EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
735
cute the individuals by whom they had been captioned.* John Miller, similarly circumstanced as to parliamentary displeasure, was, meanwhile, taJien into custody by a messenger from the house ; and the serjeant at arms, who had been apprised of the fact, came himself to demand the bodies of both the messenger and the printer, who had repaired to the mansion-house, on the latter making his appeal to Brass Crosby, the lord mayor. Hereupon his lordship asked the messenger whether be had applied to a magis- trate to back the warrant, or to any peace-officer of the city to assist him : he replied m the nega- tive. His lordship then said, that so long as he was in that high office, he looked upon himself as a gpiardian of the liberties of his fellow-citi- zens; that no power had a right to seize a citi- zen of London, without an authority from him, or some other magistrate ; and that he was of opinion, the seizing of Miller and the warrant were both illegal: he, therefore, declared Miller to be at liberty, and proceeded to examine witnesses to prove the assault on him by the messenger ; which being done, his lord- ship asked the messenger if he would give bail ? if not, he should be committed to prison. The latter, at first, refused to tender bail; but the commitment being made out, and signed by three magistrates, (Crosby, Wilkes,f and Oliver) the Serjeant at arms now said that he had bail ready for him ; and two sureties were bound in twenty pounds each, and the messenger in forty pounds, for his appearance at the next session at Guildhall. The clerk of the city being brought to the table of the house of commons, was com- pelled to tear out from his register the leaves on which the above judgments of the magistracy were recorded.
The city of London has at all times taken a leading part in the great contests for political power and privilege ; but in no instance has her efforts in these respects been more powerfully felt, or led to more extensive and important con- sequences, than in the manly and courageous stand that was made by her lord mayor, at this time, against the whole power of government,
• At the Kmlons at OnlUhall, Jane 30, 1771. Edwwd Twine Carpenter, printer, of Uoaier-lane, waa tried for an assault in Kizinr and taking ap the person of J. Wheble, printer, according to tile royal prodiunation fbr that pur- poae, when he wai foond ifuilty, fined one ahilUjig, and ordered to be imprisoned for two months in Wood-street compter.
t On the inh of April, 1770, the committee of the biU of rights, having settled all the debts of Mr. Wilkes, he was relieved tnan confinement on giving a bond for his good behavioor daring seven vears; and he was after- wards admitted to the otBce of alderman for the ward of Farringdott-without, to which he had been prerionsly elected. This event was celebrated by a very general Ulnmlnation, not only in London, bat throa^oat the kingdom. During his popalarity every wall bore his name, and every window his portrait. In china, in bronze, or in marble, he stood npon the chinmey-pieees of half the honsea of the metropolis ; he swong npon the sign-posts of every village, of every great road throogh- out the conntry. He used himself to tell, with great glee, of a monarchical old lady, behind wtiom he acddently walked, looking up, and mormnrlng within his hearing, in mnch spleen, "He swings every where bat where he ongbt." Wilkes passed, and, tnrning round, politely
directed to put down the liberty of the press, in publishing the parliamentary debates. Jealous of their privileges, and resolved to maintain them, the commons house of parliament ordered the lord mayor (member for Honiton,) together with the alaermen Wilkes and Oliver, foruiwidi to attend that house, the lord mayor and alder- man Oliver in their places as members of the same, to abide the consequences of having with- stood the execution of their warrants ; and alder- man Oliver was voted into the custody of the lieutenant of the tower on the 2dth of March ; and on the 27th, the lord mayor was also com- mitted to the same place.* The parliament was prorogrued on the 23d of July ; when the lord mayor and alderman Oliver being released of course, were carried fromthetowertothemansion house with every possible mark of the approbation of their fellow-citizens; and again rewarded by the corporation.-)- The liberty of printing the parliamentary debates, though not formally ac- knowledged,has,through this important struggle, been virtually secured to us; for parliament, find- ing its own impotency in this business, abandoned the whole question entirely, and its benefits have since then been experienced by the government itself, in the vast revenue which the newspaper press yields to the state ; and also in supporting the liberties of Europe, and those of a still larger portion of the human race. The advantages of the periodical press, says an elegant writer of the present day^ are in the vast accumulation of facts which it brings together — in the searching and universal light of publicity which it sheds upon laws, discoveries in knowledge, and advan- ces in civilization. Is one fact valuable to man- kind discovered by some scholar in the farthest end of the earth ? Ten to one but you will see it first announced in a paragraph of the news- paper. Is there any abuse in the laws? — ^itis the newspaper press that drags it to day. Is there any invention that will augment our com- fort, or sharpen our industry ? — it is in the news- paper that It becomes familiar to us all. The newspaper is the chronicle of civilization, the common reservoir into which every stream pours its waters, and at which every man may come and drink. It is the newspaper which gives to liberty its practical life, its constant observation,
• This commitment gave Uitli to the fUUowing ton ai«( by Wilkes. Crosby was then ctmilned to liis bed. A Frenchman asked Wilkes what was the reason of the examination being heard In the lord mayor's htd chamber: the alderman re^ed, "bis lordship only followed the French fashion ; be is holding a btd ofJuMct to annnl the anthorlty of parliament."
t A silver cap of the valoe of ^KH), with the city arms engraved thereon, was presented to Brass Crosby, the mayor ; and to aldermen Wilkes and Oliver, one each, of the value of jtflst, as marks ofthegratitade of the city of Ixmdon, for their npright condnct in the aflkir of the printers. His lordship also received the freedom of the city of London, of the town of Bedford, and of the mer- chnnts of Dublin. Addresses were also transmitted to him tmm several of the civic wards ; Dram the comities of Caennarthen, Pembroke, and Cardigan; ftom the towns of Newcastle, Stratford-apon-Avon, and f^om Honiton, which place he represented in parliament.
X Sdward George Earl Lytton Bolwer, member of par- liament for the dty of Lincoln, and author of several celebrated novels.
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