The Sun.
London, England, 1801-06-06 00:00:00

TO BF. SOLO, OR. LETT,

(Irk the most airy and fashionable part of the Metropolis,
near Portland-place) • ,
BY PRI VATE.C.ONTRACT, with immediate Possession,
N E of • the most a:sirahle - and Com pie test
VV RESIDENCES - in. Loudon,- upon a small scale;
but the- Conveniencies and Accommodations, with the ek-
gam Furniture,ntiolc Pier Chimney Glasses, Mirrors, Draw-
ings,• Prints, &c. arc cepa! in proportion to the first Mansion
in the Kingdom. lti description, this singular situation
possesses all the total beauties of bOth Town and Country,
being so near. the, fields, you command the most-pleasing
views of the rich meadows to Hampstead, and the sur-
rounding Country, formed by Nature, with the various Plan-
tations and Cattle, exhibit.; a tzceite truly picturesque,
in the circle of rest' '4.ibi!:Ty. The House, Offices, and
every part of the Pic:,l',2s arc substantially built, under the
dirediun of an able Surveyor' and finished in a masterly
style of Workmanship, with Mahogany Sashes, and• P ate
C lass : and late in. the occupation of x genteel F.amily. The
whole has been recently repaired and tilted up in the present
taste, in a perlo state (d modern neatness, and amply sup-
glied with Waterfront the New River; and not iubjed to the
least inconveniencies whatever.'
May be viewed by Tickets 'only ; and further Particulars
14 application to Mr. Kimberley, • Surveyor of Estates, &c.
sec. No. 360, in Piccadilly.
N. B. None but., Principals need apply. All Letters (post-
paid) will be duly answered. The lowest price is fixed the
the House, Fixturesof every kited, Furniture, Clocks, Draw-
ings' Prints, Ate. &c. with possession at a day's notice. The
Ground Rent tritling. Rates and Takes are very moderate.

-This proposition, as well as an idea suggested by the Mar-
quis of •SLI o o, 91thepropriety of their Lordships coming to
a Resolution tocommunicate regularly all their Lordships
Printed Papers to the Commons, for their inlermation and
convenience, and on the ground that the Lower House would,
of cburse, be inclined to. a similar accommodation of. their
Lordships on their part, according to an usage of the late
Irish - Parliament, gave rise to _an explanatory conversation
between the LORD CHANCELLOR, Lord TRUZI ow, the
larquis 'of-Ur do, and his Noble Relation the Earl of Dv-
s A at, which terminated by the' adoption of Lord TH,LIR -
LOW's Motion, and the discharge of the Order for the second
reading of the Bill abovementioned,'which stood for this day,
it being understood; as-'we could colleet, that on a future day,
when the information moved for should . be• laid before the
House, the discussion Of the Bill shquld take place.
A few Bills were-then brought from the Commons, among
which was the AaxackomnY Pension Bill,' winch was read
a first time.
. A conversation ensued betiveen the Earl of Su F FOLK and
the Loki CHANCELLOR, in consequence of the former Peer
adverting to what had passed on a former evening respecting
Heron's Petition, which he said he should not have with-
drawn, had he known that the Indemnity Bill was intended.
He also seemed to express his intention of bringing forwaid,
in reference to' the measure alluded to, a Motion for an In-
quiry into .the state of certain Prisons. The Noble Earl was
called to order, in the course of his pbservations, by Lords
CArticART and WAtsitiounst.

The Bills upon the Table were then forwarded in their
several stages,; after which the House adjourned till Nlor.-
day.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
tRIDAY, JUNE 5.
Mr. ASEOT intimated to the House, that he had
,ig,ified to the Lords, i 4 concurrence its the Ad.

