Star.
London, England, 1817-02-22 00:00:00

Onspending the Habeas Corpus Act, 'mould, he also
ton,idered, be to place the liberties of the country at
the mercy of :he Ministers of the Crown. As to the,
Poi:A of order, he most say, it was not attended to'
by those who had inter' u pted his Noble Friend, while
he was in a course of explanation in consequence of
having been called to order.
The LORD CHANCELLOR world submit it
to their Lordships whether it was orderly or rrgulat
so to speak of pxsons nut of that House? Carrying
the conddetati.in of oroer farther, he would leave to
their Lordships, whether it vas consistent with their
orders to have a Petition read to them, impugning
parts rf a Report which was never communicated
out of that House, or VI ID speak of a suspension of
the Habeas Corpus Act, ri which not one syllable
was siid ? He ist-is nat.:rally anxious, from duty and
inclination, to preserve order, and he earhestiy wish-
ed to learn from the How whether he was right or
wrong in what lie h.ol advanced ?
Lord HOLLAND expressed sentiments similar
to those which had fallen from Earl Grey. and dis-
approved ti a,iy Noble Loud htiog called to order
while in A course of tA.,l,ination.
The Earl Cif LIVERPOOL conceived there eniihl '
not be a m ne disorderly proceeding than that which
the House had witnessed, in a Petition being tornight
down, referring to the Repot% of a Secret Committee
of Oat House, not regularly known out of it, and re.
ferfring to a measure which the party had no right to
knew whether or or t sOch was intended. The practice
nf Parliament was against such proceedings. It was
still more unparliamentary that a Noble Lord should
assume that as a tact which he had no right to know
any thing of, and then, upon that assumption, to
throw an imputation on the Government and the
country. Neither could any thing regularly be
known of the transactions of the other House of Par-
liament, unless in case of a communication of votes.
Individual information in certain cases is also given
with a view to personal convenience: but it was a
most unjustifiable use of that indulgence, when indi-
viduals' names were cited for the purpose of casting
an odium upon those individuals. In the present
ease, no Lord of Parliament had a right to know
any thing so far as would warrant him in making
personal reflections.
Earl GROSVENOR. in explanation, observed.
that the observations which fell from him, (Earl G.)
be thought, were fully as applicable now as they
could he at any other period. If it were irregular to
refer to individual Members of the other House, it
could not be sai to refer to them as Members of his
Majesty's Government. With respect to the reference
to the Report, it was customary tor the substance-at
least of such documents to transpire, and go forth to

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• the xognisarice of the public ; and on occabioes so
Important as -the present, the agitation of men'.
mirth, and their anxiety to learn, must be unusually
great. Me must upon the whole think it a hard case
were the present Petition rejected, even before they
should enter into a coMiderarion of the subject. He
Must again, therefore, press on the consideration of
their Lordships the propriety of allowing the Peti-
tioner to prove his important allegations at the bar.'
Nis Lordshipahen moved, that the Petition be mad.
The Loab CHANCELLOR POW to Object to the peti-
tion being received; when the Noble Lord was called
to order by the Earl of LAUDEROALR, who observed
that the motion was, that the petition should be read,
to which there could be no objectioh. The Loan
CHANCELLOR thanked the Noble Earl, and admitted
that it might be then read. The petition being
read by- the Clerk, -
The LORD CHANCELLOR rose (or the pur-
poseof objecting to the Petition's being laid upon
the table. It was of th it nature and tendency which
induced him to think it ought not to be received.—
Referring then to what had been said respecting the
impart or substance of documents, which exclusively
should appertain to Members of the House, he ob-
served, that if no other person should call for a rigid
execution of their Lordship.' orders in that respect,
be would do it. It was not to be endured, in the
cifcumstances in which they stood, that papers print-
ed exclusively for Noble Lords should go forth, so
is that a Petitiop could state what were the contents
of a most important document, and such a Petition"
be presented by a Peer of:that House. He should,
ithileshe lived,support the Laws and Constitution of
the Country to the utmost of his power, and against
practices which may give rise to such proceedings as
the present. .His sent irdents should be recorded in
a Protest.
Earl GREY observed, with respect to what.
had fallen from the Noble and Learned Lord, that
there were numerous instances in which individuals
who found themselves affected and aggrieved by cer-
tain proceedings in Parliament, had come forward
in various ways to endeavour at obtaining redress.
It was well known that many of these found their
way into public prints. The case of Mr. Horne
Tooke, when be took a legal course in an application
to the Court of Icing's Bench. was a striking in-
. stance o' what lie had alluded to. In that before
them, the Central Union Society was held to be jos-
plicattld in a traitorous conspiracy against the laws
and constitution of tie country. They should,there.
fore, in jtuitice, be allowed an opportunity of wiping
off that imputation. It was offered to be proved
that they did not meet for the last three years and a
half, and their books and papers brought before the
House. He was happy however to hear, that his
• Mljetty's Chief Ministers seemed to feel it an-Impu-
: tattoo that the measure referred to was intended by
them. Were the present petitioner refused to be
heard, he knew not on what principle of justice any
other could be heard; or if a aispeasios Bill were
passed, would not -the people have • right to be
heard against it I
, The Earl of HARROWBY deprecated any pro-,
eedure which was contrary to She established rule,
and orders of Parliament. Wde evidence to be re-
' ceived in the case of the prebent petition, by what
role could they refuse a similar procedure on the part
of every club and affiitated sbeikty in the kingdom/
It was evident to all, the ordit of the House should
be respected; and with respect to the present petition
tie must submit his opinion, thin it ought not to lie
Nan the table.
Lord HOLLAND speed that the order of the
I louse ahould Ise at all times respected, but he could
noc.cenear irith, the idea that no petitAla should be
• heard utiota a object before. Parliament, except it
. an acknowledged legal publicity. The present