The Sun.
London, England, 1801-05-28 00:00:00

MARTiAL LAW 114

From every consideration this appeared to ht
the best course to steer. The last Irish Par-
Hamm had, by their Martial LMV
vided for the immediate security of Ireland, under
the pressure of dangerous ,circumstances in which
that country was at that Hale placed; they hacl
also made provision to refer it to the Imperial
Patliament to consider what steps ought to be
ultimately taken ; but even then, so convincing
were the arguments used for the original ac',op_
tion of this measure, and such the nature. of the
fads stated, that it was easy to,perceive it Would
be necessary to continue this A& for a longer time.
By this second Report respeding, the state of Ire 4
land, down to the latest period; it was shewn that
the same disturbance's had continued, or rather in..
creased, that the same spirit of dialficafol,, :Inti the'
same system of terror were indulged, and that the
flame of rebellion remained unquenched: The only
way to counteta& that terror, Wag to pro-vide for
the prompt administration Of jtistice by the coati.
nuance of Martial Law. Mr. Aptsot coneludecl
with moving for leave to briu in a Bill to cotinue,
r foe .a time to be limited, the said Ad.

•,

Mr. WHITE READ said, when the Bill was
first introduced he had given it the most decided
opposition. The Right Hon. Gentleman had stated
that matters were in a worse state than when the
Bill had first passed that House. Now, during the.
whole of this period, Martial Law had been conti-
nued,* which sufficiently sheaved the inefficacy of
this'measure. If it tended to prevent rebellion in
the field, it consolidated the principles which would-
occasion it to burst forth, and made the People ready
to join in any invasion of the Enemy.; but such a
system could never tend 'to the security of the
Country. - This could only be done by re-tracing
all the steps which had tended to the ruin of Ireland.
Mr. 1. H. BROWNE declared his opinion,that
the appOintment of Martial Law had contributed
touch to the security of Ireland, He acknowledged
with the Hon. Gentleman, that Peace was dne of
the great Blessings to which they were led to look
for securing the tranquillity of Ireland, but in the
mean time, other measures were also necessary—
such was the one now proposed—it was putting the
axe to the 'root of that evil system of tetior which
prevailed there, nor did he see arty other way of.
bringing the ringleaders of that conspiracy to
justice.
'Mr. O'HARA was of opinion that Ireland was
now in a very different Situation than when this
Law was first made. Then, a Committee of Con-
spiratori aatially sat at Dublin, where the disaffec-
tabn raged, ; , but at present Ireland wore the face
.of
peace and agricultural' pursuits ; disaffeaioo was.
confined to a very few-counties, nor-could local dis-
turbances he adduced in proof of a general spirit of
revolt. The provinces of-Connaught and Munster
were in perfeft Peace, with an exception of two
counties—with an exception of four or five counties
throughout the whole Kingdom, Ireland was pro-
• fessedly in a state of Peace. He wished'the Corn-
mittee had:referred to the Judges of Ireland they
would have stated that they found no difficulty in
executing the Laws, not even in the provinces of
Leinster and Ulster. He thought it would have
been better to have empowered the LORo LIEU-
TENANT to take up suspicious persons-in cases of
necessity.
Sir F. BURDE7T was of opinion, from the
statement of the Report of the Committee, that the
Martial Law Bill had produCed no good effdl.
Sir R. B:UA:1-0N- quoted part of the Report;"
to prove thAt the 'Committee was convinced the
Martial liativ Bill had had a very good eft-ea, and
recommended this measure to be continued.
Sir
.7. PARNELL said, if it were necessary
that the-Ordinary course of Law should-be suspend-
ed, he wished it, might be only for a short period,
at the same time he rather wished- for the adoption
of conciliatory measures. He wished also that the
Report of the Committee had stated the whole of
the situation of Ireland : in that case the state of
Leland would rather appear to haVe: been a state of
despondency, distress,.and suffering. In such a state
itAvas certainly no easy matter to reconcile that
