Star. — London, England, 1820-08-04 00:00:00

Oa (he. floor (Mr. Dixan). had expressed himself as ifl he felt satisfaction at the 'rejection of the Petition, and had taken the liberty of an old member, to read; . the Court a erudential lecture, as if they had done something extremely wrong. Now, the right of Petitionnig belonged unquestionably to evert indi vidual, and he believed it• was agreed among all good authorities, that the mode in which Petitions and statements of grievances were expressed should - not be too scrupulously inquired into. He was at a loss to kaow how the Corporation could hare carried up any other sort of Petition than that which had been rejected. It was-said to have imputed to the house of •Lords what was not the fact, or what all but the Secret Committee were ignorant of, and what that Court itself could have had no opportu • pity of-knosting to he true. But how was it possi ble for therit to Petition against a measure before • Pat!ionent, if they did not act on common report?' If-they waited for certain information, their Petitions would come too late; and, accordingly, the late Pe titiod said they had been led to believe that a Bill founded on evidence of a ceitain description had' been introduced. Now he would ask if diere was any man in the British dominions, who had paid the, smalle.t attention to the proceedings which were going forward, who did hot believe that this was thi • case; and if it s as not an encroachment upon the' e4ight of Petitionieg to reject a Retition altogether, - 2 and to defeat its whole object, because it contained some things which the Petitioners could not have had the means of proving? He was wholly at a loss to conceive the grounds on which the House of Lords had rejected their Petition : he admitted that ' to interfere with a cause pending in a Court o, Justice would be highly improper, but such was not the case in the present instance—(Hear, hear). — The proceeding against which they had petitioned, • instead of being analogous to a trial in a Court of Justice, was contrary to every principle of:Justice.— • Bills of Pains and Penalties were of an post-factoes operation, making a law to punish that which was no violation 'of the law (Hear, hear).—The very course of proceeding pursued by Ministers, shewed their consciousness of having deviated from the path of justice and impartiality. Why were 40,000 troops to be assembled round the capital while this proceed ing was pending . ? Were Ministers afraid of the good feeling of the People, and of their attachment to the Constitution and the country ? In fact, these pre cautions shewed that the proceeding was so opposite to evert notion of justice, that Ministers felt it im possible that the indignation of the People could be suppressed by any other means than military force - (Hear, hear).—They, therefore, were the hest friends of the Constitution and of justice who encouteaged Petitions against such Sr proceeding. In the case of Anne Boleyn, Parliament had committed what all the world had since pronounced to be injustice and murder; and, as a foriner House of Lords had de prived a Queen of England of her life, it was not impossible -- • The LotteMAYea spoke to order. He conceived , that e hat the worthy Alderman was saying was reflection on the House of Lords—(Cries of No, ao). Mr. Alderman WAITIIMAN.—I had 'leper!. my' Lord Mayor, that yeu kne# your dirty better than to' suppose that you were sifting there to give yoter: judgment of what is said %y - others. Mr. T. N. WELDIAMI Striti Mr. SAINCILL DIM); aft• verally spoke to orderi' rind made a scene ofAitit contention which it is impossible to describe. Wbea order was restored, Mr.-WA resumed---He observed, -that.dis -order generally arose from some Gentlemen who presumed to set up their opinions as standards to di rept the Court. He _repeate d , that the person sitting in that chair , whoever ertlight be, had no right to express his judgment of the opinions and sentiments delivered by Members. He had been interrupted, while stating to the Court an historical fact, viz. that Anne Boleyn had been tried by a tribunal of this kind, and unjustly brought to death; for the concur rent testimony~of all historians went to prove her in nocence; and if an innocent person was deprived of life, the act was not justice, but murder. Suppose the Court submitted to the rejection of their Petition, such an acquiescence on their part would shew all thelingdom, who were about to petition against the Bill. that their Petitions would not be received; or it would have given the Public reason to believe that there was something very improper in the former .Petition. -To prevent either of them consequences, 