Star.
London, England, 1803-05-04 00:00:00

NOTTINGHAM ELECTION HMI..

Mr.l. H. BtowNs moved the Order of the Dar,
for the third reading of the Nottingham EleCtion
Bill ; which being read,
Mr. Fox role, and Paid he mull give it his de.
tided oppofirion, not withaanding the little fuccers
he had hitherto met with in lo doing. He laid,
this Bill being carried in the manner it was, added
one more flrong proof to the many which had pre.
ceded it, that no opportunity is to be loft fight of;
that will add to the power of the Executive Go.
vernment. He then adverted to the language of
leniency, which had been fo liberally ufed by thole
who fupportetl the Bill, and denied that it was ap.
plicaLle to the fubjea. On the contrary, he fail,
the Magiftrates challenged them to profecute, and
therefore this Bill, under fuch pretences, was the
leveret punithment that could be inflided, if they
were not guilty ; and if they were guilty, they
ought to be proceeded againft accordingly. This re-
medy, he aid, was by no means applicable. If
the Magiftracy was not ttrong enough at Notting.
ham, increafe their number of eleftive Magiftrates,
but do not (trip them of their franchifes,by making
additional Crown Magiftrates out of the county,
and giving them a concurrent jurifdietion with
thole of the town. Mr. Fox went over nearly the
fame ground of argument as on a former night. to
fliew that fimilar riots had taken place at other
places, fuch as London, Birmingham. Coventry,
&c. but that no notice had been taken of them,
nor any attempt made to fisperfede, or even re-
prehend the Magiftrates who flood by, and never
attempted to (top them, in no inftance; but when
an opportunity occurred of doing away an eleftive
Magiltracy, it was not to be negleaed : that, in-
deed, feemed to be a panacea for every evil. If the
Magiftrates were guilty, punifh them by law ; that
would be following the diastes of 'plaice ; but de-
Rroying the rights of eleftors for an abufe of power
by the Magiftrates, was a new principle, and fuch
a one as he hoped never to fee aeted upon again.
though this Bill fhould pats into a law. At all
events, he Paid, it appeared that the interett of the
Magiftrates in that town was to be facrificed and
deftroyed, to ftrengthen that of the Tories. He
afked, in what inßance the Magiftrates of Notting-
ham had not done their duty ? Had they not done
it on the fubjeEt of licences ? It feemed moll clear
they had ; for there were fewer public-bottles there
now than for many years before. He denied that
the Magiftrates were felf-eleeted. The burgeffes.
he Paid, cleft them from the fenior Aldermen, fo
that the rights of thofe againft whom there was
no complaint (for the burgeffes are not mentioned
either in the refolutions or in thepreamble to the
Bill), are by this Bill annihilated. Mr. Fox then
adverted to a pamphlet, which he bad in his pocket,
and which he took out, and a paffage of which ho-
read as a part of his fpeech, in which the author
imputes to the Magiftrates of Nottingham this
very Bill as a reproach, and fays, 4. What mutt
the Magiftracy of fuch a town be, which Mall oft
in fuch a manner, as to draw on itfelf fo fevered f• -
exemplary, and fo difgraceful a punifhmeeti" •If
there be delinquency, Paid he, a legal remedy
would have been beR if no delinquency, then be
contended the Bill was moll unjuft and oppreffive„
by which the Houle laid a precedent, that if fol.
lowed up, would not leave a Corporation in the
country in a (tort time ; and if foci an inftance
&told again occur in London, as in 1780, where
evidently the Chief Magiftrate did not do his duty.
Iwith fuch a Bill as this on the table they may fay.
Treat the City of London as they did Notting-
ham. For thefe reafons, the Bill fhould have his
decided negative.
Mr. Boats recapitulated molt of his old argu-
ments in fupport of the Bill, which, he infilled.
was abfolutely necelTary, in order to fecure the
freedom of eleftion at Nottingham, that never had
been, for many years, enjoyed, nor ever would
or could be, without Tome efficient meafure of this
kind. The Hon. Gentleman who had jet fat
down, bad, on the fecond reading of the Bill, ar-
gued at great length againfi the principle of the
Bill; and, in the Committee, had propofed an
amendment, which would indeed, if adopted, have
rendered the 8,11 perfeftly inefficient and nugatory;
but which, in every other refpea, embraced the
whole principle of the Bill. He Paid, that whatever
high founding language might be ufed by the Hon.
Gentleman, or any other, by calling it an invafion
of rights, or a disfranchifement, or any other
names they might choofe to give it, he was deter.
mined not to be driven from the broad line of his
public duty, which told him that fuels a meafure
was abfolntely neceffary, and which had, there-
fore, impelled him to bring forward and fupport
the prefent Bill. He iafifted, that the proceeding
of the Committee had been molt lenient, and de-
fended that expreffion which had been fo feverely
attacked by the Hon. Gentleman, as perfolly ap..
plicable. The Magiftrates, he Paid, had not done
their dos; they had coffered the freedom of eke.
tion to be violated ; and in Paying that the Com.
mittee bad abed with lenity, he had been Pup.
ported by the Hon and Learned Gentleman, who
appeared before the Houle, on the fecond reading
of the Bill, in behalf of thofe very Magiftrates;
and who. in his addrefs to the Houle on that occa-
Lion, had acknowledged that the Committee had
proceeded with a degree of lenity towards his cli-
ents, which called for their thanks and gratitude.
The Hon. and Learned Gentleman then entered
into a comparifon of the Bill. as it now flood, and
as it would have Rood with Mr. Fox's amendment,
had it been adopted, and Rrenuoully contended.
that the principle was, in every refpea, the fame,
except in refpea to its efficiency; there. indeed.
they very widely differed ; and for that reafon the
prefent Bill bad his moil hearty fupport.
Mr. Gear Paid, that inftead of combating be
arguments of his Hon. Friend (Mr. Fox), the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman who (poke laft had
thought fit to reft upon a declaration of his own
o:,inion.unfupported by matter of argument. The
' Hots. and Learned Gentleman, he raid, bad alto
referred to the circumhtance of his Hon. Friend
baring propofed an amendment, as fuppofing that

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