The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-12-11 00:00:00

TUESDAY, Oct. 15.
The President opened the debate, With declaring
M general terms, his wish fur the Liberty of the
Press, but under very• great restrictions and limi-
tations.
Senor Mon ALE* (Dips tado pur la eindail deCtilii)
made a long and eloquent speech, in favour of the
Press, replete with sussed ailment and opposite ii-
I astration. 64 Let us suppose a King (he said) and
to prevent misrepresentation or mistake, let ei sup..
pose him tai reign over one of the Sunthern islands,
warn, either from youth, infrrmityc or tided prin.
ci lees, is incapable, or nit willing •to attend to
the just representations bf his people. Let us sup.
pose an impious ministry riding that people,, a pee. 1
1,10 so loyal and so relleiuus, as to be hawillieg to
tly tb the bead for .tedrevi-s. what hope hat that
people for the recovery
soft-heir. rights ? None ex-
cept the Pee and the Pred. But ehouhl that Peo-
ple be su unfortunate, as to have 'a censor over this
their only hope, add should that comer be one of
the very Ministers who oppress them, where then
is their hope ? They hate none; and 'misery and
TOW must inevitably succeed."
Senor PERU! on Casten (sapient° pot Wm...
'inch de Irceadolid) spoke in favour of the Nees.
He stated, that it was of the utmost impottanee to a
wise gaverunient, on this as well as on eiecy other
account; naliely, that by no other 'made could
trey be made acquainted with tie: feelings of that
people whom they ate appointed to potent. Hew
else, ton, can they obtain in their favour, that pub.
is opinion,. which is worth Million* of mercenary
bayonets ? One great and happy nation, owes the.
preservation of that greattless, and of that hegpt.
nos, to public opinioe, railed by Liberty, and sap.
purled by the Press, which is a buttress against all
bppositieut the friend alike of the rich and the poor,
It is a holy appeal, made by truth to the Virtue of
mankind.
Senor EL OLIVEUCIE then rose, and in a most
eloquent speech, proved the Liberty of the Press to
be compatible With the purest interest of Religion.
46 Let us etansiee (said he) the state of France, and
let us see the melancholy effects of a Liberty, which
extended to all that was evil,' but which excluded all
that was virtuous. The Revolutionists of' that
country knew that their hideous designs could not
be executed but through the rein of Motility and
eirtue. They therefore poured forth a torrent of
blasphemy and litimarality, which shook to piecee the
Whole fabric of Ciill Society, citation'', shutting
the Prod to elitery thing which afforded a chance pf
restoring religion and loyalty. France Is Mill over.
*helnseil erith the consequence of these principles,
but not one work of religion, morality, Civil po.
Pity. or rational liberty. his ever issued:either
from .tievolutionery, or Imperial Frances It
is the contrary of this, that we are seeking to at.
taut. We wish to give eacouragomeat to every
worthy feeling, and to shut the gates on evil. Had
the Liberty of the Press been established, ale!'
',quid hate shunned the acts they have COM:flitted in
the impunity of obscurity and oblivion. Bishops
'*ould not have dared to preach from the pulpits of
their holy religion, the triumphs of despori.m, and
of atheism ; nor would they have ventured to assist
in the subjugation of their own country, and the
destruction of their own faith. England, on the
contrary, that generous and free country, which
owes all her liberty, • and all her morality, to the
Press, although eeeleded from the bosom of our
church, has, in opposing the ambition of France,
end resisting her strides to universal dominion,
bum' the true friend of our religion. She has been
the ally of our head (the Pope) pollen persecuted
by Butraparte ; she has been the faithful friend of
Clain ; audit is on her colossal form, erected. in Li.
bisrty, and defended by the tereedont of the Press,
that the reetaining independence of Eurape ream*
its sickly head. I therefore maintain, that the Li.
betty of the Press has been, and is, the best. Sep,
port of religion, instead of being incompatible with
It, es some of those who hare first spoken have
maintained. I have beat anxious to state my ope,
nion on this important subject, as it concerns
religion, fur its political utility and efficacy, its
being the most powerful of all weapons, if well
directed, has been stlffieimitly proved by the
speeches of its able supporters."
