The Statesman.
London, England, 1819-12-14 00:00:00

TilE STATESMAN

try. But when he fourd that a very different press had necessary to bring in the aid of military torte. Without
grown up in the conowy, he could not help expressing pledging himself no support all the clauses of the Bill,
the alarm lie felt at this dangerous innovation. It was he felt himself bound to concur entirely in its principle.
necessary that there 'distal' be legal restraints, and a The word "liberty" had been very flippantly sod in
harmonious law essoblishril for all thew who were Inca- that debate He should beg to call the attention of the
ble of cempreheedleg the principles on which laws were lions, to what mac oderstood by 3;r. Burke to be the
generally;•tonuded; lied if was necessary that these tree meaning of thr4 word. - Preserve," sail he, in his
should be qcieev subonittyl to; and that the lower first address fads Electors of Bristol, in the year 1174.
clones should tot be taintht to hold them in contempt. " pteserw roe liberty inviolate; to do so is the pro-
Botaelientlvnen, ire set. wad said—" Let us come bark perry of every Member of Parliament." He then ex-
to the good old times of our ancestors." Now, if he planted what that liberty was. " But it is that liberty
knew any thing of hiitcry, he would venture to say therei which is connected with honour and with virtue; and it
aserser-were such growl obi times as those alluded tn.—, is nut only reinnected with them, but it canoe nisi
(Hear, hear.)—With -egard to the 'season. dem beforel without th..:n." The necessity of coneill'ation had been
the House, tie wialtealso koner how it interfered with the I greatly itts:rted on by I Hon. Members; hut be
rights of any of the subjects of this realm% 'they all 1 hogged to know, how was a conciliatory system incom-
had a right to the free expression of their opinions, anti : psitible with the present tneaseres? Put he Wi.,itlit
Le would appeal, to the cotumon sense of all who heard' 17 rge on the Molise, that the t!elty of Par:iantent, i.. ,: e
-him, if, for the purposes of free discussion, this Art present crisis, was a duty of erotecti.m. They owed
would not remedy the abases which already rendered I protection to all the loyal, peaceshn industrious, and
free discussion impracticable. He saw no thaws what- utt:epining orders in the country. They owed it even
ever for exempting Ireand from the operation of the B. to the misguided authors themselves of all the distur-
as there were tie freesia,' there but in houses, and he bunco. Lastly, they owed it to themselves to see that
was sure the Catbo:.es of that country would have no the Constitailon should not perish.—(.'beer):) - •
objection to the measles, so long as tlity bad a confident The question was then loudly called for, and an Hon. I
hope that the English people could soon give them a Member apptar:ng anxious to speak, the cry of with-
&bare of their liliert:e3.—(Mr. P. sat down amidst thud draw was repeated from the House several times. ILe
cheers.) ' Gallery was nearly cleared, when !Ir. Scarlett was ois-
Lord MILTON said, that the argument of his Right served to rise for the purpose of addressing the lionse.
Hon. Friend, about the danger of a little ksowledge, The Messeoger, however, persisted it forcing strangers
might have been equally opposed to Luther Red Calvin from the Gallery anJ closing the doors.
and their followers, woes they attempted to bring about Mr. SCA KLETT rose, and said that he 'odd very
a reformation in religion • and how be asked estre.peo- willingly admit, that the power of holdiog,. in futures'
pl. to :,ecome enlighteseil if they did not first ranee a such meetings as those against whirl the Bill professed
tittle koowle.%,e ? The Parliament had now bestialities' to slut, ought to he taken awe'. Whet he found fasli.
three weeks, and not a word was said about the increase with nil*. that It went for;L:r than even its p! opuses,
of the army, by adding 11,0110 men to the regular foree;.: intruded. !IA tbii Bill ceefi...ed itself to the dispersing'
a nteaswe which be believed was contrary to the law of Borough meetings or assemblies of persons in large
and constitution of the country. The present Bill was manufacturing towns, he would be the last to resist it.
a most alarming attack on the liberties of the plapic; But üby direct. it iteainst the respectable popuJoth
the first time such an attempt was made, was is 17Z, comedy Ineetillge Glilistlititisirlally convened, those Meet.
when the Sovenign was insulted on his way to the info that in the eye of our law have been always held to
House of Parliament, and when various societiesin Eng- be so respectable' There seemed, however, to prevail
laud and Scotland sere plotting the overthrow of the a good deal of panic and alarm amongst gentlemen on
Constitution. The House might depend upon it, that this subject; and what was not a little remarkable, more
very considerable alterations anti corrections toust be amongst those who were most remote from the scene of
made in the Bill, before it was rendered palatable to the the disorders. But these Irish Grade:nen, forsooth!
country. He would not impute to the Governmect a are anxious to save the remaining liberties of this coon-'
direct project fur the establisnment of arbitrary tiovern- try. How did they propose to do it? Was it by putting
w anent in this country, but he would fearlessly say, that it in the power of a single Magistrate, who at best was
the Bill before the House absolutely destroyed every to more than a man, to disperse a meeting convened'
means of re s ' • g the growth of arbitrary power. under the authority of the High Sheriff, and in every
Mr. ROBINSON said, that no man was more slow respect constitutional? Now to see how far this power
than himself to see danger in the ebullition of popular would look, by the test of applicability, to practice.
feeling. But when he looked to the state of the coon- Here was a Mr.gistrate (with great respect for that body)
try, when he inquired into the grounds for apprehending fell of prejudices and politics of his own. A meeting
the progress of a mischievous spirit in it, he felt that it is about to be convened, which happens not to splice in
was impossible to resist the belief that we were seriously exactly iv;tla his notion of things. Au easy course is
threatened with danger. Vs bat, he would ask, was the open to hin.—he needs only go, eretenti there is seine
danger which threatened the country now? That dew ow there who might not to he there, proclaim it an Un-
ger presented itself in the avowals of the parties them- lawful assembly, wed subject every one user and above
selves against whom the Bill was pointed. He would twelve persons, who rentpin after the preclatueion, to
refer, for instance, to the Meeting at Birmingham, transportation for seven veers.—(ilear, bear'.)-Was
a hire the most audacious attack that the must as- this tlie doctrine the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Plun-
dacions Reformer coald invent against the majesty kett) wool,' coutend for: Hs chservA, however, that
of the (*ono' tution had taken place.—(Hear, hear 1) their was an exception in favour of merings in rooms.
He would call the attention of the House to the meeting A wits provision, fonueth! He conteni:ed, :ha if there
at Ilunglet Moor, the Resolutions of which were in sub- was really any danger at al, it was better suppressing
stance the saute as those agreed to previously at Binning- the right to •neet allogether, than, by coofiniugit to oar-
! ham. The Aleetieg at Manchester had been often al. row bands, make the force of it s-v.)neer.--(tlear'.)
holed to, and great stress had been laid on the circuit', There was another cans_ to which he begged the igen-
stance that the first intention to hold a meeting iu that lion of the House, that was the clause prohibiting meet-
town had been abaudoued. lint why was it ahaedoned i• ings for the pervie of discussing any thing connected
The :ndividtial himself who was this prime mover in all with trade, n:anufacteres, or profession. Now he would
the meetings, bad declared that the meeting bad not been ask, what-would be the consequence of a Alember want-'
put off, because it was imagined by him and his party ing a nunsber of fanners to petition against a tax upon
that there would be any illegality in assembling, but, he wool, or any other subject about agriculture? He could
said, because the intended meeting was not expected to not aster:hie thew: out of dr: parish, neither could he go I
be physically able to vindicate what be called their right to a neighboaring parish. The iocnsere, he continued I
to meet, is ease there was any opposition. N 4 person to say, would not hare the effect of soppressing discom
who had yet expressed as opinion ea this sublet dewiest test or accomplishing the reete.ts which were eitpected
il
that the prevalence of these meetings was a ver alarm- from it. After some more remarks, be concluded b
i be y
ing evil. If the fact was thee so, world , timid entering his protest against Ilse Bill.
there he any thing more injurious, at least to the pub- The ATTORNEY-UENERAL rose in rely to some
lie right of meeting, then the necessity which di mi- of the arguments of the lion. and Learned tins lenasn
i muted to exist, of barirg these meetings almost noon who had j'tst sat down, arguments which be contended
i intended by a military force. He felt that thircnomoat could only be founded upon an unacquaintaoce with the
was driven into the adoption of these measures, "Ltd how. enactrcetas of the Bill itself.—(Hear.)—He distinctly
l ever much lie regretted the necessity, he could net avoid denied, that under the present Bill, magistrates )1;11
giving his decided support to them. power to disperse a meeting ; they certainty could put l
I Mr. T. SMITH observed, that a great deal of thole- any individual into cuatodv, and tit the event of bring
hilarious principle of the Bill had beer removed, by ex- resisted Its mii doing, cola have recourse to force...—
! eluding from its operation all meetings held within (Cheers from the Oppositiol.)—Gent'emen might cheer,
' doors. But he begged leave to state to the House a re- bet he had wore than onLe before, stated the same opi-
workable circumstance. which the marginal note stated, mien. Now, witi. regard to the argument, that a Magts-
that the exception tliil not extend to any meeting held trate inignt act upon a speculation of their being per-
in a private room. This, be supposed, crept in, in an un- suns at the meeting whose appearance would warrant
l authorised way.—(llear.)—A good deal had been said him in dispersing it, be asked, did the Hon. and Learned
lin praise of the disinterested conduct of the unpaid Ma- Gentleta to forget, that in that case the Magistrate acted
gistrary. He would venture to say, that the Magistrates upon his own responsibility. In sewer to the objee-
! would prefer, in moat instances, their privileges to per- then about Trade, he observed, that it was admitted
niary remuneration. Upon the whole, he could not give rooms were excepted, he would ask was not that enough,
hi ...upport to the Bill. or could it be necessary fur 10e1OU persons to meet in
Mr. LONG WELL4SLEY thought that it was the the open air, and discuss a matter of trade or profes-
dui) of every Member of that House to state the grounds 'lion?—(Hear.)—He concluded by expressing_ a hope,
upon whirl, ha gave his vote. Fur his part, he supported that he had answered the arguments of the Hon. anti
the Bill from a si""lre "aviction that it did not ildriafr Learned Gentleman opposite, and unmasked their fallacy
public liberty; but that in remedying the abuses, it af• to the House. by showing that they were Sounded upon
forded the most effectual security for the exercise of the an seacgolaistance with toe provisions of the Bill
rights of the people. Mr. SCARLET"' explained.
