§ Mr. Huntpresented a Petition from Nathan Broadhurst and Edward Curran, who had been arrested, and were now in custody, for having attended a public meeting at Manchester, held on a Sunday, to petition the King to remit the punishment of the men sentenced to death at Nottingham. As persons in higher rank were in the 196 habit of meeting on Sunday, and as his Majesty's Privy Council was even in the habit of assembling for the despatch of business on Sundays, he was at a loss to know how the Meeting of the petitioners on that day of the week—the only one which they had at their own disposal—could be considered as an offence. These individuals were attending to be called as witnesses on a trial which he had instituted against a public journal for an atrocious libel on him, when they were arrested in Court and conveyed to prison. He thought that the petition demanded the particular attention of the Government.
§ Lord Althorpsaid, that, as the petitioners had been apprehended, and would be tried in due course of law, he could not think that the Government or the House would be warranted in interfering in their case.
§ Mr. Huntsaid, that was small satisfaction to two poor men who stated their only offence to be attending a meeting on a Sunday. Who was to pay them for their loss of time, or how could they obtain redress, if they were acquitted of the charges preferred against them?
Mr. O'Connellsaid, if these persons were committed for trial, they would be entitled to a copy of the warrant for their committal. The charge preferred against them must appear on the face of that document; he, therefore, could hardly believe it possible they could have been committed merely for meeting on a Sunday, if that was the only charge they would be acquitted of course.
§ Petition to lie on the Table.