‘ 
“358° 
nell, the refolutions were agreed to by the 
Committee. 
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. | 
Addington) on the fame day prefented at 
the bar, and by command of his Majefty, 
copies and extraéts of the fecret' informa- 
tion received by Government refpecting 
the ftate of Ireland, andthe proceedings 
of certain difaffeéted perfons in both parts 
of the united kingdoms. ‘The papers 
were then ordered to be laid upon the 
table. Mr. Addington then faid, that as 
the title of the papers was iufficiently de- 
fcriptive of their contents, he fhould not 
dwell very much at length upon the fub- 
jeGi. He fhould not prefume further to 
anticipate or to dwell on matters which 
would be more properly difcufled in the 
Committee, which he fhould have the 
honour to propofe. It was the duty of 
the Government, in the firft inftance, to 
give the neceffary information ; and it 
would be the bufinefs of the Houle, of 
courfe, to adopt the neceflary meafures 
after they had heard the report of their 
Committee. He concluded by moving, 
that the fealed papers on the table be re- 
ferred to a Committee of Secrecy, to con- 
fift of twenty-one members.—Agreed to. 
The next day the Houle balloted for a 
Secret Committee to examine the papers 
prefented by the Chancellor of the Exche- 
guer, refpecting the ftate of Ireland, and 
the conduét of certain difafiecied perfons 
in Great Britain. 
The Houfe adjourned to Monday, the 
~ 33th of April. 
Mr. Bragge, on the 13th of April, 
obferved, that fince the Committee had 
made its report on the fubject of a Mem- 
ber fitting in Parliament, who was in 
Holy Orders, it difcovered that certain 
cafes had been omitted which fhould 
have appeared in the report. He there- 
fore moved, that the Committee be re- 
vived, and that it do report from time 
to time to the Houfe.—Ordered. 
On the fame day, previous to the 
report of the Committee of Secrefy be- 
ing made, Lord Yarmouth moved that 
the gallery fhould be cleared. We un- 
derftand that on the grounds of the re- 
port, one of the Members of the Com- 
mittee fuggefted the neceflity of a Bill 
to fufpend the Habeas Corpus Act, and 
moved to bring in a Bill accordingly, 
that it might be read a firft time on the 
next day. This was objected to, as be- 
State of Public Affairs in April, 1$0x 
[May 1, 
ing too precipitate a meafure; in confe- 
quence of which the Houle divided > for 
the motion, Ayes 128,—WNoes. 31.— 
Majority 97- 
Mr. Pelham, on the 14th of April, 
moved the further confideration of the 
report of the Committee of Secrecy ; 
which being read, he moved: for the re- 
vival of thofe aéts, which appeared by 
the report of the Committee, to be ab- 
folutely neceflary. He urged the necef- 
fity of immediately paffing the Bill for 
the Sufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Aét; 
after which he fhould propoie the revival 
of the Sedition Ac&t. He then requefted 
the aét of laft feflion, for Sufpending the 
Habeas Corpus Act, to be read, which 
being done, he moved for leaye to bring 
ina Bill to continue the fame. Sir 
Francis Burdett faid, the plea of ne- 
ceflity for acts of injuftice ought never 
to be admitted; it was the umform ex- 
cufe for that of atrocity—it was equally 
relied on by the tyrant and the flave— 
the murderer and the robber—it was an 
apology for the baieit calumnies. He 
begged to repeat an old affertion, ¢ that 
perfecution could not confute opinion, 
and that contentment was never the cfh: 
fpringe of oppreffion.” Mr. Sheridan and 
Mr. Grey, fpoke in fimilar terms of 
difapprobation againt the Bill. The 
motion was warmly fupported by the 
Chancellor of the Exchequer and the So- 
licitor General. The _queftion being 
joudly called for, the gallery was then 
cleared of ftrangers, and the Houfe con- 
tinued debating for near two hours af- — 
ter, during which time two divifions took 
place. The firft was on the queftion;” 
that the Bill for Sufpending the Habeas 
Corpus A& be read a firfttime. Ayes 
189,—Noes 42. On the quelftion, that. 
the Bill be now read a fecond time, Mr. 
Curwen moved to leave out zow, and 
fubftitute a longer time, in order that the 
Bill might be loft... The Bill then went 
through a Committee of the whole Houfe; 
was reported, read a third time, and: 
paffed. A Bill was then brought up for 
preventing Seditious Meetings, which was 
read a firft, and ordered to be read a fe- 
cond time the next day. ; 
Inthe Houfe of Lords on the 18th of 
April, the royal affent was given by 
commiffion, to the Habeas Corpus Suf- 
penfion Bill. . 
ALPHABETICAL 