Mr. JEKYLL rose: he had hoped that as the
measure prOpoediby this Bill appeared to him
,to- be'
of the most UnpreCedented and unjustifiable nature, it
would not have been introduced, or been proposed to
be paSsed in so unprecedented and unusual a man;
'net, for surely there is at least something in tiie
nature of the Bill which requirei explanation ;
something' which calls for a cause to be shown
why it should be passed. He had expelled from
the ATTORNEY GENERAL, who introduced it, some
detail of circumstances in proof of its necessity
and some arguments to shew its justice and its
policy. • He had to regret, however, that his
Honourable and Learned Friend, seemednow to de
part, in praetiee, from the 'Constitutional panel's
pies which formerly he had expresSed, whioth, a
exPressed by him,, he had been in the habit of nth.
miring, and which he believed that in secret he Still
entertains. But it would seen that the robe of the
Office of ATTORNEY GENERAL has as powerful an
ORA on the principles of those who are invested
with it, as that which is mentioned in ancient story
is said to have produced on their, persons. It ha§
been said, that the Bill is founded on the Report of
a Committee which has been called Secret. But
What is this Report of this COmMittee of the Cori.
stitution, of which lie would say nothing sit pre.:.
sent, because it had .been already severely Cen.
cured; but' not more severely than justly anis
madverted upon,. of a Committee composed prin-
cipally of His Majesty's late Ministers ? All
the ground that is given in the Report for this
measure is, that these Ministers wish to be shelter-.
ed fiom being obliged to grant the redress which
every subject has.a right to claim for illegal oppress
sion sustained by him from their exercise- of the,
powers intrusted to theM. He wished' to know
how this measure, which they ,now recommend,
can be made to.consist with the reponsihility which
he had so often heard them profess, with that re_.
sponsibility which the Constitution of the Country
imposes On, all the Ministers of the Crown'? But, irt.
fad, according to the system Which has of late, years
is been held, responsibility aword Which he thought
ought to he' blotted oat from the Records of Pallas
ment. The I had once come~ to a Vote, that
the Influence of the Crown had increased, and ought
to be diminiShed.
,Would ally man prefend to says
that since that time, that Influence has not increased
to a much greater extent ; and can it be vietended,
that this Bill does not go to render' it dhrterst. un-
limited ? The: Report, taken altoge,her, appearel
to be merely a hash 'of old , materials coiloaed
from the History of the Irish Rebellion, 'made up
of quotations from the Prophet Ezekiel, aPti re,
ferenees to, and inferences from Prophecies
later dare.L.--It mentions ptaticulativ a tsntn of tire
name of Spence. He would not have mentioned him.
at present, had it mat been to recall to the mind
of his Hon. , Friend, the AITUPNEY
the scenes which took, place in the he-,t-n,
where he filed an Information against
madman. The Hon. Gentleman shakes his heL.',
if he thought that 'hc trni;.t wage was, not only' with
Bedlam, but witty tote' as id tn.,dne-:, with-
out method. . He -perfreliy *visa in tit:
language held by an Hon. Friend of his on a former
night, that this Bill is of a'ngture wholly uovd and

,
trforecedertd.' fhe'CuAttetz,ietx of the t%efit-
. Zuv.i. and the . ATTORNEY PiIaRAL contended,,
when it was intreiuced, that it was sanctioned by two
precedenti.; one, in Mt•passed in the year a 74.6, and
' the other an'Aet passed in 1780. They did not, how-
ever, attempt to shew how these precedents apply ;
in facl, they do not apply at all, The former was an
At to, indemnify those who had been concerned in
apprelie;lding and imprisoning persons suspeded of
being concerned in abetting, supporting, and further-
ing an aEtual Rebellion which had been raging in the
Country : in the latter case it 'is known that a
most dangerous And alarming insuereEtioti had ex-
isted in the City of London; threatening the safety
of Parliament itself, and every branch of Govern-
`,mei-a-. In, these cases Bills of Indemnity were
juStiiiable and even necessary. The present Bill
is' feunded on the Report of a Committee, which
asserts, in almost :direa terms, that the great mass
of.the People is discontented. He for his part, had
always, and would always assert that the great mass
of the people of England are loYal arid attached to the
Constitution ; but there may he discontents existing
attong them. en grounds perlealy legitimate, and he
eoiild not feel any surprize. ;rat the present moment,
when the Nation is wasted by a nine years ruinous,
ind as is co: tended on this.side of the House, un-
necessary War, when they are oppressed by taxes,
and by dearth, if some degree. of discontent pre.-
: vails. ~Such discontents, be contended to be legi-
timate, and to afford no 'ground for such a measure
