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

.4 i

UOTTSE L011D3,, TtitSDAY,

Certain Ainiva" At eoanti resPC-cilog the i;fis.:":,
tows earn, presented by Mr. IrVitig, the Coinp-
Jl. Jotios
,s "from the 414) §cCreta'ry trf Start ',a
()Atte, also 'presents...a verions A:ceounts rc•spectin
that part of the united Kingdom, whic Wen'
as the foregoing vocionents, were laid upon Otis
table;
. •
Ihe 'fartier consider itlon of Bailey's Divorce
Bill was rostponed till ThurSdaY...
hx h tltsci Kills.; and Ilse Pig and Bar Iron
) illy pa•sed 4tbtosyli Coo•niitte.es. of the
whole add Were iepo'r•ted. The other
Bills upon 'wvre "respei'.ilVely: for wari;e4l
• -Visconti' StoxouTti laid upon
.the; table Re-
ports respecting the Jury Colirts in Scotland, pur.-
- sumo to the Act of Parliaineut.
. •, .
-sEDITIOtS ASSEM3pli.si PREVENTION BILL.
The Order upon which their. Lordships were
summoned bring read, .
Viscount BIDMOUTH moved the third reading
of the ,
Lord ERSKINE rose to opposeithe motion. Ile
contended, (Isere
,were by no means sufficient
grounds Lid for the passing of a mettsure,of such
vital importance to the constitutional liberties of
lite people. Thy circumstances on which it was
alleged to be 'Onside,' were not even noticed jtl
the Bpeech from the Throne. With respect to
the necessity of such a measure, the Ilouse.shunld
recollect there had been no fewer than I (*.con-
stables in readiness to act on the oCCilaittll.ilf one
of the So-fields meetings—u 'souther siniely suf-
ficient .to seize the unruly, or to master the inde-
coroits. The affair at Spa fields, on which such
stress was laid, Alright have been set at rest by
ail. of the ordinary Magistrates in the course of
ten minutes, as they might tcado Hint Act, and,
have dispersed the assembly; as it was not uetes-
stay for the purpose that the crowd should be
riotous—it was sterfcient if they were tumultuous.
The proposed ,measure, he insisted, was worse
than useless—it would be totiud mischievous in
the extreme. The• Noble and Learned Lord then
-glanced at some of the. leading provisions Of the
Bill, and animadvetted von the vast diservtionary
power given to, 'Magistra.ea, who Joily suppress
meetings, on any thitq; 'rtppearittg, vehicle they
thought tended to alter concerns in matters: of
Govet Hosea, without the consent ot King,Lords,
and Conmums, or it any person proceeded to
plopounil matters tending to excite hatred and
contempt against his Majesty, his heirs, or sue-
cei3nrs. Before their Lordships sanctioned such
an tinit'flnctil, they consider the unhappy
state or diltiess under which the country labour-
ed, the topics which tree so very lot% the
frequent subjects of discussion. lie, himself,
had attire than once said, in the face of the other
House of Pat Lament, that the House of Commons
which be then addressed, was .not a It or •ade•
ipooe neffeseasasive of the .People. 4 was /111.
I"bibkto uree_at g nts of that eliaracter, With.
OM el)(if lie, in some degree, to briog eonsidera.
lions of that kind into cohtiempt. , He, also held
it,tinproperthat the proceedings of a meeting 1,
n.„,eothjed,,lhould bit jist;grd &o-a4syiltsi
Airy' might be acttd upon by one Magistrate,
though several others might be present. Upon
hl5 decision the speaker pilot- be takeosinto cus-
tody, and , without. allow luau to explain him-
self, taken away to a place .ot conlistenivot ; and
in site's ease, persons gwilty of obstructing a
Magistrate PO acting either at, our on his way
from the meeting, were to be held ,as v guilty of
felony without benefit of clergy.. This he must
tor ever contend was too great a power to be en-
trosted to,any one Magistrate. In this part of
his speech the,goble.Lord int rodneed a quotation
from Ali'. Bloke on the subject; of, proposed con-
ciliatiou between this country and ,America, in
w.kich,he finely enlogizes the national character
of Britons,. and the tree principles of the genuine,
Constitotion of Groat Britain.. Every thing, he
contended, shoold be done to Conciliate the people,
who were alike the support ut she,Cotistitu-
lion and the ,Govt tnment. Neither rested upon
the support of Standing Armies, the Mutiny. Bills,
or the Votes of Supply ; bin on tbe opinions and
;acetifies of the people; their good sense, and
the affects of their liberal spirit, were the real
supporters of:the Constitinkm ;will Government.
,Liberty was doubtless susceptible of its abuseS
and its excesses, as were other things the most
beneficial that could be bestowed upon.os by, the
bounty of Providence. Fire and air were among
the best and roost serviceable of beneft:s ; they
were necessary to our
,very eiiisteoce ; but all
these were occasionally turned into scourges anti
destroyers. Fire, which: was excellent tor our
support and sustenance in kitchens and chambers,
ashen sent from Ileaven in the lightning's. slope,
slatted wish sacrilegious tory ',you the spies of
our churches, and destroyed the most useful works

of wan. Tlntt same stir,wlticb in hurricanes and
terripesis sari), ull breorq it, prevented also pcsti-

etice III)) mixinti3 thirases, by obviming ropolirs

mu(l stagtimliiiii ; 30, iv the recesses of tregdorn,
Iliiy sei vet, eventually to purity, and. forther to
rstablisli thit flee Cimatittition to which. they
oweo mil their blessings, and that high character

which the country here anifiligSt .the nations of

the world. Towarik.theclost, of tkiti Apectli, the
\IOW knoivlcdged, hr
,01 not hold

vanw oponAbe terstioit of Voliiiitientary
lieform?—a decimation which in'fairocsa atu eau:
dour he felt 'it, his ditty io Iw:ice i hut deetti•ng as
he did of the Inviouire then heforej heir Lordships,
he certainly should vote agatitw the Noble Vip-