Star. — London, England, 1822-06-19 00:00:00

7 , 7 a4 a du se).-1-le said this to chew that his humanity Bras mgt confined to his fellow-subjects, but embracgd his fellow-creatures all over the world—(Cheess).— Th e period during which he had represented South wark- Was but short, but it had been marked by events of the highest political consideration; and, during t he discussion of every one of their), he had been found t i 7 m at hit post—(Cheers).—He appealed to the inde fatigable Member for Montrose, to say whether, on L I: occasions, be had not seen Sir Robert Wilson in place ?—(ANAuse).----The first great event that occared after Sr Robert Wilson had been returned for Southwark, was that never-to-be-forgotten Man c!'ester massacre !—(Cheers).—The moment he heard e fir, he hastened from the French capital, where he u•as at the time, and communed with his fellow-citi zens as to the best means of bringing to light and of v anishing the perpetrators of that atrocious act— iippanse).—Their efforts did not, however, obtain astice for what had been done ; and all the redress I. l le injured people received was those infamous Six Acts; which would be a disgrace•to the Statute Book long as they were suffered to) pollute its pages— (.n :louse). The next remarkable event was the per snution of their lamented Queen ; and there they ,mild find Sir Robert Wilson, with other honourable me n, earnestly supporting, and actively engaged in defending, that ill-fated individual. And what was the consequence ? The most bitter, the most unre- lasting persecution followed him, that ever disgraced the annals of any age or country—(Cheers). Ile was struck out of the ranks of the Army, in which he had so ably served ; he was robbed of his property, and every petty art that. malice could suggest was put in practice against him—(Hear,hear),—lf the People of Enema had not rallied round him in that trying ilour, they would have deserved to be branded as the most ungrateful people in the world—(Applause). — Put they did rally round and defend him. That con- ::.ieration which he had shewn to others, they shewed t•> him—(Applause).—:He would _trespass no further ua their attention, but by proposing— " The health of Sir Robert Wilson, our independent, humane, znJ 7allant Representative, and may the spirit of the People keep „cc with theopprtmioo of the Government."—(Loud cheering). Sir ROBERT WILSON then stood forward, amidst applau-e. His honourable and excellent friend, who had in so kind and affectionate a manner pre sented his . name to their notice, had recalled to their ;ccollection that this was the anniversary of the day in which they bad engaged in that arduous, and, by many of their friends, pronounced desperately. hope less conflict, but by which, nevertheless, they had ::chieved that independence which they had since so nobly maintained. Whatever might be the cause ;or pride on his part, in forming a political connexion . :ith the Electors of Southwark on that occasion, t::tt cause, he must say, was unifortily augmenting ; f :r, in the same degree as the Electors of Southwark .acquired public esteem by their patriotic conduct, in the same degree did he acquire weight and considera tion as their Represensative—(Applause). He was absent from the country when the strong arm of poser was raised to crush him ; but the Electors of Southwark, revering the maxim of. jurisprudence which declared every man innocent until he was braved to be guilty, feeling also that arbitrary punish ment, though by hazard it might strike the guilty, still unjustly inflicted, it the individual so punished was not preiiously the Elec tors of Southwark, acting on thoseprinciples, gene rously and without hesitanon threw their shield over him—that shield of public support which gave him an opportunity of rescuing his character from spoil, and to render every machination that bad been resorted to, abortive and inglorious(fpplause).— But if he had failed in the struggle—if his culpability hail been proved, still that culpability would in no vise have impaired the tide .of the electors to affec tionate esteem for the generous motives which urged their interposition. He should only say, that be would ever bear in mind a grateful recollection of their ge nerous kindness—(Applause). That recollection would render him, if possible, moresealous in the discharge cf his duty, and he knew that his public services were tie only return for their kindness which it was fitting for him to Offer, or which it would be honour able tor them to accept—(Applaisse).