as the present. Who, he weuld ask, arc the per-
sons who present to the House his humble Petition,
as it may he called, contained in the Report of the
Committee ? They are His Majesty's late Ministers,
• who composed that Committee, .and for whose se-
, entity the Bill is intended. He confessed it appeared
• to him rather humiliating for the late Chancellor
of the Exchever, who has accustomed himself to
language so high, td he redu6ed•so low. 'But they
have not only adopted the tane-of supplication ; they
'say in this Report, in their own justification, that
they hasde exercised the power vested in them with
great moderation; that they might have carried it
Bloch farther; that only about 30 persons have been
apprehended, and detained in virtue of this power,
• who at the end of three years close imprisonment
have been liberated, by the operatioe of the law of
the land. _Can this be the ground on which a
measure like the present is rested ? lie wondered
that the Attorney General did not farther move for
. the suspension of the law altogether, that he might
have been .enabled t', keep these men' in confinement
adpeepetuum, and thus prevent the possibility of their
seeking redress at all.. The Report farther adds, that
these persons were detained;ei titer on informations
on oath, or authentic documents, or other grave
and solid reasons. It ti:,nl to be the boast of the
constitution of this Country, that it had ,imposetk
so Many and strong securities on the Law of Trea-
seri. Bat even in a Cast: of felony, be would ask,
if any Magistrate would dare to Commit any person
without an accusation on Oath ? Xt appears, how.
ever, even on this Report, that persons have been
'•• committed andimprisorse for Treasonable Pradices,
without any 'information on Oath. Any person who
recolleEts the Trials at Maidstone, must be fully con-
vinced of this fa6.l.' On these Trials, the examina-
lions before, the Privy Council, or Commitment, were
never produced. Why ? Because they had not been
made on Oath ; and the Learned Judge who presided
at these trials, a Judge, whoSe name and knowledge
(Mr. Justice Buller) were revered by all who knew
him, complainz..,l of the non-produetion of these exa.
trmations. The Right Hon. Gentleman, the late
CHANCELLOR of the ExcnEQuQA, has in the Re-
. port confessed his guilt. It seems to be the fashion
with the Rt. Hon. Gentleman and his Friend (Mr.
DurlnXs) to plead guilti—but in this case he has
departed a little from his usual system.—He has
condescended to petition for a Bill of Indemnity,
to secure .himself from the punishment which the
Law would infiift on his conduit. Then look at
the Bill itself ; it is said that it is necessary and
just, because it is impossible for the late Ministers
to defend their conduit without revealing the source§

of their intelligence, which in honour they cannot
do. Gracious God! Is the open establishment and
- encouragement of a system of Spies and , Informers
to be avowed and countenanced by a British
Ho_use • of Commons ?, Is the _boasted Constitution
o this Countryat last to be reduced so low, as
not even to preserve the semblance of Freedom
The Petitions presented this night, by an Ho.
potirahle Baronet and himself, detailed most cruel
' • severities to which the Petitioners have- been
subjcaed. Not one of theM have been brOught
to trial, • and convicled, arid the wretch Aris, who
-was the instrument of ,infliCting them, he Was
astonished stoperceive, continues to receive the prb-
teetion of Government. How can this be justified
He confessed he htid 'expeaed a different condUit
from the present CH AN C ELLOR of the ExcHEQUEK,
on the grounds of his known suavity of disposition,
as well as of the professions he had made. He
would not say,. that the present Ministers are the
mere tools of their Predecessors, .but be would say,
that there is a wonderful conformity-. of sentiment
between them : and he could not help being a little
surprized at the zeal'of the present CHANC LLoit of
the Excup.our. it,. to support thiS Bill of Indemnity
to the late Ministers,'' which seems to be brought in
an,d hurried through,Merely fo,enable them to gain the
race they are running, with one of, the, persons they
have kept imeontirtement for three years, and who
happens'to be able to commence a prosecution agair.st
them. On 'these grounds he must oppose the Motion
for the Speaker's leaving the Char. He had only
to remark farther, that the late CH ANC ELT.OR of
the ENCHEQUEK had not left his high situation in'
high way as from • his high mind might have
beeri expeetcd., He understood that he either ac ual-
ly held; or was in expeetation of holding a sinecure
office to the amount of 70001. a year. HoWever
this Bill might be disposed of, he would iMplore
the House to consider well before they made a pre .
cedent destructive of the liberty of the Subjea,
because taking away all responsibility from the
;Ministers of the Crown.
