The National Register. — London, England, 1809-11-05 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Mrs. Clarke, in company with Major Dodd, and Mr. Glennie, without committing that which a Member of that Court (Mr. Samuel Dixon) said that he would have committed if he were in the same situation. Mr. Wardle had different feelings respecting his duties, and yet saw that it was necessary to amuse, by such an excursion, a woman of her slippery turn, and prevent her falling into the - fangs of the enemy. if Mr. Wardle had not persevered in the form of action which first suggested itself to him as the proper one, it must be recollected that he bad ob tained a true bill for a conspiracy against those people, and that the evidence of the perjury must have been very strong before the Grand Jury would have found the bill for a conspiracy, which depended upon the perjury. Mr. Wardle had not de layed a single day in endeavouring to bring the matter to a trial, and he would have Leen content to have it tried at the SCSiiOIIS. In those two points, then, opon which Mr. Wardle had been most calutuniated, he and erred to him to be absolutely blame less; and he felt no doubi.bot the more his conduct was inquired into, the mote appreat would the purity of his motives be. lie coueeived that ;Mr. Wardle had in the la's Session of Par liament, rendered to hi 3 country a servii.e much more important, than it had received from any of the transactions of the late war. >len that had rendered such great services, and slimed so touch energy, could not he too highly prized. The country was in need of such men ; and w nerever they appeared, by sea or by . , !and, they should he welcomed and cherished. It was always impossible for any MeMbers who did not attend their duty, to foresee the precise nature of the Amendrrnnt, that might be moved to a Motion of w hich notice was given; but this was one reason for sett ingaside the proceedings of former Courts, aae.l ex punging them from the Journal 4. He felt, therefore, bound to support the original Resolution which he had moved, and to op pose the present Motion. Mr. JACKS said, he was far from London when the original motion of thanks to Colonel Wardle came forward, and there fore, he hoped he should be in some degree indulged now in the delivery of his sentiments. As far as he viewed the present question, he thought both parties were in some degree right. He thought the lion. Alderman was right in saying , that an amendment might be moved to a resolution, and he thought the lion. Gentleman right as to the question, whether the original resolutions were proper. With respect to Colonel Wardle, as far as he could view the conduct of that Gentleman, he confess ed he could Fee nothing which had occurred since the approba lion of the Resolutions which could affect his conduct since. As to the language of the original Resolutions, he thought there was much to reprehend. It was said in them that Church we .fermentsivere disposed of; now that was not true, although it was true that Church preferments had been applied for. As to Lord Castlereagh's conduct in the disposal of India Patronage, ,it was a principle of British justice that no man should be found guilty except upon proof, and in the present instance no proof had been adduced before the House. Indeed, the corrupt in fluence which in that House, as elsewhere, was attribted to the Members, could only api;ly to the disposal of Boroughs. He .aid not like corruption—he detested it as much as any man; but corruption was, to public bodies, what vice was to private individuals—neither could exist, in some degree, without it—they were natural and incidental diseases. In the free States of antiquity, corruption was discernible: even ip Greece and Rome. abuse of public men, and the operation of public measures, were co-ordinate. The principal question now, however, was, Were the public men of the present day wore corrupt than those of former times ? He did not think they were In the earlier periods of even our own history, the great Lord Bacon, that luminary of science, and light of the political world, notoriously received bribes when Lord Chan cellor. In the wear 1694, the Committee of the House of Coin-' mons found, that 90,0001. had been annually distributed among the Members ; and even the Speaker of the House himself had seceived 10001. for the passing of a Bill. The language of the present day, a 3 to corruption, was precisely the same as that which was used formerly. In 1T34, Mr. Pulteney bad said that corruption was at it its height ; and that unles.s.it was di minished, the Constitution would be lost. Yet the !Constitu tion still remained. Sir William Windham also used the same sentiments. In those days, WO Pfacemen and Pensioners were discovered in the House: whereas, on the late motion, only 78 could he traced by the greatest ingenuity. T he House of Commons, he thought, were vigilant iu the execution of their, duty : by that vigilance, the case of Lord Melville was disco vered : by that vigilance the .case of Mr. Alexander Davison was discovered, and many ,pikers of equal detrime4.to the country & The Speaker's language in the resolution