Star.
London, England, 1817-03-11 00:00:00

' could explain the operation of this clause. Dreadful
penalties Attached to persons not dispersing, or who
obstructed the arrest of auy person by the Magistrate.
Now, if it should turn out that the Magistrate had
acted wrong, had arrested a person for no sufficient
cause, would this error of the Magistrate bet good
plea for a rrson who shoutl be tried for obstructing,
or for not dispersing? Or i.:ould the penalties still re-1
main, and thus be made to depend on the bare opinion
of a Msg is!ra e, and that, possibly, an erroneous one ?
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL conceived that
the clause was sufficiently 'explicit. If a man should
make any treasonable proposition, he was to be seized,
and not otherwise ; if the meeting adopted the trea-
son by obstructing the arrest of such,n person, it was
to be dispersed. and not otherwise.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL aid,' that a Ma.
gistrate would by this clause have the power which
he possessed in every other case, with this difference,
that he would act on what he heard as well as on
what he saw. He was in the legal predicament of a
, Constable or Magistrate, acting " upon the view."
He was also responsible for any abuse or misapplica-
tion of his power. The Learned Gentleman con-
cluded his few observations by apologizing to the
House fine detaining them. •
Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY thought no apology to
the Committee necessary, in a question ,p 1 suck ex-
treme importance, is which the lives of many of the
King's most loyal subjects were involved. The clause
before the Committee pretended to give certain pri-
vileges to assemblies convened by seven householders;
but under the construction now put upon it, he had
not the least difficulty in asserting, that it would be
tar better that the clause should be expunged, since
some officious Magistrates might only make it a pie.
tenet for denouncing the most raceahle and consti-
tutional Meetings, and arresting all those who took
part in the discussion—(Hear, hear ) The clause, as
at present framed and.,stood, was rather to oc-
casion tint and confusion than to prevent sedition
and rebellion. The most important rights might be
invaded, if it were not amended. Suppose, for in-
stance, at an assembly legally convened, a gentleman
should state, that it was a mockery upon the Consii•
tut;on that Old Saturn should have as many repre•
E-,tatives as Westminster, some Justices of the Peace
might think that, as by the law and constitution Old
Sarum was allowed that privilege, it was illegal and
seeliti, us to assert that it was a mockery, and the re.
suit might be the dispersion of the Meeting. The
whole representation of Scotland was in his (Sir Sa-
muel Romitly's) *pinion, no less a mockery ; and yet
it hat iyin;it were stated out of doors, any Magis-
trate night step in with his constables, arrest the in-
divi,2ual, and dissolve the Meeting. This pretended
privilege, on the signature of seven householders, was
nothing more or less than an allurement to mischief.
Mr. &sneer supported the clause, and,Sir M. W.
Rinhars opposed it.

Mr. Setjeant BEST contended, that the object the
clause heti in view was not the mere words spoken,
but tl►e intention with which they were uttered.
Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY observed, that it
would indeed be giving a wide discretion to a coon-
y Magistrate, It he were required to judge not only
ot the tendency of the words actually delivered, but
of the secret intention ot the party : if so, however
innocent might be the language ot any man, his mo-
, tive was to be judged by a review of his previous po-
litical conduct throagh life : and it, u►►luckily, it did
not happen to please the Magistrate, he might imme-
diately throw him into prison. (Bear, hear.)
Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that no power was
here given that a Magistrate did not enjoy on other
occations t he was to exercise nothing more than his
ordinary functions under this Bill.
Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY.—If what the Noble
Lcrd asserted were true, the clause and the Bill were
completely useless.
The Committee then divided—For the clause 43
Against it 16—Majority 27.
The next clause upon which any discussion arose
was that in•which places for lectures or debates were
declared disorderly utiles' licensed.
Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY proposed to leave out
the words--." and on any subject whatever :" by
which lectures upon chymistry, astronomy, anatomy,
or any other science, would be prevented.
Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH suggested, that the
insertion of the words—" and on .any subject what-
ever connected with the Government aadConstitution,
as by law established," would remedy the defect.
Mr. Serjeant BEST thought it better, that parti-
cular institutions, devoted solely to Scientific pur.
suits should be excepted afterwards, but that ,the
clause should be general.
Sir S. ROMILLY reprobated the indignity offered
to Science by putting it on a level with ale-houses and'
gin-shops, by requiring that places for its promotion
should be licensed these new licenses might in time
be as much abused as those granted to publicans.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that nothing could
be more unl►kely than that this Act should be used for
the purpose of disturbing lectures on scientific subjects,
or any others unconnected with political subjects.
Sir M. W. RIDLEY objected to the clause as it
stood.

The question was then put, and the clause agreed le.
Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH objected to the
clause, excepting Gresham College from the ntressity
tit a license, as not being sufficiently general. He
proposed the exception of the Professors of the East
India College. He wished to add to the clause words
to exempt *many Lectures established by Royal Char-
ter or Act of Parliament, for the purposes of Learn-
ing, Science, and the Arts."
Sir J. C. HIPPISLEY proposed as Amendment
to that of Sir J. Maikintosh, for the purpose of in-
cluding the Royal Institution, on account of the re-
spectability of that Institution. He afterwards with-
drew it, on the explanation that all incorporated or
chartered Institutions were included.
Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH's Amendment was
oltimattly negatived. T.he Honourable and Learned
Gentleman ten said, he really felt ashamed of the
clause which specifically alluded to the Spenceans.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL assured the He-.
nourable and Learned Gentleman, that if be knew as
much as he did of these wretched lunatics, he would
forego his objection. They had many admirers, and
not a few proselytes, and were giving lectures three
t emcee week, inculcating the destruction bfall property.
' A few verbal alterations were agreed to in soma
the subseqpent clauses. *- :
• Mf. FOSTER proposed a aeon termite it parti.