Country to its Government. The migrations from
Ireland, in consequence of this spirit of despondency,
were incalculable; He thought it would have been
Newt, - if the• Committee had sliewn that its attention
Was turned to the real interests of Ireland, as a
means of conciliating it. Nor did it appear, from
the Repoi4i, that the best• means had been taken to
establiSh -the fad, that the ordinary Courts of Jus-
tice had been impeded for want of The attendance of
Evidence ; inquities•on this subjea had been made
of Courts 'Martial and Military Officers, instead of
applying to the jildgeS Of the Land. He:did not -see
wherein the prudence of the Committee consisted,
in concealing where rebellion and disaffdtion pre-
vailed, but he thought it vLry imprudent to have
. stated, that the Landed Interest of Ireland had sent.
a person accredited to France, with a vie w.,of con-.
netting themselves .With that Country. Whoever
made that assertion, he would venture to say, was
totally ignorant-of Itetand, for he would bear testi-
mony, that there. lid tacit exist a mole loyal body of
Men, than what composed -the Landed Interest of
Ireland ' they were the most attached. Of any to
Great Britain, and had generally been led' to look
to a connection with this Country, for the security
of their property. The Report Only. mentioned
Courts Martial in the course of the year, a number
so 'small as to afford no proof of general disafreaion ;
nor ought the unqualified assertion of Military Of- ,
fieers, in favour of'the mode of Courts' Martial,: to
be regarded, at a tine when. z9'Counties were per--
fdtly tratiquil; He thought that the situation of
Ireland, even from that Report, was better now-
' than it had been. -Instepd .of continuing au govern
Ireland by. poWer, some substantial measures ought
to he take!), consulting her foclinis, and she Wing a
real attention to her interests, by increAsing her
Agriculture,. and ,by sheaving that: the- Imperial Par-
liament was as- anxious to promote 'the
,),yelfare of
that Country as of this.
. Mr. LEIGH saiLl,, it was true that an iodividaal
had presumed to state to the French Rulers the sen.
timents th,-7,nwri of properly in Ireland, but he
did not, believe that person Was accredited by their,
fOr no 1304 of men were more loyal, and had they
not stood inthe.gap at the risk of every thing dear
to them, Ireland Would probably 'have been lost, and
they thenielves Might Lave been fugitives'thiatigh
the countries of Europe.. He was at a loss to know
What-those soothing lied conciliatory 'mehttures were
to which the Flop. Baronet referred. With regard
to the establishment of, Courts. Martial, thin was
necessary To give security to the: lives'and property
of witnesses, &c. ; rot that this was a better mode
in itself, but it had been found more effedUal under
existing 'Circumstances for the prompt administra-
don of Justice. He defended the Report of the COm-
triittee, as cxacily corresponding to the, statements
which had been made by different Irish Members
in the House. The plans of the disaffetted inlreland
were now carried on with more secrecy than fnrmerly,
under the direetion of an Executive Committee, who
did not entrust the mass of the people with the secret.;
and in proportion as the chance of finding out evi-
dence. to convict was greater now, so the schemes of
the clisaffitted were mare dangerous. He stated se-
veral circumstances of late assassinations, .inc nsist-.
ed, that h: d it not been for the proteelion which-the
Martial law had afforded to witnesses, thP Judges
se( uld cot haVe been able to exercise: gate, einent.
Sir W. G. NVITOME.IV,. declared, that the

Country of Ireland was in a very deplorable state,
and could only be savedhy such a Bill as the present ;.
and if it werelibt fof the -Martial. Law.now exist =
ing, he was persuadetl that ten times the number of
Judges would- not be able to do their duty in Ireland.
He had the- fullest convietion that if the Bill did
not pass that Country was'undone.
Mr. jONES said, that from the concurrent state.
ments.` of Gentlemen from Ireland-he-wns• inclined
to vote for the Bill, but he wished to know whether
any application had been made to the Judges of
Ireland to know from them the state of that Country.

