The Sun.
London, England, 1819-11-30 00:00:00

INTERNAL STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

Viscount SIDMOUTH, purstlallt 10 notice, ad-
dressed their Lordships at some length on this
subject, and stated the nature of those measures
which were deemed necessary to be proposed,
with reference to it. In the Speech of his
Royal Highness the Prince Regent, at the
opening of .the Session, he was pleased to
declared that he felt it his duty to press on the
speedy attentio❑ of Parliament, the consideration
of such measures as were most likely to counter-
act and do away a system which, if persisted in,

would inevitably bring eoefusion and ruin on the
country. His Royal Highness's confidential Ser-
vants felt it incumbent on them speedily to bring
forward those measures for the consideration of
Parliament, which they deemed most likely to
arrest the progress of the evils adverted to in the
Speech from the Throne. He now rose to coin-
rounicate the natnre of those measures to their
Lordships. They were so framed, be thought,
as not to go beyond the necessity of the case,
and at the same rime not to circumscribe tlse
rights or privileges of the subject, farther than
what was deemed to be connected with, or
due to the paramount- consideration of the safe-
ty of the State. It was unnecessary now, he felt,
to enter into any detailed description of those
various dangers, the existence of which was uni-
versally known and admitted—(Hear,' hear !)
. A conspiracy, it was apparent, existed against all
the civil and religious establishments and institu-
tions of the country ; in fact, to subvert the whole
fabric of the Constitution in Church and State—
(Hear, hear, hear !)—ln considering the causes
Willett led to such a state of things, he believ-
ed there were few who did not feel, that from
(lie operations of the press much of the evil
complained of proceeded, and the country brought
into the melancholy state in which it now was--
a state which, at best, was one of great difficul y
and danger. From that press issued those de-
testable attempts to rob mankind of all the hopes
and spiritual consolation (bey derived from the
precepts of religion ; and it was no less notorious
that its machinations were equally directed against
the Laws and Constitution of the country. The
great characteristic of a tree press was, that no
interference should take place with respect to
publications that were not injurious to the mo-
rals, the peace, or the religion of society. In the
Bill relating to this part at the subject which it
was intended to submit to Parliament, those great
principles were nut invaded. The principle of
interference after publication took place, was that
on which the framers of the Bill proceeded. It
was proposed not to visit in the first instance
with increased punishments the publishers of
blasphemous or libellous matter ; but in the event
of a repetition of a conviction for such off races,
that they should be visited with an accretion of
punishment, which was proposed to be that of pro-
longed imprisonment, banishment, or transporta-
tion., according to the judgment of the Court. It was

further proposed, that in case of a second convic-
t ion, a seiiure ot the copies should be authorized of
such matter,as was adjudged to be seditious or blas-
phemous, with some provisions for subsequent
restoration with reference to the event of an ar-
rest of jodgmeut. respeet to the principle
of another intended Bill, it was acknowledged ro
be somewhat deficient in principle from that which
lie had described—that for imposing a duty on
such obnoxious publications, and this it was pro-
posed should attach upon a given number of
sheets, to an amount equivalent to that now im-
posed npon newspapers. This was not, how-
ever, done in the spit it of a fiscal regulation, but
with a view to counteract the baneful tendency
of cheap publications, which disseminate poison
throughout the country, and corruption in the
minds of all who perused them. A measure of
the kind was called for by the indispensable ne-
cessity of checking the progress of such publi-
cations. It was furber proposed, that all
persons who should be engaged in printing pub-
lications of that description, should be called upon
for the production of some securities, which may
ansoer for the discharge of such penalties as may
he imposed in consequence of the partit-s offend.

ing against the law. With respect to another
part Of the subject, legislative provisions were
totroduced to guard against those attempts, in
many cases but too successful, of bringing to-
gether vast numbers of persons in seditious as-
semblages in different parts of the kingdom. As
the law now stood, any evil-disposed pet sons
might call together assemblies of that descrip-
tion, by issuing placards, at any place and at any
time they pleased. The injurious consequences
which resulted ►were unhappily too Holm ions. The
display of flags or other symbols, whether in it•
self legal or not, he meant not then to discuss ;
but these had latterly, it was well known, con-
tributed to induce consequences little short, it not
fully amounting to rebellion ; and be thought, in
any state of society, there ►Vould be but little
chance of preserving the public tranquillity it
such practices were tolerated. What was propos-
ed with respect to public meetings would not in-
. tetlere with the undoubted right of the subject to_
petition Parliament or the 'Formic, or of the dis-
cussion of grievances, while those grievances were
truly stated. But the object for which those
meetings were lately intended was well known,
and the baneful practices of itinetant demagogue
orators on such occasions. To guard against
such evils, it was proposed that in all cases of
public meetings notice should be given, signed by
seven householders, to some Magistrates within
the districts that it should be declared illegal for
any person to attend, unless he ►was usually resi-
dent in the parish or township; and farther, to
give Magistrates a power, under certain limita-
tions, of appointing the time and place of meet-
ing. Such were the leading provisions of the in-
tended measures. There was still another impor-
taut consideration : it was not only by means of
seditious and blasphemous publications, or the
in,idious practices of demagogues, that the
objects of the obnoxious persons were at-
tempted to be canied into effect, but the state
of the existing 11,VS was such as to embolden
them to advise the attempt of accomplishing
their designs and purposes by force of arms. On
this part of the subject no possible dooht could
exist. With a view to such objects, a system of
ustruction in Military exeteisvo, sod the use of

