Lords Sitting of 24 June 1811

INCITEMENT TO ASSASSINATION.
Earl Greyrose to call the attention of their lordships to a publication which had been put into his hands, the atrocious nature of which no words he was master of could adequately describe. He found it in a French paper, published in this country, and which he understood had considerable circulation on the continent. The passage he more particularly alluded to purported to be an extract from a weekly publication, entitled the Anti-Gallican Monitor, and written by a Mr. Louis Goldsmidt, which had never fallen into his hands. It was upon the tenor and tendency of that extract which he now wished to animadvert. The noble earl then read the passage, in which were enumerated the murders said to be committed by Buonaparté, from that of the duke D'Enghein down to the murder of captain Wright. It described the ruler of France as resorting to every means, however horrible, of getting rid of those who were obnoxious to him: he used the dagger in private, as well as the sword in the field: it was in vain to contend with such a man with any but his own weapons: we ought therefore to instigate the individuals of every country to retort his own weapons upon him, and to try the dagger, if by no other means the world could be delivered from him. Here, said the noble earl, was a direct exhortation, an open incitement to Assassination. And what opinion must all Europe have of the character of the British government and of the British nation, could it be imagined that such sentiments were countenanced here in any shape? Sure he was, that he Majesty's ministers coincided with him in the feelings of horror and detestation with which they would read such doctrines. It was under this conviction that he thus called their attention, and that of their lordships, to the infamous nature of such a publication, that they might have an opportunity, not only of disavowing such sentiments, but of expressing their

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abhorrence of them in those strong terms, which opinions so detestable were calculated to inspire. He was not aware of any mode in which he could proceed to punish the author; but his object was to have a doctrine so atrocious stigmatized and reprobated as it deserved.
Marquis Wellesleyobserved, that he could truly say, that the paper in question was never seen by him till it was communicated to him by the noble earl opposite. He fully coincided with that noble lord in thinking that such doctrines could not be too strongly reprobated, and that the atrocity of the sentiments could only be equalled by their absurdity. A doctrine more horrid in all respects he could not conceive, and he disavowed it, not only as a minister of the crown, but as a man of common sense. This writer bad said, that the ruler of France had placed himself above all law; but the noble marquis trusted that there still remained a tribunal before which he would be compelled to answer even in this world. The nations of Europe might still call him to account, not by the poniard or the stilletto, but by calling forth all their energies, and punishing him in the field for those acts of perfidious aggression, by which his name would ever be rendered odious. Upon that point, he doubted not, the noble earl would concur with his Majesty's government. It was as lamentable that such a production should have issued from a British press, and he was sorry it had escaped his attention. He would only add, that there was no way in which government could take an opportunity of reprobating such doctrine that they would not adopt, and if possible bring the author of it to condign punishment.
Earl Greywas perfectly satisfied with what had fallen from the noble marquis, and was only desirous that he might not be supposed to have staled any belief in the charges made in the publication alluded to, against the ruler of France, several of which he was convinced were false.
Marquis Wellesleydeprecated that system of vile abuse against the ruler of France, which appeared to have been adopted by the paper alluded to. Let his oppressions and acts of aggression, be stated in the language which belonged to them, without descending to vile personal abuse. He also was desirous that with regard to the charges alluded to, he should not have been understood to have expressed any opinions as to their accuracy.
The Duke of Norfolksuggested the propriety of laying the paper on the table. It had been published in the heart of the metropolis, and the tendency of it must be generally reprobated. His grace thought it ought to be burnt by the hands of the common hangman.
Marquis Wellesleysaid, that the laying of the paper on the table would be giving to it greater consequence and circulation. He disavowed any knowledge, on the part of ministers, of this subject, and repeated his general agreement with the opinions of the noble earl.

BANK SILVER TOKENS BILL.
On the third reading of the Bank Token Bill,
Earl Stanhopemade several observation on the scarcity of gold, and suggested a remedy for the inconveniencies arising from the want of a legal tender, stated in the following Letter from his lordship to the Lord Chancellor, which the noble earl read as part of his speech:—
No. 49 Berner's-st. June 22, 1811.
"My Lord; agreeably to your lordship's desire, I have the honour to communicate the outline of my plan, in a few words; knowing that you will like that better than my doing it, at an unnecessary length. The subject is of the first importance.
" The want of Gold prevents bankers and others, who may have large payments to make, from making any legal tender.
"Bank notes cannot, by act of parliament, be made a legal tender, without the most manifest injustice; for a man who might be perfectly willing to accept a bank note for a debt due to him, may very fairly object to any individual note (especially if a worn note) from the impossibility of his being certain that it is not a forged one.
"My grand object, though not the only one, is, to establish a mode of making payments, which shall enable parliament, when they shall think fit, to enact a new species of legal tender.
"First, I propose that the bank of Eng-land shall, as is the case in Scotland, have many branches, in various parts of the country and of the metropolis.
"Secondly, That the bank shall cause books to be opened in all those places.
"Thirdly, That persons, possessed of bank notes, shall be intitled upon depositing such notes, to have a credit in the bank book, at the place where such deposit is made, equal to the value of the said notes.

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"Fourthly, That every person having such credit, so entered to his account, in any one place, as aforesaid, shall be entitled to transfer the whole of such sum, or any part thereof, to his own account, or to that of any other person, at any place, where any such bank book is kept.
"Fifthly, As, under proper management such entries and transfers cannot ever be forged; there would be no injustice, if such a transfer were, by law, to be made a legal tender.
"The rapidity of such transfers with out any danger of loss, from the mail being robbed, or from insurrections, or other consequences of an invasion, must be felt by your lordship as a great additional recommendation of this plan. I have the honour to be with great respect, my lord, &c STANHOPE."
The Duke of Norfolkthought that the three shilling tokens being so near in value to half crowns would be scarcely distinguishable from them, and that some confusion would thence arise.
Earl Bathurststated, that these tokens were rendered wholly different in their appearance from half crowns, and might be easily distinguished from them.
The Bill was read a third time and passed.