'it was therefore the duty of the Court to present a Petition that should be received. He believed, from -the manner in which the Queen had met the present accusation, and from the manner in which she bad formerly triumphed over the machinations of her enemies. that she was wholly innocent: But set ing, for the sake of argument, that she was gul l ; that Would be PO vindication of the course at present pursued; for, as had been said in one of the in House of Lords, such a coarse of proceeding,. if.resofted to against a guilty person, might be in-Ide as instrument for the destruction of the most virtu ous and honourable individual. The Losie Matron said his reason for interrupting the worthy Alderman was, that he did not like to see a picture taken from the blackest page of our 'his tory held up for the purpose of being compared with the conduct of the House of Lords on the present occasion; at the same time he did not wish to be un derstood as having said one word that could be con sidered disrespectful to the Illustrious Personage who was the object of these proceedings---(Hear, hear). - Mr. Bow and Mr. T. N. WILLIAMS opposed the Resolutions, and Mr, JUMP and Mr, SAUNDERS sup perted them. Mr. Faver.e replied, when a shew of hands was called fur, and the Resolutions were carried by a great majority, only nine hands being held up apinst them. FAVELL then moved that a Petition be drawn tp in conformity to the foregoing Resolutions. The motion was agreed to, And a draught of the Petition was read and approved. The Sheriffs and the City Rernembrancer were directed to wait upon some Lord in Parliament to present it. Upon a Report from the Committee appointed to watch over the proceedings of the Court of Alder men in their prosecution against certain Liverymen fat an obstructive in Common Hall on Michaelmas Day last, the Court agreed m withdraw their Reso letion prohibiting the Clianiberlain to pay the ex pci'ses of the Court of Aldermen, and passed an (v -40:5 lorpa7 Meta Riche costs °fall patties respectively. -• J' . _ NORWICH MEErvia .c.i, - ,....... ; 74;44.-- 4. ill. At one o'clock en- Wednesday,. a Commotri ila& wan heldatNorsvich, for &slurp* of Considllehtlh „the propriety of presentingUn Address to the Quits*, under thei circumstances in which she is placed. • ' The Nitro* then • stepped 'forward, and statia that, in pursuance of the Requisition which he WI received from several of his fetlow-citizens, he bat convened the present Meeting in their Hall: He should be always found obedient to their wishes, and he was confident Their conduct would always sustain the character which they so deservedly held in the country. Ife had only now to express his hope that they would dispense with his services as their Chair► than, for an illness under which he laboured rendered it impossible fur him to remain at their Meeting. , The MAYOR withdrew amidst loud greetings, and Mr. Alderman LEMAN took the Chair. Mr. Sheriff TAYLOR opened the business of the Meeting. Often as it had fallen to his lot to have addressed them in that Ha% he never performed the task under feelings s 0 strong as those which now ac tuated him. What iere they now called upon to do ? They were called upon, not only to offer an Address to a Princess of the illustrious -House of Brunswick—to their Queen too, upon her Accession to the Throne of these realms—but also (and this was the most painful part of their duty) to enter their protest against the proceedings now pending against that Princess and that Queen, whom they had, up to the present time, every reason to honour and respeCt, and to esteem as a woman, who had in every situa- 1 tion she occupied in this country shewn herself worthy of that affection which the people of England had invariably manifested towards her—(Cheers).. it had been said, that occasions like these in which the peo ple were called together were too often used for the purposes of fiction—(A laugh). On this occasion he disclaimed. for himself, and for those who had signed the Requisition, any factious imputation. He dis claimed it also on the part of the people of England --,(Applause). Now, was it factious, he wouid'ask, for them to meet together to Address, on her Acces sena to the Throne, their Queen, in the language of duty and respect ? or rather, he would ask, was it not factious, was it not disloyal. to institute such proceed ings against such a personage, as were a violation of all law, of all authorities, of all precedenfs, save in deed such as could be drawn forth from the wont periods in the bad times of English history ? (Cheers). Far was it from him to wish to see disientions sown among any members of the Royal Family. On the contrary, he Wished, and they all wished, to see die King and Queen on the Throne of England, happy, united, and in every way adorning the stations they were called upon to 611. On looking at the present,' situation in which her Majesty was se unfortunately . placed, they would bear in remembrance, that this sves • 1 not . the first time a charge of a similar nature to tbi l piekint was brought against her--(Hear).