The National Register. — London, England, 1823-01-27 00:00:00

~` ~ +F. , 1 • • W. COUNT) UP SOMERSET MEETING. -0.- AtIRICULTURAI, DISTRESS-REFORM. On 'Euesday last the High Sheriff of the Comity of So nwrset coovened the fieehold, its al' the Shire at %Wells, to ',insider of the state of the aviculture! distress, as well as of the best means of alleviatiose it. A hustings was elected in trent of the Toni, Hall, and at o'clock the High Sheedj(A. Stockey, Esq.) took the Chair. Re pented by a large body of the gentry of the County. Mr. Hunt appeared amongst them in excellent health and omit Its, and took his mat 0000 chew to the comity menthets, Sir T. Leilobs Wee and W. Dickenson Hr eas.lonilly cheesed by 11. e large concuut se of persons assembled in out of the Inestioies. The Moll She:ilea opened the business oldie day by reading the re quisition, in pinsuance tit which he reinvested Ihr girrsent rimming. Mr. STA SING rose to move a ',trine of resolutions, upon w herb lie said lie intended to foimil • petit to Paths,- went. for the relief of the almost riling noshed agriessltu rims of the country. The tines which oppressed that class 4.f the rummer Sty were of the most isisequal kind. and had encreased of lane year. to all al,tnutng extent; their county sale. hued, in the course of linty years, been angmen.ed liens 8001. to upwards of ter,oo4,l.—in addition to these the local aiosessmenle, aid agriculturist taxa.s a n d rates of every &see wino', had gone on instil they had almost absorbed the whole prop-rty of the neatly rooioo ed farmer. —(Hear, brat!)—What was to he done? They hash no atierualove uni to repair to l'arhaeseut without delay, nod call for retrenchments in the poiolic expenditure Ili all Illy departments, mid fur a reduction of P• ch taxes as tell unetpualiy upon laud, so as so afford them .nine chance of everting impending ruin. He arraigned in PI song terms the miscontlect and mismanagement of that system of Government which had led to this general calamity, and concluded by propuaing a petition. The mil/Awl motion was for a polities, to Parliament, embracing a Val irty of topics of relief flu agricultural distress, repeal of agricultmal taxes, local rates, dm and granlal economy and rettencliment. Mr. STrusnentto seconded the petition, and warmly urged the propriety and necessity of adopting the measeres recommended by she mover. He strongly in. sited aioathe reduction of the gaol and FMCS' of the county ispe. the regular farmers ; the county at large be nefited by and might lo ticipste its some of the rypence "Wilmer itsaintertiner. After dwelling upon the negligence of the Government, in considei ing the stale of lite Illation, lie touched upon the question of Inform, con curred its its necessity, and elated himself to he one at the reportinta will. had signed mid presented on that day to Ilse Hugh Sliesid . a reqnisitiou to convene a county niceties for that specific pm petite. On the original question being put, Mr. Huai cause forward, nod was received with loud cheers. He said he had once mere she gratification of leveling his fellow freeholders of Somersetslifie, alter leis too and ce oil incarceration by Maar of their magistrates, gaol—he, howevee , forgave them. He then, in a temperate speech, proposed the annexed amendment, and *eve, ely arraigned the conduct of the Somersetslaire magietrucy, whom lie tan 41101111 d I , for their Waal of spirit, patriotism. mid economy. He was particularly severe 111 he county meintiets, one of whom, lse said (sil' T. Lethbridge), had always been the servile:adherent sit illiietrin, and the oilier had been clueey e mployed in ito gs.tting something fur himself, and he instanced a light 'tense Jul in the Itristul Citainrl , and Ilse Goer 000000 en, money to the yt ototainy, of which, be (Mr. Dickenson) wag Colonel. He called us, him to explaioi these matters to his constituents. Mr. 114:10T moved an amendment, which went into ape title reductions; the total remission oft Tares and un merited prettiest ; redurtion of the eateries of all officers of state, the Royal Family, the Judges, and pat titularly Ihr 051011111 Puller of Sane Cubing, whose,income ought to be reduced to B.ouol. a year, the income of the Presi di tit of the Utsited States of America. 