Star. — London, England, 1819-10-22 00:00:00

COURr OF COMMON aikwat. t , " EE' Fk k~ • ~. i .e , •• A Court of Common.Conacil was held yesterday, at the Guildhall, for the dispatch of the ordinary business. The Aldermen present were, Sir CHARLII FINSWIR, Sir WILLIAM CURTIS, Tnoar, C. SitITIT, Cox, HEYOATE, and WitivnuAN ; Mr. Alderman ROTHWELL was also present, AnsLoccupied the seat assigned for the senior Sheriff. Mr. Sheriff PARKINS noting a Member, was not in attendance, nor was any motion made to allow him to takehis seat in the Court, as is the usual compliment paid to Sheriffs who are not of the Common Council. The LORD MAYOR took the Chair at twelve o'clock. THE PRINCE REGENT'S ANSWER TO THE CITY ADDRESS The Minutes of the last Court having been read, his Lordship rose, and reported that the Address voted at the last Court had been presented to the Prince Regent, who had been pleased to return a most gracious Answer, which would be read by the Town Clerk.—The Royal Answer was then read.. Mr. FAVELL rose immediately, and moved that his Royal Highness's Answer be entered on the Jour nals. He was happy to learn that the Court had voted an Address so consonant with the principles and opinions he had been brought up in, and which be trusted he should always maintain and uphold to the latest period of his life. Of the Reply he was not disposed to say much, but wo uld leave it to the country to judge how far it was consonant to the melancholy occasion for the Address, or such as was to have been expected, under all the circumstances which had taken place, and which had made it al most a question, whether we were living in Turkey under the sabres of the Janissaries, or under the laws of a free Constitution in a Christian country ? 1 He agreed in the manly and constitutional sentiments expressed in the Address, and thought it highly worthy of that Court to call for inquiry into the shocking transactions which had taken place at Man chester, and deprecated as unjust, the insinuation implied in the Answer, of mixing up that Court with the seditious and disaffected. He had been absent on his duty in the Sister _Kingdom, where he had been drinking " the glorious and immortal memory," and was sorry, on his return, to find the traces of that great and glorious Revolution almost obliterated, and the great Constitutional principles which our an cestors so nobly fought to obtain, openly and most daringly violated ; and he trusted Ministers would yet be called upon to answer to the Nation. Mr. JACKS said, it was always usual, in recording Answers from the Throne, to designate them as the King's or Prince Regent's 'host gracious Answer ; and he saw no reason why they should deviate from that respectful mode of describing the Answer in the present instance. Mr. DIXON insinuated, that the Honourable Mover's intention was merely to address a speech to the in dividuals below the Bar, as heinust have known that it was usual on all occasions, to make use of the words " most gracious Answer," and he called on the Clerk to say, whether that was not, invariably, the practice observed ? The CLERK said it was certainly customary to use the words " most gracious Answer," but the custom had not, in all cases, been invariably adhered to. Mr. BROWN doubted the recollection of the Offi cer, and called for the production of a precedent in which the words " most gracious" had been omitted. Mr. F.tVELL referred to proceedings of that Court on the 20th of December, 1816. in which, on a Mo tion for the Entry of the Prince Regent's most gra cious Answer to an Address of that Court, an Amendment was moved and carried to le.tve out the words " most gracious." Mr. Bnowx said, if the Honourable Mover had omitted the customary words by accident or inatten tion, the question would not be worth contending for ; but as his object was apparent by his having gone into the question, so fully discussed at the last Court, he (Mr. Brown) must declare, that in his opi nion, the Address went to prejudge the case, and that the Answer of his Royal Highness was most Constitutional. He should therefore move as an Amendment to Mr. Favell's Motion, the insertion of the words " most gracious." Mr. JACKS, in a short speech, seconded the Amend. merit of Mr. Brown. Mr. WILLIAMS said, he also was absent on his duty in the Sister Country when the Address alluded to had been carried in that Court. He agreed fully in the constitutional principles asserted in that Ad dress, aid joined most heartily in the opinions ex pressed on the transactions which occurred on that bloody day at Mancliestet—a day which would ever remain to the latest posterity a disgrace on the Bri tish annals. But they were told that they were pre judging the case. Had not the Ministers prejudged the case ? Had they not, without