concerning the sale of scats had been mis-quoted : the language as to the existence of a public office for the sale of offices under Govern ment, had also keen ridiculed. Indeed, all Colonel Wardle's plans of economy, founded upon such documents, were ridi culous. Colonel Wardle economically wished to save the country by the reduction of its principal defence, the army. Ile wished to reduce the army at a time when the country was chiefly menaced, and when Buonaparte had concentrated his forces as it were into a focus. It was become the fashion lately to decry public men ; but could Government go on without them, or would not the peol;:e either sink into discontent or apathy, which would as effectually ruin the country ? He could not see why public men should be now so much abused as to a change of principle ; they tad always changed their principles. Mr. Pitt had been once an arraot rceori»er, end had afterwerds opposed reform. Mr. Fox, once a notorious enemy, had after wards coalesced with Lord North. Mr. Burke had been it confessed apostate. Why should public men now. then, be adjudged with such strictness! Fur his part, he thought the prerogatives of the Crowa were in more danger than the privi leges of the People. He had lived fur half a reoturv, well and happy under the British Constitution. He had grown rich under it ; and he wished it a long continuance. Mr. WAITIIK N expected, frost the speech of the Hon. Opener of this debate, that be should have very little to say; as he understood him to wish that the Resolutions should in sub stance, stand hut that the irregularity of their introduction was to be reprehended. Ile was a little surprised, however, at the pertinacity of the lion. Opener on this occasion; because, ors the very last Court-day he had, by his silence, countenanced thr very same irregularity of which he now complained. The Court had net under a summon. very different from the subse quent resolution on which it had agreed. With respect to the original resolutions he should be as ready as any man to rescind them, if any discoveries had bees made, which in his mind militated against them; but from subsequent discoveries, he was inclined to draw very different conclusions from those who had already spoken. He thought, indeed, from the indirect and clandestine attacks which had been made, that the Court was called upon to vindicate the character of Colonel Wardle. As to the speech of the Hon. Gentleman • who spoke last, of ail the wonderful speeches he had spoken, it was the most wonderful. He had never before seen him so encumber himself with dust and cobwebs—he had never seen him in so puzzle-brained a manner steer between right and wrong. Indeed in his conjectures as to the Church Patronage, he was not there so much to be blamed— he had stolen his errors. He l i ed quibbled, like the origiuol and arch quibbler Mr. Canning, who would not attach guilt broause the iniquity had not been completed—who would not criminate the Duke of York as to church influence, although, at •the in tercession of his prostitute, Doctor O'Meara, a Clergymen, had preached before royalty. With respect' to the East India pa tronage, so far from the Speaker's speech having been misquo ted, cot only he, but Lord Liverpool in the House of Lerds, had in the highest degree rept , elaen4ed it. It was said, however, that Lord Castlereagh and his colleagues In office ought not to be abused because they were the men upon whom the hopes of the country were fixed. If this was the case, all he could say was, that the country was lost-.-that the country wag rained beyond redemption. The Hon. Gent. bad said he loved virtue and hated. vice. Aye, abstractedly, just as he loved a good dinner— (A laugh). He was, however, quite a philosopher--a meta physical genius—(A laugh). He had found out forsooth that ;because corruption was prevalent in other ages, we ought not to ;abuse it now. This was, however Canning's doctrine. Now, ,!public men were attacked, and now they were to make a stand, sand now he had come so his rally. The Hon. Gentle man had said he had stood up for the Constitution be- Itause he had made money under it. Oh, what wonderful talents 4! NOV. 5. THE NATIONAL I Mrs. Clarke, in company with Major Dodd, and Mr. Glennie, cotta without committing that which a Member of that Court (Mr. the Samuel Dixon) said that he would have committed if he were io ea"' the same situation. Mr. Wardle had different feelings respecting meat his duties, and yet saw that it was necessary to amuse, by such Plan an excursion, a woman of her slippery turn, and prevent her culoi falling into the' fangs of the enemy. if Mr. Wardle had not roue persevered in the form of action which first suggested itself to Ile I him as the proper one, it must be recollected that he bad ob. chiel tamped a true bill for a conspiracy against those people, and that fora the evidence of the perjury must have been very strong before to the Grand Jury would have found the bill for a conspiracy, then • which depended upon the perjury. Mr. Wardle had not de- apat layed a single day in endeavouring to brirg the matter to a trial, nut and he would have Leen confers( to have it tried at