Star.
London, England, 1818-02-20 00:00:00

being neetignme,l to ad4ress the Court. The buitieu WU then
amicably terminated.

BILL OF INDEMNITY.
Mr. WAITHhIAN rose to submit a motion on this
most important subject to the Court, stating his at-
tention not to delay them long. It was obvious that
without the protection of the liberty of the subject,.
life itself was not safe; for if a Government usurped
the power of imprisoning whenever they chose, with-
out giving the accused the benefit of trial by Jury,
there was no saying where such tyranny would end
—( Hear, hear). 14ence this great principle of pro-
tecting liberty had at an early period been recognised
by our ancestors, being declared both in Magna
Charta and the Petition of Rights, for it was well
known that the Habeas Corpus Act gave no new
rights to the people. At the same time, it was strik-
ing to observe the time in which thit celebrated Act
took place. It was in the tyrannical reign of Charles
the Second—a reign in which the blood of our pest
and noblest Patriots had been shed, among whom
the names of Russell and Sidney ranked high—
(hear, hear). At that time plots were commonly
hatched to deprive the subject of freedom ; the pri-
sons were-crowded with the victims of tyranny, and
judgments were passed which were afterwards re-
versed at the glorious era of the Revolution. But
the Members of the Legislature sheaved a most dig-
nified spirit then, declaring by their conduct that
they were assembled, not for mere purposes of taxa- ,
tion and money levying, but for protecting the people.
They therefore enacted.this most valuable law, consi-
4ering that the liberty of the subject constituted the
glory of the country. Now a different line of conduct
was adopted, for whenever the Minister felt the people
troublesome with their complaints, or his own power
beginning to shake, he came down to the House, de-
scribed in alarming terms the disaffection of the coun
try, and selected a Committee, consisting of himself, his
colleagues, creatures and pensioners, to report to the
House. Even when the Pretender was alive, and actual
rebellion existed in the council,: it was thought a bold
act to suspend the Habeas:Corpus, but now when
rebellion had ceased, whoa the alarms of war had
subsided, secret plot* were formed by execrable
Wretches, hired anfliaid by Ministers, to put a stop
to the cornp4iDis• of the People, to fake advantage
of the existing distresses, to work on the irritated
publiOseling, and, for the accomplishment of these
diahtilc-al ends, to describe themselves as acting under ,
Ihe direction of persons of the first character in the
country—(hear' heir, hear.) Such outrages, such
total disregard of every thing sacred, made one blush
for the country we lived in, and to doubt whether
we had actually good and salutary laws. So refined
had Ministers become in iniquity, that a bare sus-
picion of any individual made him their victim, and
led them to suspend the Act whenever they pleased ;
and it-was singular to observe, that while at one mo-
ment we were told of the prosperity, happiness, and
loyalty of theconntry, we were the next moment in-
formed, that though the general body was sound,
yet a spirit of disaffection prevailed, which nothing
but the Suspension Act could remove. For the last
twenty years, affairs had been said to be well con-
ducted; yet, was it not obvious that our workhouses
were filled to excess, and an increased number of pri-
sons found inadequate to contain. the delinquents ?
Misters felt the country wee &wadies& with their psalm;
and they had the daring presumption to describe WI as high
disaffection to the Constitution! He was welawase that the
narration °iamb fame was painful to some, and :laughed at by
mheriaisut. he-esseiMmea-thefselinge et him who could .thue
laugh at his country's woe.—(tea:, *ear.) Repeatedly had the
friends of reform been branded with the name. of Jacobite; but
could the Court fail to observe in what manna the people now
so grossly insulted, were cajoled, whets the cosign teemed tom
in danger from invasion? and were the country again to be tltr
tened, he had no doubt arms would be put into the wry handsof
those who were now called traitors. It was the eternal disgrace
of this country that such a system of Spies had been saucticemsk.
Good Goo! Had England now come to this, that her jails were
crowded with persons drawn into the mare, by the' esacrible
creatures paid by Ministers ; that them unfortunate victims of
tyranny were sent exposed from city to city, and village to vil-
lage then immured in unkesitzeisEal,de dungeons, their
characters blasted, their property their children sent
to the workhouse, and perhaps with bro hearts to the grave,
while themselves were Ironed, and when they complained, were
refused all redress, because one of their characters was perhaps
too good, and another too bad—(laud and repeated opplanses)?—
Was it possible to look at the manner in which the prisoners in
Scotland had been treated, and one man tampered with, and
yet not feel indignation at seeing all investigation refused ? The
worthy Member then alluded to the prosecutions of Hone, and
observed, that the Jury could scarcely restrain their laughter at
the farce carried on under the mask of protecting religion. A
late Attorney-General, well known to be a man of ddicate nerves
(d letup, 1)--had been so shocked at the Parodies, that be could
not find strength to read them ; and yet hie successor bad taken
care to give them every publicity. On the whole, it was di►
gusting to human nature, it was insulting to the character of
Englishmen, to see the detestable system of espionage and ty-
ranny now introduced into this once free ltd happy, but now
degraded country ; and be therefore should conclude with read-
ing a Resolution (see Advertisement in our first page) which,
he had no doubt, would meet with the support of the Court, as
they had formerly expressed their opinion of the Suspension
Act—(Hear, hear, bear.)
Mr. Fawns seconded the motion, considering he was bound
to do so from a regard to consistency of character. After the
very able manner in which the cau.e had been advocated by his
worthy friend, it was not necessary for him to say more than
r xpress his decided conviction of the motion meeting the "Prot
of the Court.
The motion being then read, and no reply made, it wall car-
ried by a great rn ijority, only a few individuals opposing it.

THE EVENING STAR.