Star. — London, England, 1820-09-28 00:00:00

T'HE QUEEN. . Yesterday, a very numerous and respectable Meet ing of the Inhabitant Householders of St. James's, Westminster, was held at the Pulteney Assembly Rooms, in Brewer -street, Golden-square, for the pur pose of voting an Address of Congratulation to her Majesty, J. T. BARBER BEAUMONT, Esq. in the Chair. The worthy CHAIRMAN addressed the Meeting at considerable length. He took an eloquent review of the' circumstances of her Majesty's life for the last five-and-twenty years, and commented with force and indignation on the present prosecution. The na ' tore of the proceeding was illegal and unconstitu tional, and the means that had been taken to support the case liOily indefensible. Witnesses were pro duced to swear against her Majesty, who were highly fed and hig hly paid by the accusing party ;in the ca es of or dinary justice witnesses were not allowed more than a fair indemnity for the loss of time and expense; it more was given their evidence would be vitiated; it would amount, in most cases, to a su bornation of perjury ; in all cases, it would vitiate the evidence ; but how were the witnesses paid in the present case? How were these wretched vaga bonds, these foul and dirty fellows, who were obliged to be scoured and cleaned before they could appear in public—how were they rewarded ? It appeared from the Minutes of Evidence, that one common fel low was better paid thr.n an English Admiral ! ( Cries af " shame!'')—And another fellow, a stable boy, before he became a witness, paid live guineas a week for the board and lodging of him and of his valet !—( Laughter, and repeated cries of " shame!") — Was it not self-evident, then, that the evidence of such witnesses, independent of every other ground of objection, deserved no possible consideration ? (Hear, 'ear).—What was the evidence of Majocchi ? Ile swore that he slept in a room, which divided the chamber of the Queen from that of Bergami, and that when Bergami was sick, he saw her Majesty - passing to Bergamis apartment ; it appeared from his own evidence, that he, Majocchi, had been brought up to sleep in the apartment which divided the chambers Of Bergami and the Queen ; so that really, it would 'appear, if the Queen had a wicked inten tion, she brought up this man in order that he might be a witness of her conduct ; but it appeared on his cross-examination that, independent of his chamber, there was another communication between the cham ber of the Queen and of Bergami ; so that it would appear, if this fellow were to be. credited, that her Majesty, from choice, went through his chamber, where she must have been seen, instead of going by the other corn munication, where she could not be seen. There was next the evidence of the amiable Countess of Colotillsia-- 7 (A laugh ).—She swore that her let ters to her sister were merely intended as doable en tendres—that there were certain private marks on her 'letters which spewed her meaning; and when de sired by Lord Lansdown to point out those private mar ks, behold she could not do so—(Applause)—she could not explain, she could not point out one single 'ark. She swore that, after her direct examination,. she went straight home; yet she was obliged to con fess that she had on that occasicn spent whole hours under the roof of Westminster-hall, in secret consulta tinn with the Solicitor and lawyers for the prosecution (Indignant murmurs).—lf such scandalous conduct were to be tolerated—if such evidence were to be acted on, then would it be better to shut up the doors of Courts of Justice at once—(Applause).—Was it not a curious fact, that after all there was no proof of adultery given ? Was it not curious that her Ma jesty, surrounded as she was by spies and informers —watched in every corner—watched even through key-holes—was it not strange that not one of the witnesses would swear to the direct fact of adultery? And why did they not ? Was it shame or conscience that interfered ? No ; but if any of them dared to swear to the fact, they should be obliged to state time and place, and they would, of course, be open to exposure and punishment—(Applause).—As fur the charge about Berganri having been employed in giving orders with respect to the regulation of bed rooms, what was that but doing his duty as the ser vant and Chamberlain of the Queen ? What ! were the accusers of her Majesty so ignorantOf the habits of the Continent as not to know that men are con• stantly employed there to make beds, to give out linen, to regulate apartments ? Did not these men know that, in warm countries, persons recline on couches together, oppressed and exhausted by the heat of the climate; that in those countries such things are usual, often necessary, seldom noticed, never Gen: sured ? Different 'Countries have their different cus tom* ; vlitt in one is held indelicate, in the other is common: In 'England nothing is more usual than Ladies 'to Shake hands with Gentlemen—in Spain that practice is, considered highly indelicate. In England (a Custoenswi:sicli be hoped would long prevail) pretty women were in the habit of shelving their faces—in Spain it is considered indelicate to do so—(llear). So thit, in Spain,' a female would be disgraced for what, in England, is considered innocent; and, in England, acts are held to be indelicate, which in other countries are practised without censure and without notice, by the most delicate and the most respectable--(Hear, hear!).