The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-02-04 00:00:00

,

MR IN ZIOA 7.-fi Jsday et the Peblie Ohm.

STATESMAN.

THE

LONDON:

WIDNISDAT, 711111111ARY 4, 1618.
• --Geo..—

The Liverpool Letter, in liar naval column, an.
menaces the arrival et that port of Sir Guinea
IW`Gatooa, the patriotic friend of the Spaniels In-
dependent', from NUMB, Nrw Providence. -

It Is as we suspected—the contents of the Green
Bag (an •ruinous opening !) are to be referred to Se-
cret Committees. Lord Stamoeim moved last night,
ie the House of Lords, that his vindicatory Papers,
on what he calls the internal state of the country,
shouts! be referred to the consideration of a Commit-
tee of Secrecy. The Members of this Committee,
who are to judge and report on the conduct of Mi-
nisters, are to br chosen by ballot, by which means
the Ministers will, of course, appoint themselves and
their immediate friends t• determine upon their owe
pioceedings, with such evidence only as they may
think proper to present. The enquiry, we are
gravely informed, is fort the satisfaction of Parliament
sod the county). A very odd way of satisfying the
country indeed. We know not whether Parliament
will be satisfied by this mode of procedure, but we
are sure thst the country will not. This proposed
investigation is merely a prelude to the adoption of
some Legislative wasores to screen Ministers from
Prosecution for the abuse of their power, and pro-
bably lay the foundation of more imprisoning Acts.
The Marquis of LaNsuowas and the Berl of CAR•
NARVON made some very proper remarks °to this ex-
pedilious proceeding of the Home Secretary. These
two Noblemen thought the proposed mode did not
appear likely to afford an impartial or satisfactory view
of the subject, and were strongly of opinion that the
fullest enquiry should be instituted. The Earl of CAR.
NARVON thought, as many will do who have traced the
(petitions of the Spies and the Spy System, who have
looked at Bradley's bill of sixpences, and who have,
teed the afflicting details that we have submitted of
the sufferings of the imprisoned Reformers, that if
both sides of the question were fairly investigattid,
"much cf the evil that has fallen out might be traced
to the very Office of the Noble Secretary himself."—
It was well observed, that as the coontry is now
stated, from authority, to be in internal peace ■nd
tranquillity, Ministers had not now to act in this
affair on the spur of the occasion. The province
of Ibis Committee is avowedly to enquire how Mi-
nisters have acted. Is it possible that a full or pro-
per enquiry can be instituted upon information fur-
nished by Ministers alone, *to will naturally lay
before it only such evidence as may suit themselves.
Will they submit Bradley's bill, the Spy's acknow-
ledgment of monies received in specific terms,
with the names of the persons commissioned to
advance it to him, for the inspection and Re.
port of the Committee ? And ought not the
attention of these Judges of Ministers to be specially
directed to the investigation of the justice of the
dreadful treatment sustained by the men who have
been so long imprisoned spots arbitrary warrants, and
who.now demand investigation at the tribunals of the
Country? Ought not the subject of enquiry to be
considered in indissoluble connection with the trials
and 'acquittals that have taken place, and the pro-
.ceedings upon what Ministers staked the propriety
and justice of their Government ? If these points
shall not receive due investigation and appear in the
Report, in the name of truth and justice, what have
the Committee to consider, beyond the means of
evading all these questions ?
In the House of Commons Lord CASUSIREAGH
also presented his Green Bag, equally stuffed with

papers of the sauce kind, and laid Thursday for the•
appointment of a Secret Committee to take the same
into consideration. IVe hope the constitution of this
Committee will not be considered a light matter, .and
that his Lordship's boast of convincing the country
of the wisdom, justice, and lenity of his Administra.
tion, wider their extraordinary powers, will be put
to the test. Mr. BEnwerr sands pledged to the

production of evidence that may not comport with
the Green Bag allegations. Mr. BENNETT, and such
• intrepid enemies of oppression and delusion as may
jni►► him in the proof of this most important question
of national and individual-justice, may be amply sup-
-plied with documents and particulars, if such be ne-
cessary in the House of Commons, of a nature very
different from what may be expected to transpire
from the Green Bags of either House.
This manoeuvring of Ministers in the dark is of it-

proof that they hive no proper justification to
offer. Could their evidence have borne the light of
days k would have been readily and triumphantly
produced kr 11,. trials of the men whom they have,

been obliged to discharge as innocent. fly this at-
tempt to closet the groonds of their unconstitutional
measures, wild skulk behind a 13111 of Indemnity,
they directly and evidently falsify all their assertions,
.that the powers granted to them under the Saspen-
•ion Act were necessary, and that they were his-
insnely esercised, au assertion that new stands•more
in need of proof than ever. If they could prove the
truth of their declarations, they would not ad thus—
they would show in open Court drat-they bad really
*eta justified by da guilt of theii prisoners, and

THE STAB

that they bad levrisoned tie one without jest cause.
They hen been very csertlios, Very humane, very
mild, in their greet offices; they challenge any one
to produce an instance to the contriry, bat they
take especial care that nine shall be able to produce
such an instance, for they will seller no onssto ao
quire ! It is not often that innocence thus declines
scrutiny, or conscious integrity shelters itself-from
investigation.—The effect of this proceeding must be
to throw a suspicion upon, if not directly to
disprove, all the boasted assurances of moderation
in the use of the powers granted under the Sespen-
sion Act. 'Malt reliance can be placed on those as•
surances when those who mike themdare not suffer
them to he tried ? Where are the sufficient grounds.

