miferable fhift of the poffibility of an exifting confpiracy without confpirators! Finding themselves foiled in this attempt to annihilate the focieties for procuring a parlia mentary reform, minifters thought proper to change the mode of proceeding, and by one blow to quash not only thefe exifting focieties, but even the poffibility of their ever exifting in future. Mr. Halhed concluded a speech of confiderable length with obferving, that every fentence of the proclamation was a mere affumption of fact, without any proof whatever. Mr. Maurice Robinson faid that he had heard that night from an honourable baronet, a fophiftical explanation of the nature of the bill, more dangerous, because more infidious, than the open avowal of the chancellor of the exchequer. By this bill the interests of the fovereign were opposed to those of the people; whereas it had generally been held, that the fovereign was the third branch of the legislature, and was bound to defend the democratical interefts as well as his own. He was not aftonished at the want of evidence to fupport the bold affertions of minifters. The Romans, he obferved, felt no furprize when Caligula made his horse a conful, because his antecedent, conduct would have juftified any extreme of defpotifm, however abfurd: but he did not pretend that his horfe was a Roman fenator. Mr. Robinfon contended that the interference of a magiftrate, at a public meeting of peaceable fubjects, would be an arbitrary meafure. He alfo alluded to a member of that houfe, who had proposed a bill to diminish the benefits arifing from a trial by jury in the city of London. He concluded with obferving, that he could confider the bill in no other view than as an execraро ble compound of oppreffion and folly. Mr. Alderman Lufhington came forward to obviate an affertion which had been made respecting his attempting to leffen the benefits arifing from the trial by jury, and faid, that when the matter was more fully difcuffed, it would appear whether or not fuch an imputation was fairly charged upon him. He then adverted to the bill propofed by the chancellor of the exchequer, and faid, that, when he confidered the daring infult which had been offered to his majesty, and the various feditious and tumultuous meetings which had been held near the metropolis, he thought the ftrong measures of the honourable gentleman neceffary for the preservation of the conftitution. If a negative was put to this bill, he would venture to say, that not only every man in that houfe, but millions without the houfe, would lament the day when it was rejected. The alderman took notice of the expreffion of Mr. Fox relative to the rights of man, and obferved, that he had no doubt but the honourable gentleman was aware of the rights of focial compact; he was perfuaded, he could not mean to allude to the rights of nature in oppofition to civilization and fubordination. He concluded with obferving, that, if magiftrates interpofed the authority given them by the bill in an undue and unconfti. tutional manner, there would be many found who were able and willing to bring them to justice, and affert the liberty of the people. Mr. Curwen declared his abhorrence of the attempt which had been made that night to deprive the fubject of his beft and deareft pri vilege. No man deprecated more than he did the idea of an attack upon the fovereign, but if any thing,, in his judgment, could endanger the perfon of his majefty, it would be the proposed bill. It was true that the honourable gentleman who brought it into that houfe, had fufficient caufe to fupprefs the voice of the people, because he had fuffered from it. What was it that put a stop to the Spanish arma, ments? Not the majority of that house, but the voice of the people. What was it that put a stop to the Ruffian war? The voice of the people. To preserve this voice inviolate, he would risk his life and property; and it was indifferent to him, if the bill fhould pafs, whether the constitution was deftroyed by defpotifm, or an infurrection of the people. He faid this bill was fabricated only for the convenience of minifters, who wished to put a ftop to complaints against them to the throne: after his majefty in his fpeech had spoken of the general moderation and good behaviour of the people, both houfes of parliament were called upon to pass a bill which no minister before prefumed to bring forward. He was aflured that the country had only to be apprifed of its danger, and the bill would never pass. Mr. Wilberforce approved of the general principle of the bill. For the three last years, he faid, attempts had been made to poifon the minds of the people with thofe falfe principles of liberty which had produced fuch extensive mifchief in a neighbouring country; it was not only French politics which were attempted to be introduced here, but French philofophy alfo; in the numerous publications in which thofe doctrines were introduced, there was a marked contempt for every thing facred, an avowed oppolition to the religion as well as to the conftitution of Great Briain. Lectures were given, and harangues delivered, of the moft feditious and inflammatory nature. That all this had not been without effe, was too manifeft from the daring infult offered to his majesty. He thought administration deferved the thanks of the nation for taking measures to prevent the like outrages in fu He did not regard the bill propofed by his right hon. friend as militating against the right of dif cuffing political questions, and expreffing to parliament the national will; he rather thought that right would acquire new life and