Star.
London, England, 1820-05-10 00:00:00

intro *peaking about tire Lite trial without ltmenting
that Edwards should not have been put into the wit-
nesses' box. This was the more extraordinary, as
one of the Sheriffs of London had called upon the'
Secretary of State some time since to etplain certain
circumstances respecting Edwards, and to impress
on his Lordship the necessity of examining him on
the late trial. lie did not mean to say that spies
might not occasionally be employed, but he was
satisfied that an organised system of spies would be
a great national evil. When he admitted that spits.
cemirlhaitn bere soctriccatisoionns.allycaerem
stead of observers they should not become agents
pshlooyuedll bheeterlna,ntthuaztilern--
and leaders—( Hear, hear).—No money should be
entrusted to their hands; to enable them to seduce
to arm, and to contrive plots, which otherwise would
have had no existence—( Hear, hear).—ln times like
the present, if men like Castles, Oliver, and Ed-
wards, were supplied with money, and allowed to see-
Up their Manufactures in the vicinity of our mane-:
facturing towns, they might not only seduce indivl.;
duals, but bring whole families to the scaffold (Hear,
hear).—Ile did trot pretend to assert that Edwards
was altogether the planner of the whole eeterprise,
for there was Thistlewood's own evidence, that be
had determined to sacrifice his Majesty's Ministers,
as a requiem to the men who had perished at Mar-
chester. But Edwards had seduced many ethers,
who would not have otherwise joined in the corepi-
racy—(Hear, hear).—He then alluded to the cruel
execution which had taken place in France three
years ago, of several individuals who were thought
to have fallen victims to the instigations of the police,
and the barbai icy. of whose deaths had produced a
less impression of the want of justice of the Govern-
ment, than the refusal of the latter to allow the
police seducers to be examined and punished. It row
remained for Ministers to shew what connection they
had had with Ede ards, and to explain why and
wherefore they had not placed him in the witnesses'
box—(Hear, hear).
Mr. BANKES admitted that there had been cases
which might induce the House to undertake inquiries
tin justihed by any precedents whatever. But on
the present occasion, the two Honourable Members
who had opened the question had completely mistaken
the nature of the constitutional poweis and privileges
of the House. Had it ever been heard that that As-
sembly had been called upon to institute an inquiry
into the criminal conduct of a private individuai?—
Was there anything More unsatisfactory than the
evidence taken at the Bar of the House, or by its
Committees? Other Courts had the power of im-
posing the most solemn obligation, of compelling
witnesses to answer before the ALMIGHTY, under the
sanction of an oath. But to the House the Constitu-
tion hid wisely refused this power, thereby sheaving
that it ought not to meddle with those things which
ought only to be tried trader the obligation of an oath.
The worthy Alderman conceived it astonishing that
all the depositions should agree in representing Ed-
wards as the sole seducer, and that net one word
was said about anybody else. Now the Hon. Alder-
man had filled a high office, and it was surprising
that his acumen should not have suggested the idea
of a conspiracy among the deponents !—(Hear, hear).
The more so as all the men were perfectly known to
have been deeply implicated in the plot, though not
perhaps to a degree which would have justified their
being brought to trial—(Hear, hear).—Was this a
case of such urgency, that, if inquiry was denied,
instant ruin must ensue ? As though the chambers
below were filled with., gunpowder, and the House
should run the risk of being suddenly blown up if it
did not proceed to an immediate examination ? Did
the worthy Alderman really believe that the House
was exposed to any danger from the plot said to have
been suggested by Edwards for the destruction of
its Members?—(Hear).—He did not mean to say that
Edwards was an innocent man, but he thought that
equal danger might arise from others, as well as
from him—(Hear, hear).—But the conspiracy was
shaken to its foundation, and little of peril remained.
It had been first considered that the object of the wor-
thy Alderman was to bring Edwards to justice; but
this he had since disclaimed, and had said that he
would not wish even this miscreant to be put to
-death, as he thought that capital punishment ought
only to be inflicted in cases of murder. What, there-
fore did he now want? He wished Edwards to be
sent out of the country, which was the very object
which at first he seemed desirous of preventing. The
gallant General who had seconded the motion had
also taken an extraordinary view of the subject. On
landing from another country, with the opinions ex-
cited by some barbarous execution which had-taten
place there some years before, he stated that he had
found similar sentiments entertained here, and that
all were shocked at Edwards not having been exa-
mined on the late trial. Did he then intend to move
an instruction to the Secret Committee to inquire
why Edwards had not been put into the witnesses'
box ? ( Yes, frone Sir Robert Wilton).—He was glad to
hear it was his intention; bat he would observe, that
such an inquiry would be quite contrary to what Wig
been ever done in Parliament—to institute an inquiry
whether the Law Officers had acted right or wrong
in the performance of their duty. It was impossible
that the House would lose its precious time in attend-
ing to a motion so grounded and so seconded.—
The gallant General reprobated what he called
the spy system. For his part, he was decided in
the opinion, that no Government could maintain
itself without the use of spies—(Hear, hear!)—
In expressing such an opinion, he was a*are that he
might expose himself to obloquy ; but he must bear
it. The use of spies was practised in every time. If
a gang of robbers were coming to attack the worthy
Alderman's house, and if one of the gang went to
him previously, and informed him of their intention,
would he stupidly turn away and take no notice of
the communication?—(Hear, hear). Would it then

be contended that less care ought to be taken cf
the public safety ? Whatever other opinions might
be entertained of that great man Cicero, there would
be, he believed, but one on his conduct on this occa•
sion. He• had not hesitated to seek and receive
information, from the courtezan Fulvia, of-Cataline*
designs ; and the Ambassidors of the Aflobroges he
encouraged to continue to attend the meetings of the
conspirators, in order that their designs might be
more fully discovered
" Leptis prwcipit, ut studium conjurationis schen:enter
si-
mdent ; cater os ideant : bene pulliceantur, dentquc operana,
eos gum maximc manifestos habeant !"—(Hear, hear). •
....Such was the conduct of that great Mali and e*.