Star.
London, England, 1831-03-17 00:00:00

_:ifc'ount
Imp WYNPORD'S BILL.
PART 11.
latittied 4-.719i Ad to present Debtors frogs Derauding their
Creditors." te.

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s'`

Ut antes liagitiis sie nune
Legibus laborite'.

In the first pnrt of these observations, it was sufficiently
shown that the fanciful suppositions displayed in the
preamble of Lord Wynford's Bill, are as little founded in
tact as in reason.

Linder that conviction,we deem it unnecessary to scrutinize
ino,e closely the motives avowed for the introduction of so
extraordinary a measure, or to furnish further proof of the
.:iicgations, set up as its apology, not having been substan-
tiated. We do not, however, mean to deny to those, who
take delight in such discoveries, the possibility of hunting
one or two persons in the jails of England, who
be in possession of some property. But these
f'• excrescences on the surface, of rare occurrence, seen only
in ( ontrast with the general misery ; and distinguished by
their singularity, they should pass as exceptions. The
abuses of individuals are not to operate a general proscrip-
; nor are the many to he anathematized, because some
ale obstinate or fraudulent. If the security of society re-
quire, that the avenging sword of retributive justice be un-
Aivathed against successful fraud, he becomes a criminal,
v. In indiscriminately invokes its baneful suspicion against
1.411 M erited misfortune—

" With equal poise, let steady justice sway.
And flagrant crimes with certain vengeance pay ;
But, till the proofs are clear, the stroke delay."

Reason and equity demand that harmless indigence be se-
parated from crime; that convicted guilt and unsuspected
innocence be not alike branded with infamous imputa-
tion. No doubt should be left unremoved of the inviolability
of these sacred principles. " Shall the community be de-
prived of the protection of the laws, because there are rob-
bers and murderers ? Shall the community be punished be-
cause individuals have offended ?" Lord Wynford says Bo—
at least these appear to be his opinions—if we have not en-
tirely misunderstood the intendment of his fraudulent
Debtors Bill ; so much in accordance with the contracted
-pmt of modern legislation, having for its principal object
the invention of new offences, and annexing unusual penal-
ties, morbum per morbum curare. Such law-givers. im-
bued with the persuasion of the jail being the only panacea
for the cure of public disorders, and looking exclusively to
the terror of punishment as the protection against crimes,
are strangers to the study of an enlightened preventive jus-
tice. They live within the circle of a superstitious attach-
ment to forms, bound in and fettered by the habits of a
barbarous practice, and circumscribed within the narrow con-
truction of a crude, often cruel system.
We shall not attempt to paint in their true colours the ac •
umulating evils which must result from this new example
of barbarous legislation, should the act we have been dis-
cussing pass into a law. What law can be more replete
ith formidable objections, except, indeed, its fit prototype,
the last Insolvent Act, than one supported by fiction, sur-
rounded with numberless objections, the inexhaustible source
of ruinous proceedings, and eternal discussion ? No modi-
fication of it could, indeed, ever reconcile us to its hideous
character ; but to rescue it from unadulterated deformities
by one redeeming feature, a clause compulsory on all the
creditors to accept a composition, agreed to by the majority,
would be introductive to other meliorations. The cases are
frequent of confined debtors, who would readily sacrifice all
they possess in making an equal distribution of their remain-
ing property among their creditors. A compensation which,
ninety-nine times out of a hundred, would with gratitude be
given, and with eagerness be accepted, is often successfully
defeated by the pertinacious rapacity of an obdurate indivi-
dual. The uncompromising brutality of one perverse cre-
ditor will defeat an arrangement, dictated by justice, by
good sense, by commisseration, by the interest of the cre-
ditors themselves, and exhibits the opposing one to be more
deserving of reprobation and punishment than is his victim,
whom he " dooms to rot in jail."
The unhappy prisoner, the body of creditors, justice
itself, are at the mercy of this shameless insensibility.
However just and equitable may be the condition of the
proposed contract of conciliation, there is no means of
softening this refractory churl, with law in his hand, or of
buffetting him into reason, than by paying and allowing
him to absorb the whole, before he will consent to the
liberation of the wretched prisoner. The compulsory clause,
we propose, would correct the perverse, take the honest
under its protection, facilitate reciprocal useful arrange-
ments, and confer great benefit on individuals, on families,
on trade, on society.
If it be thought advisable to concede to the law lords, who
are not in the habit of enlightening law by the liberality of
legislative reason, the power of hurrying through the le-
gislature, with ominous haste, their unconsidered and ill-
digested statutes, they may fur a time gratify their vanity,
by having their names at the head of an Act of Parliament.
Let them enjoy in all its exultation, that fatal privilege.
On this fioric, however, of ostentatious ambition, the fate of
many unfortunates depend, and much of human happiness
or misery is involved. But, as the being elevated to the
peerage does not, with their robes, invest these Lords with
infallibility, we shall take the liberty of lamenting over the
unfortunate victims of their errors or their incompetency.
If our humble talents do not permit ut to prove these er-
rors, we shall at least have the consolation of having at-
tempted to have done so. For that purpose we shall give,
in the third part, a short abstract of Lord Wynford's Bill,
and conclude our observations.

