116] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



time, and appointed for a second 

 reading. 



On July 13, the order of the 

 day being moved for the second 

 reading of the bill, Mr. Whitbread 

 rose to declare that his opinion was 

 not at all alteretl respecting it, but 

 his objections were still more con- 

 firmed. There was no evidence 

 before the house to prove the alle- 

 gation in the preamble, tliat assem- 

 blies of men were in the habit of 

 forcibly demanding and taking 

 arms. He would repeat, that due 

 exertions had not been made to pre- 

 serve the peace under the existing 

 laws ; in some cases the magistrates 

 had been supine : in others they 

 had acted with violence and a per- 

 verted judgment. There was now 

 every appearance of a cessation of 

 the^disorder ; and though the hon. 

 member for Yorkshire had ascribed 

 the evil to inflammatory publica- 

 tions, he himself, and others who 

 thought with him, had declared 

 that work and a lower price of 

 provisions were likely to restore 

 tranquillity. 



Mr, A. Smith concurred with 

 his friend the member for York- 

 shire in the idea of the mischief 

 that had been done bj"^ the circu- 

 lation of pampiilets which stirred 

 up discontent in the people. He 

 agreed as to the necessity of arm- 

 ing the law with additional powers 

 on the present occasion, and in 

 general approved of the proposed 

 bill. He, however, objected to 

 that part of it which sanctioned 

 two magistrates in collecting the 

 arms which might be scattered in 

 individual hands over the country. 



The subsequent speakers in the 

 debate only repeated with greater 

 or less force the arguments for and 



against the bill which had been 

 already advanced. Mr. Brougham, 

 indeed, adduced a number of facts 

 to prove that the tumults were 

 owing to distress solely, and to 

 shew the mischief and irritation 

 which had proceeded from the en- 

 couragement given to spies, and 

 the intemperate zeal and prejudice 

 which in some instances had been 

 displayed by the magistrates. These 

 cases, however, were by others 

 said to have been grossly exagger- 

 ated, and the general impression 

 was manifestl)"^ in favour of the 

 bill. On a division there appeared, 

 for the second reading 131, against 

 it 16. It was accordingly read 

 and committed. 



On July 10, Lord Castlereagh 

 having risen to move the further 

 consideration of the report on the 

 bill, took the opportunity of cor- 

 recting a mistake which had pre- 

 vailed in the house, that it was the 

 intention of ministers to give ma- 

 gisterial powers to persons not con- 

 nected with the disturbed counties. 

 He said it was the intention merely 

 to consign this authority to the 

 sons of peers, and of persons qua- 

 lified to sit in parliament, though 

 not in fact qualified to act as 

 justices. 



The bill being recommitted, a 

 debate rose respecting the clause 

 empowering single magistrates to 

 search for arms on suspicion. This 

 was objected toby several members 

 as an excess of power which might 

 lead to abuse ; and Mr. Giles, ob- 

 serving that he saw no reason for 

 the distinction of requiring two oc 

 more magistrates tb sign the war- 

 rant for receivingarms, and not re- 

 quiring it for the search for arms, 

 moved, as an amendment, that 



the 