—He could not, he said, sit down without noticing, however shortly, the con duct of the Attorney-General i that person. thought fit to hold up to contempt and scorn the Queen of England, and to impute to her the most scandalous conduct, which he did not even attempt to prove.- They were told by Lord Liverpool and Lord Castle reagh, that this odious proceeding was not instituted in compliance with the wishes of the King, but to uphold the morals of the country ! ( Loud laughter), because, said those Noble Lords, it requires that a person holding the exalted place of her Majesty, ought to be a pattern of purity and of good moral conduct; and, because they suspected that she was not so—because they infer crime from her general manners, they would pull her down from her situa tion : but if this view of the case be found—if they be justifiable to act against the Queen with a vigour beyond the law, would not the same mode of pto ceeding.equally a ply to the other person sitting o n th e Throne ?—( A nuse)—For consistency sake ought it not so to apply ?—(Hear, hear !)—Thus might thi s pi p domineering faction use the same instruments and employ the same means against the King that they employed against his wife. They might insolently urn on his Majesty and say, sir, consider what has tlif fate of your wife—ccusider what has been "` r ' Your own conduct. Throughout your life, a long life, some little fact, some reason might turn up to countenance the inference that you have committed adultery. For the sake of public morals we have pro-, ceeded against your wife, what next have we to do? (Applause)—Men in power, desperate and unconsti tutional men, might use this language, even to the King himself; and were they not the true friends of his Majesty, the real supporters of the Throes, who protested against a proceeding which would go to establish a precedent so full of shame to the country, injury to the Constitution, and danger to the Throne Mr. Bowie next addressed the Meeting. He de scribed the whole proceeding as little better than a cruel mockery, got up by a powerful faction in the State s who held in equal subjection the People and the King—( Applause ).—For the King himself, he (Mr. Bowie) was convinced that his Majesty never would have thought of this proceeding, if it were not for the aid and support of Ministers—of those who put all the agents in motion, from the meanest Bar rister up to the highest Ambassador. These were the men to whom the country was indebted for this pro ceeding, aided as they were by the Bench of Bishops, who had the souls of the people in their holy keep ing!—(A laugh).—Was it consistent with their situa tion to countenance this false attack on the Queen of r England, this foul stain upon the character and mo rals of the country ?—(Applause)—The nature of that attack it was not necessary to dwell -on, but this he would say, that the promoters of that odious pro ceeding, be they high or low, were cruel and cold hearted villains--(Applausr).—Th evoice of the coun try was raised against them, and North Britain and Ireland were beginning to raise their voices toe. The Queen, whether the Bill should pass or not, would stand acquitted in public opinion, -and it would be for the country to determine whether the protecutors should not be called upon to account for their con duct.—(Applause).—Mr, Bowie concluded by moving, a series of Resolutions, which were agreed to. A general call having been made for Mr. Hoe- HOUSE, the Honourable Gentleman came forward amid the enthusiastic applause of the Meeting. He said, that although his opinion on the subject was pretty well known, not only to his Constituents but to the Nation at large, and though he was occupied to a late hour yesterday evening in doing his duty by that portion of his Constituents which attended at the Metropolitan Meeting, yet he appeared before the present Assembly, because it was his pride and his duty to take every opportunity to meet any body of his Constituents—(Applause). He therefore came forward—he would come forward again and again. As long as he had the power, morally or physically, he would never shrink from his duty ; he would be ever anxious to do what he thought and believed to be the duty of an Englishman--(Great applause). It was not necessary for him to enter at any length upon a subject which had been so ably discussed—a subject upon which there was but one opinion amongst indepandent men—(Applause). Whatever difference of opinion appeared in the country was promoted by those who owed their - support to the influence and power of Ministers. Those persons had no strength of their own ; they drew their power from the purses of the people, and they exerted it against their persons and their liberties (Applause): therefore it was that they had their paid Press, their bribed spies, their base informers, their suborners of perjury, and all the vile and disgusting detail of a bad Government—(Applause). The opinion of the country, with respect to the proceedings against her Majesty, had been strongly expressed. Every honest man, not only in England but in Europe, detested and despised it ; yet still would he not have the peo ple led away by false hopes. It was his opinion,that Ministers would still proceed against her Majesty to the last extremity. He had always said so ; be never had a doubt that the Lords, or rather the Ministers who governed the Lords, ever would have dared to bring forward the case bad they not made up their minds to carry the measure, cost what it would of regret, of treasure, or even of blood, to this unfortu nate country. Had they not seen the Noble Lords refuse to her Majesty the few poor advantages which her unhappy case admitted of?