Sir J. PARNEI.L explained.
Mr. G. OGLE said there could he no doubt but
that 'lreland at the present moment wanted this
Law ; it was demanded from a regard- to the Lives
and Property of all the Landed Men of that Coun-
try. A spirit of disaffeaion and insurrection per-
vaded the whole land, which would lead to open
'Rebellion if opportunity offered. He mentioned a
late transaaion. A Committee of Conspirators
had been seized in Dublin ; the Pi lure of the
First Consul 'was hung over the President's head,
and various Paper's had been taken. There were
also Emissaries of: the dissaffeaed in Ireland now
in this Country ; an Irish Direaory was aaually
sitting at Paris, who held a constant Correspond-
ence with another Committee sitting at Hamburgh.
Emissaries from England and Ireland were also.sent
to Hamburgh, who again carried on a Correspond-
ence with the Committee in, Dublin, and when any
news favourable to their wishes transpired, it was
immediately seat to the distant counties, sometimes
two or three days sooner than the Government in-
formation arrived. He begged therefore that Eng-
lish Gentlemen :who .thought themselves so secure
would take care of themselves, and remember that
an adder was sometimes found even upon a. v iolet
bank.
• Colonel COOTE'declared this. Bill was' absolutely
necessary, in order. to grapple with the. disaffeaed,
.and to mar their projects. He -then *proceeded to
an eulogium on the: Administration .of the Marquis
CoRN*ALL, whose condua and. vigilance deserved
.the applause and gratitude of Ireland.
~ Mr. ALEXAN R expressed his surprize that
'the Hon, Baronet (Sir J. PARNeLL) had called that
,the despondency of Ireland,.lwhich more properly
'was the despondency of the Traitors of Ireland, but
not ,the.despondencrof the Gentlemen, Yeomanry,
and Militia of . Ireland. He thought also that it
.was of a mischievous tendency for the Hon. Baronet
to.talk of altering the situation of the Lower Or-
derS in Ireland,: without stating what it was: -he
would have done for them.- He would ask, whe-
ther sums of money had -not been voted for encou-
raging and promoting the Agriculture and Manufac-
tures of that Country ?
•The Question was then put and carried; .that
leave be given to bring in a Bill to continue for a
dine to be limited the A for establishing Martial,
Law in Ireland.
INDEMNITY BILL.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said, it was an
•a& of immediate justice which the Country owed to
those persons who were' plaCed in arduous and re-
sponsible situations,, and who were called upon in.
the discharge of their duty, to order or execute pe-
rilous but
,salutary measures, in the apprehension,ol.
Persons pursuing treasonable praaices, to give them
that indemnity which.the. ordinary forms of law
could not afford them. SUch was the nature of the
situation in which they were placed, that' they could
not disclose the grounds that required them to ati in
some instances, upon ..some'what less precise evi-
dence than. what was requisite in legal proceed-
ings. He proposed, that the extent of this indem-
nity should he large, ample, and extensive ; that
it'should enable all persons liable to. be implead_
eti for apprehending persons suspe&ed of trea-
Sonable pratlicesi to plead in evidence upon the ge-
neral issue, and 'to stay proceedings upon application
of Judgment, as in cases where Judgment was given,
to. stay the execution thereof.' HAS Majesty's Mi_
• nisters, during the Suspension of the Habeas Cor-
pus Aft, had been necessarily entrusted with a
discretionary power, and, it was not fit that they
should, be 'left exposed•to any legal attack, more
especially as he believed rhe could assert, that not
one of those.persons who .had been .for a. moment
deprived of their liberty, but who had been found in
circumstances by which. it ,appeared.that they had
:been rightly .so . deprived ; but even: suppbSing
there were.any exCeptions, the inconvenience sus-
rained .was unavoidable, when it became necessary
,that means should be taken for the prote&ion of
the Country. Sir. ED Witith said that what he
proposed was, with the permiision of the House,:
to bring, in a Bill as tomorrow, and move that
it be printed; then •to move the second...reading
op TueSday next. He then moved for leave to
bring in a Bill for indemnifying' such persons as.
have acted from. the ist of February, 1793, in the
• apprehension, imprisonment, or detention in prison
of persons suspected of High Treason or of Trea.
.sonable Pra&ices. .