—Hesvished the transaction alluded to was the only one that could be adduced to prove the violent character of the present Cove, nment ; but, unfortunately, their every act and measure, for a luag series of years, sheaved that coer cion, and not conciliation, was the basis of their sys tem—(Cheers). Unfortunately, Ministers, seeking ar- Li trary power, and by arbitrary means, had received encouragement and support from many of: those who ought ;0 be the protectors of the rights and liberties the People—(Applause).—He was sorry to say, but it was very true, that those who had the greatest in terest iitthe were found to be perfectly indifferent as to the fate of the Constitution. So long as they were satisfied with the produce of their own estates, they sympathized but little with the complaints of the People at large—(Cheers, and cries " Truer) The infliction of a new tax was looked upon as bene ficial to the Public, and the abolition of any ancient right was constantly pronounced by them to be an additional security for religion and social order— (Laughter).—Under this system, the country was go -..erned by Magistrates who abused their power 31agistrates whose admonitions might have preserved tranquillity, but who remained silent—Magistrates Nvha - instead of being the protectors of the People, were their oppressors—Magistrates who, instead of having recourse to the law, and to the civil power, wantonly relied on the sword, without necessity and without appeal—(Applause).—They were considered the best conservators' of the public peace, whose con duct was calculated to produce an infringement of it—(Applause).—They had also seen political Judges, who applied punishment, not to the offence, but to the man—(Cheers). —They had known such persons to be' pplauded as the best guardians of our laws, and the most impartial dispensers of justice—(Cheers). Military government was the order of the day ; and as the affair of Manchester had been alluded to, he was ashamed to say, that the wounds which the Re formers received on that occasion, if they were not treated as matters of pastime by our own Rulers, were very lightly noticed, when allusion was made to those scandalous transactions by the Ministers of the Crown. But the scene was now changed with many of those who formerly supported Administration. Every where 140 w was heard— " The loud lament, Of rising taxes, awl of falling rent !" Arid those %hu t hcietolorc, rniuded not the necessities .•,- • of the labbarias classes, now sympathized . with the, People in- those sufferings, and. fek necesseri .to • joie with the iteniralintezest of the. etiantryom-manY who, a few months since, wciald.hairathaught it pro fanation to speak of Reform; began to see that Reform was the only remedy that could be 'applied to the evils of the country.' Not a few persons thought that this penitence depended on circarastances, that these were but the-proselytes of the day , ; -and, to use a homely phrase, that, if the_shoe which now pinched were removed, they would be the first to recur to the old system. But, whether that were the"fact or not, great changeos were undoubtedly, in progress, a great political crisis was at hand. It was impossible that those' clouds which lad been so long gathering over the land could disperse and melt away without an elemental war. Reform would be the conductor of the lightning—the most harmless, and the safest, and the quickest conductor. There was no man more disposed than he was to sympathize in the sufferings of the country gentlemen, whatever might havtonieen the original errors of that part of them to whom. be had alluded ; but when he considered that that di'. tress might be the means of accelerating and pro curing Reform—when he thought upon that question, which embraced every other, and comprised all that was valuable to the country'—when he reflected on the hope of carrying that great measure, which he looked upon to be a sovereign good- in politics, as much as health was in physics, and integrity in morals, he felt some consolation in believing that those sufferings would lead to some redress of the People's wrongs. He had attended on all occasions to the arguments that had been urged by the enemies of Reform. He had found them to be very much condensed ; he had found them to consist of a very few axioms, supported by a very few arguments. The enemies of Reform stated that virtual, not real by the sacrifice.of a certain portion of their capital, to relieve .the country from the burden of debt by which it was, oppressed. He, however, would never consent to such .a sacrifice—he would never consent that the People should come forwird to pay a debt which they had never incurred—except.on one con- dition, namely, that they should be secured from a recurrence of an evil similar to that which now ground and pressed them to th e dust; and how could they possibly be secured from it, except hy a