Star. — London, England, 1821-01-15 00:00:00

NORTHUMBERLAND MEETING. A Meeting of the Freeholders of the County of Northumberland took place at Morpeth on Wednes day last, for the purpose i,f taking into consideration the conduct of the High Sheriff, .in refusing to call the Meeting, and for addressing his MAJESTY and both .Hou'ses of Parliament upon the late proceedings against the QUEEN. . Sir JOHN SWINBURNE being cared to the Chair, Was received with great applause. He fancied it was unneceisary to read the Requisition. With respect to the signatures, they .must be familiar to them all ; they were respectable from their character, respect able from their talents and ability, and he could safely say, that the Gentlemen who had signed it, held landed property in the county to the amount of 1;200,000 per annum. Sir CHARLES Mona then addressed the Meeting at considerable length. He confessed the refusal of the Sheriff to grant a Meeting upon a Requisition so numerously and respectably signed, worded too with such great circumspection, and framed according to the Constitution in all its points, was a matter both of surprise and disappointment to him. The Sheriff is an Officer appointed by the Crown, and holds his office at the pleasure of t' e Minister of the day ; and if the Minister did not animadvert upon his conduct, if he did not instantly dismiss him, he sanctioned and adopted the acts of the Sheriff. It was not yet twelve months since they bad met in that Hall to congratu late his Majesty on his accession to the Throne; their fidelity to the Crown was then extolled, and credit was given them for their good intentions. Was this refusal the earnest they were to receive of the feelings t,f the Government towards them ? Sir Chariot Monck concluded by moving the several Resolutions. Mr. BIGGS seconded the Resolutions. Earl GREY here presented himself to the Meeting, and was received with the most rapturous and enthu siastic applause. After it had subsided, his Lordship was proceeding to address them, but he had only ut tered a very few words, expressing as his reason for' rising so early; that he did not see a disposition in any person present to oppose the Resolutions which had been proposed, when Mr. Orde observed, he meant to oppose them ; and his Lordship instantly sat down, and said he would wait till Mr. Orde had addressed them. Mr. ORDE immediately rose, and was received with most vio!ent marks of disapprobation. The business of the Meeting was interrupted for a considerable time, and it was not before both the CHAIRMAN and Earl GREY had begged of them to give Mr. ORDE a patient hearing, that silence could be obtained. The Noble Earl supplicated them to give Mr. ORDE a patient and impartial hearing. The cause they had to support could not suffer by discus sion, but would, on the contrary, be always best pro moted by hearing what their opponents bad to say against them. Mr. ORD! then proceeded.—He was sorry it should be considered a favour for hiin to be heard for a few minute% He had often given them his opinion, as a plain country Gentleman, and he would never hesi tate to state his sentiments fairly and impartially.— He was too proud to affect an opinion for the pur pose of gaining popular applause, and too high minded to borrow the sentiments of another. He then alluded to the conduct of the High Sheriff, and observed, that if the Shwa had complied with the Requisition, he should not have blamed him ; but as be had not done so, he contended that he had only exercised that discretion which he was bound to use in the discharge of the duties of his office, and he was not bound to give. the reasons which influenced him in that decision—( Disapprobation).—And he considered that the Requisitionists would better have discharged their duty to their country, if they had suffered that already too much agitated question to sink to rest, without unnecessarily re-agitating it there that day—( Loud disapprobation).—The worthy Ba ronet had quoted Magna Charm to prove the impro per conduct of the Sheriff, but Magna Charta had nothing to do with it, no more than it had with Parga, lonia, or Norway—(Loud disapprobation, and cries of Shane!).—He contended that Ministers were bound to institute the inquiry into the conduct of the Queen. He would ask the Gentlemen oppo site, if anything could be more degrading to her Ma jesty than to have a man waiting upon her in livery to-day, And his arms about her to-morrow ?—(Great disapprobation).—He would ask them if it was for that, that they would have her name inserted in the Liturgy ?