The Sun.
London, England, 1817-03-26 00:00:00

counrs ittiol jolt

The Lout) ctiANCELLOR the Wonisncit,
/1.
a till that it wits with no 1110 e iiiisract on

that he heard otte fur whose charaeter.he had so
high ait esteem us his Ni.bh: t i d 't earned Ft iettd,
declare that the uhininns which he formilly held
on the subject of l'arliaineotary livfortti, hall, in
Some degree at least, ehnoged„ So highly did he
vAilw china iiiii,rox.i.motion,„lhat he trusted thwoe

W(.11111 Still UCC01114: itegirer
entertaim.4l lti=it=elf > but lit• kit it riot 1,
that ‘vittilvyer approxii,,,iti,m Way hergabo,

pluce, it must clime (I OH) the side of his Nnbie
and Luartted Friend. With respect tn the semi-
-1.11C112$ lie had just dclinretl upon the tueitorg.

re t

;teal the unfavourable effects which
enth:e!ved ,it wrist, hav'e upon.the sahke.s of
cries coutstty, hex Learned Friend had all() iakerr
utitkrhts eibimiderat.ilHl other stiljeet, but wile.
thrr , not. they were tit
,t I' tth jtl, i,o,O,trt io of
this cO'nutry he coup oot so readily: ,ay he meant
the elements ot HO' aOtt,tlre,--- .(A laugh.)-t,Wolist
effect these new stit jects. would have its their ape-
-1'414)11.11pol). the Constitution .ot, the, country; he
I wits nut tv nre ot Ftlit I lley soittfl Imes onersted mast
sonseof the principal subjects its
it. If. his rearmed Friend could introduce cllitte
.
kilt:, Bill to reinter these b.enetiei,il servants
' mote useful and serviceable to the climate of Oa;
lion. I;Oievy.(l alapyOt its best Memirets
it:ruld be extrenyely.g.futefOl ro. laugh )
With lywitt et to 419' pat !ocularly, which', as.a
11c1,of 144 co 4111101) it. Could be rer;dered more
accommodating icing obedient, especially when the
windows, w,ece ()per!, he believed the.worthy Gen-
tietnen,,i4gliss jet. so long ,at the Table.", would
have.nisigh,t:o thiork his Learned Friend for.--
(Latighvgo.7t.e.Witls .respect, -however, to the'
Bill befkv,e,, AA. Jiouse, .against which his
Noble Friend,„ had. exhibited a quotation frorn
'Mr. Burke, and a lectirre upon certain pro-
perties, of, air and 'fire, he Must say that .his
.
own well considered opinion of the measure Wes
essentially different. Scr. tar -tram its operating
inirn,iously or destructively to the liberties of this
country,, lie thought it well calculated in itsope-
rilt,opi,,and effects to protect, and secure tpent,, to
the utmost extent that liberty can he protected
and sectired. if he thought they were not so
acting.; if he could, convince him,,elf, that by this
measure any thing else 'could he,done than to on-
bold apd.secure the liberties and .ttie itiestimable
laws of this coontry, Ite.. should not enjoy either
ease of mitul,or happiness during the reinsibder
of ,his life. But with respect to this, dud the
other Or ecautionary or preventive nteasures.whicir,
have 12een adoisterl„,,,he was free, to admit they
should notr.tbeiradtipted, except the necessity ,los•
so doing.:A.ww*great and evident.. -The real
question he's,airrieeived to be, did not the urea-
sure
.procedif :upon the ,principle Of securing
an enjoyment of the rights and, liberties (r 1 the
people permanently, .by bariding down to pos-
terity the
,benelits and ash vatitoges of this Consti-
tution, which they enjoyed from their forefathers
The great principle of the Constitution of. thiS
cOontry.was, its- liberties, were secured by laws
of a naturewhielt operated to its :seenrity in a
.way and ,to an extent which no other country.
could boastpf.
.VVit bout these legal safeguards,
the tendency of the best framed Constitirticm may
he to destroyritself ; and .Witlt these laws it Was
one great operating principle, that the enjoyment
of these tibellicstooly.,tor a lime be salutarily 3U11...
vended, in ardts iliaLsvent ly they may be en-
joyed for yver7. he tpiestion, thertrote, Wats,
whether the:,e,i,l.e,y4ltAtariees.ol the times were not
such as to lq(1.1le those prevein3ve ten
which %vete now applying. At the tootle dole
he should sav, God tot hid that his Noble and
Learned Ftieltd. or any. other Lord. S:iould vote
for the tuvastire it' they did not, to (Lem It
Was the itWollite CollVirtiott its titers-
siry, and as lie trusted it would unirerially eon,
tribute to the permanent security those liber-
ties, that he himself siipported the Measure, ile
Vitas perfectly convinced that the was its
such a sittottion that the present
.14wS ttete tint
sufficient to support its Constitution--,and wit 4
its Constitution the rights and liberties of the
people. He had been Hpitonned 10 the oaks. of
Attorrwy-General. in .1794. His predecessor hail
left to him Many prolleelltialts iiti •CdeS nF Wm),
and Whell sitw to what an, exlent,the pract ire of
libejtim,4 hod obi:third—when he :ti%v the Mtn was
tr,.b.ring into bakeed contempt all true consti-
tuted Anthorittep, the -venerable characters of
the country, liet bought it his duty to putt the laws
i!rictly iu .furce. Ile was glad to. perceive, that
in 'lBl6 there wet e sonic et ho seemed to !Wok
that lie (I,iiltiot prosecute enough hi 179-4 and in
1795, though: in those years lie was not a little
abused for having iustitotecl so many. Bat cir-
cumstances ,may so fall out, that it was inipos.
bible to conciliate. people.of a certain character