full, free, and fair representation of the People in Parlia-' 'meat? The Hon. Gentleman concluded by ob.' serving, that he had voted for. every plan proposed for Reform in Parliament. He had voted for every : thing that gave the People the least chance of being better represented than they were at present; fo♦ of this he was certain, that as far as the majority of are House was coacerned, it was quite impossible that they could be represented more inefficiently. Sir Roamer WILSON, after a few observations, then proposed " The health of J. G. Lambton, Esq. the zealous friend of Reform," which was received With loud applause. Mr LAMBTON owned that he seized with pleasure the opportunity of meeting the Electors. of South:l wark, not only because few such occasions occurred, to him, but because he owed it to his gallant ,friend; for he thought that those who approved of the'line of conduct he adopted in Parliament, ought to avow that sentiment whenever it was in their power. Find his gallant friend swerved from the principles which first brought him into notice, or had he suffered any political feeling to prevent that cordial so-operation in Parliament which could alone render the efforts of representation, was necessary, and that the House of Commons must be filled by men who either repre sented themselves or their gold: in short, that it ought to be a self-electing, seat-purchasing t stipen diary representation—(Applause).—And they main tained these axioms by saying that a majority of, Members of this description was necessary for con ducting the ordinary measures of Government.-- 1 They argued that if there were no rotten boroughs, men of talent, whose eloquence had adorned that House, would have been excluded from within its walls ; and they also argued, that an election by the suffrages of the People would be too democratic for our regal establishment. He thought the answer of the Reformers might be as much condensed as the assertions of their opponents, because they were foanded, not on supposition or hypothesis, but en reason and on truth—(Cheers).--The Reformers said, that the body politic, like individuals, always sought its own good ; that self-interest was constantly its aim ; and that it was not in the nature of things • to imagine that the People, having the opportunity of electing their own Representatives,would select those who were unwot thy of the situation—(Cheers). — Beyond this, the Reformers argued that a frequent return of the period of election would enable the People to change those Representatives who had either acted against their wishes or neglected their duty— ( Applause ).—With regard to the charge that, if Par liament were reformed men of talent would be ex cluded, ;heir answer was no less simple,, and indeed he thought it incontrovertible. They might appeal to all histOry, to the annals of every other country as well as their own, and challenge any proof to be ad duced that the People, when they had the power of electing great officers, whether Consuls or Prefects, Mayors or Sheriffs, had, at any period, chosen those whom they did not think properly qualified? (Hear). —lt was the observation of one of the severest critics of ancient times—of one who had deeply studied human nature—that the People,when the opportunity was given them, never made a vicious choice.— " What Roman," asks he, " is there so base, as to prefer a Nero to a Seneca ?" He would ask a similar question on behalf of the People of England. He must, however, say, that if men had no other quali fication than talents, they ought not to be admitted to the House of Commons. It was infinitely more essential that they should possess integrity, in order that they might faithfully fulfil the engagements they had entered into as, Representatives—( Applause ). With regard to the assertion that a Houie of Com mons, emanating from a full, fair, and free election of the People, would be too democratic to support our regal establishment, he wholly denied it. Was it not too much to tell the People they should be go verned by a system of which they did not approve? —But the Reformers would go further, they would appeal to the eyes of their calumniators to prove that the people of this country were loyally and royally disposed. They might say that the King of England need only be a Republican in his acts, to ensure, on the part of the People, the most perfect devotion—(Hear). The gallant Officer proceeded to give an animated picture of the happiness enjoyed by America, under her Republican form of Government. They had never heard of any Minister of that Governtnent ' coming down to Congress, as the English Ministers had to the House of Commons, and declaring that corrupt influence was necessary for