The National Register.
London, England, 1819-12-27 00:00:00

MONDAY, DIICInDIER 27, 1819.

yet left without legal iavestigation, and until that
tales place no credit Mr gentleness and compassion
can he easily conceded to those who have op posed,.
what appears to us, so loud and crying a demand
for equal law and jnstiue. We believe then that it
is to the fume of publis opinion, to the growing and
diti), maturing disapproval of the whole body of the
nation, and above all, to the exertions of the press,
and to the patronsof those exertions, that we owe
the most cilia:told and beneficial resistenee to those
obnoxious measures. In their passage through the
Committee, much of their poison has been neu-
tralized, several of their most terrible fangs have
been extracted, they are now chiefly reduced to
local and temporary measures whieh should have
beer their character when first proposed. How
those who approved and defended them originally,
can approve and defend them still is a question they
must be left to answer for themselves. Mr. Holt-
!muse, the author of the celebrated book entitled
" 'lime Second Reign of Napoleon," and a late can-
didate for Westminster, is sufTering ia Newgate the
punishment of a libel on the House of Commons.—
As an integral part of the Constitution, every well-
wisher so his country mit be anxious to see that
branch of it, perhaps the most important of them
all, flourishing in the good opinion of the world,
and must he further anxious to throw a veil over its
errors and imperfections, wherever the absolute
safety of the state does tit eall for their expsure.—
But we must still say of the House of 'Commons,
that which is so true of
:private characters, that
nothing is so hard as to support those who
will not support themselves.--It is an admirable
principle of Government, laid down by a phi-
losopher of antiquity, that " if you wish those
who we subject, willingly and fitithfully to
obey, you must chew them that they have the
price of the liberty they surrender, in the care and
vigilance you exercise for their private security and
for their public good, for,- says he, " many, both
private persons and states, having insisted upon
submission rather that friendship, and slavery
rather than allegiance, have been doomed to bewail
their folly in their own overthrow mud ruin."—
Would it not have been much mare effectual
towards curing the venom and sviolencetif such attacks
as Mr. I loblnatse has made upon it, if the house
of Commons had not sanctioned that wide wasting
an.: profligate expenditure both of money and of
blocd which has distinguished the 'councils of this
country for so lung a period of its past history,
and of which we aro now reaping no more
than the natural and necessary fruits, overwhelming
taxation, encreasing.pattperism, universal stagnation
of commerce, and as universal discontent.—
Would it not have aided the character of
that assembly'io have resisted the first imposition of
three millions of taxes lust year bearing almost
exclusively upon agriculture and manufactures,
which were already groaning under the severest
pressure? NVould it not have shown u better regard
for the sufferings of a depressed state, not to have
granted 10,0001 a year to a son, as the wages of
visiting an aged and afflicted parent ? Would it nut
have better satisfied the spirit of murmur and dis-
satisfaction to have fitirly and itapartialiy investiga-
ted the .Manchester transactions, and if it had been
needful to support authority on one hail, yet at
least to have admonished them of their error, and to
have shorn that such conduct must be not cons; ler.
(alas a.?trecetlent, and that the laws ought and must
not be broken? Woultififuot have shewn a spirit of

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LralrE 04#1.

just and humane feclinti to have inst tuted an enquiry .
into that distress which is at least as notorious as
the discontent itself, and admitted on all hands to
be the eause of it, when a committee tbr that Oleo
was moved liar by Mr. Bennett, instead of rtjecting
it, not because it w.o; deemed unnecessary, but
because s tys Mr. Canning, " the Hon. mover has
aeeompanicd his motion by observations anti cont.
meats, to which 1 cannot entseribe?" The rapt)
of England cannot shut tht.ir cycs to thc,,e thiags.;
we hope they never will ; not will discontent ever
be mitigated till the sources from which it fl ;ws are
purified. 'Von may suspend the Habeas Corpus—
you may intreduce Green Bags, and legi:late upon
them for ever—you may forbid upon tin
constituted powers of the State, but you cannc:
inspire either esteem or confidence without tk:zerving
it ; effects will never give way till the causes are
tlomoughly removed. Mr. lloblantses language we
admit to be quite homier:ol.:. We readily allow,
further, that it is neither consistent with justice in
many points, nor with the duty which a subject is
hound to cbserve in all. But ivhy will not the House of
Commons render-such attacks upon it more unjustifi-
able still, by making them so totally inapplicable
and groundless, that they shall lose their sting by
their own absurdity and falselmod !

