Star.
London, England, 1819-12-03 00:00:00

as they
having first been laid before' the Magistrates that
they were kept for such illegal purposes; and after
the seisure, it wouldbe still open for the owner- to'
come with evidence of the innozious purposes : if
their restoration should then be refused, he could
carry the matter before a higher, Court—(Heer,Aear).
Having thus dismissed the preliminary-beatings of
these measures, he would take the present .occasion
to advert-to the charge which had been thrown-out
against the Law Officers of the Crown—that all the
evils respecting the Press were owing to them. He
esainly attributed all that growth of libel which had'
taken place within the last three years to the effect
produced by the acquittal of Hone upon three libels
of a most blasphemous and. seditious character ; and
When it was known that individuals were found in the
Country who had hailed that acquittal, end that per-
Sens had been found to come forward with subscrip-
tions which had raised that man to a-state of afflu-
ence, he thought it was unjust to attribute to 'the Of-
*errs of the Crown the progress which had • been
load, in sedition since that period. It had been said
that 4 was the object of the Bill to put down all
.Meetintt. It would be seen, however, that this was.
-far from being the real character of it. Meetings
Would still be held, wider the sanction of the Lord
Lieutenant of the County, a certain number of Ma-
gistrates, or the Foreman of die Grand Jury ;
ell these should refuse their-countenance to fly
Meeting, it would be evident that its object could
not be good. Even in this caserhowever, the People
would still retain their power of meeting, as they
Might meet in their own Parishes or Townships. He
would not enter more into detail at present, its the
principle of the Bill was all that was now under die-
fission. The permanent character of the Bill had
been one of the objections made to it; but. he-would,
end the House, that the spirit it was directed'
'egoism bad been in course of progress during the
thee or four yearn.. bv spite of all she efforts
*Me had been madirto,repress it, as soon as the re.
• ' e measures yea. been taken off, it unfolded it;
self with the same bluer, the same hostile character.
• before-.(Near}.-Thy had been told to conciliate,
bpt to concede. to the Reformers would he to suc-
cumb, and to give fresh vigour to their cause, and
fresh spirits to their partisans(Haar, hear).—The
:Honourable and. Learned Gentleman concluded by
'apologizing to the. House for the length:of time he
had-detained it- but he wished to declare his-decided
approvislef the Bill in its present stage.
Mr. LYTTLBTOS hoped he should not be char-
-god with vanity when he declared that he rose with
more confidence cam the:present occasion than he had
ever done before. He. derived this. confidence' front
a conviction of 'the soundness of the ,principles of the
measures to which be was about to give his support.
He rather regretted the necessity he was under of.:
differing from those he was in the habit of co-ope-
ratios with, ilk consideration of the recent unpro-
voked attack which had been made on them by the
Noble lord ?PPeAte- Heel tbemeasure been founded
on the notoriety
.of certain facts alone, he would have
supported,4l and in doing this be was sure hesbould.
have been pwified by rune-tenths of the unbiassed
rue!), is the. country. He appealed to the House, if
P_eetings which had taken plate within the last
e:M years had nest menaced the peace and tranquil-
lity of the State, and sufficiently. proved, that those
who had been most notive.in calling them, aimed .at
nothing less thaw a Revolution? Several Meetings
had taken place since the last.prerogatiorl of:Parlia-
ment,. which. were. Clearly . of this desert.
the,hipeting Hundet .hfopr, tbea the 114-..
*Arable Member for Bishop's Cpule ha . read some,
of tho.,govUlutionsthete come top as if •to•prOvetima
they had a loyel.teadenc7sho (MT. Iftzletc*Ah"Oht
~tteotonalrlo inteotiass chow ithogi tltaj
were• framed were apparent. He bet to remind(
tht House that it was them deneteitaed;on to- call
D.Puty Ind DA•teiet Meetings,, with a view.of suiting,
41454 e, givesal el for rising :and nl-2
!iinTlktion.‘ pad,it whether It we* not -the
rtty of di* .lintisolat pot . doom • such rptereedingt
. *vet• To. the Honslet,Miter Memingsuceoeded •
this_ d neallhaPaint it which ;thatmeet eatrava,
gam •ifoolleflin4 flexes. the • eiroatevy of which
wife only olve"m4l-**9osetitstional vilhiinr :.the
,Baler of, It .1-egislaterhipAttagney 40 sit ins% that-
Omit, . &he. -persoo of. Bit. Chinks Wolseley. No
IrPFEI. were nreSfrY to 100144)14n* the. House to
prove the„dereipm.of the.Radiesils after such a pro.
oeeding.... The A4neds nod Manchester Meetings he
"ft noticed, Into the jsciceedings connected with
the latter„ ha.dienght Ministers, if they did • their,
duty, wpuld Migitutears inquiry. He entertained an
idelt that tbe Mogistratethadi acted under 'tlream
es..l
stanc of, groat provocation;. and if they bad ober.
itePPed the lawo.as be•wes inclined to think they
Inc!, it .was, ie6Ditely:bettee that this should be
pretedi. that., all -should: be . knoWn. that could be-
prbyed aping them,. rather than that thecalumnies
Will& were-now abribid ahould retrain nnrefuted in
of ,the loyal. Wtaulti any man say of the
attebeuer. Meetirtg.that it.otsght -to have:been tale..
rated?. or
,that, if it were. not• contrary to law, it
were-not. high thint that ihelaw should be altered tai
prevent, ihe recurrinica of such Meetings ? 'Severe!.
Neatiast of au alermingfesiere had since taken places
Eranube testimony. of,. several persons of undoul?wasi'
cl-iclito he understeedthe Meeting at Manchester: rok
)cave had every cinuiscpir of a rebellious assault! .bewl
fore a military, force asadeAts. appearance:
Aids*: would -have advised -the Noble Lord.to &dad
the. /mason now. before the :House. This. Would,
)iiirre.mien better than' giving the paperi which; had
been:laid . before the House, .and -then inconsistently;
'avile44f4yitletealltbsisight, refitting to convent 401
any inquiry being set On foot.that aught lead to their
veriftentioN neperti- however, an his jadgnaent.l
and