the purposes of Government (applause), and that a standing army was required for the safety of the country in time of peace—(Applause). The gallant Officer concluded t by pledging himself never to depart from those prin ciples which he had heretcfcire supported in Parliaments After a short pause, Sir It. WiLsort proposed the health of his colleague, Mr. Calvert. Sir R. WiLsox then introduced, by a short speech, the healths of " Sir T. Burdett' and J. C. Ilobhouse, Esq. the undaunted, faithful, and 'distinguished ad vocates of the rights and liberties of their country," which was received with cheers. Mr. Howtousz said, he was not vain enough to attribute the kindness with which the Meeting had received the last toast to anything else but the asso ciation of his name with that of his distinguish 4 col- 1 league. 1-le was quite confident that- it was to the recollection of the long time that his Hon. Colleague had been a faithful servant of the Public, that he must attribute the manner in which the toast had been received. Were it otherwise, lie saw around him a greater number of individuals who were much longer known as public men than he was, whose vir tues he was humbly, but zealously, andlg hoped sin cerely, endeavouring to imitate, who oTght on this occasion to have taken precedence of him. Amongst. those who attended the Meeting, and who must be reckoned amongst the true friends or Englaild, were the friends of the people successful, he (Mr. Limbtoti) would not have been there that day (Applause).—lt had long been the plan of their enemies to sow dii sensions amongst them. They found their strength lay in creating divisions; and they had themselves confessed, that if the friends of the people were united their system must inevitably fall to the ground.' •He was glad, therefore, to see that " unanimity" was be coming the motto of the friends of Reform, and that they were directing their efforts to one great and pa ramount object—the destruction of that system which I threatened to overwhelm their most venerable in stitutions, their best rights, and their dearest inte rests, in one common and irretrievable ruin. He (Mr. Lambton) did not mean to describe that system. .He was sure it must be evident, from their own ob servation, that a worse system •never existed in any country in the world. They found .a system of GO vernment which was contrary to the feelings and in terests, and consequently to the will of the People—a 'Government whose chief engine war corruption; they saw a Representation, which was the heart and core Of that corruption—(Cheers)—a House of Commons, which was the chosen temple where, sessionally, like the Indian Priests, the votaries of .corrupt practices assembled to celebrate their unhallowed sacrifices, amidst the tears and cries of their wretched victims— (Cheers). —Ss to the People, what state were they in ? In one part of the empir e they were suffering all the horrors of famine, and endeavouring to preserve ex istence by the application of private charity- r —an exist ence not prized by their. Governors, and .hateful to themselves, in ctnsequence of the horrors by which it was surrounded—(Cheers).—ln another pail of the empire the feelings of the People were raised to such .a pitch of desperation, that they-attempted to destroy that superabundance of provisions which PROVIDENCE had sent' as the greatest blessing, but whiCh it- was fashionable to describe as the greatest curse (Applause). In other . places they were leaving their farms, giving a melancholy picture 'of that Highland emigration 'which had been so often and so feelingly described. They were leaving their farms to the Tax-gatherer, that new landlord—that substitute for the feudal Ba ton of ancient days, but far exceeding him in cruelty, oppression, and rapacity—(Cheering).—Ought such a state of things, he asked, to be endured ? Was it not the duty of every man to exert himself to the utmost to remove these stupendous evils ? But there was a fatal bar in the way—he meant the want of an effi cient House of Commons. After what had already been said on that subject, he would do no More than merely state the fact, that except on questions with respect to which Ministers were themselves divided, such, for instance, as the Catholic question, there was not a semblance of difference between the majo rity of the House of Commons and the Government. He was not to be told that they had voted for the re duction of one of the Lords of the Admiralty, and of one of the joint Postmasters-General, as proofs of their independence... The fact was, that such con duct was looked upon as a species of . absolution, which quieted their consciences, and enabled them to riot in fresh sins and vices—(Laughter).