hearing any per sons on the subject but those who were actually im plicated in the transactions, and before there could have been time for any fair inquiry, advised the Prince Regent to thank the authors and actors of these illegal and bloody proceedings ? The Monarch was at all times surrounded with parasites, who pre vented him from hearing the truth ; and were they to sit still while absolute murder was committing? He held it the duty of that Court to address his Royal Highness on such a subject, and strictly constitu tional to call upon him to institute such an inquiry. He would not say precisely what he thought of the Answer ; but considering it, as he did, to deserve any other name but gracious, he should vote against the Amendment. Mr. HURCOMBE said, the charge of prejudging the question rested wholly with Ministers, who had in such haste advised the Prince Regent to give his thanks to the actors on that bloody day, for murder ing their unoffending fellow-citizens. The same Mi nisters who had advised these thanks also advised the Regent's Answer—as such, it was a fair subject of animadversion, and would they commit so great a libel upon that Answer as to call it gracious?" The people at large would judge, and he was sure they would never be brought to concur in any such opinion of it. Mr. T. N. WILLIAMS said he had as strong an opi nion upon this Answer as any Gentleman in the Court; he considered, however, that the words were merely words of form and courtesy. We witnessed sometimes humble and dutiful Addresses to th• Throne, which exhibited neither humility nor duty. and at others profess to appreheud a " loving sab jett," *rho was perhaps 2CCUIIki of high treason. It t w o as th of ose ini in po a rtfn uthori ce ty th , a a t fi sv d errtheresdeviPlitiawon s h ould d ont he s pa uch i4 revolution. With these feelings, he was co pin urt rst et and to d respett , he considered as a sort of step ,m, Li utdisfu e.,.. sted app w li i e th d r a iou v s ery desi r r spec tion tab o l : character. He repeated, the opprob rious it was of importance to re tain all these forms of courtesy and respect, and he should therefore suyport the amended Resolution. Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN observed, that if the worthy Gentreman who had just sat down was at all open to conviction, he did not doubt but that he should, be able to convince him that he was wrong in the Conclusion to which he had come. He really wondered the Gentleman was so ignorant of what had passed in that Court. The battle had been fought on the same grounds before, and the word " gracious" had frequently been left out. All the danger likely to ensue from this want of courtesy had been already incurred ; and yet he thinks that the word should be retained, although he does in fact acknowledge that he believes it to be most egre giously false! 13ut where was the occasion for all this delicacy and respect? The King, it is acknow ledged on all hands, can do no wrong; and the An swer is therefore the answer of his Ministers, and was certainly the fair subject for discussion, when it was considered what were the cruel and disgraceful trans actions into which an inquiry was prayed. The wor thy Alderman then took a rapid survey of the pro minent circumstances which occurred at Manchester on the fatal 16th of August ; and contended that the atrocity of the occurrences called loudly for inquiry, that the guilty perpetrators might be brought to the punishment they merited. It was quite clear, how ever, he said, by the Answer, that there wou ld not be any inquiry ; and yet the Court were accused of prejudging . the question! If to petition for inquiry was to prejudge, then the right of petitioning was really worth nothing. Many were the instances where that Court had petitioned for inquiry, and one in which the unfortunate Officer, against whose conduct they had petitioned, had suffered death; but now, it seems, if you have nothing to complain of, you may petition—but if you really have good cause for com plaint and inquiry, then by petitioning you prejudge the case! But they were fold in the Answer, that " the Tribunals were open." Where, then, was the use or the justice of all your Loyal Declarations, which charged the People with being seditious and disaffected ?