The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-03-29 00:00:00

regraph, ail, he Was convinced, the Hop,GenN tle.
man would admit after again perusing it, o
surely,. after seeing this high error into which be Wino ranee, the Honourable. Gentleman alwit
nivel ' that the consideration of the „ewe
should be postponed. He was convinced Nu
the Honourable Gentleman, hiving for years 41
of the' same profevsion with him (Sir S. komilly),
would deplore what might hare been the dm'
„r i-. 0 rash and precipitate a judgment. ite
begged to call to tho recollection of th'e to,
wk.* mac tho ttrnmetskinti thou 2•70 Called
on

guilty
of a '4,7414;0f the prltgehjiailesegt
:esitownefa7taaltsatbi;elaitciiutibeie.;
ati).;loPtlPtt: the
wege"1:1:11 tnn (7:1111i5e;41,1t71e.11.... 11.1ebueul
Learned Gent. would Dot pretend to say, that
the pulilitation waw nut a Mitt,. bad rgielenn.fesi.
he entertained a doubt on that point. et.p„bliti;
Linn might be a libel in its matter, nest in ill
manner.. Any man has a right tO discuss
Meat ceinetitutional question, 'whether of p
urrtt
or of constituted authority. He might
s-ow ha•
fully in arguing a paint in -which no whet mail
would agree with
, him, but still he had a rieht
do so. There might, be inflammatory langliarei:
' ;argued with gthe paper in qrnee:ttiangilbliklty",t'aantdllaiellgathin:gtritn:t.'aitt:tlho.'.; •
rities and precedents on the Inject were given
argued on with great learning. This was a g„,e
argument, and God forbid that any man should
be precluded (ruin discussing such a subject. Tio
question then was, if there were not in that pa.
per offensive paragraphs ? lie agreed that then
were; but, then, did they ntitount to a libel ? [,/
Sort of laugh from the Ministerial Beach] ee
dared to say that Gentlemen much• better aepoint.
ed with the nature of a libel than he could pretee
to be, would be prepared to answer this Tut
firm, and he should be obliged to sortie of than
tofavour the House with an opinion on this su b. rct
The paper said, that the right assumed totals&
selves by the House was contrary to Map
Charta mud Gentlemen objected that rosy,
parts of it were conceived in strong las.
loop. Why should there not be strong
gunge in arguing a . qttestioth of great cot.
• sequence, involving the rights of the Poltlit •
add the Constitution of the Country ? Was fie
Ifonse called cm to interfere,and to nienute not tla
nature and quality of the langtiage- to be used is
every such discussion ? Surely UNA' not on such
nice matter% as iheee•that the• Home should be eat.
led on to judge? He !lisped the House would not
suppose that he :meant .to enter iato a defence of
this paper.. He only meant lo state his doubt's,
whet low that House ought to take op this marls
a libel on which they were to judge. It rarely MI
•to•ltis lot to sit in a judicial character; but sn far
as he could judge on this matter, be was not pre.
pared to vote in sit:sort of these itcsolutions...
,'re were, sat; he had nireadry said, offensive pe.
~wagraphs in the Paper, but he could not view Om
in 'the mischievous light iii which some gentle**
h'ad been induced 'to Conceive them. The pm.
graph in' which the Hause is stated to 6 6 assume
:he sword of prerogative, and lord, le egislly
',over the Kind and the People," had been pare.
cularly dwelt on, as containing matter.highly
objectionable. lie -could hardly siiw.4ll, this
light. The Hon. Baronet might perfibildlatiasd•
fcnec at his observation, but he coukteit help
conceiving the paragraph as altogether nonsense.
As to mischief, he could not conceive how it
could arise. It was impossible that the idea of
that House lording it over the King could produce
any injurious effect. Could any person, not an
ideot, or fit to be sent to a mad-house, be deceived
by such an idea ? Where had that Honieeter
crOached on the royal prerogative ? There WM
other passitges objected to, such aS'fin eliminate.
tha " manner in which that House was eoltdiv'
(whet," and that, they were 66 collated. top the
by means whiCh it is not necessary for me to de.
scribe." • He would ask the Gentlemen ems
site as Learned Lawyers to say, if the lionour.
able Baronet Were to be indicted for these sb.
jeetionable- paragraphs, how the charge would,
be laid ? Where was the inuendu ? Ile recollected
a case of this kind, cvltere an Honourable, Gen.;
tleman on the opposite side was on theside 0(04
prosecution, 'and he (Sir S. Romilly) for the Dr
fend ant, and there, because there was nu iambs
the case was dismissed. There was a taatter,!
which he wished to call the attention .of I'w
House.. They were called on to votetbuslibdv
in a very singular situation. For; if this Welke
law of the House of Commons, a mai *Or
punished by this House when be has not be
heard. This was not the law in any COurt in tht.
kingdom. lit ally of -our Coatis, when aOr
indicted, after the mischievous tendency of the libel
is pointed out, he has an opportunity of shewin6.
that such is not the tne.liting of it; he is allowed
lu show what its meatkiikg actually Isl' And listi
though it may adalit of the meaning gieen.iln
the part of the ' prosecution, stilt that n„111_,..
meaning hoilttended it receive. Ir.
the person accused has no such opportuellfs
The paper is read; and- then •he is ordered
itfidea w without being bean). He did noire,.
to i):
athat thiss erasmu
tire, as a o
with that of the (
ntlti)eatqt:ile:tittelititsaed "' winffiit'tlh itsPiiacfhlihani
tie nelerrval‘.-0::
accustomed to practice. Iledid not even.tocavt.,
I/ay that this was not -the proper courst'
they were to. purst,c; this mode, when they the*"
vele• s were the party, they should, "If! 3".
deliberately : and if they could not call the II"
. •
Baronet before them, to hear his ex
e.atiatiocare,
the objectionable passages, they should tolt,e_
at least, that all justice .was done
.1; fir
tx. given
admitted yesterday, that tine should
_,.at
deliberation. Now, they *ere ea eainsider
had been dune since,. and what time l'aditll;
tervened; which timid mishit: the 11,1"1e 1°0(
ana
made. Iltemselvve inure complete masters °f Ise,.
subject ? Would. Gentlemen ventnte"'%l
Met those patiges, which had beemolvjert.,_sti.ii
might teetnimit,of a very different Weer°
Co.
after this Hivese•had hail tinffideni ;in"
cider them ? • If. had alreai;• PfiVrel in tee e-
. 4114
son of the Learned Gentleman under big
Mr. Owen),. tha