The National Register. — London, England, 1816-12-02 00:00:00

at CII ay 1 . 0 is. eh lIQ Of - le: PS to vs asyrdsengions, 114uuded upon loos sl be 111. till. n; P. • which we were engaged ought necessarily to postpone a.. soecniationts upon the theorrtir.al or practical improvetto id of oar constitution. The ground of such apprehensions was now withdrawn: the nation was, as respected foreign hostilities, in a state of safety and repose. Front that class. therefore, be cold not anticipate any opposition; bottle was wel! aware of the existence of a third, o% hoof he considered as the great est enemies to the cause they greeted to espoose. He recol leered, that tat thrmer agitating times there were not wanting men well awl at:tie:Ay disposed to stir up the lower orders to purpose* of mirchief, a n d to lead innocent men lute the humid of their lives. (4pp:were.) To guard against an esti Of this sort, and at the halve time steadily to prosecute the great object of political reform, it was incumbent on men of rank, property and cansideration, whose minds were satisfied of its truth, and whose interests were not opposed to it, to step forwar d: and give guidance to public opinion, forgetful of party, and animated by the sincere desire of calming the • popular mind—Of proving that all ranks hail but one collimate interest—that the safety of all depended on the integrity of the coustitation. It was the voice of lite people that had put an end to the contest with America, 30 years ago, and to that enhappy series of disasters, which, melancholy as it was, bore to little comparison to the fearfril calamity of the present day. Areuted, as he probably might be, and those who thought with him, of endeavouring to divert the public mind from the cares And olfiees of charity, it was necessary for hint to fortify Otis hnitible judgment, in bringing forward the present propo 7 iition, with the authority of grgat names ; and it was fortu nate for his argument that he was enabled to do so with the opinion of some among the greatest men whoa the country had ever produced. He should prove by a reference to their public acts and declarations, that it was the principle of Mr. ' Pitt at one tiane, and Mr: Fox at all times, that the season of peril anal of suffering was the it season for reform, and the correction of public abuses. ,It had been repeatedly declared by both. that the corruption of parliament alone bad caused and mututained the. contest with our American colonies. ',lle thanks of that Corporation which he was now ad dressing were voted, in Deeember 1781. to the Right Ho nourable William Pitt. for his exertions iu promoting the cease of parliamentary reform. To the immortal honour of Mr. Fox it should he spoken, that the question of parliamen: tary reform never was discussed at any season, or sander any circumstances, without' receiving his cordial and powerful assistance. Tlsis assistance it received. although many of his , own enlightened friends were of a different opinion • and he bad therefore all the advantages of his superior understand. ing Co support him in the principle, that a reform in the repro. ' eentitien of the people was the sole means of securing public freedom, sad giving permanence to a virtnoui administration. Euough had been said to secure hint against the charge of orilinating .chef or unprecedented proceedings, and little could' be added to this security by an eunmeration of no less • than 12 other testimonies of similar import, and flowing from the 'most respectable quarters. It had been declared by Mr.,Pitt himself, on a subsequent occasion, that there was no security against future ilia] still more calamitous wars, except parliamentary *reform and they all knew how well be bad fulfilled his own predictions. *bat be intended to propose appeared to Man far snore measured and moderate iu its expression even than their petit' of March last; nor could he believe it possible that the Court, by rejecting it, would act in contradiction to it, own former authority. The Coert'has often, on former occasions', recorded its opinions ea t h e political measures the led to our present degrada tion: had before recorded its opium's on the sale of seats, on the bribery and corruption of the Horse of Commons, • and on the want of that constaut , onii coutroul which parlia ment 0t.e1.: to have over the cape Aitisre of the public money. lie would avoid returning to Ouse charg es against the state of the rcpr.:sentAtiou which were offered , u he proved at the bar of the Hone of Conautons in 1793, and as they have never been contradicted, might take them for granted. lie would then ask, from what causes, except the state of our legisla titre, had our distresses arisen? Dial they spring front the ill:leniency of the ~ easpi.s, or the scantiness of our crops? Did they originate la accideutal or nuforeseen ciremustaucest No: they wele not unforeseeil, they were both foreseen and predicted. V lieu the agricultural interest complaiurd to P4ili.anent of the distress snider which they Isboured, a pro ject was formed, which, if it had been effectual. might have removed the burdens from themselves, by throwing it on the tradesman and the manufacturer. The price of' grain before the late rise had fallen so low, that the &rater could derive no profit from big labour or capital: bat the price of mann factured goods laud likewise fallen 23 or even eV per cent. Thus the incomes of all had falleu alike : all were 'nought to the brink of ruin, and the classes of our population lowest in the scale were thrown oat of employment, and farces! to sub sist on charity. Now we were told that we ought to provide labour for the porir, while their farmer employers who were called open to assist them were themselves shipped of their property, and had becoMe fellow-sufferers. The cause of this state of things was no secret : he pointed out its opera tion), and predicted its result It years ago. 