Star.
London, England, 1801-06-20 00:00:00

we--
MOUSE OF LORDS, FRIDA-T, JUNE IF-
The Clerical Eligibility, and the Irak Martial Law Bins, fe-
'era,' went through Canunittees of the whole Houfe, with-
out obfervation or amendment, and were ordered to be re&orted
to-morrow.

INDEMNITY SILL. .
On the Order of the Day for the fecond reading
of this Bill being read,
Lord Hos ART expreffed his confidence that their
Lordfhips mull, after perofingthe Reports of the
Committees, be all impreffed with the neceffity for
palling the Bill before them. The Legit'attire had
recently, on more than one occafion, aged upon
this principle, by their tufpenfion of certain Laws,
which meafures gave rife to thofe Ads that ren-
ider the prefent Bill neceffary. The condua of the in-
dividuals whom the Bill went to protea, was pure.
ly diaated by the duty of the parties, and the Cole
(Ned was the fafety of the Public. Was not fuch
a Bill patted, thefe perfons would be liable to pro.
tecutions, and in their defence, would be ouch:-
the necelfity of difclofing certain fources of infor-
mation, which it was not only their duty to con-
ceal, but was effential to the fecurity of the public.
The prinZiple upon which the Bill proceeded was
by no means new; in tome cafes, meafures of the
kind were retorted to for the purpofe of tuppref-
fing Rebellion; in this prefent inftance, it was
. principally with the view of preventing Rebellion,
. and which, he trolled, would, in their Lordfhips
eftimation, prove the more fatisfaaory MM. With
refpea to the idea of limiting the operation of the
Bill to the conclufion of the war, he deprecated
fuch a proceeding as dangerous in the extreme,
and obferved, that though no man could poffibly
with for Peace more annoufly than himfelf, yet
that hleffing may be more than counterbalanced
by laying open thefe fources of information, and
departing from that fyftem, by which alone the
internal tranquillity of the country was preferred.
As he confelfed he could not anticipate thofe ob.
jeaions which fome Noble Lords may offer to the
mature, he fhould not then detain their Lord (hips
' farther on the fubjea, but (imply move that 4, this
Bill be now read a fecond time."
The Earl of &moms began with lamenting
that it fell to his lot to open a debatr'upen a Bill of
the higheß importance. So far, however, was he
front thinking that thofe Minifters deferved an in-
demnity for their condua under the different Bills
for fufpending the Aft of Habeas Corpus, he be-
lieved they had greatly abided the powers granted
to them, and that many had been detained in pri-
.
fon for years! under eircunthences of peculiar hard-
. ,
hip and opprefflon, who had repeatedly defined to
be brought to their trial, but againft whom no
charge bad been regularly made fo as to put them
. . upon their defence before a Jury of the country.
. . it was this fort of conduit, the ilFuing of Lenra de
. Cadet, this fpeeies of bad Government that had
. • . been the primary route of the fubvafion of the
~ • Government in a neighbouring kingdom. With
regard to the laft Re.po of the Secret. Committee,
the contents of that R. port referred tither to 're-
late' than to this country, and therefore he thould
. continue to call it an frith Report, and not an Sir
asap and he was juftified in regarding it as un-
Igneadhenicsrautheh a Bill as that under con-
- hiheaksis 41/MI listerd, however, to the for-
_ -, • - . sal hooky of thelate Miniaers in exer-
et ' pat into their hands by the Aft'
Sir the Habeas Corpus, let their Lord-
• gsgri two inftanees which he would fe.
MMlt efillitily thit offered themfelves to his mind.
The can, that of a Noble Lord tried fora few int-
words inadvertently uttered in a Court
of ••
That Noble Lord had been fentenced
to s twelvemonth's imprifonreent in the Tower.
. • . Had ay period of the time been abridged or re-
'- . • matted f Not he continued in the Tower the whole
time. The Giber inftance which he would mention,
was that ars stable relation of his, who ate pub-
lic aparivial waft had indifcreetly let drop a
fear imprudent wank but which, when he became
mare cool. be was extremely lorry to have uttered;
and k was well known that the Noble Duke, in the
boars of fallivity and facial mirth, was extremely
d perhaps ocrafionally unguarded in his
e
aans.
For this mighty offence his Majefly's
immediately removed the Noble Duke
- from dm Lbrd Lieutenancy of a county, a matter
Ida& be eafily fubtnitted to; but Miniften did
NM; and wlnchafeady hurt his Noble Relation's
*s, thuiateved him of his command of a
'pate bell Militia regiment in the
which by his uncommon attention-
tbe bad mode them, and was confider-
V=4
ed bribe= ass father. He was aware that when
the Noble Dabs went down to Portfmoutb to take
his leave of his regiment, which was then quarter- 1
ed in that town, reports were circulated that he
went there for a different purpofe than that
which carried him. At that time the mutiny pre•
vaned is dm demo and meow mated of an ap-
i=saillasrffilkloas tO theitNisobltite uk:le" s
der g butfure.°Vwentftaro other
con-
ciliate
th: minds of the officers—to reconcile them 'I
to the lots of their Colonel, and to perfnadc them
not to rcfign their commiffinns. In this he fuc-
ceeded, for there was no refignation but one Lien-
tenant-Colonelsy ; the other officers continued in
. the regiment, though they had all of them refigq.
ed finer. He would add, the Earl laid, a few
more ob(ervations, but, after panting a moment
or two, he clapped his hands to his breall, and fait!,
be felt fo much for his country, and was fa much
' overcome by his feelings, that be could proceed no
further.
The Earl of C AAAAAA ON rofe next, and Paid the
Noble Secretary of State had not liilliciently flitted
the grounds on which the expediency of the Bill
retied. The Noble Secretary had merely {aid that
there was need but of little explanation, as the Bill
was grounded on the Report of the Secret Commit-
tee. Surely the Noble Lord would feel it his duty
to explain the grounds of the Bill more folly.
The SIIICIIIIT•ItY of STATE appealed to the Houle
if he bad not exprefily. Rated that the Bill went
to indemnify his hlakfy's late Miniflers from any

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