The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-29 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, JUNE 28.

The LORD ADVOCATE called the attention of the
House to an error that had been made in the return of
an Hon. Member for Newport. The Hon. Member was
stated in the return to be John Joseph Hope Vere, instead
of James Joseph Hope Vere, which was the real name of
tEe Hon. Gentleman. He, (the Lord Advocate) was
prepared to identify, the gentleman as being the individual
returned, and he supposed the error in the return could be
corrected.

The SPEAKER said, all that was necessary was the
identity of the individual, and as that had been done by
the Lord Advocate, the clerk of the Crown-office, who was
in attendance, could be instructed to amend the return.
Mr. Alderman WOOD obtained leave to bring in a Bill
to incorporate the General Steam Navigation Company.

The Kenneth Navigation Bill was read a second time
end committed.

On the motion of Mr. ATHERLEY, the Southampton
Pier Bill was read a second time.

Mr. HOBHOUSE brought in a Bill to construct and
maintain a Chapel of Else in the parish of St. George's,
Hanover-square, called the Grosvenor Chapel, which was
read a first time.

On the motion of an How. MEMBER, leave was given
to bring in a Bill to explain and amend the Acts of the
3d Geo. 11., and the 19th Geo. 111. for the more expedi-
tious recovery of small debts in the Tower Hamlets dis-
trict.
On the motion of Mr. LAWLEY, the Birmingham and
Bamford Rail-road Bill was read a second time.
Mr. STRICKLAND presented five petitions from
various places in favour of the Leeds and Bradford Rail-
road Bill. —Referred to the Committee.
Lord MORPETH presented several petitions in favour
of the Manchester and Leeds Railway Bill. Also five
petitions in favour of the Bradford and Leeds Railway
Bill. On the motion of the Noble Lord, the Leeds and
Bradford Rail-road Bill, and the Leeds and Sheffield Rail-
road Bill, were read a second time and committed.
Mr. HUNT rose to present a petition from the work-
ing classes, members of a society called the " North-wes-
tern District of the National Union," stating that the pe-
titioners experienced great evils from those Acts called
the " Castlereagh Acts," particularly that which imposed
restrictions on the liberty of the Press. The petition was
couched in respectful language towards that House, but in
rather strong language towards the Nobleman by whom
the Acts were brought in. They believed that when the
Act in question was brought in, it was the intention to
keep the people in ignorance the better to plunder them.
The Hon. Member was one who thought the House would
be disgraced if they suffered these Acts to remain on the
Statute-book ; they were passed hi times of great danger
and excitement, but now that no such causes existed—
now that the country had a liberal Ministry, who were then
(rh,
eof
pstet
dpt
.or
et
sl:ir,iseeb
(uAiNt
icnrt so. ,t
Hifi
Uue
rnwt)
sswisai ueser
fnpotrrii
os:ubdsenteul
si
nes yb;
owua ennrddee
dastill
liberty
he
s
it confined itself to truth it ought to be upheld, and on
the other hand it ought to be held responsible
for publishing what was false either against the Govern-
ment or against an individual.

Captain GORDON did not rise to object to the recep-
tion of the petition, but he thought it was irregular, as
coining from a society of persons not known to the law.
He wished, before it was read, to put the House in pos-
session of some publications which emanated from per-
sons who had prompted this petition. The Hon.
Member here read extracts from " The Poor Man's
Guardian," and the " Republican," both of which
spoke in very vituperative language , of the conduct of
his Majesty and his Ministers, comparing their conduct to
that pursued by the Polignac Ministry, reviling the Royal
Family of this country, and condemning the whole fra-
ternity of Kiugcraft, Priestcraft, and Lorderaft. Having
read these extracts, the Hon. Member trusted that the
House would agree with him in declaring them to be
gross libels ; he was sorry and surprised that, instead of
a trumpery prosecution by the Stamp-office, the Govern-
ment had not prosecuted the parties for sedition and
hlasphemy—(Hear, hear)—and he respectfully intimated
to his Majesty's Government that he would take an
early opportunity of making a motion upon this subject.
Mr. HUME was happy that this petition had been
presented, as it gave him an opportunity of making some
observations upon the sentiments uttered by the Hon.
Member who spoke last, and who bad read extracts from
papers it 3 the course of his speech) which would have the