The King's correspondence with the Ministers about the
Reform, is extolled as something surprising; but ability in
composition, as well retentiveness of memory, are faculties
of the House of Brunswick. George the Third was one of
the best letter writers of his time. His son George the
Fourth, equally excelled. And even the love letters of the
Duke of York were not deficient in tasteful expression.
The letters of the present King are in common circulation,
od always characterized by ease of style, and propriety of
: Altinfent.

Peel's Bill was the death stroke of the boroughmongers.
It was passed with too little regard to the ruin and misery
hich it would inflict on thousands of families, and hence
al men became reformers ! If such a bill had passed be-
tween 1775 and 1790, the right honourable baronet would
at this time have been an honest working weaver at Black-
burn.

So sensible are the Royal Family of the ignominious
shackles imposed on the free movements of Government,
that with the late King, when Prince of Wales, " A speedy
I?eform of Parliament" was one of the standing toasts of
Carleton House. The state of his health and his love of
ease alone prevented his uttempting,what the greater energy
of his..hrother has resolved to achieve. There has in truth
la"cu no middle course, and it was necessary either with the
hest grace to submit to the oligarchy, or to make open
war on them, and the latter did not accord with the qui-
escent habits and unsettled popularity of George the Fourth.
We now have a popular and patriotic Sovereign.
Tobacco, in America, costs 350,0001. and the duty of
4s. per lb yields three millions. If grown in England the
former sum only could be gained, and the latter lost to the
revenue, unless the country were covered with excisemen.

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PIP

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PANORAMA OF THE BRITISH

EMPIRE.

HAMPSHIRE ADVERTISER, MARCH 11.

At a meeting held In the town and county of the town of Soui
ton, on Saturday, the 16th day of February, 1831, it war unealmllitZ
resolved, that a company be now fanned to be called the ileethempton.
London, and Branch Railway and Dock Company, and that thecapital
shall consist of one million five hundred thousand pounds, to be applied
in the construction of a railway to London and Docks at Southampton,
with other necessary works, and expenses to be raised in:shares of 101.
each.

--
That such persons as may be disposed to support this undertaking
do allow their names to be Inserted In books now open for that purpose.
That the thanks of this meeting be and are hereby given to Francis
Giles, Esq. for the liberality and public spirit he has shown in pre-
paring a preliminary survey of the intended sew road, with the level;
and for his attendance at this meeting.
That the Directors, Treasurer, Solicitor, and Secretary, be requested
to form the rules and regulations for the good management of the Com-
pany, until the Act of Parliament shall be obtained, and to submit
them at the proposed meeting of the Shareholders, on the 6th of April
next.

That the thanks of this meeting be and are hereby given to Robert
Johnston, Esq. for originating the Railway, and for the exertions he
has used in forwarding the undertaking.
That the thanks of this meeting be and are hereby given to Samuel
Le Fevre, Esq. for the zeal and public spirit he has shown in forward-
ing this great national undertaking.