4150 specified particsilar agricultural taxes ror repeal. Mr. Diceessors defended his public conduct. He then said, that to far f the light-house dues, in the Odom' Channel, bests g a juts to I from the Goers 00000 ent, they had come jab tns family for a saleable I 11115illelati 0000 , irons a Mi. Cu isp, who had leased them to Isis grausitallter. Sir T. Lwroblituee claimed credit lor his political consistency, and declared that he had never given a vole in the House of Commoes which was not ecru, ding to his conscienee. lie was glad to attend this meeting of his constituents, for it entailed him, who was a Somersetshire man to the back-bone, to hear their seestinseists openly and manfully expressed, like Englishmen, and then to weigh them before th.e meeting of Parliament. He had ..nted for the reduction of taxation, winch was a fair pro tonic of Ilia fit m determination to support economy and re itenclimeni. In or out of Parliament he should always be proud to meet his constitiseids. HcfOre the question was put, a Gentleman thought that the best way of deciding upon the respective net Os of the t wo p e tition% would he to leave then' both for signatures. Mr. HUNT said that would be making a pretty 1 bug of a county iese'ling—wliy, the) Canted was to ob tsin sago/Jute.' to a petition, they might get them at home, sh t treselling this weather ill a connty meeting.— Never was such a nonsensical proposition made as that. • General BATIIWIST urged the necessity of unanimity to render their act ethertcomr, and strongly recommended the oriental motion in preference to Mr. limit's, as it came from gentlemen of huge property in the county, and not from a stranger g them. He had nn desire to be impolite to Mr. Runt, Whose speech had been Mo. neritte, and who did not come turns amongst them as smother did in other counties, breeding mischief, with the go loins of Thomas faire. Mr. IlnaT led the General that he was wrung in coniedering I • as is stranger he Somersetshire, where he had been a It celsolder Mimeo about the time that the General was born—lie hail been tn.e for the last twenty s• yen years. 'flue Hits it Mien 11 , 1, after come further discussion, was about to rnt the question tai Alt. Hunt's amendment, w hen it was agreed, atter some pat ley between the parties who moved the original quesi Mit, that they would yield to Mr. limit if lie nursed the ',',l ino C1.4110r, as that would anticipate the expected inserting fur thet specific question. Mr. HUNT said, that if the High Sl.erift woaln name a day for the reform meeting, lir should theta withdraw the reform clause, and let the remaiuder of his amend ment eland. 7he Hliiii Sirs:nut, after some hesitation and consul- _, : THE ,TIONA T. REI Ate • ip ti"r •.;. ~ J A'~ ~" 4 1i. 1111 , ` • ISTER Islam, consented to fix Tuesday neat for theitefuras meeting—(loud cheering ) The Use. Mr. Cnessv et.t. proposed an amendment, the effect of which W 45 to abolish the principal clei teal eats- bli-liments at the Universities, the Chapters and Deaneries, I as well as Fellowships of celibacy, which weer wily calcu lated to promote vice. The Rev. Gentleman encountered many Mier' options, and was obliged to desist. The question was then called for, and Mr. Host's amendment was retried by an unusual majosity. He then mused that it be signed by the High Sheriff, on the part of the meeting. The High Sheriff refused to sign it. The House of C tons hail decided that a petition so signed was that of the Slitrtffslone, and this was certainly nut his petition. This refusal led to great confusion. The HIGH SHERIFF repeated his determination to per sist im seducing to sign the peti not. It had been decided ny the House of Commons that a petition so signed was merely the act of the Iligh Sheriff. Mr. HUNT insisted that the High Sheriff was, as the public U11(411 of Ilse meeting. bound to sign the petition, which had been carried by the majority, and his signal'', e did nut any huffier identify as being the Chairmen where it was adopted. The HIGH Silent", repeated his determination not to sign it, and asked Mr. Hunt why he could Hot move that it be presented by some Member to Parliament. Mr. HUNT replied, that lie coalit not move for the pre sentation of ass unsigned petition ; one, in fact, which without the Chairman's formal signature would be a peti tion ft um nobody. The Chaismun was now the deposi tory of that petition. and must cleat with it as he pleased perhaps taking it oat to his garden would be just as useful as sending it up to the Howse of Coino 1111 l Mr. Hold admitted that the High Shesiffhail done his dell up to the present moment of the needing, but sliest certainly he was betraying it now, inn termini; to authenticate the pe tition as the art of the ro 1111 l y. ' The HIGH SHERIFF 440, he would always perform his duty fearlessly. Mr. Hurl then moved a vote of censure 11110 U the High She. if', which was inv:atitly carried b' acclamation, as well as a vote of thinks to Mr. Hunt. years, (a person in the crowd. • W feel it;—Hear. hear) At the end of the reign of George 11. the money spent doting the 70(1 years belOre that period aim 11111 l ed to 79.560,3491. and the National Debt then :11110 ttttt ell to 129,832.0001. During the reign of C.:tinge the Third alone, there was expended in Great Britain the sum of 2,357,441,2621. Now. Gentlemen, in matters of this kind it may perhaps be necessary to take snore than one mode of explatettion. If we placed 50.000 guineas in line on the ground, they would only extend one whereas the stem spent in England in the reign of Geo. 111. atone, would extend twice r he whole earth, a distance of forty-eight thousand milesl During the late reign. the price of the laud, that is to say, Mott am: emit thine, inerease.l from tune million to two millMits. which, with the addition Of taxation, made au Increase of a million and a half in the consumer, milting a suits of five times the rental of the whole kingooni. (Hear. hear, hear.)