Star.
London, England, 1818-03-12 00:00:00

be forgotten, and that monstrous uhion' of Luddism
and politics, formed into a system of regular plunder
and organized assassination. On those dangers the
Act of Suspension had been founded, and though not
immediately consequent upon, yet connected with it,
was the present Bill. He contended that Ministers
ought to be borne harmless, unless it should be
proved that they had exceeded their powers. That
they had made a moderate use of them there were
some proofs before the House. The number of in-
dividuals taken up was small—that sheaved some
moderation ; none of them had been confined, save
on information confirmed by an oath—that displayed
some discretion. There was besides the opinion of
-two Committees. True, it was said that those Com-
mittees had been appointed by Ministers, and had a'
cause to support. But let the opponents of the mea-
sure appoint their own Committee, and let the House
see which of the two would be honoured with the
confidence of the country. If the opinions of such
Committees were to he dim-edited, was implicit faith'
to be placed in the Petitions presented to the House?
—(h car, hear.)---But suppose the same degree of cre-
dit should be given to both, yet the Bill must be
voted, as no case had been made out against it. The
Honourable and Learned Gentleman might have had
charity enough to suppose, that persons coming to
give important information on oath were not guided
by resentment, especially as he had represented the
declaration of one of the men at Derby as entitled
to credit, because he was religious.
Sir S. RONIILLY—. I never said that, nor any
thir.g like it !"--(LaHghter.)
Mr. LAW was glad that he had been mistaken.
Tl.e Hon. and Learned Gentleman, however, had
charged his Majesty's Ministers with a gross libel on
the whole people.
Sir S. ROMILLY—" never said that." (Laughter.)
Mr. LAW was sorry that he should have so com-
pletely niisunderstood the Hon. and Learned Gentle-
man. He supposed that the expression had been used
by another Hon. and Learned Member behind him—
Mr. BROUGHAM-4, I have not spoken a single

sentence !"—(Loud laughter.)
Mr. LAW had heard the sentiment expressed by
so many Gentlemen on that side of the House, that
it was not astonishing he should have lost sight of
its original propounder. He then defended the con-
duct of the Magistracy, and trusted that they would
continue to do their duty, to put down the spirit of
insurrection, and to deserve and enjoy the approba-
tion of the country. The House had a duty to per-
form towards those who had given information. It
had to shelter them from the daggers of assassins.
The real question was, whether the House would pro-
tect those who prevented, or those who committed
offences ?
Sir WILLIAM BURROUGHS maintained, that
notwithstanding what had been said to the contrary,
the very first clause of the Bill sheaved that it was
intended to indemnify Ministers for having exceeded
their powers. It was indeed the first time that he
had heard it asserted that a man who issued a war-
rant on information given upon oath, might enter
into an engagement to keep that information a pro-
found secret. His Majesty's Ministers had last year
come down to the House to ask for greater powers
than the occasion required. They had obtained them ;
and their first act had been to exceed them. And on
what ground had they exceeded them ? Lest any
danger should accrue to the persons who had given
the information. But there had been trials in Lon-
don, at Derby, and at York ; and had any one heard
of any of the witnesses produced on those occasions
having been attacked? He believed that the i idi-
viduals taken up had been discharged that they might
bring no action ; for they could not do it unless they
had been acquitted or legally delivered, neither of
which had been the case. It was contended that Mi-
nisters had not exceeded their powers ; if so, why
' was such a Bill proposed ? But they had exceeded
their powers in discharging those men as they had
done. He continued to argue, that the seizing of
arms and papers of persons under a warrant, on sus-
, picion of treason, was always usual, and therefore no
indemnity was wanting for those who had executed
such warrants. But was every man to be indemni-
fied for making such seizures under common circum-
stances ? They did indeed want an indemnity for
this conduct, because it was contrary to law ; and he
would say, on the whole, that this was one of the
most odious and atrocious Bills that ever came be-
fore Parliament.
Sir FREDERICK FLOOD said he owed it to his
country and his constituents to come forward in sup-
port of this measure. The party, as it was called,
on the other side of this House, proved by its senti-
ments militating against each other, that that party
was nearly dissolved—(Laughter.) The Bill had
been twice approved of by the House, first, by a
majority of 126, and then by one of 65 ; and if it had
any defects they could be remedied in a Committee.
The Bill had already been carried by an immerse
majority of the Lords, and it ought to be entertained'
with due respect by this House. Persons in the
highest offices and the highest rank had investigated
the state of the country, and were unanimous in their
Report. 'Therefore the I louse ought to go into the
Committee on the Bill without farther argument.
The late Committees had had among them his able
countryman, who had reconciled all the jarring
Powers of the Continent, and had therefore proved
himself the fittest man on earth to be of that Com-
mittee. He could have wished the Honourable 11:1.
ronet (Sir William Burroughs) had left all his special
pleading behind hint in India, instead of coming
here to talk of the injuries of the people; as he might
have found from Judge Blackstone, that such mea-
sures as those he condemned were stated by that
sound Judge to be necessary to preserve the Consti-
tution for ever—(Laughter.) His (the Honourable
Baronet's) opinions were therefore unfounded, and
contrary to law; and though he (Sir Frederick) was
one of the Members who voted the Hight Honourable
Gentleman into the Chair, he would on this occasion
have the greatest pleasure in voting him out of it—
(Loud laughter fi all parts.)
Mr. LAMI3E declared it due to himself to say,
that the deliberate opinion he had formed on the
e grounds; and
measures that had been adopted still continued in his
muptonnd.gentleerai principlesmeasureshadvotedfoarndthleesgeislativ lastnds ;
he would say that those grounds were not necessarily
affected by the result of any trials or decisions in any
,Courts of Law, where the guilt or innocence of a few
individuals only were to be decided, But some of