Star. — London, England, 1820-03-11 00:00:00

GENERAL ELECTION. TO TIIE GENTRY, CLERGY, AND FREEHOLDERS OF THE COUNTY OF ESSEX. ACTUATED by a desire that the peace of the, County should not be -disturbed at tile - ensuing Election, ar.d by that solely, I have determizted to sacrifice the high gratification which I have now , for ten years experienced; and Width, the assurances of - Tout': continued' favourable opinion, tendered to me from every quarter of the County, upon the present occasion. have led me to entertain a confident belief I might still enjoy,'as one of your Representatives in Parliament; and I, therefore, beg leave to withdraw my name as aCandidate, en Monday next ; reserving, however, the liberty of again pre senting myself to you, in case any other Candidate than Sir Eliab Harvey and Mr. Western should be offered to your choice. With a deep sense cf gratitude for your repeated confidence ar.d favours, accompanied by the consciousness of a strict en. tkavour to deserve them, by a diligent and independent atten tior. to my parliamentaoy duties, I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Tour obliged and very faithful servant, JOHN ARCHER HOUBLON. Chelmsford, March 9, 1820. WESTMINSTER ELECTION. SECOND DAY. . The polling went on very slowly yesterday. The neighbourhood of Covent Garden, however, presented a busy scene. The space in front of the hustings was crowded with spectators, who did not content themselves with silently viewing what was going forward, but loudly expressed their approbatmn of those persons who polled for the popular Candidates, and as vociferously groaned and hooted the Electors who voted for their opponent. Numerous bands of ballad-singers paraded in every direction, and the praise of 13URDETT and Hosnovsz were chanted in no very melodious strains. At four o'clock, the poll for the day closed, and - the numbers were soon after exhibited, as fellow: Sir FRANCIS BCRDETT • Joix CAM HostiorsE, Esq. Honourable GEORGE Lams 6:0 580 317 This statement was received with loud cheers. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT and Mr. HOBHOUSE then made their appearance, and were cheered: a co,t trary feeling manifested itself on the appearance of Mr. LAMB. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT then came forward, and was received with loud and repeated cheers. He said he hardly knew whether he should be able to get through the few observations which he felt it his duty to make in addressing them on that occa• sion—EThe worthy Baronet was so hoarse, as to be scarcely audible, except to those immediately about him He begged to congratulate the Meeting and the Electors at large on the important station which he and his friend, Mr. Hobhouse, still maintained on the poll. It was not usual for the popular Candi dates to stand so high at the early part of the Elec tion for Westminster. It generally happened, that the supporters of public and popular principles had the disadvantage of, not being able to rouse their friends at the commencement of the poll, and this gave the Ministerial Candidate a temporary triumph. But upon this occasion it was different. Westminster was awake; its independent spirit was abroad, and the Electors were determined to carry their point with a high hand, in order to shew how little hope of success could be expected from any future attempt to prevent them from supporting public principle and independence (Cheers). Being so little able to speak, he should not have come forward at all, were it not for an observation made the day before by Mr. Lamb, that the reading of the letter produced yes terday was a gross breach of that confidence which ought to exist between man and man. He did not wonder to find that Gentleman nettled at the pro duction of a letter of which be had been detected as the writer (Applause). But he could assure him, Mr. Lamb, that he laboured under the grossest mis take, if he imagined that it had been obtained or pro duced through any breach of private or public confi dence. The conduct of Mr. Lamb, who had hitherto held out the hand of private friendship, who preached up the necessity of preserving civility and gentle manly demeanour, and whom he should have been glad to have met on the true and fair ground of con testing the Election with that letter, that letter, with which the Electors were by this time fully acquainted, was calculated to lose a much better cause than that in which the writer was engaged. It was one which would have its due weight on the minds of the Elec tors of Westminster (Applause). What was now the state of the ca,e? The robe of candour which the worthy Gentleman had put on was drawn aside, and nothing appeared beneath hut filthy dowlas! (Cheers). Situated as they were, he could hardly do better than e t ttote that great volume of Nature, which was so de servedly admired by all, Shakspeare. The worthy Centleman (Mr. Lamb) had yesterday quoted from it a passage which had no application, save that it contained the name of « Lamb!" He said, " Oh! Cassius, you are yoked with a Lang !" For himself, he felt honoured at having applied to I him the name of that greatest