ditious writings—by a- system of intimidation bring
resorted to--by military trainings—and 'by a Ws--
tematic deterrnMation to refuse 'payment of rent'and
taxes. , That men should refuse to pay taxes, 'being'
discontented with the Government, and in doubt as
to the continuance of its authority, might be one of
the ordinary features of disaffection.; but that they'
should determine on refining to -pay their rent as
well, seemed to prove them to "hart, lost all sensed
right.- They had before them evidence which could
not be surpassed in point of respectability, on the
disturbed state of the 'West of: Scotland. Was 'it
true, that the Duke of Hamilton,. wishing to gain
signatures to a Loyal Address, and to form a Coro
foc the preservation of the peace, and the protectioti
of property, had found Aboth impossible? ,•If
were so, the fact, added .to the other Circumstances
which he had noticed, and combined with the violent
proceedings which had taken place at Paisley, justi-
fied him in maintaining, first, that i measure founded
on the principle of 'tharbefore the House, was Juni-
fied.ly the notoriety of certain 'transactions ; and,.
secondly, that much had been made out in its layout
by the Papers laid on the table, But then came the
ftiestion, whether the present laws, if vigorously en-
orced, would not be sufficient to 'repress the.evil?
He Was not of this opinion. He did not know whe-
ther the laws might notlave been equal to the task at
a former period; but now, after the course which had
been, pursued, that strong measures were necessary to
overwhelm the torrent of blaspheitly and sedition
which had assailed us, be could no more doubt, than
he could that he was at that moment addressing the
Speaker. Though-the spirit of treason was mani-
fested in -many of those Papers which had. been al-
luded to, and which it had been a 'flatter of corn-.
plaint that the Attorney-General had omitted to pro-
secute, be was of opinion -that there was' but a poor
'chance of obtaining, a conviction in Middlesei; alter
the acquittal 9f Mr. Hone. The dYfenCe then setup
was ridiculous, as it assumed, thatlecinse the Igail
rosecuted was 'seditious- as` Neli as 17,*phernous,.
its publisher mist-he innocent, ti He believed, the ac
quitted'prii.4'had founded his defenee on the miiiires
of his pi:oda:44a That acquittal had *rated
a liCesse for the.publication-of blazpbe4gy anirtied
don. In -the last year things -had taken a turn, anif
it became , doubtful-whether pr.oepcitioniAvould not
have been more successful as.it had been foundahat
JOries were ready. to do their duty, as in the caseol4ll at'
miserable-Wretch and execrable offender, tarlile. Still
he was of opinion that the old laws were. not suffi-
cient, stein they had: never contemplated Stich an
abuse of the right of petitioning, aihatnateli-beeu.
witnessed., 'He believed that it was-absolutely ne-
emery that this Bill should pass, and he made immedi-
ately efficacious. Whatever was necessary for this4pur
pose, he would readkly subscribe to: ,If; had been
contended, tilt ITU wv found to .be local, lie hoped
Ministers would exercise an unbiassed judgment bn
the questioo;- whether the- remedy ought not.to be'
local also, and confined to- the disturbed counties?
Ain Honourable Friend had' objected to the measure
under consideration being made permanent, as the
cause of 'it was said to be transient--.the prevailing
-distress. He would admit, that if the casting dis-
tress could be removed, the evil would shrink to such
a . size, that .the *resew laws might be able to Cope-
with it ; for be did- not believe that :the People
England,. bleat with the stablest and best Constimtioit
that had ever been framed fir. any Country, would f.
a moment be disposed kcreise against it, but under'
the pressure of calomity. But could the 'distress be
suddenly removed? Thia was itot to be hoped, and
be therefore thonght, instead of passing the Bill as a.
Seed one; it might be berth' that it should be made
local, and being made local, it wiaild, in fact, be
temporary. He agreed. 'with the greater part of
what hid barn said against Coercion,. and could only
approve of coercive measures for the prevention and`
punishment of crimes, which in no oth'a iray- could
be put dawn. -He agreed with those witb favoured
conciliation, so far as to wish to see that sort of -con-
ciliation which was never to be discovered 'the
measures-of his 'Majesty's Givernment(Hear, hear,
hem-).. He wished to conciliate the People by a syt-
tem of -real economy—(Hear, heir, hear), But Mi-
nisters, he believed, had putthe word Conciliation mit
of their vocabulary altogether. ACcording to them,
the People. were always wrong, and were nevet to be
,00nciliated. From the course they were in the habit
of pursuing, the measures now about tole placed in
their hands would lose much of their effect. He
wished to see them adopt a system, of conciliation,
instead of that of aggravation, on which thei had
.hitherto acted. Parliantentary Reform was much
'caned lot. inquiry on this subject, some thought;
would produce an effect the 'opposite of toncilAtion:
This was not his opinion. Hs, hid thought, of
uniting, on the present Occasion, to pot down-the
bellious spirit now in the COuntry,lhat they anight.,i
without losing sight of thetr dignity, safely proceed
to an inquiry, the result of which would perhaps de-
away some of those abuies which at present weakened
and defaced the Leeid4ion and Administration of
the. Country, Acting an their present: 'ystein, the
new measures 'would ble-more -abortive in-the hands
of Mihiiten than.in any other haride When he.said
this, h.e.or no means wished alai those'witlrathom
be was in the legit. acting should -be called to
office. He shouldle sorry for this,'Witirere to hap-
:On, fts, the Noble' toed, now. so high' in public esti.
:nation, would lose his.iiifittence with! the People, 'if
prOmated_byltis Softieigra Ant he belieite& what
they (Oa Mi%igs) could accomplish in office (allow-in,.
'the weakness human nature)--(4 .Taasih )--
weed net be-of such limilortance-to the Cannery us
to jostle" itr wishing for athante.- Still liesicaild
widtKdn oltarathin to tate -place. Authority in' the
hendi orthelliesle Lord it the:Reid' -iof. the •.Hottut
DeliOntorits

