Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-06-02

FOREIGN.

y u
the Commercial Advertiser.
HOUSE OF COMMONS. MARCH
INDEMNITY ELL.
The Attorney General having moved
the order OF the day for going into il COM
lIiiee on The Indemnity Bill
Sir y. Romilly objected TO the general
principle of the bill, which was to prevent
aggyieved Individuals, however aggra, at
Ell were Their injuries, from seeking re-
dress. 1t embraced three chief objects.
IND mnliy Ia Ministers, indemnity 10 Ma
gistrates, indemnity To iniormrrs. As TO
The first point, some gentlemen maintain-
ed that the House was bound to protect
Ministers IN the exercise Of the powers
which IL had granted 10 them. Nothing
could he more erroneous. The suspension
itself protected them lii the exercise Of
extraordinary powers. Ii was said that
no person tad been arrested hut upon in
formation on oath what need was there
then for indemnity II was said too that
no information could be obtained without
promise of secrecy but what security
was there that all the InfOrmatiuns nere
not the result ofpr,vate malice, since there
was NO responsibility in giving inforna-
tion2 An oath, under such circumstances.
VAS 'prived OF all legal aud political Sc
petitions complaining Oi abuses had been
disproved; bat out OF eleven petitions
ouly three rad been denied. II the state
ments III these petitions we're not taken TO
br true, should Indemnity be grained TO
Magistrates without inquiry On for
discussion, ministers had said nothing
In their own Justification, because their
own conduct waS called III question. But
they had furnished the evidence 10 the
committee, and perhaps drawn IN the Re-
port; IL was said that bid of indemnify
was Tie necessary consequence OF the s,is-
pension OF the Habeas Corpus, and his
assertion wa. justified by precedenis :;
but, as far as he knew, there was no such
precedent bul that of 1901. AS To the
other period9 when suspension had taken
place III l7l5 and i7+5-the country was
III very critical situation, and the Minis
iers bad been compelled 10 have recourse
To unforeseen measures, which required
Indemnity. lie was sure that The indcm-
nifty 20 Magistrates was not contemplated
at the time OF the suspension. Was IL 10
be supposed Thai IN Tins country, in 1917.
The magistrates could not trust 10 the
strong huiwarks which The law had pro-
Sided for The security Of the country, but
must have had recourse to violent means
n -
mauy persons had been arrested at Man
chester, and if government possessed evil
dence sufficient 10 convict these men, IS nv
rot bring them to trial, instead OF asking
indemnity for these magistrates, while the
house we're left perfectly Ill the dark with
respect 10 the real state of the case No
explanation whatever had been given why
tins bill extended to the 2Gth Of January.
! renamed 10 be seen whether they could
vote such measure as tins, without even
tie shO" OF reason, or an explanations
There was one part OF the bill luslifyin
magistrates Tor the seizure of papers. The
Yuiject bad been very warmly discussed
when house (Mr. Wiikes's) was entered
aud papers seized at midday for libel
aud the practice was strongly and exp!i-
city condemned. Petitions we're laid M
on that table a few nights, and, III which
it was alleged, thai the petitioners houses
were euiered al mid day, Tie petitioners
dragged away, loaded with irons. brought
before Tie Sessions, condemned IN hard
laber-and all iii consequence of the Gel
ehrat d circular letter which had been
discussed IN tbai house. The punishment
10 which they we're thus exposed was such
~ they could not suffer if convicted. 4
punishment so airOciOus could not be in
hieied. II would be d thing so monstre us
that II could not Ge attempted. Yet ihus
we're they punished, without charge
and without trial. Hear, heaT D-Oue
case appeared IN the public papers, uhich
u was incumbent on ministers Ia explain.
II was the case Of person of ihc name
Of SwiBton, whose house was entered m
midnight, when lie lay III bed with lus
vile, who Was far gOn" ~ pregnancy Iiis
house vas ransacked for papers, lie was
himself dragged away, his wife was pre-
maturely deliver d, iu consequence offbe
alarm tlIe child died, and another child
deprived now Of tHe support offs parents.
was sent iO ihr courthouse. Aud all ibis
dreadful suffering WAS inflicted upon a
person charged with 10 offence =, Ienr.
6egr, he1r. lie would ask tie Gcntlguen
opposite, whether they thought that. be-
cause the could suspend hc laws of
this country, they could suspend The
laws Of G0d and Of Naiurel This Bill
would be mad, q precedent for others
and they nn.slh expect H. be called upon
next year Tor another indemnity Tor llle-
gdl illegal ilioy mast be, or no in
demulty would b. wanted. TIE House
should take on example from ireland.
who're Tie most dreadful iuriu~cs had
b en- INFLICTED, mich should show them
TIE consequences Of encouraging hiiris-
aies 10 ~ against lie law. Those Who
demanded redress we're refused, aud ihe
refusal sanctioned b. as Act Of Pzrlio-
mrni, winch a. now cited AZ a prcc
Genil Tie danger from persons H.
france corresponding "iH others 10 thi,
cOHUfy, oos tAcn the prclcncc. iuGe
present case, such danger wds not prc-
teaded. But THOSE who bad g..oA uior-