effect of making them be read instead of by only about 100
or 200 persons, by perhaps many thousands. The Hon.
Member had come forward to declaim against the Press, and
to condemn the Government for not prosecuting. There
'vas not one of the Honourable Gentlemen on
the Ministerial Benches but had, when these Bills
were brought in, strongly opposed them ; they were
laws instituted to keep the public in ignorance by repress-
ing public discussion, and he was proud to say that they
had for some years been allowed to remain a dead letter.
The Hon. Member (Capt. Gordon) did not seem to re-
collect that after the melancholy catastrophe at Manches-
t-r, during which a score of individuals were cruelly
slaughtered, the conduct pursued by his Majesty's Govern-
ment was to introduce Six Acts, which were a disgrace
to the country, and which he did hope the present Minis-
ters would have repealed before this time. The Attorney-
General, when he brought in the Bills, admitted
that he would not support the Bill relating to publications
as an individual measure, but he took the whole as one
measure, and as necessary to uphold the liberties of the
country. The Hon. Member then adverted to the opinions
of several Members of the present Ministry as delivered by
them on the occasion of introducing the Bills, and he stated
the opposition which the Bills then experienced. He (Mr.
Hume) held it to be a primary principle that Englishmen
should publish whatever they p!eased on their individual
responsibility; such measures as these could not be war-
ranted, and was be now to be told that it was
surprising that the Government did nut now prosecute
under those Acts? He repeated that it was a disgrace
they should have been so long on the statute-book. If
Hon. Members thought by this course they could stifle
public discussion, they were much mistaken ; the day was
gene by when the public voice was to be muzzled and
stifled by such Acts.—(Hear.) What wasthe consequence?
Any of the Hon. Members might publish an octavo
volume of blasphemy or sedition, but the poor roan
was prevented from publishing a sheet or two sheets.
He had taken a part in blaming the Duke of Wellington's
administration for having attempted to ruin an individual
by halt a dozen prosecutions for what were called libels in
papers, but he felt bound to say that the Duke of Welling=
ton's Government never disgraced themselves by prosecuting
those small publications which his Majesty's present
Ministry had adopted the course of doing.—(Hear,
hear, and cheers.) These publications were begun and
continued for six months under the late Government,
but there never wag a single prosecution instituted by that
Government under the Six Acts—prosecutions there were
for sedition, undoubtedly, which was quite a different
thing ; and he was surprised that the present Ministry
had, in this instance, adopted a prosecution through the
Stamp-office, which had never been deemed right by the
Duke of Wellington's Ministry. He held in his hand
publications containing expressions much worse than those
which had been read, and which the Hon. Member
who had preceded him might see, but which he (Mr. H.)
would not be the means of circulating. He was willing
to consider the papers in his hand poison—the
rankest poison,—and he was persuaded that every
prosecution undertaken would only be the means of
spreading that poison more effectually through the country.
There were in London no less than 32 publications, illegal
as the law stood, selling under 6d., some consisting
of half a sheet, others consisting of a sheet, and against
which persons, by the existence of the Six Acts, had no
protection. Some of the publications, which he was bound
to call illegal, contained information of a most excellent
description. There was one put down lately at Manchester
which was a publication better calculated to inform the
lower classes of society than any publication he bad ever
read ; and if any thing in the shape of a letter,
or any unusual expression got into such a publication
us that, he did not see wl y its usefulness was to he disre-
spected any more than the dignity of ths House in which
lie stood, was to be considered injured by the strange, ano-
malous, and inconsistent speeches which some Members
thought proper to make within its walls.—( Laughter.)
Again, the Trades Herald of Glasgow, which had been
suppressed, had discussed topics of general policy, and par-
ticularly the truck system, with an ability which he had
never before observed. Many other each instanced
might be brought forward. When the Combination Acts
twheer
~oroeptteoae
ticod , and when the
oi
on
Pleasw a pre se rsos el
incti t
oLordr-General,
eCh .
eti
ae i
o Justice
conse-
quence of an attack made on the House, and himself (Mr. .)
for having recommended the repeal of those laws, he
thought it right, with some other gentlemen, to commence
publication,and
a
,avfosr theto b
esold
purpose oaftpennyanswering o
surlctiwopce.
attacks,eo
which
After it was commenced the promoters of it were informed
they could not answer the scurrility and abusive language
which hail been employed without subjecting themselves to