vigour, when thofe affemblies, at which public difcuffions took place, fhould be brought under proper regulations. He confeffed, however, that it was not willingly that he reforted to this bill; all that was left to him was a choice of difficulties. Refpecting that part of the propofed meafure which related to seditious clubs and debating focieties, he thought there could hardly be two opinions. After fome obfer. vations upon what had fallen from Mr. Fox relative to clubs and focieties, Mr. Wilberforce fid he had always confidered it as the grand prefervative of the British confti tution, that there was a popular affembly, the house of commons, in which all popular grievances might be properly and freely difcuffed, to which the people might be encouraged without fear to bring their complaints, where they would be fure to find able advocates for removing their grievances. It was with more concern than furprize, Mr. Sheridan faid, that he lead heard the approbation of the laft foeaker to the motion of that evening; but he thought that the right honourable gentleman who introduced the motion, had been ftruck dumb with fhame from the trong and irrefiftible arguments urged by Mr. Fox against the na ture ture and dangerous tendency of the bill in queftion: and he hoped they would have produced the abandonment of his project. The honourable gentleman who fpoke laft, agreed to the measure, because he was defirous of handing down the liberties we enjoy unimpaired to pofterity. He had unfortunately to remark, that the bill in queftion was one of the firft to deftroy thofe liberties. Mr. Sheridan remarked the evident contradiétions of minifters and their adherents refpecting the loyalty of the people. Mr. Jenkinfon had afferted at the opening of the feffion, that one bleffed confequence of the war was, that it had eradicated French principles: it now appeared that this affertion was erroneous, and that, after a year of famine, and another approaching, thefe principles were more and more extended. He reminded Mr. Alderman Lufhington, who had declaimed against reformers, and protested against locking up his intellects in a strong box in deference to his great grandfather, that he had once been an advocate for parliamentary reform; and as he thought that at Copenhagen-houfe the attendance of a magiftrate was effential, fo Mr. Sheridan thought that the attendance of the honourable gentleman in future with the friends of the people, which was a name he had probably an averfion to now, would be of very great advantage, as they fhould not only have the attendance of a very zealous reformer, but a magiftrate in the fame perfon, only they might wish to difpenfe with his bevy of conftables. Another gentleman (fir William Pulteney) had treated the fubject with levity, by obferving, that in America it was ufual for a magiftrate to attend every public affembly, by way of letting the people know both fides of the queftion, and fetting them to-rights. Hence it was clear, that in England his worfhip was not to be appointed to attend all public meetings fo much to take up the orators, as to take up their arguments. He hinted at the depreffed ftate of thofe inhabitants (Weftminfer for instance), whofe difcuffions upon public grievances were liable to be put an end to by magiitrates who were penfioners, and mere dependants of the minifter. With regard to the affaule upon his majefty, he believed in his foul and confcience that all the tus mults had been raised by that immense army of fpies which had been dif. banded, He concluded by declaring that he hoped the houfe would not fuffer fuch a libel as this bill to pafs; for if it were to país, he fhould think it unworthy to make ufe of that exclufive privilege which is allowed to the members of that houfe, to be the prattling reprefentative of a dumb and enflaved people. Mr. Martin faid he believed in his confcience that the right honourable gentleman had taken advantage of what had happened, to roufe a fpirit in the country to fup. port the intolerable measures of his government. Every town in Eng land was almost full of foldiers; he had a little time before paffed through Oxford, where he hoped to enjoy a little repofe from the active fcenes of life; but he had heard there more drums, trumpets, and fifes, than college bells. He remembered the day when no member of that house would dare to have propofed fuch a measure as this of the chancellor of the exchequer. The bill was ftrenuously defended by the fecretary at war (Mr. Windham). He had heard much of the liberties of this country being gone; but the affertions were fupported by by very little reafoning. The honourable gentlemen on the other fide of the house had long been too much in unifon with the public meetings referred to in the proposed bill: therefore it was not furprizing that they fhould both think the fame upon the prefent occafion. It was not, however, from fuch opinions that the houfe was to form its ideas. No man could doubt that a number of men in this country were engaged in defigns to fubvert the conftitution. Certain gentlemen exulted at that circumftance. If the law at prefent did not reach thofe focieties, it was fit that a law fhould be made for them, because their principles went directly to deftroy the constitution. Whether certain doctrines had made a progrefs in the country, and whether they were attended with danger, or were likely to be fo, was the iffue between them, and on which he called for judgment. He then adverted to the French revolution, and faid that the prefent rulers in France had endeavoured to exterminate all traces of ancient