—if it was for that, that they would lavish the money of the people of England upon her to pur chase estates for her paramour ? And was it for his services in the polacre, the tent, the bath, or the boat, that he was thus to be rewarded? WAS it for his services as Chamberlain or Chambermaid ?—(Most tielext dining).—He would tell them, as had been lately said by Mr. Gooch, that the guilt of the Queen was as plain as the sun at noon-day—(Loud hisses). He objected to the Resolutions, because they pre sumed that Parliament would not do justice to the Queen, and he did not see how they could reconcile their demand for inquiry into the Milan Commission with their hopes that all further proceedings would be put an end to. There was only one further obser vation with which he would trouble them. Dear as liberty was to him—(A laugh)—he hoped that some mea+ures would be adopted to fetter, not the liberty, but the licentiousness of the Press, which had deluged the country with a torrent of impiety, and loudly called for some special interposition. The Liberty of the Press, like the Habeas Corpus Act, might be sus pended for a moment, to preserve them in their greatest purity and force. He then concluded, amidst very general disapprobation, by giving his honest, zealons, and hearty opposition to the Resolutions. „Earl GREY then rose, and spoke to the following effect:—" Before I proceed to animadvert upon the observations which have fallen from the Honourable Gentleman who has just sat down, I consider it but proper to pay a tribute of approbation to the courage and manliness of spirit which induced him to come forward in so public a manner to state his opinion, face to face, with those from whom he differs ; he disdains to 'skulk into any corners to fabricate calum- Hies against his opponents, and to manufacture Ad dresses which are intended to have an effect very dif• ferent from what they profess to be. Such, however, has not, been his* conduct;, and, therefore, I think great Credit.i.s due. to him L regret tha.: any interrup t►on has been given to him, though some sentiments - --- and opinions certainly dropped f ro m him not much' hold =up to public odiu m , iv . iduals whom _ some ist d . calculated to harmonize with the fe elin g s, or mite' they do not name. 1 will here read paragraph the sympathy of the Meeting. I will now proceed to which I allude : 7 " But it is not the populace to offer some remarks upon the object s of th e Requi- alone in whom the evil sp i rit of the with times fee h l a ing sw s r w ou ht h h t sition. The first subject, then , which claims our at- ' its baneful work. We ha ve seen , _ tendon is the conduct of the High Sheriff. Be fore I we forbear to express, men of exalted rank . and dis proceed to offer my own opinion on this point , I be g tin g uished talents, fostering and stimulatrngth n e f d d i e s : to read to you a letter which I ha v e j ust received contents of the multitude, ava ilin g from Lord Ossulston, because I conceive it expresses lusions which they despise, and of vices which they a true and unanswerable argument against the con- reprobate,. to forward the miserable object s of party duct of the Sheriff—CHis Lordship then read the let - ambition —( Cries of " Shame! shame ! )—When ter from the Noble Lord alluded to, expressive of these Gentlemen assemble in their secret conclave, it his high approbation of the motives of the Meeting]. is evident, to use the words of the Psalmist, that —Earl Grey then, at great length, and with power- " their communing is not for peace, but they imagine ful argument, pointed out the unconstitutional con- deceitful words against those who are quiet in the duct of the She' iff. Upon the nature of the proceed- land"—(Applause).— I ask, against whom is this ings, and the detail of the evidence, against her Ma- paragraph directed ? Can anything be more incon jest'', said his Lordship, I have elsewhere delivered sistent Kith their duty, as followers of the meek and my sentiments; and having given the subject the holy Jesus, than thus to fabricate accusations in fullest consideration in my capacities as a Legislat or secret, and assail other persons with the venom their and a Judge, I arrived at so very different an opinion malice has engendered ? Forgettul of the conduct from Mr. Orde, that. I declared then, as I declare which became them as Ministers of our Holy Reli now, that , were I called upon to pronounce on the pion, they prepared their poisoned arrows, and shot guilt or innocence of her Majesty , the only verdict themat random into the world, to be pointed against which conscience and honour alike impelled me to any one to whom chance might direct them. Stand give, was one of not guilty—( Loud Applause).