The National Register. — London, England, 1822-03-31 00:00:00

rtrt (atiLliat 3...lrLttps A or 7 ‘pw - fia 4 V--P- Our Ding, Conititutton, anti Nab 34. No. 1,362 --VOL. XV.] COMMON HALL. On Thursday a Common Hall was held in pursuance .1: a requisition, very numerously signed, for the purpose taking into consideration the necessity of a Reform in Parliament, and to discuss the existing distresses of the country. At one o'clock the Lord Mayor entered the Hall, illowed by Aldermen Wood and Waitlimati, the Sheriffs, and a number of Common COUI1C111111c1). hill Lo KDSIIIP having informed the meetiii& for what purpose toe), wire assembled, and expressed a hope that ail intuant..tl hearing would be given to every speaker who snould present himself, r. FA VEL t. came forward amidst loud amdauses.— Tile rtqinsition which called them together, very pro. ;wily, lie said, originated with the Livery, although he had been requested to propose the resolutions Which were to be offered for their ad:iption. And first, he should beg leave to observe, that the Livery were treated in a very extraordinary and contemptuous manner by must of those who represented die City in Parliament, not one of the members for London, with the exception or Alderman li'ood, having appeared in his place. — (Cries of shame.)—lt was 1101, unfortunately, neces sary to remind the great body he addressed, how repeatedly they had asked for redress in the House to which they had sent their four Members, or how often their petitions had been neglected. The predictions of the Livery had now b.-en fatally verified. The conse (unces which they anticipated stood upon record, and wowed that out of the long and tuinous war in which Hilgt o mal had beets so lung engaged, arose the nefarious system of taxation which had reduced die country to its present deplorable condition. A considerable change lied been effected of late in the public mind. 'f his had been particularly exemplified in the great counties which had been before in the habit of supporting ministers through thick and thin. lir Surrey a member was heard upon an important occasion, to say, that he had sup. ported Mr. Pitt for many years, but that at last he found that Mr. Pitt was a juge ler, and had cheated him of his property, and lie would vote no more fur such a cha racter. (A 'nigh.) lit the reply to the complaints against the system of that politician it was the custom .to Ti.ose who do not like the country may leave it. wail(' it now be rash or injudicious to say—" It would be of more advattia,te to the cause of liberty if the friends of that terlific system hail left Use couit,ry 1' (Applause.) --it might be observed that the Livery of London were rather late in coating forward upon this question, but it appears to him to be natural that they should wait un,il the diGrent counties made the necessary applica tions to Parliament to ascertain whether Ministers in teutled to bring forward measures of effectual relief. The conduct of Ministers upon recessing the petitions of the various counties slieweJ that no %lief was medi.ated.— Otte of their children had been strangled in its birth.— Tins was nothing less that% might base been expected ; but the people had real close to he alarmed al the decla ration of Ministers. that useless places and pensions must be kept up for the sake of a prettoutioatinz influence in the House. of Coiiinlons. (Hear, hear.) This was a des perate blow at the liberty of the subject, and it was time indeed to make a stand upon an occasion so awfully ititer•sting. It was needless to say that the citizens of London sympathised with the landholder's through the country; that they felt deeply at seeing the respectable yeomen and farmers insolveut, and the labouring matt sunk iti calamity. The dictates of common lininanny prompted to that compassion. Bin the interests of the c;tizeits of London were interwoven with those of the aarictiitural ptiptilation oft he empire, and the commercial and tram log individual suffered in proportion to the dis., tresses of Alone who had recently matte ineffectual appli cations- for relief. Toe universal operation of the system hail been felt. It was natural to complain of such evils. It was ion 041111 e to deity that an unnecessary war bad violate:it debt, and debt uxat ion ; and this war had been siatienaken fur the purpose 01 . S1114110r1111g the ill exercised authority of Sovereigns abroad, and of preventing the pitting down of abuses at hoine.—(Hear, hear.-13y this Illeiltlll exasperated feelings %Vete pro.loced in the public mind, and the emotions of tome irritated intlivhlualr nereconsidered as a justification of the late unprincipled attack upon the Britian Constitution, the passing of the 14%): acts. A military force was 10 be kept •up on this principle—a terrible drain 111)01) our financial resources, and holding forth a frightful appearance to the eyes of those who hived the Constitutimi. All this was, as Nil:1161M contended, resulting hem the increase of the population and the difittaion of knowledge. But the strength of the people was a better reliance than tile sword of a 1.11/gOOll.