment.
it order to see what 'nodes of relief therein could be made
available for so desirable an object. If nothing could be
dune in that way, lie should readily and cheerfully consent to
some addition to the public burden, for such a purpose. But
in the building of these new churches, he was of opinion that
great attention ought to be paid to the accommodation of the
lower orders at society, who were slightly attended to in
many parochial churches.

Mr.Cuits* EN Lull, that however, acceptable it 'night he
to many tospeak ofgreat iinprovenients in the situation of the
country, and howesvr convenient such a statement might be
to Government, yet such a statement was made unjustly, if
it was intended to support our present Establishments. It
was his ditty to say this ; and to add, that it was necessary to
probe our affair, to tie very bottom, in order to discover the
lest means of relieving us from our existing and pressing
difficulties.
The report on the address was agreed to.
ADDRESSES OF CONDOLENCE.
Lord CASTLEH PAGEL—The Noble Lord commenced by ob-
4erVilig, that lie rose to make a motion, which, lie trusted.
would meet with the unanimous ronciorrence of she House.
The want of precedent on such 4 snbjret, lie hoped, would
Ise no elistacle to a measure which he hail no doubt accorded
fully with the feelings of all present. The event which now
called for their condolence was of the most tiairical deterip.
lion. 'Clic unexpected and sodden death of a mother and
her child in such atiectin.; eissomistaisces, etch in private
life, was a subject of deep And painful interest to et cry
feeling mind ; how much, thou, 1 flirts. feelitio he aggro-
voted by the consideration of the 1601.i:ohm amt prospects
Of the illusli lime individual whose lamented death now called
for our condolence! Her recruit marriage to the Man of her
choice wilt' brollght shoat under the most auspicismsand happy
cire,,,,,,tatwes, and funned a painful COlillast to her sudden
and untimely- coil. It was painful and tionecesssi y. In dwell
HOW %Toil a subject tti which all had but use akeling,
(bider the impression, therefore, of stick firlings, so strong
and so sincere, it was sorely their ditty to give them exprt.44•
gli they should have ict president to pubic them in
doing so 'flue only precedent of which they could avail
themselves for their direction in this cote, was the mode
which they hail presented their colezratid itions to her Ma-
jetty on the marriage of the illitsti wits pail. He propoted,
therefore, that they 4110;:lil follow up this precedent iu coo-
'eying their condolence to Her Al:tinny. lie said they had
no precedent for any address of condolence hcynn,t the
throne : but the same principle which hail guided them thus
fir, would also warrant them in addressing that illustrious in.
dividual whose fate hail been so untimely connected with
that of our beloved Princess. The Might prospects held out
and the expectations formed, from the happy union of Priors
Leopold and the Princess Charlotte were such as rarely oc-
cur. The rare virtues and exemplary habits whirb they ex-
hibited, were such as to reflect dignity upon their eslialtvil
situation : :and the sorrow excited by the fatal overthrow of
hopes so confidently and so justly entertained, was not more
Neutral in this country than in every lot eign slate. He there-
fore proposed that a Message of Condolence be sent to lice
Majesty, and that the same course he adopted as formerly in
presenting their rotierattilations.
Mr. CA LCRA FT felt it very painful to dissent from this mea-
sure; bun such was his feeling upon the subject, that he felt
he should be wanting in duty to himself and to the public
did he not give his negative to this motion. He would use no
harsh words, nor would he enter into any explanation on the
subject ; but lie felt something within law which compelled
him to express lois mat ked Jissent—(Htar, hear, from the
Opposition Beildierl.)
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR expressed his strong dissent to the mo-
tion.

The trentiln Avaa then put. The' e %V. 1% grotral erg f
Are" from the Treasury side of the house, atod its ge!.tridi .
cr. of .• No" trout the other side.
'flw SEE KEII.-1 think the Al es" have it.
it was then NV ced tine Colonel DESIIIIIUVO vhotild prteent
the NlessaKe to r
Lord CASTLIMEAtIf then MOVIA 3fi;:sagts to hip
Sei roe Highness Prince Leopold.

Vpr roreinecr 01i A::. Pnic.i

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