- Nothing to her was granted that had ,been demanded. She asked for delay, they said no ; she then asked to have the . case proceeded on immediately, no; neither one nor the other would be granted. It was enough that she asked to be refused ; it was enough that the people of England cried shame, to have the proceeding con tinued in violation of the long revered, but not bro ken laws of their country--(Applause). It was, how ever, clear that the accusers of her Majesty had no protection but in their standing army—and that army was net distant ; they were hedged round by bayonets and by sabres, as the only- protection of the Parliament against the People of England! —(Applause). Under the protection of the same mediators he was of opinion that the Bill would pass through the House—there would be the usual minority against it, something between 61 and 63 (Laughter and applause). That was his opinion, and it was the opinion of some honourable and indepen dent Peers—(Hear, hear); indeed, any man, who at tended the proceeding, might easily calculate on the result. Though he did not wish to be shouldered about by soldiers who pressed round the avenues of Parliament,- and who had no more right to - be there than they had to be in his own house, yet he went one day to bear their Lordships' proceedings, and he was disgusted with what he s aw—he s aw that there was not justice done —no, not even the shew of it— (Hear, hear, hear). He left the House; oppressed and sickened, he left them to do their own dirty work ; for his own part, he never again Would go amongst them. He regretted much that the inde pendent Peers who had supported the motion of the Duke of Leinster did not retire when that motion was defeated. What good was it for them to re main ? If they thought the proceeding was an unfair proceeding, what was the good of their remaining In their places, appearing to countenance measures which they had condemned ? What was the use of attacking the proceeding in detail when the whole was vicious? What was the use of :hewing that this witness-was perjured, and that that witness was cor rupted? Would it not have been much better and wiser to have retired from a contest where no good could have been achieved? For.his part he did not care one sixpence for what all the witnesses said; all that surprised him was, that they did not say a deal more ; as they were so well paid, they ought have given thegeople morefor their money (Laughter). The country paid at the rate of twenty swearers per MAI,I for the most lame andthe moet.ustedifyidgstoty, that was ever presented to the world iu the shape of evidence. Was it then useful for EegliatGeoneolao to waste their time in asking questions to convict witnesses of perjury, when the eirjury was already palpable and notorious ? What was the u , ,e of .put ting long questions to Madame:l)o=mi when it ap peared on the face of the proceeding that she was'a little pert lieing Swiss chambermaid, who had been brought to the country for the purpose of telling lies ?—(Hear, hear).--How different was the pro ceeding in the Duchess of Kingston's case ; there the first question put was—Pray are you, or have you been in the service of the Duke or the Duchess of Kingston ?—and according to the answer to that question, it was to be considered whether the Lords would proceed to hear the evidence of the witnesses at all . ; hut how did the matter stand here ? The Noble Lords pressed forward to try the Queen of England, and out of six-and-twenty witnesses eleven of them were servants, seven of them had been, and all of them were out of place. Far was it from him to say that a servant might not be as good a man as any other. They were all of the same flesh and blood; but he thought it was a shameful thing to see a Bill of Pains and Penalties brought in against the Queen of England, and supported only by the evidence of menial servants. The proceeding through out was opposed to every sense of moral justice and propriety. The very Members and Noble Lords who presided, when any expression which, to use a vulgar phrase, came " new the wind," those Noble Persons chuckled exceedingly. He stood near the Bench of Bishops, and he thought that he saw cer tain expressive hrugs and smiles even under the lawn sleeves!—(A laugh ).—This shewed pretty clearly that those Noble and Reverend Persons well under stood those jokes, and were very well read in this sort of learning—(Continued laughter).—Whit were' the grave charges brought against her Majesty?— Amongst others the charge of dancing, and of rest ing on a couch in a hot country where they had no chairs—(A laugh) ;—and there was another charge, that a person who was a faithful servant bad sat down at table with her. Now what, he would ask, had the people of England to do with all this? How were they concerned in it? Why should they inter fere in it ? Suppose a person had last year come from Brighton, and stated, " I have seen a couple of scullions come out of a certain Palace there, and they assured me that a ,certain great man, had sat down on the bare floor to eat beef-steaks with his cook at half-past one o'clock in the morning!"