Ir. MACDONALD said, had the measures p
d not been as inflamed as the speech of an H.
Learned Gentleman, who, travelling from
(to Glasgow, could discover rothing but trea.
sedition in the face of every man he met by
, he shculd have been glad to come to a vote
propositionfor seizing annsotnd prtneeeingit
wining, without reference to.the conftdence
in the habit of reposing in the present acrienim.
'and of gtving a vote at once reconcileable with
,protection which the peaceable population of
.were called the disturbed diitricts had a right
claim, and with the permanent interests of the c
try and:Cor.stitution. He, howeier, could not
prove ofThe course intended to be pursued, as, '
the failure of all the coercive measures which
been resorted to, it was now thought necessary
have recourse to further violence. It was come
'this, that a tax must be imposed on the Press tome
sir expense created by maintaining 12,000 additiot
troops in the bosom of the country. Hand in hat
with this measure came another, to put down Me,
Isigs which the Law Officers of the Crown, al
Other Legal Authorities, were of opinion were
ready illegal. The measure in question went
diminish that right, without which no House
Commons 'could have been sitting there, the rich,
petitioning, which was to be almost confined with
the limits of a Parish Vestry. Before such a chin
received their sanction, the Hcuse ought to per;
and reflect on what the past measures of a Gov
menu had been, which had thus made the 2;16

