The National Register. — London, England, 1808-10-24 00:00:00

I , THE NATIONAL REGISTER. , - tice. He then srggested several Resolutions relative to the nece-sity of Parliamentary Re(ortn. Mr. Sheridan came fornard amidst loud applause, and said, that he would not at present make any observations on the con dos t of 91 inkters, as tar as they might be supposed to he impli en,ed in the Convention of Cintra, since he was confident that then conduct nook, become the subject of investigation in Par liament, here he should have an opportunity of delivering his sentiments on that subject, which he should therefore not tiilate upon aow. He must object, however , to tie present resolution, inasmuch as it had the appearance of throwing a stigma on the Address of the City of London, by re-echoing that reply of the King, which it nu , perfectly constitutional to consider as com ing from Ministers, and not from his Majesty. Approving. therefore, as he did, of the Address from the City, lie could not countenance any Resolution w hich might be contrued as a Censure upon it. On the present most respectable Meeting of the hhabilants of ISestminster, he certainly regretted as much as any man the absence of their worthy Representative, Sir Francis Burdett; but he was perfectly convinced that his ab sence was ow ing to a cause that was most honourable to his feelings, however much regretted by himself, and those who heard him. And he must say, for his own part, that, looking at tne conduct of the worth% Baronet in the last Session of Par liament, he had never heard him utter one word, or lay down one principle in whit h he did nut coincide, and in suppott of which he should not be proud to stand by him. (Loud-Lipp/nose.) Au Honourable Gentleman on his right had been pleased to pass upon him Mr. Sheridan! a panegyric which he was conscious was far beyond his deserts; but this he would say, and he trust ed that his past conduct would bear him out in doing so, that the inhabitants of Westminster at present listened to a man whose price was not upon eat th, that could induce him to desert the cause of the people. (Applause.)—Something had been said too as to the necessity of a Parliamentary Reform, in order to make an Address of this kind perfectly efficient. NVltenever any ino• lion to that effect was brought forward, it should meet with his warm support ; bat the Gentleman had Aone farther, and con tended, that until there was a Reform in Parliament,. there could be no honest Minister in this country. But this he thought vas going rather too far, for though he still looked forward to see the day when a Parliamentary Reform could be effected, yet he firmly believed it never could be accomplished but by an ho nest and upright Minister. To be convinced of this, it was only necessary to look at the Abolition of the Slave Trade. That measure had for many years all Mr. Pitt's eloquence in its sup port, and the voice of all the saints and hypocrites in the House (d Lough), and yet it could not be carried. But when that truly honest Minister, Mr. Fox, succeeded, then the measure was carried by a great majority ; and be therefore believed, that an honest Ministry were essential to a Reform in Parlia ment. That was not, however, properly the subject at present under consideration; we were met to assert our undoubted right. to Athlress his Majesty on the subject of a measure, which, to sax the least of it, had disappointed the hopes and expectation, of the m hole nation, and to demand an enquiry into the causes of this disappointment. The City of Loudon, in his opinion, had done nothing hut what they were entitled to do. They thought the Convention disgraceful, and demanded an enquiry, and though the answer of his Majesty, which he had a right to consider as the answer of Ministers, said that they had no occasion to he reminded of their duty, yet he trusted that the people of West minster, and of every other part of the kingdom, would use their own discretion on that point, and, far from trusting im plicitly to Ministers, would express those feelings of disappoint n:ent and regret, which the Convention had universally excited. lie did agree that there was perhaps no radical remedy but a Reform in Parliament, but still the sentiments of Parliament, constituted even as it was, must have great weight; and when ever the subject was brought forward there, in as far as Minis ters were implicated, he trusted that he should not be found to shrink from his duty. Three ftecolutions were then put by Mr. Clarkson, which stated the fact: of the battles in Portugal, and the Convention, as they appeared in the London Gazette, and also expressed the sense of the Meeting, that this extraordinary Convention had destroyed the hopes of the country. _ _ _ On the fourth - Resolution being read, which merely re-echoed the declaration of his