The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-03-10 00:00:00

a few words on what It, tbeaaht 'heel& in justice
precede the. dissuasion of the Bill-he meant the con.
duct of Ministers. They were required itnplicitly
pass the Big its question,. without enquiring into the
disgusting measures whjch, bad been pursued during.
the last year; without extrirririag into acts of tyran-
ny, oppression, and cruelty, more disgraceful and
odious than the Bastile ever saw. They were desired
to overlook every consideration of the manner in
which Ministers had used the powers instructed to
I them, and to grant them an Indemnity Bill as a net!
icessary accompaniofent of the Suspension. They
asked these measoles upon their responsibility, as-
spring the House that they. worth( pot atokao„their
powers. They armed them with • 'harp and dan-.
geronsioittutnent, and they were not sperincie the
use of i‘ Yet, lately, when facts were' submitted'
to that Rouse that implicated the Secretary of
in charges ef cruelty and seventy, which seem
...rimee with the Noble Lord's general character fee
humanity, enquiry was refused upon the.most
louspletence. Lest year his Majesty's Ministers
came down to that lintise armed with a green bag.—
This they laid hefore.a Committee of their own selec.
tin's, and got themselves constituted at once judges,
jury,and w itnesses.The teport of this body so constitut-
ed, endeavoured to (nullify the mad attempts of a
bankrupt apothecary and a starving cobbler, into Re-
bellion and iligh Treason. When this cameto be in.
vestigatedln a Court of 4,ustice, it turned out on
evidence that the prime agent in the mischief was a
Government Spy ; and an honest Jury acquitted the
prisoners of the csime' laid to their charge, though
means had been cord to influence their. minds, which
showed that conviction Will the object more than the,
investigation of truth. The Habeas Corpus Act was,
newer suspended before on such grounds. Even in
the year. when danger was most imminent, when the
reigning dynasty, seemed in the utmost hazard from
foreign power and domestic treason end reltellion ;
• yet esen in these circumstances, which might be deem.
rd a very strong case, the Susnennon was not passed
without much oppositivn, and wi'h strong protests
and remonstrances. Last year, when the attention
of the People had began to he steadily geed in the
measures of Ministts, when they could no longer
be diverted from expositig the ay stem on which they
acted, and the profusion with which they dissipated
the resources of the country in jobs and sinecures,
they all at once bid recourse to their last refuge, and
bethought them of gagging the mouths of the People
in order to stints the call for economy and retrench.
meat, which threatened to deprive them of their best
support--the meets; of providing for their friends
and adherents, like the execrable Robespierre,
who, when he found his power become odious,
and his intentions .uspeCted, sacrificed all his
opponents as the victims of his ambition. This man,
however, attacked the high and the powerful:
but our Ministers ditected air attempts chiefly
against the poor and the starving manuf4cturers.—
MnA men would have felt remorse at the sight of a country so
reduced, a People pilfering the inmost privations, hut still loyal
in their annehuseat. :nal looking up to that House for redress of
all their wrougs. Hut our Governors showed they had no bowel.
of compassion, and taught the People to think that it was ex-
' tray:trans foils in hot% an: longer for redress to that 'louse.-
0111 she resource tit !Holsters for meeting all the distresses nod
complaints of the couniry was, to staid forth Oliver, in order to
' e.seite dis•torhatiees, mid thus to Justify acts of 'tyranny on the
part of the Government. This arch-cps hurried along from
county
.to tritely, displislingthe standard Of rebellion, and ex-
citing no: aid insurrection. Whereat r his'steps could be traced,
i and they were traced a jilt equal care mid necsitacy by his Him.
Friend (Mr. Bennett), there it was timid that he had been pro.
caking to tohlwrs, and miireer. tiotheppily he provoked inane.
instance not in vain. Ile was found-et length returning to resider
an account of his perils and his success. He could have rendered
his account in the words whirls a great Poet ascribes to a per-
sonage. the base and more malignant parts of whose character
Mr. Oliver str.kaio resembled, This Spy appeared
At last, as from a cloud,
_ load was the acclaim:
Forth rush'il in haste the great consulting peers,
Rais'd front their dark divan, and w ith like joy
Congratulant npproa, led him; who. with hand
Silence, and with these words attention, v on, •
----- bong were to tell
What I have done, what spurred: with what pain
V/1 wed the unreal, vast, unbounded deep
Of hot tilde confusion; over which.
tit Sin and Death, Al broad way now is pav'd
Tn expedite your glorious march.
