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of course were the opinions entertained in other places on his conduct , some reprobating his resistance , and others thinking that it was lengthened beyond its proper term ; but the fact is , that consistently with his opinions in the letter to his constituents , he could not act
otherwise than he did . He had declared , the Speaker ' s -warrant to be illegal , t& * enforcement of it was , therefore , necessarily left to those who had drawn it up and signed , it . He moved about as he used to do at other times , neither
courting an opportunity of resistance * nor secreting himself . He kept the doois of his house shut , as every man has a right to do against those whom he does not choose to admit , and the breaking open of his house with an armed force $ hews an act of power , but by no means that such an act is consistent with the
laws of the land . But the vacillations © f those who at last enforced the warrant cannot easily be vindicated . If recourse was tQ be had to military force , that might as . well nave been done on the first as on the last day , and the alarm occasioned in the minds of men by such
hovel scenes , might at least have . been tnitigated by a speedier termination of the great question at issue between a single unarmed * Pm and tfce whole power of aciininistratiqn . The House at the beginning of " this
business was , employed in the Walch ^ ren inquiry , but the whole was absorbed in the mQre important . question , the right of the Bouse of Cpjmrnons to imprison at tjieir pleasurea subjecjr of Great Britain , on a point wlxicjfi they have , not being on oath , pre-deterroiried to !> e a libel .
Mr . Jones e s , imprisonment had brought the question forward , and as Sir Francis Buroett could not obtain his release on the ground of law , so was Sir Samuel Jtomilly equally unauccessful . The latter having already given his opinion on f&e coixfinementt , moved the House that $# j % Jonics shpujd 1 p $ released * on the grounds that he had been punished more than sufficiently for the offence , in the eyes
even of those who considered him guilty uf an , oifepce , anil sentenced him to the prison . But tjhe motion was resisted on fths presumed necessity of the prisoner petitioning for his release ,, and the House concurring in that opinion ,, the pupisjh- * ment oB Mr . Jones does » ot seem likely to be mitigated , and he will remain in prison till the end of the sessions , This gentleman , it seems , is from the Princi-
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pality , and the town of Carmarthen has had a meeting on the subject of his confinement , and that of Sir Francis JBurdett , and drawn up some very spirited resolutions , as also a petition to parliament , to be presented after the holidays .
Important questions will thus be agitated ; and the Catholic question is also to come forward , and under better auspices than before , as many petitions are presented or to be presented frem . large bodies of Protestants , who now see the folly of intolerance , and are willing to admit their brethren , believers in Christ
but of different opinions , to an equal participation of civil rights . We shall be happy to announce in our next , that this spirit is become more general , and that Protestants do not retain their prejudices at a time when the Catholics have given them tap , and are willing to acinus on the continent their Pro tenant breth *
ren to all their civil ^ advarit&ges / Whilst England has beeji thus distracted , different scenes have occupied t ^ Te attention of France . The marriage of the Emperor has produced all the festive splendour which might be expected from a nation so calculated to make a
gratid display on these occasions . The Emperor was married according to the law of his country , twice , first fcefore tHe civil authorities , when the civil contract was ratified , and then before the Catholic altar when the priest gave the nuptial benediction . This system is wisely adopted upon the liberal plan that no difficulty shall occur in th ^
tnarriage of subjects dn account of their reh « gibus persuasions * Every person is obliged to appear first before the magistrate , and tjlen he may go to what religious community he pleases for ' the completion of his contract . Thus perfect
religious liberty is established in this respect in France ^ and they have farther this advantage , that all marriage ^ are registered in an official manner , kept under the care of the civil powers ^ aadi an abstract is easily obtained from the register . This improvement might be adopted in England * wher e the registers being kept
in parish churches , it is often found very difficult to trace one but , of a marriage at a distant period . Had the register been kept in the county office , the r& ~ fereilce to it would be easy ; and bqth for die sake of property , < tnd for the " consciences of those who do not belong to the church of England , we may hope
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112 Slate qf ' Public Affairs .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1810, page 112, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2403/page/52/
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