The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-07-11 00:00:00

CORONATION.

Mr. BATIICRST presented a Petition from the Pri-
soners in the King's Bench Prison, liettiN4' f firth
that the d'fferent Prisons were tilled n•ith Prisoners
ho could not immediately obtain relief under the
Insolvent Debtors' Bil!, and praying that measures
might be taken to enabl,• thew t . partake in the gene-
ral rejoicings on the occasion of the Coronation of his
Majesty. .1 hey humbly hoped that the House would
address the Crown on this subject, or pass a Bill for
their Belief, to open their Prison Doors and set th.: Cap-
tives free.—Ordered to lie on the table.

pouTic U. OFFENDF.RB.
Mr. IIOBHOUSE load meant to •Ay a few words be.
fore the Petition was laid on the table, and hooped he
might be allowed to offer them now. There were at
present a number of.persons in conlinenient for politi-
cal offences. Tv him it appeared .that Minirte•oo nn
the approaching Coronation might wisely advisor the
Crown to mitigate their punishment. Among those
at present 'uttering were s.oote lientlenten of ancient
families ; and of the others,
.but few were previously
connected with any political crime. Ile wonl I here
call the attention of the House to what be considered
the very handcars of Mr. Henry Omit. He believed
there was hardly an individual in the country, who
did eat consider the sentence passed on him to be di;
reeted rather against the man, than against the crime
he trio convicted. Far be it from him t 3
. .

• • r • •I

arraign the motives of those who passed that sentence :
but considering it to be too severe, he could not leave that
House in peace without recommending that it should
be mitigated. He had beard (but he could not state
the fact on his own knowledge) that some of the
Jirors who tried Mr. Hunt had since been beard te
declare, that if they had thought the sentence of the
Court would have been so severe, they would rather
have brought in a verdict of Not Guilty, than have
subjected him to such punishment. It was to be re-
membered that this individual had not been convicted
of the more aggravated offence laid to his charge;
that he had been found guilty on but one count, and
that it had Imes found very difficult to procure a con-
viction on that. This being the ease, he hoped Go-
vernment would take into consideration the long con-
finement to which he had been sentenced and interfere
in his behalf. They had already interfered to miti-
gate the punishment of one individual, who bad been'
convicted of what in his eyes seemed a greater offence
than that proved against Mr. Hunt, as he had been
found guilty of practices which went to poison the
mires of legislation. Haying acted thus in one case,
lao hoped Ministers would not think he pressed on
them as unfair demand, when he called upon them tb
interfere in behalf of Mr. Hunt. He should have
brought forward a specific motion on this subject in
the coarse of the Session, had he not even in the short
time that he had been iu that House seen the extreme
ineoncenionne which grew on bringing such matters
forward for discussion there. He hail in consequence
refrained from submitting any motion to the House,
hot he conlil not leave it at this time without pressing
ea Ministers how much credit they would do them-.
mares, and how little injury the country would ris-
tain—he should rather say the country would receive
no injury by their paying some ittestion to the recom-
mendation he hail centaied to offer. This lie wished
to press most strongly on them—not calling on them
for the expression of any opinion at this time, but hop-
ing that what he had said would meet with some at-
tention, amid that it would be taken as it was 'firma—
in good part.