'Fite subsidies which we had paid at various flutes to our allies, and the maintisaanee of our own troops abroad, had drawn front the 1 country to the amainit uf millions sterling of the circa's*. lug tuediniu. Wool(' any Wit say that the station could pro ceed under such an immense expenditure, or that we collie send abroad so much of our metal currency without luconve nience? The cousequeece was the total disappearance of specie, and the necessity of having recourse to paper-money which could be issued 'at pleasure, and which wait issued to an immense extent. The nominal price of every article of aubsistruce and couvenience, of' all commodities, foreigu and domestic, was raised by this iacreesc of the circulating me ahem. Our taxes increased,' hut we did not immediately "beeate sit • feii their pVessure ...use they were paid ip the prices.. articles which were themselves raised. As fast as the Ali , misters imposed the burden of taxation wt the community they were transferred to the commodities which were sup plied by its ilitkientclasser and the whole was supported on A factious currency. The delusion had now ceased; eouutry frank-paper was witle.iruwir to the amount, probably, of 60 millions; the paper of the B a ck of England was almost the only I: ind. of eirenlation with which the public were now Ac commodated, and nothing had been found to replace what was withd l eutvls. The price of every aHirle hail tidiest in con sequence of this diminution of medians of exchange, and pro perty bad in warty tusis. Changed 'hands. Its this state of things we had the same nominal Z11)01111t of taxes to pay as *hen the eircidating medium was of leer value. We had eitrltt millions to pay in pour rates in addition to all our other charges. 'lt wofild now• be asked, what rime-1y he ',unposed . fur We multiplied sufferings under which the nation groaned. end wituAtqr be troulditro the people, WI the brink of sturvdt if that expenditure had increased so much because there was no constitutional clack on government by a parliament dulsi elected, then surely a reform in the representation, which would increase or crc.te that constitutional check, would' teuil to produce a remedy for our present sufferings, and pre! vent their recurrence • io futore. He was stumble that re form might not be brought about at once, and therefore that our recovery might be slow but we were certain to attain the grand object of our wishes in this rcapect, if we temper ately, but firmly, represented our grievances to'parliamost, and called fur redress. The first prayer in all petitions should be fur economy, the redaction of our enormous establish- ments, and abolition of all useless places and unmerited pen pions. It had awen said, that all-stuns grouted In pensions were trilling when compared with the general expenditure of the country, and that by saving them little relief could he obtained. It he addressed those who were in the enjoyment of them, he would be are to hear the following answer e— " There are but about 80 of us ; we enjuy only about 200,0001. a year : this sum is very insignificant when compared with what you pay for other purposes, and though rertinded into the pockets of those from wham it was extracted, would con tribute little to their relief." Now, were not the persons who held such language the grossest hypocrites it, pretend ing to remove the diatonic, of the country by promoting a subscription of 50,000 k while they - declared the 200,0301. which they took from it quite uneommensnrate will, inch an object?' How'sbort-sighted were they not to perceive, that if what they enjoyed was so small an addition to the national expenditure, the fourth part of it which they gave in charity, WAS still less efficitaous for national relief. (Great Meanie.) How inconsistent were they to amigo sale sole art anise_pf our embarrassments the tratisition china:war to 'peace, white; se cording to their own accounts, they extorted Sour times the sum from the nation which they profaned' to belle-Ye wOold alleviate its sufferings? Adverting to the qucatirid of reform, Ire (Mr. Waldman) professed that he Nia always entertained an ardent wish for seeing it accomplished, and hail spent his hest efforts hi its cause, but he hail never allowed hisjadg. meat to be so far misled by his zeal as to be induced to join those visionary reformers, whose violent conduct aid 'lmprac ticable projects made them the best allies of the ministers who opposed it, by bringing discredit on the ealiselbey affected to support. He had never frequented the meetings, or co operated In the views of such persons. At the last Common Hali"(we understood Mr. W. to say), he had been requested to propose the reaolutioes, but he declined the duty, both be cause the state of his health did not permit bins to nodertake it with safety, and because by coming forward on that occa sion, he would have bees obliged tidier to eo-operate Rah a person (Mr. Hunt) with whom he wished 'to *veld forming any political connection, or to eider into a personal:alterca tion with bins in the presence of 4,000 people.' He had upon reflection thought, that the best way - would be to shake him self clear of such a character ; and the corporation, by adopt• ing measures for security a rational and practicable reform, would be able to shake the dace