:the lash of the law. lie took the opinion of the Solicitor-
•taenerat upon the question, and he had new that written.
.opinion, saying the Six Acts prevented them. He then
made up .his mind as he should recommend every other
person to do, if persons cannot with safety answer
such publications, then let those conducting them go
on till they had completely exhausted their vocabulary of
abuse; and he would request the Honourable Gentle-
man to abstain from urging the present Govern-
ment either to continue to keep or to put new
.fetters on the Press, the result of which could
only be to, cause ignorance .to spread over the country.
Instead of recommending such injudicious prosecutions as
had been adopted, it would be infinitely more to his credit
to come forward and advocate free discussion—free dis-
cussion being calculated in the highest degree to elicit truth.
For his (Mr. H.'s) own part, he advocated the removal of
every shackle that was at present imposed on the Press.
He had inure experience of the Press than the Hon. Gentle-
man who had just spoken, and the Right Hon. Member
for Tamworth would recollect, that whilst prosecutions
were going on against Carlile for blasphemy under the
former Government, lie (Mr. Hume) proved by
papers which he brought clown to that House,
that though before the prosecution the paper to
which he alluded, published by Carlile, had only a
circulation of 1,000, it immediately after the prosecution
obtained a circulation of 20,000, and under which prose-
cution that individual was imprisoned. By the judicious
conduct, in that respect, of the Right Hon. Member for
Tamworth, Carlile was soon allowed to leave prison, and
no more prosecutions took place. . Carlile was then very
soon brought down to a state in which he could scarcely ob.
tain the means of existence. Since that time two gentlemen
very well acquainted with both parties, prevailed with his
Majesty's Government not to persevere with another
prosecution against Carlile ; Carlile thought the prosecution
would not be carried on, and he wrote a letter, which
he (Mr. H.) had seen, in which he expressed
himself as greatly enraged at the idea of the Government
not proceeding with the prosecution. His object was
notoriety, and unfortunately for the principles of
the Government—unfortunately for their principles,
Carlile's publication went on. He would say nothing at
present of the disgraceful circumstances under which that
verdict was braught in against Carlile—a verdict brought
in by starving a Jury in the midst of winter, after
they had two or three times returned into Court unable
to come to an unanimous verdict. He would say nothing
about that disgraceful circumstance, but what was the
result with respect to Carlile's publication ? Why it had
increased ten-fold, and since that time an annuity had been
settled upon that man for his life of 50/. and a similar an-
nuity to his wife, to support them against those prosecutions!
In the same way then, any of these prosecutions would
only tend to spread libels throughout every part of the
country, to demoralize the public, and to work mis-
chief in every possible way. He thought these prosecutions
most ill-timed on the part of his Majesty's Ministers, and
equally ill-timed was every effort on the part of any
Hon. Member in that House at this late hour of
the day, to support any proposition calculated to
fetter or to destroy the liberty of the Press. He held in
his hand a petition from the National Union of the work-
ing classes of society, and which it was his intention
to bring up when it came to his turn, praying for the
repeal of the Six Acts. Charles the Tenth had put down
the liberty of the Press by an ordinance with his own
hand—the House of Commons of England, by a very small
majority, had put down (for it amounted to that) the liberty
of the Press in this country ; therefore, if there was any
credit due to the French people for driving that
King from his throne because of that ordinance, there
would be equal credit due. to the people of England
for driving the statutes which fettered the Press off the
statute-book here.—(Cries of " No, no," and " Yes, yes,"
the Lord Advocate's voice being uppermost in the noes.)
The Lord Advocate might think that he (Mr. H.) was not
serious, but he could
No;"
assure him hsiimaceardly etvreursytedMethmebeprrein.
that House that he was nevetihrlreitysntsorwwure serious in any thing
he had ever uttered in that House. It was very well for
Gentlemen by whom he was surrounded,,%,already
lfanoraernslaerddittayr
rtuweht
prevailede:o there
t htli
nh aoindst
always endeavoured to curtail the liberty of the Press,
ished
th,
hich
steootcaAliliocisuttry
would not be drawn
most
they
but important
dfsivnatoildpludeolydritnwafinetxnts,
hcisitleueadibi:t.ntt—ocut.st`ht`:Liedie
its: there be free disc usoio n , "
only continue the existing shackles, but load others upon
the poor unfortunate Press, and which he was persuaded
wou
throughout the country. If the editor of the " Poor Man's
Guardian," should in a little while be thrown into prison,
which he (Mr. II.) had very little doubt would
be the case, another editor would make his appear-
ance the very next day, and so it would be