—ln the, Year Iso7 she bad to encounter such a charge, only that indeed it . waslhen brought against her in a more definite and distinct shape—it assumed a more tan gible form than the present charge. Need lie say ho*sheltatdpassed through the former ordeal, and how she had gone through it to the utter confusion Of her enenties--(1 - lear). - Ste then appeared tO dig worl4 innocent of every charge, and he felt confideot i the same result weislii stow again follow,. and thni the more her conduct anus put to the test f scrutiny; be it ever *severe, the more strongly the would be found entitled to * the affection or the PeoPle, Mull worthy of fillini.die exalted station ilie heW unclog them—(Chaers). sever in the anmailti;of Unity had it fallen to the lot of any other woman ittes through such a series of unremitting persecution as had been directed against the Queen since her arrival in flits', country. On - the fortifier occasion it was notsenoush' that she should_ have been exposed to false and ta. famous prosecution, but her acquittal _must be ao. tended by a deprivation of the society of her daugh-.1 ter. First, she was to be shut out from intercourse with her for a week only, then for a month, and then fir ever. Sfie was thus cut off; during the latter years of the Princess Charlotte's life, front the dearest and. closest intercourse which can subsist upon eartli--- that of a mother and a child—(Applanse). She was_ tiotsuffered to mix with the society she was entitled to in this country, and she was shut out from that -rank and that station, of which, actording to Mr. Ca n she was ge the life, grace, and otnament"—(Ap pfause). Let them-also remember, that when she was obliged to quit this country Ministers offered her an income of I:50,000 a-year, and'£ls,ooo of that sum ,she nobly and generously relinquished, knowing that every shilling of it would be drawn from the sweat and labour of the People of England—(Cheers). She `was, therefore, on every account, entitled to their itio. plause and gratitude. Such was her conduct at home, 'What had it been abroads Charity and bettevoleace 'invariably, attended her . .tome. In Sicily. she re. :ligved distress; in tuali she released Chats* pas tiiiiii; in Constantinople and Jerusaleist , alse . was iibe benefactress of thirpoor. Wherever her_„ 1,140 ;Was, it - was the Mint ofti4.poon. and _TAW Illtal ab l i ag 'The tiiendles,so.4.tipp/ause). :44)ength, Whale • she took up leer ahnde in - Italy ; it was theasthat pare .secutices again directed Its systematic andmalevolene attacks upon her peace. Her steps werdithen watched by hired spies. A Commission to pry into her cork. duct was transmitted at an expense of £29,000. He should like to know how this Money had been 'spent ; the items of the aunt would furnish some 'furious particulara,4eughter). There were some accounts whisky from their nature, were calculated to look curious. For instance, it would be very odd to see an account which contained such a sum foi suborning spies —so much for the wages of auctions miscreants found initaly--.-either to vilifycharacter' or stab an object of some person's hatred. One wort very much like, for the novelty of , the thing, to , how the items of the £25,000 in the commission-ex. pendifure were filled up—(Laughter mid applaase), There were some curious anecdotes respectiw, - the personages who, on the Continent, folloi 4 e4 . the Queen's steps. There was a Germai Bain'it„ airhis.' , not only played the part of a spy about her residentia l but.who also volunteered the office of sulsoreileg bee Leervants to pick the locks of her writing-desks; . Fsr Ole • Istirpose of getting other c ence-4Cry -. shame). . Was ant this pretty . treatment foe a two- , man?—(llear, hear, hear). He would , ask the Mem..i ing as men, as Englishmen, if that - was:the _Fitts! which any one Fif thtn w eosilit ti* WP)' : fillflAtt a . , beine Was it: tip witt,--wluChi:acy lasiittaiat :.;_-,,,,, s ii • : 1-„-:.: ..,..• •-•:: 1 •'‘••„1-111 ought to be treated ?-4Lovd Chia Of 4g , Nth ne.")