Mr. II iIIVK INS B ROIP-Ar expressed his asto.
nishmeor at many of the positicus laid down by the
1-106, and Learned Gentleman. He seemed to think
that the sentiments of the People could not he made
known except they were allowed to hold secret and
seditious Meetings fOr the purpose of declaring them.

This position required no refutation : for it is clear. "
that no law has been passed to prohibit meetings for ,
any legal and ,constitutional expression of their
sentiments, and sentiments of any other kind ought
ever to be repressed. Another of the Hon. Gentle-
,
man's positions was, that the Committee, on whose
Report this measure is founded, was composed
solely of the late Ministers, whom he represented as
.having in that Report humbly petitioned for this .
Bill on their own behalf., :But 'it requires but very
little knowledge of The Members of the Committee,
One of whom he had the honour to be, to know that
it was mat solely composed of the late Ministers.
He added, however, that the present Ministers
have adopted all the principles of their predecessors.
It is nota new thing, in the History of the Coun-
try, that there May be a change of men. without a
change of principles. Sikh a change took place in
the reign of George the First, when the men were
changed, but the same Whig Principles and attach-
ment of the Family of Hanover, continued to ditf'.;.
the measures of dovertunent. He hoped that ti.e
'present Ministers would be as true to the principles
of their predecessors as the Earl of Sutherland's Ad-
ministration were to those of their predecessors in
the time of George the First, aod the more closely
they adhere to these principles, the more deserving
would he esteem them, and the more he was con.
vinced will they obtain the confidence, and aporo-
bation cif the. Country. As to what die tion and
Learned Gentleman has said respetting the. system
of Spies and Informers, he confessed that it had ex-
cited his astonishment. If a person learns - by
any means of a Conspiracy, it' certainly is his
duty to make it known.; but his seculity, and
perhaps the future security of the State, may
require that secrecy shall he preserved as, to the
sources of the information received. He should
be sorry that greater severities should be exercised
under the powers granted to Government by the
Suspension of the Habeas Corpus than are absolutely
necessary ; but no proof of suchTseVerities having
been exercised is given, and be was convinced that
this and other temporary restraints On .the Liberty
of rho Subjea which have been enaaed, have been,
and will be, the means of saving the Constitotioii
and the Liberties of the Country entire, when,
Peace shall allow these restraints' to be taken off.
Sir WM. ELFORD replied to the two -objee.
dons which the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. JaityLL)
had made to this Bill. The first was preliminary,
founded on the source from which it originated, be-
ing
recommended by a Committee, some of the
Members of which were persons for whose proteetion
it is intended. He allowed it to be true, that if the
Bill ought, to be considered as 'a matter oft favour, it
would have, come more strongly recommended from
per Sons not so interested ; but he contended,. that
it was merely an ad of justice. The other objec-
tion was to the principle of the measure ; but he was
clearly of opinion, and he was unbiasSed , by all
Party-connettion, that these measures have. saved
the Country; and that' the authors of them ought
not only to be protetied, but to receive the thanks
of the Nation. For his own part, he never could
feel any other sentiment towards, them than gram- ,
tude. As to the present Ministers, he had, the ho.
nour of being personally acquainted with some of
them: he adMired their talents, their worth, their
honour, their integrity, and their Constitutional
Principles. Some of them he did not know peiso,
rally, but their charafters were such as to command
his confidence. He concluded with expressing his
hearty approbation of the Bill/ - '
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT expressed himself
happy to hear that the Bill .was not intended to co.
vet cruelties from redress, or unnecessary severities
exercised under the powers granted.by the Suspen-
sion of the Habeas Corpus, though -the language of
the Billseetned to him to convey such an intention.