SOUTH .4.IIERICA.

csenscr or A Ihi7T aa. IMTED MARC. VIITA, OCT. &
" We received despatches here a few days ago
from the Government at Angostura. and also front
'General Bermudez, who is s►ationed at Barcelona.
The cause of the abandonment of the blockade of
this island by the :ipanish fleet is now explained to
be the want of provisions, and it is therelioe proba-
ble that we shall, ere long, rcccivc another visit
front them. Morillo himself was so bent on the
measure. that 119 came down in pasts to La Guyrs,
to hasten the departure of the squadron The pro-
visions they bud on board were sufficient only for
two months, which, as they sailed on the 2411
of,lttly, must all have been esti:lt:sled at the time
they quitted our-cwasl. They had orders from Mu-
rillo to fight and dyi.at the Venezuelan sod adron
whenever and wherever they conld meet with them.
Gen. Crania:A has been in disgrace at Angostura.
fur the ftilure before Cumana, but is reinstated an
his command, and has orders, us soon as the rainy
season is over, again to attempt to carry the place,
enq what it may. The last accounts from General
Pacz state, that he had invested 'San Fernando,
which was hour!! expectod to ofl'er Perms of capitu-
lation, as no relief could be looked tin• from General
Morido, who was not believed to have more than
3,000 men under his etanmand. It is aseertained,
on the intbrmation of a surgeon who has deserted
from the Royalist army, that the garrisons in Cu-
mana and Porto Cabello are smaller than had been
supposed, and very inadequate to their defence,
the flamer having !)00, and the latter only 150 men.
We have sustained here t severe loss to the Patriot
cause by the death of Gen. English, who ditxl of the
few. early in the morniog of the 2.5 th alt and Was
buried the same evening with military honours."

Adviees front Cadiz of the Ist inst. arwouttee
that the Government of Spain have cente to.ft
determination to semi out immediately two armit.
mews to South America, one of which, cromiNti,.
of 6,000 men, was to go to the assistance of
; and the other, consisting of from
15,000 men, was to proceed to America,

It appears from a late diseus.sion in the .Con
Chmeerv, that the fee demanded by the Rev.
smith of Gretna Green, for makittg• " one II:.
the ardent fugitives %r•ho resort his shrine,
less than 1001. They Who have heel' 1 urtitcs t
proceedings, or who have witnessed them, can
testimony wheth:..r payment is required b,:fa,
performance of the ceremony or But;.

fr.iNt 4%2;
f Gen.
u 10 trit
1617!
(Hirt
~ia‘ls,~ Op.
' • t t ri\P
is Arfrr‘'.' 1
to 40' --F-s•
b
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2mpertal Paritamnit.
MOUSE OF LORDS.
MONDAY. DEC. NO.
COTTON FACTORIES AMENDMENT RILL
Earl GROSVENOR rose, on the Order of the Day for
going into • Committee on this MIL He observed. that it
went in a great measure to repeal the Act or last Sc. ion for
regulating the employment of citildr.a in anon factories, and
hie opinion was, that the Lords would do wisely. if they repealed
the Bill altogether. The Noble Earl was persuaded dust the
parents, who had the interest of their children at hew, could nut
betake improvident contracts for them, and he really Mt that
Parliament was taking too large a range when they interfered
between the manufacturers and such persons.
The Bishop of CHESTER said. It was his intention la•t
lleyeion, had not indisposition occurred, to move a clause to
prevent children behalf employed late en Saturday nights In
case no opposition was offend, he Mould move towurtAuce such
a clause at the third reading of the Bill then under discussion.—
His reason for the intros uctson was this--if children continued
working to • late Lour set Saturday night, they were either
unable or unwilling to attend divine service on Sunday. and
parents had no opportunity to make them appear at church.—
At • time when they were laming 11111. fur the suppnesion of
blasphemy and sedition, lw could nos sea how any of the Lords
coukl be averse to a legislative provision which would hold out
to thousand; of manufacturers on his diocese the uscans of
observing a decent and moral deuwanour. . .

Altet ; few olwervations frau lAled Holland and Earl Gtra•
'MIK the Ilothic went into • Committee on the Dill The
Cuitows *Lie then read. agreed to, and the BiU ordered to be
rcpinted to the Duthie.
II::DITIOUS MEETINGS BELL.

On the motion of Lionl Viscount littlinuuth, the llcnore went
into a C.r.uitiit.ee on the Seditious Meetings Bill.
Lord ELLESSIOROUGII objected to the punishment of
twelve months' imprisonment, to which pvrsons were made
liable who shall In prt.,ent at any meet ng without being eligi-
Ohlvtu attend. There was an inconsistency in that provision,
because its another part ul the Rill a person might be present.
and if he departed within a planer of en hour alter the Sheriff
or Al agi.tmc made proclamation for lino todepart, he was liable
so no punishment whwt.vcr.
Tt.e It )it Cil A SCELLOR said, the persons last mentioned
►y the Noble Lord woo's!, in OW of riot, still be sultivet to the
common law.

'l' t; clause was :speed to.
Tile Eat! of 1..%.12,' Ih. itimix propowi to add to the clause,
slitorti..g the iartor to two•citc tneet:ngs in cure:moo town*.
the words" accoming to the custom of tin; place.

