The Sun.
London, England, 1819-09-10 00:00:00

ter ; they would be still illegal and revolting to
fininanity and justice.—(Cheers.)
Mr. llu►:comae seconded the Resolutions.—
Ile had little to add to the energetic and effec-
tive manner in which the itorthy .Alderman
(Waitl►man) had done his duty this day. Though
lie could acid nothing to the able mat►ner in
which the Resolutions had been proposed, yet he
could not sati-sfy his feeling.: by giving a silent
vote. He lamented to see a smile ou the faces of
Gentlemen opposite (Messrs: Dixon, Jacks, and
Browne.) He was shocked at observing on the
face of any Gentleman any expression which in-
dicated levity on -au occasion so seriol'N and im-
portant to humanity and Dixon—"
am not smiling")—lf ever one question could be
more serious than another, it was that where an
nnoffending people had fallen under military exe-
cution by order of -a Magistracy who were sworn
to have protected them. He hoped that all would
concur in the necessity of 'inquiring into the trans-
actions of the 16th of August, of which Manches-
ter was the bloody scene.. He hoped that the
majority of that Court would as strongly express
their abhorrence at this outrage, as they would
their readiness to support law, reason, and hu-
manity. The worthy Gentleman then adverted
to Mr. Pearson's letter, which described the evi-
dence given before the Grand JOry at Manches-
ter, and said, that, unless it was true, he did not
think any respectable professional man would
have affixed his signature to it. With such in-
formation, then, before the Grand Jury, he was
utterly at a loss to know how they could have
ignored the bills against the yeomanry : he might
be wrong in his opinion, but he thought,so placed,
he should have pursued a different course of
conduct.—(A voice said " They acted so, be-
-cause they did not believe the information.")
Mr, HURCOMBE, on hearing this, seemed to
address himself to Mr. Dixon, and said, " What !
do you call this information not to be believed ?"
(Mr. Dixon, " I did not say any such thing.")
Mr. Hurcombe concluded'by expressing his cot-
dial support of the Resolutions he seconded, and
his hope that they would meet the approbation of
the great majority of the Con r.
Mr. BUMPSTEAD IllOnglit the present question
so important, that all that lad beer► dn,cussed
within those walls for years, compared with this,
were trifles light as air. If such proceedings were
to be justified, a Society of Freemasons, or a
club of journeymen going to their bean-feast,
were liable to be dealt with in the same way. He
:.upported the Resolutions, and 'contended, that
if the right of petitioning, which had been fought
for by our forefathers, were not defended on ttte
present occasion—though the dill of Rights might
continue to exist on pat ehmtnt—though the in-
strument itself might remain in the Tower, yet,
to all intents and purposes, it would become a
dead letter.

Mr. Altkrman ROTHWFLL remarked, a worthy
Tsfember had hoped the Resolutions would be car-
ried by a very large majority. He hoped and
trusted the result would he the very reverse of that
which bad thus been anticipated. At present they
bad little information on which they could de-
pend, es the accounts given in the different News-
papers were so materiaily at variance with each
other, that he thought on these statements no
honest 01,111 could take upon,himself to say that
the Magistrates had been wanting in their duty.
If he, as a• Juror, were called upon to give a
verdict out these accounts, he declared that he
should he much inclined to retire from the Jury
Box. He hoped some other Member would sub-
suit a motion to the Court, the object of which
would be to do away these Resolutions alto-
gether.
Mr. BROWN remarked on the observation which
bad been made on a smile which had been charg-
ed- oe some of the Members of the Court, and
thought there was something very curious in that
fiuesthawn humanity, which sympathized with
those who had got injured at time meeting, and
who were in some degree blameable for attending'
it, but felt nothing for those who had received
%crwds in exerting themselves in defence of the
Cate. They heard nothin4 of this sympathy for
the officer who had been trotorded, as it had been
supposed mortally, in the net fortnaoce of his duty,
while seeming a person (he would nut say a de-
linquent, as he had not yet been tried), who was
charged with a serious offence. While such con-
duct was pursued by the'Gentlemen opposite; be
thought it was not to-be wondered at if a smile
should be excited, at the confined sympathy of
• some Gentlemen. He hoped the conduct of that
Court on this occasion would be such as should
sestain -its dignity, and avoid appearing to be
eiders and abetters to'the discontented Out of
&rota. He.did not hesitate to say, that if the
military had committed the excesses inapeted to
them, they ought to be brought to punishment.
At present, however, they ought to wait for evi-
dence, as they were not jest illed in supposing that
the -thanks- of Government had beets given on
slight grounds. They simeeld also remember that
the hills of indictment preferred against the Yen-
weer!: had'been ignored by the Grand Jury. But
then ;t Alas said a statemenr had been put forth by
a vet y respectable Gentleman, cs hich went to
prove, that the bills ought not to be thrown out.
He svoeld not believe any such statement, how-
o'er respectable the party from whom it might
0111 C. There were no auditors admitted to the
sittinge of the Grand Jury ; and bicanse a re-
spectable Gentleman bed been told-so and so,
it did not satisfy him that what he had heard
was correct. It was strange how soon pub-
lie opinion could be turned for or against
any Jury. Let a man be tried for High Treason
and acquitted, -and the Jury were applauded as
having rendered an important public service to
their cout-at ; but let a UCand Jury throw ant
certain bills preferred against those who had be-
come uopopular, and !mobile indignation was
roused, and it was e matter of aqonistament cn
what grounds they could venture to act such a
part. Other bills, he observed, might be pre-
ferred against the party heteatter ; and he would
ask, if at a time like the present', when persons
bad been murdered for ioseecting the meet hags of
the diseffected, that they (eight to pronounce an
opinion on .hose proceediogs which were to be-
come the senjeet ut legal pluctediimes elsewhere
What would be said it such a step were proposed
k— ~Qt ~.a ...•Lav;itatul 1.1/11,1 111411 1111 fre-