The National Register.
London, England, 1819-12-13 00:00:00

.iNDAY, D
n.

:11 \II3E It -847 ]Bl9.

EC:
him, that the persons cliargetl with this treason are
his own constituents, anti= yet all this is no groond
for enquiry ; the case is established upon noloriely
alone, as ifthe world did tfot know that there may
be such things as notoriotis falsehoods as well as
notorious truths. As if our History had fur-
nished no meal-tub and no green-bag plots.—
Blasphemy and sedition also, are abroad, therefore
blasphemy and sedition must be checked by new
laws, and a Bill restricting'' of the press
is now in progres ; and best remedy under
the present State Directors taxation, this grand,
this universal remedy, is applied, and a tax,
as we stated last week, is on all those
cheep journals which , accessible to
the public, uixio the they have been
the principal - which is said
to hive infected society. we are no friends,:
as our -readers well know to impiety towards
God, or disobedience to ly discharging
the high duties of impiety and sedi.
tion are things not , any more
than a libel against a ival with a libel
against the State, and yet, these things were
identified. one Bill them all again.
A tax -- equally affect
and
connect ion
that union
dissolved.—
I government
protection of
1 also to carry
their senti-
society shall
or its rulers

with
is

is a
those

think

unfitted
should
established

some alteraiton
even of an
more then of

any

the writing°

against ministers, for this is in fact the whole ques-
tion, be more eagerly read and more easily circu-
lated than those in their defence, it is only a proof
that those ministers are not in possession of
public confident* (however the House of Com-
mons may vote,) and that a change of Councils
is called for and required.

But indecency and calumny,and falselitxxl,and all
those vices which work into the licentiousness of the
Press, are not confined to the cheap trash of Messrs.
T. Wooller, Carlile and Cobbett, and little is the
idea coma.* that the mischief should be stopped be-
cause it is placed within the grasp and addressed to
the capacities ti' the lower orders. We know nothing
which should authorize a man to administer poison
to a rich man rather than a poor one, or to labour
to excite by libellous and infamous productions,
though they may cost five shillings, odium and de-
testation of those who oppose a bad governtuent,
whilst those who support it are to be praised, en-
couraged and rewarded. There is tiir instance a
pamphlet, than which nothing more scurrilous, more
false, more libellous has firer several years issued
from the Press, now circulating in Norfolk;it is read
and swallowed by many as truth and treason, and
conies from the pen of a clergyman of theiestablished
Church. If it was in opposition to Government,
instead of being in support of it, the Attorney-
General would long since probably have felt it his
duty to settle his author. Nor can you say that
these things do no harm to society because they aro
only read by those who can detect their errors, and

~~

. . _
laws, and a Bill restricting the liberties of the 1
is now in progres ; and as the best remedy u
the present State Directors is taxation, this gr
this universal remedy, is to bt applied, and a
as we stated last week, is t imposed on all t
cheap journals which have most accessible
the public, upon the gro that they have
the principal vehicles toison which is
to hive infected society. we are no frit
as our 'readers well know, to impiety ton
God, or disobedience to Rul lawfully dischar
the high duties of their offi ut impiety and,
lion ate things not necessaril nected, any i
than a libel against a private individual with a
against the State, and yet, as if these things
identified. one Bill is supposed 'to cure them all al
A tax upon cheap publication's will equally I
good and 'bad, and if the fre of discussion
e
the prosrot:f knowledge'- e any mune
with pu : and public-. elfare, that tt
is here disci:tinted and as far ible dissolve
Further, also, we may observe tat all govern'
is a delegated trust, delegated' the protectia
those who live under it, and &It gated also to,
into effect their wishes, and ent their a
reit
ments and opinions. lithe bu • any society
think its government a bad tile, or its r
unfitted for their office, it is thole some alter
should be made in both. It is true even c
established religion itself, and obeli more the
any political minor meafures. If then the writ