Star. — 1821-07-11 (London, England)

SOCIETY TOR THE SUPPRESSION OF VICE. Dr. LUSHINGTON presented a Petition from William Clark, Bookseller, of 201, Strand, complaining.of hardships sustained from certain prosecutions instituted by, the Society for the Suppression of Vice. One part of the Petition, if true, seemed to him of, great importance, as it chewed the way in which all such Societies proceeded. He stated, that an old man, whom the Petitioner verily believed to be employed by the prosecutors, had come to his shop, and purchased a work, entitled, " Killing no Murder," which was written by Colonel Titus, and which contained an exhortation to murder Oliver Cromwell. The old man said, " This is a good book, and the principles which it contains might well be applied to Castlereagh and his junto." To this the Petitioner answered, that " the book was written at a particular time, and under peculiar circumstances, and that its principles were not generally applicable to the present times." The conduct pursued in this case seemed to chew that it was the object of those who were thus employed to instigate to the commission of the offence which they were retained to detect. He, for his own part, abhorred the use of spies under any and all circumstances. The Petitioner complained that he laboured under difficulties with which be should not have to contend if he were prosecuted by the Attorney-General, as he had been refused a copy of the indictments preferred against him. Notwithstanding the observations which he had been called urn to make on the Society which had taken upon itself to be the guardian of public morals, he trusted that he should not be considered the less willing to detect blasphemous and immoral publications, in whatever forms they might present themselves. Mr. WILBERFORCE would be the last to prevent an individual from exercising the right of Petitioning, which every British subject possessed under our glorious Constitution, but he put it to the House whether the representations of an individual who got a living by selling publications_ like those which had been alluded to, or the statements made on the part of the Society by whom he had been prosecuted, ought to be most attended to. That the Society employed spies and informers he disbelieved; and if in any instance it could be proved that a person connected with them had so far overstepped his duty as to urge the commission of an offence, he was sure that the Society would be as much disposed to proceed against that person as the Honourable and Learned Gentleman could be, and would instantly discharge him from their service. He then adverted to the remarks made on an individual on a former evening, and declared it to be his conviction, from long acquaintance with him, that he would not connect himself with any Society, from the motives imputed to him, nor lend himself to institute proceedings against individuals, with a view to his own emolument—(Hear, hear). HOBIIOUSE wished to ask if any thing had yet been done in the case of William Benbow, and if, the Attorney-General could tell whether or not the trial was coming on? He (Mr. Hobbouse) had this day received a letter from Mr. Benbow, in which he said he did not believe that the vial was coming on; at least, that he knew nothing about it. The