. . ,
and rlescrilstipo,,, awl to uphold :the govetonteot
and Coustitution ,at the some time. Anti io;that
point'of view, thf.: question of the neee,s*ily
prescnietl itself.; !Ito! 11rierc, notch of the argu-
ment of his, Learocvl Friend on the clegree of le-
galhy the. Notices would confer, was dn-

swtred and done by the introduction of a llatise
that. it shinild not, be, as argued on the former
eight. Alter akildjog in some dutail Upon certain.
points touchedt,npouritv "the last di MIS AM), amid
successhilly ci!mendiag- that the provisions of
the ;lin pm thestimip,vs :were the least objection-
able and most efluctohl,:lhat could be fronted un-

der the oecessity the-case, the Noble 411+1 eery
tt:.arried Lord glitoced briefly but forcibly
tit the ahirming, and destructive cooseiplences
Were to be npnrehcoded trout tponeroos•ontl
assernblieb of .the pf!Pnikter, whatever

speciititi pretext, they titity)ht-recmigrey,nted

ifer, ond otherted to the never.to•he7forg,nt,ep.
Orefenee of the 1780, when, at the-coin,.

mencement, the most mderly mad peace4hie
a~-
sombly,to aippealranee he ever witnessed, %vats that
bekaded by Lori! G. Ga.pralots 4 but though !Mull wits
their complexion in the morning, they wootall,be*
fore time expirotion of 24 hours, have set file to all

_
London. If, therefore, their Lgrttsbips woulit
rather, prevent punish the recuirence of clich
dreadful scenes ; it ti.e,y,iiitineriatell the iripetty
anti the SVClirity Omit. Ivll4iw
must naturally stii.p.ot the adoption of these pre-
ventive measures ; rind ;;pi, that grnitud,
to the ttbsokte tit the crow, he top vi
they r0..1,1 rijr litutmclves to
,volt tor the third
rea(111114 a the Hill.
•

Lt'il N Aroictl briefly but w.trittly against
he tut.,okurr. Iles coutemlv,i tot, the., e vr,is un,

ciise of necessity wade ,iiit for its 444iption, 9114
that lite exitting hives wile y wilt for till
~ „ .
those putpo44,,s , wisim vr,tl,prop(l4e,l.
The &al of WHSTM.PIatt AND *poke at 81,111 a
trivh (mono (it the nte,t3iite, itint
thot the exievticy tilt tjate, was shell Ns to re-

quire ii. Strung pricetotitmary measures of the
16mi, wile, he Hrgtiedi ►tao►ry ttvce3sitry in times

a peace lit perii)tis t>f witr. 1 itcy
litmus Fouts betore tiltltt, %%b ash welt., more (
less, totictteci upon ill the Reportcof PuvliAinetit,
tvio.ce ate uvors‘ittuf, m ►eutti tho