—(Much laughter). Suppose that he (Me. Hobhohse) was told he ought to' bring this matter before Parlia ment as a questiod of National importance. Why, be would tell the person who would suggest it, that he was a dirty tale-bearen4--(Great applause). Though, perhaps, it would be as well if that Great Person had not played high life below stairs !—( A laugh)-yet still there was no :great harm in de scending from the Throne to the kitchen—it was affable in a Monarch, it proved that he was not at all times a King, but sometimes condescended to be a man—(Applause).—.He thought the charge unfair thought it a vulgar topic, and he never joined on that occasion in a sn ee r aga i nst t h at illustrious man—(Applause),--but he now joined in indignation with the people of England, that similar charges, or rather, indeed, not halt so bad—not half so undig nified, should be made the subject of a crime against the most persecuted, and the most unfortunate, woman in the world—(Loud applause).—Was it not extraordinary, that watched as she was in every-step, asleep or awake, standing or sitting, moving and at rest, by her own familiar servants, in the hours of retirement and confidence ; still nothing of a positive nature could be proved against her—(Appluuse).— Was it not in evidence that those spying servants had even looked through the key-holes—had peeped through curtains, but after all nothing could be proved, but that her Majesty sat with her arms, round a man's neck where it was necessary to do so in order to prevent her from tumbling off the cannon on which they sat. The proceeding, absurd as it was, would go on ; the Noble Lords who had tasted the dainty dish, would not sleep until they had swal lowed it all. He was convinced that the Bill would pass, though it was now said that the King did not care about it—nobody cared about it. The Solicitor- General declared so, and appealed to Goy and his conscience. He thought it was not fair to join them both together—(Alaug4.—Lord Liverpool declared so in the. House of Lords, add Lord Castlereagh de dared the same thing in theilouse of Commons.— Nobody, then, wished it—nobody began it—and no body would end it—(Much laughter).—Here they were then, in a curious predicament—public time was lost—public money was expended—public meet= ings were held—all done by nobody, for nobody, and for nothing—(Conlinued laughter):—lt seemed that the Divorce Clause was to be given up—because Lord Liverpoo l declared that he was willing to do so. He (r.Hobhouse) thought that, in order to save time, it would be better if the Noble Lord Would just. reada paper to .the House, stating what he iutencled and wished to have ; this plan would save a great deal of trouble—(A laugh).—The Bill might indeed be altered—perhaps they would not even sleiride the Queen ; but because her Majesty appeared to prefer honest men before rogues—as she fleas in.the habit of discountenancing spies and in formers—as she was in the habit of sitting down under calumny and oppression, they . might declare that she was therefore very unfit to receive persons of quality at cerium House—(Much laugher).— Then would the Bill be sent down to the other House —that ppure and independent House, who would not, never did j ulikt any act of oppression or injustice.—. Theynever . did so yet, but it was not too late to be gin, and it was his opinion, that if they had not a, precedent they would make one—(Henr, hear). They will, be told, that they need not go to the trouble of examining witnesses—that they cannot examine on oath, though by the way a hint was given, that for this special occasion th e y m i g h t b e invested with that power. And here was more of the farce. Who could suppose that an oath would have any effect with such witnesses ? Few 'of their description care for the solemnity of an Bath, where temporal punish ment is put out. of the question. Well, thee, to save trouble, a Select Committee would be appointed, of some impartially collected—yet composed of Honour able Gentlemen, who have a great opinion of those ssiee sit on t4e.right hand of the Speaker. -The Com mittee would then reort, that what was done: ~ 1-*1 most independent,and most impartial, and the Com. mons osight.to follow in their footsteps—(4pp lau.‘e). Let not the people then suppose that notwislistandin g the different Meetings that had been held, and tl:e Addresses that had been pre;ented, that this Bill would not pass. They would be told that their Ad dresses and Petitions amounted to nothing—that their complaints were idle. The Government Paper and the Government Orator, would say, that in the Man chester business much more was Said than in the case of the Queen ;.they would say, that in that case there were Meetings in Yorkshire, and in other places, at tended by the great Lords, and that they ended in nothing; that in the present case no Az istocri , -t is to be found ; that the Meetings in favour of the Qus•e a are only held in the towns attended by the Artizans and the Women ; they will say, that they. ale not afraid of this Petitioning People, for the Peorle of England do nothing but petition ; they are " all cry and little wool ;" but yet the sheering has been so long going on, that the sheep and even the