HC Deb 18 May 1809 vol 14 cc615-7

The Attorney-General rose, in pursuance of his notice, to move for leave to bring in a bill to amend the Act of the 39th of Geo. 3, which respected Seditious and Treasonable Societies. His object would be to strike out of that act certain words which referred to the act of the 36th George 3, respecting houses where debating societies were held, on subjects therein specified, and where money was received at the doors without a licence; which houses were declared disorderly.

Mr. Ponsonby

supposed that the hon. and learned gentleman would not have brought forward a proposition of this nature without having some good end in view; although he professed himself perfectly at a loss to comprehend his meaning, and requested he would have the goodness, for the benefit of himself and his friends near him, to be a little more explicit.

The Attorney General

entered into a more detailed explanation of his object. By the act of the 36th of George 3, it had been enacted, that houses where debating societies were held on certain subjects therein described, and where money was received at the doors, should be licenced; and that those houses in which such debates were held, and where money was received at the doors, without a licence, should be punished as disorderly. By the act of 39 Geo. 3, it was enacted, that where debating societies of the description alluded to were held, and money received, and where the houses in which they were held had no licence, those houses should be deemed disorderly, "within the meaning of the 30th of George 3."—Now, if the 30th of George 3, had created the offence of disorderly houses, then the signification of those words would have been plain, and it would have only been necessary to refer to the 36th for a definition of the term; but that was not the case. The 39th of George 3, had full operation, as declaring what was disorderly, and what was punishable, although the 36th were out of the case. But as he understood that by the introduction of the words referring to the 39th, doubts had arisen with respect to the meaning of the 39th, his object was to repeat those words, and leave the 39th without them.

Mr. Whitbread

would have an opportunity, on the second reading, of stating his opinion of the bill. At the same time he must observe, that he thought the honourable and learned gentleman must have some cases to state to the house as the ground of his motion, or he would not, after the lapse often years, touch so delicate a question. He did not mean to dissent from the motion for bringing in the bill; but he begged not to be understood as precluded by that from opposing the measure in any future stage, if it should appear to him to be objectionable.—Leave was then given to bring in the bill.