The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-03-24 00:00:00

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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

. HOUSE OF COMMTiNt, SIA ROI It
Mr. IL MARTIN moial, that an hnnihie id.
dress be presented to his Majesty; for a return of
all the Offices created slate the year 1731), with
their respective salaries, the , dates of their first
commissions; and the names of their present hold.

erg.
After some Conversation across the table between
Mr. Martin and the Chancellor of the 'exchequer,
the Milan was carried.
MR. WINDHAM.
STRANGERS IN VIE GALLERY.
Mr. SHERI DAN rose to eill the attention of the
House to a subject of which he had some time since
given notice, and which notice had been continued,
from day to day, for a ennsiderahle time. It re-'
speeted the Resolution lately adopted by the
Benches.* of Lincolnq. Inn,. to exclude from the
privilege of being called by that Society to the
every inditidttal- who may' hate written (for
hire) for any newspaper. But, before Mr. Sheri-
&.n was able to uttera word upon that sulrjectop
started
Mr. WINDT! AM, and spoke as follows:
" Mr. Speaker—On the policy of the Standing
Order uf this House, I stn awareit is notnecessaiy
to say a word. nor to use any argument to calorie
it ; but I do atotaltiok it inspreivicau observe, that
if any occasion, more than another, ever presented)
itself to this House, to render it necessary to estfOrce
that Order, the present is that occasion; for the subs
ject is. proposed to be ilieeessed in the presence of}
those, stone of whom are parties noncerned io th,e
diieussion. My Right Houtetrable FrieptPs della
eaey would lead him, shueld:thinkou withhold
his panegyric while he spoke in the presence of
the party concerned. I should presume this np..
prehension would govern the Conduct of the Right
Honourable Gentleman, upon the moat etrailvie
principles; . for generally, in his presence, we do
nut drink the Chairman's health."
Mr. SHERIDAN:44 t speak to order."
Mr. SPEAKER.—" Mr. Sheridan, to order.".
Mr. SIIERIDAN.-•—a I know that the Right •
Hose.Gentletnan is•entitled, without arguipent; to'
enforce tke Standing Order of the House fed the
Exclot.ion of Strangers ; but
Mr. SPEAKER.--;" Unless the Right Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. Windham) has a Motion to:
make, I apprehend it to be irregular to hear bim."
Mr. WINDHAM..." I have a Motion ttinsake,'
Sir ; and I mean to ailed° to it 11(VV, with a view
to guide the conduct of my Bight Hon. 'Friend, as
well as others. 1 mean that there is a certain
Standing Order in this 110e5e...1 mean, with rea
gard to Strangers." •
Mr. SPEAKER...." Imeitediately on its being
intimated that it is thO &Ore of alty Honourable
Member that Strangers should withdraw, the Or.
der must he enforced."
Mr. WINDHAM...." If any Gentleman,
should speak ender any restraint, that will races-,
' eerily call forth, on the part of those whwopprate.
him, sense neweleome truth's."
Mr. SIIERIDAN.•••••64 I speak to (mks."
Mr. SPEAKER:—" Mr. Sheridan to order.
But T shuuld observe, .it is the inviolable right of
every Member of this House, to enforce its Stands
'mg Order.
Mr. SHERIDAN...." I was in possession of
the House ; and the Right. Hon. Gentleman arose,
said be has a Motion to make..-.lle moved no.
thing.... Now, I appeal to you, Sir, whether,
since I am in .possession of the House, I am not
entitled to go on without interruption ; and that
I. ask- with the more confidence, since my Right
Hon. FrieutPs Motion, whatever it is, will come
with more propriety afterwards."
Mr. SPEAKER....:" The Hon. Member'
truly states' that he was in possession of the
House as such he was not liable to any interrupt
time But any other Hon. Member, who thinks
it lit, is entitled, at any time, to enforce any
Standing Order of this House."
Mr. SH ER.IDA --"But the Right Hon. Gen.
tlematt has not moved to enforce any standing Or.
der."
Mr. SPEAKER.--e' Not yet ; but any Mem.
her may,' at any time, call for the enforcement of
any Order of this House. It rests with the Right
non. Gentleman whether he will mote to enforce
all. standing Order or nut.
