Star.
London, England, 1802-02-16 00:00:00

PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE.

Lord FOLICSTONE begged the indulgence of the
Houfe for a few moments, while he called its at-
tention to a fubjed which materially concerned its
diginty. It would be in the recolledion of the
Houle that a few days ago he had complained of a
gmfs Breach of the Privileges of the Houfc, effect-
ed through the medium of a paragraph in a pub-
lic Paper. He had not proceeded to any fpecific
motion at that time, conceiving that tome other
perfon, more able than himfelf, would have
brought the fubjed forward, and trolling that the
perfon who had been guilty of fo grofs a violation
of the Privileges of the Houfe would have taken
the hint and correded his condud. He regretted
he bad confented to delay the matter, becaufe, in
the firft place, he obferved that motives of delicacy
had prevented other Members from interfering
upon tt ; and in the fecond, becaufe he had found
his hope deceived with regard to the effe& he had
expeded from his lenity. It was with no (mall
degree of furprife he had, on Saturday, read in
the fame Paper of which he had complained, an
attempt to juftify the paragraph contained in the
Paper publifhed on Friday. The Author claimed
the right of animadverting upon the Proceedings
of the Houfe. The Privileges of the Houle were
now come to an atm. The queftion now flood in
a very different point of view from what it did on
Friday haft, or from what it would if no notice had
been taken of what had paired upon the fubjed.—
It might then have been fuppofed that the Houfe
was willing to overlook what had been done ; but
as it was juflified on the ground of right, it was
neceffary that the Houfe, in defence of its Privi-
leges, fhould proceed further. He fhould there-
fore propofe that the paragraph should be read,
and the Paper containing it laid upon the Table ;
after which he should make a regular. Motion upon
the fubjed.
Lord SnEFFIELD immediately moved that ftran•
gers fhould withdraw.
Strangers being ordered to withdraw, we are
only at liberty to defcribe generally what paired.
Mr. Lay having read the paragraph com-
plained of, and the obfervations that appeared in
the True Briton of the following day,
Lord Fotttsrowa moved, " That the Paragraph
in queftion was a Breach of Privilege, and that the
fame fhould be referred to a Committee ef En-
quiry ;" which was about to pafs, when
Mr. SHEEIDAN, with that kindnefs and libera-
lity of conduct which have ever diftinguifhed him,
obferved--that although there could be no doubt
of the impropriety of the animadverfion, he
hoped the Houle would not oa the prefent
occafion ad with feverity towards the Proprietors
of the Paper in queftion. It had almoft grown
into a habit, not only to report the proceedings of
Parliament, but alfo to animadvert on what paired
' within it. He recolleded a publication called
the Anti-Jacobin, which had made pretty free
with the charafters of Members on a former (K-
-eeton, though no notice had been taken of it. In
refped to the Members themfelves, one of them
(Mr. Roblon) had become a very alive Member
of that Houfe. With regard to the other (Mr.
James Martin) he was a very old Member, and his
charader flood fo high, not only with the Houle,
but the public, for the molt unimpeached integri-
ty and honour, that be was fore no obfervations
from a newfpaper could injure it. He thought the
Houfe would belt consult its own dignity to pro-
ceed no further on this occafion. He never knew
any good come of thefe kind of motions. He
therefore recommended that the Houfe fhould pro-
ceed to the order of the day; which was accord-
ingly49ilqer-A4imacsk_ .