—And he appealed to the Gentlemen present whether,. when any trifling measure, was carried against Ministers, and was followed by a motion 'on some. question connected with the rights, privileges, and hippi ness of the People, the latter was not uniformly negatived by an immense Majority ?—(Applaiise.)— As those majorities were as much under the contrcul of Ministers as a pack,of hounds was -uncier..the cipline of the huntsman, it was in. vain to expect any thing from that quarter. Therefore, to Reform albne could they look tor effectuarrelief and security from the recurrence of so gross a systeM of Misgovern meat. Could anything be more impudently disgust ing than the conduct of the. House of Commons, or rather of Ministers, for they were identified in feeling, and diSided the plunder of the peciple bet Ween them, in the treatment his gallant friend had received after his incontrovertible siatezent ? Criuld anything be more clear than their ignorance of the state of the country,when, a few weeks ago, they prop osed a plan which, had it been corried into effect;. would have rendered 'it necessary that an application should be made to the Herald's Office fOr the ptirpose of quar tering the pawnbrokers balls with the Royal arms — (A laugh).---Their decision that the state of our repre sentation was so perfect that it requiredAieracion. —their protection of the Switzerland jp6—thei:i re enactment of the Alien Bill—proved that the 'pres - ent Hume of Commons was unfit fur the country. It was . •' ~. .., .. '' 0 ‘ , .f... ' .... • • , v^.' • 6 ... •• 4 ^ft , o.' • • .t. - . . • . . . • - , *bier' brbfiglits theM together', it! , tiriaild be the ap- • Plause of the body he was addressing. He held it • to be the dirty of every indivhltial,' hoWever humble; to come forward, and by anion and co-operation give strength to a eau* so vitally impartant•to the ince. • rests of the country. Te•prove the valbe of public opinion, he needed Only to refer to a recent fact, which could never be forgotten by them. It the!' person of their gallant' Representative, they beheld the devoted victim of Ministerial vengeance ; but, • at the same time, they witnessed nn•exaMpli of the - powerful effects'of public opinion, at least with Out the walls of Parliament; far they saw the most en venomed shafts of persectition 'drop powerless when • directed against the will of the People. The CHAIRMAN then propoied the healths of " Aldermen Wood, Waldman, and Thorp, and the Re formers of the City of London." Mr. Alderman WOOD, in returning thanks, ex pressed the satisfaction he felt at hearing his name_ coupled with those of • his two worthy friends and the Reformers of London, many of whom he saw . present. They knew him (Alderman Wood) to be no orator; he would not, therefore, attempt to dwell on subjects which they had already heard so ably; discuited that evening ; but he could assure them, that no man was more ready to sacrifice hii time, and' if necessary, his life, in their service. The worthy. Alderman, after eulogizing the conduct of the gal- , lant Chairman, said it would be necessary to calf on the Liiery of London to . rouse themieTies *a . little • more; and he-hoped that what had passed in the pre.; sent Session would induce them to send somebody into Parliament, upon the next occasion, who would really represent them ; for he tould not help saying, that the City of 'London was not adequately repre sented at present—(Cheers). . • • Mr. AldermanWarrnxias next rose, and addressed theAssetnisly„in along and able speecb. After glancing at his past life, he said it was now too late to calcu late on the Livery of honclen doing anything with; respect to.himself—(Cries of " No, no !").-He was' now too much advanced in life to be led away by any feelings of personal ambition or vanity ; but he would, be always ready whey called upon to contribute his humble talents to the public cause. If he had ever rendered his country any service, it' was when, at the breaking out of the late disastrous war, became for-' ward in the Common Council to raise his voice against the pernicious systeM of - Ministers, in which, unfortunately for the country, they had since perst-• verea, and, standing up almost alone, he kept the' spark of liberty alive. If, when he was dead, the re- • collection of any act of his should survive him, it would be his having—when he found the Common Council a'sink of corruption, like another . Aissembir which be should not name, composed of Churchwardens and jobbing Aldermen completely under the thumb of the Minister, for whom they were-ready to do any dirty work—been fortunate enough to throw open its doors and let the Citizens see what was going forward within. The worthy Alderman then alluded to the conduct of the Livery, in sending men into Parliament who : trampled on their petitions, and rejecting those who. lad suppotted them. He next urged ,some argu-. 