The National Register. — London, England, 1808-10-30 00:00:00

OCT. 30. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. SVNDAY, OCTOBER so, 1808. NOWT/CAL EVENTS OP THE WEEK. The meeting of the Freeholders of the County of Essex, in the Shire-hall at Chelmsford, on Friday Lst, excu s ed the warmest degree of interest and participation in the minds of the public. The purpose, fig which they were convened, was so truly momentous, that we foudly antici pated a result very different from that e.iiich has taken place. The individuals, who were most veciferpus and indecent in their cries fur adjournment, have, unfortu nately, not reflected enough on the consequences of the precedent they have given. We expected dignity and ills. passionate conduct on so serious a business ; and did nut believe that any person would employ oblique insinuations, or irrelevant remarks, 'to distract the attention of the as :mbly from the main point in agitation. The conduct of those, who voted for an in q uiry, was moderate, dignified, end always relative to the question ; it is to he lamented, that the Persons who voted on the ether side, were nut in. lieenced by the example. The strong indignation, "hick the first intelligence of the Armistice end Convention of Cintra produced, had subsided ; aid the public, in confor mity with maxims of British justice, demanded an impar tial and immediate inquiry into a transaction, which they consider as disgraceful to the national honour, and h;ghly ;il3uriou. to the intercets of our retlies. Qe aq one ocea, lion, fur the last fifty years, have the people manifested more moderation, we were almost tempted to say, unwar rantable lenity, than they have on the present. They were sensible that their character was strongly implicated by the I.;non,inious bulipess; and they were willing . to give every to government fpr its 4incere &lire to institute an enmediate investigation. Labouring wider this conviction, :hey thought it expedient and leyal to give weight to the determination of Ministers by secondieg it with their peti- Lou, to the throne.. vague rumour had gone ehroad, that a powerful family had influence enough to counteract the ironest exertions of some Members cif the Cabinet, w husc ta .wits, independence, and iutegrity, justified the opinion, that they were favourable to an Inquiry ; and the Cities of London and Westminster immediately came forward in support of these honest Servants of the Crown. The Answer returned to tic Petition of the former, so fathom invalidating this re. 19rt, was considered as as undeniable proof of this undue iiifluence ; and the Public felt a stronger desire to interpose between the Royal car and the troublesome cries of an obnoxious and interested Party. • Such we believe, were the impressions uuder which the several Meetings were cJnyeiteds and net, as• wo very insidiously, very impru dently, and it{ a manner very insulting to the acknowledged generosity of the British Nation, to promote the designs of Faction, or to supersede the ustial feline of Justice. In rimer to give a direct contradiction to so unjustifiable an :issertion, the Freehol.lers of Essex were invited to assem ?:ei Mni aR Vlicernmon degree of interest was attached to a ve:eting, where, from the maritime situation of the county, a number of Naval and Military Officers were expected to' Vsithd. It was a kind of National synod, where rerresen- 697 tatives from the Army. the Navy, anti People were assem bled to give their opinion on a subject which was equally disgraceful to ail, However, serious and impressive as these motives have been, a majority of that very Meeting, with a perfect disregard for the feelings of the Country, and the opinion of Europe and Posterity, have felt no re pugnance to vote an adjournment, on a question the most momentous, the most comprehensive, that was ever submit, ted to discussion. It was a question of right they had to decide on, as well as to express their strong senaiy of disap probation of a transaction, which their KING himself had told them was disgraceful and unexpected; and we had the mortification to see one member, who was repeatedly called to order for incorrect statements, and travelling out of the record, come forward with an assurance we did not expert from him, or any other man in this country, te► de fend the necessity, and even prove the advantage of this very Armistice and Convention, which have occasioned so much regret, disappointment, and shame, to the people of the United Kingdom. We arc very much mistaken in the sentiments of our SovEn Ems, if the efforts of this Mr. R►;.+ats•roy to &fend a meastpe so detrimental to the cha racter of the Nation and Government, will be received with any other feeling than contempt and disapprobation, 11,. is egregiously deceived if he thinks that his oral in a cause so repulsive to the Royal mind, as insulting to the popular feeling., shall he requited in any other manner. We ;than don him and his colleagues to the honourable task of 41e, fending a transaction which, even the individuals who signed it consider so ignominious, that they probably would, with the sacrifice of their sere lives, clear their character, if posslile, from any share in the abominable disgrace, To paint out their conduct in the clearest light it is only necessary to contrast it with the spirited resolutions adopt ed, on Thursday last, by the Common Council of London. That day was an honourable one for that respectable Cor poration ; and, if we except a certain S.tsar EL Dix ow, and an Alderman Biter., who, we recollect, came boldly for ward as advocates for inquiry on a former day, there was au unanimity of opinion evinced. and a spirit displayed. which we thought interred in the tombs of liceficono, Caostiv, and IVituirs. The contemptible minority of two, we alluded to, thought, on a former occasion, that their votes in favour of investigation should be accept able to their patrons ; but as soon as they began to discover contrary sentiments in that quarter, they were eager, by their obsequiousness and servility. to prove that their condu.A, in the t rst stage of the business, was not an insolent affectation of iudcpendeuce ; but proceeded from their conviction, that it might have been confosmable to the wishes of their superiors. They made, poor people, a must egregious blunder ; and We are very much deceived in one, if he would not give the tip of his little finger, that he had been more discreet and circumspect. His way wardness has done him an injury which years of submis siveness and want of principle shall not be able to oblite-. rate. We receivcd ‘ Werdor afternoon, Swinish Papers to the 22d inst. which commulicate the highly-pleasing Bence of the re-occupstion of Bilboa by the Spanish Army under the command of General Bt. 4%i F. This into resting event took place on the 13th inst. The whole of tin: French army, amounting, it is said, to no snore than /13,000