Mr: GREY said, that although he was not bound
to adopt the plan which the Learned Gentlethan had
laid 'clown for discussing this
.measure, yet .as it
would perhaps be more convenient to discuss the
IBM on the second reading, he should reserve what-
ever objedions he had to the Bill till that °ppm.-
. tunity. He' could not however avoid in the pre.
sent instance stating, that the, explanation which
the Learned Gentleman had given of . his motives
for bringing. in the Bill, did not satisfy him. He
had merely stated its general objet; but as it had
bet escaped the observation of the Learned Gentle-
man that this measure might in some cases be one of
extreme oppression,' he-Was surprized that he had
not staled some precedent for it. in 'the case of the
Suspension of, the Habeas 'Corpus, the persons in
Government then exercised their power, subjea to
• • their responsibility, and though' they had as good
reason to obtain proteaion as.-the late or the pre;
sent Administration, he did trot recollect that any
measure of this kind was ..proposed. He might be
mistaken. in supposing there were 'no precedents for
such a sill, but if there were any, he should, have
been glad to have heard them stated. He thought
it 'there were .no-1 recedents for this ;measure,. it was
incumbent upon the Lekrned GentleMati to thew
whit were the particular circumstances Of the case
that .rendete&.suekailiili necessary. Ile.would, as
he beforii stated, reserve himself for the second read-

ing of the Bill; but it really appeared to him to 11.?
one more inconsistent with the spirit of the Consti-
tution, than any measure which had been proposed
fur the last six years.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL rose to state,
for the information of the Hon. Gentleman, that
after the great. Rebellion, viz. 1746, there was an
Ad passed similar to the one now proposed ; there
was also one in- -178 or -though not so extensive in
its provisions as the one he had now the honour of
proposing. These-Aets were certainly the ground_
work of the present-Bill; though he had not con-
fined himself to copy the -stria words, where he
.thought that others could be introduced more el.
.feattal for the objet in view.
41C/-/DAE said, he merely rose in con-
sequence of an,Hon. Gentleman having stated, that
there was no precedent for a measure of this kind.
Two precedents had been stated, and in addition he
begged leave to read the opinion of Lord &Ali RS.
[The Hon. Member theit read an Extraa of the opinion of
Lord SOMERS in favour of a Measure of this nature.]