of men which the greatest people that ever appeared on the earth had ptoduced—that man who was justly called by his country " the last of the Romans!" (Cheers). He was sure that in this country that title could never be bestowed upon him. In this country there was the Gentleman near him (Mr. Hobhouse), and thou sands of others, equally ready with himself, to make every sacrifice in support of the liberties of their country (Applause). But if to maintain the rights and liberties of his country, even at the sacrifice of leis own life, and though there was no other who would lend a helping hand in the great cause, were conidered a claim to the title; he hoped that should the time arrive, he would not be found unworthy the appellation of the last of Englishmen! (Loud ap. p!rzase). But, thank Got)! the country was not re duced to this situation; he was neither the last nor the first, but one of several millions who were ready to die in support of the liberties of their country!._ (.4nplause). But with respect to his being yoked with! a Lamb, it was true that at the last Election he had • the misfortune to be so yoked; but on this occasion, he trusted the Electors would unyoke him. He • hoped he should be returned with a man who was determined to support the rights of the People, with man who would not profess scdtiments of one kind in one place, and of another kind in another; with a man who would not give different colours to his sen timents as.occasion_rectuired (Applause). - He hoped At . " should .13e returned with a. man who would not !Write to a Contractor in— (Much disapprobation). He was perhaps mistaken: the person who received the letter, perhaps, was not a Contractor. He did not know the Gentleman: he only designated him as a Contractor, to shew that he was one of those per sons who were anxious to uphold the system of Go. vernment which he (Sir Francis Burdett) wished to controul—one who wished to support the system of corruption which now existed—as a man who had formerly been a supporter of Sir Murray Maxwell, than which there could not be a fairer criterion by which to judge of a man's politics. At all events, the letter was written to a man whom Mr. Lamb considered it necessary to address in a strain very different from that which he used in soliciting the votes of the Electors generally. It was said, that he was c , yoked with a lamb." Now he thought this lamb was a full-grown sheep—at least, it had all the appearance of a wolf in sheep's clothing! (Cheers) But, be he what he may, he was not fit to represent the feelings, the interests, and the sentiments of West minster. If the Gentleman hoped for success in this contest, he should advise him to seek for it in another quarter. Here again he must quote his favourite author, and advise that Gentlemaa to cry out to his , Ministerial friends, " Help, Cassius! or I sink."—(Lauzhir4.) He assured the Meeting that the worthy Gentleman (Mr. Lamb) could 'not delight him more than by putting him upon this topic. He was an ardent ad mirer of Shakspeare, and he hope! that Gentleman ivould again, in the course of his speech, refer to it. Now that he was upon the subject he would give the Gentleman a piece of advice, and from his favourite author too. R . was, as would be recollected;• where one person was advising another to commit an ill action, and at the same time pointing out the ap pearance he was to assume— • a To beguile the time. look like the time, Bear welcome in your hand, your tongue, your eye, Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it!"—(Chars.) With respect to the letter which was made such mat ter of complaint, the worthy Gentleman could not call it a breach of confidence. He had no power or right to exact confidence from the Gentleman to whom it was written. It was a canvassing letter, written for the purpose of hoaxing a man out of his vote, by making him believe that he was voting for a Candidate of very different principles from those under which he (Mr. Lamb) solicited the support of the independent Electors of Westminster. Now he would put a case :—the Gentleman was a Lawyer, though certainly not an old one—he certainly did not appear to have gone far back in the history of his country—he did not appear to have gone beyond the reign of Elizabeth—( Laughter ). He was led to sup pose this from an observation of the Gentleman, that Lord Fortescue lived in that reign. In speaking of old Lawyers, he wished it to be understood, that he did not despise them—on the contrary, he was con vinced that to no set of persons was this country more indebted for the liberties it enjoyed, than to the old 1 Constitutional Lawyers 'who had at various times ornamented it. Nor did he wish to pronounce a cen sure on modern Lawyers; he knew many of that profession, both in and out of Parliament, who were foremost in supporting the Constitutional Rights of Englishmen, and who were ever ready to right the, injured and relieve the oppressed—( Applause ). The Lawyers to whom he alluded, were those trading Parliamentary Lawyers, who considered a seat in the House only as a step to the Bench— men who had no principles—who were traders in politics for the purpose of obtaining the high ho 'ours and emoluments which the profession holds out. To those, and those only, did he allude. But he was going to put a case—it was a case which a modern Lawyer, or a man who was no Lawyer, could I easily understand. Suppose a person had written to him to take secret steps to undermine Mr. Lamb.