sible, the circulation of the blasphemous and seditious pamphlets and
writings then distributed in great numbers through the country, he had
thought it his duty to consult the law-officers of the crown, whether
a person found selling, or in any other way publishing such writings,
might be brought immediately before a justice of peace by warrant to
answer for his conduct; and the law-officers had given their opinion to
the effect, that a justice of the peace might issue his warrant for
the apprehension of a person charged before him, on oath, with the
publication of such libels, and compel him to give bail to answer such
charge. Under these circumstances the attention of the lord-lieutenants
was earnestly called to the subject; and they were requested to notify
such opinion to the chairman of the quarter-sessions, in order that
magistrates might be led to act upon it. When this circular was produced
Lord Grey addressed their lordships in a speech, in which he contended
against the principle that a justice of the peace might be called on by
any common informer to decide what was, or what was not a libel, and
to commit or hold to bail, on his sole judgment, the accused party. His
lordship argued that such a specific intimation to magistrates regarding
the mode in which they were to construe the law, even supposing the
law itself to be clear and undisputed, was a high offence against
the constitution. He moved for the production of a case that had been
submitted to the law-officers; but it was negatived on a division by a
majority of seventy-five against nineteen. A similar motion was made
in the commons by Sir Samuel Romilly, and a similar decision given. As
towards the close of the session the spirit of disaffection throughout
the country was not subdued, a further suspension of the _Habeas Corpus_
Act to the 1st of March, 1818, was carried by a large majority.

COMMITTEE ON THE POOR-LAWS, ETC.

During this session a committee on the poor-laws, with Mr. Sturges
Bourne for its chairman, was appointed. This committee made its report
in July; but not much new light was thrown upon the subject, as the
object of the members seemed to be that of neutralizing every topic as
much as possible; probably from ministerial instructions, as the cabinet
were averse to making experiments. On the 9th of July Mr. Wilberforce
moved for an address to the prince regent, submitting in dutiful,
but urgent terms, the expression of our cont