666 66 er do then take the chair, and count" Robert Inglis, Sir Richard Vyvyan. "the House, and if forty members be" Five to be the quorum." "not then present, do adjourn the Thus, then, this part of the ancient "House till twelve o'clock the next government gets a shake; thus the an"day, unless such day be Saturday, cient institutions of the country, of "in which case Mr. Speaker do ad- which we have heard so much, get a "journ the House to Monday at twelve little decent shaking. The great ob"'o'clock.' Amendment proposed, to jection to the twelve o'clock meeting "( leave out twenty,' and insert for petitions, and for petitions only, was 'forty,' instead thereof: Question put, that there would be nobody there to "That twenty' stand part of the hear the petitions read; and, especially, question :' The House divided: no reporters to give a report of what "Ayes, 98; Noes, 37. Main question was said upon petitions. I opposed the put, and agreed to. project altogether on this account, and "Resolved, That when Mr. Speaker divided the House upon it, and Mr. resumes the chair at five o'clock, or a FIELDEN and I were two of the seven "House is formed at five o'clock, pur-(the five and the two tellers) who voted suant to adjournment, the House will against it. The second division was an "immediately proceed to the business amendment by Sir THOMAS FREEMAN"of the day set down in the order book. TLE; and in this division Mr. FIELDEN "That committees have power to sit and I were two of the thirty-nine, in"from ten o'clock in the forenoon until cluding the two tellers. Another great "five o'clock in the afternoon, and objection to the whole scheme was, that "have leave to sit during the sitting of the printing of petitions, or even parts "the House. of petitions, is to depend upon the will "That this House do meet on Wed-of a committee; and I beg my readers nesday next at twelve o'clock, pur- to look well, and very well, at the "suant to the said resolutions. names of the members of that commit 66 66 "That a select committee be ap-tee. This is a very great alteration; pointed at the commencement of each and further alterations appear to be insession, to which shall be referred all tended. There appears to be an intenpetitions presented to the House, with tion to do something or other to pre"the exception of such as complain of vent the "inconvenience" which is "undue returns, or relate to private now springing up, owing to this little "bills; and that such committee do bit of a reform of the Parliament. Triclassify the same, and prepare ab- fling as it has been, it has created "instracts of the same in such form and conveniences ; and there will be a manner as shall appear to them best great struggle in order to get rid of "suited to convey to the House all re-these "inconveniences." What every quisite information respecting their contents, and do report the same from "time to time to the House; and that "such reports do in all cases set forth "the number of signatures to each pe-present; and that the petitions would "tition. one seemed to anticipate was, that there would be nobody present at the twelve o'clock sitting; that the Speaker would take the chair with twenty members then go on, being presented to empty "And that such committee have benches; for, observe, having once power to direct the printing in extenso taken the chair, he must go on, whether "of such petitions, or of such parts of there be anybody upon the bench or petitions as shall appear to require it. not, unless some one choose to count "That the following be members of the House; so that no reporters would "the committee: Sir Robert Peel, attend; and that, the people finding "Mr. Hume, Mr. O'Connell, Sir Ed- their petitions thus treated, would peti "ward Knatchbull, Colonel Davies, Mr. tion no more. However, the thing is "Littleton, Mr. James Oswald, Mr. done; the hoar of antiquity is thus "Clay, Mr. George William Wood, Sir brushed away; the grand committee of : grievances, and the grand committee of have able, expert, and diligent reporters. courts of justice, were gotten rid of at It will be furnished with matter enough, the beginning of the session. Thus the I will warrant it. The evening papers "ancient institutions" of the country will anticipate the morning papers with go one by one; and I, who wish to re-regard to the better part of the reports, store them or maintain them, am ac- if those evening papers do their duty. cused of a desire to overturn the insti- Petitions will come, of course, relative tutions of the country! to the stamp and auction duties, for This thing is done its manifest ten- instance; upon those petitions will come dency is, whatever may have been its speeches, to be sure; and these speeches intention, first to abridge, and finally to will be amongst the most interesting to annul, the great and only remaining the people at large. Let the evening right of the great mass of the people, papers but do their duty, and this new namely, the right of petition; because check upon petitions may be made to the people, seeing that their petitions turn to good instead of to evil. are to be presented in this manner, and In the meanwhile, let me exhort my seeing this committee appointed to de-readers to continue to petition. The termine about the printing of them, members of Parliament can do nothing would be prone to conclude