— Suppose he was requested to practise the meanest, the most unfair means of ousting him from Parlia ment, would there be any breach of confidence to wards the writer, on his part, if he handed this letter to Mr. Lamb ?—(" No"—Cheers.) —So far from being' a breach of confidence, he should consider it an act of duty to do so. That Gentleman had, however, broached a new doctrine. He seemed to think, that the writer of the letter in question was innocent, but he who received and made it public, was guilty of a breach of confidence. Mr. Lamb said, that he would much rather have been the writer than the reader in public of that letter. It was as old rule, that there was no accounting for taste. But for himself, he would say, that if the hustings were a scaffold, he would rather mount it than be the writer of such a letter—(Cheers). —lt was, however, for the Electors to judge how far it was right or wrong. The worthy Baronet, after exhorting the Electors to continue their exertions, retired with thanking them sincerely for those they had already made. Mr. LAMB then came forward and attempted to address the Meeting, but found it impossible to ob tain a hearing for some time. A few persons in the crowd called out for Mr. Hobhouse, but silence being restored shortly afterwards, Mr. Lamb was enabled to proceed. He commenced by observing, that if they wished to hear Mr. Hobhouse, they must hear him first—(Applause and disapprobation). If his op ponents supposed that the confidence of success which they had so exultingly expressed, could produce any feeling of despondence upon his part, he could as sure his opponents that they were most egregiously mistaken. He never expected that the result of the first two or three days' poll would have been very different from what it now was; and though some persons bad taken the pains to spread a report through Westminster.,that-it was his intention to re sign, he could assure them, that up to the present moment he, felt as confident as ever, and that he would not quit his post until all the Electors of Westminster bad an opportunity of declaring their sentiments. It was not his intention to detain therm long, nor should he have detained them even so long as he now intended, if had not been for some obser vations that had fallen fi orn the worthy Baronet, his late colleague. The worthy Baronet had said, that it was unusual for the popular cause to appear so successful on the poll at so early a period ofiLhe con- I test, when it had to.contend against the influence of the Ministerial. Candidate. But what proof had been adduced to chew that he was a Minisierial Candi date? , The-proof adduced was, that be had written a letter to a Government Contractor. But did the Government Contritetoi supportlim ?. No. What did v' the Government Contract° do ? He gave up his let ter to his opponents, eita ishing, by that fact, as far as it was entitled to justi y any inference, that they, and not he, were the Ministerial Candidates. Such was the conclusion, from the worthy Baronets reasoning. The worthy Baronet had represented him as calling out to the Government Contractor—" Help, Cassius, or I sink r but what did the Government Contractor answer ? He answered—" No, I'll see you d—d first" (A laugh). It was on that letter, to which al lusion was so often made, that his opponents built all their hopes of success. Ile knew not what reason Mr. Hobhouse had to suppose that he disapproved of his committal to Newgate. He had not voted in the House of Commons against his committal, though he had voted with •the worthy Baronet for the more lenient course. He had no reason to conclude, from his civility in having called upon him in Newgate, that he disapproved of the course which the House of Commons had adopted. One word more upon that subject. It often happened to him that he was betrayed, in the warmth of speaking (and particularly in the haste and anxiety to which their interrupt;ons sometimes exposed him), into expressions which his 1 cooler 'judgment taught him to regret. lie had, therefore, no hesitation in saying, that in the hurry of his address to them yesterday, he bad used a phrase with respect to the committal of Mr. Hob house, which he did not mean. He had then said, that he thought Mr. Hobhouse was properly punished. The expression was too strong, and he most willingly retracted it. His feeling upon the subject was this —that the power of the House of Commons, under which he was committed, was one that should be exercised but seldom, and with mercy ; that it would be better, in most cases, to direct the Attorney Gene ral to prosecute, than to fake the punishment into their own bands, as they had done in that instance. But why he did not state this opinion, when the question was discussed in Parliament, he would tell them