—ltt the celebrated petition of my Lord Grey, whiten was presented to the Ho u se of Coa l i t ions Oil tile dui of May. 1789, and which' lies upon their table unanswered to this thy, it is stated, that the majo rity of Meant/els for England and Scotland were returned by 15,01/(1 p.rsous out of a minimum) of 17 ntillio..s. (Hear, hear, hear.) —It appears, also, from a Return recently made, that Returns are made to the House of Co tttttt Ems as hollows: Peers. Members. In Enalsnd and Wales 81 return 21S to Scotland t ...2I .... 31 In Ireland Total returned by 144 ZOO 'the re•oros by we C.,ouno..ers were as follows : In England and Wiles 137 Members by Commoners. Commoners Members In Scotland In Ireland 19 .... 20 Returned by Government .... 16 Making lB7 Add returned by Peers SOO And you make a total 0f.......4.4 4BT The whole number of Menitiess is the House of Commons in 658 So that only 171 are revisor , ' try one tiny of the people. —(Cries ot " Sitaitie.")—Mr. Canning s next position was, that whatever might be the corruption existing in c. own ilt lts, it would he au act of najostice to the proprietors to ilmshancluse them. I should like to know what . i..justwe it would bet Before 1 can be brought to lieliese it an act of injustice, 1 which gives to a private individual as ;peat an iufluesice hi the House of Commons as is possessed by the inha taws to Westminster, alba the IrernoldertsM the county mil York put tolettier. lint 1 altogether iltokthet there ram., ady such law, and 101 course Ileily alsiith alleged iiijitsoce. Distratielose a Coffllin Of a mitten Ottgli. and you still leave :lo- lentil trial' his vote for the wilily. which is all twit lie rioter ought lib 11.1.1/e, or has a right to el. • .—(Citeets.)-1:, however, the safety of time country i. so be sacrificed to private interests amid vestid risms, it tms is 10 he dime, what are we to think oh she 'Milne: . in which our ancestors treated James the Seconii? lie possessed a " ves.cd tight" to the twist exaltetitAce Mice in this kiti v t• hum ; he was au hereditary itldwarch also, and yet we expelted him. (Cheers.) 1 all) a too old to think of active life, amid therefore shall c lode with expiessing my most ardent hope that the pia rof your ue ti tt mii may he heard and attended to, amid that I may never have an omit ttttt tiny of addressing you again." The hot ttttt rattle gentleman concluded from the front of the hustings amidst k.utl and general cheering I—He then read the following resolutions:— Resolved, 1. That the Constitution of this Country is a Go vernment consisting of Three Independent States, a Limited Monarchy, a Limited Aristocracy, and a Limited Democracy. That each has its distinct and peculiar functions, and privi leges, and that one of these estates cannot unduly influence the functions of either of the others without disturbing that ba lance which is essential to secure and perpetuate the various advantages which may be derived to the people from a Go vernment so constituted. 2. That the House of Commons, as et present composed, does not express Use National will ; on the contrary, it has ton generally proved its readiness to comply with the dictates or whatsoever Minister may have dispensed the favours of the Crown. 3. That the effects of the present state of the House of Commons have been the wanton and profligate expenditure of the public money, and the unprincipled creation and continu ance of useless place► Ind unmerited pensions, in defuince of the load and general expression of the public feeling. 4. That the heavy pressure or load of taxes imposed, for the purpose of supporting an extravagant Civil List, and of main taining a ruinously large Military and Colonial Establishment, is totally incompatible with • state of profound peace and ac knowledged security. 6. That the only measure which can remedy these evils, and preset ve the country from the dangers that may be anticipated from • continuance of them. is a speedy and eff...rtnal reform in the Commons House of Parliament. 6. That a Petition, founded upon the above Resolutions, be prepared and presented to the House of Commons. The Hon. Mr. PETItli, m secondiog the resolutions, expressed his decided conviction that nothiiii. but reform could save the country f the evils with which they were surroomied. He confessed tha► he had lormerly advocated different doctrines, and was but a reconvert to nis present opinions ; but he felt that when despotism was abroad, and when an undue influence was exercised at home, it became the duty of every Wall to exert I ' - self lor the welfare of his country. On the question that the resolutions he put, Mr. WORTLEY said—" Gentlemen, if I speak at all I must speak boldly ; I must speak too with a confidence of being heard, or else, with every respect I say it, it it were better I should not speak at all. My hon. friend, Mr. Fawkes, has put his argument iu the fairest possible inamier.