In consequence of this Soy's success, Brandreth, and some of
his associates, were plibliely trtes4. awl beheaded no the scaf-
fold as traitors. 'Why wtts not the ilistigator. in otiose hands
Batotreth was hut the mere instrnment. tried ? Why at as not
this islimi.staiued Spy put term his trial at the imperious call of
justice mid of the country Whom the mere inure ems of his
designs. and the nioretsimple nal innocent victims of delinitio
and fear acre pursued in Ile: •Is. why was (Sliver left at large?
If, by the laws of England, all conneeted with a transaction
I ins olsing murder, are guilty of murder; 1101 S ChM! aft sharer
to be laid against the c ttttt river and instigator of the transaction''
in Derby ?—(Pear, hear r)— But if the voice of justice and of
the country called for the punishment of Oliver. equally did It
tall for the disgrace, impeachment, and pithiilinsent of those
a ho sent him forth, who praised his moral character, and Who
vindicated his whole conduct. In their Commit. originated'
the plait of vending • Spies, mmong the People—from their
Cabinet issued sliver as their champion. Yet those men
now rime down for 1111 Act of Indemnify, rt quiring the
Hater if, screen the perpmritiort of all those dark atrocities.
The honourable and Learned firotlethan had said, that indem-
nity was not sought for so mach In protect Ministers as to pro-
tect thine who gave inforMation. This was a false and fallnd
eises representistiair $ but if it were tine, he would maininio
that Al inistentw ere not warrantee to call far soave', Indemnity.
Wise were their inform:rs ? Were they gentlemen of charac-
ter, whose credibility justified in some mensere such confidench
as the Howie was railed alma to place on their iurormation I—
lia, they were the blood-thirsty Spies, who were sent forth by
Mtnisters, and who created all the evils that had disturbed the
eutrotry.—[4lenr, Mar, hear o—There was one fact now came
to; tight; respecting one of those Spies, its addition to caber
had formerly been detected, which called for the Inmost at.
teution. The fact was slated, and Indeed substantiated. in
Daily Paper. who.* high respectability and extraordinary ac-I
curacy would he authority t nongh for him if he wanted other
evidence.—[Hear. hear, hear!)—hut be had other authority„
—He was authorised, if necessary, to promisee the name of
the Gentleman who would prove all the eircoostauces
their bar.--(Lond and loug-coutimied cheers.)--Tl.isGentlematt
stated, that un the day of opening the Session last year,. before'
the ['time Nugent returned from the House of Peers, be met
Oliver at the liocse Guards going into the
,Park,and inveiehing
in such loud trams against the Prince Regent as to collect Rl
'crowd shout hint. The ittdividvtt, is hose name he could pro.
•doce,•notl *bowies ready to eninfirno his statement on oath, re-1
menstrated with Oliver in salt. Thecousequence was, the out-j
rage on the person of the Prince, and the Sos:iensitin of t
k Habeas •Corpes.—(shish cliecring.)—ide, therefore. opposed
any ititletoriqy for proceedings sir ftwaatly upjup. ifiable. Not
pu y was his own private op • agahist the Bill ; out only
`was it his most solemn, cotritientions, and 'derided 'rootlet loos'
thus bMnisters and their Alpine might not in .he hidept•itltd s',
but, the name of the coviity which he repast. mtedl Durham).
%%here the People had not altogether lust the right of election ;
h their nan e lie called fur a full, fair, and impartial enquiry
Iwo the abuses practi?cd during the Mispcusion of the Babe.*

iityqentlernt n was tveir disposed to mile-tlia it:'
tempt, he was perTetity ready to give way to bins.,Tr.