the SCSiifinS. char In those two points, then, e2un which Mr. Wardle had been Mr. most calumniated, he a o.:eared to him to be absolutely blame- "PP( loss; and he felt no doubt but the more his conduct was inquired wan' into, the mote apprreat would the purity of his motives be. e"af lie couceived that ;Mr. Wardle had in the la't Session of Par- artiu liament, rendered to lii3 country a servii.e much more important, Prer than it had received from any of the transactions of the late war. loge; >len that had rendered such great services, and slimed so touch and energy, could not he too highly prized. The country was in uade need of such men ; and w nerever they appeared, by sea or by . M !and, they should he welcomed and cherished. It was always ape impossible for any MeMbers who (lid not attend their duty, to as lit foresee the precise nature of the Amendment, that might be stain moved to a Motion of which notice was given; hut this was one to ht reason for setting aside the proceedings ()frontier Courts, mid ex- pert punging them from the Journal 4. He felt, therefore, bound to the support the original Resolution which he had moved, and to op- thr pose the present Motion. Cott Mr. JACKS said, he was far from London when the original quer motion of thanks to Colonel Wardle came forward, and there- °rig' fore, he hoped he should be in some degree indulged now in the then delivery of his sentiments. As far as he viewed the present milli quest:on, he thought both parties were in some degree right. inch He thought the lion. Alderman was right in saying , that an airet amendment might be moved to a resolution, and he thought the clan' lion. Gentleman right as to the question, whether the original calls • resolutions were proper. With respect to Colonel Wardle, as to th far as he could view the conduct of that Gentleman, he confess- WOO ed he could Fee nothing which had occurred since the approba- He I lion of the Resolutions which could affect his conduct since. As cobs to the language of the original Resolutions, he thought there steel was much to reprehend. It was said in them that Church we- the fermentsivere disposed of; now that was not true, although it he k was true that Church preferments had been applied for. As to arch Lord Castlereagh's conduct in the disposal of India Patronage, the ,it was a principle of British justice that no man should be found the guilty except upon proof, and in the present instance no proof tem had been adduced before the House. Indeed, the corrupt in- Prea euence which in that House, as elsewhere, was attribted to the Iron Members, could only api; ly to the disposal of Boroughs. He ted, .aid not like corruption—he detested it as much as any to ti man; but corruption was, to public bodies, what vice was Lon to private individuals—neither could exist, in some degree, abus without it—they were natural and incidental diseases. In the cour free States of antiquity, corruption was discernible: even ip that Greece and Rome. abuse of public men, and the operation of rede public measures, were co-ordinate. The principal question vice now, however, was, Were the public men of the present day ( 4 wure corrupt than those of former times ? He did not think PhY they were In the earlier periods of even our own history, the .beet great Lord Bacon, that luminary of science, and light of the lthu' political world, notoriously received bribes when Lord Chan- Pub' cellor. In the year 1694, the Committee of the House of Cum - and mons found, that 90,0001. had been annually distributed among Man the Members; and even the Speaker of the House himself had caw • received 10001. for the passiug of a Bill. The language of the he present day, a 3 to corruption, was precisely time same as that for which was used formerly. In 1T34, Mr. Pulteney bad said wer that corruption was at it its height ; and that unless : it was di- use! ,minished, the Constitution would be lost. Yet the ! Constitu- at P and tion still remained. Sir William Windham also used the same sentiments. In those days, WO ?lumen and Pensioners were hist discovered in the House: whereas, on the late motion, only lion 78 could he traced by the greatest ingenuity. T . he House of erP Commons, he thought, were vigilant iu the execution of tbeir .Ijus duty : by that vigilance, the case of Lord Melville was witl vered by that vigilance the .case of Mr. Alexander D a v ison s pot was discovered, fwd many atiters of equal detriment. .to the rod • • he had! What a meliincholy reflection it was for himself, for his country, and fur his frieuds, that those inestimable powers were not exercised in their proper sphere, where they might be useful, and where they might not be thrown away as they were at present ! (A loud laugh).• :t44:Wiriiid. however, ask. the able and learned' Gentleirein s 41(0411 , ,inodern and ancient history, whether tiler* ; , .fit. : which the comp- ._ , . , , tion of the Goverlumit: • • : - serned, until they produced their oirt:l • be littid corrap. Coe was prevalenfr„ lightseet i tbjf t int was e el . • Willy encroaching ;• - posing. lie dis t liot mean to, say ALIC produces by ibis ,inoultry. titb 1144 ..Pax trot a tool • • ,!, NOV. 5. •..