—But forth, ye Reverend slanderers! and tell us who he is it seems to Mr. Orde that this much agitated ques- that thus perverts his rar.k and talents, that, if guilty, tion had better be set at rest, and the public mind the odium may justly fall upon his head, or, if the not inflamed by a discussion of this nature.—For my accusation be false, may revert upon the heads of part, I should desire nothing better ; Goo knows those who made the charge !( Load cheering).— it has been productive to me of nothing but pain and Who gave them the power to dive into the hearts of disquietude since it was first brougl.t forward. Bu. other men, and know the motives of their actions ? who is it that forces this discussion upon us ? Who They pretend to see the mote which is in their bro. is it that will not suffer this question to be set at rest? ther's eye, but cannot perceive the beam which is in The proceedings against her Majesty are still con- their own and when they accuse others of being in tinned open ; slanders and calumnies ate still cir- flaenced by unworthy ambition, are they so sure', culated against her person ; and though the legisla- that these workings of their holy zeal may not pro. live proceedings against her have been suffered to teed from a desire to please their patrons, and thus terminate, we are left in doubt whether the Queen promote their own preferment ? But if we exa is to be entitled to the benefit of her ac quittal, or she mine it more closely, we shall find that their ma is still to suffer all the severest inflictinns of that tignancy has a more particular allusion—(Hear).- - 1 odious and unjust Bill of Pains and Penalties, as if And though I have not the vanity to think that lam she had really been found guilty. Mr. Orde says he deserving of the character of possessing distinguished considers her to have been found guilty by a majo- talents, yet I know that persons like these are always rity of the House of Lords. I deny the fact. She ready to allow me the possession of them, when they stands now as fully absolved from all guilt as if the wish to fix on me the stigma of perverted talents. accusations had never been instituted against her.— But it so happens, that I was the only person above He also says, that there was no other mode of pro- the rank of a Commoner who attended the County seeding than by a Bill of Pains and Penalties—that Meeting of Durham; and I therefore presume that I Impeachment was improper. 1 deny it again. It am the person to whom they allude. I therefore call the Honourable Gentleman would revert to those upon them to stand forward, in some place where I won ks which formed the professional study of his may be allowed the opportunity of defending myself , early life, he would find it laid down as an unassail- from their accusations; and if I do not stand acquit able position, that there was no offence that could be ted in the eyes of my countrymen, I shall be content committed against the State, which could not pro-. to submit to any degradation which they may think sroper to inflict—(Cheers). They accuse me of being perly become the subject of Impeachment. He would find this principle particularly laid down by Mr. Jus- ambitious of power ; but if power is my object, why Lice Blackstone and other writers on the Constitution. have I been so long excluded? How does it happen Impeachment was the legal mode; I strongly urged that in the course of a long life, with the exception Impeachment, but the advocates of the measure told of one year, I have never held office? whilst, from a us that the Bill which was objected to was a most comparison with those whom in that time 1 have nwit advantageous proceeding to her Majesty, as she would tressed possessing power, I may, I think, without any thereby have the advantage of a double defence, and vanity, assert that I might also have possessed it, the coscurrence of both Houses of Parliament on the had I chosen to profess similar principles with them. sentence of condemnation upon her would be neces- Are these addressers so foolish as to suppose that I sary. Now mark what follows! With shame and do not know that the principles which I have advo sorrow 1 say it, the House proceeded to the second cated through life were such as must exclude me reading of the Bill with an unsatisfactory majority from power? It has happened to me more than of 28—to the third reading with the still less ma- once, twice, or thrice, to refuse even the highest jority of nine, the exact number of the Cabinet Mi- offices of the State , when offered upon terms incon nisters who brought it forward—(Applause).—And sistent with my principles. Can any of these Re then,. when a Peer was on his legs to present a Peti- verend calumniators produce an instance of a similar tion from her Majesty, protesting against the next sacrifice?