—Why, if guilty, are they not proved so and punished? There might, for aught he knew, be some disloyal persons—even in the strictest religious communities there were some bad, and those were generally in appearance the greatest bigots, the bet ter to cover their own iniquities. But how were wo men and children to apply to these Tribunals? They had not the means of procuring advice, and if a legal Gentleman was humane enough to advocate their cause without being paid for it, that, it should seem, from what had taken place at the Inquest at Man chester, would be deemed a reason why he should not be heard at all. The People ought to look up to great public bodies, and they would look up to them with confidence if they felt protection from them. They might be ignorant of what was best to be done, but they could feel their grievance, although they might not, perhaps, know the proper remedy, and it is not by Loyal Declarations, insulting the People, that such feelings can be put down; if, indeed, the dis loyalty was so great and extended as these Declara tions described, the thing was impossible, and a whole People would not submit to be so dealt with. He contended, it was the duty of the Court to ad dress the Throne on great public subjects. how else were Kings to learn the truth? They could only know it through the voice of the People; and Junius had said, " it was the misfortune of his present Ma jesty never to know the truth but in the complaints of his subjects."--• " Princes, like beauties, from their youth " Are strangers to the voice of truth !" How then should they learn it? Would their Mi nisters inform them of their own misdeeds? No; they could leant it only from the voice of the People. The Address cf that Court prayed only for inquiry, and not for punishment, and was entitled to a dif ferent answer. It would be absurdity in the extreme to call it gracious ; and it had been shewn, that whenever that Court could not so call it, the word was always omitted. The worthy Alderman, in con clusion, said, he was not insensible to the state of the country, and recommended to the Court, as the surest means of preventing the threatened dangers, to treat the feelings of the People with temper and modera tion, and support and encourage inquiry into public grievances. Mr. DtxoN contended, that the speech of the worthy Alderman was not at all to the question. They were not then discussing the transactions at Man chester, but whether, in speaking of the Answer of the Prince Regent, they should use terms of pro priety ? If they lost sight of dignity and decorum, they would open a door to every sort of insult and licentiousness. Mr. BUMSTICAD allowed it was a great evil when the Constituted Authorities were treated with dis respect ; but he could not consent to call this a gracious Answer; they might call it proper, they might tall it dignified, or any-thing else, but to call it gracious, was a ♦iolation of the English language. Mr.JAMES supported the Amendment, which, after a few observations in reply from Mr. FAYELL, was carried in the affirmative. The LORD MAYOR presented a Letter he had re ceived from Mr. Alderman BRIDGES, accepting the office of Lord Mayor for the year ensuing. The LORD MAYOR again rose, and said he had a Statement to lay before the Court respecting the con duct of Mr. Sheriff Parkins; the Court would do with it what they pleased, but be felt it his duty to present it to them, because he was of opinion that the State of the City ought to be preserved. The. Statement was then read, and Mr. BROWN moved, that the same be entered on the Minutes, and referred to a Committee of all the Aldermen present, and a Commoner from each Ward, to examine and report thereon. ...A long conversation ensued, in which it was sug gested, that it would be unfair to enter the charge on the Minutes without the answer which had been deli vered to the Court of Aldermen, and bad also ap peared in print: it was at length agreed to suspend the entry on the Minutes, and the previous motion, with that omission, was then carried. I! Throne, wnicn extuou.ea nenner nunnuty nor duty, I the entry on the Minutes, and - dr ' Previous in — ott r: o - n, - and at others profess to apprehend a " loving sab-1 with at omission, was then earned. I 1 • • THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1819. THE FUNDS. ►NICE 0► STOOKS THIS DAT AT osl O . CLOCK Bank Stock 2161 219 3 per Cent. Reduced 6711 3 per Cent. Consols 681 68 1 68 3/ per Cent. 7611 4 per Cent. 851. 85t 5 per Cent. Navy 1031 1031 Bank Long Annuities 17 13-16 India Stock 2091—India Bonds 10 12 pre. South-Sea Stock 751 Exchequer Bills (2d.) par 2s. dis. Omnism 11 dis. Consols for Acct. 68i111. A sudden and unexpected depression took place at twelve o'clock this day in the Stock Market. At the commencement of business, the Market looked well, and Consols found ready purchasers at 68.1 ; but at the time above mentioned, a sudden panic seized the Market, from a great number of the principal Bro kers rushing into the House, and selling immense sums. —ln five minutes all the bright prospects of the lostlis were completely extinguished, and purchasers could scarcely be had for Consols, although hawked about the Market at 68. Every one became alarmed for so great a depression, when they had the