The Sun.
London, England, 1803-05-04 00:00:00

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(Inut follow it tip; a.rick see it executed, The
Riglit Hon. Gentleman then concluded with saying,
that this should have his cordial support, and
he was really sorry that the Committee had not car.
tied the matter further : he thought they would
have done well to have recommended to the House
to call upon the ATTORNEY GENERAL to prosecute
with the rigour of the Law, those who by name had
been reported to have conduded themselves so cri.
minally.
Lord GEO. 61/WENDISH explained, \ and said,
that so far from screening the Magistrates, he was
for punishing them, nor was he for screening the
vices of the town of Nottingham, but he was for
preserving ancient establishments, which were very
serious things, and great care should he taken not
to lay a precedent for overturning them.
Mr. HAWKINS BROWNE observed, that the
Right Hun. Gentleman who had lately spoken (Mr.
Ross) had said, that the Committee should have
taken steps towards the punishment of the Instiga-
tors of the late riots at Nottingham, that they
should have been marked out in the. Report, as ob-
:leas ht for pUnishment ; the reason why the Com.
mittee did not do so waso that the persons alluded

to were not parties to the Cause before the Commit-
tee, and could not he heard in their own defence,

and so the Comniittee, thought it would not be fair
to proceed to any step that might lead to their
punishment, 'without giving them an opportunity of
being heard in their own defence ; but the grim_
Mittee had recommended that the House :might pr.
ruse the Evideoce; and upon which Evidence it was
as competent to any Member of the House as it was
to the Committee, to recommend a prosecution
against all or any of those persons Who appeared to
have misconduaed thernsehres. This Bill had hien
called a strong measure—lie- proposed it as a strong
measure; for he did not put the riots at Notting-
ham upon a footing with common riots .; they were
not like the riots of Coventry, nor any- other Elec-
tion riots. He did not call the riots of Notting-
ham EleCtion riots ; it was a planned scheme, long
concerted, to insult and ill-treat in the most out.
fageoas manner, all those who should vote for Mr.
toka, and there were men stationed at and upon the
Booth for that purpose, and to give signals for per. 1
ions at a distance to do the same thing; it was in.
the estimation of these rioters, a capital crime to vote
for a Gentleman who had represented the Town for
upwards of so years, rather than for a Gentleman
who; whatever his merit was, wr;s certainly anew
Candidate. The outrages were the etfea of a aYste.
Matic plan---a.in short it was a scheme funded on
French principles, which produced French prat-bees,.
and if this Bill was an unprecedented measure, he
answerea, that the cause which produced it was
unprecedented in this Country. The Hon. Gentle.
Man (Mr. Fox) had called this Bill a measure of
t &fled and insulting lenity. Now the Committee
slid not consider any thing of lenity, they were
guided by viewrOf justice, as it was their duty to
be.guided. . There was not any difference of opi,
Ilion on the conduit of the Magistrates ; they all
agreed that effectual measures were not taken by
them at the last Eleftion for Nottingham to suppress
tiot, and. to preserve the Freedom of EleCtion ; but
the CoMmittee had not expressed their opinion so
its dire9ly to involve the Magistrates in,etiminality.
They did not think proper to propose any measure
tif prosecution, supposing that which was assumed
bn the othet side to be current, which was far from
being the case; but supposing it to be so, namely,
that these Magistrates of the Town of Nottingham
were eleited by the People, and that as such, they
Were really the Guardians of the People, yet it could
not be said that' their Jurisdiaion was destroyed by
this Bill, for it only gave to other Justices a con.
current jurisdiaion With them. As to the prece-
dent, of which the Hon, Gentleman appeared to be
to apprehensive, he owned lie saw no danger in it,
for such a measure never would he taken except
Where it was necessary; and it would never be ne.
tessary, but where such principles prevailed as those
which made a system of riot at Nottingham, and it
was our comfort that such principles had but little
toot in this Country.
Mr. SHAW LE FEI'RE said, that the present
till had his hearty concurrence. As to the Amend.
Ment proposed yesterday, by an lion. Gentleman
who opposed this Bill with much vehemence (Mr.
Vox), he found it his duty to oppose it, not only on`
account of its general bad principle, but also be.
cause it tended to degrade the Magistracy of thk
Counties of this Kingdotir, to reduce them, and to
place.them in a situation with the passe comitahis of
which they were the Direauts, on lit occasions.--
As to County Magistrates being called Crown
gistrates, he begged it to he understood by the Pub-
lic, that they were persons generally appointed to
their Office (which was a laborious one, and which
they performed gratis), upon principles of Independ-
ence. They were appointed tot the general good of
the Country, and they generally ailed upon the prin.
• civic .of their,, appointment.: He. did not like
that it should go fOrth frons that House to
the Public, that the Magistrates of the Coun.
ties had either salaries or emoluments fat What
they did, or that they had any dependance on the
Crown or other dependance whatever ; on the con.
trary, they devoted their time often from week to
week, leaving the concerns of themselves and fami.
lies, to perform some of the most important business
. of tik County and of the Public, without any other
tee or reward Clan the approbation of their con-
sciences, for having contributed much to the public
welfare. As to the Licensing Public-Houses, no
iitivantages were derived to the County Magistrates
from it ; on the contrary, it was a power, the ex.
erase of which gave them much trouble. Some
Clerks and inferior persons had tees and emoluments
On such occasions, but the Magistrates none.
• Mr' FOX explained, and said he was misunder.
s,rt'°Al by the Hon. Gentleman who spoke, last, he
"itl not mean to cast the slightest reileilion on the
Magistrates of the Counties, on account of their
being appointed by the Crown ; on the contrary,
he stated that the greatest part of our Magistracy
waft appointed by the Crown, and that he re-
garded as one of the eicellssocies of the system
of Our Gorernment when they were mixt with
tboae Magistrates who were eleCted• He
- never knew any suspicion entettained of the ge-
neral char:titer of the justices of the Peace for
the Counties, --- He never insinuated that their