system of our laws, (in the opinion of Nlinistersji
applicable to the situation of the country. One Nei
Lord, on the opposite side, in a speech which hl
'done him great honour, had admitted the disaireciic
caging in the country grew out of its distress. Aa
they Noble Lord, in bringing forwal d the new me
sures, had taken a view, not only of what had tr.ni

itatl
Dant!

rbole
Mr.

Mr.
()gel
roce
oui

pined in this country, but also of what had passed.
others. If he were to indulge the Noble Lord
followingdsim through this view. he. should sAv, th
l!e could see nothing but an over-laying of i!;e sub
pets of other countries with standing armies dispel
i portioned to their population, but still. m.ste to the
means, to establish a eotirt of Inquisition again
their liberties at *Mentz. The conduct of the Nobl
Lord seemed. 40 corroborate .the report Alias le;
abroad...that these measures were adopted with we
a view, itr concert:with- we foreien.Peit •ntate; ba
this'ruenbUr, he had no denbt; was 2.3 AC.
tinnily. as toulifbe uttered. • Inquiry - in:o•-• the la
antseeedings..teat actually peeessary,' and he was n
'eked that Lone it-ad-been called for by his Nobl
Prienet„ the Masher for Northampton ; and he cool
believe that the-House, in rejecting
meant .tocontentitself with the brief, coilat.d an
compiled-by the Secretary of State birose.f, again
whoop the very situation of a country tirnisbedi
ps..inea facieground of icctisation. The theory d
himself tied friends was this,' that' the' ause of is
esistrng disaffection was distress. The theory on
opeposite side of. the House was, that the. distress
'cidentit and that the disturbances
.generally
.ceedetlfrom an abstract, love of political discussi
His-theory, and that ~of his friends, was borate
•bX -the eyidtence of die Magistrates,in the distu
districts; and by,nutsetoni-other Circumstances.
pOsi.te theory N v4s borne out by nothing. Corrciln
might still be persevered in, but it would fail. He
would conciliate the People by paring down the v.. 11).
lic•expenditure to' the lAA farthing, and by yield al
to them all that could be conceded, with Llue tegird
to the safety of the State. Doing this, nothing ‘,..10,
ba. lost by failure ; every.thing..might be „al lae! bi
success. LoOking at the danger to which thee inert
sures • were directed, he.described the malcontents to
be destitute of means.. ...Their military chest, wti
load been carried off, contained but £4. l; s. lid. and
?they. hal no hope, zno.prospect, of foreign supper;
and little chance
.or meeting with any counten.u,:e
(rum theresPectakl le:-
.part
part of the c,
• Me. tilea4UXeS late .I he isresent, it appcateu•lo
bins, were not necessary., 'he existing laws, vir
toady auctiudiciously enforced, would have ;.roved
sufficient to.repress the evil; but by some stmle*
talky, wherever there had been pro ecutions, Jaffe
had teen persecution—where Ministers might bait
made .an example they made a victim—and wave
they ;lasi.= opportunity of exposing a knave, ti
exhibited a hero ; and by such a course of condo.
having brought.the ancient.liws of
.the countxylio
contempt, they now come to Parliament for new ones
Itlhad lately been, seen, that instead of any obstto
tion being thrown in the way of justice, the jorin
were most ready to do their duty. No country could
Prosper; social psdar could nowhere flourish, beta
the basis of the Christian Religion. He did not think
that in England such infamous trash as had lately
issued from the Press, was relished by the People;
large. Xhe alliance of Hunt and Carlile, of the chief
of the demagogues* and the chief of .the infidels, had
alone more towards opening the eyes of the Peophe
than had been done by all the Acts of that House.
He (Afr.Ylacdonalci) charged the Government--ande
as GOD was his judge, it was without
.either etwl
malice—with having exasperated the People, w.he°
.they-might.'have soothed them, and with having,
y their misconduct, aggravated evils which they
tight grave lessened lytti- .Hear).—With
these
.feelings,.. he could not consent to put more
soldiers at the dispo§al, of (;overnment, or to give
new measures of restriction and coercion. He called
upon the House to pause before they did this; and
he, called. upon them, in the_ conviction that the
plans now resorted to would not prodnce-the desired
effect., If -.42,000 additional soldlers. were gives
now,: 24,Qp0 wetqld shortly be wanted, apd the all'
serable remains.of the right of P:etitioning about t*
be left to mercy of. Churchwardenso6:tild ea-
pihilated. • Would such proceedings make the So-
wereign, happy, and.the People content ? No; sus-
picions and ill-will would be
-constantly rising be..
tween them, and the generous fieelings which once
united them would. be• no more;
- ipsa Montle torrent. .
." lade duazum r
Then might the Prince say to his Ministers--" y
robbed me of My Peoples affection?—why
) them indifferent about my weltai•e, or
Restore me the lost energy
of my People!
were sometimes.clamoreus--sometimes
• always Englishmen-I :Restore awl; to
y erred and I care not for their trail
! Tell me not of their disaffection
shores of my Kingdom were menaced, did