• , . • 4
sent. The conduct of those,, tebose practieis. it
it' Os
.crilaatli!tt to •tepress, spoke More than vo-
-I,ltin's upon the 'subject. The--t4e:asnrc was eyi:
•fdently calculated for the safety and prote'etbin,
and not for the deterioration or punishment of his
Alajesty!s sobjeets. Prevention was generally al-
- hmedr to be• preferable to punishmenr; indeed, it.
, t ,vas the first time, he had heard that prevention'of
crime, treason,' robbery, and Murder would one,
: cute as a- punishinent upon the people of It UK-
hold ; it so, would those that so advocate .the
. converse. of such a proposition, say that all the
h,ovs against- these Offences and crimes ought to
be repealed 'The principle the Bill chiefly pro-
. .0.-edeil upon was, that prevention wits better than
puoishment ; Ot.the saute time he mustlhink that
• every fair au& constitntional object of petitioning
. ; could he as freely exercised after the passing of.
the .Rill as before. And he declared, that how-
- ever, sorry he': Might be for the few who would
'oulfer antler this measure, he had more pity for
thoSe:whose' persons' anii property were exposed
to-the "scliemes of traitors and incendiaries. It
was•hetattse• he thought such a measure necessaty
for the protection ot his Majesty's loyal subjects,
that he should 'give his hearty assent to the third
scaling' of the Bill.
Earl Gittosvatgoalaid, he would be brief- in his
present Ob,ervations, because he felt' that be
Should, in the course of the present Session, be
under' the 'necessity of calling the atteation'rif the
House to the Suspension of the Habeas Corpus
Act. The preamble- of the Act of 1'706 contained
much stronger grontrils than that of the present
Bill ; and'he was surprised that the Noble:Earl
-should see no difference between that time. and
till,. The object 'of the disaffected at that' time
was to facilitate the landing:of' fbreign army,
to join with I bent in the overthraw of the whole
• novernment. 11 it could be shewn that the ma
jovity of the people of this country' were !lbw in!
' so+ te disafPvtion, time !night besonie ground,
I'or'adopti9g stub' a. measure; hilt we were 'now
in a state of prolourni peace, which was not likely
to be interrupted. We were at peace with all the
rowels: ot l 4 trope, and neither Betonaparte nor
tile' head of any Powerof Europe was now likely.
to' interrupt it, The' preaMble of this he,
therefore considered to be totallyfallacious. There
had been no Itunults• in any, pert of the country
which t outlimise such assertions. The Noble
Earl proceeded to.contend; that under the Clauses
of this Rill it was not likely that host public
• wettings would he held. 'Under the Aet. of.
179f3, an Orator at the Copenhagen tionse
ililecting said, on the appearance of Sir W. Act-
: ding ton itt the field, " Now we shall bear What
ni a Bow,-strect igaglstiate' opinion of "this
Act.". Cfn which this .worthy . Magistrate soil,
down that fellow." lie was immedialely
• . pulled down, the meeting was broken' tip, and no
blimilarone tests held aft erwards4 was. indeed
tot exposbioo of the law by a Magistrate ; hat
• was it...the construction that Parliament intended
b:inithl he put upon it ?. lit his opinion, this Act
wool& g , to prevent.all meetino.of the ptib4e•to
•• petition for their• tigh.ts ; ..and though the. public
- were mpressed witli'an idea that there is some,:
• :thing wrong that re:quires reform., they would 'not
vent to express themselves.' It ,should be con.-
, sidered, however, that the:people ire- mote en,
lightened now. than at. arty other 'period ; the light
4,11 he Christian teligitin having -extended-itselfall
ciset Europe, and carped with, it a.-desire for ge7
Rend .ireedotn. It was indeed making popery ant
despotism tre► ble. to their bkses, and they Wont(
. soon he trodden under foot for ever. Ai'to the
th+turbaures ,allutled't,O,• whatever they Were, they
. hinl'now hcen ',put nn entrto•wititont ihelnfluence
ot t his. measin 4, and therefore,his!Lordship' agreed