Col. Henderson, Capt. Stephens, J. R. Birnie, Esq. Thomas Brum-
-11. and other gentlemen, addressed the mating, ad R. Johnston,
read and detailed the preliminary survey by Mr. Mks, and the
probable expellees. It appeared that two lines are pointed out—one by
Guildford and Farnham, 73 miles in length ' • the other by Basingstoke,
78 miles. Equal advantages would be derived from either line ; but
the adoption should be left to a careful and well-matured decision. The
speculative part of the prospectus he was almost afraid to encounter r
it embraced a range of enterprise and wealth of great extent, and which
has been so powerfully and eloquently expressed by his honourable col-
leagues. Places favourably situated for commerce only required • be-
ginning. None had a safer or more capacious bay than Southampton;
was the nearest harbour to the greatest market in the world, and
placed in the line where every vessel must pass on its voyage along the
English Channel ; in short, that beautiful bay seemed destined to be
one of the ports of London ; and he had no doubt in supposing, that in
time it would become a port of magnitude and importance, particularly
as the stream of population and commerce seemed without doubt
to be rapidly extending to the Western world, the re-action of
which would be greatly in favour of all our southern and western
ports. In regard to the returns from passengers, and agricultural and
mineral productions, he was confident a very large amount would be
received. Independent of an average of 100,000 passengers that
annually passed through Southampton, the calculation will extend to
those passing from London, by Salisbury to Somerset, Dorset, Devon,
and Cornwall; as well as vast numbers of summer visitors to the
watering places around the mouth of the Thames, who would,
undoubtedly, prefer an easy and expeditious conveyance by the
railway to the southern coast, where the climate was much milder
and more salubrious. The landowner, farmer, and labourer,
would be equally benefitted—the hones employed on the highways
would in time be removed, and the ground occupied in raising food for
their use, would be tilled for the support of man, thus producing abun.
dance of food, and helping to relieve the country of the oppressive bur.
then of the poor.rates. He also felt the highest satisfaction in stating,
that nature had placed within a short distance of Salisbury one of the
richest mines of coals, zinc. lapis calaminaris, gypsum, &c. but at pre-
sent, from the want of roads, these treasures were unattainable by other
parts of the country; but as it was contemplated to extend the railway
to Salisbury and that district, the advantages in distributing at a very
cheap rate, so valuable and indispensable an article as coal throughout
this part of the country, where it was scarce and dear, must be highly
appreciated. Such were some of the leading features fan undertaking,
principally directed to the i•nprovements of our own country--an un-
dertaking which drew out large capitals, and employed them in useful
public works, giving employment to the pour, reducing the price of
food, preventing emigration, and encouraging every kind of art and
manufacture.

[We heartily wish every succeu to the design, and conceive it would
in many respects be even more advantageous to London than
to Southampton and the intervening country.]

These Assizes commenced Monday week. The Judges, Sir J. A.
Park and Sir W. E. Taunton, arrived in this city on Saturday after-
noon, from Strathfieldsay, where their Lordships dined on Friday with
the Duke of Wellington. The Grand Jury were called, and consisted
of the following gentlemen :—The Hon. Thomas Wm. Gage, Fore.
mans Sir Lucius Curtis, Bart. Edward Knight, jun. Esq • Wm. E.
Nightingale, Esq ; Robert Tichbourne, Esc;; Thomas latler, Esq ;
Wm. Neville Esq • John Duchy, Esq ; John Winter Scut, Eaq
Wm. Grant, Esq ; Edward Walter Blunt, Esq ; Wm. Iremonger,
Esq ; Henry Budd, Eaq ; Wm. Abbott, Esq; Samuel Raymond
Jarvis, Esq ; Samuel Wall, Eaq ; Stephen Terry, Eaq ; Edward God-
den, Esq ; Henry Wyland Powell, Esq ; Samuel George Pechell,
Birc
Est ; William Thrasher, Esti ; Edw. Horne Hutton, Eaq ; George
h, Eaq.