toe) case
bad the
Publicati(
done wh(
down.

koceedec
tk; ken in
'4g of the
along wit
bad just 1
4) Govei

111,7 thot
hich tj
14 give ti
Tareased ti
iltbotediat
bound to
mode of

It'. of nic
ution i]
tit such 1
of the (nil

number..
fl diffusio
their scot
'tcutions
!Ility to
4,eunven

t 1
Mons dw
ouragen
roree
they
Dot shrin
If this n
ttered
11)' papa
kgainet u

11",-e--edings

ivvareof

Japer of
law ex

Isesitatioi

11.11 e passi]

he felt k
this witt
with hitt
hf the Si
Person w
hutionr f
iividual
fZlVour
letters w
bite to
POVernli
highest C
44(1 hist
Property
Bleat sal
!4111i or

tutiii intl
tl'il'°:titt°::::neYsseigtatcilido,ni:
4tritst
b .'
Itlcli pet
14iiell th
Sir RI

't'an holy
Qurian
uvern'tr
14 Way 1
here to L
lhe Hon.
1,0,t to be

t thoug
lon. Ai(
ften ten(
'glee p(

IGO
ion.
,and
'here

was
iecute

grace
. If

stifle
y waa
d and
epee?
,ctavo

man
heets.
gton's
fidual
els in
fling=
!wing
resent

Hear,
and
ment,
that
were

twence
Lttacis,
)pence.
formed
nguage
dyes to
licitor-
mitten.
le then
r other
answer
em go
'lay of
Gentle-
lovern-
t new

could

luntry.
Lions as

s credit
et die-
t truth.
ioval of
Press.
Gentle-
lember

cutions

ler the
td by
House,
)er to

only a
ecution
prose-

,Ilicious
ber for
pc], and
!n very
:ely ob.
ltlernen

/hit his
another
lecution

would
: of the
k mis-
xutions

:rs, and
of any
Liour of
ited to
held in
work-
itention
for the
it down

118 own
y small
!liberty
,as any
that
there
off the
noel.)

