Star.
London, England, 1819-12-18 00:00:00

sally- tate(' at the instance °L.-those Autherities.'
Another objection had been thrown out against the
clause whichlrave Wan Juitice the power of dip-
persing a Meeting. 'nut that provision was only ap-
plicable to those Meetings of Which it was necessary
that notice should bettevicasly given ; and even in
that case, the Justice was first to seize any person
holding sedltluttelmentgcstedihould there be any.

_.
resistance mbile,- 'he ;raiettpowered to consider the
Meeting ai a riotous and unlawful Meeting. ":There,
was certainly in all this no great innovation on the'
law of *eland; -fix if the Bill never passed, a Jus-
tice of Peate wdbld still be obliged to seize upon a
person setho helda
recse
seditiousiangitas
be bras emposaretedto
agre.itndincase- of
resistance, to
act by this ,express Bill. An objection had been
urged by the Noble Lord who spoke last, that the
necessity of this Bill was not.proveckty sufficient evi-
dence. He was perfectly astonished at this assertion,
because it frispfied that the NObleLord supposed that
the necessity of this measure was-only sustained by',
the assertions of some, as by the documents on the
table. Now, had there never been an assertion made,
had there not been a 'single document laid upon the
tabie.asto the state of the country, he would say that
it required only ears to hear, and eyes to see, in order
to acknowledge the necessity of this Bill. Was not
the disaffection as notorious as it could be? In fact,
it would be absurd to attempt to prove it. But the
motive for abridging the rights of the subject, in
every case as well as in this, was a desire to secure
the general safety. Every loyal man in the country
bad as much right to feel safe as to be safe. It was
unaccountable, indeed, that those who professed hos-
allity to a military despotism, should oppose a mea-
'sure which was to have the effect of dispensing with
the military power, upon occasions when it was uni-
aersally allbwed• that the military might be wanted
to interfere. The Noble Lord nest adverted to the
state of the population, and shewed the extraordinary
increase it had undergone in the manufacturing dis-
tricts since the year 1750. The whole of this dense
population'clenended for sustenance on the product
of manufactures, the sale of which-was so much af-
fected by the vicissitudes of taste and fashion. Be-
fore machinery was carried to its present extent, an
order for goods from abroad might often set a num-
ber of workmen going for six months; whereas the
same order, in the present state of machinery, did
not take more that; six days to be complied with.
The causes of distress were thus very often of an ir-i
remediable nature. But both the Government and I
the Legiilature were accused of an insensibility to,
the state of the Country, and that they were ancosi
rather to abridge the liberties of the subject, without,
removing any part'of what was called 4. useless" ex.'
pancliture. This sort of general abuse, uufounded as'
it was, assumed a very serious aspect, when it Was
remembered, that one of the most desperate leaders
of the popular party -in this country endeavoured to
I prepare the people for rebellion, by first telling them
that one set of the Members of the Legislature was
as bad as the other, and that nothing could be done
"Without -the-l People. This language was held in the
'latter end of • Apiil, and in the beginning-of June
• Parliament wm.treated With the utmost disrespect by
a mob. In a •fesv days after this, the Metropolis
was ins a flame. -}fstd• preventive measures beeo
previously adopted, theSe calamities would have been
avoided. 'But the present Bill, while it left untouched
the right and the power of the people to express their
sentiments at Meetings, presided against the intru-
de; of these itinerant Orators who went about the
countryseeking a despicab4 notoriety. It even went
fatihtir i it secured. the opportunity not only of exer-
cising a tight, but of getting rid-of those ebullitions
of popu'l'ar seritirnent,avhich, if compressed and kept
'under ground, might ultimately burit forth like an
earthquake and destroy the country. With regard
.to the proposition for exempting Ireland from the
operation of the Bill, he should oppose it. He would
bear his willing testimony to the excellent conduct of
the population of that country. The manner is which
they had 'berm the-greatest sufferings, theirpatience
and tranquillity. did them the highest -credit, and
aright to be.remeinheresd. to their benefit2—(ifsar).—
-nut were they ndtto be shielded 2- The same objter
atm:Which Applicd4O-Ireland was equally good with
regard .tin-,-Gifirstwaili :or any Other Englith County
vhere theri was no d'
net. But-every. one saw
theimpoliil'Of ezazrixsa
any.portion :of the King-
dont, as ivy/build al (theatre to the designs of
the diiaffeehid.. Me pritied the House, then, to pass
the Bill on behalf of the loyal part of the country—
on behalf of those men who were the objects of the
Bill itself. They should -be*dererted from continuing
then. misChievous Coursesky coercion, and.allOwed
time .to be reclaimed. - Unless some such measures
were adopted, there wasim alternative but the use of
the Military force; and he could 'assure-the Ho
most solemnly, that Government was as slow to the
use of that force as ,the -loudest of their adversaries.
A military despotism had been greatly deeded t but
he would ask, was it worse than the despotism of
the mob ? He was sure Noble Lords in that House
would view the preponderance of an irregular popu-
lace with due alarm, and -enable his Majesty's Go-
vernment to Support the law,- which alone would be
A sufficient iet brity igainstevery encroachment. A
state of.terror was as bad as revelotion---as. the gates
of bell-were as bad as hell 3mA It was upon these
considerations that he wouli 'again urge ;upon the
Henze the necessity of strengthening 'the arm of the
law, which -windcl effectually prßtect the freidom of
the country more-than any other measure whatever.
(Mori hear, hear).
gad GROSVENOR rose for the pilmose of no.
ticing a few pf the. arguments of the -Noble Lord
who bad just sat down; and first he would say, if
the doctrine held good that it was only by strength-
ening the trin of Government that the - discontents
of the country were. to le removed, reform that
povernment itself
st in *the raistiastance--( Mar, hoer,
..),--The Noble Earl had • said, thee the applica-
lion of severe measures•wes a favour conferred even
cio the disaffected theinselies z' but hi Was at a loss
Of see the favour. intended, unless' it. Vreii.by trans-
ahellaiestiatany Bay-- .He was elks at a loss
' . :Ike tilt of' the argument, that the mea-•
yes= Wore leceived, from the-sweeping majori-
. .upn Aloes. in thief other, Houle. This, he con-
iteade4 was no criterion at all,. fur in the short space
• • six Months; *the.same Ibessures might .be reversed
by maJoEities quite as large. He else contended that
eoetcke.rneasures,w4re..pet the jiett.wil to quiet
Artscontreito fix-that. it insimosid.usAls same iriot ai

••-•

~:
saw