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

/mad ttion.of the penes; measure was to furnish
an indemnity in Alinisiers for their illewd nets.—
The fact was not so—Ministeas hail not e ' ted
one illegal net. Why then, it might he naked, re-
quire a Bill of Indemnity ? Because it was not
iscisisieiit with the safety
.of the State, or of Shure
who had supplied Government with information to
,uppie,. the late dangerous ennipiracy, to. have
.that information and the authors of it slii.cloiled in
Courts of Justice, as it siecessaxily must, if every
in lividual who conceived .himself injured in the
tat; transactions might be left to bring his action
against a. Minister or Migistrate. It was not that
*ulster. could not defend themselves in every 111-
stance, bait that an allowalice of civil actions would
.
sacrifice the confidence reposed iu them, and be-
hay those.who had powerfully contributed to the
jut:reused state of tranquillity and security now en-
inyed—lie said increased, fie he was: far from
thinking that security was-perfectly restored. His
Hon. Frientl.bimsell might by and bye see the sae-
crsiity of cosicealisig the inforination. Disaffection
still existed, and, therefore. it would be unwise to
disclose that evidence which might still be a mean 1
of suppressing tressonnow, brooded on. The, Re-.,
Ports looked, to perious„still busy io tresscuotile 1
projects. hut indepehdently of Ibat ronsidgratAyst,
to justice to Alinisteph aud to those who hail pre-
served theyesce,of, the country, *u4 prevented II
much .greater explosion, Site House was gilled
Mors to pass the Bill.. With respect. to Meg's-
trates, my HOU. sod Learned Friend says, the Bill
ought nut to pass, because it appeared from the
preamble the) had exceeded the powers prescribed
by law. It hod been asserted indeedin newspapers,
that Alagistrates bad mitered and searched louses'
for librlis ; but surely his HO4l. Friend could not
suppose that the. Bill was °wont to protect them ;
it was only designed as a protection to *hose who
'forcing' houses for ireasoielok papers. helutigiog '
to person* accused of treasonable practices, and •
against whom warrants were issued. To detect such
papers the Megietrates might have overstepped the
limits of the law—but his Hou. Friend would not say 1
riiitt, therefore the papers ought not to be mixed—
t Here Sir S. Romillpinti lathed that Magistrates were
justified by the standing law in seizing treasonable
palwrs.l—Well then, he would admit that. mid
what did it prove? only that the Bill of Indent.
nity went to protect men for doing /what was agree-
able to the law of the land. His Hon. and Learn-
ed Friend had dwelt at large on the case of Swine'
dill, who, as described iu the newspapers, was'
wired, and his house searched for libellous prodoc. '
Miaow But he would say spilt Shot the.. Bill did '
not defeat' these who searched for libels. Hit
Hots. Friend "ad depicted in glowing colours the 1
sufferings and wrongs of that Individual, and he.
sought the Rouse act to psss • measure tending to'
shelter his oppressors. His answer was, the Bill
did not do so. This would be seen front the words
of the BM, l 4 treason and treasonable purposes."
His Hon. Friepd, hail also descanted on the am-
biguitrof the word `.4 such" container' in the. Act ;
but Seeking. at ticslatly .aud deliberately, howeter
comprehensive the enactment might be considered, •
it would include ma,ouch case. The case then '
mod with a° much effect was inapplicable ; it was
sot included either It the recital or the enactments.
As bosom his Hon. Friend still dry:nous to call hint
buck to the subject of Swindon and the papers. lie
woad regnat,,thet 1.4. Hon. and Learned Friend
hottem,ike.citue oily A* mislead the flew.;
Alma no application to the Bill. If his treatment
IPM Wee ustiust, he had • remedy open iu e
. its f Lim Thy mrit of the Bill iuteude.tl to
.
mbut.bod 84/4 itu AlisPaPigic .i I -
r;.-..1- senouldtess., had ,bore coastrued by hia.klon.
amid Leawood 'fiend **apply solely to tbevroceed-
imp et Itiassebeetwri end es the ceuditet. of Natio-
*eta there woo jaili#!d h to e eitistieig law, he had
argued Bad ibatEt was siitiMoey. Bat ttid hie
ant see thee it i led to uniuy.other idles% where
Magistrates bed souteghies Witted the law,
in the same way ?—aud would be sat allow that it
was their dug to dolt!' that, 1.411 and werabi;
class of men from the conseqemicea of whet
hail alone through the best mouses, used to who.
was, iii great measure, doe the present elltab•
privatively calm suite of the country ? The Hots.
Member had hienvelf supplied a precedent is
the Acts following
.the Riots of 1780. The hi-
ll 'ty at that tissue given to Magistrates who"'
hail laudably gone beyond their legal powers in
suppressing lawless tumults,, was a complete optima-
Coy for what was 'mow Pitposed. The principle
was ullowed by his ilnis. Friend ; the degree of
dinger requiring justification was only mistier of
opinion., The renisioing object of the Bill referred
to the protection or *Mimes. Ills Hun. Friend
lia.l talked of .going on from precedent to prect-
ilea—that this would, be a precedent, in future
nines, fur a larger indemnity than had jet been
tentemplated ; hut u little after he admitted
that the ilfillitlit Clot not go so far as that of 1801.
.1..... e 14eLt qt Goth war turf to screen Ministers from
ti., consortial.* .of,. illegul.-sicts. but to, obviate
lay iiieuvreilience to the country of inakiog public
the informatinis that had been given. Oliver hail
hero repeatedly alluded to in the debates on the
•'''jt tt. lit% Ilistiourable and lt.eartied Friend said
li, 'soda tint possibly distingithili his case from that
of Vittlich:mu. :mil reph;yesited all the treuvois to have
v's,aiiN from its inftigation.. This, flowerers was
''':'''l".l lay the ..Bernot ad. the first Committee,
aeii.,ll to ha the late Ale. Ponsonbs, which, stat,ng
the esi.tecce of *a cousi.inicy its February, sheered
that the rotiltireey existed bcfore Oliver kit Lon-
duo. u,,i lie wean to accuse Ministers,of 14ving
eniployed that man nut to spy stud pry into the
'tents of the iti,JlL.cted, trot to produce the plot P
Ilirnrm.ftwu Air N. Hominy surf lite Opposition.)r—
ALvels, wits. r.peet to Braiiilreth and his iiSSOciaten,
it 'mil beau oh' -..fed, that illiiitster. hod infarmition
heniaraia•al 0% what was liiill'ilitig, slid did tint op-
plesMem.ml li. liar treason via. committed, but suffered
the actors to 1,114.1 on to give effect to the repretenta.
bon • whereas the only two persons that could give
*lidt:iice of taw breaking out of the plot there, stat-
ed. that borlm was the sj,stent ulterior, they had bean
tleirrertl front giving any Hammitt' ; so that sod
ouly the llii.oary, but even the Alagistrates its the
htsgliltourinaisl, were in thr. dark as to tins plot which
olliitaleil on she 9th of Jaime. lint suppose these
nieis bail given .usforllllllloii. 81•41 on the strength
14 ll.ia 11r..otlreth sad bas tarty .hail heels previ-
ously iirrepted, what would be said lay the other side
%,'1 iu Ilutlr / you have deprived peaceable, in-
uol.llllm men of their liberty no thy itStilill.P.