Star.
London, England, 1812-02-01 00:00:00

--........6.301,
1 ilicrxtok
Ona

[PRICE SIX PENCE-HALFPENh

Honourable Baronet desiied was incorrect, no doubt
I from a principle of pubic justice, the Right Hollow;
I rable Secretary would suggest the best mode Of coot-
ling at therfact, in order that the laws might nut be
!evaded. •
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
Icoaceived,„ that the Hon. Baronet bad not stated any
grounds to induce the House to accede to his motion.
It had been assumed by the Hon. Gentleman, that
with the slightest evidence for the production of the
qualifications, they ought to be produce.!.
if the law had been violated, that might be a ground
for movit, but in the present instance there was not
the least tittle of evidente that the law had ben
I broken. There writ: two answer to the propsition
of the Hon. Baronet : tkat there was nu reason
to believe that the law was hroken ; and secondly,
i if it was violated, it ought to be the last thing fur the
House to do to call upon the individual viulatitig, or
charged with violating the law, to say that he had so
violated it. There had not been any ground laid,or
charge roade.against any one individual ; the motion,
rru d thnt such might hive been the case.
Bironet had stated that persons
might have broken the law, but that could wit fur.
a ground for itiquii y. Motions must nut be en-
te.t lined by the House upon mere supposition that
the law teas broken. Besides, there was a reatedy
Rivet in the Courts t f LA .V by qui tam action when
the law might be st itrd, the evidence produ.:ed, and
! then the Jury must determine. There was nettling
in the law which did not equally apply to the Magis-
trate; of Contities'in England and Wales, as well as
Police Magistrates. Would the House consent to
call upon Magistrates, under such circumstances, to
say, not what their qualification was at the time they
I accepted office, but *hat it actually is at the present
moment. Such a call weuld be unjust in every prin-
ciple. The I lonourable Boone' seemed to think that
the law, with reference to the late abuses is the me.
trapolis, had been exercised with much severity, ex-
tremely improper; but even of that assestion there
was no foundation in proof. It was very easy for
any person to hold the Magistrates Up to view as
ac ing improperly in some cases, but would the Nouse
take a mere newspaper statement for truth ? In the
case of Allblas, the person alluded to, there were
some strong circumstances of suspicion, which in-
duced the Magistrates to give him at least an oppor-
tunity of clearing himself. The questions which had
been put to him, and which he had not satisfactorily
answered, were sufficient to authorise his detention
until he should so answer ; and this detention would
have the effect, if he did answer satisfactorily, of not
only clearing his character, but of shewing that they
at least were warranted in detaining him. If the
Magistrates had proceeded to compel him to crimi-
nate himself, then, indeed, they would have exceeded
their audio: ity, but no such thing appeared. When
he was, originally examined, there were circumstances
transpired which might have justified the Magistrates
in detaining him. When he was again apprehended,
were there not some additional circumstances which
came out in evidence fully authorising his further de-
tention ? There was then a certain degree t f harsh-
ness evinced against the Magistrates by one set of
Gentlemen in the Heine, who complained that they
had not exerted themselves sufficiently to discover
the authors et the climes which had so sullied the
character of the metropi lis. Then up started ano-
ther set of Gentlemen, entertainiug different ideas
on the subject, and they say, 10 Oh, we don't charge
the Magistrates with being too lax, hut we .do
charge them with using too much severity."—
How, were the Magistrates to act between these two
extremes ? they were obliged to discharge a painful
duty, but it became doubly painful exposed to such
animadversions. In the pry gress of discovering the
perpetrators of the dreadful scenes which disgraced
the metropolis, they were obliged to examine many
persons on suspicion, and they had in the execution
of that duty done nothing more than what might be
naturally expected. The Hon. Baronet had charged
his Majesty's Ministers with making improper ap.
pointments in the Magistracy, that (supposing the
fact which he could not admit to be so, of the non.
qualification at presentl was an unftir charge, because
if the person appointe'd had the qualification whets
appointed, there was no authority on the part of the
Government to prevent him from subsequently part•
ing with that qualification. With respect to the
existing qualification, the Hennurable House would
not desire it, and even if they did, there were sufficient
official documents which could readily be furnished,
clearly to spew what was required to be slleven. Sup-
posing Parliament was to institute an inquiry at the
Bar under a Penal Act which a Magistrate might
commit, and to call upon him to produce his qualifi-
cation, he might choose to answer the question re-
specting it, or he might refuse, and the House could
not compel him to produce it. If therefore the House
could not do it in such a case, they would, he was
certain, do it now.

Mr. WHITBREAD conceived that the chief of
the Right Honourable Gentleman's arguments might
as well have been produced when the whole of the
motion was before the House. The imputation on
the Magistracy was not thrown by the Hon. Baronet-,
but by the House who had acceded to the original
motion. The Honourable Gentleman did not wish
to cast blame upon them ; he was aware they were
entitled to respect. One of them he knew well, Mr.
Graham, a m.n of pertLct integrity, of consummate
alAity, and prone to administer the striotest justice.
The public were much indebted to him. but the
system was not perfect. He well remembered its
hrst introduction into the House, w'en Mr.Wilidham ,
exerted himself most strenuously against the Act
passing into a Law, considering the principle of the
sy stem as fraught with infraction en the liberties of
the subject: orig nal prnpcsers of it expected to
reap fruit from it, but they were ckceived. Instead
of its producing wholesome effects, it had the eon-
'teary bearing. The object of the Honourable B 'react
was to a:sat:tin wkether the Magistrates trete F.,.