--(N110:11 Ewell then declared, tliat toe only remedy for the evils Cunt plaitied 01 was a toll and tau representation of the people tit lkirliantent. lie spoke of the 1411111ellbe population 4)1 SU:tiC ph, cis, W110:11 11.1,1 00 members at all, and of :lie desolate comlittoit of others, which had seteral to represent 110911. Ile %visited that S:r %Vitt. Curtis was present, but the old system of calling those disbiyal who appeared upon occaannts %%Inch the interest: inf the public wt re intuited, was beginning to revive, autl the Mettibtra who were ready Lot homer occasions to speak uf the love ol their leliow citia.os, inljfit nut be disput,it. Jo, - Paws 90 manced by Miserving, he was attached by so many ties to the object of the Parent Society, whose claims on the public were very great. At the present time this Society had peculiar calls for. the support of Ireland and that country. When he perceived rebellion and oltrage stalking abroad in that country, he conceived, that to repress this, a Society like the present was most singu larly necessary, and so convinced was he of the efficacy of the Society in Ireland, that be had no doubt great good might he effected by its rigorous exertion, at a dune like the present. The learned ashop concluded by entreating attention to the report of the Parent, Society. established in Ireland. The Secretary (the Rev. Mr. Stair) then read the report, %hick was couched in beautiful language, and stated, among a variety of facts, that the labours of the Society had extended over a great part of die disturbed districts, and had distributed 145 translations in Irish of Cie New Testament g and wherever the agents of the Society had made their appearance they were received by the peasantry, who, on being addressed in their own language, had often shed tears at the eloquence of the speakers, and some of them have declared they could follow the missionaries to the world's end. _ The Lord Bishop of NORWICH (after the Secretary had two 11111 l ended the adoption of the report) then rose and addressed the meeting. Ile commenced by observing, that his life had been prolonged to a period more than commou by the divine hand of • Prot idence, and be during that period; had always peculiarly conceived the necessity of the dissemination of the Scriptures in Ire land ; and the claims of that country were very great, as when they saw united in the natives of that country talents, conraae, frankness, and genero,ity, qualities which made them the bulwarks of any country, and pe• culiarly so, when they were candidly and liberally go verned, he conceived, without deviating from the rule very properly laid down by the Chairman, that a good and great Government made good subject!, owl upon the Government depended the general sniJ moral conduct of the subjects. Tii:s meeting was as sembled to consider a plait wnieh would tend to prommc the peace and welfare of the people of Ireland. The worthy Bishop concluded by proposing a resolution. ibat a Society, called the Loudon Auxiliary Suctel fur pro moting the education of the native Irish, be established. Lord LILFORD seconded the resoldtirm, an I in a short speecti said, the object of their assembling was most necessary and excellent one. WILBERFORCE then presented liinvelf, and in ji very eloquent speech took a yea iew of the Societies which, during ti,e pate years, had been established for religious purposes, and maintained that this was most necessary, as extending the Scriptures in the Irish language amon.„ , the peasantry would be attended with the MBA beneficial effects. Several other gentlemen then set crony addressed the meelinz, in long and powerinl speeches, and it was decided that this Society should hr considered ai branch of the Parent Society, and he called the " Lou. ton Aurinharc ti.ociety Mr promoting religion autond the Irish, in their ono lanetaigs." Ott the motion of s r CLAcni us I I IJNTER. a Tole or thanks was giten to the Right Reverend Bishop of Gloucester, woo expressed his ackttowledgments, and the meeting separated, a very liberal collection berms made at the doors. Advices from Port-au-Prince to the 19th of Jan. state, that the Sappho French corvette had arrived there from France with dispatches, and having ob tained al answer to them had again sailed. Presi dent Boyer is said to have greatly facilitated his acquisition of the Spanish part of St. Domingo, by a perplexing question to the authorities who di rected the revolution. They hail de•ermined on • separating from Spain, but had resolved to unite themselves with the republic of Colombia. A mission sent by the President were informed, on ' questioning the leaders, that they had shaken (4f the yoke of Spain because that country was so fdv front Hayti. " But why, then," it was asked, " put on that of Colombia, which is as distant ?''— Being. unable to abtain any rt.Tly to this interro- , gatory, it was urged that the integrity of the em- . . Aire of Hayti required their submission: and, by . .. dint of persuasion nod threats, they succeeded in . obtaining the adhesion of St. Jag°, St. Dutuing / o„ . - - ' I \ 3 ... Porto. Plata, and the other Spanish places. 'i 'I - ; , By u Parliamentary return, it apeurs, that the 1., 'r . . '.: ~ • '. number of ofli.:ers of the army who have beau dis- }..\,,,. .. ~,' missed the service Without trial since the year 1793, i.... , i is as fellows:-1 Gmerni, I Lieutenant-General , . - : t'l \ .)` 2 'Alajor-Generals, 3 Colonels, 4 Lieut.