Senor MORALES GALLEGO spoke against the
abolition of the ' previous censorship; static g the
many incohreniences of the Liberty of Oak Press,
&c. And then
Senor ABGUSLLrS rose, and in a most brilliant
speeeh, took a view of the whole question; dis-
playing a manly enthusiasm, conveyed in a flow uf
beautiful oratory, to which it is imeossible to do
justice. tie affirin:.l, " that there could be no
greater violation of the liberty of man than the de-
priving him of the enjoyment of that which in itself
was innuaet, and the subjectiug his honest exer.
tions to the caprice of any man, ur set of men,What-
aver. Are we to be told in these days of ta,mtai
improvement, that 15 milliotm of people are to have
the truest safeginied of their freedom, the most laud-
able source of their industry„ the best hopes of their
posterity, subjected to the nod of tensors eo mislay
corrupted ? It is the fate of mankind to err ; *e
- ought, therefore, to put ourselves beyond the evil we
dread, especially where our ricereet interests, are con-
, called. Bet let us suppose that these censors Would
Lave no sinister 'tette. atin they are men; who
must all hare their passions, and their particular
prejudices, which it is in human nature that they
must wish to gratify; and how far men in, the pos.
session of power will abstain from suck gratification
the history of the world will bear *ha* Yet it. is
to terse men, with the power of suppression, anal with
the law in the.:r hank, that liberty and literate re are to
bi.ild I Spain has never yet been blessed with freedom,
rue ,: long series of age; we have been chained, in.
hut teal, and degraded by 31111CCCSutref Governments,
who have ever been inattentive to the wishes of the
people. The bitter fruits of those days we are noW
• lasting. Thonorality of the people has suffered,
and the dachas: of Spain has kept pace with the di-
.-; 'minutiae of freedom. How ditforeut, Sir, is the
' • mate of this country ; how different the pasi•printi.
ples of our conduct to that of u great, setscrew, and
- ' ' indePendent nation—a nation which•poisesses ( what.
• over luny be her political corruption) the purest pub.
lie murals-4 nation in which -conjugal fetality Mid
• the dearest the of society art prk.,:einiiiently die.
,tubed---a untiell .11tialeh, although expend a/ a!!

times td biterior and interior dangers, has risen in
defiance Of both—a dation which had Inn* been our
bitterest enemy, but which,
.hailing in a moment the
(loin of Spanish liberty, with unparalleled goner°.
Olt, has poured high her whale efforts ta maintain
it ! I mean to stays, that we owe scarcely less than
uur existetste to England.' As our misfortunes K.
creaser!, what has bred the conduct of England ?
She has itlvrayi said—" & free, and tee will never
forsake you." Her efforts hive increased with our
*anti. The t.trength of ber arm has upheld our
weakness. The character, the power, the gran-
deur of that nation hal arisen from her possecsion
of those liberties for which we ate now struggling,
liberties which must 'be founded or lust in your
vote, for on that depends, whether bar assistance
will prove off avail 4 sad whether n-t, arc to regain
our rank among the nations of Europe, or fall fur
I ever.

WEDN MAY, OCTOBER 17.
In this day'S debate, Senor Ton RESLO, after a
speech from Senor Creus, who declared himself hos-
tile to the net:dean of' the Press, spoke to swirly
the following of et :
" Mr. President—l differ from the last Speaker
on the line he has taken, but on rising to give my opi-
nion, I with to recal the Assembly to the fundamental
principles on which we have to argue this question,and
from which I perceive we have strayed. I conceive this
guestimate he divided into two parts; the first is jus-
tice, the second is necessity. Justice is the vital
sethic of eiril sociecy, and the child of Justice is the
Liberty of the Press. I wish to prove the fight which
. mankind is possessed of to obtain that liberty, and if I
succeed, the detentiOn of it will be lejustice, and all
injustice is wrong. Let us apply this. vrinciple to
the prelcht moment, and let at look tit England for
an example. the grind canse of that liatiotils inde.