Sir F. BURDETT opposed the motion. •
Mr. TIERNEY concurred with his Hon. Friend
in thinking that it would be more convenient to re-
serve the discussion of the Bill till the second read-
ing, therefore he should not enter into the question
at present, but hetwished to know how it came to .
be recommended by this Committee of Secrecy. It
seemed to him rather singular, that the persons who
as Members of 'the Committee recommended, the
nieasure, were those (at least some of them) who
would derive the benefit of the at of Indemnity,—
This—would certainly have a strange appearance -
upon the Journals, and he could not but think that
`the suggestion upon which this Bill was founded,
came from' an improper source. If it had been
known when this Committee-was appointed, that they
would have felt themselves authorised to take ,this
subjeft- into • their consideration, they Would not
have been so appointed. It would be recollected,
'chat upon former occasions, when it was proposed..
co suspend the Habeas Corpus, Ministers had been.
interrogated upon the subjea of a Bill of In.
demnity, but the then ATTORNEY GENERAL( Sir J.
SCOTT) contended that it was unnecessary, because
,they were ading in conformity to the ,
of the Land. He confessed that he thought. Mini-
-sters Would have aded
.more.constitutionally and
more manfully, if they had adopted a very different
line of conduit. The present rn,asure, in his opi-
'nian, gave something like a sandion to an idea
:which was entertained by some persons, that there
was a kind of juggle between the present Ministers
and those 'who had preceded them in office ; he dared
to say there was no foundation for such-an insinu-
ation, but wicked people out of dobrs did circu-
late it; and the present proceeding did in some de-
gree seem to justify it. Upon these grounds, with-
out at present entering into the merits of the pro-
posed Bill., he could not but think that this question
should be referred to the consideration of another
• Committee differently constituted.
Mr. PITT said, that as it seemed to be gene-
rally admitted that this was not the proper stage
•for discussing the merits of this Bill, heshould de-
tain the House but for a few moments. . As to the
insinuations of wicked men Which the Hon. Gentle.
Man had alluded to, but which he had said he did not
adopt, he (Mr. PITT) should take no -noticeof therm:
until they were adopted and stated by. some .Meal-
ber of that House. He rose only to make an obser-
vation upon one or two points in which he conceiv-
ed the Hon. Gentle Man to' have been completely
mistaken.—ln the first place, with resped to the
opinion which he supposed a late ATTORNEY GENE-
RAL (Sir J. Scott) had given, that there was no
occasion for a Bill of Indemnity because they were
acing legally ; he believed the Hon. Gentleman was
not corred in ,his recolledion of that circumstance.
The opinion of that Learned Gentleman was indeed
asked upon the subjed, but he did not think it his
duty, as ATTORNEY GRNERAL, to state upon suppoi-
cd cases, how he should advise Ministers to exercise'
a power which had been entrusted to them for the
purpose of preventing meditated treason. He be.
lieved that that Learned Gentleman thought that
some wicked persons without doors, wished to know
haw to condud themselves in such a manner as to
render the execution of the Law inefFedual. The
Gentleman had fallen' into another,mistake
this 13111 was not proposed to screen persons
.from
punishment-who had' broken the Law, but it was to
prated -persons from punishment who had• acted ac.
cording to the Law, and who, if they should be
accused, could not defend themselves without dis-
closing secrets which they could not disclose with-
out_tlig_gr6atest danger to the lives of individuals,
'and to the State. This was the ground on which
the Bill was ptoposed, and not to protest persons
who had violated the Law. That in the exercise of
so, great a power, some. irregularities might have
occurred, he could very readily suppose, though be
was riot aware that any such had happened. The next
question was, upon what evidence were they called
upon to pass this If the °hied of this Bin was
to secure persons who, if accused, could'not make
their defence without great public inconvenience,
and without stopping. up, those channels of intelli.
Bence, by means of which, the dangers which
threatened the State had been averted, then it be-
came necessary to ask, upon whom.would the House
depend for information ?...And this' brought the
question to the construction of the Committee. As
to' himself, as one of the Meinbers of- the late Ad,.
ministration, he certainly was responsible, deeply
responsible to the State, for all the measures he had
advised ; but certainly not in this case personally
responsible, because it was the Secretary of State
who issued the Warrants. It could not, he was
sure, be.supposed for a moment, that in making
.this observation, he meant to get rid of any respon-
csoiltslisliidlyeretdvhtiicleh belongedrreesaplol)nrs.ibilty t o t%ov
hich ebuwta:stslihae-
ble as quite sufficient, he was by no means ambiti-
Otis of any more. With regard to-the formation of
this Committee, there was only himself and another
tetres °Giore rnnmi te;nwt ha rethMe His
Qemuebsetrisoonfwas, MWhethe's
Whether
ajesty
•frottrthat circumstance, the judgment of the other
Gentlemen of the Committee could be. supposed to be
so vitiated, that it was necessary to send the subjed
•
to the consideration of another Committee ? Upon
this point; however, not enlarge it was
more proper that other . Gentlemen shotild deliver

their opinions. The whole point resolved itser
s'iortly into this fart, whether persons who had
done their duty should be punished, because they
were precluded from stating the farts necessary
to their defence, and whether the evidence laid
before the House was such as to justify them in
passing this Bill ? Upon these points he should
say nothing at present, but he thought it right
to set the Hon. Gentleman right with respea to
the mistakes into which he had fallen.

