Star.
London, England, 1821-05-12 00:00:00

LIBEL ON MR. BENNETT.

The \linkers did not come down to the House
till twenty minutes past five, when
Mr. H. G. BENNETT rosy and moved the Order
of the Day for the House resuming the adjourned
debate on the question that the Attorney-General be
directed to prosecute Henry Fox Cooper, William
Shackell, Thoa.as Arrowsmith, and Robe? t Thomas
Weaver, for a libel on the lion. H. G. Bennett.

The question having been put from the Chair,
Mr. SCA RLETT rose and said, that he conceived
the mode of proceeding now proposed to be instituted
against the individuals whose names had been just
read, extremely objectionable. He was sure, how-
ever that his Honourable Friend near him would '
do him the justice to believe, that if he objected to '
the course proposed, it was not that he estimated '
lightly an attack upon his Honourable Friend's cha-
racter. But to institute a criminal prosecution
against any individual, after evidence had been first
extracted from the mouth of that iadividual himself,
at the Bar of that House, appeared to him to be re-
pugnant to the sound principles of justice—(Hear,
hear).—lt appealed to him, also, that the House
ought in no case to direct a prosecution merely for a
libel on one of its Members. That course, perhaps,
ought to be exclusively reserved for gross attacks on
the privileges of the House itself. He did not un-
dervalue those privileges, but it appeared that a
more legitimate ground for such a proceeding as this
would arise in- a case where a false report was given
of the proceedings of the House, and accompanied
by a violent commentary, in which base motives
would appear to actuate the mind of the writer.—
Everybody knew that the publication of what passed
in- that House was not a matter of right. It was only
tolerated by the House, and tolerated, in his opinion,
with the greatest utility to the Public,—( Cheers ).
A faithful report of the debates of that House was of
the highest advantage, not only to this country, but
to Europe—to the Councils of the. Nation, and to
the House itself—(Hear, hear).—lle, for one, would
always be disposed to allow the greatest latitude of
toleration to this practice, but, at the same time, he
would be prompt to prevent the publication of
proceedings of the House in an unfaithful manlier,
and for improper purposes. If a Reporter for a
Newspaper, instead of faithfully reporting, misrepre-
sented what passed in that House, and did so from
unworthy motives, that would be an abuse of the
toleration, and would well warrant the House in
vindicating its privileges. But he, for one, would
nevertheless be adverse to constructive breaches of
privilege, and he would rather be inclined to praise
the House for temperance, than for zeal in prose-
cuting them—(Hear, hear).—Now, what was the
nature of the publication before the House? It in-
sinuated that his Honourable Friend was terrified
into making an apology. He (Mr. Scarlett), and
every one who knew his Honourable Flicad, must
know and feel that this was a most false and slander-
ous attack on his Honourable Friend's character—
(Hear, hear).—When any Member gave pain to an
individual by an observation in that House, it was
quite honourable in him to allay that pain by an ex.
planation. This was true courage, for it was hu-
manity, and proceeded from a humane motive. But
to say that such explanation arose not from his own
sense of having inflicted.pain, but that it was extorted
from him through tear, was in his opinion me of the
greatest offences against the privileges of the House
hear).—The House owed its thanks to' the
Honour able Member, therefore, for bringing this
subject un.:er its consideration. His ( bc' arlett's)
attention bad been called to the parak.ral.h in ques-
tion since it became matter of discussion in .he House,
and he thought from reading it, that the House was

atteution had been called to the parae.raph in ques- Ball, he could not say —whether there were any ialiers iosity.
tion since it became matter of discussion in die 110 co..cerued in it, who were unwilling to expnse them• ever g
and Le thought from reading it, that the Ileum: was selves. He should move, theivfore, that henry Fox whatev
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