that it is no without the petitions of the people; and use for them to petition. But we must I beseech the people to bear that connow resolve to meet this new difficulty. stantly in mind. My readers are hereby The sitting at twelve o'clock must be informed, that, upon further inquiry, I well attended by members duly sensible find that a petition, weighing more of the task they have undertaken. We than an ounce, must be sent according must make that the important part of to the following rules. If they weigh the proceedings of the day. There less than an ounce they come, of course, must be reporters for the evening papers; free under a frank to a member. If and I do trust that the True Sun will more than an ounce, and not exceeding have its reporters in plenty and with six ounces, they may be sent to any ability; so that, that same evening, the member at the House of Commons, people in London may know what has both ends of the cover being left open, passed in the middle of the day. This and no letter or other writing of any will be the way to meet this new ob- sort being contained under the cover. stacle; and I, in the most earnest man- If of heavier weight they must be sent ner, request the proprietors of the True up by some other means and those Sun to be duly prepared against Wed-means, as far as relates to myself, must nesday next, when this new order of be such as not to expose me to any exthings is to begin. The whole will de- pense whatsoever; because, as I have pend upon the evening papers doing said before, I receive nothing from the their duty. My constituents may de- people, whom I serve for nothing with pend that I and my colleague will do willingness; but, at the same time, I our duty; and if the evening papers do have nothing to live on but my own their duty, even this change may be earnings; and those earnings I am not turned to good." It is not in our stars, called upon to give for the use of the but in ourselves, good BRUTUS, that people. "we are underlings." Oh no, it is not The business, which is coming on in our stars; it has not been in our before the House of Commons, is nestars, but in our base and degraded cessarily of great and general interest; selves, that we have so long been creep-and one may say, with great truth, that, ing about as the underlings of those "sufficient unto the day is the evil therewhom the institutions of our fathers of." I never have until yesterday (Wednes bade us to consider only as our equals in day) given notice of any motion at all. the eye of the law. Again I make my But yesterday, I gave the following no appeal to the evening papers, and parti-tice, to the subject of which I beg the cularly the True Sun.' It must reader's attention. ; "Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Na-" 66 MOTION FOR 5. MARCH. was signed at London on the 19. of "November, 1794; together with a "statement of the grounds on which "the said sums respectively were so "issued and paid, and specifying, severally, the dates of the said pay-counties of England and Wales and "ments. 66 “Also, an account of the several sums, so as aforesaid issued, to pay.. "the salaries and allowances of the "A return of the names of all the justices of the peace in the several whether the person so named be a Scotland, stating against each name, clergyman of the established Church, half-pay, or be in the receipt of a a naval or military officer on full or salary as a justice of the peace, or be in the receipt of any salary, pension, sinecure, or other pay, allowance, or “emolument, coming out of the public "taxes, or be an issuer of paper-money, commonly called bank notes. " said Commissioners, from the day of 66 66 Also, an account of the several sums, so as aforesaid issued, to defray "all other charges, demands, and ex66 penses, arising out of the appointment, and the proceedings of the said "commission. 66 These are very important matters; and the people ought to have their eyes. House should be pleased to agree to upon the discussion of them. If the the motions, the public will immediately perceive the 'great utility of the information called for. If the motions MOTION FOR 28. FER. should be rejected, the people will have "An account of the total number of an opportunity of hearing the grounds actions, which, in the five years im- upon which the papers will be moved "mediately preceding the year 1802, for, and the grounds upon which they were brought in the Court of King's shall have been refused. It is not for Bench, against beneficed Clergymen ine, in this publication of mine, to anti"of the established Church for having cipate that the House will ever do violated, by non-residence or other-wrong while I am in it; or, that it has "wise, the act of the 21. year of done wrong. But, having a portion of "Henry VIII., chap. 13, and of the 13. the press in my hands, it is my bounden "Elizabeth, chap. 20, which actions duty to lay the facts before my readers, were quashed, or nullified, or set aside leaving them to draw their conclusions "by George III. chap. 84. from those facts. "Clause 5. makes ita necessary part "of the proclamation to command the "inhabitants of the district proclaimed, " TO REMAIN WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE 66 HABITATIONS AT ALL HOURS BETWEEN "" SUN-SET AND SUN-RISE.. "Clause 7. authorises, and commands "after proclamation, all