candidly. Situated as he was with regard to Mr. Hobhouse, he had read the pamphlet, with a view to defend him, if he could, and the reason he did not recommend a prosecution by the Attorney-General was, that he was sure he would be found guilty, and that the conse quence would be a much more severe punishment than the other course of proceeding exposed him to —(Applause and disapprobation). He could bring before them many friends, if it was necessary, to whom he had declared the same opinion at the time. But the part of the pamphlet, which he disapproved of the most was, not that which alluded to the House of Commons, in that part there was some boldness, whatever want of wisdom it might have manifested; 1 his chief objection was to that part which reflected on Lord Erskine—a man, to whom the country was more indebted than to any other man alive—(Ap plause). At that part of the pamphlet he certainly felt shocked, and he believed he was justified in saying, that the Hon. Baronet felt in the same way, as in his speech on that day, and on some former oc casions, he had made some amends to that honourable and distinguished character. He wished to say, in explanation of a phrase contained in the letter so much alluded to, that it was not on his own belief he had stated that Mr. Hobhouse founded his hopes of success on his committal to Newgate. He was told so by some of those in the interest of Mr. Hobhouse. —(Disapprobation). He would offend them no longer by persevering to speak ; but before he came to a close, he wished to thank the worthy Baronet for that part of his speech, in which he vindicated the profes sion of the law, and shewed that his aversion to that body was more qualified in its nature than he had supposed, from some of his former animadversions.-- He was willing to let the misrepresentation about Lord Chancellor Fortescue spread abroad, for ac cording to their opinion of modern practitioners, the less he appeared to be of a lawyer, the more likely he was to be acceptable to them. -- Mr. HOISHOUSE said, that the cause of the Inde pendence of West Minster was that day placed on an eminence which the success of yesterday had promised. It was impossible to say what Mr. Lamb might have yet in store, but let him continue his present exer tions, and let them continue theirs, and it required but little knowledge of arithmetic to anticipate that they would have every reason to be satisfied with the close of the poll--( A laugh).—He found, from Mr. Lamb's explanation, that when he employed himself in writing letters, he did not favour his correspondent with his own. opinions, but with a report of the opi nions of other men. Mr. Lamb had informed them, that he did not mean to say that he was properly punished by the House of Commons, for the power was one that ought to be exercised with mercy. But what was the mercy he recommended ? It was that an Englishman should be sent to prison without trial or a hearing. He might as well talk of hanging a man in mercy. His explanation, however, gave them to understand pretty plainly how Mr. Lamb would defend their privileges when left to the mercy of the House or Commons. Mr. Lamb had professed himself, at the last Election, a friend to the principles of Sir Samuel Romilly, but the principles of Sir Sa muel Romilly, of which he seemed to know nothing, were contrary to such proceedings. In fact, it was contrary to all law, to send a man to prison merely for a constructive breach of privilege. _ Magna Charta was infringed by it—the Bill of Rights was infringed by it—the whole spirit of the Constitution was infringed by it. There was not a single man who pretended to popular principles, that could be found to defend this assumption o f ! power by the House of Commons. He would defy Mr. Lamb 'to name one who had ever done so.- He had investigated the whole subject with more pains than Mr. Lamb was likely to bestow upon that or any other subject. But Mr. Lamb had said that he was the popular Can didate, and that they were the Ministerial ones.— It might possibly be so, according to his view of mercy—for the Ministry had sent him to prison, they were now trying to send the worthy Baronet to pri son, and, in doing so, he might think they had given some proofs of Ministerial affection. Ile did not know what Mr. Lamb meant by the lower classes ; Mr. Lamb was himself one of the lower classes. But the phrase itself was the common cant of those Gen tlemen who were brought forward by Party. Mr. Lamb had talked of the lower classes as Mr. Scal - lett had talked of the rabble of Westminster—but per hap's this was also a slip of the pen. Ile certainly did think, that calling on him in prison was so le sign that he thought he was railer ill-treated; it was so hard to understand him, however, that it wis difficult to make out either his-words or his actions. Mi. Lamb had also stated, that he did not recom mend his prosecution by the Attorne•:-General, be cause he was sure he v:ould have been more se verely punis'!-ed. What, he would ask, could be more unfair than to be committed without trial ? Did Mr. Lamb think that he ought to be Etnged ? Did he thir.k that he ought to be sent to Newgate Ifor advocating the cause of the Electors of West minster, against the aspersions of Lord Erskine?