Star.
London, England, 1801-06-06 00:00:00

• :s.•
ohlte ingag.ement ; an he could with now to fee fuch Men be Coffered to hide themfelves, whilft
them ailing rn theirown defence, as whenever they they have the power to opprefs with impunity?
folight.in perfon they were vietorious. - Allufions He could not help feeling the moll painful fenia-
bad' been made to the prefent Minders as follow- tions, when he faw from day to day the Conftitu.
big up the {lime meafures as their predeceffors. Lion frittered away, abaft thole who Jo fo were
Bid he commended thofe Minifters, not on the continuelly boaffing of being its guardians and
igr.)iiiid of fervilely copying their oredecenrs but prowl**. What, he eked, was it that made-the
inn foliowin4 the fame path which he was confident Britiffi Conflitution the wonder and admiration of
wIS the wiieft road to the honour, the fafety, and furrennding nations? What but the publicity of
the profperity of the country. our trials, the boaft of Englifhmen ! But this,
Sir FRANCIS Busocrr heard no argument front which made Britons the envy of the world, is now
the Hon. Baronet or the Hon. Gentleman to jut- to be abandoned, to conceal from. the country a
tity this meafure to his mind. He was glad to hear fet of informers who are afraid to avow themfelves
it avowed that the Bill was not, as he had ima- —afraid to come forward with their accufations.
gined, a bill of indifcriminate indemnity to all He might be accrifed of old-fantioned maxims;
perfons ailing under the fufpenfion of the Habeas yet he would, notwithltanding, adhere to the prin.
Corpus law, or to excufe any of thole cruelties, or ciples of our anceftors; and not confent to conft-.
wanton and unneceffary feverities, praftifed under der a man guilty until he was declared fo by a
the pretence of executing the powers entrufted to Jury of his Country.—Upon this maxim, which
his Majefly's Minifters by the fufpenfion of that the laws and nfage of our anceftors affirmed, he
law. The Bill, as it Struck his view, Teemed to go mull confider every perfon confined tinder the fur,
that length ; but, perhaps, it was the intention of petition of the Habeas Corpus Aft innocent ; for
the Right Honourable Gentleman who introduced he could not confider them guilty becaufe his Ma-
it to move tome explanatory amendments in the jefty's Minders faid they.were fo, and withheld
Committee ; and that point, therefore, he fhould their guilt from the world to conceal (pies and in-
not for the prefent urge any hither. But with formers. He thought if they were guilty, it was
reipeet to the Report of the Secret Committee, 'due to the country that that guilt fbould be brought
upon which this Bill was judified, and which was home to them ; and if innocent, it was due to the
held forward in vindication of 'his Majefly's late individual, and the country, to eftablifit his inn°.
Minifters, what was it ? vertkfa d gram& Oda; cence. No delicacy in his mind was due to fpies
a voluminous pamphlet, frill of declamation, of and informers, who were ever the inftruments of
conjefture, of affertion without proof, unfupported tyranny and oppreffion ; inftruments for the op.
by a tingle fall, which thofe who formed that re- prefflon of innocence. They were not recognized
port even affeaed to Found upon any other foot- 'by the laws-of England; and he was forry to fee it
ing thanthe communication of fpies and informers. now attempted to illation them by any laW. So te-
In one place it Slated refolutions formed by the nacious were our anceftors of the liberty oldie fus'.
feditious perfons Strongly expreffive of a condom- jeft, that on alI occafions it was their 'firft rank
nation of the war, and of a define for peace, as the and in the laws againtl ads of treafon, whilst they
only meafure likely to reflore trade to its 'dual were revere again& the perfons charged with that•
channels, and give employment and cheap provi- offence, they were Still more tenacious iii provid.