'phis, however, was not the stage. in which this al.
terarion of 'language, if 'necessary, ought to be
made, and therefore he. would not now dwell upon
it. It is said that this Bill' is founded on a Report
of a Committee, which, in his opioion, would with
greater propriety be stiled a Pamphlet, as it is no.
thing more nor less than a long and laboUred de-
fence of the conduit of His Majesty's late Mini-
sters. So far as it regards England, it consists of
declamation respeaing 'the wishes of the People ;
of interpretation ' of prophecies, . and similar
statements, which are all resolved into trea-
sonable praftices. But as to proofs or fats, for
his part lie could. find .• none in :it. . At one place
it represents the People as wishing for Peace, that
an end may be put to the restraints- on their
meetings for the t'urtherance. of their treasonable
intentions. At'anather it represents the wishes of
the Conspirators to be' for the continuance of the I
War, as a means of rousing
,the whole body of the
nation to insurrection and tumult. He should like
to hear these statements reconciled. ;At one place
the Report recommends a Bill of Indemnity. ~to •'
'those who have -been concerned in apprehend-
ing and detaining.persons under the suspension of the
Habeas Corpus, certainly under the idea that they
have, gled criminally—but at another, place irrepre..
sents the condad of these men as highly meritorious.
He doubted very much if the ATTORNEY-GENERAL
who introduced, or the Committee which recom.
• mended the Bill, had sufficiently examined the con_
duet of the late Ministers in the exercise of the
powers entrusted to them ;.---the Bill he certainly
would oppose in every stage.' . '
Col. MARTIN contended that this Bill, so far
from.being a Bill 'of Indemnity to the late Midi-
, sters, is one that they more than any, other persons
have a right to complain of, and that if there is any
thing wrong in it, it is merely:a misnotrier. He was
strenuous for going into a Cotionittee on the Bill.
Mr. GREY said, if any thing could add .to his
• feelings
Boiltl', regretthem faonrnethreinmvanhniceirt- iiiti
i tttathdicbbeetnhiisnßttioll,
had been introduced, and the principles which it
contained, it was that Gentlemen- on the Opposite
side' of the:House should think it unnecessary to'
produce any precedents or arguthents beyond bare
assertions, for a measure . new and unprecedented in
the Annals of the British History, and unknown to
the British Constitution. He hoped 'to be able to
prove, that it deserves the'Epithets which he had
applied to it. Whether-he considered'ahe principle
of
dUced, or the arguments by which it had' been- s-up-
-1 ported, he could feel nothing but (he would not
say aStonishaient, for- the measures of liite yeaks

had been of so extraordinary a -,nature, that no
measure that could lie produced,. could now ex_
cite his astonishment) but the liveli&t regret.—
What is the principle of the Bill,? Is it not that
His Majesty's late Ministers have been guilty of,
high crimes against the Law and the Constitution
of the Country, and that they are to be indemnified
for these crimes, and secured against the redress
wh i elt the Law would grant to those: ...whoul—thuy..
have oppressed ? In his opinion the Bill ought to
he intitled a Bill for the protedion and better-en-
couragement of Secret Accusers.• He would-iikrtri
that this is the first 'case_ in the
pistory of the
English Constitution that stich men .shOUld
be -proposed to be openly proteeted and en.
encouraged. He called for any precedent of such a
measure. He defied, the supporters of this Bill to
prOduce any from the History of this• Country for
such a detestable measure. He had a right.to call it
lere,t,+l~le till it shall.have passed threugh the House.
He would, however, give to the Right Hon. Gen.
tletnnn for whose security this Bill is- intended,'a
precedent in its favour, if he should chuse to adopt
The history of it is given in the Annals of
Tacifus, and it occurred in, the reign of Tiberius.,
The words of the Historian are,
" Et quia Cornutus,- sua manu ceeiderat, a6tum de prae-
Miis accusatorirm 'abolendis, si quis majestatis, poizulatus,
ante perteclum judicium se ipse vita privavisset : ibaturquein
earn sententiam, ni durius contraque moron suum palant pro
at;cusatoribus exsar, invitas leges, !temp. in przecipiti con-
esset ; tubvertetent sotius jura, quam eustodes
amoverent."