Mr. TIERNEY said, his objcftion merely went
to. the point of form. He only wanted to know
whether the Committee could engraft -upon their
RepOrt a new subject Which was not referred to
them by the House.
Mr. BRAGGE said, that if the Report of the
Committee-.was not correct, with a ,view to the
Bill then before the House, that Report could
not have been correaly used as the foundation of
the Martial Law Bill, because there was no more
recommendation to the Committee to take up that'
subject, than there was with respeCt to the one
now before the House. If the Committee had pro.
posed any irregular Resolutions to the House, they
would undoubtedly have deserved the censure:dila
had been thrown out ; but in his opinion they had
aCied with pedal regularity, and in strut conformity
to the Rules of the House. If a-Committee, on whom
cal en,
would
tu al
proposed i n7udp:odtsoieeudsb
e werefod rlmy
a bel Resolutions
irregular
imposed,
w e ;
nt
b o
to out t of e
never considered it as irregular in a Committee CO
make suggestions to them as to what they thought
• ought to be done. .The Rinse must recolleft, that
ttheli House had
tHheoitirse way,.
and
t
it was done last Sesiiim by the Coal Committee,
and in a variety of other instances; The measure
. which was now proposed, was not to he conV-eted
as entirely retrospeCtive, because it appeared from
. the Report of -the Committee, that the late Mt
which lead passed for suspending the Habeas
oCorpus
Act,, would be,ineffeetual this measure was
adopted.
reilirgENCE said, thit he had hitherto front ,
principleiupported.tjle Suipensioii of the Habeascor•
pus, and, while! the preSent state of affairs continued,
nt
he would supp9rt it. Hig Mason for doing so was be-
cause he considered the SuSpensinn of that MI 45 .1
great, resource of Government in times of peFOr
danger, and because sok anceators had always resort:
ed to it in similar cases. On the one hand he siloold
always oppose investing tlie Government with
tary power.; but.. on . the other he should, when
thought there was real' dangee, give his coneurrenc,
41:
to. the SUspension of the Habeas Corpus.
felt himself bound to go this length, hut .°
farther; be would consent to give an indemniti
only to those who: upon evidence appeared to,b,e
entitled to 'it ; he could not give IndemnitY rur
'.
cruel4r or harshness in the exercise of- this power ,
be by no means meant to say, that any cruelty b 3:
been exercised ; he had -nOt the slightest re:lsnn tia
suppose so ; he only meant to say, that he
not
won.
not go beyond the line which had been established
by precedent. When the regular security :chi L
the Law afforded was -taken away,
necessary that those who were entrusted with ex:
traordinaty,power should not at WifbOtit reSe 11(.1ci
bility. With regard to the point of farms, '
appear to bins that there was an irrco-ulitrity,
certainly- was not satistied with °the ex91"1:
which had been given by the Hon..Gentlernsn ‘to'
spoke last.. It was true that it was 'compttCol the
Committee to offer,suggestions. to the House, .1311
did not think they had.any power 'given them hY,`..4
House to enter into a'n examination of the coot;
of Ministers for thC last six years. M I,e
mode in which this Committee-had been forineula,
it was the mare
Was aorry,.to say it did not meet with his 41°,0
tion ; it certainly was not the plan which bad 1)-0
adopted on' former occasions. In. former cases, sle,
in one in particular which occurred to him, GeotA
men were chosen from both sides of the Flour. 3.“bc
they formed a pretty accurate representation
oof h:
' general sense of the House. The majority f
Committee being composed of persons who, .in rot
neral, voted in the Majority, and the minority, jo
Gentlemen who were generally in Opposition ;
the present' case, the Gentlemen were all of
and he was apprehensive if this pradice was aloha.
ed, that-Reports .would not, in future meet with triii
respect with which he. always wished to see they
trtatted. • P
Th CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUEL'' C,.
it,certainly would not be regular for lion t° j'all
then into an investigatkon of the manner, in
any former Committee was constitated. car'',
ed Friend who had spoke last had said, ti'`';ol
Comtnittee to which he more particularly 31° tot
was a fair representation' of the opinion °t. tals
House ; but those who recollefted the' diseuss!' „
must remember, that thtre never was a ire-
which took place upon the Report of. the torn'Tjorc
strongly contested by those' Gentlemen
Report :lore
generally
.
piniot' Gen'
Committer,
tie,a,p)ssto)toiclsrocend:
t.tiotlu.tcteoadrsp,cl:iitrai.rs,eitdnantoh,
minority of the Committee. One Right that
a of
hen an
tlernan went so-far as it'scalf-the Rerr,r,,t,'„, pria
feet which was produced by this mode Gi
Committee WHe as not very.encouraging. caiould
difficulty. in forming his opinion, and ands
feel no' difficulerin stating to the Howe the
of I"
why he could not, consistently with his itie'ts icon,
,duty, give his consent to any of the
who generally oppOsed.
,the measuresof °0 pa,
ment being upon this Continittee. Lie tneainiora
disrepeCt. to those Gentlemen, but
which they had constantly advanced, fornled.3ll
stack which he could not, consistently Riots,
sense sense of public duty, get over.. As to
rise obts,;i:to.
the or
which had been made in .point of form, it sec',ltyirc
him that what had fallen from his Hon. Frio "•
was`,decisive upon the subjeal ti 4 P ers
ciple of order seemed to him to be this : If Pal'
were referred to a Committee to consider theto the
ter thereof, and to report their opinion
House, that Committee was undoubtedly anth,eetej.
to recommend to the House any measure cou,,, to
with, and arising out of • the Papers so referrLon,
them. The, Hon. Gentleman had howevc
tended, that the .measure which had been , tha
c,c:0,0.
mended,-was one which did not arise ott.l,,sdint
Papers referred to the Committee. Upon it; be
he was at issue with the Hon. Gentleinairt:_ ha
a
wai decidedly of opinion, that the Comm