petsdence, is the power which every man possesses
of canvassing the actions of public men, of in-
specting the conduct of the Representatives of the
People in Parliament, and of making known an
opinion upon it.. It is impossible to describe the
enormous importance of this weapon, and of the
power which emanates from the Press. England
knows its value : she protects the Press, and in re.
turn the Press has protected England. The right of
canvassing the actions of the Government is an
imprescriptible right, which no nation can re-
sign without ceasing to be one. But let me recal
your attention to the memorable Decree of the
24th of September a 'What did we then do ? We
declared the Decrees of Bayonne uplaw fill and null,
and fur what reason ? Because the act of enuncia-
tion was entered into without the consent of
.the
nation. To Whom has that nation new ti...volied
its cause? To ourselves. We arc it.: Kepreien-
tatives, and by our original constitution could take
few stet* without the will of our constituents.- -
But when the people placed power its out hands,
did they deprive themselves of the important
right of Inspecting and canvassing (nu actions ?.
Why did we, on the 2.10 of 'September, de-
cree the responsibility of the Exrecutive Go-
vernment ? Why .did we assure to ourselves
the poieer of reviewing its actions ? Because
we were placing ;tower its the hands of met' who
might easily abuse it, if there were no bridle to
check them, and there is no bridle but the Cortes.
But are we infallible ? Are we nut liable to err ?
Can the people on our first assembling have such
confidence in us as to require no precautions ?
Have not the people the same right over us that
we have over the Executive Power ? Sup-
pose me Legislative and the Executive were
to unite to restore despotism, have the people
no defence, no resource ?--a—Let us nut
hero be . perplexed by metaphysics, but let
us be guided by facts, reason, and experience.
The people have one resource, the Press. But if
that he debarred them, what signifies it, whether
they be enslaved by one, by five, by twenty, or
by a hundred ? What safety fur their rights have
the people after ourselves 4 The people of Spain
have ever detested civil wars. But there is a pa-
cific mode of obtaining redress, namely, the bold
expression of public opinion. This is the people's
safeguard, and we are not yet sufficiently awake to
its vast power of forcing Governments to be just.
Yet by this, and by this alone, can the nation be saved.
But if you deprive the people of the liberty of speak.
ing and writing, how is this Opiniou to be declar.
ed ? If I were to tell my constituents .in Estre-
Madura of a previous censorship of the Press, what
would they say to me when they found, that to ex-
press their opinions, they must send to the Cortes
for a-licence ? It is, therefore, one of the rights
of mant;ind to have free Liberty of the Press ;
system both theory, and confirmed by
practice ar.,l experience. England, by enjoying
it, has successfully resisted despotism. Whilst
the Liberty of the. Press exists, , Parliaments
cannot be suppressed : on the contrary, they
gather strength to curb the Crown. The high
situation in which England now is placed,
arises from the Press ; for a free Press, in a
free Country, gives thnt powerful arm of pub.
li opinion, without which all others are vain.—
The second point I have to cull to your notice is
its necessity. grounding, as I have done, the li-
berty et-the subject on a free Press, I next declare,
that in no.other way can. Spain be save". I repeat;
that if the. limitations with which a c propose to curb
the Executive Pewee are necessary, moth more so
are those reskalutx on ourselves, which afford our
Constituent; t emeans of watehlng ()veg. our con-
duct. I have spoken of experience. If Spain
hail been able tnexproes hca. public opinion, meld
ail those infamous keens& of intrigue' have been
.permitted in the• Escurial.? Would Godoy have
long misdeed a power which has proved so
fatal to his country ?. If the Prlnge of Wales
in England were placed a prisoner In his, Own
palacte„ under the Will of bad Ministers, would
the English nation be silent ? Yet we have been.