Nlhat-is the remark of the historian upon this
conduti, and upon the charatter of these secret ac.
cusers :

" Sic delatorcs, genus hernia= public° exitio reperturn,
et pwnis quidem nur•.clua:n satin coerettum, per pramia
Ciebmtur."

Sach a system' must tend to the ruin of all publiC
justice. Montesquieu has observed, that a Govern-
ment conduaed by Spies and Informers might be
tolerated if contlueled by honest men ; but the ne-
cessary infamy of the accuser must destroy all con.
fidence in it. Had these principles been stated and
supported on such authorities in former times, the
consent of the,House would have immediately result.
ed. But in these times it is necessary to defend the
clearest and the best ascertained principles, to 'have
recourse to the principles of the Constitution, and
to argue from their in support of those Which, result
necessarily from them. It had been justly said by
his Hon. and Learned Frie6d who so ably opened
this Debate, that this measure is a diral violation
of the principles of the Constitution, so far as they
regard the administration of Justice. . He• would
Ask, what it is that has rendered the-administration
of- Justice in this Country so much the ()Ned of
admiration ? It is because it is administered foribi,T
aperlis ;.because the accuser can be confronted bY
:he accused because the accused it before trial
made acquainted with the charges against 'him, and,
with the persons-by whom they are adduced: But
this is not the principle of this. Bill, for- ifs object
is to indemnify those who have' .aaid-in diria
opposition. to this
,principle. He may, be accused
of seferring to old maxims, but different as may
have. been the pfa4ice of late years from .the
spirit of these maxims, he knew and Vvas confident
that they are the Spirit of the Constitution. --
The great obje6t is- to'secure the greatest degree of
goad. to the Governed, and this can only be done
by striking a balance between the eyili-and the ad_
vantages of one system and another, and surely it
is better to allow one, or even a' htindred:Delin-
quents to -eseape, than to vest in. the EXectitive
Power the authority to. punish all_ whom it may
chose to punish, .whether innocent or guilty, by
enhabling, it to confine them for . any unlimited
time; without being obliged at all to bring them
to trial. Now let the circumstances be considered,.
in which these abitrary powers -were granted to
Gover'nment. There reigned the greatest inter.
nal tranquillity, and there was no external invasion.
For what`pur.pose. was the Habeas Corpus suspend.
ed ? Was it, as, the term suspension seems to denote,
to withhold for a time,, for the general good, a part
of the privileges of the 'sublet from those who
were suspeaed :of conspiring against the general
safety, or was it as the prilstnt measure would in-
dicate; to destroy theSe privileges forever, by de-
priving the Subject of the redress for unjust. oppres-
sion which the Law and the Constitution authorise
them to. claim ?

What was the argument for the Suspension of the
Habeas Corpus? Andupon whatwas it that those who
queAioned the propriety ofthat measure were called
on tb rely ?' It was argued against the measure, that
it eras unjust to deprive the People of so 'great_ a
portion of their liberties, 'and that there was A don-.
ger of the power vested in Ministers being abused.
It was replied that the measure was.necessaryi and
theresponsibility of Ministers was i s red oii.as
curity for their not abusing the power vested in them.
Now when they have had this power for eight
years, when they are ashamed of detaining • their.
Prisoners any longer, when they are called' on for
their responsibility, when the day of retribution
arrives, these Gentlemen, who are so bold io thal,
lenge charges to be adduced against them, seek to
shelter themselves behind an A& of Indemnity.—
But it has been said that this is- an •afe of justice,
and the House is told to consider what is due to
the late Ministers ; but what is due to these miserable
men, who hive suffered the greatest hardships and
cruelties during an imprisonment of three years, and
in one case of six years, is entirely'kept out of
view. If these men are guilty, what is to be feared from
them ? If nor guilty, then he would retort the ap-
peal to the justice of the case. Mr. GREY next
contended that the measure is as impolitic as un-
just, because if power is so exercised, it must in-
crease, not allay. discontents. He believed that
the Bill would put an end to all responsibility of
Ministers. They have of late 4-alked much of that
responsibility. He wished the House were more
ready to enforce it on them, and that it were
less disposed to relieve them from it.