a6led in perfea conformity with the powers with
which they were invested. It must be obvious to
every Gentleman, that there were many persons
who were liable to be attacked, and who could not,
• consistently with private nor public duty, lay be-
_ fore -a Court the fads necessary' to constitute their
defence. • But this was not the only ground upon
which the Committee recommended the Bill of In-
demnity ; they recommended it, because they were
of opinion, that the 'efficacy of the Suspension of
the Habeas Corpus, depended upon the protedion
given to persons in this situation, who certainly
ought not to he exposed to danger, and left open to
attack, without having the means of making their
defence. It appeared then that the. recommenda-
tion of.the Committee was connected with, and did
arise out of, the papers which had been .referred to-
them, because it was necessary to protea those per.
sons who had afted under the Habeas Corpus Sus_
i Pension Bill, and who for the reasons he had stated,
could not make their defence if they were attacked;
and in the nextplace, on the efficacyof that measure in
future depended the security which was to be given,
after fair investigation, to the persons who had been
concerned heretofore in carrying it into effect. As
!odic insinuation which had been thrown. out, of a
Joggle between His Majesty's late and present Mi-
nisters, he could not avoid saying that it was
really unworthy of the Hon. Gentleman, though he
disclaimed being a party to it.—[Here Mr. Tierney
I 3hoi his head.] He understood the Hon. Gentle-
n'4,4o.say that such an insinuation had been thrown
Out by wicked persons out of doors, but that for his
"'n part he threw out no such imputation—But
no such insinuation, even if it had come .from him,
fir any other Member of the House, should de-
ter him from doing his duty '-• and no apprehension
j Of being identified with His Majesty's late Mini.
stets should prevent him from giving a conscientious
vote for their protection, when they evidently de-
served it—There were. points upon which he dif-
fered from his Right Honourable Friend (Mr.
PITT), for he gloried in calling him by that
"'me) and he was sure he always should ; but he
was convinced that it was owing to the measures
adopted by...shat Administration that the Country
Was rescued, from the imminent danger with which
it Was threatened ; it was to them that the Country
ras indebted for the security it now enjoyed,—
se Would not therefore be deterred, by any insi-
nuations of this kind, from supporting a measure
!Or Protecting the Chtintry. He knew that in say-
!lig thus much, he was exposing himself to another
uninitation, viz.. that he should hereafter want that
proteftion himself which he now Wished to extend
to others. He certainly did not disclaim it,, but
why ? Not. fromconsiderations that might present
him,
to the minds of some persons who heard
'urns but because he thought that persons who
served the Country had a right to its protedion.
Be felt no hesitation in saying he expected that
Proteflion, and- should claim it, if he deserved it ;
and he hoped and trusted, that if a Committee, con-