-Mr. WINDHAM.—" I shall take no pad in
the debate upon this qtlestion, lest I should be
supposed to he acting with a view="
Mr. SPEAK ER,.—" The Hon.Gentlemett must
determine far himself, what dourly howill take:
Ile has a right- to direct that any Standing Order
of this House be enforced ; and, I apprehend,
that the Standing Order to which the Honourable
Member has alluded is, like every other Standing
Order Of this House, se imperative, .that it must
be enforced when moved, without beidg discussed
or supported by argument. The: only question
woe remaining is, whether the Honourable Mem.
her. (Mr. Windham). does, or does nut, take no.
live that there are strangers i
Wh n the Gallery.
do take
"
Mr. WINDHAM y then, Sir,
he Gallery." •
notice that there are strewn t
Mr. SPEAKER—a" Then strangers must with.
draw."—Strangers withdrew by coanhand.

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[We have been favoured With the following
sketch of the debate which tout place in the
[loose after the exclusion of the public.)
Mr. SHERIDAN declared, that since theßight
Hou. Gentleman had thought proper to enforce
~ne Standing Order, he had very strong Wen.
lions of enforcing another; which was, that the
Cammitteeof Judicature, *Web should sit every
Saturday, should resume its duties. He desired
to know from the Speeker, whether, in such case,
the reference of Mr.. Farquharson's Petition to
that Committee would not supersede the necessity
. of the present motion ?
The SPEAKER, according to the uniform
practice of the House, declined giving any hypo.
thetical opinion where there was not a distinct
and specific motion before it.
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Mr. SllERttlitglitidi or all people id that td iu itithon than its obleits. W
Renee he least eXpeited the enforcement of the its design but the depression Of !au.- , owe-
Standing Order (or the exclusion Of the 'public don I " I will put a case (said Mr. Stephen)
from the Right Ron. Gentleman Who had come will suppose a young man
.of etlutair;n
forward on this occasion. He expected he would 'talent contending with pecuniary dialer
hare eagerly seised this opportunity to recent the acuities not ptocceding from vice, h
false doctrines which he bad fatherly so rtes 'mil, misfortune—l will 'appose -hi
guardedly uttered, and becomes convert to the meeting his oblitructions with honourable
krun faith of the freedom of .the. press. Re ex. try, arra exercising hit' talents
peeled this candid and conciliatory proem:ding* -debates of this House, in order to at,
particularly as the Right Honourable Gentleman fession. Where, I ask, is the 'deg
had been sn very zealous in the correction of his such an employment ? who would
speeches, so very anxious as to the stress of his cruel as to deprive him of it ?
emphasis, and the modutation of his voice, and HAVE SUPPOSED, W
so studiously inquisitive as to the happiest att. TY YEARS AGO, MY OWN.
tudes for giving his sentiments a piiitemimic ef. acquainted with eight other Report;
feet. He was led, indeed, still more strongly ail since risen to the, highest eminent,
into this ekpcctation, which had beett so fatally respective professions, and one of
disappointed, from the information that he had _since had the honour of a scat in th:
made amicable idvantes to Mr. Cubbett, int, en. their talents the public would have'ln
tered into a fair treaty of conciliation. These hid this illiberal law been in existenel
hints he merely throe out for the consideration well the effect Of attempting to ilegrf
of the Right Hon. Gentleman.* The particular of men. I have seen it eictuplili'ed
object of his present motion was the condemnition residence in the West Indies ; and
of .a..6,04,41._ep0ted
.01.41.&tichers...of Lin. men are supposed debased, they beet),
coin's bin, eatilueliug gentlemen who Wrote for
the Newspapers (rein their Society. 1111101a*V
chiefly *cied those, who ,reporied the proceed.
ings in the taw Cicurts and in Parliament. Muth'
illiberal calumny had been cast upon these gentie.
men, which it was time should now. fully 'bo con.
feted. lie hid to state then, that ,there *ea.
amongst tholalrOlf,ripotted. the debater of that
Hoek d'O.lesi theirs 23graduat6from the Univer-
sities of Oxford, Cambridge, Dublin, Edin.
burgh; those gentlemen were all iii their progress
to honourable professions; and there was no pos.
sible course better than that which they had adopt.
ed for the improvement a their minds arid the se.
quisition of politicalexperience. They had adopted
this course from an honest and honourable impulse,'
and had to boast the associatiml of many great'
names, who rpse from poverty to reputation.
This had been long the employment, and indeed
chief subsistence of Dr. Johnson and Mr. Burke.