7 the
sed
Mr

12,
tai

, .
.
purer vft Vo. 'Ml.br . .
not be afforded liair.4rigdio,xollilitO. -.1:44
~ rts,the2esulilW°—. 4.1.03120111161112 Askuthstat, 14tivere not
aacillracsd, „ipettorrntatanisa"fit fistwMr'
wttfigia% e ..- jibsed
was- in dseir
`Courts. !Id istrates weav to ave.., pourer semr , ment ;an t,it ey had seenit; anti L
.
ing arms wh h were kopt flr. pqijoilios :inconsistent, ,spixit of disaffection manifestill in , the -asiassinatio ,itbritt(
with the- lic safgty. .In granting these powers, eirchAhe constable,..thedeclaration of thestato• *rid SI
however, -ate was no just apprehension that the caster 'Grand Jury announced the exisienCe rtla.cron- -oily,
liberty of the subject -Amid be esscroached upon, spiracy-against thrOorMumeat and private property.. it pmi
as they could not be
_exercised without evidence 'This was markedly theeatansive circulation of se- trainil
i....• A:•:aasa ilaw:•;aree—i• la a ovse•.••• ea' :rkgrn:ei.get. kainev in the

_____ , _,„"„ .....,_, , ---,-,- , .." .......... ......... am ..... aa.csas afa sum' A auTir ,- --- -0-0-' - ;
~ went, to larsivothai a fatal arid measly, conspiracy. i Depaatment, httt 'provokeltonswanpt 'and dm. nave f u robbed
I, had been., (calmed, They, had .tho.'tiathaanror thl, .eomatit,lirceiLthe 3114e/init. seventy with which they haveyou made 1
1 Mancilestlagagivt4tr—.-tho declar#ol,4 the Ma., .kVieklt *dog beta*. He 4:m1(14w-tint wish-that theit°"?—"Re
i istra, 4,t ~4hl , . 1.1"-glis faiipkin .Whipfi. that NoWirlasrlSiditoltthails as te.yespekted• (t „, .
_isartS they w
1 tAunkb sCNIWAs . • Wit eipealY taught, him in peivatalifirriieioieriobid fisals-Officii:ondlii,
_tull4ne"F. ,_ —"bil,t '
I had. beeitimaatiosside itas .fisokollfomeaalseive*asimation filled—not by,one of those sirlivwere aoso 'ow WORAkulif,
'fled: There was a letter from the Earl of Derby, considered the Advocates of the People, but by one pdrary excesses
speaking of the arming of the People ; added to this of his own party. Whea the shore: