Lords Sitting of 1 May 1817

ACADEMICAL SOCIETY.
Earl Spencerpresented a Petition from the gentlemen composing the Academical Society in Chancery-lane, complaining of the inconvenience they had sustained by having recently been refused a licence under the Seditious Meetings act, at the sessions in the Old Bailey. He understood these gentlemen were highly respectable, though he had no personal knowledge of them. He proposed that the petition should be read, and he should then move that it do lie on the table. In confining himself to this motion he was actuated by two reasons; first, that he was not at present aware in what way the House could redress the grievance complained of; and, secondly, because he did not wish to take the subject out of the hands of any noble lord who might already have taken it up. The petitioners had done him the honour to place their petition in his hands, and it being worded in a most respectful and proper manner, he felt it his duty to present it.
The Earl of Darnley,though he agreed with his noble friend, as to its not being obvious what relief the House could give, still thought the question of so much importance that an act ought to be passed to amend the seditious meetings act, in or-
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der to prevent the possibility of its being so misconstrued; for if the magistrates of London, who were supposed to be more enlightened, made such a mistake, what was to be expected from country magistrates? It really seemed as if the effect would be to destroy all freedom of discussion whatever. In saying this, he did not mean to pledge himself to bring forward such a measure, but he thought, from what had been disclosed upon this subject, that parliament must unavoidably feel the necessity of passing a bill to the effect he had described.
The petition was read, and ordered to lie on the table.