Such were the men at whose dipression this legal
Bye-law aimed; it was a most illiberal and base
proscription of literary talent, and he. could and
no parallel in the history of England, except one
indeed in the reign of Henry the Fourth, which
went to exclude Lawyers from sitting in Palle.
meat. At this, as might be' expected, the body
who now sought to proscribe others was mightily
Offended; they breaded the Parijaesent with.
epithet of int/octant, and Lord Celia detleri4
from" the Bench, there never was a joOdlitle made
therein. It was to be feared, indeed, if this Bye.
law continued in force, it might be as justly said
hereafter, there was never a good lawyer edu.
cated' in 'Lincoln's inn I' He would, however,
leave the individual grounds of the case altogether,.
and demand of that House whether it would be.
wise to take the regulation of the press out .
the hands of men of good education, literary'
powers, and aspiring genius; to place it under'
the guidance of the ignorant I Such an attempt
had, indeed, been made some time ago in an in.
stance which he would state, and which was frus.
trated by the enlightened liberality of tiro then'
Chief Justice. Previous to the departure of Sit
James M•lntosh, the present Recorder of Boas.,
bay, ftir India, 'he applied fur permission to do.
liver certain Lectures in one of -the Law Hails.
The permission was refused him, on the' ground
that ho had once been a writer for a Morning Pa.
per ;. but Lord Loughborough interfered, and oh.
twined his desire, with the
.remark, that he was
happy the press had fallen to such able guidance.
There Was not a single teased fur the enactment of
this law ; it was a vile attack one the liberiy of the
press, and a most unjust individual proscription;
it was a violation of the best principles .of oar
Constitution; " for (said Mr. Sheridait) it is the
glory of English law, that it sanctions no pros
scrrption, nor does it acknowledge any office in
our state, which the honourable, ambitious in.
dustry, even of the most humble, may not attain."
How dangerous was it. now to attempt any invi-
dious and unjust distinction, when the period'
might be so immediate which. Would call for the
united efforts of our whole population I
Sheridan concluded by moving,
" That Mt. Farquhareon'a eetition might be referred ‘,
the Committee of Judicature."
The ATTORNEY GENERAL contended
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that the Judges, as Visitors, should have the con.
trout of the Inns of Court, and all matters with.,
in their jurisdiction: He quoted the authority; of
Lord Mansfield.
Mr. WIN DRAM rose to use the short Mono-,
syllable " No !" to every assertion made 4bolit
him, except as to the correction of his .speechc!.
ell, he never had desectillet! to any advance

iIIIPI :- siiiiTlisirt ce Alt loility
civet injuitiee; they might hare a.
supporters of the press ought, above
fie respected. The power of the
Government is'as great u the power
in % military. despotism : let the '
and conciliation be used towards it
rectors of the prets were sought to
they would naturally become dissat
established order of things ;
.and
1 foreseeing what the consequences
fending men in the possession of si
instillment;
Sir JOH N ANStRuTnER was
of Lincoln's Inn, but reprobated tf
.he could not sufficiently admire-the
dependent Speech of.the Learned
had just sat tiown,...and whose exAna,
as to render ill argument unneces,
what Lad passed, he was convinced
be immediately rescinded ; it was,
'Obnotious; whether he considered
had in view, or the description of
ertioas it, went to impede—men
Addison and Steele had acted
Obnoxious as the taw was, howev(
rious fact that it proceeded from
had partiCularly, boasted their ft
press. Mr. Henry Clifford, was
Lord Feskine its godfather !,
• The souctrOß GENERA

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_,-.Typekt .tp,..40..ma51e tc, the Jat*gel in the •
first instance, who •had powPr to rescind the bye. •
law.. . '.•
Mt. CROKER highly•disipproied Of the bye.
law, and hoped it would be rescinded ; he had nO
,doubt, indeed, that this woiski by the case, pro.
tided the Right lion. Gentleman's motion was
willtdrairn,- which he did Out think so shaped as
lo meet its object:, .
