The refpectable magiftrate fays, that after all a man may, by a private prefs, convey his fentiments to the public. If then there are fo many ways of doing mifchief, can parliament be blamed for endeavouring to check fome of them? This bill, Sir, will, I truft, be an ornament on the ftatute book. It will put into the news-printing trade a refponfible fet of people, and fave the ftate from thofe (I do not like to call them as they deferve) wretches who have difturbed it. Mr. Hercules Langrish Rowley declared himself against the bill; he knew of no neceflity for it; he knew of no traiterous, scandalous, or malicious libels but one, that was the title of the bill itself, which was an infamous libel on the Irish nation. Upon a divifion, there appeared for deferring the bill to the first of Auguft, Ayes, 22 71 On Mr. Fofter's motion, the bill was ordered to be committed on Monday next. Mr. Jones then rose to obferve to the Houfe the indecency with which this measure had been hurried forward. It had been first proposed on Wednesday, read a first time on Thursday, a fecond ime on Saturday, and was now ordered to be committed on Monday. It was alfo, he faid, not only indecent, but something worse, at the end of a feflion, in fo thin a Houfe, to fieal this bill on the people. There were but ninety members in the House now, perhaps there would not be fo many on Monday. The House in a committee on the bill for granting 15,000. in bounties on exportation, went through the fame, and ordered it to be reported on Monday. Afterwards the committee of the whole House fat on the bill for compelling the accounts of the public monies. The committee, on the Provoft's motion reported fome progress, and defired leave to fit again on Monday. MONDAY, APRIL 12, 1784. The House refolved itself into a committee on the bill for fecuring the liberty of the prefs, &c. Mr. Mafon in the chair. A converfation took place between the Prime Serjeant and Attorney General on the one fide, and the Recorder, Mr. Brownlow, and Sir Edward Croften on the other fide, in which it was agreed, that only that claufe of the bill which compeis the printer of a news-paper to put his name thereto, thould be retained, to gether with fo much of the other claufes as were neceffary to carry that principle into effect. Mr. Grattan faid, the neceffity of the first claufe of the billthat for making known the real name of the printer or proprietor of every news-paper was apparent, and if carried with unanimity, would produce the moft falutary confequence.-There is one paper, faid he, which teems with exhortations and incitements to affaflination, which daily publishes fuch atrocious matter as would not be fuffered in any country exifting. Pariament is called upon to check fuch proceedings, and to guard the liberty of the prefs from the injury it may receive, through the fcandalous and licentious conduct of the news-papers. I have no idea of wounding the liberty of the prefs, but if it be fuffered to go on in the way it is at prefent, one of thofe two things muft enfue-it will either excite the unthinking to acts of desperation, or it will itself fall into utter contempt, after having difgraced the nation. To prevent either of which confequences, I think parliament is called upon to interfere confonant to the spirit of the conftitution, not by impofing any new penalty, nor by compelling printers to have their public actions licenfed, but merely to oblige them to put their names to their news-papers. The Right Honourable Mr. Brownlow declared, he saw the abfolute neceffity of compelling the printer or proprietor of every news-paper to put his name thereto. The late fcandalous publications made this a matter of abfolute neceffity, and therefore he would vote for the bill fo far as it pointed to that object. The Attorney General faid, that whatever fome gentlemen might have formerly thought, that the violent publications had no effect upon the peoples minds, the contrary appeared very vifibly. There is now, faid he, a perfon in prifon on an information, for having with others confpired and employed affailins to murder no less than feven members of this Houfe. The conditions were, that the murderers fhould, upon performance of the bufinefs, receive an hundred pounds, and in the mean time they were actually furnitbed with money, piftols, ammunition, and bayonets. They were alfo infiructed to ufe the latter weapon, because it would neither mifs fire nor make a noife. It was alfo conditioned, that if any of the feven gentlemen, amongst whom I have the honour to be one, thould efcape, that then the affaffins fhould murder any one of the majority who voted against the protecting duties, and that that fhould be counted as if fuch member was one of the feven profcribed by name. Now, Sir, though I feel as little terror as any other man, yet I will exert my life and fortune, every faculty of my foul, and the last guinea of my property thall be employed to extirpate from this land, affaffins, a race of mifcreants with which indeed it has but very lately been disgraced. The Right Honourable Mr. Gardiner.-I have been in fome degree, the innocent cause of the difturbances that have prevailed of late, but I truft the Houfe will do me the juftice to recollect that I did declare in November laft, upon the very first appearance of them, that if the people would not defit from all violence, and demean themselves in a peaceable manner, I would abandon the cause which I had undertaken. And could I have foreseen the tumults that have happened, I certainly would have been as good as my word; nor will I in future ever undertake the fmalleft thing for the relief of the manufacturers, if the people continue to act fo improperly as of late they have done; and I hope the gentlemen who divided with me upon the quetion of protecting duties will make the fame determination. As to the bill now before us, the first claufe is on all hands admitted, and the neceffity of the last (by which the hawker of any unftamped, inflammatory, or libellous paper may be compelled to prove from whom he received it) is obvious. It was by the inflammatory hand-bill lately difperfed, that all this tumult has been excited, as I am well affured by the working people themselves, who declared that they had no idea of stirring 'till they faw it. I muft fay once more, that had I forefeen what was to happen, I never would have undertaken the cause of the manufacturers; and I feel myfelf extremely hurt at the improper conduct of the working people; I lament on their own account, because parliament never will be driven into measures; and though otherwife what I proposed might be taken up and carried into effect, perhaps in a leffer degree, yet while riot and difturbance continue nothing can be done. General Luttrell.