— Vet't4s t irite the - way' a Qiieefi Of ItektiM" Ward bees lireuted while abroad. No former was the -lire Sing pliesa, who hal always most honourably defended that female, who was his niece-apd daughter-in-taw, than the misTortUne, 44 the Queen were apin tt be Visited upon her. While he (the late fang), lived, aftd possessed reason: to guide his Ciniseiersipuel breast, no enemy could malign her Majesty—while' , he lived, no machinations could, with impunity to the calumniators, be carried on against her. But no sooner was the revered Monarch dead—no sooner was the Queen's own family, it may be said, extinct —her brother fallen in the cause of his country, than she, alone and destitute, and on that account, if upon no other, entitled to the compassion of every gene rous mind.-(Applause)—was again . to become the mark for the finger of scorn to point at, and the ma lice of persecution to follow. When he said, thug alone and destitute, he begged pardon for the words, when he knew the People of England had not yet deserted her !—(Great applause)—but, while in this situation, and the moment .the late King died, the attack was recommenced against the Queen, by the striking out her name from the Liturgy. Then came the announcement that she should not set her foot upon the English shore. The moment her intention to come here was known, every impediment was thrown in her *ay, every means-used to thwart her views. A messenger was sent out to her, charged with a proposal, and a message to try and get her consent to a barter of her honour'and reputation. On that occasion, the Queen acted as she had always done; without a moment's 'hesitation she rejected the unworthy proposal with scorn. With unparal-:' leled sagacity she at one glance saw, that a moment's hesitation at such a time would compromise her ho nour and her rights. She turned her back upon the disgraceful compromise, and once more threw herself' for protectiot into the sums of the People of England. —Need he say what had been her reception. among them ? Need he remind them with what demonstra- tions of popular affection she re-entered London ? These were well known, which required not repetition from him. Well, then, the Queen took up her resi dence again in London. Then the attack was re. commenced. Then came the tremendous Green Bag —(Laughter). He had an instinctive horror for Green Bags, and he would tell them why. He had once had either the honour or the misfortune, which of the two they pleased, of himself occupying a very small cor ner in one of these Green Bags—(Repented laughter). He tbrn through the medium of their worthy County , Member (Mr. Coke), challenged the Minister to sub stantiate one tittle of true evidence against , himself, or against any one of the people of Norwich. What' reply did the Minister make to this challenge? He said, indeed, through Mr. Bragge Bathurst) ttl.ihe , House of Commons, that it was all a mistake, . than' , the City of Norwich ought not to have been.put into ' the Big—(Roars of taughter):—He had, therefore, ever since had an instinctivelortor of Green B a gs, knOwing how they wets filled, i contrary to the maxims n and equal principles of British.law, which brought a man face to face with his accaser-Into ' —lnto, IGreen Bag, hest/ever, the Queen hadheen put ; and what was he; -crime ? In the way that Ministers put it, it was a most eatraotdinary out for one witald think that if.her conduct abroad had made bergitiltys she must have continued with the guilt both there and at home. Now, either the Ministers thausht her : . iky or innocent. How then taiold tiler dare offei., - if guilty, the means of continuing het-410c and' .her revelry , if she remained abroad ? . ThEy - said , to her in effect, " Take whatever mosey yott-wanr, l continue a career of profl i gacy where yen are, but don't 'comae to England ; for if you °nee lei rer foot there, you will then be guilty r—(l4galer). —The head and front of hey-offending was -then coming to England; for, if 'guilty, - why did Minis ters offer her wealth and Impunity; if innocent; why shut her out from the proper station to which, as Queen, she was entitled ? To return to the green bag—she came, and the charge against her was laid on the table of the House of commons. Bet, when she asked for the list of the witnesses against her; the answer was, "0 no, that forms no part of the green bag system r T his course was in direct con , travention of British law, which required not only that the accuser should be confronted with the ac cused, but that the depositions against him should be formally signed by the witness, and the facts spe cifically and openly attested. The - course taken against the Queen deprived her then of the advan tage to which the meanest subject in the land 'was entitled. On that ground the people had a right to take their stand, and proclaini the hardship and in justice of this anomalous course. Through the Queen. huh the privileges of the law and, th• Con stitutimi had been notoriously violated ; and nothing could he truer than the following words which she apprapr?atetrueed in her answer to the Newbury Addrmal---ft An attempt is now making to degrade me in flak, and to sink me in infamy, by ,a proce dute which is at opt, an outrage . upon all law, and • wholly` ncompatible with the spirit of the British Constitution. But thy honour 'and my rights are, in fact, those of the country. The tyranny which destroys me to-day;. makes every man's liberty ' less secure to-morrow."