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' ••• Mr: SIIERIDAI4I, le reply, &timed, that any
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person rho Itsppooed he sought popularity on title
occasidn had been Completely mistaken t
.b.is only.
object was to redress injestice:, The law•of which
he complained had boon •ttaavited t*o years ego,
and the Cientletneti of • Lincoln's Tow *did nut
want time, however they might haie been dt:licienit
ioitielinationt to rescind it. ..A.nepplication to dist
Sedges might have the effect of redressing inditia.
dual in:Eary ; but tie body, except Parliament and
' tileßeacheri themselves, hid the power of totally ,
innulling.the law itself. Ile was content, how...
ever, to withdraw his pretent motiour on the assts.. •
ranee' which bed been given him,' that the .I.4tvr3t.
should. be rescinded. • lle had attained his ob;"
ject; he 'had drawn from all !jaw! of. the :House
reprobation 'of the principle upon which this Lsw
rts first established..
[The Motion was then witlaltawn,. on the un.
der.tantling that tile obnoxious it ei,.lutinte shot,ld
be rescinded.
,Stringers ,were then re.adutitted.]
1
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i • . ARNIII" ESTIMATES.
Lord PALMERSTON:Irned the Order of
the Day for ttie,llouse.going into a Committee
for the purpose of re.Cottinlitting the Army Esti.
mates.
Sir T. TUiITO cori4Afired that it wciuld ,b 3 .
$
quite a delusion On'ihipublie to 'go ng:tilk into a
Committee for the paltry saving which was, pro.
postal. The iottntry.bad a right to expect much
more important retrenchments.
-The Mite thins resolved itself into the Cons. '.. *
Odttee. • -
.. Lord PAl,tif.ll3TOlki rose to etplain the' ' • :
farther reiluiliohs ,*htch wore pitrired to he . , ..'
made on the Staff. In
...0. eastetu diitrict it , .
was proposed to mik6,,,,iitdttctinit of one Lieu. '' •
teuant.Geueral, whietl tiliMild itill leave eight Ge. • • "
-nerals to coannated 14°4 :r e 0,600 men. In thd
~,,rdAs
, be ' ' -fttion , - ---
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Above ~, m Siliern , -
. . a seduction o 1 one . -- •
or the sligliteit enneiliation with Mr. 'Coisatiet-.
Litutenailit:ks , eneral., so, the home district there
mow . :
fie would leave the .subject to those who distri,c.t there
ivwcruhl be a reducliott at one Majur-Gencral—
came for the purpose of discussing U. (tic :hortl (Bear, hear! front the Opposition]—and then
• there would be five Geileyoglanttorescouruintiaottild 10,000
wanted for the elipence of
after left the Iladse.]
Mr. STEPHEN commenced a must panty , thrt, i
haltiftestulmledufin4o7,7thl-
speech (which we regret our ezelusion prevents the 'M
uff and Garrison."
us from giving as fully as we cu'uld wish), by de- Sir GEOB,GE WA4.II:VAIDER said, that au he
Blaring tkat he hail been a member of Lincoln's principally.
tansy. fooffiuncilmf7wletrwe ittlirt:bp:ft'in,ilaniztrointhsievildicirti. •
`While
jet,:
.511moktliaeiti.t41,19 III:ea:le :leer::
Inn for thirty-five years, but that he had not the . , ,
fere
appointedn.l ilistfrotcrtsi.l7o`Woo..
,000 Dien in the gastern •
molt remote COnnetion with the framing of this ,
only _eight to command 21
most obnoxious bye-law ; he thought it a most
illiberat and Imp's% proscrilitien••—a scaddal rather district. There was no greater nuniber in the •
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WIN
.
• I. I,
• •
•
chat co4ll e
amiable cur.
Stepised) ; I
•lar6ll and df •
I ,
k
but from fa:
•
him honestly •
hirable Indus.
reporting the
• attain pro-.
*gradation of .
be to meanly
TEI E CASE
WAS, T. 11 I It.
•
I Was then
!ers, Kho have
•nenee 'in their
. ,
of wlicoln has
kis Hotoe. Of t
been deprived, I
:Ince. I kilo* , 1
grade any class
J durin3g a long
I I know when
become so in
adorned. The
use all men, to
•
press in a free
er of the sword
utmost caution
it." lf the di-
to• be degradedi I
'tidied with the I
I there *as no
mtght be of ot.
such a powerfol
•
as alSottßenthet
the present law;
he manly and in.
Gentleman. Who • 11
rAmple was such
~ •
ecessary. After
:d the law would •.' • •
as indeed, Mott
•
'ed the object it
f wen whose el.
v among whom
I in their
,tiay.
•
ver, it was a CU►
two then Who
friendship for the
Li its fatheri and •
LT, thought an ep.
tfajoilliet in the •