hlajesty, " that it was not consistent with the principles of Britisa justice, that any wan should be con dennwd unheard." It was then agreed that the 4th Resolution should he with- Oran u, as not beiug likely to meet with unanimous approba ion OCT. 24. Mr. Poster then came forward, and dwelt, with considerable energy and effect, on the importance of a parliamentary enquiry being instituted, as speedily as possible, into an affair which mi . - investigated and unpunished, must degrade the national ehar.tcter In our own eyes, and in those of Europe at large. Mr. Sheridan pledged himself that, whenever an enquiry was moved in Parliament, it should meet with his IA arm support: and, instead of the resolution w hieh was now withdrawn, he should move another, expressive of the wisher of the people of Westminster, that Parliament shotild he forthwith atserulded, in order to give opportunity for an immediate enquiry. A resolution to this effect was then read, and unanimously agreed to. The additional Resolutions proposed by Mr. Finnerty were then read in a most audible manner by Mr. Puller, and k6uhmit ted to the approbation of the Meeting . . This brought Mr. \Visit:in again forward, who observed, that though he concurred in most of the sentiments stated, ye' till., did not seem a proper occasion fur adopting them. W hem. ver the subject of Parliamentary Reform is a+ regularly brought forward in a Meeting of !hi: , kind, it should meet w ith all the support w hieh he could give it i but taw declared object of the present Meeting was to addreis his Majesty on the Convention, in Pottugal, and he troth) not agree that another subject should be brought in by a side-wind. Such un example would tumid, a reason to the supporters of Ministry for opposing Meeting., of this kind in other parts of the country ; they would say, that the real object was very different from the apparent one. For his part, he was determineo of to look one way a tid draw another. The additional Resolutions nut seeming to meet with general approbation, were witlitirtiwn,isud t h e following Address to hi; Majesty was then read : • , TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. MAY IT PLEASE ,YOUR .1110ESTY, We your, Mujesty - v lord -Autdects, the Inhabitants of the City and Liberty of iVestmispster, beg leave to approach Milje,ty and ro express our Artn persuasion, that the late ( !in vention, agreed to by ;Four ujesty's Commander, in Portual, no less afflicted your Majesty than disappointed the hopes and expectations of your Majesty : ; faithful people. That yourpctitioners were filled with admiration and joy at the valor and success of your Majesty's foreei in Portugal, a , : detailed in the Extraordinary Gazette published on the Jcvnid day of September last. That your Petitioners are concerned to observe, that nt that time your Majesty's Commander, hail signed Prelimi naries for a convention, by which the British !Nation engaged to carry to France, the whole of the French Army, with their Baggage, Artillery, and Ammunition ; that they were not to he considered Prisoners of War. hut were allowed to art, im mediately on their return to France, in any place where therr services should be required by your Majesty's implacable Enemy. We, therefore, humbly beseech your Majesty to direct a NI, and effective Inquiry to be made into all the ciuctimstance which led to the Conclusion of a Convention, so inconsistent with the brilliant Achievement of your Armies, on the seven teenth and twenty-first of August, that the true causes thereof may he made manifest to your Majesty's faithful and affectionate People*: and that your Majesty will he graciously pleased forthwith to assemble your Parliament, that such Inquiry may he instituted, as to them in their wisdom shall seem expedient . The motion was put, that this Address be agreed to, which was carried unanimously. The Address was appointed to be presented to his Majesty by Sir F. Iliirdett, Mr. Sheridan. and the High Bailiff. The thanks of the Meeting were then voted to Arthur Morrir, Esq. the High Bailiff of Westminster, for his honourable and impartial conduct on the occasion. The Meeting was very numerous, there being at least .5000 people in the Hall, and the • business upon the whole %as ducted within great decorum. ' -01111111 ft-. EADING (REIMS), OCT. 18.--Pursuant to a requisition signed by a number of the Freeholders of this Comity, and an order issued inconsequence thereof by the High a most numerous and respectable Meeting of the Nobility, Clergy, and Freeholders, was this day held in the Town ball, for the purpose of taking into their consideration the terms of the late Convention in Portugal, which has been acceded to by the British General Officers commanding in that country, and fur expressing to His Majesty their sen- riga.^.4.lr - .....••••••••• ow • ••• ear 1 F, ii 1..,,a1