The Sun.
London, England, 1812-07-11 00:00:00

commit the most diaboliCal crime which society
knew of, if they were betrayed ; it would' 'be a
delusion calculated to lull the country into' a false
security, not to call for some legislative-Measure
to meet the danger. If something \` not now
done to avert the. evil with ,the strong arm of the
law, there was no danger to'which combination
,could lead, which, from the character of the pm-
sent disturbances, might not be expected. Under-
these circumstances, the nature and character of
the association had been described by the Com-
mittee in their Report. They had not entered
into 'a detail of all the triirillSactions connected
With it, as to such a detail their Report was ina-
dequate; yet they :hacl said enough to call the ,
attention Of the House to the subject. He under-
stood an Hon. Member' to have said in 'the Com-
mittee, when he (Lord -C.) was not present, that
.he did not imagine that. any thing more was ne-
cessg:yy than that the Magistrates shOuld exercise
the law as it at present stood with rigour, and
that be. seemed in some-measure to blame the
Comthittee for not going. into further. examina-
tions. With respect to the lattcrobservation,
would say that he (Lord C.) had 'thought, that
to go into parole evidence on-the subject, would
not give them a more perfect -view ofrthe state of
'the case than they had of it without:- going into
such evidence. It was not for the Committee to
go into a 'general inqujry into the state ;of the
country. They:had been appointed for a' parti-
cular purpose, and it: Was their province merely
to inquire into the nature of one • particular evil, ,
and to Consider what was the remedy which ought.
to be applied to it. The Hon. Member would'
not deny that it was competent for Parliament to
Make an enactment without first making such an
inquiry ; and' the only question therefore
whether Government ought to have made any
communication at a11,,t0 Parliament on the sub-
ject ; or whether, having made a communication,
that communication was sufficiently ample ? The
notoriety of the disturbances was such, that every
person who at, all attended to the ordinary
.sources of information must be in some measure
acquainted with them ; but when that informa-
tion- was fortified with that furnished by the
sources thrown open to the
_Secret Committee,
he apprehended no doubt could remain of the fila-
ture of. the combination. He thought no Com-
mittee \ could have a mere extensive case- made
out They had before them the opinions of the
various Lieutenancies—the, depositions given be-
fore the Lieutenants, together with local infor-
mations on the subject. Various representations.
had been made, and particularly from the West
Riding of Yorkshire, stating the law as at pre-
sent exercised to be insufficient to enable the Ma-
gistrates effectually to cope with the danger.—
They-had, besides, communications from all the
Magistrates of the disturbed districts, containing
depositions on oath,., many of which had been
eonfamed by facts which had come out -on the
trials .and convictions which had taken place.—
They had had evidence of the secret meetings of
the rioters, which several circumstances had

proved.to be correct. The events stated to have
:been determined on at the secret mettiogs had
been realized. In . particular, they had received
intelligence of the, meditated destruction of -a mill,
which was put off from time to time by the se-
cret Meeting, and was ultimately destroyed at the
time last appointed. The subject now therefore
came before Parliament, not merelyon the ground
of the notoriety of the danger, but on the ground
of that danger being confirmed by the Report of
the Secret Committee 5 and on all the Mat,rial
assertions made, he believed-these had been no
essential difference in the Committee. In looking
to what length it might be desirable to go on the
present occasion, he admitted that neither the
Magistrates nor the 'Government had a right to
look for any extraordinary powers, 6om Parlia-
ment, unless they could prove a necessity for,tatch
aid, from the impracticability of effectually meet-
ing the, evil by the ordinary course of law. He
understood an lion. Gentleman had said, the law,
if exercised with vigour, would be equal to the
einergenca of the case. He (Lord C.) was of a
different opinion. As the law at present stood, it
could not at once be exercised-with sufficient vigour
every where to remove the danger. Some Magi-
st;:ateS, through various circumstances, were Inca-
uahle of e xerting themselves so effectually as others.
It then the Legislature were to wait till the utmost
the law could at present effect had been done
every where, they might find that principle push-
ed too far, a dangerous principle to go on. 00
the other hand, it would be unfair and untrue to
describe the conduct of the Magistrates as haling
_beeit undeserving, or, indeed, as not having been
meritorious. Generally speaking, their conduct.
had. been hilly meritorious ; and if some spots
appeared, if the conduct of some had appeared
less praiseworthy than that of others, enough was
not known of
,all the citeutustariees of the distric6
in which they acted, to justify any thing like a
charge against such Magistrates. Admitting the
Magistrates would in every pArt be enabled to
discharge their clay with vigour, he still contend-
ed that the evil bore a character with which the
existing power of the Magistrate§ was notable to.
cope.
.00 the part of Government, tine most un-
remitting e:ertions had been made to ' avoid
coming to Parliament for extraordinary powers.
Very early in the progress of the disturbances'a
very huge military force had been sent down to
el.l the disturbed districts. It was so great that
at first it might appear sufficient to protect, the
peaceable inhabitants from any clangers, -but the
proceedings .wriich had taken place on the part of
the rioters, were of such a description, that all the
army. of,the empire c.ould mit afford protection and
safety to the Icing's faithful. subjects against their
depredations, as the law at present stood. Go-
vernment had alsci encouraged the Lieutenants to
calf forth,' in as extensive adegyee as they might
thiaLnecessary, that species of force which was
so peculiarly adapted to their defence—the Local
Militia; and he- was happy to say, 'that, on tbi;
occasion, the value and stability of that,force had
been most eminently conspicuous. The Govern-,
neat had also given the. greatest encouragement
to voluntary associations for the defence of pro-
perty. They had been anxious to impress on the
minds Of the inhabitants, that it, was not by the
military that the. rioters could be effecually put
down, • but by- those only who had a stake and pro-
perty in, and a knowledge of, the country. They,