C Hear, heart from* apposition.]—{The'-
Bart. sat &hive; aiul the'S))eaker'pef 'the'qoPstion ;
but no Member presentihOlinsolf, the Hon. Bart.,
after it short peiSe, Feasid.l—Htbid been willing
to ()germs opportunity to contradict hit Hon. Fattoclitt
statements it any had felt disposed to make the hope•
lest attempt:--[/fear, hear I.]-IXis object wss 'to
reply-to some of the observations of the lies. sand
Learned Gentleman vifib introduced 'the BM.--
lle had.ettempted to. sapkg(!the Bill by precede:its,
Th. first precedent appetite!' to wastitatof 16119.4,-In

thas.year there was 111 IndemalitA Act, but its' so
one respect parallel to the.. Act, sieW requited. The
eremite:tees of the connirreseee,-es diffetent is
possible from those of last yeair Do. legitiotate
Sovereign had; beet, expelled flow Mos Throne, and
another Princihad been chosen in his place. Mitty
of the most powerful families its 'the kingdom were
attached to the abdicated, Kier,: aid the battle of
Athlone had been fought in 1§89„. its hopes of iec,o-
verieg the Throne for him. The militia of the.cestn-
try were in those circumstances caned; out, whit%
was contrary to antic; rwisig it, tbireign of Cholla
11. This required an Acts of Indemeittyv. awe.
amble of that Act conStilStelly ditittegnialied. It kora
the Act now pro Posed.: rt, :sea firth, as the reasons
for calling for indemnity; tbet-they had seized persons
suspected., contrary to Acts theit etistencellkorq
In 1715,_ when the next precedent alluded- to occur.
red, there was a most formidable rebellion in ass
country, headed by the first Noblemen in the king
dom. This rebellion terminated by the esectrtiost of
the Earl of Derweutwater. Was it not natural and
reasettable to call Curt indemoity to those who, its
such circumstances, had exceeded their ordinary!
powers? Yet indemnity bad not been then required
for those who had advised and•plantted measures, but
for the Magistrates who, in consequence of proceed.
logs in their districts, had felt themselves bound to
assume extrwordinary powers. flow different, there.
fore, was thst case from the present ? The indem-
nity of 1746 extend'ed only to acts done during the
rebellion of 1145.• 113'1780, the indemnity had Pa-
tended only to the Ntlgistrates who had acted during
the riots which took place at that time. There was
a suspension of the Habeas Corpus in that year; but
the House would recollect that it applied only to
North America, end had un connexion with the Aci
of Indemnity to Magistrates. In 1801, "hen, was
the only precedent to he found for this measure. Of
this precedent it might he sufficient to say, that it
was the act of the same Ministers w ho now called for
this Act ; that it was a precedent created by those
who had been but to ready to imitate it. But in the
circumstances of danger, in the prevalence of alarm,
in the characters suspected, In eeverpuiut in which:
they ertic' he compared, the precedent of 11301 was
widely different from the Act now proposed. There
was, in fact, no precedent to he found for it le the
Li•aory of this tiountry.--.-[//eat, keaff]—Bat if
there was one part of this Act more objectionable
than another,' it was the time at which it was to
begin. It was to throw back its protection over all
transectiona In the 516th of January, 18111. 11*
Ministers felt it necessary to call for indemnity.
they owed it to their character and credit to
call for an Act cn.extensise with the suspension
of the Habeas Corpus. Instead of this, they came
t• that nouse to he indemnified for having im-
pistoled persona previously to the Suspension Art,
end Whose they discharged without trial. It was of
importance, too, to consider the list of persons com.
mitred under the Suspension Act, on which, he ints.
