Star.
London, England, 1819-12-22 00:00:00


MMr.!.`.'

/ .~r I
`!

rt ,I 11: ' i

i• •
I

.1 1
E
p

,*

=•f,
1
. :
,

: 7

,

~~~~~

.1,

moved that the Bill be read a second time on the
13th of 171bru.ir amt.
Colonel DAVIES was surprised that Ministers
would buffer such important measures to be passed
night after night, without their saying the least syl-
lable in defence of them. 'lhey attempted no reply
t? the unanswerable arguments brought forward
every night on his side of the House—(Hear, hear/
and &stele. r)—lf they'passed this Bill, they would
only add to the discontented state of . the country.—
Ile did not nizati to say more on this subject, except',
that it was astonishing that none of the leg.al Gentle- ,
men opposite did not give some explanation of the
• necessity of this meast:re, if they could shew any rea-
son for its necessity. - I
Mr. MONEY expressed a hope that this would
not be the last measure adopted to stem the tide of
. blasphemy, which, it was admitted on all. sides, was'
overflowing the land. He believed it would be ad-
mitted that. Schools were opened for teaching blas-
phemy and irreligion, as the•elements of their educa-
tion—(Cries of read, read o—He should not read,
but be was convinced dm; some check should be put
to the publication of Sunday Newspapers, as one of
the grossest violations of the Sabbath, which should
be devoted to religious worship. They had an op-
rortuoity of concentrating all the poison of the week,
act dispensing it out in one total dose. Surely the
sale of Newspapers, as well as every other trade,
might be put a stop to on one 4,414440 of the seven.
di%
Ile hoped that the suppression of ' • Papers would
occupy the attention of his Misjgot?S'.. nisters.
hlr. W. SMITH trusted, that those o knew him
be,t would not charge him with blasphemy-or irreli-
gion, as part of his offences: and, if arty proof had
been s:!tisfactorily made out of these blasphemous
and seditious schools having been established, he (Mr.
Smith) would have almost gone any length to have
put a stop to them. He had heard of those things
from a friend ; but that friend had heard them from
A person of no veracity; and even he had his in-
formation from another, who had no knowledge of
these-facts himself. If men did instil such doctrines
into the tender minds of children, he knew scarcely
any punishment too severe for them ; but in the exist-
ence of such matters he was a total if.fidel. He ad-
verted to Carlile's defence resting on his (Mr. Smith's)
Bill ; and he said, that a more untounded defence
could not be ; for the Reverend Person at the head
of the Church of England and himself were agreed,
that the laws, as they affected blasphemy, were not
to be touched by that Bill at all. At the same time,
he thought that Christianity required no support
from the law.

Mr. MONEY said, the Papers on the table shewed
that such schools existed in Cheshire.
Mr. W. SMITH considered the Papers as doubtful
evidence.
Mr. J. P. Gil ANT complained of the way in which
Ministers had been silent, on a measure so materially
altering tlie law of the land as this was.
Mr. TIERNEY wished the Noble Lord would

pause before passing this measure, previous to the
Christmas recess. He said this, in the sincerity of
Lis wish to have time for deliberation. He never
knew an instance of a measure of this kind being
brought from one House of Parliament to another,
without some explanation being given, as to the na-
ture of the measure. He implored Gentlemen, not
attached to every thing which came from the Trea-
sury Bench, to pause, before they admitted a mea-
sure of this kind to pass without consideration.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that it would have
been proper to oppose this measure when it came from
the other House, had he not so fully explained its
object when he opened the whole measure to Parlia-
ment. This was a Bill of great importance, but not
one of great detail ; and after what he had said on
the measure, he had exfected that a display would
be made of objections to the Bill ; and then he would
undertake that they should be answered ; but he saw
no reason why they were to combat the air. He
thought the House would do ill to separate for the
holidays without adopting some measure to preserve
the religion and morals of the country. He protested
against this system of abusing. Ministers for not
making speeches, when no objections were offered to
t'.eir measures.
Sir J. MACKINTOSH entered the House with an
-expectation that those who proposed an innovation in
the Constitution, and new penal laws on a free
?ress, would have shewn some grounds for that in-
novation, and he hoped it would be remembered that
it was.in the Administration of the Noble Lord, and
by himself, that this new restriction on the free Press
of this country had been proposed to Parliament—.
The Noble Lord had shewn no grouud for this new
measure ; for, to say that the inefficiency of the pre-
sent laws had produced an increase of blasphemy, was
an argument absolutely untenable. He should, there-
fore, vote for the adjournment, proposed by his
Noble Friend.
. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL denied that his
Majesty's Ministers had neglected the measures for
restraining the Press; but, on the contrary, in the
opening of them, they had insisted on them as mea-
sures of the utmost importance, and. requiring the
greatest deliberation. He admitted that the truth of
the Christian Religion, wanted not the support of the
Civil Power -to establish its excellence; but would

any man say that it was not necessary to pu-
nish men for disseminating poison and blasphemous
libels, to deter others from such publications? He
would venturelo say, if he did incur the diipleasure
of the Member for Shrewsbury (Bennet), that it was
most dangerous to suffer such publications, whatever
the intention originally might be. Yet was Mr. Hone
acquitted ; and held up to the Public as a man worthy
of remuneration, and to be considered as g martyr to
persecution, instead of a man to be blamed for his
toast mischievous publications. No number of in-'
formations or indictments would equal the amount of
the mischief produced by the vendors of those cheap
and abominable woiksb published by Carlile and
others. 'Now the end and object of this present mea-i
sure, was to deter such offenders in future. What-
ever Amendments might be made in the Committee,
wr.l sure the House would see the necessity of
agreeing to the principle that the Press required its
licentiousness to be prevented rather than punished.
Sir J. MACKINTOSH explained. Me thought
he bad distinguished between prevention by penal
punishment and prevention by terror.
The Marquis-of TAVISTOCK said, be would not
some allusions had

• havlencri::ragtu si ulataeain'• iLsur-ir as
•
•