!ions to the bulk of the people and in another it ing him•means of defence ; fince, to prove an overt
charges them with having exprefed willies for the aft two witneffes mull be produced. He natal have
prolongation of the war, as the belt ground to a copy of his indidment ; he ntuft be aq,ne '
hope iffiftnce from tht French for carrying into Counfcl ; in fine, every care is taken that he fball
effed their (editions purpofes. How there contra- have a fair trial ; thus confirming that truly
didory principles vitreito'be reconciledwas beyond tiara principle—" that it were better that ninety
his com_prehenfion ; -Mit when farts and proofs and nine guilty perfons pareimpuniihed, than oat.
were called for they were not to be had. At,one innocent perfon Puffer." was ffirry;:he {`aid;
time the lone and twins given by a/e-houfe clubs to fee an inclination to meet the principle,'finct:
were the (okras tertinegincralarm ;!at another, (itch pains were taken, at the rilk of petulhing the
the-nate of the weather
,wit found to be the rea innocent, to punifla the. guilty. Were tht.pOwers
fon' *by the itteolutionifts did not carry their granted to his Maletlyri.WilifterS by the flifpen-,
purlidei into operation, as if they mold only lion of the Habeas corpits Ad,-,granted for the
carmen their contras:Neon fair days. Such-was purpofe of oppreffingindividuals, and withholding
* fpechnen Of the raceme materials raked toge- from them the means of proteding themfelves, and
thee for the rupee of compiling that pompous of etlablifhing their innocence ? When the Ha-.
report fo folemnly held forward as the claim for bees Corpus Ad was firsfafpenelcd, it was op
indemnity to brmifters. Was it imagined, that poled by himfelf and Gentlemen rid that fide edit;
becaufe Parliament bad voted Strong meafures to Houfe, from a convidion that nikLerafe had' been
Minifters, they were therefore bound* to indemnify made out to warrant the meafure; and they were
them for the abufe of thofe meafures? When the told that if Minitlers abufed the power entrufted
Honk was called on to veft in them thofe extraor- to them, they were refponfible to that Houfe and
denary and„unconftitutional • powers, it was faid the country. What, he alkedA was now become
there was no caul to-apprehend an &bele of thofe of that promifed refpontibitity? After having prac-
powers, feejog.the broad kale of refponfibility on tired upon that fufpenfion, by keeping perfons in
which his Maiefty's Wlinifters Rood. But *ow, prifon three, four, and five years, in dark,
.cold,
when fo many proofs matted of the grofs abufe of difmal, damp, (lone cells, to the 'de,ftruetion of
thofe powers, and the wanton cruelties exercifed their conftitution, and the manifeft injury of their
towards individuals under the pretended authority property, they now come forward to alk for a bill
of thofe powers ; the moment refponfibility is of Indemnity, becaufe they were not able to bring
mended, the moment the, innocent fufferers conviStion home toperfons they thOught proper to
hew the nights& difpofttion to leek redrefs from deprive of liberty for lb long a time. Whit&
the lairs of their country, a bill of indemnity is thofe Hon. Gentlemen challenged charges and in-
brought forward to fcreett their oppreffors, and quiry, they took care to keep the means of bring-
exclude them from every appeal to ;office. He iug convidion home to them, front thofe who
inifhed to know whether this Bill was a meafure would readily have undertaken the talk ; andnow
brought in orhis own accord by the Right Hon. all was to be Shielded under a Sill of Indemnity.
