Star.
London, England, 1819-12-21 00:00:00

and was hostile to all those principles that had ever
been held dear in the country.
Mr. WILMOT considered that the dangers which
threatened the country were a sufficient warrant for the
measures introduced to meet them, which were, in
some sense, a suspension of the people's rights. He
defended the speech of the Hon. Member for Corfe
Castle, and supported ;be Bill upon the necessity of
checking the circulation of blasphemous and sedi-
tious publications. He contended that it was the
duty of the House to interfere to protect the poor
from delusion and falsehood. The seditious Press
spread the most calumnious and wicked reports
among the poor concerning their superiors, and urged
them to contemn and to hate their natural protectors.
He was a friend to the Liberty of the Press, •but
thought it would be best preserved by passing this
Bill to stem the torrent of sedition and blasphemy
which deluged the country. He remembered some
lines of Cowper which well described the dangers as
well as the advantages of the Press:
By thee—Religion, Liberty, and Laws,
Exert their irdligence and advance thew cause ; •
By thee worse t•lagucs than Pharaoh's land betel,
Diffus'd make earth the vestibule of hell; .
Thou fountain; at which drink the good and wise;
.'•
Thou ever bubbling spring of endless lies ;
•
• Like Eden's dread probationary tree,
Knowledge of good and evil is from thee !
' Mr.. Alderman WAITtIiVIAN began by alluding
to what had been said against those who countenanced
Mr: Hone, and supported him after his acquittal; and
he thought it necessary to repel this attack, on account
Of the part he had taken in providing the means for
Mr. Hone's support after bis acquittal. He had been
acquitted by three Juries; and any other Juries would
have acquitted him, because what he bad published
was only a political squib, which was prosecuted under
a hypocritical pretence, that it was a blasphemous
libel. The ability and fortitude displayed by Mr. Hone
during his trial, entitled him to the attention he after-.
wards received. The worthy Alderman next adverted
to the Seditious Meetings' Bill. It was nonsense to say
a man should have the right of petitioning, if he could
not exercise it—hilt now the people would not he able
to do so. It was also false to say, the acquittal of Hone
gave rise to blasphemous publications; for none of
them came out for a year after his acquittal, and when
they did come out, they were suffered to go on, in
such a way, that many persons in the trade were fully
of opinion, that his Majesty's Ministers winked at such
publications. The conviction of Castile, which at
length took place, wits the best answer to those who
asserted that the acquittal of Mr. Hone gave iocou-
r,e;ement to such libels. He had seen the strong and
rsasonable statement made in the Resolutions of a most
respectable meeting of printers and booksellers,
at the head of which was-the name of Mr. Butter-
- worth, formerly a Member of that House; and from
those Resolutions it was clearly shewn, diat if this
Bill should pass u ithout very considerable modifica-
tion, that trade must be-absolutely ruined. The most
innocent member of that community, with the purest
intentions, and all the c ution he could exert, would
be constantly liable to fall under .he severities of this
Bill, and be bani hed to another country, where he
could not exert -his professional talents for the main-
tenance of his family. The House had been told,
that even the Whigs, who effected the Revolution,
had sanctioned the adoption of similar measures in ;
. that day ; but to this he would answer, that however
necessary such a measure might have been then, it
leas by no means 53 at this time.
Dr. PHILLINIORE co :tended, that all the mea-
sures brought befdre Parliament, at this crisis, were
absolutely necessary for the preservation of the
rights of the People, the p:eservation of the liberty,
the morality, and the religion of .he Country.—,
In answer to what had fallen from the Honourable
Member for Shrewsbury, he maintained, that there
was a studied circulation el blasphemous paiuphless
at this time ; and the fact came within the observa-
tion of every body. In proof of this he read an
official letter, declaring that seditious:old blasphemous
publications were industriously circulatedin 'varicius
parts of the country, among the servants of respect-
able and wealthy families. The fact was clearly
proved.; and was that Hoes! to sit still, esti suffer
the enemy to go on in this mariner, working the over-
throw of the Constitution? The rights of the
People consisted in the free controul over their pro-
perty, in the maintenance of their religion, and the
preservation of their liberty; but was it consistent
With the happiness of the People, that libellers and
blasphemers should be allowed to invade those
rights, and destroy that happiness ?--(Hear, Dear).
There, no doubt, must be restraints ; but these re-
straints were conducive to the preservation of liberty.
in general. With regard to the punishment by ba-
nishing, it was perfectly well known, and familiar
to the Constitution of the country ; and in order
to prove this, the Hon. and Learned Gentleman'
quoted Bracton, and several (Aber legal authorities.
The Act of the 39th of Elizabeth, expressly stated,
that such rogues, as were dangerous to the People,
should be banished. It was evident, therefore, that
the constant practice of our ancestors had been to in-
flict that sort of punishment on offenders. There was
a memorable instance of this sort of punishment in
the case of Bishop Atterbury. It would be needless
to advert to any more instances, to shew that banish-
ment was recognized and practised to a great extent
in this country. The Hon. Member concluded, by
expressing it as his opinion, that the Bill was calcu-
lated to secure the foundations upon which the insti-
tutions of the country rested, and to uphold the Peo-
ple in the enjoyment of the blessings of our Consti-
sutioo—(Heer).
Mr. It. WHARTON wished to have an answer
from the Noble Lord opposite to this question: sup-
pose six persons engaged in partnership as booksel-
lers; and by some unfortunate means the fifm be-
Came liable to the punishment of transportation, as
awarded by the Bill, he wished to know in that case
whether the whole number of partners were to be
transported, or the senior member only ?—(Hear).
No answer was given to this question.
The Gallery was then cleared for a division. On the question
for the House to resolve itself no the Bill, the numbers were—
Ayes, set—Noes, 76—Majority, 146.
On the return of strangers to the Gallery, the House was in
Committee.
The.first six Clauses were severally put ant carried.
The Clause being put, which prohibits persons from
printing or publishing Newspapers 'or Pamphlets,
lathout entering into recognizance, or giving bead
for securing fines upon conviction for libels,
Mr. WILLIAM SMlTH...wilted to know some.