r~ ;....
i~

WAS unneoessary...
. 'file Duke .tif. rlTuot, supported the measure,
Hml descanted tin
.the 'concurrent' causes that, had
produced ,the piivsent diStITSS, svhicit was such
that he hoped never to see again. If the
*lent had been as,etubled sooner, he was of ' oPi•!
16011 that this di-,tress' would kave been increased,
by dri“ving acvnyt he rich from scenes where their
presence was beneficial. But.since it had met;
not a moment had'been lost to raise public credit
and give confidence to every good' man. The
elm gy of, the Ciovernment -Would, lie believed in
his. conscience, soon bring' back the country to
that, state in which every ‘vell•wisher to it'could
hope to gee it placed. Ile therefore approved of
wig t ,eniteasares that Government hatlfound it ne-
cet,,faTy-to adopt. Front the honest pea Ont •to
the peers in (belt' noose, he'believed there was but
tote,opirtion, thut-Parliument; bt'these Acts, was.;
giving them security ;Ind 'protedtion. By them
firinly.trusted, both the distress and the tll9=tiffec.ioo of the country ‘vould be lessened. Why-
therthe ij,the,its'eori)us SuTeusion 'Act ought to
lie renewed or nor 'oust depend on the state of
the country when it expired; and he Would say,
(hitt it' there were gronndi for reviving it, and Ml-
iiiiters 711.'4 , tlht do their ditty, they ought to be
Pint they had sufficient energy
tkotect. Cie, colt y eig!iinst all the innovators Who,
Avrte 1.'61)11.
ie,rd ./ ti els.pbtioetl.
Lo, t! NI) expressed hit 'opinion, that the
situ:ttit,il of the country did not warrant the pre-
cAsnre, The di,turhAnees had been greatly
x• died. The Notle Lord took.a.view of tbit
to,i:e or tbe'suppression of tu-
The di:dresl of thetionntry tensing a ge-
rinrion,, od4htUlso c•iinse ii dIM)0 it ton to
itt,wvr iii; the Maigistyttes watf,stif-'
h ii ill to ,tipro,..lis it, he could 'not. cow en t to see!
,the 'llqtivcd 'of He'
to orin.o,e,,any Hill of indemnity',
st,,.,lrucip3);.of llabero
The Sy ,{file Lord then dosc-intcd on the severity
•
m,fhich' Vce6unt, and,
yorry,ro see 'Our great,ptivileges
-hould oppose it.. :fie cc-myrrh:red
s.d,! of paw er.agaiust the people.
ett.l4 supporttd the
A
Hid. lie I- ,t!ie ,t 4) h,ive 'teenlurid,; otti:
404.,, was t,f that t-t:e tneasnresiproposo
to,,eticifer•.(et the 11(-.,t t'f!duld he adopt.
kt'l• .of th.e extent- of the
tlao.ver Moli'4lle nilis'uiere first intended, every,
ii iy','l;);: /4:1 coo .that
he
T:,..4;t n: tiow Illdu obt wliktever
14.0tortok-iiquec;of: sethtiolt*l leririers.,witS
it re
.1.444114 i 1041•.e.' ikiiiil4t4 4
atria wa could form uut-. The krench

ItotH;