—(lear, hear.)—l am free to admit also, that if my bout. friend's premises arenas*, I fully agree with his conclusion, (heat, firer,) that it would he right to call upon the House of Commons to reform itst If—But I deny his premises, and beg to add, that Noll you and he have taken a wrong sitw of the suttject. 1 deny that YORK COUNTY MEETING. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22.—A meeting of the Freehold ers of the cowry of York was this day held in the Castle-yard, York, pursuant to a requisition (signed by 2,425 neeholders) presenied to the tligh Sheriff of the county, R. Bethell, ol Rise, Esq. calling unto hull to convene a tnectitsg " for the Ito rpose of takiaa into con sideration the present state of the House of C and the necessity of a Reform thereof:* At eleven o'clock the hustings were crowded with some of the first &teatime', of the county. Mr. Wooler was also on the hustings, as was the Quaker, Waldo, ol I.l!Yetibury. of radical notoriety. At a quarter alter eleven the High Sheriff, attended by several fi tends, took the chair. - The Requisition having been read by the Under Sheriff, The lIIGH SHERIF/ addressed the meeting nearly as follows:—" Gentlemen !Freeholders of the county of Y*1,14,-41' consequence of J 0 - (130011011, nnmrroudy amt most respectatily swied, rehoesting one to call a meeting 00 the subject of Parliameinary Reform, 1 h thougtit it my duty to give you the earliest opportimity of exer cising y o ur undimmed and most valuable privilege, mat of discussing what, itt your ominous, is connccted with your interests, or the general interests of the ctt ntry.— (Applause.)---.1 shall oily add a hove, that as you res pect the right of tree discussion, you will give every matt a fan, a candid, and impartial hearing, wnatever may be Ins opiiiirms. (Hear, hear.) By such peaceable, or. derly, and manly conduct, you will stamp upon the 11r0. ceedings of this meeting a character worthy of the great county of which you are the enlightened ireettolders."-- (Limn applause.) Mr. WALTER Fawites —" Gentlemen, frequently as it has been my lot to address you within these walls, never ditl I do so at a moment of more vital iniportatice than the present. It now requires no effort so rouse your feelings, or induce you to resent any insolent threat of foreign aagressiou ; you are not stow called upon in strengthen the arms ante Executive for the preservation of your lives, your properties, your aliass, and your homes. You are called upon seriously to consider what the state of that country now is, and, unless you hear arguments sufficiently strong to contradict the facts which 1 shall lay before you, to denounce that system of policy upon which the men at the head of our Govern ment have so long and so fatally acted—(hear, hear);—a system which has loaded us with a mass of i'ebt, tinder which we must inevitably sink, unless wine speedy and effectual relief be afforded. (hear, hear, hear.)—The measures of she present Administration have been acted upon by one set of men fur the last fitly years, and have produced an accumulation of debt which would be to• tally incredible if not provable—a sys.ent which has spread abroad a most rapid and alarming venality; a system which has supported large standing armies which our ancestors wisely thought not only unnecessary, but dangerous in time of peace ; a system which must cause a blush to tinge the cheek of every Englishman, when he reflects that the country of Elizabeth amid of William has been in connexion with those con t inental despots who have conspired to crush the rising, litterties of man kind, arid who have dared to stigmatise as factious and rebellious the descendants of the ttttttt onal heroes who bled on the plains of Marathoti, and who tell at the Pass of Tnermupyla•, solely because they endeavoured to emancipate themselves ;non the bloody and outrageous tyranny of the NlUsSUlthalls—(cheers); a system wino, his engendered a host of Pacemen, Pensioners, aiitl Sinecurists—men, who congratulate themselves and Inc public on the increase of tile Public Revenues, from which they derive their enormous profits,while thousands of their countrymen are steeped in poverty, eve!, to the very lips. It will perhaps excite some little surprise in some of your minds when you arc told, that in the reign of the late King, a period of 59 years, there was three tittles more monry expended than in the reign of the 31 Sovereizus who preceded him, during a period of 700 < F I ~~.. ' i~~ . ~ 1 It ~'. ~_ • " ) - • .44