fire-arms, was establisllo. Of what had been
done in character and extent in these respects,
there was iticontesrible evidence. No less that
thirty of the d,potitions applied to those circuma
stances. The mode in which these were taken
was dictated either by the obvious expediency of
the necessity of the case. The whole showed the
extreme danger of the practice. Preparatory to
the meetings in Atreus!, the practice of drilling;
was extensive, and many of the bodies assembled
for the purpose Were numerous; sonic exercised
one hundred persons. tinder such circumstances,
a check upon the inketings would not be eff,ctuali,
if not followed top by another provision respect.
ing (frilling and training in some pars of the
country, and respecting the possession of arms,
fit the manufacturing districts, where large pot.
lions of the disaffected were in arms, regula-
tions of the kind were peculiarly necessary. It
was therefore meant to empower the Magistrates,
upon well•grounded suspicion that such were in-
tended for purposes injurious to the State, to
take possession of such arms, and to place fluent
in some place of safety, until further steps shoold
be taken with respect to them at the Quarter
Sessions. Such were the ou,lines of the intend•
ell measures, and the principle upon which they
proceeded. It was the anxious wish of the Prince
Regent's Government to restore conciliation anti
emilideuee, but they wet averse to holding out
delusive expectations. In some cases, however,
a lenient system of measures would he inituiou4.
They would gladly attend to any suggestions cal•
ciliated really and practically to alleviate the dis-
tresses of the suffering people. But he repeated,
that finder the immediate circumstances, cooces.
sinus would only tend to aggravate the danger,
especial:y at a tune when the Constitution was
more set iously endangered than at any I eriod since
the succession of the [louse of Brunswick. Up-
on the whole, they were called upon by every tie
to take every kistifiable means itr their power to
preserve the real liberties, the prosperity, and the
inestimable Constitution of tide country.
The Bills presented by the Noble Secretary of
state were that respecting the seizure of arms,
and as we could collect, that which respected
seditious and blasphemous publications, which,
on his Lordship's motions were shortly read
pro forma, ordered to be printed, anti on the
suggestion of their second readings for Thursday
next,

Earl GREY rose, and in a speech of some length
expressed his almost unryialifled disaporohation
of the system of policy proposed by Ministers in-
the present critical circumstances of the country.,
He deptecated the hurrying on a discussion of
such exttenie importance on so early s ;jay as
Thursday, ull/Ch of which sitting would probably
be occupied by the important alteration in ihe
law proposed that evening by the Noble Lord
on the Woolsack. it would be impossible duly
to discuss the measures just proposed on that
evening. No than Would mote willingly con-,
cur in measures likely to avert the pending dan.
ger, than himself, but for one be thought the
proposed measures would go rather to irritate and
increase than to diminish the evils. It was on
the causes of the presvtir state of the country that
he differed* chiefly, from the Noble Viscount..
In his conscience he believed, that no system of
force, terror, or coercion,. would tend to restore
the country to its once enviable state ; instead of
alleviating the distresses, what was proposed
would entail ruin and destroction upon the coun-
try. He as averse to the propOsed shackles up-
on the press--,to it they stood chiefly indebted
for the free Constitution of the country, and
therefore for the best security of its Government.
What was proposed would inflict an irrecoverable
blow at all freedom of discussion ; and before lie
should agree to what was proposed, he would in-
quire whether the existing laws had been duly
administered. With respect to the press, much
worse doctrines than had repently appeared were
published long since—even assassination had been
openly recommended, and yet no prosecution
took place. After a cursory vie a' of some of the
evidence before the House, the Noble Earl ob-
served, that much of what was complained of
was in fact to be attriboed to the great distress
which prevailed in particular parts of the country
—a slate which no system of coercion would ever
tend to alleviate ; the disaffected may be nume-
rous, but that they were countenanced by any
persons of considerable influence in the country
was what be could not believe ; and his real opi-
nion was, that instead of the system urged by
Ministers, the country emphatically called upon
them to adopt, on the contriny, a policy of con-
ciliat ion and concession.

The Esrioi LIVEhrOOI, felt himself called upon
by what lell front the last speaker to offer a sew
ternarks, lest a false impression might be Ititvie
respecting the impollitut subject in question. The
Noble Lail had talsely treated the proposed men-
sores 3s a system of coercion. The character and
description of ninny of the great meetings, where
thousands and tens of thousands assembled, nu.
merously armed and in miliiary array, linqiiestion-
ably must have impressed with feelings of alartn
and terror all the peaceable and loyal inhabitants
of the vicinity. So tar as the uuderstood privi-
leges of Englishmen were concerned, the pro.
posed measures went to encourage the real tree.
dont of discussion, by tending to put down tu-
multuous meetings, which only went to suppress
it. The dangerous practices of itinerant dema-
gogues were too notorious to require exposition ;
they were in efreet the worst enemies to real free.
don) of discussion or to deliberate decision. The
existing laws on these subjects were obviously
inadequate, and no increased severity was pro-
posed short of a repeated conviction. Duties
upon publications were hitherto imposed for pnr-
poses of revenue; here they were suggested