—(Cheers). From a firm adherence to my motion which it would be necessary to make, namely, principles, 1 have remained excluded from power; that the Bill do now pass, that Minister who intro- and it perhaps may be satisfactory to them to know, duced the Bill stopped all further proceedings by that I shall remain true to the principles which I de postponing the passing of the Bill for six months, dared in that Hall when I first set out in life. And thereby abandoning it for ever. I ask what state were the Government offered me to-morrow, a cir is she now in ? Is she, or is she not, to have the cumstance which I consider by no means likely to advantage of this abandonment?. If the Bill had happen, I would not accept it, unless I could do it been incomplete in any of its stages, she would have on terms satisfactory to my own conscience and ho stood discharged from all accusation ; and now when nour, nor without being enabled to effect a complete the Bill is not complete in any stage, but is with- change in the present system of Government (Cheers). drawn before it has passed even one House, she has This declaration I make without fear. There is one the same right as any accused person against whom subject materially connected u ith such a change—l the record has been withdrawn, of being considered mean the necessity of a Reform in Parliament, upon fully absolved of the crimes which were alleged which I have been much misrepresented. My opi against her. But this right is now denied her : when nions of the most proper mode of effecting such a re no adjudication had been come to upon the Bill, it form have undergone some modification. I think, is attempted to visit her with its severest penalties, in that from fear of evil consequences, reform should be the same manner as if she had really been found effected in a more gradual manner than I thought guilty, and the Bill had passed to final adjudication. necessary when life was young, and hope more san- Thus is she deprived of the advantages of this mode guine, and my dread of danger less acute. To the of proceeding, which had been vainly promised to her, • principles of reform, as detailed in the speech I made and especially of this important one—important not in 1810, on the state of the nation, I still adhere. A only to her Majesty, but to every one who hears me change in the system of government is absolutely ne-' —test the person discharged from all accusation cessary to preserve the Constitution from destruction; should no longer be considered as guilty. When such and though a Reform in Parliament would be a most attempts are making to pervert the result of the pro- powerful means of effecting that change, yet, whether ceedings against her, and when further proceedings that reform should be pressed in the first instance, is are meditated, will you sanction such a mockery of a consideration which, like every other public ques justice, and consent that the severest enactments of don, must be influenced by considerations of State the odious Bill of Pains and Penalties should still be expediency, lest by a too hasty attempt to carry it inflicted on her Majesty? It is true that the Bill not into execution, the probable success of th ofth eaccusations reformcnsainst having passed into a law, she cannot be denuded Of self be endangered. If, in her rank and style of Queen, nor can she be deprived which have been brought against me, I have ani of the minor consideration of exercising the patronage madverted severely upon part of the Clergy, and and privileges attached to her station ; but her name expressed my indignation at their conduct in strong is still excluded from the Liturgy, that act of on- terms, I request, that my remarks may not be applied ginal injury and insult; a Royal residence is still to any but those whose conduct has excited them. denied her; she is still dependent on Ministers for Born of parents professing the doctrines of the Este that support which she ought to have derived from blished Church, educated in its tenets, and attached the liberality of Parliament, and is still exposed to to its interests, I feel most anxious to see the holy Mi suffer all these acts of injustice. What, though the nisters of my Religion enveloped in that respect which Bill had failed, according to Mr. Orde, she is to con- must ever be felt for the Clergyman, the Parish Priest, tinue to be treated as guilty. But this injustice no who performs his duty to his parishioners in a consci- Briton can ever bear; for to suffer any penalties to entious manner — who consoles them in their misfor attach to her Majesty when the Bill is