posed, Ministers relied for their jestificatioo. Its
the printed Return laid on the table there were cle
persons who had beet, arrested. Of those, 51, had
been apprehended by wayrent of the Secretary-of
State, or of the Privy Council; the remainder hid
been apprehended on the warrant sof the Magistrates
of 'Derby and 'Nottingham. Of the 51 arrested by
warrant of the Secretary of State, not one was
brought to trial. They would perhaps be told that
this was a proof of the fenient and mild manner in
which Ministers had esercised their power. To' hill
it eppeared a strong proof of the frivolous and weak
evidence on which they had proceeded, otherwke
could' they haverefrained from 'wilting Islam*, of
the objects of such serious sioipiciotis? Every one
of this "list *as from the very Insiest orders, and
"these were the peons to bring about a revolutifin
in this country.-.--(//cor, hear 0--Cohblers, tailors,
end pamphlet-sellers, had orcationed all the danger,
evened all the-alarm, anti spread ell the dis'affection
which were to justify the placitig of 'loch powers in
the Irands of Government. The 'Habeas Corpus was
air excellent measure; •they 'Aver! gratitude tb those
Who had enacted it • hut it was duly a measure due
.•
to the People. Butl if it Wes not or use in times of
.
excessive slam and unfounded ,suspicion, in times
such as that in which Ministers bad suspended it,
it was of no 'use at all..(tiear, hear, hear !)
If, then, kvery strong Case &told not be made out
'by Ministers, of which he haul hitherto seen • nd ap.
Instance, he would oppose the Indemnity Bill pro.
'seeding one step farther.
Mr. PROTIIEgOE repelled the charge made by
the Hon. arid Leeined Gentleman opposite, against
the advocates of Reform, man/ of KbAni, he believed,
were actuated by.pure mid conscientious motives.—
He should, however, vote for . ,
Colonel STAN HOPE thought die [tonal 'would
have great reason to find fault with Goieragarnt
for supineness, if they neglected to make 41sT. 114asi
.poquainted with
.the dangerind extent of Cob.'
spiracy. The coniequence .of ;which' was, *lt Omar
Habeas Corpus Act bad bees ausitellaPti.oiioti the is.
coonsavodstiun' of the 4ein4?il tee. ewe vied teJelte•
mine into the subject. The real p 4.11 Sp ill oho caused.
.•
tie
SSuspensionLidt by, their acts and 1r
,Atere Cobbett, and the inceadiades .1g.110.41
igloo! the People to acts 9f violeiDiP—WfbA bear !g
Mr. SMYrII (of Cambridge) conimencerby
lading to the alteration in the enacting part of this'
Bill, for the purp /., of iucludieg the case of the

.The Act was iq every sense nem
pliathlifi" oft. tire grime Bbot•
.wirich went to encourage practices unkunen to th:
r-
Zenstit'ution,---(fleire t.)—The fief of the trookya
Of hired Spies might base been, perhaps, stoo.
setdaserfed upon with an excess of. indiguatiOn at ow
Oppsalami vide of the House--but bad it not, st
Ministerial side, been defended with more than or.
teoderuess ?--[hear, hear 1.)--,The %int
remould net too severely reprobate the use of *lc
radii Informers in the mature?: that had hoen swede
He woold say, that whatever destiny 'naffed ok'd
Bridal Conatitution, wbether it was to bo.oles
rendered to the peerogritive c( the Croon, g, w
the vision, of .Annul Parliaments, nib very tfolijo
occurrence, as be ipprehended ; or whether Wyse
to. be .undermined by arbitrary . power bird gigniti
House of Comtism—the' more probibtt (vat,*
perhapa.-(1-/ear I)—there was one thing be
seeded quhe clear, that-it walk! never oweicitotab,,
blOw to the Jacobin principles dissetntratett la elde
couotrtio the yeer'll3ol,—(llear, hag.' hiae!)--
TliteMlnitters -of the 'Crown knew this*- dre.cguts,
alit; felt it ; and utbateviecoOlidence trtielitikome
placed in. his Majesty's Goverumeal et 4'4.4 '1
the Seepensiore, vartaleicoulel esierohbli to them Ago
the failure of all thsreowspitacles proinseneed Of se:
fully forMidable bt ihe Lord Advocate otStotlatort'
after the miserable expedition of lb. Blankateert, and
the explosion of the spirit of Luddism, which wass
suffeied to girt* npin maturity under the
veer eyes of Magistrates on the spot, and which a
defeated whet it had einhcidied-a force of 'boot 90b .4
men, by one Migistrate and a single dragoon, sire
seised 30 or 40 of the offenders in their dieht.--:e
(Hear, hear!]—As to the date of Vorkshire, the
;Magistrates who were titers in 012, soil in the pee..
