172] ANNUAL REGISTER, 17092. 
The bill was opposed on the prin- 
ciple of its being an innovation in 
the laws of the kingdom, which 
was at the present period too agi- 
tated by the communication of those 
dangerous maxims that were em- 
broiling our neighbours, to suffer 
the introduction of novelties into 
our political or civil administration. 
But this argument, on which prin- 
cipally the opposition to the bill rest- 
ed, appeared too feeble for prepon- 
derance against the reasoning in its 
favour; and it was carried by a con- 
siderable majority. 
Thus terminated a business es- 
teemed by the public at large of 
more importance than any that had 
been discussed during the present 
session, The bill had passed in the 
House of Commons without oppo- 
sition, to the great satisfaction of 
the people, who sincerely rejoiced 
to see their representatives concur 
soreadily in ameasure evidently re- 
quisite for the personal security of 
every individual, 
In order to form a just estimate 
of the service which Mr. Fox (on 
whose arguments, adopted and re- 
echoed by all the other speakers 
on the same side, thedecision ofthe 
question was founded) performed 
on this occasion to his country, it is 
necessary to attend to two circum- 
stances; theoneofa general nature, 
the other peculiar to the times in 
which the bill was brought before 
Parliament. 
It is the nature of every profes- 
sion to bring as much as possible 
within the precincts of its own pro- 
vince. The profession of the law, 
in particular, constantly attempts to 
draw every thing into its own vor- 
tex ; and in times of extreme arti- 
ficiality and refinement, with too 
much success. The overgrowing 
multiplicity of taxes and laws, and 
the various tenures and transferenm- 
ces of property, continually spring~- 
ing up inso great, commercial, and 
rich an empire, give the lawyers an 
influence and a degree of controul 
in humanaffairs, which is often used 
as an engine of oppression ; and is, 
in truth, one of the greatest evils, 
if not the greatest, in social life. 
There was a time when this, like 
other countries, was trod upon by 
military chiefs. After this there 
came aperiod when we were priest- 
ridden; and now it may be said 
that we are in danger of being law- 
ridden. It is not in every charac- 
ter that we find an union of all 
thetalents and virtues necessary for 
the purpose effected, chiefly, by the 
exertions of Mr. Fox ;—courage 
and perseverance in opposing a for- 
midable phalanx, and subtlety and 
precision to attack them with their 
own weapons. We proceed to 
state the other circumstance alluded 
to, respecting the service done to 
the public by the bill relating to 
libels, at the particular time when 
it was drawn up and passed into a 
law. 
Mr. Burke’s celebrated publica- 
tion on the revolution m France, 
had produced, as a kind of re-ac- 
tion, Mr. Paine’s “ Rights of Man;’ 
being an answer to Mr. Burke’s. 
« Attack on the French Revolu- 
tion.” ‘The avidity with which this . 
work, followed by a second part of 
the Rights of Man, combining prin- 
ciple and practice, was read by the 
middle and lower classes of the peo- 
ple, asalready observed, particular- 
ly those in the great manufacturing 
towns both in England and Scot-' 
land, is incredible. The only re- 
ply, however, made to these popu-. 
lar publications, by Mr. Burke, was,’ 
** that 