He then took up the subjea of the Precedents, as
they had been said to apply to the case now betore
the House, and contended, that not one of them
went the length to which this was now proposed to
he carried. That of the case of the riots in the
year z 780, commonly called Lord George Gordon's
Mob, had' committed excesses which endangered the
safety of the Metropolis, upon which occasion Ma-
giStratei adedin order to repress the outrages that

. • .
,iiretect!l aibnotistLoc-berec,ompeamsititneda; and in so doing ti,ty
Y which
Which is Made for the ordinary affairs
aafrair-s o
not justify,; but the necessity of the case did Os
flit t'eh,e' '
s#l4o:ittVi
j
tify their proceedings, and therefore a liiß of In.
demnity was pissed, to
.proteft those Magistrates
against the legal .consequences that might have takes
phee, in some instances, if anions had been brought
assalnst _thous, but jovas to them, and to. them along
.1:e Bill of Indemnity was extended : it was notapi
plied to the higher Officers of State, who had ailed
upon delibetationupon that occasion—So again, in
the instances which had been formerly stated, of
the, Bills of Indemnity which had passed in the
years t 716 and
.174.6, the two' years subsequent to
two- Rebellions. in, this Country ; these AtSts were
to indemnify those. who had abed in a mannet
which the Law could' not justify, but which the
necessity of the case, required, for the safety of the
Public ; and that was the only foundation of alb the
Bills of Indemnity which were to he found in the
whble.,of the History of this Country. But there
was no; instance,. in which any. body of men had
heensindemnified.for aas which were stared, not to
be eoritrary to Law, but. the disclosure of which
eire
instance, I
of
was - dangerous to the Public, but which war
the Llelii.obreraltiloisn..mTailmetstly7,S, the. rase in
this
Indemnity, had -ae.acted,sters, who, he contended, were the -11e:11.eling
jefts of this Bill of - i\itli:
cast, upon most • mature deliberNion; mid after
repeated warning'too,of the evil the); were creating.
—in.a word, he.contended, that Bills of InderatlitY
were to be granted only to those who had oil a sud-
den, for the Public Safety, acted in a . way which
the Law would not justify: ; but never to those who
imvaosredoensepe‘civiiasllyn.ostin this
adlesi deliberately and upon advice and authmity,
which was the case in this. instance, , and that the
icnocentriatry*tos
came to this trial, the Bill of Indemnity tv,45, onilY.
part of a system by which prosecutions were to oe
'contended
Law._\\lti
wctien,iinisr
el.
carried on against individuals, upon .seeret intfloierntn:itt-
tions; While the Executive Government of this
fairer to' say at - once, that we should he
Country was pleased to have it so.—He thought it
form of Law which subjated us to the Inquisition
yli,at what
of Venice—that -.he Safety of the State and the
_
Freedom of the bidividual were incompatible tt'it"
each:other—that the ,clanger of popular commotion
is such, that individual liberty- is to be sacrified for
the. preservation of. the State—that we must pro.
tel the power of the State, even although it aIY
riOt
iii.sonie cases oppress innocence (and lie bad a
!alder A
to say, the case,had been so ;in , every 'instance in
which any one .was accused, who had not been "e"
tually conyiaect,- upon the general Principle, that
every one must be iireitune&to-KS-infiatetit until he
was proved to be suilty•--:-that in short, we unto use
VtoteCt,Power-against.lnnOcence; but nor InnOesoce
against Power. ' Here- he. entered into gebersl ob-
servations upon the probable effett of corruption!?
the.principles, or- heedlessness' In the; Ads of t,tl,e.
