Star.
London, England, 1819-11-25 00:00:00

-777

_;

.e--

RP"

fit`.,

• -
• .•••-•:-.jo- •
•.
• • .
•
905:;;,;-..
3+• N 3 k
1110' rl4 P.A A
fir-,-
• •
• III) •
• ilk - - • - •
it (1/411 . . .
.•• • •
• .•
~ • • .
••
• •

-4-
t •
•

•

.

PRICE • Sin, EN ;ON rf..
•,, • :•44,

A

.
.

-spired had -serv''''Fdlits to streng.• then and confirm' .---
The decision the,. had come to did
.not, however,
close the question. The Courts of Law were open to •
it, arid there the fullest investigation might take
plaCe. The Papers now produced were not stated to
contain all the information that might be 'obtained ;
but these, it had been thought; would give the
House some general idea of what the proceedings -
had really been.
Lord TEMPLE was of opinion, that a spirit was
abroad which must be repressed, or. the Country
would be in danger: He thought the present was an
Occasion which made it necessary for every Member
of that House to exert himself in defence .of the
Constitution. Unless the Government of' the Country
were supported on a question like this, he should be
unwilling to answer for the consequences; and with
this impression on his mind, he felt it to be his duty
to support the Address..
Mr. BENNET having had more opportunities of
learning, whit had actually taken place than many
Gentlemen, rose to correct some of the statements
which the Honourable Member for Dover had made,
as he had been convinced, by evidence given an oath
before the Coroner's Inquest, that great and cruel ex-
cesses had been committed. The Honourable Mem-
ber for Dover had spoken of the multitude assembled
at. Manchester, on the 16th of August, as being as-
sembled for purposes of plunder. He detested some
of the principles which they met to.advocate, but he
had no right to believe them other than honest. He
then described various outrages said to have taken
place at Manchester, most of which have already ap-
peared before the Public. It -was said; :that but
twenty-six persons had been tater' to the Igfirmary ;
he had seen a list of fifty-flight, and manya.who had ,
not been carried to the Infirmary had been ,severely
maimed. He believed he might say that eiiht lives
had been lost, and that he spoke witirin.corupasi when
he said, that from three to four hundred had been
wounded. That eiaggeraticin bid gone abroad, he
did not • deny. This .could not- but be admitted by
these who had read the libellous .and disgusting -
articles' which had issued: from the Press—(Hear, -
hear, hear, from both sides of the House). If. any
thing could take place more catCulated thap all the
rest to make moderate men violent and irascible, it
was the furious declamations which had been sent
forth by the Press—(Hear, hear, hear). Such, from
his own experience, he could say, was the effect which , •
they had produced. He then descanted on the man- •
ner in which the populace had been attacked on the
16th of August, and proceeded to argue, that the
manner in which the Reformers had entered Man-
chester' in what was called military array, did not
make the Meeting illegal. If, however, the .Magi-
strates were of a different opinion, he should like to
know, why they did not stop the partiei• on their
way and prevent the Meeting?—He maintained that
the Riot Act was not read till after the attack on the
People had commenced. The letter of Mr. Hay dill
not prove that the Riot Act had been read. He (Mr,
Bennet) did, not lay thai it had not been read at all,
but he believed that it. was not read till 'after the
charge had been made. He was of opinion that no
proof had been adduced that the Yeomanry weie
attacked befOre they attacked the People. He dis-
approved of the employment of that description of
force on such an occasion, and imputed much of the
mhehief to their want of temper. He defended the
Union Schools in that part of the Country. He had
examined the primers used in them, and thought no
books could be provided for them that were better
Calculated to teach children their daty, to GOD and
man. The blisphemouspublication said to be used
in some of them he could not f 9 d, and QR this point,
he thought the Honourable Gentleman who had
mentioned it must be misinformed. In no. part of
the Country had he known greater regard to be
manifested for religion than in the County Palatine
of Lancaster. He thought nothing more fatal to the
interests of the Country, than that separation of the
rich from the poor, which all the measures of the
present Government went to effect. There was a
general feeling is the Cotrntry, that Reform in that
House was necessary. In that feeling he participated.
He would not give the sanction of his name to all
the wild schemes afloat in the Country; but he was
of opinion, that Men, could not be governed in 1819,
as they had been in 1719, and that if would he wise
in that House to reform itself. He disclaimed all
wild notions of Radical Reform:and Universal Suf-
frage, which, if seriously entertained, and attempted
to be carried into execution, would, he bad no doubt,
end in Despotiim. But he did not think the Country
safe from what might lead to. the worst of 'all evils;
a state of civil dissension, increased by the very
measures which Parliament_epight" in a: very short
time be solicited to pass. callecrupoti the House -
to inquire, without' delay, into the state of Sts own
Representation, and to.giee The People a more general
controul over their Represenfatlves, by exteochng the'
elective franchise to a larger mass of society. He
intreateci bii Majesty.'s Ministers to pause., No man
could look to the financial difficulties and political
dissensions of the time, without alarm ; and he most
earnestly. prayed, that no petty feeling of party should
be allowed to mingle iviththe considerations of paha
lic interest. With respect to Earl Fitzwilliarn,.the
situation which he had so lOng occupied, *as' not a
feather in his cap. lie held it in truit 'for the
People ; for though nominally, the servant of the
Cre4n, he was really the servant of the j'eoplc; of
whom, in virtue of his possessions, his
'character, and
his virtues, he became a natural leader. He objected
to the Addresi altogether, and should vote for the
Amendment, though lie could hardly see how it
could be tacked to 'such an Address. What be wish-
ed was the'pacifyhig of the People, and he could not
support an Address, which appeared to him to have
a contrary tendency.
Mi. BOOTLE_ WILBRAHAM entered' into some
theethiaP!lhmaotsti(nOsf.inthiteatetteburse of Which he n.eotioned,
ta WhiCh he had given yes-
-1 , terday were deibled Mina, isfornuitiOn on oath, and
• .
•