— He had not said one word against Lord Erskine's general character, for which he entertained as high a respect as any man—he had only met and contra dicted him upon facts with which Ile was acquainted. Mr. liobhouse then entered into some arguments, and quoted some instances, to shew that Parliamen tary Reform was. gaining ground among the Whig Party, upon a principle more' liberal and extensive than that professed by Mr. Lamb, and concluded with appealing to the Electors, whether they would vote for a Gentleman who said that the House of Commons was a Constitutional Representation of the People, as it now existed, or for one who said, that if it were not for the Army, the House of Commons would run great danger of personal dispersion ? The Meeting then broke up. THE EVENING STAR LONDON. GENERAL ELECTION. The Friends of the STAR are respectfully informed, that Dz. l .? States of the different Polls, properly authentisited and po:t paid, will receive immediate insertion, free of charge.— Advertisements are requested to be sent at least a day befo:e that on which it is . wishec., they should appear. SATURDAY, MAIICH 11, 1820, THE FUNDS. PR/CE OP STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O . CLOCE : Bank Stock shut 3 per Cent. Reduced shut 3 per Cent. Consols 68 1 / 2 Sit per Cent. shut—t r,er Cent. shit 5 per Cent. Navy 103% 7 8 Bank Long Annuities shut Irisk 5 per Cents. 105 India Bonds 14s. pr. Exchequer Bills (2d.) 2s. dis. par, 2s. dis. Consols for Account 6878. A contention has taken place between The Timcs and The Courier relative to the Civil List. The for mer asserts, on good authority, that Ministers interd .to propose a great augmentation at a time when the country is groaning with Taxes, and the latter de nies the assertion. It is proper that the truth >hould be known to the Public, and the truth we believe to be this :—The rents and droits of the Crown, at the present time, exceed £l,6oo,ooo—in 1815 they exceeded £1,700,000. The arrangement for the Civil List, that is the sum which his late MAJESTY accepted in lieu of the rents and droits of the Crown was, at the close of the reign, about £1,100,000. But the bargain was not binding on his successors, so that his present MAJESTY has really succeeded, if we may use a familiar phrase, to an estate of a rental exceeding £1,600,000. It is his right, and he holds it by as good law as the Duke of DEVONSHIRE, or any other Nobleman, does his lands. Whatever sum, therefore, less than this, which his MAJESTY may be pleased to accept for the Civil List, the balance will he as much a gift to the Nation as that of the Marquis of CAMDEN'S sinecare. Were his MAJESTY, and we throw it out for a hint to his Ministers, to agree to repay the Nation the ad vances made on account of his debts when Prince or WALES, he would do all that honour and justice can require; and, in these times, we should rejoice to see the Crown possessed of all its rights. The Paris Papers of Wednesday, which arrived this forenoon, are chiefly filled with the report of another day's discussion on the Project of Law re specting Individual Liberty. The new Minister of the Interior made, in the course of the debate, some interesting revelations to spew the necessity of strengthening the hands of Government. France, he said, had its Radicals as well as England ; and it was against them that the restrictive powers asked for were required. One man, of the name of Lucet, had actually written to the Magistrate appointed to investigate into the affair of Lowel in these words " I have learnt with pleasure the fate of the Duke of Bere ; I wish the rest of the Royal Family had the same. Oh, how i: envy the action of Lcuvel 1 . May I one day have has courage l" " This man," continued the Minister, " has bee-, arrested, yet there is no law which is applicable • his case, for it is merely that of an opinion, neithe: printed nor published." A motion was made for printing his Excellencl.'s speech, on account of the important disclosures :: contained, but it was negatived as contrary to usage. The debate was afterwards adjourned a second tin:o. Five per Cents. Tuesday, 74 fr. 75 c. The Countess Dowager of pi RCOURT has been (- - 4 a v i s it to the Princess AucuurA, at Frogcnote, fo7 some time. The Hon. Mrs. EGEntoN has also been on a eibit to her Royal Highuess, and has been hct companion for some time. A new Candidate, and one who promises to be vei popular, has started for the suffrages of the People i : the City—the Scheme of the new Lottery. We kno.. not, however, whether the £40,000, given by the Co‘. tractors, in addition to the CgovertMlent Here. nminctbring it within the operation of the Tret.::. • A. . A 1 i I ts tO bl i l ' SC . at ti • fr ~.,,4, n 'I B • -A • I ( C , • , , ' . Di I 8 : T I C . t S C , i • 13 / I 'I I I S 't C I , 1 C I S .. 1 • 3 i e a . S t. S 1 , 1 ) • 1 t . 1 r I i It • 1 ✓ I I t a 1 1 • ] IT ‘n t z - 1 s .] e I S . I e e , . 3 1 is a 1 e 1 • • I f I e ' 0 )1 s e o e I 1 I S ~. 's ~ C, 0 0 - r.) C; 1 i ,•„ • ; i . , 160. ii