silent ; and this sql:fsciently proves, that' libgcly,
without a free Press, although it may be the 1,,i-ood
inan's dream, .wl4l still be nothing-hut a dream, I
wish to .ergue the question. dispassionately, and
with calm reasoning. ' The dile/care between
nsy-
self and my opponents is, that they conceive - the
erils of a free Press, to be ar a million, the good as
twenty. I, en tbe contrary, think. the tills are
its teen% 'and thp pod 41 a a411,4mi

OMEN

r-J

=

have warmly digressed on all its dangers. If
I were now to run over all the evils incident to
civil society, the curses of ambition, the horters of
war, the woes of famine, and the devastetien of
pesailence, I could frighten you all. But from
the dreadful picture I might drawl would you forget
the good of civil society, and conclude to destroy
it ? Here we have no Republic of Plato. Here we
stand, fallible men, with all the mixture good and
evil belonging to our condition, and it is from a ba-
lance alone of adventage: arid inconvenience that we
can form a just decision on any question, A great
inquisitot of Spain was desirous of translating the
Bible into Spanish. What torrents of abuse were
poured on him fur the attempt ! The same language
was applied to his efforts as to ours. What was his
answer ? " I do not deny its inconveniences,
but is itnsgfal or net on the balance .2" The same
'is our Case. Had that inquisitor succeeded, the good
would have been his own—the evil, that of our
onto res. To conclude. I believe the nation to possess
a sacred arid inviolable right to the Freedom of the
Press, as the only means by which they can assert
. their just mitred over the conduct of their repre-
sentatives. This principle is general ; but at this
moment they doubly require it in the alisence of
their beloved King. When he returns, he will
have the power, in attendiug to the proceedings of
the legislature, to assert his own prerogatives.—
Until then, the people have not only their own rights,
but those of the Monarchy to maintain. If they
do not maintain them, who can say that this coml.
try will not follow the steps of Revolutionary France,
knd the Cortes become aNational Assembly. Let those
who dread Republicanism from the Liberty of the
Press, look at the reverse of the picture, and tremble.
I again repeat it—the only safeguard for the Rights
1 of the People; and the Prerogative of the King, lies in
the tribunal of public opinion. Let the Cortes be pre.
served pure. If they become corrupt, the people will
becomes° too. We must, therefore, strengthen our.
selves from the only source of purity—the public opi-
nion. I have heard much against the Press, but the
objections appear to me to have proceeded more from
personalinterestithan from a sense of the public wel.
fare. I am but asking for juetice. Should the good
sihich I augur from the Freedom of the Press be exag.
geratcd, end the mischiefs foretold from it be tree,still
let us grant it, for before justice eten the powers of
darkness 'nest bow. Much has been said or. the
score of religion. I can add little to what Senor
Oliveto:: expressed yesterday, bat I must recal
one eirctenstance to your minds ; that the sacred
head of our Religion, the Pope, is now under
persecution ; that Bonaparte has even commenc-
ed a civil suit against him, and that from
the degraded state of freedom bi France, no
man (tires to lift his voice or to move his pen
in defence of that venerable person. These are the
fruits of an arbitrary censorship on the Press I
But there are some persons who think, that works
would be published hostile to religion, It pro-
bably may often happen, that in prudes censer.
sotions will turn on religion, but if one men decries
or blasphemes it, twenty erelong defenders spills*
forth In its support ; so would it be with the Press.
I must, therefore, declare that the Cortes, will be
• acting against the nation, if they do not deeree the
Liberty of the Press. We shall be betrayers of
the People's hopes ; the re-establishers of the
despotism we have abolished ; the destroyers of the
last chance of Spirt. The censorship of the Press,
is the last hold of the tyranny under which we so
long have groaned. It is your vuto which meat
root it 0114 ur fix it fur ever."

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18.
Senor GARCIA DE lIERKEROS on this day ex
plained the vote he should give on the first Article
of the Report, and which would appear contrary
to the opiniod he had apreised on a former day.
He was for a free Circulation of opinion, " for"
said he, " a free Press does not depend on ante.
rior or posterior Censorship, but on the free cir.
culation of men's writings." lie agreed perfectly
to the first Article', with the admission of the willa
66 politica ;" by which modification religious sub-
jects would be excepted from discussion, or remain
on the same footing as before.
Sector Nlexia observed, that by the French
code, a Prefect was appointed in every department
of France. whose business it was to censare the
Press. Was this example to be followed by the
' Cortes ?
