The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-02-14 00:00:00

THE STATEBitAk:

LONDON: y.

SATURDAY. 'payAim. ill Zits• ,
. - •

A variety of interesting topics conneCterisrldk`rhe
liberty of the subject came under review last nighe in
the House of Commons. The Arbitrsvy.lmpriso.
meats were again one of the chief subjecemtior kid
claim to the attention and humanity of the Hoeft..-.
Petitions from the safferers detailed esi* of 'trashy
and unnecessary oppression, which, as Sir Murk'.
Boarirrr said, would induce any one who heard
their contents to believe we lived under the dominiso
of the 'Bey of ALGIERS, rather than a Governmeat
of law. Besides Petitions from Bctinow and Mrs.
cum, whose cases have already been before the
Public, Mr. Bentterr presented a Petition from
WK. OGEIRK, a person 74 year. of age, who had
also suffered arbitrary imprisonment. He hid bees
treated with the greatest cruelty, loaded With mina.
ties, 30Ibs. weight, which dislocated one of big
arms, and he was 16 hours is this state without re.
relying any assistance; he ultimately lost the use of
his hand, and was discharged after nine months so.
litary confinement, though he had never committed
the slightest offence against the laws of his country.
Ile further stated, that, by a double marriage, he
w‘3 the father of 17 children, most of whom were
dependent upon him for support.—Sir F. &mum
also presented a Petition from JOHN STEWART, a
a weaver at Glasgow, who had been arrestethisme
on the 2241 of February, and kept in solitary. Aso.
finement for seven weeks and three days, with twenty,
and sometimes no food, and on au allowance of fort
shillings per week, half of which went for fuel. The
feeling which these details of oppression must excite
in every bosom but those whom the 66 furies steal,"
cannot be expressed by words. To the honour si
the House it is stated, that the case of the god
Petitioner, WILLIAM OGDEN, who had borne, wr
rather attempted to bear, such a weight of iros,
had s powerful effect on the feelings of the Members.
If it had not, we should imagine humanity and all
sense of justice had been suspended with the horrid
Act which has been made to authorise such cruelties.
We trust if justice is yet conceived to be a dity, that
the Petitions of those unfortunate victims of oppres.
sion, will not merely be allowed to lie on the table
of the « Honourable House," bat that they will ha
come subjects of serious enquiry to Parliament and the
Committees that are to report on the conduct of NW.
stets. Every one that•tin read and thick will.demand
this at their hands, before a Bill Of Indetinitishallbe
granted to men capable of directing or screening such
'wanton 'violatons of all the common principles of
humanity. Theee facts are solemnly' laid before Par.
liament—they can be disproved if they are false—
they are, indeed,,daosnifying proofs of the lenity
and mercy said to have been exercised in the adminis-
tration of the extraordinary powers. They chal-
lenge enquiry, and why are they not disproved by
that test ? Yet the Courier has the brazen faced
impudence to assert that 64 nothing has base
proved against Government !" We should be
ashamed to notice such flagrant assortioas, the
the unjust absurdity of which every one can peiceive;
but it is added, " it only true half of what Mikan
affirmed could be proved, They who have failed to
give the proof in the way which is at their command,
have culpably neglected their duty." Now,. who'
are they who have thus failed ? Not those, ...rely,
who have already adduced proofs of the raiikast in•
justice in their impeachment of Ministers ‘' in the
way readiest at their command," and who desire to
be allowed to substantiate them before any .other
tribunal; and are not they the persons who have
culpably neglected their duty, and all other duties
Who still refuse to permit the evidence of their guilt to
be investigated in the manner most conducive to the
establishment of their own innocence, and the Ite•
tional satisfaction. We will use the same words, sod
Kb that if. only one bolt of what has been affirmed
tioutd be proved-, the Ministers and the persons em-
ployed by them ought to be tried in the most solema
manner that the Courts of the Nation can exhibit.—
For the sake of the victims of the wrong, for the
sake of the Constitution itself, the doors of enquiry
and of justice ought not to be closed on such taw
actions as the arbitrary acts which the country has
lately witnessed. It should be known that the Bill
of Indemnity is not confined to the past viols•
tions: it will, by its example, reach all Mors
Suspensions of the Habeas Corpus Act; • and it
will be henceforth constituted, by precedent, the
practical law of the land, that Ministers rosy
when they please li:spend the Constitution of
the country ; may then form themselves, • end a
few of their friends, into a Committee, which C.
mittee shall refuse to hear any complaints;
_skit
thence determine that none bavo bean aggrieved by
the Suspension, and that a Bill of Indemnity shall be
granted by Parliament for all that has beets done un-
der it. We must hops that this will not be the mat
but that the means of redress will be conceded t*
those who hate a right to demand it. It is theacti"t

••
t t ek , I.
ti
glii="6,
rated, that itnitig444o, "Arca '
riding 41- 9 per eer .ea & et um tt.•is 1; e 7
were not 3 per Cent. Gaels r
tto onforeruseccuuts for Arm In_
where the.
19 I.