justices, peace"officers, and also ALL COMMISSIONED OFFICERS COMMANDING HIS MAJESTY'S FORCES IN IRELAND, to take the most 66 66 "Clause 1. authorises the Lord"Lieutenant of Ireland, by his order, "to prohibit or SUPPRESS, the meeting "of any association or body of persons "in Ireland, which HE SHALL DEEM to "be dangerous to the public peace or safety, or inconsistent with the due" vigorous and effectual measures "administration of the law. This clause" for suppressing insurrectionary and "makes it a misdemeanour to be pre- OTHER disturbances, and to search "sent at such meeting so prohibited or "for, arrest, and bring to immediate SUPPRESSED, and makes the misde-" meanour, if committed within any district proclaimed in pursuance of "this act, cognizable by any court ap"pointed as hereinafter mentioned; "that is, by COURT-MARTIALS. ઉં trial, all persons charged with offences "under this act. "Clause 9. forbids, after proclama"tion, any meeting to be held, for the purpose of petitioning Parliament, or "discussing any alleged public griev ances, or any matter in CHURCH or State, unless a written notice specifying the purpose of the intended meeting, and stating the day, hour, "and place of meetings shall have "been given ten days at least before, Ito the chief secretary; and UNLESS THE CONSENT OF THE LORD-LIEUTE NANT IN WRITING SHALL BE OBTAINED. 66 66 66 "Clause 2. authorises any two or more justices to demand, or if necessary, enforce, admission into any house or place whatever, where they shall "have good reason to believe, from "information on oath, that any prohi"bited meeting is held; authorises one "of the said justices, or other person by "his order, to read a notice to the persons, so assembled to disperse; and in case such persons shall not disperse "Clause 10., for trial under this act, "within one quarter of an hour after the" authorises the Lord-Lieutenant to ap"notice being so read, they shall be" point commissioned officers serving in "liable to be proceeded against in a "the army in Ireland; provided that the 66 6 summary way, before any two jus "officers appointed shall have attained "tices of the peace, who are hereby "the age of TWENTY-ONE YEARS, "authorised to convict such offenders, "and shall have served his Majesty “either on the view of one of the said "not less than two years as commission"convicting justices or on the con- "ed officers. "'fession of such offender, or on the "Clause 11. constitutes any number ❝oath of one or more credible wit-" of the officers so appointed, not less nesses, and thereupon to commit" than five, nor exceeding nine, a "them to gaol for three calendar" COURT-MARTIAL; for the trial. "and punishment of offences under this" sun-rise, to demand, and, on refusal, to "act; and authorises summary trial, force, admission, into any house, from judgment and sentence to be passed" which he shall SUSPECT the inhabi"by such COURT-MARTIAL as might "tants to be absent, and to search for "have been done by any court of Oyer "the inhabitants and for arms con"and Terminer. "cealed. "Clause 12. cominands the ap"pointment of one of his Majesty's "counsel to act at every such COURT“MARTIAL as Judge Advocate. "Clause 20. renders the inhabitants "of such house liable to trial by COURT“ MARTIAL, conviction and punishment, "if any offensive weapons' be found "Clause 14. makes the decisions of "in the house so entered, after they "the majority of such COURT-MAR-" shall have been called upon to deli"TIAL the decision of the Court. 66 ver up the same, unless they can "Clause 16. authorises such COURT-"make it appear that such weapons "MARTIAL to summon evidence, to 66 were there without their knowcompel attendance, and in case of re- ledge. fusal to give evidence, to commit the person refusing to custody, for three" "months at the most. "Clause 17. enacts that any person charged under any of the several acts "which it enumerates, for preventing "tumultuous assemblies,' 'riots,' 66 66 "Clause 21. gives the COURTMARTIALS the power of trying and punishing with twelve-months' imprisonment the offence of uttering "SEDITIOUS hand-bills or pamph"lets. 66 "Ciause 22. provides for the secu"combinations,' the administering of " rity of witnesses by enacting, among "unlawful oaths,' the injury of 'magis- "other things, that any person who trates and witnesses in criminal cases,' "shall by menace or OTHERWISE, deter "and for restraining party proces-" a witness from discharging his duty, 66 sions,' and also every person charged "shall be sentenced by court-martial "under this act shall be tried by "to be transported for any term not "COURT-MARTIAL; and this whe-" less than seven nor more than four"ther the offence shall or shall not "teen years. "have been committed, BEFORE THE ISSUING OF ANY PROCLAMATION UNDER THIS ACT. This enactment is to ex"tend to CAPITAL OFFENCES, pro"vided that it be by the special "directions of the Lord-Lieutenant ; "but the COURT-MARTIAL being so directed, may try such offence, and 68 sentence to TRANSPORTATION FOR LIFE. 66 "Clause 18. makes guilty of a mis-" held in custody in any part of Ireland; demeanour any person who shall be" and clause 27 authorises them to be "out of his house any time between" so held for three months without the one hour after sun-set and sun-rise," benefit of the Habeas Corpus Act. "unless he can make it appear that he |