sent time, openly avowed that the danger et the for:
mireperit;tl *es decidedly more formidable than it
was at the latter,, and had a far greater temioncy to
local outrage; and yet no one, at that timr, eve!
thought of Suspending the. Habeas Corpus Act. The
precedent of this Bill was extremely dangerous ;AM ,
repetition of such precedents would became fatal to
the Cipistitutioe. The Bill now oroproted Druck at
the root of this wholesome principle of law, and ditt
it on • partial view of the interests of a few to the
sacrifice of the unalienable right,' of the many. lie
would, therefore, decidedly support the amendeteat: •
Mr. BRAND said, if any thing could add to
ansiety to resist the motion, it would be the ergs.
mentsdrawn in its support by the Aitorney.fieriorsi
from ancient precedents --{hear, hear!)--lioli
could any of these precedents apply to a .erne of
profound peace, where no competitor ',timid for the
Crown, or any powerful party appeared to wrest
from it its due prerogative ? If the preceJeot were
now admitted for this Bill, he fared it *amid he toe
Often recorded, particularly *then it was bit too
apparent *bat that House, which ought to represent
she People, were determined to reject every enquiry
into their grieveaces, end to stimulate them, by
every such unjust refusal, to acts of violence and
disorder, in the hope of redressing the/Welles:—
(Hear, hear!)—The !loose would see the evil
which •flowed from .stash a coarse, and-'how com-
pletely, itsrpped the principles of the Constitution;
to see in such rapid eareession those who ought to
be the Ministers of a free Stat., recur, with a steed,
earrness, on every emergency, to the practice of
arbitrary Governmenti.—(Hear!)—Whenever a reel
and proper tieceseity for a partial suspension of the
liberties of the, People arose, he would not shrink
from supporting the inessore, and protecting she es.
istiug. Government for the, fair exercise of their re.
spott,ihility on such an occasion; hut he woutiiiskis
qoite a diftereut course when be objected net mof
to the grounds of the suspension, but to the prirte
pie of the indemnity, which was now to shield
Ministers and their agents. He• bad, in the firft
pTaie, 'no confidence in tire Committee who tried titli
case, end there, must be one' very differently formed,
before their opiniuo.coeld-imve any weight with hies.
—(hear I)—By the proposed Bill, the People of
Hoglund were to be pot out of the rile of the law;
they .were to be forbade to proceed egaitai the
Ministers of the Crown for their acts ,under the
foci's of la w.—(llearl)-4'his was the introll!Clion
cif a system in time of peace to indict epos this
People a wrong without- a remedy, and here.the
Ministers had laid rio fair Parliamentary ground he.
fore the House, to show either that. they bed vier-
rifted the powers entrusted to them with • humility
and discretion, or. that they were entitled to tine
indemnity they now claimed. Until they did this,'
earlivment was bound
,to abject in Maine to any
measure which went to take. from the People then'
just sad, hereditary rights.— (ile'ar, hear!)
Mr. MARIIXAT stated that he was one of then"
who last Session opposed the Suspension of thellahess
'Corpus Act. Ile did Alen think that the rircum.'
stances did not justify the adoption of so strong a
measure, and every thing that subsequently occurred
confirmed him in fibe propriety of that .vote. Every
person who had been convicted, was convicted in '4B
ordinary course of law. But though le voted ageing
the measure of the Suspension, -he dirt not feel it et
all inconsistent with such a course to give his support
to a Bill of Indemnity, in the event of the poorts
entrusted to Meister' not being' abused. lie did
not see any roe nil for charging" Ministers with shore,
anti should therefore give his vote for the Billet
Indemnity.

•-;

Lord ALTIIOII.P.U.-cnnaidered it rather a strange
conclusion, that because extraordinary powers trete
ft__tanted by the Legislature to the Ministeri of She
trews,, that therefore it vas right that an Act of le-
amok/ illestid..follew. Now be could Gift no ;anon
for iti.clemnity, if Ministers acted in the spirit .sad
`flan the ,the law.' There could be no rea.