-No country was ever difgraced in the manner this has lately been; nothing lefs than elfays in praife of murder, investigating the different means by which it may be perpetrated, and giving preference to the poignard as the most certain and leaft dangerous to the affallin. There is no place in the world where excitements to murder would be permitted; and if the mobs here commit murders, they must be attributed to the news-printers, who, not content with affaliinating characters, now proceed to the fhedding of blood. The bill before us will, I hope, remedy this enormity, and alfo another which we have lately imported from London, that is, the railing_contri sutions by defaming or threatening to defame innocent perfons. I hope a news-printer fhall no longer be able to fay, give me fo much money or your character ihall be deftroyed by calumny. This is like the means ufed to raise contributions by a fet of infamous mifcreants in England, again't whofe practices the legiflature of that country was compelled to exert itself; they ufed to threaten perfons, that if not paid for filence, they would accufe them of crimes which to mention, bocks our nature: How much better have been the practices of fome news-printers here? The committee then proceeded through the different claufes of the bill; every thing not necellary to the leading principle, being ftruck out by mutual confent. 'The bill thus altered, paffed the committee, and was reported. TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 1784. The following bills received a third reading, were paffed, andordered to the lords. The bill for appropriating the fum of 15,000!, for the encouragement of manufacturers, by the payment of premiums. The bill to prevent the delays of juftice by privilege of parliament. The bill to compel all perfons who have received parliamentary grants, to account with the commiffioners of impreft for the expenditure of the fame, within the lait three feilions. The bill to fecure the liberty of the prefs, by preventing the abufes arifing from the publication of traiterous, feditious, falfe, and flanderous libels. The order for difcharging the attendance of Henry Joy, of Belfaft, was, on the motion of Mr. Jones amended, by including the exemption of Robert Joy, of Belfati; fo that the attendance of Henry Joy, junior, only is required. The Prime Serjeant moved, That an humble addrefs be prefented to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, that he will be pleafed to reprelent to his Majefty to grant a compenfation to the officers of the courts for what they may lofe, by all fums of money vefied in them being lodged in the National Bank. A committee was ordered accordingly to prepare the address. Mr. Thomas St. George moved, that the proper officer lay before the Houfe, an account of the net produce of the duty of one fhilling per barrel on all herrings imported; which duty is applicable to the encouragement of the north-weft fishery. Ordered accordingly. Mr. Hayes prefented a petition from Morley Saunders, Efq; complaining of an undue election for the borough of Baltinglats, in the county of Wicklow, in the perfon of Sir John Allen Johnton. Ordered, that the faid election be tried on the 5th of May next. The House then adjourned to Monday next. MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1784. A meffage from the lords, that they had agreed to the following bills: An act to fecure the liberty of the prefs, by preventing the abufe arifing from the publication of feditious, traiterous, false, and flanderous libels, by perfons unknown-without any amend ment. An act directing the application of 15,000l. for bounties on wool mixed with cotton, thread, kentings, and manufactures of iron and copper-without any amendment. An act for the due accounting for money granted for all charities and hofpitals, and in future of money intrufted to the corporation for carrying on the inland navigation, the trustees of the linen manufacture, Dublin Society, paving corporation, and others therein specified-without any amendment. An act for altering, amending, and rendering more effectual, the laws for regulating the goals and prifons of this kingdom— without any amendment. An act for the easier discovery of perfons buying and receiv ing ftolen goods-without any amendment. An act for depofiting the money and effects of fuitors in Chancery or Exchequer, in the National Bank-without any amend ment. An act for buying and felling malt by measure, and preventing frauds in the buying, felling, and delivery thereof-without any amendment. An act for continuing and amending the bill for the improvement of the city of Dublin, for making wide and convenient the paffages thereof, and regulating the coal trade thereof, and other purpofes-without any amendment. An act for preventing of the counterfeiting the coin of this kingdom, and uttering and paying of the fame-without any amend ment. An act for indemnifying the perfons advifing and executing the proclamation of the Lord Lieutenant and Privy Council of this kingdom, bearing date the 27th of January, 1784-without any amendment. An act for the relief of the creditors of John Tunnadine, late one of the Masters of Chancery of this kingdom, and vefting his |