Legislative Body, especially as they affecled ,t'l
Principles of Public Freedom, and quoted then 0.""...*
city 'of MosiTssososi au, to shew that our Co,t',,ta",,
tion must perish whenever the .Legislative Body .s.• :
bperees7de
t. 6
every
gmr.
toehraiettacpoeprxrrctnelpliettn
sttiih:eannsttltii,lll:ert
eks%;v:::: toite.
le)
0;1 i:rrliea.r,:
'sl).iill'enee #
g
upookprinciple which led ter ab'solote
cesses,.
,which .were evils he admitted, 'ail :Jed,- .
wereorher evils that were equally to be ir''', ~!e
and it was a thing .to be lamented, tIPC in zl'e 'ir.
.
s„,. st the
course of the late and present Administration, ill'''',..'
ed as they were for so many Pr9ViSitMS "61 ill
os 0
Frec49FreedomoE,ctie_subwt, there was not one mof
adopted by Parliament, against the proceeditigs
the. Executive Gov. . , ,
'Mr. WlNDHAMernment and the ArroiNsy_Gsg,r°'
rose— .
The SPEAKER having Observed Mr. WisPl,4'l4
first, /called on him. •bat he
Air. WINDHAM proceeded to say, t 0 .
should. with pleasure give way to his Loll
~ for
Friend, who had better claims upon the 1-I°us',,s of
attention than he had, but that he ~.lees desil° va„
taking immediate notice of sonic of the 01.)'!'i,,,t
tons of the Hop.'
,Gentleni;n who. had Pis',
...,1_
.down, most of which,,although in themselves g,:(70:6
were answered without much difficulty, _l(..c_"tie,
they were• of a. general nature. The Non. 1-',,,,;.,4
man who had just sat down had arranged his sylsitib,
,under three heads : th
-the Manner in which theis men,
,
.jea was broughtforward--the principle' of
,oi,t,
slire--and the arguments by which it was 5531/iOTCC
q. Agreeably, to this distribution of his awnedit,
and .the force of hiss enemy, as he had arrangt:bielt
and having the order .of his own battle, IV. Iciple
he had. opposed,' aegument to argument*, ir
tire, sl,
to principle, and manner to Planner, an hiss tbe
fence of his Honourable Friends bei°',, are
1-
Honourable •Geritleniiii had . treated as: 1i a con-
ni,eirrirta,biae degree;ndon'w(h)fieshoichme.niitt)ad,
asspoilsfei'lve On:twb4eo4
0#35
si
certainly master of his 'own force, had witis
Note
as most material in the distribution. matter, lie
resped:.toSthe manner of conthiging thii rie
must observe upon-the silence of his Plor''.,,mcs 10'
,I)elo him, which the Hon. Gentleman 3t,r- ;is be
consider as the charafteristie, of rniseoin'th' see
'could not agree in that conclusion, aia 11'
nor ,100
.
the impropriety of his 'Friends waiting fo"lrthor
to be urged against them before they ()er
)0,4014.
selves to the notice of the House, eels} thatsiat froill'
A ' Oli.
ansWers, 'if any were necessary', should c AO, ""'
those who stood more distindly than theY,_oo, sts
were accused to stand, and leave it to such P',l-.0014
deliver their sentiments rather than come
_1,,.. dist,'
themselves. Upon that. subject he must obse7.lsoses
in general, if Ministers were called upon
~„ f4",oidy
two points, the' information upon which ';!'s ssos
lely. they ' of
in their own possession, or if not so vo,j;
sessed more of it than others s tile gr° „ 0)14
-,er..,
argument csf the side .by which they %,,.
otio
sapported, thould be state by. them, to l rim
but the Pr' 1 itit
in a situation to argue upon them; ,d 10 1
on:which this measure wad founded, seems lye
‘ to
were Mini-ders particularly called 'uoon e..., were
to be equally open to all the House to tlisciss'ob?te
the lien. Gent.. With any 01),er:3:isms:
17104
not in a state in which it was ilCiT;S:1111 E°o :aiest
attemptS at /eh car se.; they Were .‘-CIS.' he 000'
Gentleman would draw froin the silen - v
foe others ; what isilertnice. therefareic:l4-tbtst