vas not

aber in
y thing
cell for
'no had
Press,
a pre.
on this

then
'salon,"
ma not
-0 upon
-suaded
evaded
• Man'a
prison,
would
►ppear-
ald be

40taghout the 365 days of the year; and if Government
attempted to attack the editors of suck publications in the
Way that they had already begun, they would find they had
undertaken a hopeless task. Let the Government remove
the Six Acts, and then all those who were aggrieved by
Publications would be at liberty to enter the field of defence
and controversy.
Mr. RICE TREVOR said, that in no one instance had
he ever opposed the rational freedom of the public Press.
tut he would ask the Hon. Member for Middlesex, and he
Would appeal to the House, whether there was no difference
between its freedom and its licentiousness. The Hon.
Member for Middlesex had attributed to the ignorance of
the lower classes all those crimes, and every other species
of abomination which disgraced the country. But he
Would ask, why did he make no allowance for those
seditious and blasphemous publications which, it was a
I'4ll-known fact, were circulated throughout the kingdom?
Sir F. BURDETT said that as this discussion had
Proceeded so far, he could not avoid saying a few words
Upon the subject with which it was principally connected.
L. the first place, he begged to say that he entirely con-
curred in the prayers of both the petitions with regard to
the laws which had been enacted against the Press, and he
did not see any reason why his Hon. Friend, the Member
for Middlesex, should have addressed such a long mono-
Iklylogue to the House to show that Acts should be re-
Pealed.—(A laugh.) He had simply to move the repeal
of those Acts, and he (Sir F. Burdett) was sure he would
succeed in carrying his motion. At all events he had not
heard any person say that he was in favour of those Acts.
4,3 far as he (Sir F. Burdett) wile concerned, he begged
to say that he eutertained quite as strong opinions on this
°object as his Hon. Friend the Member for Middlesex.
He did not see any beneficial tendency in those Acts, but
the very reverse; and he therefore hoped that a proposi-
tion would shortly be brought forward to repeal them, and
to place the law and the constitution upon the footing on
Which it stood before such innovations had been intro-
doced.—(Hear.) He did not think that much mischief
could be occasioned by the publication to which reference
had been made. Ide (Sir F. Burdett) had never heard of
it before, and it really appeared to him that the poison
Which was circulated in such a trashy publication was not
calculated to affect the minds of any men except those of
crceedingly great stupidity indeed. In fact, he took this
Publication and things of the sort to be a weak and mi-
Inatble invention of the enemy, for the purpose of bringing
discredit upon the popular party and a popular administra-
tion.—( Hear.) Such sinister modes of warfare were
krnetimes adopted, and he should not be surprised to find
that this was one of them, for he did not suppose it pos-
sible that any man could suppose that any cause could be
thanced by the absurd and ridiculons trash which those
Publications contained. He did not think that there was
afly danger to be apprehended front the circulation of
such trash, for ifs only effect would be to excite the disgust
of the community. The proper mode of meeting such
things was to alter the law with regard to the Press, which,
ka it at present stood, was in his opinion of a most evil ten-
dency. It bad been once a delightful object of contempla-
tion to him, (Sir Francis Burdett), to behold persons in
the class of life to which those petitioners belonged, ap-
t Plying the information which they possessed through the
keens of cheap publications to the promotion of the wel-
rn-e of the community. Such publications had been fre-
fluently sent to him, and he read them with pride, plea-
lure, and satisfaction, and he was sorry that they had
been put an end to by this law. There was nothing so
simple, as lie had already said, than for the Hon. Member
for Middlesex to move for the repeal of that law, and he
Was satisfied that his Majesty's Ministers, who in their
Present places had nut abandoned the opinions which they
had expressed while on the other side of the House, would
ast fail to support such a proposition. The matter ap-
Peered to him to be one of great importance, and he
ttusted it would be speedily brought forward in the course
Of the present Session. The House was now engaged
With the all-absorbing question of Reform, and until it
Was disposed of, certainly nothing of importance should
he introduced. But, as soon as that great question was
settled, a motion for the repeal of those laws should be at
once brought forward, and it should have his (Sir F. Bur-
dett's) cordial support.
Mr. O'CONNELL would tell the Hon. Member for
Dundalk, that prosecutions had never yet put down opinion.
They might succeed in smothering it for a time, but it
"(Mid soon break out, if not on the same spot, with
lacreased strength elsewhere. Opinion should he met
by counter-opinion ; statement by counter-statement ;
argument by counter-argument ; thus the public good
contemplated by the most honest prosecutions would, with-
Out the slightest mixture of evil, be speedily attained.
Mr. C. WYNN said the simple question was, whether
every individual was to be at liberty to make public every
tacitement to crime which he thought proper. It mattered
sot how that excitement to crime was conveyed, whether
in these words, which he had seen prominently in one of
those papers only yesterday—" Down with Kings, Lords,
and Priests, and particularly in England ;" or whe-
ther it were in the shape of advising the labourers
Of the counties of Kent and Sussex to set fire to ricks.
The question appeared to him to he quite the same.
The one and the other were excitements to crime, for-
bidden by the laws of this realm, and forbidden by the
laws of every country which had a constitutional existence.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said, that although the
government was armed with such extraordinary power in
such cases, yet since he had held the situation which lie
,
'A the honour to fill, nothing had been done against any
Publication but what any individual might legally have
doue who thought that such a publication ought to be put
down. Ile had filed no ex-officio informations, but had
Proceeded so that the opinion of the Grand Jury should be
taken in the first instance. It was on the very strong feel-
iog of the absolute necessity of having public opinion to go
!long with him that he had acted. In answer to what
had just been said, he would declare that most undoubtedly
110 Government could give up the right to proceed, when
'they thought it their duty to, proceed, against publications
Which tended immediately to disturb the public peace, and
to give the people an excitement to crime. Whether that
incitement were in a written letter or in a publication ad-
dreseed to the passions of the multitude, in every case where
immediate danger followed, he did apprehend that he was
bound to the necessity of considering what was the best
alode of preventing the offence. But still this was a mat.
ter of nice discretion, and one that required the greatest
Caution in applying the remedy. One inevitable evil of
11l such prosecutions was the wider and legalized diffusion
ff the mischief, which was originally confined to but a small
dumber.--(Hear, hear.) The public could hardly desire
k diffusion of those publications which justly met with
their scorn, disgust, and horror, and which but for pro-
-lecutians might be confined to a few. Ile had felt it his
duty to weigh the case in the balance of conveniencies and
ioconveniencies, and he had come to the thorough con-
fiction that it was infinitely better to let such publica-
tions dwindle into insignificance from a avant of all en-
fouraeement, than to give them a wider publicity, and to
force them into notice by means of prosecutions. He would
dot shrink from the performance of his duty, but as a trial
if this nature was to come on in a few days, lie was much
ttered in entering into the question before the House. If
41. y papers of an innocent description had been proceeded
gainer under this Stamp Act, he should say that the pro-
"-eedings had been very improperly instituted, and he was not
tWare of the fact. When, however, lie had found that a
l'aper of a contrary nature went on from day to day, and that
f law existed by which it could be suppressed, he had no
hesitation iu availing himself of that Act. He objected to
the passing of the law, but still, as the law was in his hands,
ce felt himself justified in resorting to it in this case, and
this without its restraining him or any person connected
With him from uttering their free opinions if the subject
of the Six Acts should be brought before the House. No
person who looked to the interest of the public in prose-
ftitions for libels could disregard the speculation of the in-
dividual prosecuted that a general feeling was roused in
favour of any case of supposed martyrdom. Anonymous
letters were constantly sent to him in order to provoke
4irt, to give the authors and their cause the benefits of a
government prosecution. These letters attacked the
'iehest character in the State, and all the establislnnents
tnd institutions in the country—even the institution of

