Star.
London, England, 1819-12-22 00:00:00

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LONDON:

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1819.
THE FUNDS.
INT OF STOCKS TIIIS DAT AT 020 O'CLOCK !
Dank Stock 2131.
3 per Cent. Reduced 661111
S per Cent. Consols shut
per Cent. 7441
4 per Cent. 83111
Bank Long Annuities 17 5-161
Impetiar 3 per Cent. Anns. 6411
India Bonds 55.2.. dis.

Excliequ.er Bills (24 7s. 9s. dis,
Consols for Acct. 67111 f.

Tli Funds have experienced a rise this morning.
Consols have been done at 671, but are rather flatter
at this hour, one o'clock, being 67i.

The Bill for preventing Seditious Meetings was
last night read a third time and passed, in the House
of Lords.

The Libel Bill, after a warm debate, was read a
second time in the House of Commons ; after a divi-
sion, in which the measure had a majority of 190 to
72, it was ordered to be committed to-day.
We are perfectly satisfied that this Bill will fail
entirely as to all the benefits which Ministers promise
from it, and be only efficient in vexing, harassing,
and punisbiug those who are the ornaments and best I
safeguards of- a virtuous Free Press. The arguments
in favour of banishment for a second offence, are not
isuppeorted by the facts on which those who use them
I would' make them to rest. The hardihood of some
men in republishing a work already declared to be a
libel by a Jury, affords no support to this clause ;
for the clause is not confined to a republication of a
convicted libel, as to what it means by a second offence
or second conviction : were it so limited, the roan
would well deserve banishment, or any punish-
, ment wh'atexerl who should so far- set the laws
of his country at defiance, as, in the face of a
verdict, to repeat the crime. But, as the clause
stands, if a man is convicted of publishing a libel
called The HOILM that Jack built, and shall, after-
wards be convicted of - having published Tom
Thumb, this is to be held a repetition of his first
offence, that of publishing The House that Jack built !
To our apprehension, this is very gross. Confine the
infliction of banishment to a re-publication gfthe.first
Libel, and people will then know what they are
doing ; and you will, in fact, be applying the re-
medy to the very cases on which you urge the pro-
priety of onemt;its rho rim
We have said, that the Bills to restrain the Press
,will Tail in their operation. We say more; they will
increase the evils which they profess to remedy. No
respeetabk Printer in London will enter into the re-'
guired recognizance:. What follows ? Whenever
any of these may in future be applied to for their
professional aid, in printing any thing that, by con-
struction, can be brought within the new laws; they
will not even look at it, but send the party to one 'of
the little recognizance Gentlemen : and thus, the
author, losing the benefit:of the-Printer's judgment—
which often interposes, as things stand at present, and
prevents putting objectionable productions to press—
will be urged on to publication by the indiscretion of
the little printer, and the Public will be deluged with
seditious and blasphemous effusions, which, but for
'these Bills, would often be prevented from seeing
the light.

Confine the banishment to a republication of a
convicted libel, and.you will still retain all the safe-
guards that result from the character of the most
respectable Printers (for in this case they will enter
into the required recognizances).—Or keep the clause
as you-now have it, if your wish be to throw the,
political and polemical Press entirely into the hands'
of men void of all principle.—And then what do
you gain?—The pleasure of prosecuting and banish-
ing, without at all lessening the numbers who may
be temptcd to seek gains by such hazards.
As to arguments in favour of the Restrictions,
founded on the dangers that result from intruding
the People, none can use them but those who, if they
have themselves been taught to read, never read; or
who, if they sometimes read, hare no understanding.
Such arguments remind us of the Monkish exclama-
tions used against the Reformation-4. We must put
down the Billie and Printing, or they will put us
down."—As to schools being opened to teach the
children Sedition and Blasphemy I we shall continue
to believe, that those who presume to say so, are
guilty of deliberate falsehood—until they produce
evidence of the fact. Do you wish to lessen the
number and enormity of crimes ?—Teach the People.
To have these virtuous?—reach them. To have
them religious?— Teach them. To have them con.
tented and loyal ?—lnstruct the People to the utmost
of your power.

Paris Papers of the 18th arrived in town this
morhing. They contain no news of any consequence.
The .31oniteur otthat day is for the most part filled
with small talk about pictures, colleges, duchesses
learning to read, and the old story of his Most Chris-
tian Majesty heating the Mass performed in iris
Chamber. The Chamber of Deputies were in a
Secret Committee; and sevoral uninteresting trials

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