-Nang -for ands measure. unless Iron; tie
~eteets of these powers haring been abased.
"agar, 11410.11--Vby diJ not"Minioers cal) for
&hen tesiontemerate ossltit the nature of .the evil, •
when they applied in ;Ptertitiment last Session? .1f
the provisions Of the Suspension Law %ere trm
why did they not get a l'arliatnen:iry ssuc..

'II in

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' • P,OAAA• la 1 .-, ~.
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• •
• TIIE S'I'ArI'ESMAN.
eel . , rsoOs.catf *the Blanheteers. He was read
—r----
r *rpm. .01311.dhee' • .)—He
ddidt not enTlt so in
saeily prorgeted misckiefisfintl. c,pipsionti ' i ..• AI. . he w I I agree with those olio said-that the 'Magistrates
was, ita‘tiatar, an oilitt nitrty al the 104
aliy, se
ii.. , .”' duty in the l'ealAW csitt I
pl•"mfdandwith Nab • the had
that aria um be vows il ',Lase 11l acted duly
lion in vaid' they noted !ahoy d not. be diOloillti . fort .par : .
and a continued cheeSse.j. . I:st the powers entrusts to them, during the so,
11*,'"".",w11-1 "'ld "111461 APti /Pi,: ,_,evar, Y.#47' 7 ; .*:'l"tr. EY would notliave riseviito earth'. pension of the Habeas Corpus Act—oh y,
ftr
4(1538114m ot,petfessitt, propriety, ants Justice, 'army: :. . v
f tttrApjun.tht,qttg_si.tirliplit4ttempted,,t,..ti should those who thought to give these persons an . 1
vt40#11141!..i ;ei16!Ar4h0.0114.4i61-,... A
1. A efaim progaint iinti. ppeeMt '1:v001140m ii*itidemsity against prosecutions, which, as they acted
Itialtri:elnl7:(4.'e
ine":74telle"f -fdt!'4.'Dillaitir"k.whkfillliy,„,(TPper.:3l: IflEV[ditar, keigit 0-!..03',111e Afiniterial side of: in this fair manner, it was impossible they cook' ineepf
ells!, The Ad was in every sense unconstitutional. It
_do lioisse.-ift as ha_wpAsed. from.
Patteil.- 1-ar--11.11-11123r.irine- e11.b.e...11..1.9.81111.1.....11.1.1;11"8"4.. :-.°1"..41..... +11.4-"Mollernin- wiriirWarsposidAo-inattillehr: eiiiiiiiiiittlirthr prifatfiltteoic tire Snituta RNA,

•
. lie vas ready re
the :Magistrates had
ice in the 'location
during the sm.
us Act—why, then,
give these persons as
which, as they acted
ibte they coold hump/
unconstitutional. it
fie tire •Stittute
ces unknown to the
fact- of the
...employs
e bees, perhaps, a*,
of. indignation at the
but kad it net, et tho
with more than or.
hear 1.1-ITite %int •
ste the use of SON.
.hot had been Matadi/
destiny awaited 114
it was to bo.oles
t the Crown, dor ad
tents, no very
1 ; or whether
. power 414 ti ;sa'r'i
re probebte (veil%
one thing he vlit Pia
Id leaver 0wei540446,6 •
I ttigletntrateat to ildt •
fear, ho4ll t ••—• J
lew this!- sko•einaley
Bence tnigiititimamit •
Inmost ittiWtnissa,ef .
miertihrili to time aitse
is protHsotieed se sr.
Advocate of Stotlaturi
f the Iliatakateett, aed
'oldie'', which
to maturity andel-Het
t spot, and which ail
force of 'boot 90IP
single dragoon, shit
lets in their Might.-4
ate of V'othshira, the
1812, end in them.
the dativer at the for:
ore formidable than it •
r greater tendency to ,
e, at that time, eve!
eel Corpus Act. The
dongeroos
multi became fatal to q '
iw propoqed struck at
'triple of law, anti di; .•
presto of a few to the
ow of the trhn~. ii
pport the ameittkoeot: • •
Bing could add to his