Star.
London, England, 1817-04-30 00:00:00

cf tLese Colonies Spanish laws, and In other% Dutth
Jaws prevailed, it was necessary that the Authorities
there have the advawage of a free intercourse•
with the Governme at home, throne!' the me.titim
of a high re.p iloblnt e Mink er. H • dmitted t'
was not the small .i.ss ut t!,e sum which should in.
'bee them to tcfrAin hum rettenchmon,, it mere were
so other considtrations sheaving the necessity at con
ir' the odic, proposed to be abolished. Now,
h.s Hen. Friend near him (NIT. Gotilburn) had en.
nec.l into a statement to prove to the House that this
ogee was not a sinecure...n.l that the duties of it bad
ia:reA•ed to a vinsitko We client. It bad been ob.
feet-at that the business of this • ffice devolved upon
s•ttill,litiat:.• departments., some to the Board ni
7ilaje, some to the Cr iwn Lawyers, and the like.—
If this oSjectiott Was worth any thing. it would ap-
e, to. every principal otfise in the Govetnntent„ tor
bo.in,ss coming in the first instance into a chief
office, must very often be transferred, according to
the nature oh it, to some subordinate authority.—
(crin e 0.6.1) It the Hun. Members who
scented so anxious for the division, from a confidence

i 3 thew numbers, were disposed to meet argument
wi h clamour, he should not trouble the House

any further, as Ise had no fears as to the result.—
They hAd been told that all which was wanted was
a Comm :tee to enquire, but he felt justified in meet-
iin; the question on the other ground. to which the
Etlopto opposite would be glad to carry it even-
te ii.y —(Qrrstion, ?tuition). ,—.They had been told by
tientierm I. on both sites tit the House, that the du.

ties veer= great and of high importance' requiring the
etteliOw of A responsible servoint of the Crown. Why
then [Ake them out of the hands of the person .o

s:om they were now confided. He was decidedly
cpinion that the House, and not a Committee,
:mud determine the question; they bad sufficient in-
..

formation btfOre them, aa►t he should not therefore
firms& further upon their patisace.
The House then divided,--For the motion, 87—
isl;ainst it, 190—Majority, Itl9•
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
tensed for copies of all dispatches to and faun► the
Ambassador to the Court of Lisboa in 11314 and the

Secretary ot .litate for Foreign Affairs, or extracts
Irons such dispatches relating to the probable return
el the Prince Regent of Portugal.—Ordered.