consolation► of "being informed, that the Militia were ordered to be embodied immediately, and that, from the general aspect of affairs in the Country, Ministers were under the apprehension, that sothe very strong measures must be instantaneously adopted. All other Stock has fallen in proportion; and Omnium, which has been at 6 per Cent. premium, was sold. at l I discount ; but after a few lots hail been disposed of, no more purchasers could be found, even at that depreciated price. We must call the attention of the Public to the proceedings of the Court of Inquest held in the County Court at Newcastle-on-Tyne on Monday, which we inserted yesterday in our columns, on the .authority of the Tyne Mercury; and have only to premise that the correctness of the observations which we now submit, rest entirely on the supposition that such a Court was held, and that the proceedings were actually such as have been reported in the Newspaper alluded to. We were filled with so much amazement on the first perusal, that we found ourselves quite unqualified to give the proceedings that deliberate and cool attention which they call for; but, after due deliberation, we feel ourselves imperiously bound to re quest the attention of all who wish well to the Consti tution and Laws of England to a transaction which* if the statement be correct, calls loudly for animad version. We had fondly hoped that the ferment excited by late events at Manchester, would at least have had the effect to prevent any of the minor Authorities from being hasty in the exercise of equivocal powers; but if the proceedings be fairly stated in the Report alluded to, we are strongly persuaded that the con• duct of the Court of Inquest at Newcastle will be deemed, by most men, less capable of defence than any part of the conduct of the Manchester Magistrates. If there is any one part of the Liberties of English men better established than another, it is the right of being heard before being condemned ; a right on which, in fact, every thing like justice must eter nally hinge. A man may be arraigned, and should he not appear to answer the charge imputed to him, he may be outlawed—which is saying no thing more than that the man who will not abide the penal cognizance of the laws under which he lives, must be deprived of the benefits of their protection. But ever since the Revolution esta- blished liberty on the basis of law amongst us, we remember no former instance in which men have been condemned for an imputed crime, without . an opportunity being given them of appearing in their defence, and of establishing, if possible, their inno cence. We are not sure but that the instance we are about to advert to, involves even a worse perversion 'of justice than this; for from all the information we have before us, it would seem, that persons have been condemned, not only without a hearing, or an oppor tunity of being heard,: but absolutely without know ing that any charge was pending against them! The circumstances are briefly these;—ln consequence of the late disturbances at Shields, what is called a Court of Inquest (see Star of yesterday), was held at Newcastle, before TIIOWAS CLENNEL, Esq. and a full Bench of Magistrates. The holding of such a Court is so much a novelty, that we are told, that " This is almost the first instance of such a Court being held in this County" (Northumberland), and the autho rity for holding it, is said to be an Act of Parliament, of a date no less ancient than the reign of HENRY IV. The Court, we are further told, is "vested with great powers," and the object in now reviving it " was rather to chew that they had that power, than to. punish," Ecc. Now, then, for the manner in which they show it. The Court, after convicting one man, who appears to have been brought before the Jury, " also decided that that bad been a riot at Wallsead &lath, on 'Wednesday, and tha t we re Imaged, but who are not is c u; sent thereat; TRAY WERR Fl. —So here are three men—three dared guilty of a serious crime, crime in a heavy penalty (for Fifteen Pounds must be a heavy pe na l ' having been ever taken into cast without having been called upo n fence—without having any opi ing the evidence adduced against it by other evidence without, • all, as there seems every reason any proceedings were going Here is a conviction on the mere and not on evidence of identity, all convictions--here are witnesses they do not see before them, arr saw on a former occasion; here lieving what these witnesses so and here are Justices passing sent rational man would trust for a diet which is a manifest violation obligation to " judge well and vereign Lord the King and the, and against individuals who may establish, by the most irrefragable that they ate innocent of the offenci If such are the " great