The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-10 00:00:00

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE
BRADFORD REFORM ASSOCIATION.
Sir,—On Wednesday, the sth, was the motion for
the second reading of the Outgoing Tenants (Ireland)
Bill. It was supported by the repetition of al the
previous arguments. But the times are unfavourable
to interference between the owners of capital and the
users ; Louis Blanc has for the present put a stop to
the march of experiment in that direction. The feel-
•
ing was made apparent by a majority against the Bill,
of 145 to 22.
On Thursday Mr. Feargus O'Connor presented a
petition from 49 delegates (50 being stated to be un-
lawful), professing to represent five millions
Williams,f per-
sons, praying for the liberation of Frost,
its
reception Jones. The Attorney-General demurred to
reception till he could look into precedents ; which
was agreed to.
After a little intervening business, Sir J. Walsh rose
and asked the Government a series of questions on
the subject of the intended meeting of Chartists on
Kennington Common, in the style so well understcod
by political tacticians when a fire is not to be allowed
the chance of going out for want of stirring. The
Government replied in a tone of moderation, that
they had been advised the meeting and procession
were illegal, and a declaration to that effect would he
out in half an hour. Mr. O'Connor appealed to pre-
cedents, where similar demonstrations had not been
opposed ; and Mr. Hume intimated that unnecessary
evil might be the result of interference. With which
the subject for the time was dropped.
After a question had been asked on another subject
(Mortality in Ireland) and answered by Sir W.
Somerville, the Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment rose and gave notice, that on the following
day (Friday), before the other orders of the day, he
should move for leave to bring in a Bill far the better
security of the Crown and Government of the United
Kingdom. Of course there were expressions of ap-
probation from some quarters, but nothing like what
is understood by " prolonged cheering, as given out
in some of the public prints. Cool-headed men were
probably engaged in ominous reflections, on the velo-
city with which mischief makes head when all par.
ties combine to send the ball aloft.
Contrary to the expectation of the mover, Mr.
Feargus O'Connor's motion for an address to the
Queen for the liberationlof the individuals named, came
on in the course of the evening. It is impossible to
deny that their counsel exerted himself ably and well.
With the exception of the points unfavourable to his
success, for which it is probable he was not respon-
sible, there was nothing which could irritate any
party, or which would not have been approved by an
experienced practitioner bent on doing his best for
the cause in his hands. The Government answered
with mildness and self-possession ; though an effort
was made by an ex-Solicitor-General to give the
House a taste of what such officers had been, and
might be again. An admission was virtually discern.
ible, that the case must at some time be looked into ;
and on the whole a fair stand was made on the side
of conciliation and clemency, though the numerical
strength of its supporters was on division only 23
against 91.
On Friday, the Secretary of State for the Home
Department moved to bring in his Bill for the better
security of the Crown and Government. There are
tokens of genius in it ; and with the omission of half
a dozen words, it might have been good.
It begins with cutting the Act of 36 Geo. 111. into
two parts.
The first which relates to offences against the per-
son of the Sovereign, it laaves unaltered, and extends
by name to Ireland ; on which last point it appears
there were some technical doubts.
The other part, which relates to such as shall
" compass, imagine, invent, devise or intend to de-
prive or depose bcc.," or "to levy war within this
realm, in order by force or constraint to compel &c.,"
or " in order to put any force or constraint upon, or
to intimidate or to overawe both Houses or either
House of Parliament, or to move or stir any foreigner
or stranger with force to invade this realm or any
other of his Majesty's dominions Sec.," and " such
compassings, imaginations, inventions, devices or in •
tentions, or any of them, shall express, utter or
declare, by publishing any printing or writinea or
by any overt act or deed," it first repeals, and then
re-enacts in the same words with trivial variations to
suit the time, but changing the punishment from
"suffering pains of death, and also losing and forfeit-
ing as in cases of high treason," to " being deemed
guilty of felony, and every person so offending, being
convicted thereof, shall be liable, at the discretion of
the court, to be transported beyond the seas for the
term of his or her natural life, or for any term not less
than seven years."
This might be well, if this were all. There appears
no reason why Ireland should have any monopoly of
treason; and there was genius in repealing the capital
punishment of a number of not very distinct offences,
and thereby multiplying the chances of their practical
suppression.
But there are precisely six words which mar the
general effect. After the words "by any printing or
writing" in the old Act, are introduced in the new
one the words "or by open and advised speaking."
Here then are all men made transportable for words,
at the discretion of their neighbours who may hold a
contrary opinion. For what is "open and advised
speaking ?" Who are the men that say anything
which is not open and advised ? Every man there-
fore, is to be transportable for saying anything for
which a jury, in all times and seasons, can be got to
convict. It is a sad reversion to the time, when a
passionate man was executed for wishing a deer's
horns in the king's belly ; for it is presumable that
in that instance, too, a jury was found to convict.
The case is made worse by a succeeding paragraph
on the punishment of accessaries ; which, though
possibly nothing but what is common to all cases of
accessaries, throws light on the dangers from the
whole. Is every chairman of a public meeting, and
every man who may have put his name to a requisi-
tion to call it, to be an accessary before the
fact, to all that may be said amiss by any of the two
or three thousand who may be present ? There will
be a wonderful harvest of accessaries before the fact,
if this should be discovered to be the law.
The motion for bringing in the Bill was carried
by 283 against 24. It was an error in the leaders of
the opposition, to divide against bringing in the Bill ;
because many of their friends disliked voting against
leave to bring in a Bill of which the contents were
imperfectly known, and it was consequently display-
ing their party in a needlessly small minority. The
Government also were imprudent in their declaration
afterwards, that if the Bill was read a second time on
Monday it should he committed the same evening.
It was reviving the recollection of the Tory times,
when " breathless haste" was the order of the day
whenever anything was to be done towards increasing
,he severities of the law.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
T. PERRONET THOMPSON.
Blackheath, London, April 10, 1848.