abandoned, is tunes, admonishes them in error, maintains them in contrary to that love of justice and hatred of oppress right—their guide in health, their aid in sickness and sion, which, whilst England is England, I trust, will in trouble, and supporter amidst the terrors of ap ever characterize ill who inhabit it—(Applause), proaching death; mild, meek, generous, charitable, [His Lordship here, in strong terms, condemned the and humane, such characters are entitled to the proceedings of the Milan Commission, and pointedly greatest respect ; end were they more frequent we alluded to the conduct of certain Divines in the should hear lest of those attempts to disturb the peace County of Durham, in getting up Ultra-Loyal Ad- of society in the name of Religion and pretended dresses, and to the language used therein.)—l repel, loyalty 1 But if we contemplate the reverse of this (said his Lordship) the calumnies of these Address- character—a busy meddling Priest, hardly known in ens against my countrymen, and will resist, to the his parish, except by the vexatious collection of his utmost of my power, the encroachments advocated Tithes, seldom heard in his Church, a virulent 'writer by them upon the liberties of my country; for these of party pamphlets, so far devoid of charity as to persons, not content with following the example of visit all persons who differ with him in sentiment the attempts made in the reign of Charles 11. to with the severest condemnation, denouncing them as govern without a Parliament—in which, if they had traitors to their King and apostates to their Goo, succeeded, we should now have been living under the setting one part of the community, against the other tyranny of the Stuarts—not content with this, they -I will :ell them, that one such Priest, much less a think it right to make personal accusations, and to u hole conclave of them, does more harm to Religion than twenty libellers of the most tion—(Great applause).-1 cannot c expressing my thanks for the patient you have afforded me, and assuring y( as on all other occasions, I feel most my former Constituents, to whom every tie of gratitude ; and you may al my best assistance and endeavours promote that spirit of liberty so essen fare of the country, and if suffered tr the country itself would soon fall into the Noble Earl concluded amidst the and applause of the Meeting.) The Resolutions were then put and agreed to unanimously, with Mr. OaDx, and two or three other was here a loud call for Mr. LAuero Mr. BEAUMONT then, in a short speech, the Adchess to his Majesty, which Mr. Sum. The cries for Mr. Lemma being here renewed, rose, and said that it had not been have offered himself to their Notice evinced a desire for him to address make a few remarks on what had Orde. He accordingly did so, in a and irony. He also animadverted the conduct of the Sheriff, who, he be treated with utter contempt, as ' himself, but from persons of higher . had no doubt that his instructions tray north, through Morpeth, to the Sheriff. Mr. Lambton also defended the Press f of licentiousness brought against it maintained that nothing could exceed mess and gross calumny of the Ministeri, The Address was then carried 137 - nienous vote. The Petition to the was then moved and read by Mr. 1 to the Commons by Sir CitalflLES being duly seconded, were carried in Mr. litoce then rose, and in a I strain of eulogy, proposed the than! to Earl GREY. This motion was carried acclamations, as was a vote of thanks SWINSURNE. The Meeting then broke it inveterate de ft .i. n conclude wia4 D••• 'tient heaiin g wI ng you, that ona k • a nost an li ons to 11 , -1 'll om I feel bo un d -7 ', lay alway s con 4. • . tun to Ripp e% essential to ed to fall int o : II into rui n .."-N •• wa • • . • put from the ihilicttheh:errut:Pah' e a we s Pr: se eoun: c ic o :P ud :::ll4l:ll e N d " : ::. .. 40:" ort speech, propi t i • wed, that GentL mzi tus been his intention b , sri notice; but as th e , he Iress them, Le eftl ' i e tad fallen from , o e in a strain of semizi e rted with seventy% 4 as he he thj a ( cte ght d '6 1%, Oter authority, bib • ins travelled from 0 ' 1 Sheriff-0 71 4 % Press from the chs % a it it by Mr. Orde,4 or exceed the licenti n% 'at Ministerial Pee t! . ed by nearly an nr% the House of L e i Mr. BIGGE, and a ILES MONCE, 144 hi in a similarmas n a manly and w et hanks of the Meek ' • is carried amidst k% •0' thanks to Sir im n broke up. brie tit MEETING. Pr o ver ke place at then, sea wing to some circus i t ld at Messrs. Pain IT. trket-street. Tlie* L.. "" was made honk ,coached, great am stn ante into the eke tim 1 refatory remarks, al us; Gentlemen, a °us r to request of yon gez o whatever