Star.
London, England, 1819-12-01 00:00:00

THE EVENING STAR.

. LONDON.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1,1819 s

THE FUNDS.
FRICK OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK :
3 per Cent. Reduced 67.1 661
3 per Cent. Consols 68 671 68 6711
Sit per Cent. 75-11
4 per Cent. 84+1,4
5 per Cent. Navy 104-1 103 k 104
Bank Long Annuities 17 9-16 f
India-Stock 208*—India Bonds ss. 4s. pre.
Exchequer Bills (2d.) 2s. 4s. dis.
Ornnium 2l—Consols for Acct. 68t 67f 68.

•••••••

Never were more important subjects brought into
discussion than those embraced by the gagging—the
Revolutionary Bills .now before Parliament. That
to prevent unauthorised drilling, is just in principle,
none will dispute. But why irthis salutary measure to
be accompanied with the subversion of all the venerablo;
institutions of our. forefathers? How often have we
heard of the dangers of innovation from the mouths
the very men who now innovate by wholesale. Should
the Seditious Meeting Bill pass into a law in its present
'form, an end will at once be put to all expression
public opinion, Our counties and cities are
.to be
broken down to their constituent atoms, in every at-
tempt to express their desires to the Legislature or •
the Sovereign. Every thing, as in. France during
the worst times of the Revolution, is to be done b;•
divisions of Lilliputian slenderness-..-parishes and
half parishes—if the Magistrates contrive not

prevent even this. This is precisely what was done
by the French Tyrants, when they divided Paris
into Sections, and the Country into Communes,
which they directed at their pleasure. To restrain,
in this manner, the right of Petitioning to Sections,
is to destroy it effectually ; for before -the tedious de.
tail can be gone through on any objectionable mea,
sure, the whole Session will have passed over, and
the matter in question have become law. And what
shall we say to the increased creation of artificial fe-
lonies by the operation of this Bill—that is, acts le-
gally constituted so, though not morally criminal'
Should a person, in the exercise of the right pre-
tended to be reserved to him, mistake the bounds of!
his own District and shew his face in Another, he
no longer walks with the firm step of a free-born
Englishman, but in the slippery path of a felon,
As to the Bill which is intended (under the pre-
text of restraining the circulation of Seditious and
Blasphemous Publications), to destroy the Freedom
of the English Press, it is impossible to speak of
in terms of sufficient reprobation, But The Courier
tells us, that it is not intended " to interfere with the
vital principle ! of the Liberty of the Press--there
is to be no previous Censorship." Insulting syco-
phant. The Bill is infinitely worse. Yes, infinitely
worse ! Where there •is a Censorship, the man who
publishes that on which the Censors have put their
Veto, does it with his eyes. open. But this Bali
neither more nor less than a snare to entrap men who
have never contemplated the perpetration of a crime,
A publisher isnot to be allowed the benefit of knowing,
officially, what may be construed a libel, by receiving
the opinion of tht Censors on the article, before pub-
lication. He Must act on his own judgment—his
revisers are a Jury (perhaps a very ignorant one)
after he has fully committed himself (owing to the
want of Guardian Censors); and, on a- second gems,
he is to be transported as a felon among thieves and
murderers I—Are Englishmen at last to be brought
to this pass ?—ls this the preservation of the vital
principle" of the Liberty of the Press?—And all this'
is to be thrustdovm our throats, with the levity maw
nifested by a Mountebank, when he makes his petite,
swallow such a potion as he is sure, from its fikhines4,
must produce wry faces, to muse the surnpunding
multitude.
What must he the result of this system ? Wdl"