HOUSE OF COMMONS, APRIL 5. NEW SEDITION BILL.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 231, 16 August 1848, Page 2

HOUSE OF COMMONS, APRIL 5. NEW SEDITION BILL.

Sir G Gieyi in moving for Ipave to bring in a bill for the bet er security of the ( rown and Government of the United Kingdom, regretted deeply that the seditious and treasonable designs entertained by certain parties in different parts of the United Kingdom, and theenouragement given by them to open insurrection and to the subversion of our national institutions! rendered it incumbent upon the Government to ask for an alteration of the law applicable to tuch practicei. The language used in Ireland was incompatible with established Government, with the maintenance of order, with those exiitjng institutions under which the people enjoyed more constitutional liberty than any other people in the world. Lord Claiendon had instituted one, and only one prcsecution, with the hope of putting down such language— but he had been met, not with any desire on the part of those who had used it to conform to the law, buc with a declaration that, if they had hitherto knowingly spokei tedition, they would avow their in<tention to commit high tictson. He was not prepared to «»y that they had hitherto committed any action which brought them within the penalties of high .trenson— but ho, warned them that tbejr future action*, by a retrospective reference to their former speeohei» might, cv&n yat, bring them into that predicament.- He then referred to various articles published in the United Irishman, by Mr. Mitchell, to the speeches of Mr. Meagher, and to a recent harangue of Mr. Duffy, on announcing to h's countrymen that 50,000 Frenchmen were ready to support them in subverting the monarchy and in establishing a separate and independent Republic of Ireland, as specimens of the evil of which he complained. He did not propose to repeal any of the penalties for the offence of compassing the death of the sovereign, or of restraining or imprisoning the person of the sdvereign. That offence would be still high,, treason — but with regard to the other offences contained in 36th George 111, he pioposed to repeal 10 much of it as did not affect offences against the person of the Sovereign, and then to re-enact it so as to make the offences contained in it not punishable by death, but by transportation for life, or for any period not les« than Beven years. The clause for the punishment of the offence of compassing, imagining, or levying war against her Majesty, md of inciting and stirring foreigners to invade this realm, was one rendered necenary by the canducl of many persons now actively engaged in agitating the two countries. Asthe law stood at present, any persons having gone to a foreign co ititiy, or having incited by speech, and not by writing, others togotbere for such purpose, was exempt from any penalty save that attached to sedi'ion. In extending that clause to Ireland, the Government was bound to see that those gentlemen who were now instigating oth^re, by speec.ies and writings, to the offences wL eh it was

intended to check, should have no loophole for escape. He, theiefore, proposed to apply the penalties of this clause, to all persons who, by »' publishing or printing any writing, or by open and avowed speaking," should seek to compass, imagine, and levy war against the Sovereign. Such was the substance of the Bill which he proposed to lay on the table. Without it Lord Clarendon staled that he should be unable to stem the tide of sedition and treason swelling around liim on every side— with it he believed he should be enabled to deal with those persons who defied him, safely, to do his worst. He did not cay thai this was. the only measure necessary for the pacification of Ireland, but this was a lair which would be attended to all portions of the United Kingdom. The other measures which he should have •to introduce would partake more of the character of police regulations, and he would, therefore, not mix them up with a Bill which he proposed as a permanent alteration and amelioration of the law of treason. After some opposition from Messrs. John O'Connell, Feargus O'Connor, Wakley, &c, leave was given to bring ia the Bill, the numbers being ayes 283, noes 24.