of justification for the incarceration of the &ANTES
months before the Suspension powers were granted ?,
Lord SIDMOUTII and Sir NATHANIEL CONANT are ap-
prehenstve of a series of actions being brought against
them, and probably of such results to them as at.
imided the. prosecutions of norm. But have not these
Gentlemen the national Ors, to support there—is it
out of any regard to economy on this'ecorillii.
they delicately decline the process of Harden'?
Have they not all the abilities of the Arronney tad
SoLICIToIt-GENERALS to assist them gratuitouglyi
nay, have they not the very lawn of the Land, the
most learned and impartial of Judges,to tryikeiresete?
Why then this timidity ? this retrograde creeping into
a corner to erect a fence on nameless and obscure
evidence? How monstrous thus voluntarily to cit.
cumscribe the course of Lam, and invalidate. their
own power and testimony ! As The Courier says,
" Why do not these doughty defenders of the Con-
stitetion, if fall they must, fall at the outworks of
the Constitution, instead of thus retiring to its last
recess? which, by-the-bye, if this be the Constitutional
shelter, seems dark enough. The Courier, in its
trembling anxiety for Ministers, in their titres(
from the field, condemns the expedient of ratting,
and expresses a fear, that they may be "massacred"
in their holes by the bold advance of the Reformers.
It has "earnestly and solemnly" addressed to its
Readers a ferocious piece- of rant about the symp-
toms of the present times, "which must alarm all
but the unthinking and the lukewarm ;" for "the
disposition to anarchy is matured." The Ministerial
I alarmist, however, mixes his solemnity with a most
unfortunate pun, in alluding to the cause of his
tirade—"the mob of tried Patriots," who met on
Monday, ■t the Crown and Anchor Tavern.—
Now, we believe, it will be readily admitted,
that one of the complaints of the Patriots, al-
luded to Was, that they bad not been tried, and we
believe it will now be as readily allowed that their
persecutors dare not try them, for their trial'wouid
be the proof of others' guilt. Well may the swagger-
ing authors of these flagitious imprisonmints, and the
criminal attempts to trample on the rights of the Bri•
tish People, shudder at the exposure of their viola-
tions of justice and public decency.—Such conduct
could not continue—could not be told, without pro-
ducing a burst of feeling and indignation, which it is
only for the minions of despotic power to fear and
to deprecate. A greater crisis, we admit, than has yet
come to pass, mast arrive, demanding the application
of a remedy more to be relied upon than. the
moderation of the present Ministers. The British
People will not perish by the abuse of that power,
which, used whit justice, and wholesome regard to
the wishes of the community, would yet make us and
keep us what *e have been, a great, • powerful, and
a prosperous nation. Let the Country then perse-
vere in demanding this remedy, • Reform of the
Abuses of the State, that the Nation may escape a
prolongation of the calamity of " beholding the
sanctuary of the Constitution polluted by its de•
stroyers."

Some conversation again took place in both
House* yesterday, respecting the Bank Restriction
Act. in the House of Lords the Earl of LIVERPOOL,
in answer to Lord Kum, admitted the possibility of
the continuance of the restrictions on cash payments ;
and Mr. Gueasta.t. in the Commons called the
attention of the House to the issues of paper
mosey by the Bank, and the deposits therein,—
He considered it an insult to the understanding of the
Public, that a foreign loci, contracting with Arai
or four great commercial houses in this, country,
should be deemed sufficient cause to prevent the Bank
from resuming its cash payments; ■nd in this opinion
we believe every intelligent and independent man in
England still coact's'.

Paris Papers to the Ist instant have boma remitted.
They contain the Report of another day's proceed•
ings in the Chamber of Deputies on. the Recruiting
Project. They have only got about half through the
Articles. Amendment ippon amendment is moved;
agitation, contradiction, temelt, and the arrival of
the dinner hour, prolong the discussion to a tory
tedious extent. The Duke of WawNGTON6S arrival
is not announced is the Papers. It it stated in pri•
vale advices from Peri•, that on the arrimil of the
Duke of WELLINGTON after the signalers of the
Treaties stipulating the evacuation of the foreign
armies from the French territory, and the final settle.
meat of the foreign reclamations (of whit* all the
leading points are agreed on), Resolutions of the
Allied Powers to the following pnrpprt will be 01.
chilly promulgated :-
66 When the different mope d'prmee withdraw
from France) certain iv:liens of each, of theta are lo

be directed to Frankfort, which position is fixed on
et the central point for the great European Army.
This blended force is destined to maintain the tram-
optoof Europe, and to form a reciprocal 'saran-
eespective Sovereigns. The Generalissimo
leklet be cheaen annually after the consolidation of
.11‘plan, which differs little from that conceived by
Hemet 'fir." No doubt the respective Sovereigns
will take care of eheowelvt, if they can—their fran-
gibility is always that of Eerope.
The Paris Journals contain an, account of the
seem employed by the PACHA of Egypt for the pre-
mised purpose nt,asserting his independence. His
arm is said to amount to 100,000 men, containing.
a number:of European officers, but this seems very
..Much exaggerated. To support his expences, he has
devised a scheme for concentrating in his own hands
all the commerce of the country ; but it is founded
on the grossest injustiCeind ignorance. The wor•
thy PACIIA, however, is only 'following the illustri-
°es ezample of the Powers who are now monopolis-
ing all means to maintain " the tranquillity of
Europe."