swinish :multitude will bite at last i, (Applatise),;-IGoD forbid that he should prompt them : time, occasion, and oppression, will do it of themselves—(Hear, heat). What reniainefor them ? it might be asked. Let them -remonstrate, however vain, however hooeiess ; still let the People raise their voices against those who meditate despotism. Let them stand as well as they were able, to shelter the intended victim. Let them hold up their shields to protect innocence ender oppression. Let them, at all events, if they could do no more, leave behind them a record that ~they were not accomplices to the basest act of injus tice that the world ever beheld ; so that posterity might learn, that if the voice of the People were at tended to, the Queen of England would not be , T — pressed, and the Constitution would not have beta overthrown.—Mr. HOBHOUSE concluded an eliiquent speech amidst general applause. An Address to her MAJESTY was then real and agreed to, to be presented by Sir FRANCIS Bunocrr and Mr. HOBHOUSE, attended by such Ladies Gentlemen as might wish to go up with the same to her MAJESTY. Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and 11. e Meeting adjourned. The Address from the Parishioners of St. Luke will be presented this day. It had been proposed to defer receiving it until Tuesday next; but the Pari shioners having made some previous arrangements, which could not be conveniently altered, tequested Mpermission to present their Address this day. Her AJESTY, therefore, most graciously consented to admit the Deputation, and those who may choose to accompany it, this afterno on, at four o'clock. . . - • We understand the inhabitants of Christchurch, Surrey, delivered a Requisition, very numerously and respectably signed, to the Churchwardens on day last, requesting them to call a Sleeting of the Parishioners, on an early day, for the purpose of ad dressing her MAJESTY ; but were informed yesterday, that under a late Act of Parliament, the 58th of Geo. Lit cap. 69, for regulating Parish Vestries, it is im possible the Churchwardens can legally convene such Meeting until Thursday next, the sth of October, to which the inhabitants (willing at all times to assem ble legally) have acceded, and it is expected the Meet ing will be one of the largest ever held in the Parish. her MAJESTY has appointed Monday nest, at one o'clock, at Brandenburgh House, to receive the Ad dress voted on Tuesday, at the Freemasons' Tavern. We understand that it will be carried up by Mr. Hos muse, the Chairman, attended by the Gentlemen who took a part in tile proceedings accompanied by as many Ladies and Gentlemen, in carriages with [four horses each, as may choose to attend. The Boatmen of every description on the River amount to 50,000; of these, 18,000 have already signed their names as ready to join in the aquatic procession to Brandenburgh House on Tuesday next. It will. consist of at least 500 boats and barges. On the same day the Address of Male and Female Inhabitants of Bristol will be presented to the QUEEN. Several Roman Catholic Gentlemen in London have, we understand, resolved to call a Meeting of the Catholic body, for the purpose of presenting an Address to the QUEEN. Mr. HENRY, since his arrival at Milan, has sent to England 15 witnesses whom he considers necessary to the QUEEN'S defence. We understand he has also sent home the small carriage in common use in Italy, capable only of holding two persons, by one of whom it is driven, and in which it has been charged as an offence the QUEEN travelled with BERGAMI. A Courier went off on Tuesday night to make ar rangements respecting her MAJESTY'S witnesses, a considerable number of whom may be expected to arrive in a few days. Memoirs o f Baran BERGAMI !—The pamphlet which we mentioned yesterday had been published at Paris under this title, has found its way to this country. It appears to us to be a rr.tre Parisian Romance, rot without some share of ingenuity, but wholly destitute of truth. The Berganti of this Romance enters into no details as to his birth, but confines himself to simply stating, that his family, after having once been rich, became poor. He entered into the French army, and having distinguished himself, he was made an officer. It was in this quality that he found himself under the ordirs of General PINO, and not in quality of a courier. He affirms, that he twice saved the life of her Royal,Highness, and thence arose a feeling of gratitude in the mind of the Princess, to which he attributes his elevation. The present Old Bailey Sessions will extend to a period of time unknown before in the Records of the Court. Yesterday (the Sessions hating already lasted a fortnight) there were 206 prisoners spit remaining for trial; and at the close upwards of 500 will have been tried. - The Earl and Countess SPENCER, on the happy in telligence arriving of their son, the Honourable Cal - taixt CHARLES SPENCER, being safe and well, who it was falsely said had been killed in a duel in South America, had four fine oxen slaughtered on the oc casion, and distributed them, with a large quant ty o bread, to the poor around their seat at Althorpe. DIED. On Sunday, at his house oa Clapham T.rraee, Thos. Fuller, Esq. aged 70. Yesterday, William Naasots, Esq. of Raw&wares in the 76th year of his age. IMV rrinted and publithed by Lynn. Nos, rickgt? klact, Ttmple- 1 w wl tit' 41 ei C , I. tl