DOMING .80CI En M.
Sir M. %V. RIDLEY sow to state, that in conse-
quence of what passed last night, he did not think it
sacrum to press his motion aLthe present moment.
Sit at the *Ube time he ought to say that he might
feel it to be his duty to bring the question before the
blouse at some subsequent period, because the case
tithe Academical Society was not the only one in
which a construction had been put upon certain lava
inimical to the rights of the subject. The City Phi-
hophical Society, established in 1808, lead applied
far a bcense on the 14th of April, in coosyquence of
the late Act against Seditious Assemblies; and,
mot:0141g as it might appear to the House, the
l•tense had been relusetll--(llear, hear). The grounds,
:,rare%er, %%ere not the same as those in the former
cue; they were required. as the condition of having
their license -granted, to give in the number and
nettes of then members, with a full statement of the
questions to be discussed. The House would be still.
more astonished to learn, that the Recorder of Lon-
dos was one of the Magistrates upon this occasion 1-
(I?far, hear). If such was the interpretation of the
Inv by such high judicial authority, what might not
be the construction put upon this Statute by infetior
lil.gi.tiates-r• (Bear, hear) ? One objection against
the City Philosophical oociety was, that it professed
to invenigate the science o: Mineralogy, which was
said to be eldculated to encourage blasphemy—
(Nor, hear, and I s laugh). Now he thought that if the
Nonie Secretary of State could find time to write
CutalarLetters, instructing Magistrates to abridge
the liberty of the subject, he might direct them as to
the intention of this Act, explaining the limits to
which alnne it could justly be carried—(Near, hear).
The Honourable Baronet then moved liar a Copy of
the Petition presented to the Quatter Sessions,- on the
18th of April, by the Society cf Academics in Chan-
c:ry Lane, requesting that a license might be granted
to them to held a debating Society, with the order
made thereon.
Mr. BRAGGE BAT HU RST said he wished those
who cheered the attack upon the Noble Secretary of
State lur the Home Department would submit a
°ikons instead of throwing out insinuations, by
which his character might receive the judgment of
that House. Howeier they might wish it, still it
was not the business of that Minister to construe and
:plain Acts of Parliament to Magistrate;--(Lord
oi4 of Hear.) Did the Learned Gentleman mean by
bt cheering that the principle he had asserted, sad
the 4" maintained by that Learned Gentleman last
Light, were similar t The Circular was only to de-
sire Magistrates to do their duty, by executing estab-
helied laws in such and such cases, bat not to con-
=„. the laws themselves; that must be left to the
"ctelinn of the Magistrates. according to the spirit
1 the Constitution.. •
:`ir. BROUGHAM observed, that the Right ho-
=le Gentleman had rightly said, that he main•
iineci last night that it was not the duty of his Mts.
'tr.' Ministers to construe Acts of Parliament for
proi.etes. It was on that ground that he re .
the practice of directing Magistrates'in the cm.
of Acts of Parliament, and enjoining them
ice such Acts. The Hon. Baronet was there•
dght in what he had said, namely. that it would
been quite as proper for my Lord Sidrnonth to
the Magistrates with respect to the case is
, as to construe certain Statutes in a way to
tle the li..erty of the subject— (Hear, hear, hear.)
would tell that Noble Lord apd 'the Right Ho-
Gentleman, that it was not the province of
Minister to dictate or expound the law. The only
1-zr was the Legislature (Bear, hear).--Ther•
other authority to make laws or to explain
if the ordinary Judicial Authorities were in
as to their nature and object. But upon what,
had the Noble Lord acted ? Why on that 1
the two Crown Lawyers—the Attorney and Soli-11
The paid servants of the Crown had'
'en an opinion upon a law against the people, and
id Secretary of the Crown had called upon the
tales to act upon this paid opinion—(Hai.
‘--He hoped this question would yet be fully
'ed. It it was, be would venture) to say it
fully appest, that the. Noble Secretary had'
'.7 of unc of the topat Unconstitutional ects

The House ths
Is44ainsx it, 190—
The CHANCY
moved for copies I
Ambassador to th
ecretatry at. Stet
lota such dispatei
of the rtince Reg
DI
Sir M. %V. RIL
seem of what pi
Deerilary to press
tut at the 'Ube ti
feel it to be his du
House at same a
cf the Aca.ternica
which a construct
Winkel to the MI
hophical Society
ter a bcense
the late Act ap
?funning as it
hone 11411 been r
I...freeser, neer n,
case; they were I
their license :gra
etttes of their ni
ciiettiolls to be di
more astonished
doe was one of tl
(17far,•,frar). 1
14* by such higt
be the constructs'
ates-r•
IN City Philosui
to investigate the
Rid to be eislc
(Nor, hoar, and.
Noble Secretary
Cutalar Letters,
the liberty of the
the intention of
which alone it et
The Honourable
the Petition pres
18th of April, b
c:ry Lane, reque
111 them to hold
made thereon.
Mr. BRAGG
who cheered the
State lur the I
motion, instead
which his than'
• that House. b
• was not the bus
explain Acts of
t'i4 of Hear.)
Ls cheering the
• Me one mainta
tights were sin
r sae Magistrate
lialied laws in s
sane the laws
discretion of
cf the Constitut
Nir. BROW
r nwatable Genii
f !aineci last nigt
I"tlis Minister
Magistrates.
bated the praet
it ',unction of Ac
to ci:f ace such
o fee right in w
bare been quit,
44cht the Ma
ti 'onion, as to
re -bridge the IL,
id .e would tell
lit 'curable Gent.
Minister ti
sxtmund-zr wai
0- as no other
at ' m, if the 4
ht 'Lain as to th
as ':icion had 11
se '1 the two Cr,
(toi•Geiterat.
re 'i'en au opini
de P 41,1 Seat
lagistrates
er)•—•He he
lie olltd fully a
11%litir 01