' Property itself. V He thought that these might be left with
treat safety to the public sentiment, even to the lowest
sank or degree. If the whole public were disposed to
rush into palaces, and mansions, and dwellings, and de-
'!t'oy all the rights of property, he was sure that proseett-
ttons could not prevent them, but society even to the
,
'West degree would prevent this on the principle of self-
14terest, for even the poorest labourer who put his weekly
44ges into his pocket, would feel himself arrayed against
111elt persons. He felt that it was throwing away the
strength
of Government to prosecute publications against
lehich the public could better protect themselves.
Sir ROBERT PEEL was happy to hear from a gentle-
71$n holding the situation of the Hon. and Learned Geu-
'l4oaan a complete denial of what had been charged to the
N roverntnent. But he heard it slid that truth was to find
ilti Way by free discussion, and that sedition and blasphemy
11,ere to be left to effect their own cure. He admitted with
Ile Hon. and Learned Gentleman that severe laws ought
dot to be called into action too lightly, too frequently, nor
6lthout the exercise of the greatest circumspection, and
e thought there was great truth in the observation of the
on. Member for Middlesex, that prosecutions of this kind
'ften tended to make persons proceeded against to a certain
"Ziee popular, He thought the Hon. and Learned Gen-

tkman hail acted wisely ;n enforcing those laws which he
found on the Statute-book rather than proceeding against
the parties for sedition and treason. It was painful to con-
nive at such publications a, those which had teemed from
the Press, but it war said that persons were behind who were
the real authors, as it was said that the windows broken
by a riotous mob, were in fact broken by the enemies of
the Reform Bill. The Hon. Member for Middlesex called
himself the great advocate of Constitutional knowledge;
but when the Hon. Member said there was no difference be-
tween the acts of the Polignac Ministry and the Six Acts,
when in fact that was the sort of knowledge which made
the wide distinction, he could not give the Honourable
Member the high character he claimed for himself. In
times like these the great advocates for knowledge should
guard themselves against such excitement, as suck topics
were likely to produce. The Honourable Baronet hoped
his Majesty's Government, knowing that the efforts made
to undermine the religious state and loyalty of the people,
would act upon the experience they had had.—(Hear.)

The petition was then read, and
Mr. HUNT moved that it be printed, but there was
some coughing, and cries of " Oh, oh."
Mr. HUNT again rose for the purpose of moving that
the petition be printed, when he was assailed by repeated
cries of " oh, oh !—spoke, spoke'."—and much coughing.
He said, that if he was out of order he would sit down ;
but the young Members—(A laugh)—who endeavoured
to cough him down ought to inquire of the Speaker
whether he was really out of order or not. As to what
the Right Hon. Baronet near him had said about his (Mr.
El.'s) appealing to the law in a case of assault and robbery,
lie should certainly have recourse to the law, but not to
any statute ; he should prosecute under the common law
of the land.—(Great laughter. )