Several Memin.rs role to address the Howe, but Mr. DENMAN had sot been reconciled to the Bill
Mr. WILLIAMS having first caught the Speaker's since its progress through the Committee, and be would
eye, proceeded to explaia the rename why he opposed consequent) not cease to oppose it in every siege.—
the Bill—lie thought that its provisions went farther (Hear.)—The Learned Gentleman then took occasion to
than the evils complained of, even admitting that those repeat the arguments he had used Lenore, asserting that,
evils were proved to exist. The Bill professed to aim as the law at present stands, Magistrates had no power
lat the removal of these tumultuary circumstance% which to disperse a meeting, either by the Statute of Henry
attended public meetings; bat in reality went.to the et- 4th, Wary the 7th, or the Magistrates' oath. Ile ob.
1 tent of abridging the geseral right of the prole. Sep- served. that the Hon. and Learned Gentleman opposite
' posing, for instance, that a requisition were addressed to (the Solicitor General) must have confounded these two
the High Sheriff of a County, and that be refused to will Statutes together. its arguing that Magistrates had that
I a meeting, the consequence must be, that the people power. As a lawyer, and a Member of that House, he
would meet in their own respective parishes. But there' declared it as his opinion, that a Magistrate had so
I were Malls parishes in which oily two kinds of persists other power than that of arrestiog individuals at a
existed, namely, the farmer and his landlord. It was/ meeting.—(llear, hear.)
, evident, therefore, that a public meeting, composed of ; Mr. K. MARTIN could not sit still under the imps-
such individuals, must prose nugatory as to the purposes : tatipn, that Irish Members had,upun this occasion, given
for which %lief:minty meeting was wished tobe convened. I support to Ministers in carrying tit rough measures which
Ile was willing to admit that Sheriffs might not be un- i were not called for. He came over purely with an in-
der the influence of the Crown; bon it ties very
.proba- , tertian to defend the Constitution, and he thought he
tale that they might be under the influence of tin pas- ' could not give a greater proof of his sincerity, than giv
shams and prejudices. He himself was acquainted with ing support to a measure which was likely to be areuni-
one instance of a refusal to hold a meeting, is conse- partied with unpopularity.—(A lcugh )—He thought
quenrs of motires of a private nature, and the meeting proposisg amendments at this stag es it was obvious
he could assure the House was entirely for charitable they could not be carried, was only irritating wantonly,
porposes. Bat he would at the same time implore the already sore feelings of the people.
Government to resort to cootiliation. If be were asked The SOLICITOR GENERAL wished to know upon
what he metal by coociliatioa, he would say, he wished what grounds an Hon. and Learned Gentleßan opposite
Parliament to express its sympathy is ,the "BIN° of had undertakes to say that it was in the contemplation
the people, and sorrow for the causes or those mwm•Ill- et the Cabinet to erect a coaserthip upon the press.—
Ho go farther. He would ',dearest to kin I (Hoer.)—That !warted Gentleman almuld have bad
goat * moderate and rational reform. Ho would adoPd 1 good reasons being be advanced a charge so grave and
no sudden or visonary plan of Reform, but woad Base i mhos' is itsuature as that. He then proceeded to de-;
dually introduce it. Cowhan as d be was. that easeiß- feud the opinion he had before gine, and the law upon
alien, such as be load described, wield be the wrest wed , which he bustled it. It was not through mistake that
' only remedy towards removing lte diecnotest of the be used the Statute of Hoary VII. foe Henry IV. for one
Caney, he felt be could nut suppoefathe premed plan of was made M explain and confirm the other, with regard
I thercion. to the power of dispersing a meeting. He again re-
Lord MORPETH said, that from all the ineenthation rood. tau se power was rent to Magistrates to dis-
he could collect, he was led to the (*whisks, that if , past by He shuns, bet only to arrest individuals, and
Meetings in the North were not prevented by the strong 'Lave recourse to force in case et resistance.
interference of new Guestimate, it would he absolately f W. DiINNAN repeated the /wart*, that neithe