--(Loud and long applause). —He hardly knew which to admire the most in this . answer—the truth, the justice, or the dignity. Every word came home to their own person s—(Hear!) — If the proceeding by Bill of Pains and Penalties were justifiable against the Queen, it might be equally well applied to the meanest subject; how then would the ;betties of Englishmen stand? Any man might • -be broughtito judgment—for he'would not call it trial.---not in due course of law, but in violation of all due course of law—(Applause). They felt the Queer's cue, then, at their own ; they felt it as loyal aubjects.as persons of manly and generous send ments,,,ax people who wished to see fair play given , alike *imams exposed to accusation. And had the 'Queen. this fair plity?—(Crier iiNoi)-4•Had• she tha specific knowledge of the charge against her, of the time and place of its occurrence, at thearitnesses, to prove it, tit she was entitled to at common law?.-- Cries of No !)—'fhe reason was obvious... Why her jesty desired these particulars; :for bad she them, she might say..." This witness 1 know to be a per jurod. villaitilthat witness.is a felicity who hires him ulfoutlas ask!assascia, to stabler tailed price." Of another, .sheAsight say-t-.' I- discharged him .froon' may isectiais,, tiesivisc.Le was a thictr-4//car. hear!)i HA MA devil' ) coati sl.e ascertain Itheir ishatrassars. -tit; • 1. as to estimate for her judges their credibility witlina the previous information she required ? If the cause were a good one, why deny it to her? If the facts could support the witnesses, why fear to name them? Aild, without knowing them, how could the Q!lecn prepare herself promptly for a defence ? On best.view he could take of her whole conduct, he wit s entitled to say that she must be innocent: it was in.. Possible for any person who was not so to act the d recrand open part she had acted... Seek he was pe-- waded, was also the feeling of the country, for never was there more unanimity than that which_grsyi t ik! in her case from one end of the - Conti - try the othe:-. If, indeed, the people could on such an occasin-, tamely and idly look on at the passing scene, a:I the old English feelings must be gone: they mn be prepared to sit down as slaves, and not to live freemen and shew themselves worthy of those and that Constitution which their ancestors had se cured for them. He concluded, amid great applal - se, by proposing the following Resolutions, which were, as he read them, received with the strongest demon strations of approbation: " Resolved, Ist. That this Meeting do most COrCii2.ll7 ter gratulite her Majesty upon her safe arrival in this kingdcrn, at the same time beg leave to express their admirati,n ef her Majesty's conduct in firmly and courageously tesisting the hritTs and threats, alike odious and contemptible, which "w::: creed . to her Majesty, for the purpose of inducing her to ter , :gc tt: just rights as the Queen of England. " 2d. That it being an undisputed maxim of oar law tn 1-- gard and tseat •as Innocent all who have not been tried z::,f; proved to be guilty, we ate obliged to consider the sniiissicr ef her Majesty's name in the Liturgy, the refusal to send a yacht to convey her to this country, and to provide a place of rt:. denersuited to her milted rank and station,- as cruel ansisr.u.. ton outrages upon her Majesty's feelings, and as manifest proufs i diot her Majesty's accusers are actuated rather by a spirit rf persecution than by a desire of rendering impartial and suast:::.