The Earl of LI VIIII.OOI. laid. the ROI did not affect any
nuvtinge in buildinAs or rooms. and there WAD nothing in it to
pieta.► incetinga being called in parishca according to particular
custom.

The clause was ordered to stand part of the Bill.
The Nlarquis of Lansdowne objected to the clause which
provides that um persons shall be added to attend parish
meetings unless they are resident inhatitants, or proprietors
of freeholds pro.iming rind. per annum. The Noble Al.rquis
urged the injustice and iiiipoiicy of excluding flan such
outings pertuns having smolt freeholds. and moved to insert
the words •• forty shillings." insttaul of filly pounds.
The I.OIIU Cll AM:ELIA/It objected to the amendment.
lie obsetved, that many 'arsons might be said to be inhabitants
o a pan." who did not :toile there, but bud peoperty in it. The
object of the clan C wadi to exclude all such persons.. unless they
bad poise ty of/Aline value.
Lord HOLLAND dep:ecateil the exclusion of persons having
small est Ates In particular perishes. Nothing would add more
to the th.satiait.xtion of the people than preventing men of forty
shillings treetliau trout atieuthog iiansli meeting.. where their
L;rsrest to a pro; intimate extent would be it, g eat a. that of the
wan who had tiny pounds Ir...ehohl.
. .

—Lord EHbEII:: twi. drew Me attention of the House as the
severity of the lea they Were about to enact. Supposing a man
having a sioull tieeltuld in a jeirish, and nut a mitieut. obsti-
nately tnought tit to attend the meeting, without a correct
kricisktlge of due Asst Pailitunent, would and Jury, if he was
iadieted. rind him guilty C Laguna)? not. Such a man might
go about bmtideling, and give the iiiitsish ate an opportunity •
disperse the meeting; and in that view the clause was
obieci tunable.
The k:tut uf LIVEEPO'II. said, the question for the con-
sideration of the House was, whether any attempt should be
made to get rid of there tumultuous meetings. becatuee if there
was a nxessity to supp.ess them, the Bill must be madet:ffeetive.
Lord IIOLLLA ND contended fur the right which, he said.
try man had to meet and petition the King and Parliament.
'flit Bill would take away that right, although the Noble Lords
yid it was to regulate the privilege. In a time of public ferment
nothing could be more iniudicious than to separate the pour from
the rich. It was impolicy to interfere with parish nieetinge..
inaking the distinction which his Noble Friend had deprecated.
He observed the Noble Lords laugh. He knew the meaning of
of it. They meant to say—there will be no parish meetiogs—we
will suppress the whole. If it was to, and tie clauses in the Bill
were nugetory, it was threatening the people with Mink Lora
lioliand gave his negative to ttie clause.
The amendment wits then put, negatived, and the clause
oaltred to rand part of the Bill.
Lord ERSKINE objected to the power given to magistrates
to decide what constituted an illegal meeting.
Ou the clause providing that non resident peesons, shall deprt
after ptuclaination within a quarter of an hour, on peas of
transportation.
Lord ERSKINE moved to leave out the word " transpor-
tation." and to insert 6' guilty of a misdemeanotiv."
Lord k:LLEN BOROUG I I supported the amendment.—
Lukas the cme was strong. no a ury could find a verdict of
guilty, and if they did, there must naturally be a reluctance to
send the defendant to Botany Bay.
The 1.0 UCft A N C It censidered the clause neesesary
as it stood for the safety of the country.
Lord HOLLAND made no doubt, from what lie had heard,
that the people were destined to bear the (pentium of the chime
If a man lingered at a meeting slier pioetaination to depart, he
was to be treated eau (Jon.

The &kr:ad:neat wauf neptived, and the clause stood part of
the Bill.

After eonuder.ible disctu,ion the Bill passed through the
Committee, and uab ordered to &,e uplifted. Adjourned.

TUESDAY, DEC. 2!

Mr. Brogden and other Nlemiers from the COMITIOIIB, brought
up the Xlistlemegnours Bill wit'l An, atiamnts.
On the motion of the LOH C I lANCIELLOR, the Amend-
ments were taken into wn,itlermion.

Lord 1101.1.ANI) gave hisrwrnt to the Amendments, wl.ich
went to extend the provi,iu.is oi the Rill to Irannd, at the
suunt;time he aduntteu thi.t the Bill would greatly impruve the
existing law
TheA.ruentlments were tweed to.
tiEDITMUS KIEL• IINGS BILL.

Lori LIVE:IIPM. on the third reati.ng of this Bill, moved
gme:.l verbal amt itdments. which were ai.:ree.. to.
.....

—.... . .
Luca LIVERPOOL then adverted w two objections, taken
'by a Noble Baron. OM related to the difficulty magistrates
'would find in endeavouring to arrest individuals who might
Johns to depart after proclamation. In case of obstruction the
&tieghtunte wet consider the meeting illegal, and proceed to