El Senor LLANZRAS read a discourse against the
abolition 'of the previous Censorship, endeavouring
to prove that the Liberty of the Pres was not
I only consistent with it, but better secured by it.
j Senpr Attotiet.Les then-rose, and said he wished
' to bring the matter to a point, for utherwise there
would be no end to the discussion. lie approved
much of Senor's, Mexia's speech, who had argued
from facts. 'rite O. puny from Majorca (the same I ,
Senor Lianeras) had said, that with honest tri- '
bunals there would be no necessity for a free Press.
—lle verfectly agreed with that Doputy, that if
all men were in fatitble atta-itscapable..uf .111.Willv
there would be no' occasion for any laws vibauo.t
ever ; but for his part he had dem known but ohm
class of men, namely., parts
at they all were, fallible
pings, subject to all the imperfections of their com.
mon nature. "The Deputy for Majorca," continued
SenortArguelles, "has declared that the Inquisition
was a proper tribunal for judging what books ought
to be permitted. Dues he forget that the library of
the Marquis of Villena, with. all his valuable manu-
scripts,
was burnt by a Friar of the Court of John
the Second, who was himself a literary character
and a poet, noteithstandieg which, the kingdom
was ruled by the favourite Dr. Altn°. ilse Luna ?
The religious and political zeal against the Liberty
of the Press did not abatein the subset:LA*lA reigns ;.
nevertheleA upstart /Ilion governed, the nation its
the time of Kuricreauarto„ Felipe Teroeria y War-
t° ;.and utter were so numerous tho regibitiont
against the free communication OS our 4101 i.
fleet opinions as in the reign of Chyle" the Fourth.
—Ewa a prudent tolerance in political matters
would have preserved us from the Kama calamity.
Had we been possessed of the Liberty of the Press,
should we have had its censors, and our very
judges themselves, ctanposing the Coact of Gado',
that Court where ever' thing
.was sold, anal :nicht
might kistly be called the marketaplace of all. juslicia.
. stud Liberty ? '.Cllsrc Is not Notisoo.ku thot. world

which hat Rot suffered an age of tiksordert s,„„,
of the Liberty of the Prese, (or one aril vlid,
been produced by its messes. There I rest
claim, and I challenge the world to deny iesi
Senor Colonel GOLF,' sr said that the Freed a!
the Press was just, useful, and necessary, and
hat
thereould not go on one step without it.
rs
was no other mode of coming at the public an-7
tsion. A former speaker had asked what was
°l3
done ifahe Press should he directed against,
Cortes ? He would answer, that the Cortes would
derive from it the same advantage which the Panil,l-
- of England derived from the public newspaper,
through which they learned the opinion of the ;
on their conduct. lie said, that those who r):-,1
that the Liberty of the Press would be emeratr,-
ed against the characters of individuals %At*
do well to recollect. that they might eqtasurbi-
injured by the circulation of libels in mattuscrip.e
with this most fatal differene:e namely, that
the one case the evil would be mauifest, slew,
powers of defence would al ways remain ; when,
in the other, the blow is secret, the danger ism
' known, and the means of defence ate absolog;
,
taken away. It was clelr, therefore, that the 1 b
aence of a free Press aordial no security to ;04i:
Moats for the protection of their characters;
noatatchreiptcs:nsutrba
jroyccls byt he
them tea encouraging
isifinit d sfa e
ygrei ea !etre riyn
coleus':
lenience..
• On the conclusion of this speed:, Senor Gaut
nos moved that the question should be tpu to tis
vote.