lit:1`111

" •

i. "' i

• :„
had t,eac,cll to fmlaze,but es awful cedes
reentirl, umost important memento for Brietnis
'to'Aioal a .kiteilar rivolittioniwas
brought altoet_ by persons of the lowest -orders,
under-the subterfuge ofkavilling 4rot. reFormi and
the moment Ole- Government was degraded "in
the ey.es of ,the people, fhe ‘v(qk of destine-
tion began.. The same Om'eans were Ooll,' kllttildea
'to be resorte&to, to overcome the Governineut ut
this country ; and it was an easy matter to pull
down a Goverutneut Which the people were per-
suaded was, Incepable of attending either' to their
interests or owe.-.(llear, hear 1)--The Noble
Marquis proceeded to argue, that' thesame means
were now used„ and by the swi►c. men.; as in 1'79-1,
and hebelietied, in hiscouscience, that 'the coe-
spirators had no: object in view but revoltithin.
When he- saw the Landholder called a_ pest, time
Stockholder a nuisance, mud the Crown-essiodted,
lie was bound to believe that the danger and ob-
jects were the same at the present time as at. the
1-ortner. He thee descanted on the, abuse of the
44ght of petitioiiine, which was 'converted into an
opportunity of insulting and vilifying theGovern-
:Ment. No man could kitty tlixt the Meetings et
Sppfields and Portsdowu-hill, with the attacks on
ithetgunstnithe shops in the City, were the' rights
Which the Vonstitntion lid' in corntemplation
when it gave the people the right of Meeting in
public to petition Parliament. :On these grounds
he contended that the existing laws were not stall-
Cient to meet the evils that existed. The real
enemies of the -people were those who looked to
their own objectivouly, assembling mobs under
the pretence of petitioning, and tempting them
t-oe destroy those rights which afforded just pro-
tection and security to every class. The effects
of these Measures might already" be seen, in the
putting off the. 'Spa-fields' Meeting of yesterday.
But why put it off? Because its .ohjects were not
those that were prolesied, but-were:intended to
throw the country into • mansion. Believing,
then, that the reel maintenance of the Constitution
depended 'on obedience to the laws, he should give
his 'cordial support 'to time. Bill. •
The Earl of DARNLEY contended 'that there Wes
no similarity between the efforts Of the'Vrenchre-
vPintionists and the disaffecterin"this country.
the Noble Earl': went over the grounds' which
caused the French Revolution. If ever there Was
a' conspiracy contemptible in point' of numbers,
and the persons who were engaged in it, it ,was
this, against which the present measures were in-
tended to operate.—Me differed from' 'the NOble
'Nlailiett in Opinion, 'as 'to the general disaffeetion,
It Was not mill:amiable to' expect some riot and
disorder from a !minim- of starving people na-
seiribled together ; ',bet it had been proved that the
existing laws' evere saffitien't to suppress them. Bat
if there was danger' apprehended, and, the Noble
Lords-thought' the laws' not sufficiently strong,
'why-did 'they tititinifitntly Call 'Parliament toge-
ther, tend nropage the' Measures they had noW
brought
,fdrwardl was convinced that
the peace. f thd metropolis being preserved this
Winter, was in .eaniegeenee-of the' active and
zealous conduct of its. present Chief Magistrate.
But Ministers 'had succeededin alarming the pun,
lic to such a degree' as to induce ao
101111(14.11e numerous untrained mess, who wished-
only for the 'reform of abases.; With the very few
,who aimed at-a Revolution. He:admitted, hwy.,.
-ever, that such meetings -as those itt Spa-fields.,'
and 'so convened; ought not to be suffered, but Om
present Bill gave by far too great a poWer to Mai-
gistrates ; and as he could
,see no necessity fur. it,
although be approved of some ofits clauses, lie
should oppose it. If the Bill 'were proper foethese
times; to' prevent meetings that aimed:at Over-
awing Parliament, it ought. not to •be temporary,
'hut permanent.-
The Earl of Annapeete supported the BilLee-
lie had' endeavoured to ascertain, as far as pos.
Bible, the general opinion; and had found it to be
_in favour of it.; He should be very much inclined
to attribute-any lavonrAle alteration in theltate
of the public mind amongst the disaffected, to the
fears ,which these meastwes had occasioned. Ile
was' not of opinion that all revolutions were
brought about by minorities. The'Minority might
exist on the pet of time agent's anti promoters, but
they were the persons who possessed a majority of
energy. Ile'thoeght a sufficient degree at danger:
:existed to anthorisesoch a measure.. some re 4
spects he thought the danger' even greater Itow
than it' was in '1794. As to 'the public distress,
no man could deny that it was deep and Calami-
tons ; but when lie heard it' attributed 'in that
House to the annexation of Genoa to Piedmont,
he must confess that be looked 'hi vain for such
'causes- as were satisfactory to his ,mind.---(A
laugh.)---The Bill secured to the Subject the right
of ,petit inning in every jnst and legitimate\ way.—
More than this'Onglit not to be desireth
Earl Gaosmeoe explained.
The Duke of Sussex remarked on' the' differibee
between'thepresent'sitnation of taglinid and that.
of:France before the Revolittion: The ciremn,
stances'of the 'two nations were not at all simi-
lar. The dengers' which grew out of that Reso-
iution we: had met; and triumphed` over ;
therefore' could' not see that we liattatly
now to fear. If, licwever, there were any, thing,
to create alarm, the safest course 'Would be,.. to
edivere to the tandamentat principles of tbilt Cen-,
itnt ion which they were aftatixious to,preserite,
end which he 'trusted. in God would .eeu' remain,
to this country. , ,a.
Vieemint'Sitn,looll-191141', thatthe clause which
he proposed last night Was found to include' co.:
vent-garden ; and it was -not nreant'io extend the
prohibitioo intolottiliwtait ; for'th'ese reasons he
weuld move that the clause be WithdraWn; Whim he"
should propose another Clause, making these.ex.
ceptleas, amid which previsions so atneeded should
,he perpetual.
Loyd 'Hni7...txn objected. to tlse. amend Mint.
opposed the measure generally, es not `called
for by the cirenueitaimes-Of the In 17g0
411,1ny great outrages. werecommitted, yet the per-
solo; then actiMe'heatVof theAdininistration had not
.thought it ticaeisary,'-to have recourse to the Slis-
pertsioo of the .Habeas Corpnd Act,-and the cumin-
try ;had been resested from the'diffitelties of that
period without Having'recourse to soch measitres
as were nett" thought' pecessary,- ITC adinitted
that 'in 178 t) ..grdrit inconveniences .had been OE
4. front 11. t eta.a is e eitticel in' Abe.- tiViehlinneiid-
ing to Parliament. The clause also scented to

. .

be unnecessarily aimed against the people
Westrninsteir....Jle knaw 'of nothing which they ,
had done to be treated thus, to be. pointed out '
thus, to be nominated in the Bill. If such a
measure wt4e thought necessary, and that the:-
measure was to be perpetual, it ought to have
been of trintore general nature, and ought to pro,
vide .that uo meetings- should he , held within such
a distance front Whatever.place Parliament-might
be sitting ;;for,•us the Clause at present stood, if
Parliamentelibuld-bold its' sitting anywhere eke,
all the people ot:;-Westmhister would:Still be pre-
vented from OReting in Palace-yard. • It was de-
sirable that the -avenues leading to ''the Houses
should be kept-clear ; 'but if it were thought ne-
cessary to prevent public meetings. from
ing held so near' as they had usually been held,
he should not have beeu'dispOsed to remove thein
so far as was now. intended. - they were car.!
tied as far off as Cliathip,Cross he thought
it would be enite sutilient ; tor, ittpposiug a
mob to be there assembled, it • could not be,said
that the Members would be obstructed in their W#y
to the Houses of Parliatnent, as they could emit}
proceed thither • through the'parkS or over the
bridges. Some, inconvenience "night 'be expe-';
rienced, but nothing that would be matter of se-
rious ,complaint. After the riots with-which the
name of Lord George Gordon was, connected, an
Act bad been passed, making it treason for persons
to meet in anyway -tti overawe the Parliament.
This, be contended, Was sufficient for their protec-
tion, wisinint the aid of a Bill like the present.
He renewed his objections to the clause, and
hoped, if, so, Materiel an alteration was be made
in the law now proposed, that it would he made
the subject of a st.parate Bill, as in that case Mt
opportunity mould offer for distuSsing it 'in the se-
veral stages.
The Eart.of RossLYbr objected to the clause.
He thought it -.oery-Itard on the people of West-
minster that they'shoold be,deprived of a part of
their porulan,privilegeg. liyAmendmenti; thus id-
traduced without previous notice in the last' iagic
of the- Bill, and Seithout affording. Ohm any opt-
portuuity of Petitioning agaitot the proposed al-
teration,ofAe leW.. 'When this Snbiect was fir*
InOughr fcirward preceding day, it was
said, it any•inconvenience should result Irian Whit.
wus then suggested,, avall eventsit-Vroidd be but
a temporary eV-1, us the Bill would-expire in
year. Now a different 'view of the subject wtis
taken, and the provisions contained in the clause'
were intemled to be permanent.
The gall' of LiikapOnt, was surprised at the
, .
opposition giVen to• clause, winch was likely
to cause incouveniende 'whatever to the people
of Westminster. If the principle' 'ot the clause
was good, it ought to by adopted with a view to
its being made permanent, and thereforethe-tptesT
lion on which ' their Lordship' had TO'decide was,
whether or not the painciple of it •wii good ::He
knew of no iiicouvenidace' that could „arise trom
it, as it merely went to guard-ugaloCerowilvo
persons being.; assembled hi thd;avetiues.
ately leading to !title llimse, by- ik;p:.oing that nb'
Meeting should; be hal in' the City told LibertieS
of Westntinater,l,within a mile frorti.,the gates of
Westminster-bail, exceptias in- •St. Paul's, Co-
vent-garn44',—t legit' and recOgnized place for
holding Elections. ' • •
• Lord LAUDERDALE put it.tojheNoble Earl op-
posite, if this clause might not have the effect of
preventing' the' t)eople•trom holding luny public
meeting at all. The place in which it-was said
they criuld assemble in. Covent-garden, might be
private property, aad the proprietor .might forbid
.them to meek there.
-The LORD CHANCELLOR SRIII, though ihe spot
alluded to might IA private property; there, were
streets and other'placts within the liberties of the
City of. Westminster Which were not so; in which
meeting.; might . 7
The llouse divided, when the puntbercatere----
For, the clause ' • •
Against it
' Majority6B
Str,angers_ were not again adniitted ;,latti we Un-
derstand tbe. Bill was read 'a third' time, and
passed;---Adjourned,'