- dal justice, ." " U. That the appointment of a Secret Committee, tc Sirinto charges grounded cm the suspicio us contents of a en Bag, without examining witness/ upon oath, and Lh it:. treduction, upon this paper and es-parte tvidence, of a Lill ~; i • Pains and Runalties, for the minicar of degrading and divorcing the Queen of England, are proceedings which we cannot viow .withoat the greatest aistm and disgust, as being utterly rent to thegenuine principles s.of the Miglfsh law, and tending to the subversion of the liberties of the People. " 4th. That the refusal' to sjsedify time or place when ar,tl where the crime alleted against her Majesty is asserted to !Lye been committed, coupled also with the refusal to furnish b Majesty with a list and description of *the witnesses in sui port of the accusation, is a still. further• violition of the principles or justice and the maxims of English jurisprudence ; and there:re calls upon us, 13 Men and as flisginieb, to protest spina true unmanly and ungenerous conduct, and to tender to her Majes:y the assurance of our deep sympathy with her in the muzzle which sbe is waging against her enemies, and our hope and trim that she will come out of the contest with the clear posses,ioi of her honour as a woman, and the full recovery of her rig'.. :s aa Queen. $ Stit t That this Meeting do Instruct their Representativm.. eppose the Bill, if unhappily it should be brought into the Ibbr 'or Commons." - The Rev. Mr. BeauatouTvose to second the Re so lotions. As a woman and as a Queen, he thought they were bound to give her Majesty on this occasion the warmest assurance of their respect and sympathy. 'She had well told them, that, if her persecutor!, suc cetded, they, the People, Woulit have little reason to boast ofthe security of their laws. The situatio iof .the,chieen had-throughout been attended with ca a mitieit.. She found herself a foreigner among E•2,-- iiiirtnisti, and sent here to expect to meet a husSand, who-- would be her 'Comfort—her support—Aer i ro wpm. Were her expectations realized? she had hot been long here when persecution succeeded so far as Hys,drive.her. out of England. - She had, therefore, -now that she returned amongst them, a ttouble . on account of her sex and station; duel, sekottdty:becetrie she was unprotected—( ,pplataie). Shiebad, unfottutiately, among her prOsecutors, some Apf the Mese pronfinent men in the country. One of theta Was Lord Castlereagh. He had heard much of . tbal Ministefs . conduct in his own court 7y, in the year 1 1 798. This information he had himself ob ltained-on the spot, 'during the two following years. Haled hearid tt in' the town of Belfast, and in the littlelown of , from which that ,Minister took his tit* He there heard much of the .Noble Lord's character. The people Said he got first into power by a stratagem. He was unable to ob tain a seat in Pitliament without pretending to be a Patriot and a Parliamentary Reformer. This pre sented no inmperable difficulty to his ambition, for he instantly changed. sides, and became a patriot! He was, indeed, like a prism—he had three sides, but no right angle—(Repeated laughter). He was a political pedlar; he had -travelled all over Europe, making and• mending Constitutions, and setting up Kings as it suited his views of policy. There was therefore little trouble for such a man, after helping to . put up and pull down so many Kings, to come home and merely assist in pulling down one Queen —(Renewed bursts e laughter).—There was a set of very useful, but humble women, in this country, called char-women, who laboured at all work, just as • it came to their hands. Now Lord Castlereagh was sk political char-Woman—all work was alike to hiin (Applause).— He called himself an enemy to blas phemy, and a friend to the King; but the People, he believed, looked upon him as a great subverter of liberty. His own countrymen condemned him, and en were not likely to reverse theirjudgma (liiihfinsee).--In meeting and acting on the present 'occasion, they were setting their faces against unfair dealing, and shewinrthat sense of justice, which, he trusted, would ever mark their conduct. He heartily seconded the motion. ' The CHAIRMAN then put the question on the Rev solutions, which were adopted Gy acclamation. Mr. JOSEPH GELDART, jun. then rose to propose an Address, founded upon these Resolutions. Mr. EDWARD SPARSHALL seconded it, and it was carried unanimously, and ordered to be presented to her Majesty, by the Mayor, Mr. Sheriff Taylor, and the City Members. Mr. Sheriff TAYLOR thanked the Meeting for the hononr.they had doirie him in deputing him to pre sent the Address. He said that their worthy Member (Mr. Gurney) was alone prevented from attending on the present occasion &Pm a sense of delicacy,. as, is the event (which he hoped would not be the case` 4 the Bill now before the House of. Lords coming after wards before the House of Commons, he should have, Lin his place in Parliament, to sit as a Judge upon the smatter. ,And he desired him also to state to the Meeting, that there was no person present bad " a "more decided abhorrence tto use his own words) to the. mode of proceeding adopted towards the Quvea than he had—(Applause). . .Dlr. Shen iff Taxcon„in moving their thanks to the Myor ; humorously &Aid s thin th e worthy Chief Ma. . .~ t V il 1