-Colonels, I Major, 56 Captains, 414 Lieotcnants, 400 Second- Lieutenants, 12 I PilyllMiteN, 3 Adjutants,ll Quarter Nlasters, 9 Surgeons, 6U Assistant Surg,:ons. S Ve terinary Sur eons; in all 989. A French Journal states the present amount cf Cie population ol house to be 14U,C0j. ,: E` ;~ I eel ,Y, MARCh 31, 1822 to meet them under such circumstances. Ile concluded by moving a long siring of resolutions, ascribing the pre sent distress to lavish expenditure in the late war, to cor rupt proceedings in the House of Commons, and to the want of such reform in that House, as might cause its members to be !positively and not as at present, only nomnally the representatives of people. Mr. GALLOWAY said, he felt great pleasure in second ing the resolutions which an elearly stated the cause of the public oistreas, and the only adequate remedy. Mr. HANSON said. it was wholly unnecessary to toy any thing in proof of the want of reform in Parliament. —Four members in oile family (the Grenvilles) had re ceived a year of the pohl , c money; and the whole that family had received would now amount to two millions. It was in vain to expect that any thing but a reform in Parliament would produce any consider able retrenchment in the expenditure. Aldetman WAITIIMAN came forward to address the meeting, and was greeted with the warmest applause.— He said the occasion on which they had met was most momentous. The people year after year, had prevented petitions to Parliament, praying for reform, without producing any effect ; yet the light to petition implied, that the people should sometimes be attended to. The distress was felt by all the daises of the people—the • causes obvimrdy were, exorbitant taxation, and the fall in the price of all commodhies. • It was not the want of property iti the country, but the want of its disper sion among the people, fly loudhailers having swept ' the property into their own hands. Ministers say the (listless proceeds from the excess of population, and the excess of production—so that although there is too fund the people are starving. They say the machine ol government could not be carried on without influence, and they say it truly of their own machine; but a good • government would want no such assistance, but would find ha best support in the people's love.—lt was absurd to say that the distress was confined to agriculture.— Every one who heard him knew the contrary, and every One who paid attention to the list of bankrupts in the Cozelle, must be convinced that the distress of trade was equally great. The resolutions were-then pot and carried (maid ' mously, as was a petitinu to Parliament, in which the statements oh the resolutions were emklied. It was then resolved that the petition should he signed by the Lord Mayor, two Alderntett, and twelve Livery. ' mesi ; and presented to the House of Commons by Ald. %Van!, and that the other representatives of the city should he instructed to support it. A vote of thanks to Alderman Wood, for his uniform attention to the rights of his fellow citizens, was carried by aeclatnaions. Alderman Woof) declared he should present the pe butt with the greatest satisfaction, and hoped it would be • supported by his colleagues; for himself he was always anxious to do his duty to the satisfaction of his constitu ent!, and to live its Oleir esteem was the only reward lie covetted.—(Great applause.) Mr. HALe moved a vote of Thanks to the Common Council for their endeavours to have the cause of the riot at Knightsbridge enquired into ; and 3 WIC of cen sure on Sir William Curtis, for his conduct when their petition was presented to PArliametil. Built of watch were carried unanimously. Mr. FAvELL moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Flume, and the independent men by whom he was 3typoried in Parliament, for their persevering endeavours to procure retrenchment in the public expenditure. The motion was carried u n animously, with the great est applause. Mr. FAVELL next moved a revolution, expressive of the sympathy the Co 1111 l on Hall felt for 111311 v persons suffering for political offences, and panictil oh' fur t 1 r. Henry Hunt, whose treatment more resemliled what might have taken place under the reign of the S carts, thAl what might be expected in the Present etilighteneil period, This resolution, like all the others, was carried unani mously. Air. FAvet.l. concluded by moving a vote of thank, to the Lord Nlayor, for the readtne , s with is-htett he called the Hail, and the impartiality he presided. resolution was passed by acclamation. The Lotto NIATcrR said, it was his earnest desire to perform all his duties in a inantier agreeable to his fellow citizens, and he was highly gratified to receive th.nr ap probation. Tim 1411 was then dismayed. EDUCATION IN IRELAND. A general meeting was held at the Freem 3 fons .- tavetn, for the purpose ot taking into consideration the propriety of forming an ataxilisry Society in London, iu aid tit the Society established lit Ireland, for pronniing tile education of the native high, tl gli the o.ciliiint of their own language. • There were present the Bishops of Gloucester and Norwich, Lout A number of ladies also graced the tioroutig witif their prerence. His Grace the Bishop of GLotreerrea (one ut. the l'ution>).took the Char ut two . ticlock. 11e tQuf~ .. -: , ...•••- - ~ , :,.;.~~ 't ti~ 4 I ~~ .' ~:, ~~