1799-] 
the liberty of the prefs, and the power of 
the fubject to affociate, and contended at 
great length, that there were laws at pre- 
fent in being fufficiently effectually to pu- 
nifh all the abufes both of the prefs and 
affociations of the people. No man wifhed 
more than he did to fupprefs every at- 
tempt.at fedition ; but as an honeft man, 
he could not fee fo large a portion of the 
liberty of the fubjeét furrendered to the 
prefent minifters on fuch flender grounds. 
The report on which thefe ftrong mea- 
fures were founded was le{s fupported by 
evidence than any he had ever feen. The 
Committee he oppofed to the Committee 
on the Bank affairs, which was compofed 
of gentlemen o* both parties, but the pre- 
fent was compofed of gentlemen of a cer- 
tain defcription, for the moft part fervants 
ef the crown. 
The Houle refolved itfelf into a Com- 
mittee, on the bill for more effectually 
fupprefling feditious focieties, &c. On 
the 6th of May, feveral claufes were pro- 
pofed and added to the Bill, among which 
was one for extending the Claufe of the 
Leétures in the Iwo Univerfities, and to 
the Lectures in the Hall of the Inns of 
Court, authorifed by the Bencliers of the 
re{peétive focieties. Another for exempt- 
ing the meetings of Free Mafons, and the 
Free Mafon’s Tavern, and the fubordinate 
Lodges, formed under the fanétion of the 
Grand Mafter, and which fhould be re- 
giltered with the Clerk of the Peace for 
the County ; and another claufe for ex- 
empting the prefles of the Two Univerii- 
ties, from being oblig<d to take out li- 
cences. 
The Houfe of Commons on the 6th of 
May, having refolved itielf into a Com- 
mittee on the bill for augmenting bail to 
be taken in certain cafes of mifdemea- 
nour, &c. in Scotland, the Lerd Advyo- 
cate faid that fince he had firlt introduced 
the Bill,* he had reconfidered a claufe 
which he had intended to move, namel: 
that in certain cafes no bail at all fhould 
be taken, and was of that opinion fill, 
but a learned friend of his (the Attorney 
General) had intimated a wifh that in- 
ftead of taking away bail in any cafe, it 
fhould be provided that the Judges of the 
High Court of Judiciary fhould in cer- 
tain cafes have a found difcretionary 
power, judging of a cafe altogether to or- 
der what fum they pleafed to enter into as 
recognizance of bail, fuch as might an- 
{wer all the purpofes of compelling the 
party to appear and abide trial ; to which 
TEE . 
-® See p. 333 of our laft Number, 
State of Public Affairs. 
» 
ALE 
he in deference to the judgment of his 
friend had acceded. 
Mr. Tierney faid, that at all events 
this was an alteration of the law of Scot- 
Jand. In England a perfon convi&ted of 
a libel was fubject to fine and. imprifon- 
ment ; in Scotland to tranfportation; yet 
the inhabitants of Scotland had one ad- 
vantage, which thofe of England did not 
poflefs, which was that in Scotland no 
more than a given fum fhould be demand- 
ed for bail: whereas in England the fum 
was unlimited, as the {um now propofed 
(60l.) was on the ground of the alteration 
of the relative value of money, yet he very 
much queftioned it that value fhould come 
back to its original ftandard, that the law 
would be altered accordingly in favour of 
the fubje%t. If the meafure was only affi- 
milating the law of Scotland with that of 
England, he fhould have no objeétion, 
provided the likenefs was to become ge-~ 
neral, but this was only giving the people 
of Scotland, a law fimilar to that of Eng- 
land, where it was rnore harfh than the 
Scotch Law. The Attorney-General re- 
plied to the arguments of Mr. Tierney, 
and obferved that in England, the Attor- 
ney-General can have no bail until con- 
viction if he proceeds upon information, 
although he may have bail upon an indict- 
ment found by a Grand Jury. In Eng- 
land every private man may have a 
Special Jury upon his cafe, when he ex- 
hibits a complaint againtt another, inScot- 
land he can have no fuch thing.—He then 
took notice of the practice of tranfporta- 
tion in Scotland, and obferved that it was 
not merely a punifhment fora libel, as the 
honourable gentlemen had obferved; but 
for an offence which was compounded of 
that and various other a¢ts, which toge- 
ther was called /edition. The claufe for 
extending the bail, &c. was then inferted 
in the bill, and the report was ordered to 
be received the next day. 
The Houfé of Commons onthe 21{t of 
May took into confideration the Report 
of the Committee, appointed to inquire 
into the fiate of the Prifon in Cold Bath 
Fields. Sir Francis Burdett rofe on this 
occafion, and entered at great Jength into 
ane¢laborate defence againft the infinua- 
tions upon his conduét, in paying vifits to 
that prifon ; he reprobatéd in ftrong terms 
the prohibition from the Duke cf Port. 
land, againft his having permiffion to vifit 
prifons in future, and concluded a long 
{peech, with moving the recommitment of 
the Report. 
Mr. Sheridan fupported the motion, on 
which the Houfe divided, — Ayes 6— 
Noes 147. ° 