inftitutions, and had attempted to make the world adopt new principles. Was there a country in Europe fafe from the poifon of thefe principles? It was evident there was a fet of men in this country, who openly profeffed an attachment to the French republic, who wished them fuccefs, and only waited for an opportunity to cooperate with them and join them. To say that the war against France was not just, was an outrage against the common feufe of every man!!! He added that the progrefs of laws and crimes must go hand in hand. When new offences occur, new laws must be enacted to meet them. The only queftion was, whether this remedy was to be applied, or whether thofe focieties and their meetings were to be permitted to 9 go on preaching fedition and treafon as much as they pleafed? They had circulated hand-bills and papers of a nature too fcandalous to be ftated. They mentioned directly the affaffination of the fovereign; and this was followed in a few days by an actual attack upon him. No government that ever exifted permitted fuch meetings; and as an argumentum ad hominem, the glorious fyftem of new French liberty did not admit them. Mr. Grey obferved that the decline and abjuration of violent democratic principles had on a former occafion been much dwelt on, as the happy effect of the war; yet at that moment, the prevalence of thofe very principles was made the ground of the bill propofed by minifters. It was argued in favour of the motion, that the fpirit of turbulence and difcontent was increasing in this country, and the bill intended to be brought in by minifters was thought a neceffary measure to fecure the conftitution from invafion. He allowed that discontents did prevail in the nation; but if thofe difcontents were properly traced, they would be found to have originated from the corruption and folly of minifters, in plunging the country into an unjust war, which produced calamities they were unable to alleviate or redress. He next went into an examination of the propofed bill, and declared that he could not fee any connec on between the meeting at Co. penhagen-houfe, and the outrage which had been committed on his majefty's perfon; fo far from it, he faid, he would rather incur the imputation of acting with thofe men to whom minifters alluded, than fuffer the motion made that night to pafs without his moft marked difapprobation; confidering it, as he did, as an attempt to rob the people people of their deareft rights, and enflave the nation. As fome of the members on the minifterial fide of the house had alluded to the perfons who were acquitted in the trials for high treafon; Mr. Grey took that opportunity of afferting that he exulted in their acquittal; and confidered that British liberty was in that inftance, by the conftitutional exertions of a jury, refcued from the most flagitious and daring attack ever made upon it. He believed minifters were deeply affected that they had not fucceeded on that occafion; but it appeared from the prefent motion, that they intended to fecure their fuccefs on a future day." Are not the laws, as they now ftand," exclaimed Mr. Grey," fufficient to prevent or fupprefs feditious meetings? What tumult occurred in confequence of the meeting at Copenhagen-houfe? The people affembled and difperfed in the most peaceable manner; and the fpeeches delivered there, of which fuch artful ufe has been made, did not excite the leaft com. motion." After fome animadverfions upon the harangue of Mr. Windham, Mr. Grey concluded by obferving that he would embrace every opportunity of oppofing this deteitable measure. Mr. Buxton faid, four or five hundred people had affembled in his neighbourhood, who, he was confi. dent, had not an idea to amend but to overturn the conftitution. To effect this, was clearly the object of moft of thofe popular meetings. He would therefore give his fupport to the bill, but hoped it would be repealed when the neceffity of the times would no longer justify it. Mr. Montague fpoke a few words; and Mr. Bouverie faid he would vote for bringing in the bill, but fhould oppofe it in its future progrefs. The house then divided on the chancellor of the exchequer's motion, Ayes Noes Majority ing in the bill, Mr. Fox then urged the neceffity of a call of the house, previous to the ultimate decifion on a bill of so much importance. He concluded with moving a call. Mr. fecretary Dundas had no objection to the call of the house upon this occafion, because he was willing to own, that, unless it was obvious that the bill had the concurrence of the majority of the people of England, it ought not to be paffed into a law. That it would be found to have fuch concurrence, he had no doubt, having been besieged in his office, for months past, with applications for fuch a bill; and it was by the advice of a number of gentlemen, that minifters had at length brought it forward. The unguarded admiffion of the fecretary of ftate did not escape the penetration of Mr. Sheridan, who faid, he could now charge mini fters with the moft glaring inconfiftency in this bufinefs; fince, in the first inftance, they declared the outrage committed on the person of the king to be the ground-work of the measure, and immediately afterwards admitted that they had fuch a bill in contemplation before the outrage took place. Mr. Sheridan, and the other members of oppofition who argued against the two bills, clearly inferred from the above conceffion of Mr. Dundas, that this measure was in contemplation of minifters ever fince the ac quittal of Hardy and others for high treafon. The chancellor of the exchequer, after making a reply to the charge |