'meats in faiour of Reform, and invited tie Electors to sacrifice all minor interests,. find co-operate. corn dially with each ether . ; in endeavoraing to obtain this - desirable object. - TM himself, it mastered little wheie • he was again plaZeck -ther:eor in The libuSe of Coins- • mons; but it tvasi of the last importance to thew 1, • whom they se!ected to,represent them. "Men perish, : but 'measures never." When one man . 40, the wouid.be sure always to find another of independeiree* and talent to fill his place. When men of talent em -r • played their abilities for their country's good, those talents were a blessing;-but when they directed theta against it, he would say of them, as had been said of ; Cwsar, " Curse on. their talents, they have undone their country"—(Much cheering). The CHAIRMAN next•gaire the health of " H. G. Reiinet, Esq. and the Reformers of Ahrevisbury.r • Mr. BENNET returned thanks, for the honour done him by a body • Of men whose good opinion he could n o t be indifferent to, when they had evinced their inclination to reward merit by electinglisHon.Friend! He considered that success, the co mmemoration of which they were then celebrating,, not their success alone, but that of. the friends of the general cause; for he looked upqn that as a practical reform in the Borough of Southwark. The - Hon. Geinleman then proceeded to' animadvert, at some length, on the grievances of the People and the necessity of Reform. The next toast proposed was— . " Joseph Hume ,Esq. the active and Persevering friend of economy; and the Reformers of Scotland. Mr. Hintz, in returning thanks, observed, that with the resources which this country possessed, it ought to be thebappiest on the face of the earth; and, there.. fore, it was the more lamentable to see her Fiserablf and oppressed by a system of Misrule, the tendency of which went to destroy her energies. - The Hod. Member proceeded to point out various acts of extra vagance on the part of the Government, which, he said, never would have heensanctieeed by tke House 9f Commons, had.they listened . , to the ygiCe Of the People ; after several Other oblervationt• con cluded by assuring the Electors of Southviark, that he should be always ready to afford them any services in his power, independently of the general cause, in which they all acted as brothers. " The health of C. H. Hutchinion; Eq." was the next toast. Mr. Hurciirasow, in retuinhig - thanks, • took .a review of Sir Robert Wilson'slife. 4f they looked at the conduct of,his gallant friend for imp years, during which he bad been their Representative, ihey,woulA find,him Worthy Of •their thanks, ann their support— ( Applatts4). 2 -He had ktiow,dhlaT lOtiket,' their ' him in Ireland; sof g hen the v i. e . ry:ir .of i h y isi in m H i f mkt , • i re : i ch s .ec i i n n g e26o4. ' his - feeble - retVgaiskler.-, a y It an ,nd frit Vek iii•terte-diUSIP • • .~ • I _/....ll,seAdmrsced . battle. wounded ••" :. _ , • < . . •,- . • . , . .. , . _ ... . ' , . ~ . .•• • . . . ; . .._ . . , • a Abet •' vadrakislood for the 44Boliters, Wail/sic:4(l.o4y • thtifoOttembeii reirDdAam, efriewiberr. on - • , no& f i n; th e p eo 1 . 7(fit , 474 ... • „„. i .:.. 1 . de l "' :711 ` thria4eilibtr the* its " " rig ' ike: Sir iliseir Vlrli,sox . then PhiOnlea -the li i . kit °r cadetrili htd: sitivhit.eocoplimoots to tholkleut‘ne• ' ~ s. c. Whltbreid. Req. ad the 10 , 114of . elet..y . 'hi the . regretUnt 14 ißgbility from severe illile . ssitp attend. t onnty o f Nflatioierover ti 044006 . )! • A .. • . ' . f" , He then procteded to expatiate On the r. - ecesty of Mr.WiwriSittAtrcOtild only Reform without which, he 'observed,li'vhs imPos - • with which thR teilitt.Wm. ieeeived to the (Mktg, en. Bible f4 r the ebontry to be relieved from the pressme : tA-tained tbiiardsUMlts.:Member fur Middlesex, and ettribliti day applause of distress. He called the•attantion ofthe Meeting to; not to an iSNOttei Metit of hi,; If :anything amid . • . the opinion of Mr. Ricardo, te.ho•whhed the People, g ive a tear' imptilse to hit exertions - 10'6m came' a ll by the sacrifice. o f a eer t e i n nnr ti nn thpir e nital_ a_ t.. - then feeble voice in the cause of his part 1t oppresio4 and'sufferiagl'ountsf Refl. - 7 , 6 4 pp kie w as inc44R4* At tile treatment Irishmin and the best andsnrest men, in Ireland' elt prei6eif dieliqraßintle'to his gillinffeiini generetti%siiitpattsrishkh be had alfiwn bi- ofinjusetikelabd-a(iotakippiause).....iiii him fom that tojhe (field of Inutle, deep pozsible, more activity in comforting the AnlMlMMffii