The Marquis of Vico then rose, and read alai
and laboured argument against the Liberty of tps
Press. On which Senor 'FOWLER° spoke age%
nearly as follows :...The last speaker ascribes t,
mo that I had said that Englaud stood alum by es
Freedom of the Press. This is not correct. I
said that England stands by public opinion, whirs
the Liberty of the Press protects, and fosters,
but which is itself rooted in the liberty of tie
subject. Ott every debate in Parliament the sale
stance of the speeches.. of its Members is imrsedi.
ately printed and circulated all ererake country; Ise
from thenceitarises that the poorest peesant iu themost
wretched village in gnglasid .bas the, power, if he
has the capacity, of inspecting and judging of ths
conduct of every public man in the realm. Mt
Member has acknowledged the beneficial effieey
of the Press in England, but denies it to Spain, I
affirms that the efforts of a fres:Press would bete*,
beneficial to Spain, as the basis of our Governors
is the same. England has her Parliament-Ms
has her Cortes. England has a lintited hit:meal
..-Spain is in the act of limiting hers. Eugisrulla
liked division of the three Powers, Legislative
Executive, and Judicial—we have just declared
the same division. Mat, thee, is there is
these two nations, so allied in character, and so
similar in the bases of their respective Constitu.
tions, that should- teriline.to England the ben&
which are admitted to belong to the Press kith
country, ehd prevent our seeping some of the s
fruits? had we been possessed of the Press in Spat
Would some Priests have ventured to assert, the
Charles the Fourth was lospieeti bel God "'Pitt Idly
Government into the hands of Gotioy ? It we dell
had the Press, Goilay mast have fallen : aY W. 110
without it, he has lived to perpetrateour ruie.
repeat, that had it not been for the decided pub'
opinion of England, estabiislfod .by the effot
of the Preps, and acting on a wide and ter'
soil of national education, England mast In
perished from the convulsions of liar parties.
Should the King ever entertain the wish, a
possess, through the agency of a stronger F
cutive than we now grant him, the nes
of destroying the Cortes, what refuge
we ? Whither are we to fly ? Whither bat
the gond opinion of the People et Spain, pi
by our own actions, and disseminated by the PM
Had. Gudoy known the feelings of the Sp
People, he would have been deterred from coati
ing many crimes ; bat, amidst fools and bad rani
while statues were erecting to his fame, he rods
ceived, and the nation was undone. Had we it
sesed the Press, Charles IV. would nut b
dared to carry on that e retched system of
cern:tient which has reduced us to our present sites
don. The power which the Parliaments of liostel
hold over their Kangs, arises from the kneeled!
which the people possess .taf tee principles of
the
who compose Parliament, aad from the owl*
they give theta."
gal
With this speech the &bete an the, first
concluded, after which a warm discussion took pb
with regard to the mode of Tieing, and ehrtildr
should be public or secret. Some ;.embers hAN
observed, that in England the gallery was
cleared when the question was put by the Spoil!
Senor ARGUULL.II9 stated, that by the slaw'
orders of the house,. evert the discassion asp'
cret, but that the practice was unifoonly
the
verse, for England had virtue sasough to OP
the opinion of the people. the Sri
President having 'teetered that ~.j
was closed for that d tv, the vetei were net
until the next illy, Friday, Q..t. 19.tn1
hs
questiun heist; eta on the first article (Alla
the insertion of the V't: 11'. 4. politics " at
mentioned), and the Secretary, writing do's'
name of each Member, there apse:-red itt ''
ul It 7,Q, against it 32. •
A.ll le It ftil,

--...—....
We have received' several titunbets of lhe ,
Palake, of Saws ge de Ilogatl, to the Sth IP
tember, containing a histoty of iho rcroluti
the province of New G.ranab. It seems 10,
broken out on the Vitt, of July, opt the Jeta)!
the neettrictices which to,ok place (porn d,ky to
e',
are published in thtse Cia..ettes; but the
s,',
trifling an interest to ctiviire that they sll3"'
given at any length.
Lt is worth o bite, howeter to adrtrt to go
,
as stLeuita the
to, this. history,
maws of these revolutionary p
ruceighno a t.! b.
0
mean); of a recent origin. Thu following
khe nisthos says on, this sobject :
K. The kalousy ht hick, ha% existed' fro"' ti;
t
Item4rial, in Asneti,cas between the Kuropcsn'
&lard; anti the natives of (hat 4il C""""`!".
'lll4lll.usX ) akt oat incrtti i.b II ; Its. I Net.n i lit 417: