Star. — London, England, 1816-02-24 00:00:00

I . - .s .. r r • THE B0110(10I1 STOTEI4. Inle day wee en de lore Tele. eve. peke it THE R PRES NTATIVE HISTORY , of mums van All 4 sad IRKLAND ander, if the Rowe at Cemew.. 3.4 of the OeuAties, Mes. tot Br My* dear United Kagiest. frees the cattiest OW. $y T. R B. OLDRIELI). . . Lending blood /or asiduria, Cratioth; asti Joy, Puma. W 4011% IfISTMIASTAIt REAMING. Yesterday a Meetino of the inhabitants of West spinster took place its Palace-yard, for the. purpose of petitiouing Parliament 'ageing the renewal of the Property Tax, and the maintenance of a standing array in time of peace. Ylie Meeting was name. rously attended. By twelve o'clock great crowds bad assembled ; and at one, the whole space included in Palace-yard was filled. At one o'clock, the than BAILIFF. atcompanied by a great part of the Westminster standing Commit. tee, the two Representatives of Westminster, Lord COCHRAN and Sir FRANCIS BURDETT, with several Members of the House of Commons, among whom we observid Mr. Baouciuma, M. LAIIRION, and Mr. BRAND, entered the hustings. Mr. Mortars, the High Bailiff, opened the business of the. Meeting, by reading the Requisition, by which be was authdrized and induced to call it. He ex pressed his satisfaction at the opportunity which the Inhabitants of Westminster now enjoyed, and so eta. lously embraced, of petitioning the Legislature for the abolition of a tax, the burthen of which oar $6 severely felt, and a redress of grievances of whichi they complained. He would not ester into any dis cussion on the subject, as he would thee consume the time of the Meeting, which would be better employed by listening to the eloquence and arguments of seve ral Gentlemen of high character and eminent talents, with whom Ire saw himself surrounded. Mr. 'WJSUART. in proposing the Resolutions, to which he hoped the Meeting would agree, began by observing, that if the advice of a great statesman. Who had formerly been their Represeutative, had bees followed, they would not at this day have been tailed open to petition Parliament against the conti. mutat* of the evils under which they now suffered.— ..I . :calm/ voice been attended to , this odious tag ne iet have been imposed. It was needless to deasribe its character, or to offer any arguments demenstraove of its oppresivs and inqursitonal mode of collection, and of its unjust end unequal distribu tion. La detesuble nature was known to all: It streav ! a body of men whose ape required them so make daily inroads dh our liberties.it raised Com missioners who had the power of assessing our pro. perty as tl*y thought proper, and from whose Jet there lay no appeal. The niannerin which it irrita ted and degraded the people, was universally felt.— We had seen the ravages that it hid made on our for trines and our freedom—we likewise saw the breach Of Government faith which its continuance implied. We had borne this as well as our other burdens with patience, during the urgent Necessities of a protracted war, in the 'prospect of immediate relief upon the re turn of tranquillity. We had conquered and obtained peace, and were consequently entitled to claim the re. demotion of the pledge givt n by the Legislature and by the Government. We had now no war to main tain but a war fiir our rights at home—no enemy to contend against but the Ministers who opposed them. We bad seen our enemies prostrate, we had come out of a protracted struggle with honour, but what ad- Vantage by our exertions—what good had we done to any European people ? We bad raised three Mo. narchs to thrones of which they were unworthy, and given them the power of oppressing their people.— The misfortunes of these Sovereigns had not taught them one lessed of wisdom ; in their adversity they had learned neit:ler justice nor moderation. Go to the dungeons of France, which are now so full, and ask the 'miserable victims of confinement, if their country had derived any political freedom from our success ? aod t'.ey will answer, No. Go to the South of France, and ask those who are suffering from poli tical and rel.git.us fanatic:snr, it they enjoyed any protec ion from their Government ? and they will re ply in the negative. Ask if there is a single honest heart in France that beats with joy at the name of Louis the Desired ? ar.d you shall he answered, No. (Loud a/01am) The restoration of a dynasty like this, the establishment of despotic power in Europe, were the fruits of our exertions, and the measures, for the execution of which, we were required to pay our taxes. Among the multitude of changes opera ' ted in this country, during a late period, none was more alarming than the military ►pir+t which had be gun to preilomitta—, and the military taste which was entertained in c- rtain qu.rters• He was cousin fres! that, in the quarter, to which he alluded, a thou. sand whiskered red coats would rather be seen than three freemen met for considering their rights and prieile b es. (Lied amlesee.) It we permuted the Income Tax tie be connoted another year, it would • be saddles up 4) us too ever—it we did not act upon the Lego'lature irr welt a •mintier as to FROCHge-idIR reduction *of our great military establishment, it would always be supported to the presets, extent, for the pUrpose of exacting hem us whatever taxes Go vernment migt , t recommend to be imposed upon a relnctant-and "offering people. He would not trouble the Meeting with any more remarks of his, as it. would be address. d by several high characters beside him on Cie hutting: with more poweriul eloquence, and able reasoning, than be could pretend to. He would only read the Resolutions on which the Poi. lion to Parliament was proposed to be grounded 1. and be hoped that the Petition, when presented to the Legislator's. from m numerous and respectable body of freemen as be now saw before him, Would produce an appropriate effect. Mr. Wismar then read the fast Resolution, and . was seconded by MAccivata, who observed that he would not trouble the Meeting with any speech, but only begged leave to idd, that, in his opinion, a Commissioner of the Income Tax was a political confessor, end in this seit.e we might say that we had obtained a Catholic Government. — (Lord end reuerekd atislaures.) The second Resolution was then read and seconded like the former, amid applause. and laughiog. . When the Resolution against a standing truly, was read, Major CARTWRIGHT- addressed the Meeting. He was aware that the measure of a standing army could ..ot be properly disiussed or decided upon in Palscee ; but it should be decided upon in a Parliament i duly elected, and by a' Cabbiet end* the contieno. l and ',ruched by the vigilance of such a Parliah ent 4 1 0 Freemen, however, had a right to deliver their 'opinions on thee measures of Government, and there .were some things of which they were sufficiently, competent judges. They could determine at present , on the- expediedcy and the danger of a standing army. A great Athenian had said, 2000 years ago, that a standing army old soon command the State; and an English Wra t Oesman, (Mr A. Young.) had, not long ago, given it as his opinion, that an armed Government was inconsistent with the liber ties of a people. A free Parliament and a national militia were the real characteristics door Constitu tion, the real safeguards or our rights. Different sciences had .different tests, by which the powers of the substances. with which they were conversant, could be tried. For ascertaining high degrees of heat we hid a pyrometer ; for measuring the strength of spirits the hydrometer was invented ; and those principles which he bad mentioned, as they afforded the means of knowing the degrees of an enlightened patriotism, might be called a patriometer.—(Lord , am/aere.) Major Cartviright made several other ob servations, and manifested a design to proceed to a great length, When, by the increasing impatience of several Gentlemen of the Westminster Cormniuee on the hustings, he was induced to dtew to a conclusion... Mr. HUNT entreated the indulgence of the Meet ing on this day, while he endeavoured to express his sentiments on the subject under their consideration. Having been named a Member of the Committee of , Thirty-one. appointed hut July, to watch over the i rights and liberties of the people of Westininster (an honour which was dear to his heart). while he had life and health, and was continued in that situation, he would never fail to attend to their interests. Full well he remembered thai some of those who were present to-day had not been among them on a for-, mer occasion when their exertions might have been of some service to the people of Westminster. As the servant of those who had appointed him to watch over their interests, he would not fail to give them warning when he thought they were in danger. He held this to be his duty, for what would be thought of a mortal who should see a person about to fire his master's house, and not seize the incendiary by the collar ? (aftftlasce, and a cry of 4 Order,' friar she hust ings.) He (Mr. Hunt) had been called to order. He d?d not conceive he had been out of older, and was aot to be put down if it was the wish of the Electors of Westminster to hear him.—(rlftftlause.)— The Gentleman who had brought forward the Resn. lotions bad told them, that if a great Statesman, now no more .(he supposed he meant Mr. Fox), had been attended to, they would not have been called toge ther that day, to consider of petitioning Parliament against the Poperty Tax. fie wished to know if the Gentleman meant Mr. Fox is, or Mr. Fox eat of place. If he meant the latter. he would go along with him in all he might say, but if be at all referred to what he had done in office, then he (Mr. Hunt), thought it necessary to remind them of what his con duct bad beers with respect to this Tax. Mr. Fox had strongly opposed the gnome Tax. while out of place, but he and his friends no sooner had got hi, than they raised it from six and a half to ten per cent. He ..nentioned this, as he wished to guard them against entering into any party views;—lie wished them to feel nu this subject as their worthy Rep* sentative Sir F. Burdett did, who had no party but that of the country.—(Applause.)—lt should be his task, and on this day it would be a painful one, to warn them against the party out of place, as well as against the party in place. Those whom he addressed, had not now to learn what were the principles, and what the practice of the Whigs.— They had made trial of them, and they hid found when in office, that they had added to the number of sinecure places and pensions, with which the pub. lic was previously burthened—they had increased the allowancesof the Royal Family, and the salaries of the Judges, and those of all the Officers of State, on account of the dearness of provisions. These were elme of the benefits we owed to the. Party ; and though the dearness of provisions was the pre• text for making the additional grants to which be had referred, had they as yet proposed that these should he reduced to what they formerly were ? What he had said on this subject seemed to cause time uneasiness to those behind him. He cared not. Thongh his conduct should offend all the world, when he came there to address the Electors of West minster, he would tell them the truth—(ifeftleare.) 'here was no single tax which the Whigs had con demned when brought forward by the government of Mr. Pitt, which they had not kept tip at least if they had not increased it. In no respect had t hey made good their former professions. Did they not make Lord Grenville First Lord of the Treasury and Auditor of the Exchequer; thus uniting two offices that were absolutely incompatible with each other ? And did they not make the benevolent Chief Justice i of the Court of King's Bench (Lord EUenborough), a Cabinet Minister ? Could any thing be more inipto -40? than this? In coasagneoce of this appointjn • might. in the first instance, be accused by Lord El lenUrough for speaking there; and that Noble Lord being his accuser, might afterwards sit in judgment 111300 him in Westminster Hall. He hoped it would not be his fate to be tried before him—but, it it were, so he bad a Westminster Jury, he should not be afraid of getting well through it—(Hear.) (Here it was discovered that hfcssrs. Brand, Bennet, ant Brougham had left:the Hustings, and conside rable interruption was given by the shouts and hisses a the multitude].—He was sorry to find that those Gentlemen who belonged to the party of which he had been speaking, and whom it had been expected that Assembly would have the honour to hear on this occasion, were gone, as he wished them to have an opportunity of defending the conduct of their Whig friebds. The Gentleman near him (Mr. Wishart), ,had spoken of them as being the Representatives of the People ; if ever he called them so, he wished those who then beard him mi ht chop off his aim, and cut out his tongue.—.(4: i f aime ).—Who were the Whigs? And what were Mr. onsonby, Mr. Horner, and Mr. Brougham ? He would tell them what they were : Mr. Ponsonby was a Pensioner on the public'; he received a pension of £4OOO per annum for doing nothing—and had he, in consideration of the public distress, ever offered to' give up this pension ? Mr. Horner, as one of the Commissioners. fur adjusting the Debts of the Nabob of Arcot, received £2OOO per annum--and were diem accounts ever likely to . s ie settled, Or that cotadleission tOtt4inlrtaii,litttß4 the Presentsyseens, while be ( Mr. Hunt), or those to whom tie was addressing hies*, werein existence? The.. was no probability V( thiss bOt had Mr. Horner, any more than Mr. l'Obsotthy, offered, taticicr th• ie to give up his pension ? No; it had never occurred to either of them to do 'this.— Now fee Mr. Brougham Had the Meeting forgot ten the pretty slap of the face he had given them at' Liverpool f If they bad, he (Mr. Hunt) had - "Mt.— On the occasion to which he referred, Mr. Brougham, expressing his hatred of the principles of Mt. Pitt, and his admiration of those of Mr. Fox, in which he was determined to live and die, had taken great care to separate himself from the Reformers, of whom he had spoken with little respect, and had evidently meant to reflect on Sir Francis Burdett and his friends.. He had understood they were disposed, to support the wishes of the people of Westutinsteel on the present occasion, but before thee came for.:l ward there for that purpose, let them wipe out those' stains which he.had proved to attach to their cha racters. As these Gentlemen were gone, he would trespass oa the time of the Meeting Ore minutes ,longer to read -over to them a list of Sinecures, among which, it would be seen, the names of some of the Party were to be found. The places for which the salaries, he should enumerate were paid, were not like those of Lord Castlereagh and others, who did something for what they recerved.— . Lord Bathurst received £7,310 per annum out of the public purse; the Marquis of Camden was paid 4129,000 yearly, as one of tie Tellers of the Exche. quer, for writing his name once a year; Lerd Gren. vile (this was one of a ' :he party"), had a sinecure of £1.,000 ; Mr. C. Yorke, £3,0,;0; the Duke of Grafton, 88,000; Lord Thurlow, £5,000; Lord Lilenborough, £15,189 ; Mr. Rose, /23,670; Mr. lVilliara Rose, .€2,137 ; !serf Arden, 838,574; Lord Melville, 84.,607; Young Melville, 84,5.:0; Lord Liverpool, £3,500; the Marquis of Drogheda. 44,748; the late Lord Buckinghamshire, £11,094 Young Mr. Perceval, £4,520 ; the Marquis of Wet lesley (and Mr. Wiiliarti Pole in reversion), /34,200; T. Knox, he (Mr. Hunt) did not know who he was, but he took 5e10,353 out of the public purse; Lord H. R. Seymour, 5e15,616 ; Lord Kenyon (th, son of the late Chief Jus.ire), lidG. Theo 20 took nearly 8200,000 annually out of Ole public purse, and these were but a few of the number that could be brought forward, as in all there were upwards of 2do, These 200 great . paupers took as much Irons the public for their support, as would suffice to maim •in 10,(X)0 little ones. The sum which the twenty per sons he had named received, besides what they might derive from their situations, he had calculated would afford a provision for 10,000 soldiers, or as many paupers, allowing; each sixpence per • day. S...rie time back he had ; urcb. %,:.1 an estate in the neigh. bourhood of Lord L.'artmittn, t':e r..otal of which came to nearly £I,OOO per annum she • 1 ItOt expected any advantage from living near Lord Camden, but the tax-gatherer, on calling on him, had told him he knew he paid nearly £lOOO n-year, but he should only put him down at £'2oo. Oa inquiry, be found that all Lord Camden's tenants, who were but as mere trassals, who dared nut keep a dog, nor hardly a cat to catch their mice, lest they should disturb his Lord ship's ga me, had their land at 14s. or ISt. an acre, but Ott no instiance was it assessed higher than at 7s.— In Wiltshire, he (Mr. Hunt) and his neighbours were taxed up to the rack rent, and thus, during the war, hisland of the same qu.tlity as that which was put down at 7s. belonging to Lord Camden, had been rated at 50$. the acre, anJ taxed accordingly.— He then proceeded to indol . ;e in some further obser vations on the party ; he censured the conduct of Mr. Tierney, reprobated the maintenance of a large standing army in times of peace, and gave the Reso lution of Major gartwri;:lit his support. The Resolution was agreed to. • - A Petition, founded on the Resolutions which had been passed, was read and agreed to. Major Cawrwatiour then moved the resolution of thanks to Sir Francis Burdett, which being seconded and agreed to, Sir Fuatims Burner came forward amid bursts of applause. He said that he was the more flattered with the reception given to him at this moment, be cause he knsw it was possible that his not having made his appearance lately in the room over the way (in %hid), as was well stated, there was a mockery of representation) might have been construed into a hopelessness of the public causei- or .a wish to relax from those exertions which it had been the whole bu siness of his life invariably. to puriue ; but, knowing well of how little importance any thing that was carried on within those walls could be to the public, and of how much importance it was that the people of England should nut be deludetiwlth the supposi tion that they .were represented in Parliament, he conceived that it was most advisable to keep away. That be might not therefore be aiding in the abomi nable delusion that had been carried on in what was called the House of CorcAptis he had not made his eppearence hitherto, but hftalnever Wed, in being present whenever there was the least chance that be could render any service to his countrymen. With these views, he should present the petition now voted with just as niuch hope of succeeding-in any prayer which the petition contained as he had when he pre sented the last petition; which now was laid either on or under the table as waste paper.- He trusted, how ever, that the moment had now arrived when the people: of England would with one accord unite, pro. • ceeding, upon the broad principle of the constitution, with a firm determination, alter this war of delusion, , which bad most unexpectedly, and not less rashly than fortunately terminated,. of maintaining their rights and liberties. A war had been carrying on;*as it was believed by the people, against foreign aggreea sion, and in support of their •oirm freedom; but by this time he hoped their eyes had been opened, after 800 millions of . their property bad . heeit expended,' and such an exhaustion -of blood and treasure.---:, Without any more of this bugbear being. held op of forei b -aaggressiori, he trusted that all the e vil s wou ld nose be corrected, and that the people Would DOW contend against that-greatest of all enormities, a cor rupt House of Commons, and - corrupt Ministers at; home—evils much more dangerous than any foreign enemy.. The iticonse tax had been described in lan. guage not leas just than, true ; and there. was little, necessity to say much upon that .subject after what had already been said, but that it was a tax not to be; borne under any circumstances bitt of the greatest .. • . , raitssi4, sad, liire all enter , ''try, fered Without an economical retin , t that necessary to all MK itiOn rat„/m f sz.qr einti an P:.• iiamert. The d'sease of t i e *as not this income tax, cast. tax oia n e i thnt : ienia:ion. This was tru- ynns, : ol d i n „ n i l , - there was no other t e i t r4r En?land declared, that th- prPe 7 . 1 1- p ti n i th could not be taken away without Leis eri m g ,, l but there were a few Gentlerrei. lvl . o intro over the way. to thc ha brliete t t of r ' 15!, whb had sold themselves to G •vvan tia wile disposed of the 4orfu•tes and nt of this great and enlighten-d natian tic might thiak proper. The pe e pl- t ,l ti ltiatt r a trust in no men hut themselves. If Culi n : firmtie4 were used, sncke.s would ensue. It i agreement by which the p to4er.t os t h e , of Great Britain held the Crown, nit th ere `: l be no catinet Pr cabal to onven. 1 . .« Cr . the Privy Council should diroct .11 :heir 0p t ,„ 1 , 144 But there was another most important poi nt act of settlernenr, that, no persuont.th.,nic,itn...g4e4,::: profit uhder the Crown should b: A Mt napt7 liament. Was this law now alt- red to? 'NZ r u c i h nt i I :4:teed! o o ff the t e people King indeed , wer n What could a more proper mode of recovering ibis t i o t z branch of the legislature , which belonged tette: plea, but by a firm determinati on to resist the r Z' arm,. ? Soppoce any nnn was walking with, -T ill ,„ lit: pocket and a sword in hi s hard, ~141,7. another man a dark lane, At ho said t o Litoi,Git‘ the sword vand i will prote ct y ou ;'‘ woad h e : w-a sword go out of Lis pr„ sess io n ? Ile ilJk wt..ion in his vwn h an d to Men! llitos e tilt what were ue yid I It was n ecessaiy, said * 'l niters, to k-ep up a ~t :tiding army of Enti,:ll,; to destroy all the libs•rty. that r m until in rno z This was a provsitlo:l,. Selions f u r m t„. il v .l lO id any re3ard for the liberti es or t h e h il i z4 of his country. It Itch •vr:J every men, worn aked child, to do ad in their power to p;cirent it, r it rstirnate of the standing army was 1.50,000 with A deter ;at 2 1 millions uyear, the ou nvus expenses of a m .st waueful war; 0 411 -to ke rp Ireland quit ; and it seemed as it t!ew,, net teas the only mode by •which Govetruntre tired they could quiet the peryle. H e coe : 44 Lion miny tf,ings which art mild be, as be'eesatatio mere likely to keep Irel inJ in peace. He did .-xpect Curt the Noble Lord w!•ut I be inelirai % aurce tu it ; but he iiiongilt, tit it if the niiiieLit wcre impeached for his viaduct in beiami, it trial give iaitinitely m:;re s.aisiac'on to tit pl,k.„. (L. vdapplaure.)-.This great Irish unclettzku lid undertaken the managarrent of Cie affairs of Le* had bought and sold in retail and wboleuk, having, in his own country, acIA. J corruption u ts rapon, had been detected it, further cerrtrait e i t the English Parliamelt. (?!Each the career the N.ibl: Loris Sad run, and trie la st was to be expected from t. is :smile, ?—the ants. sion of all the liberties snit freeL; ra iiiiment is Englishfilan. There was une tholg more be kin Mention. Claims had been laid to all ches t n ut ( money, login of money, Scc. %Inch had bee Ai by the Crown ;he meant the Dr sof Alai salty and the Crown ; hut w:ncf., to lactofla had nothing to do with. could trete as to itippete that the Crown could have 4 - of taking to itself millions of property u assists Pirliamitit. It was quite ridictilnus to r : ltypte any legal opinion could be nee t: s s ary. laneat sums of money clahned in the coarse st war as taken by th• awry —mill:ons if I rival, which, instead of going to .he Crowp, ai.dlist indemnified the merchants and the bra.. Ann and Navy for the losses they had Altar 41; (Great applaute.)—GOA Got) was it not w ccnsider how much money was drawn *tit people under the pretence of being ?frau, Witte .present dreadful distress of the errantry GAN see princely cottages bumf and puatel down malt the whim of the owners, at an frnmtns:•expoise,sl be reconCled to the se abcfniii.stik foxes ? If rasi cessity was once proved, there eould eu‘f oil question ; but when we saw the man:s utso English Geatlemen attached to a list of sinus places, which had been already mcntionA, mast remain silent, and stiffer out liberties to be by those noble paupers, as they had been teraedi li was once, be believed, poetised in the Hooe(e begged pardon for calling it by that name), set every man receiving a pension from Governed sheuld have a badge put upon him. Now, lie 0, 04 'ike to see these itoble pei sons baJged.—(•'lpidalt) He did not know whether the blue rilband and by ten were to be considered as such badges, bet should like to see them appe ir a little monde , ditabie, for he believed the folly of the times 14 affixed a feeling of honour to such s;gns. h:* happy that on this occasion he had received t probation of his Constituents, and the eie,,,J fro spect of their support, actuated by pi $ tafelforjpon no other would he act) ; iet 4 hope that the day was not far distant u..ea retits4 meat would be echoed from one collier of the N . dum to the other.L—(L9ad checr.r.) Upon a Resolution of Thanks to Lord Cal being passed “.for the spirit of opposition by he has distinguished himself, to the infringtotell! the Constitution and the grievances of the peo:te his LiOrdsliiii addressed his Constituents. The:if lutionitself, he said, would he sufficient collate • hini forward t o o ff er hi s than k s lea the hallow ferred upon him; but he had additional rends an offering of . thanks on the present mask& ' -owed to the people of Westinini:er his grateful knowledgments for suppoi tint him with theii tenance and regard, when he had co other eV but the approbation of his own mind, and titer* sciousness of his own innocence. When he was 061 ,_ the subject of persecution, sad hen the odd ! "serted;him, he enjoyed tna gratification of that the confidence and attac!ent-t:t of his L' tuents remained unshaken. On the rresr:at ocro, the Noble Lord would not enter oh foreign - ribo, as we had sufficient cause for ccniidorAfon Hection at home. The Income Tax, it "I " affected only the higher ranks of lite, the aid.' and the landowner; but he would Isay,lbe i t° felt even on the bread of the poor. 1% bc" tl exacted, the Ncble Lord (Castlereagh) " the •••• over the way," had affirmed, with a iond of o ul don, that the French would be so Critiad bi ° sr 11/1