myth!' majority hat prat • °el ; lemn the condatt ny of our loyal ton, 41 7 o meet us, wiil kink v t g l d the dignity of* tinst her Majesty k'IF r of the laws in tic reated with bacon/ the People in theist- I sn oost as soon as tiw the very commas ige from her hiajes; to us their humatt ility, in thanking 6 t i n : their Royal Waal neverKb i st attention to the as ons of a peaceabk,i do that to be thefo for gam u5,1.,Y11.1. elation; that they bar tect our impornisin :ommercial, and egO , the smallest pens public necessiiim, st arguments, and in th for error, and hero , ut, Gentlemen, tie ir c •e become shy of a preference to sus; l b ere they may, ualo t i t ours, cajole their* : ints upon the ha 2 1 lm. '; ne to which we mei tic v battering dos' # lout Europe, Mg b at stand but Truth xi La Gentlemen, we la re but disloyal to sa* sc we lost, and deserve* at afikes tit ng the Resolutioes • . a —" Gentlemen —lb r seca ec d I.—Gentlemen- 4 if • to sza of your appretial l 3 t ic ° :u o la rn :te i d s th m b is y eetifir d a l o l7ll' is duty imperfectly b tility. In the Resoi ropose to you, I Iv the Ministry wbo r ilajesty. If I sloe' • hich proves their hea t nen of the People r act they haven a have uttered. TO ire brought into pm , ! ,eery"—that was* elude to their fell the Orders in 0 30 ! to Commerce of Gm' k, that as soon WI! I din their placers! I —the first blow atm i was felt by th is our enemies, aa" s . showed thE , lllSall e ur brothers in bk. y, • a country unwolt#l l l ., friends invaloot ke and a : . ect the famous finest •arnsy tha n n•pestilential th a t- toirhty clot LEICESTER PUBLIC M The Meeting advertised to take place Hart Inn, on Wednesday last, owing - stances which occurred, was held at and Son's Wool Rooms, in Market. moval of the place of Meeting was hand-bills, and, as the hour approached, hers crowded to gain admittance spacious rooms. Mr. COLTMAN, after some prefatory dressed the Meeting as follows quite sure that it is unnecessary to patient and a calm attention to wh. day be advanced. The great majority probably most decidedly condemi, his Majesty's Ministers, but if any of t men whom we this day invite to meet shew us that they have upheld the Crown in their proceedings against Queen—supported the integrity of Bill of Pains and Penalties—treats respect the Representatives of the sudden dismissal of then:, almost had assembled, and even at the ment of the reading of a Message . If any loyal man will explain to us their nice and exquisite sensibility, Manchester Magistrates in their name for the blood spilt on the never 16th of August; if he will shew us, Ministers have paid the slightest atte gravated sufferings and privations" dustrious, but yet starving populati , protected, or attempted to protect and nearly ruined mercantile, coins cultural interests, or offered up the sacrifices on the altar of the publi shall thankfully listen to their argr cannot answer them, confess our error, their conveits—(Applause). But, self-styled Loyal men of late are becon.. lic discussion ; they give the preference dark, and secret Meetings, where lested, calumniate their neighbours, starch, and suggest fresh restraints of the Press, that mighty engine to deeply indebted: which is now battering fortresses of despotism throughout fore which nothing can long stand Freedom! —(Loud applause.) Geni loyal to a constitutional King, but constitutional Ministry, who have'_ lost, the confidence of the People"—(. T. PAGET, Esq. in submitting the Meeting, spoke as follows :—" great regret that the task imposed not devolved upon one more calci and situation in life, to give effect (Cries of " that's inspossibk").- gratified by every expression of and though I shall perform this dt will do it to the best of my ability. lions which I am about to propose embodied some remarks upon the 1 " enjoy the confidence of his Majesty describe every circumstance which - lity to the liberties and happiness must enumerate almost every act mined, and every word they have _ Members of Administration were brought by the infamous cry of " No Popery"— introduction—a promising prelude measures. Their first act was the —the first effectual blow at the Britain. I was about to remark, that found themselves firmly seated in Orders in Council were issued—the tish Commerce—the first which was —which threw all the good-to our the evil upon ourselves. Then follow can War—against a People, our . and also in the love of liberty—a country our notice as enemies, but as friends They-rushed into that war like bullies, doned it like sneaks. Recollect cheren Expedition, where the finest._ left this country vats buried in.pestilential I and marshes. Then followed that- Mighty