WATTS V. Paasnis.—This was an action brought by the plaintiff,
a draper, at Southampton, to recover of the defendant, a commander of
a yacht, the sum of fifty-four pounds, the amount of a bill for ribbon.,
sold to the defendant during the contested election of Mr. Hoy and Mr.
Pen.lease, for the representation of that place, in January, 1830. Mr.
C. F. Williams, in addressing the jury for the plaintiff; said, no de-
fence could be made in this action—at least, no honest one. No ques-
tion could be raised about the value of the goods. The defence, he un-
derstood was, that as the goods were sold for election purposes, and in
contravention ors statute made for that purpose, the plaintiff could not
recover by an action at law.
William Urry, aged 27, was indicted for sending, on the 7th day of
December last, a letter to Thomas Sewell and William Hearn, gentle-
men, living at Newport, in the Isle of Wight, threatening to kill and
murder them, and to destroy their houses. The letter com-
menced with an extract from the Bible, denouncing the ven-
geance of Heaven on lawyers as oppressors of the people, and
concluded with the following passage --" If our unhappy wrongs
are not speedily redressed, vengeance will have its coarsest the expense
of our destruction." Mr. Missing made an objection, on the ground
that the letter did not come within the meaning of the statute; it was
a quotation from the Bible, and contained no threat against the indivi-
dual to whom it was addressed. It began " Woe unto you, lawyers,"
which applied to the profession generally without any reference to per-
sons. Mr. P. Williams contended that at the time of the writing of
the letter, the state of the Isle of Wight was of the most alarming na-
ture, from the fires and outrages continually committed, and that such
a letter at that time was calculated to alarm any man. The learned
Judge agreed with Mr. Missing in his objection, and the Jury ac-
quitted the prisoner.
John Sanson, aged twenty-two years, but having an older appear-
ance, was put to the bar, charged with maliciously setting fire to a farm,
the property of Mr. Buckland, in the parish of Hound, in this county.
The act took place so long ago as the 9th of December, 1828. His
Lordship then passed sentence of death in the usual form. Several
persons in the Court were much affected, but the prisoner remained to-
tally unmoved ; and, on leaving the dock, tinned round with a look at
the Judge full of the worst expression.—The prisoner will be executed
on Saturday. the 19th instant.
George Wesson, alias, " Bristol Bill," aged 24, was indicted fur
assaulting Robert Sims, an old man living at Tangley, in this county,
and robbing him of three sovereigns and some silver. The prisoner
stood totally unmoved, and left the bar with a smile of contempt truly
disgusting. He will be executed with Sanson.

The Ritiver, v. Hasa? SCOTT, JOHN EWER, GEORGE ATKINS,
JOHN ATRINS, and JOHR Tatax.—The defendants in this case were
respectable men living at Stoneham, in this county. They were in
dieted for refusing to be sworn as special constables during the late
riots. Mr. Saunders, who stated the case for the prosecution, said the
object was not so much to punish the defendants as to convince them of
the obligation of all
_persons to serve as special constables, when legally
appointed to do so. He was instructed to say, there was no wish to press
the case further than to establish the fact of the defendant's liability to
serve the office in question, when called on legally to do so. The
learned Judge having concurred 7 in this course, a verdict of " Acquittal"
was given.
Nary Vidler, aged 12, a stout country girl, was placed at the bar,
charged with sending a letter to Welland Leech, Eaq. of Longparish,
on the Bth of February last, threatening to set fire to his premises. This
trial excited some interest, from the circumstance of Mr. Leech's pre-
mises having been destroyed by fire a few days after the reception of
the letter. The learned Judge was of opinion that the evidence was of
so slight a nature that it could not convict the prisoner, and therefore
directed an acquittal.
Lord John Russell's proposition has given great satisfaction to the
Reformers of the Isle of Wight, who are getting up a congratulatory
address.
The Newport reform petition, with nearly 4.000 signatures, was pre.
sented on Saturday last by Mr. Hume, who described it as a petition of
great importance.
The guardians of the poor of Newport have divided two fields near
the poor house Into 77 lots, of a quarter of an acre each, which were let
on hionday to poor persons at 10e. each lot.

THE KING v. T. Dracut AND J. Hosaz.—Mr. Thomas Deade
is a respectable farmer residing at Blanwell, in this county, and John
Hoare, a labourer, living in the same parish. They were indicted with
W. Boyes, James Owen, Robert Smith, and John Batchelor, farmers
and labourers, of the same parish, for conspiring to enforce the reduc.
don of rent and tithes, and to obtain an advance of wages. Mr.
Missing and Mr. Dampier conducted the prosecution. Mr. C. F.
Williams and Mr. Earl defended the prisoners. A verdict of acquittal
was taken, and the Assizes terminated.
At a public meeting of the Inhabitants of the Isle of Wight, held a