stituted as this had been, should make such A re.
port of .their conduct, that from the justice of the
House and the Country they would experience
treatment.
Mr. GREY, in explanation, said he belonged to
the Committee to. which the Right 'Hon. Gentle-
Mail- and others had-alluded; and though he did not
concur in .opinion with the Committee, he cer-
tainly had not spolccm in disrespdtful terms- of it.
The CIIAMCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, it was not the Hon. Gentleman to whom he
ad alluded but to those with whom he was in the
habit of acting,
11,1)1/r. TIERNEY said, he had not charged the lit.
n• Gentleman with being in a juggle with the
Late Ministers, though he ;was not entirely free from
tuspicion upon the subjeei. He had no interest in
racking the Right Hon. Gentleman ; on the con-
, ht l', though he differed in political opinion from
Pendent
yet lie wished to see him actin a manly, inde-
Manner. -
Sir R.
BUXTON expressed the highest apnrobri.
to n of the cOndua of His Majesty's late Ministers,
whose
vfirmness and energy he attributed the sal-
atton of the Country ; at the same time, thht they
hadL exercised the great powers with which they had
peen entrusted, with the greatest moderation. It
was "
,uPon these grounds that
:he supported the late
lion
ac
and long as the presentrAdministra-
ahon 44(41 upon the same principles, they should
Ivleeeive bis most cordial assistance.
r' Tl 4 • 'd a few words in ex-
RN E 1 again sal
P`anatiO
v Air'
IVES
,appealed to the. House, if he had
Said that there is a juggle between the late and
'e..nt Ministers? He had differed with some:of
' nest
,friends on this subject; but he declared
irn his honour, that if he were asked who is the
-45,,lister of the Country, he could not tell.
then put and.agfeed to.
the Lords intimated by a Message that they had
;reed to several Bills, and that they had. passed
a
1,41111 for the relief of Insolvent Debtors, in which
"el.desired the concurrence of that House.
RoBSON deferred making his 'Motion
vecting the Subsidies till to.tdorroW.
4 Bill for improving the Manufactures and Re-
venue of• the Isle of Man. •
nA Bill to render valid all Acts done in conse-
-4
1e ence, of three Orders of Council, so far as they
4.4td Bills of Exchange drawn in Russia for the
S 'gilt and 'detention of Russian, Danish, and
'vedish Ships • and
ito 11.11 for 'granting a Pension to Lady ABER.
titmErr, •were severally brought in, read a first
"; and drdered to' be read a second time to. rrovv.
atillle other Orders Were deferred, and the House
li
Med at half past eight o'clock till to-morrow.

PRICE OF STOCKS.
YZETIRDAY.
Ndank Stack • . India Stock
ava,
t „..1 Apereent: 95iiii Ditto funds s. clis.
~
lashi-.1- ,-ent. 1797, 94
s per Cent. Exchequer Bilis p. dm.
New ditto ss, dis.
4 Per Cent, Con. 7/111 Lottery 'rickets
'3-per Cent), Itecl. 59i 6° Omnitun 9
.I,..per cent. Con. boii Sgiii
Imper. 3 per Cent.
rto Stdp
~,
~, . ,Ilitto-.Ann, lit •
Isitllk L°llgAnn• a 1-16 t Bank tor Account
,:st.tto short Ann. s L. 11.4 India for May
ulna 3ctip
Cons. for op. 64a
•

THE SUN.

AULEM 0115 DICE%I TALSUM ACDEAI