Star.
London, England, 1809-05-19 00:00:00

SIDITIOL•S SOCIETIES.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, pursuant to his
notice, rose to move for leave to bring in a Bill to
amend the 39th of his present Majesty, for suppress.
ing Seditious Societies. This Act, in some particular
clauses, referred to the 36th of the King, upon the
same subject, but in so ambiguous a way, that it was
necessary to amend it by a new Bill, for which he
then moved.

Mr. PONSONBY certainly could not make any I
objection to a measure be did not understand, and
therefore wished the Honourable and Learned Gen-
tleman to
_give a little more explanation of the subject.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said, that by the I
Act of the Seth of the King, it was enacted, that
.houses wherein debating societies should be held,
and where money should be received for admission,'
should be licensed, otherwise be punishable by law ;
but there being some doubts whether that Act was
sufficiently operative, the 39th of the Bing was further
enacted, in which the words, a according to the true
intent and meaning of the 36th of Geo. III." were
inserted, and by which former Act such houses 2-v
were not licensed were declared disorderly; and pu-
nishable by law. As he (the Attomey-Genera9 un-
derstood that some doubt had been entertained as to
the tendency and effect of these words, the object of
the intended Bill was to do away those doubts.
Mr. WHITBREAD not having referred lately to
those Acts, could not now give any opinion upon
ths present motion, but he certainly should refer to
them before the second reading of the Bill, untillvhich
time he should suspend his opinion. He thought it
somewhat extraordinary that after a ! apse of ten years,'
the Learned Gentleman should now think proper,
without stating any cause, or giving any substantial
reason, to bring jig a new Bill upon the subject. He
begged for one not to be understood as concurring in
the principle of such a Bill.
The motion was then agreed to nem. Cu.
SEATS IR PARLIAMENT.
Upon the Motion of Mr. CURWEN, the Bill for preventing
Traffic in seats in Parliament, was read a second time.
Upon the question of committal—
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER took that op-
portunity to state his principal objections to the Bill, in order to
give the Honourable Mover of the measure time for reflecting
upon these objections.--The first objection he had to the Bill was
the manner in which the offeuce was attempted to be described ;
the second objection was, as to the punishment of the offence ;
the third, as to the manner the sales of borough property might
4 hinted by tuts Sit; and the lass, as to the nature and tend-

atter of the oath which it was priresedea:k Manber shonldillke
en taking his seat..—Should the Bill pass in its present state, it
must involve a great many actions the House was not then award
of:—it would utterly incapacitate the srle of burgess property;
which must be a fatal objection to the Bill : no Member could
give any office or place to any person who should vote for him
upon his election; this was another great objection to the Bill:
with respect to the punishment, the law was indefinite; and a
Member might, after two or perhaps three years enjoying his
seat, be punishable—not by the decision of the House, but by
Common Law; and this in itself was a clause the House never
could agree to : with respect to the oath, from the contrarietiof
opinions in that Horse respecting the Treating Act, it was "-
dent, that while one party maimained one opinion, and the oppo-
ite party another, it was clear that one or the other, in subscrib-
;mg to this oath, must in the opinion of the other be perjured.—
He thought it better to explain his objections at present : he must
however add, that on perusing the Bill, in attempting to get rid
of one objection, another obtruded.
Mr. CURWEN admitted that there might be many objections
to the present form of the Bill, but hoped and truittd they would
be completely obviated in the Committee. He then entered into
a dJenc2 of the necessity of the measure to check the numerous
existing abuses.
Mr. WINDHAM denied that the evil existed to the extent
the Honourable Gentleman imagined, and did not think it quite
fair of him to introduce so touch declamation against the practices
of Parliament ; be could not agree with the Honourable Gentle.
man in the sense he described those evils, and only rose Co enter
his protest against the principle of the measure, lest his silence
should be construed into consent.

Mr. BRAGGE BATHURST supported the measure. He
thought that, as it was acknowledged that smell evils were in et-
iscence in that House, some remedy should be applied, and he did
not see why the present Bill could not be so amended aad altered
as to produce the desired effect.

Mi. DENIS BROWNE objected to the Bill in toto ; he thought
it was alertly brought into the House to create a clamour through
the country.
Mr. CURWEN, in explanation, warmly denied 'any such in-
tention, and asserted his attachment to the Constitution.
Lord FOLKSTONE, in reply to the Right Hon. Gentleman
(Mr. D. Browne), said, that if he had attended the late discus-
sions•in that House, he would not have ventured to assert that
this was done to raise a clamour in the country against that
House. Their late proceedings had given great satisfaction to
the public, in whose estimation that House now stood higher
than at any former period.
Mr. LOCKHART had no objection to the Bill going to a
Committee.

Ur. PONIONBY reminded thr House, that there had been
an understanding upon a former night, that the discussion was
not to take plate until the question for the Speaker's, leavirg the
Ckair, in consequence of which several Members, who were in-
terested in the measure, had lefs the Hcuse.
Tbe Bill was they ordered to be committed to-morrow.
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.

Mr. WHARTON brought up the Report of the Committee
of Supply. When upon reading the Resolution for a loan of
600,0001. to the Prince Regent of Portugal,
Mr. WHITBREAD objected to this sum being advanced by
way of loan, being confident it world nev.:r be repaid ; he there-
fore wished it to be au absolute gift.
TO CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER declared his
fullest confidence in the repayment of this sum, and therefore it
was advanced as a loan.