Star.
London, England, 1820-11-10 00:00:00

THE QUEEN.

This day will decide, whether the morals of the
Country are to be farther debased, the Laws and
Constitution of England farther. insulted, and the
Empire farther degraded, by an obstinite perse-
verance on the part of his MAJESTY'S Ministers to
force upon the kingdom a Bill fraught with so many
evils as that which has so long agitated the public
mind? Whether the rights and liberties of Britons
are to be subverted by ex post facto laws? Whither
it is to be held equitable, that the penal enactments
of a Bill, charged with being founded on conspiracy,
shall be inflicted before the troth of the alleged con-
spiracy shall even be inquired into? Whether, on
the pretext of following the rules of evidence in the
Courts below, the reception of all evidence calculated
to prove the subornation and purchase of evidence,
shall, in a proceeding quite anomalous, be held best.
fitted to secure justice, or to ruin innocence, in de-
' fiance of the laws of the kingdom, and of the whole
spirit of English jurisprudence?
Our hope is, that the Bill will this day be rejected-
on the motion for-the third reading. Indeed we
would be confident of this issue, did we not now con-
sider the struggle to be, whether the folly and wicked-
ness of the vile proceedings with which the country
—nay, the world—has been so long cursed, shall
be visited on our oppressed, insulted, persecuted, in-
nocent QUEEN, or upon her malignant enemies ?
But this being now the real question, the prosecutors
will move every engine to save themselves, no mat-
ter at what expense. They may talk of their love of
justice !—of their impartiality !—andeven appeal to
the Searcher of hearts for the honesty of their declara-
tions; but will this convince any person of common"
understanding that they can give an impartial vote,
when a vote of acquittal to the accused would jn-
volve their own condemnation? Let it even be as-
sumed that Lord LIVERPOOL is superior to the infir-
mities of human nature, and that all the Cabinet Minis-

ters who sung the precisely same song were equally
sincere, how did it happen, that, in a House nearly
equally divided, nine Cabinet Ministers were all on
one side, and that side the one on which their in-
terest lay ?

But we need not dwell on a measure which a few
hours will now decide. Should3he Bill pass, which
in its present form is one of Divorce as well as of
Pains and Penalties, the country has but ,one•mean
left to ward off its Pandora curses. The hos4ii.bag
of plagues must not be emptied upon the empire.
We have oftener than once pointed oat the-means to
prevent this—namely, respectful, but strong and
firm Petitions to the Throne and to the House of
Commons, praying that this abominable Bill, charged
with being conceived by conspiracy, nurtured by un-
principled spies and informers, and brought forth by
perjury and subornation of false witnesses, may not
pass into a law, till the truth or falsehood of these
charges shall first have jeers inquired into. The'City
'ilf London is already taking measures of this nature:.
/Pak LORD SfAyOR bewailed a Cpurt of Commontoun-
Al for Monday net, to consider a Petition to the House
elf QMinnions against entertaining the Bill of Pains
asa' Penalties, should it pass the Lords. - This will be
followed by Petitions from the different Corporations;.
and it is IMCICIAPS.CI. 14.4 a. Sorge 44.* c°V*ties. and