pow( tracy of Newcastle wished to shew reviving the Court of Inquest estal of HENRY IV. we do say at once, wholly unknown to the existi, and a positive infringement ni and best recognized rights of Ei not troubled ourselves to look it IV. to see whether it really does with the powers here assumed • granted that it does, we know things as the Bill of Rights an( which for ever swept away all • and oppressive jurisdictions. ted fact, that such Courts of Int utter desuetude, to shew that counter to the spirit which rui of our Revolutionary Charter, only have sunk into oblivion becai have been revived without reviving which the Revolution put do, It would be a mere waste of cities on such a question as thi knows any thing of his right must be convinced, on perusi. ceeding which has been adopted men (assuming the report to be have been proceeded against in all that is must common in England, and revolting to every and liberty, which education planted in our breasts, Mr LAMSTON . 3 reasons (see for refusing to sign the so call of the Magistrates of Chester W serious attention. When " Lot Declarations" are hatched in secret, a Public Meeting to sanction _ purity of the Movers and Agents suspicion of aiming at some inc' forth in the Declaration. They , selves forth as the exclusively loyal , the minds of the timid an apprehension hold their signature, is to rank there have hitherto been none who deserved to be so branded, are to be none counted loyal What is this but to sanction fal. The pains taken to obtain signatures ser►ing productions, in different his excited much surprise in the cannot accuse themselves of and who; simple souls, cannot see . of their signature to such document them that character which they it is curious to trace the motives to sign and others to withhold • The Ultra-Loyalists in Yorks& about the County their Loyal house to house, to obtain signatures permit persons of every descrir . holders or householders, or not. affix their names. The number very small, notwithstanding all been made. In the towns, the shopkeepers to sign, fearing they may lose the dicals ; but every where the innkeepers must sign, fearing that they shall men on the approaching licensing• It is noted on all hands that wonlii not have been heard of " real Friends of the Throne and tice and the due administration the late shocking transactions at vestigated ; and the conviction of from signing Declarations to wl ward on a proper occasion and 1 no loyal man could object : but indirectly aimed at by this species many would consider themselves, coming accessories after the fact, they reprobate from the very bottom of their souls. The following Circular, distributed at brough, alludes to the industry employed by live E nglish en r )134 IrS n i r ei)°l custody , tnF u r tjo e n: itvn. three Ya hv h ut ed E c e m ia M , ei n 1:11 veraciously n a o os o flieeur'lee: everys4o s (I. y e b ?. and ame rce d f, are re DW of s°n thetisaPlumt karsar , fteh h e si of e ; oa a ga i nst ss e r: t ri i t n o e e s entente ree ta o I n jri nku e rg r v i t d b. e t i ‘ • m en 9 5 a nv a moment--on ' truly beirs ee4 prisoner at At at say, after all, be ;abk evidence of ffence impntel to vet's" which the 3 shew they posse s .. p established b y r h ce, that they are ting La w o f E n: on some of the se Englishmen we use into the Act of H. .1 ) 1 does invest Magi> ed ; but taking it Av that them are nod Act of Seal such partial, arbi We rest on the a a nquests have faller t they must have runs through ever T r, and that they r because they could reviving that tvr own. of time to quote 'tis. Every per= hts as an Engli sing the course oi ,ted against these i be correct), that in a manner contra., the legal practice ery principle of 'is , n and habit have The Star of yestr. tiled Loyal Decl Ward, are deseryis. oyal and Constituti. secret, without c them, the fairness gents are open to indirect object nnt hey want to set • loyal ; and to excite rehension that, to : with the disloyal in the neighbour , . I, from henceforth 1 but the Subscri , Llsehood and calu ignatures to theset rat parts of the coua. the minds of many any act of disloyal . see how the appen. cements can eartic/ y already pawn: res which induce so. 1 their names. shire are now hawk'' , ral Declaration, f atures ; and solicit rription, whether f at—even labourer% net of names is as , Il the efforts that ha shopkeepers are afr the custom of the 1 1 'keepers and public dl otherwise be :nark . ing-day. sat these Declarati. , but for the call of Constitution—of J' n of the Laws, to ha at Manchester fully i. of this withholds man which, if brought 14 1 fora proper PU " t h e obj ) u ec t io tr s s t o e u ra i t i d nfs n f si v ie wi ngigal n n th cn va t etnni t ran sactions o fs b a c n ‘ 'a y u sth l u ‘ t .; tic