The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-02-12 00:00:00

LONDON:

rECRVARY 12, ate.

THURSDAY,
•
The subjects brought before Parliament increase
3to interest, and the notice of almost every thing of
3ehlor consideration most be supseuded, till the great
Subjects are disposed of. No topic can be more
important to the Dation, or is more deserving of the
serious ineestigation of the Legislature, than the em-
ployment by the Government of Spies and Inform-
ers, end the real nature of the transactions upon
which the Administration which suspended the Ha.
bees Corpus Act mean to found their claims to In-
demnity. A motion was made last night in the
douse of Commons by Mr. FAZAILLRLY founded
on a clause in the celebrated Reports of the
Secret Committees, which seemed to. acknow-
ledge that the persons employed by Government
in the character of Spies, had somewhat exceeded
their functions. The object of the motion was
to instruct the Committee of Secrecy now sit-
ling, to enquise whether any measures had been taken
lay Ministry for the trial of these their agents, and a
,debate of great interest and animation ensued. Mr.
liessrrr, whose indefotigable seal to elicit truth
deserves every praise, completely redeemed his pledge
to prove that Ministers themselves, by the conduct
of their agents, were chargeable with the chief csuses
of the disturbances sod insurrections that took place
last year; and that when the operations of these uu-
principled and hired emissaries ceased, tranquillity
-was every where found to prevail. Mr. BENNETT
clearly proved the connection of Oliver with Bran-
dreth anti the Derby sufferers, the most dreadful
part of all this horrid performance. We have
given Mr. BENNETT'S narrative as fully and cor-
reedy as ,we can. The Honourable Gentleman
speaks not from mere supposition—his facts are
stated, upon authorities the challenge legal enquiry,
upon documents and allegations vouched for by oath,
and he only requires that House and its Committees
to allow him to establish these charges against Mi-
nisters, by the most convincing of all evidence, the
living witnesses of the facts. Yettha truth, indlbe
proof of these statements are denied ! and the Re-
port of the Committee will doubtless be made with.
.00t any enquiry into these momentous subjects ! The
Public, however, after these exposures, will treat
such a Report as it deserves. Mr. FAZAKERLT'S
motion, though thus supported, and backed by other
facts stated by Lord MILTON, and otherwise au-
thenticated by unquestionable authority, was ne-
gatived by a Majority of 111 to 53. Thus votes,
Mat not evidence of exculpation, silence enquiry, and
carry iudemnity to men who are eveu allowed by their
employers to have committed acts deserving of con-
demnation! The career and history of the wretch
Oliver, the prime instigator of the system of mischief,
as traced by Mr. Burner; and corroborated by the
ether uudeniable testimony, merits in no common
degree the Reader's attention. The confusion in which
Sliuisters are plunged for a defence of their system of
espionage, h strikingly palpable from the conduct
pursued towards Bacon and Oliver in regard to the
Derby trials. A Noble Lord high in Administra-
tion, as we noticed last week, urged in disproof of
Brandreth's dying assertion that Oliver instigated
bim to his guilt, that the accused might have called
Oliver to give evidence.. Now, observe what the So.i
.LICITOR-GENERAL has got to say. lie stated the
tact that Oliver's name was not on the list of wit-
Nices, end therefore it mould hare been impossible to
twit hius. And it appears from Mr. Bet:Nest's chain
of facts, that the only reaSon why Bacon was cvt