Auonr/Oimeral, as a meafure which he himfelf —The Hon. Baronet (Sir William Efford) has
oha confonant to juftice and conftitutional law, junified the conduit of the Committee. No doubt
r whether he brought it in officially at the defire he confiders it as a matter of jutliet ; and the
°Umbers? He cotad not think the Right Hon. Houfe was candidly told by the Right Hon. the
Gentleman had an opportunity of examining Into Chancellor of the Exchequer, that he would Pup-
the tondo& of thofe, his Majefly's late Minders, port the Bill of Indemnity for his predeceffors, be-
whom the Bill went to indemnify, or the proofs caufe he did not know how loon he rnightrequire '
i'w hr they deferved indemnification. For his one himfelf. Such hs,admitted to be very true ;
Own yret he was fo thoroughly convinced •by a and indeed he could not tell how Coon thofe very
fucceirma of irrefragable proofs for aleries Of five predeceffors might become the fucceffors of the
years pall, of the grofs abufe Of the powers en- prefent Adminiftration. But, for his part, he could
tended to his, Majelly's Minifters, and many of never content to any meafure which could fcreen
which Rood nneontradifted in the petitions on the the authors of fuch cruelties and oppreffions as
table, that he fhould oppore the motion for die were experienced by the unfortunate men confined
Speaker's leaving the Chair. under the fufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus; and
Mr.44arrin (of Galway)eontendeJ, that MU- he protefted folemnly to Gon, that were he to be
!lets were the odlyperfons who had a right to coat- put to his option of immediate death or fuch an
plain elf ibis Bill. Their tonguft had been per- imprifonment as any one of them had fuffered, of
redly legal, and they could eerily prove it to have upwards of three year, in a cold dreary and foli-
been fo, were they at'liberty to difclofe the evidence tar), cell, he would embrace intentdeath, as a re-
which had been laid 'before them. lief from his tnifery. The cruelties they had endured
Mr. Okay faid, if any thing. could prove the were enough to make human nattwe fltudder—Shut
neceffity of not palling the Bill, it was the condo& up in dungeons, without the comfort of a friend to
of the Hon. Gentlemen on the oppofite fide of the confole them under their 'nicety, or being allowed
Houk, who had not even thought proper to pro- the ofe of pen, ink and paper; and now they are
duce one precedent in jollification of the moll un- denied the only confolation they could poffibly re-
exampled meafure ever brought before Parliament. ceive under fuch mifery, that of eflablifhing their
The Bill, he' raid, deferved public reprobation, innocence ; for can any man believe if they are
and he could not content himfelf with oppolling I 4 guilty, that they would expofe themfelves to fuch
but fhould protell againit it, as one of the moll un- a trial as mutt inevitably attach guilt upon them,
preCedented was of the late or any former Admi- even though the proof of treafon was not brought
niftration. He ffiouldbe furprifed at it---if it were home to them ? Suppofing them innocent, as he
potlible for hint to be respelled at any thing that mull do in jultiee, what then would the Houfe do
tame from the fameteamtee—yet he owned, moch by palling the Bill of Indemnity ?It would exclude
as he had expelled, be did not calculate on to ex- the front the henefits of the laws of their country,
traordieary a meafure as the one now before the and from theopportunityof affertingthatinnocenee
Houfe. If lie gave the Bill its proper appellation, —and at a time too when his Maietly's late and
be mull tale it a Bill for the encouragement of pietist Minifters tell the Houfe they have proof,
Secret Accufers. He faw it, and he law it with and refute at the fame time to bring it forward.
pain, for the &II time, that fecret erniffaries were Admitting their innocence then, fuch conduit
to be rev nized by Parliament. What precedent- could only tend to make them real traitors. What
ill En law, or in the Brinfh Conftitution,nflict, he winked to kr..-w, was there in the Bill ?
was re, he shed, for fuch proceedings ? For It was nothing lets than a Bill to confirm and ap-
his pane ha knew of no precedent which mote prove pa* oppreffions, and to encourage them
agreed with the mealiire than that which was to in future. His Majefty's Minifters, whiff(l they
be fmad in the mob of Tacit", in the reign of boated that they wanted no indemnity, well knew
Tiberius. There it Would be found, that the peo- that they could in time to tome flicker themfelves
ple were opprefed by Qua and informers, who tinder the perm maim, which for themfelves
were recognised by *8 Roman tyrant ; but fuch they appeared to defpife. It was a Bill to preclude
t meafure was not to be feted is the annals of the all perfoeal anions; of which all perfons concerned
&hint Connitutiened—Blaeh a detedable :mature may take advantage i if this was not getting rid
telisleft ftor the psekat tune to recognize, towhich of rerponfibility, he would alk what was getting
"" was forty to witiolfe-- Molineftlnien hrs. rid of it ?By far the greater number of perfoas
dial *tegument condoled by fpies and inform- confiniod on fufpicioa.of High Trea,ffin were from
ors fitfaß ilionitable be a beel Government" The the lower chafes of ibeiety, but that could not
illtalmt add be dose on a perfon who is afraid pally the Haute in paring a Bill to deprive them
aggairbtattape bit; why then Should of what they teem he jieshihmett. ended to as