from under him and his fel low visionaries, and let them drop into their native insigniti. cance. Atter a variety ,of other remarks, 'Mr. Weidman said, there was one eireninstance which had struck him fur tibly in regard to supplying employmedt fat the poor. It was this: that numbers of people who were living principally on the taxes, instead of refiring to the tonntiy iniimproviag their estates, put pier* an old man or an old woman into their mansion-house to look after it in their abienci, while they themselves went **mid, and spent in forage' . pelts the produce of the country. This was a shocking grievance. Instead of making those improvements which suggested themselves to every man who hail any landed property, how ever small, they harried abroad and spent, the ermine; they derived Prod this counhy in procuring cheap and untaxed enjoyments abroad. (A member—" It Wait their own rOn tal.") No doubt, said Mr. Waidusaan, many instances it was; but in other distances, and that nut a few, th ey went and spent the ',reduce:et (tae taxes abroad. The fact was, there way hardly any Mode of relief that' could be adopted, that would prove universally booeticial. If, for instance, yon adopted the plan of feeding the peiipk with fish, what was up become of the butchers? said if you resorted to, some substi tute for coals, what was to become of the Newcastle cutle ries. and all the numerous broaches of shippiug and industry therewith cOnueeteil? 'there was no doubt dud the sulmcsip lions of the opuleut might affords temporatY relief,and were extremely laudable as a palliatise, but nothing hut a Horse of t:oiniuuns effectually emstroulliug the 'public ezykindlture could prtivert the recurrence of a calamity. He wield take up the time of the Court So:longer than by naerelY read ing the resolutions he had to propose. [Mr: Waithman theta read a series of resolutions emboilyiog the principal doctrines of his speech; one of the last of has resolutions was, that this Court do reeinanieaul mud approve of subscriptions for the re lief of the poor, which, howeier, meld only be regarded as affording temporary relief.] Mr. Sheriff Kirby rose to yeend the resolutions, and in doing so he must congratulate the Conj.; ots its this day again enjoying the benefit of the able and renovated services of Isis worthy friend Mr. Waltham). His worthy friend had described the public distressais In Melt true colas, • he hail traced them to their real ceases ; and, as public opiSion 'was stow so strongly expressed enstbis subjeet; he congratulated • on dup prospect hr had of the great objector Wit political Life being at last realized by a reform in Parliament. He would implore the Conn to reprttent the grievances of the country witliCenergy to the Prince Regent, and to promote by their Influence mail example the cause of parliainent.iry reform, which was the cause of justi c e and of for• what could he more false than to call the membeirs for Ohl Serino, tbr !'orfe Castle, fur Grampotind sad (iatlon, r e pro.: 'tentative* of the people of Fatgland (Mar, liner.). /VA; there even the shadow of trntliin 'rising them such it minim' It was by the want of real representation, or rather by stieh. .sairreprcaentation, that In the list Session of parliament soch an enormous itandine army was voted in time of peace *Hu cleallY that the sons. brothel's, and relations of those lectimisli mongers might are pouvided with comnissions stud stilt ap pointments at the expense of due public, while the 'idle Mal lower classes elf society were driven to beggary and the trorkhouse. Wear. Sear.) Mr. S. Dixonimitl, he felt himself incapable of delivering his sentiments at smelt kneel' that day but it' iltion:dr in .dispositiou hue should be unable for some tune to perform 'his public duties, he hoped his friends would mese a vote of thanks to him, nude phonon him ou his reds as had beep done to a worthy gentleman, in his eye, b: the frit:tots of that gentleman. (Marmara and laughter.) lie could not hello remarking, however, that the mode art relieviog the present digresses had mot beeq at all. touched upon. That ftertited only a pait'otthe resolutions, and seamed to be dragged in as au ~:ter thongut. The whole was about rutoriii it parlia ment; but if you inquired into the mode in whirl: it was to ho bronglit *boot, then every one dew of at a taugent. He admitted 1114 the expenses of the late vier wvre cuormotte. but it received the support of the country. The hiiiiiiryd leaden, spent in the last year were well laid out, becansi they brought it to a speedy tcruiinalion. Wl:en talking of reform, we should recollect what became of the reformation in Fianim. (4 !intik.) The first reformers in that country. most of whom were inen of property, pulled down the build ing under pretence of repairing it, and they themselves were buried ender its ruius. Gentlemen might say they Were mad men; something like this Hunt, who was now rni•king such a noise; but if he recollected right, this Hunt was once the political friend of the worthy geutleutau opposite. Mr. Walthman denied that this was the fret, and said be had always avoided any political communication with that person. Mr. Dixon would repeat he had seen him in close conver sation with Hunt on the hustings. (Hissisg is some peas Q f the chamber.) • I'het Lord Mayor spoke to order, declaring that if there ,' h ewere any hissing helot the bar should be under the ne '•tloselty of clearing tl:e court. • Mr. Dixon proceeded to advert to the causes of the pre sent distress, which were numerous. During the war, for 1 instance, vast timbers of people were employed in furnish. 1 1 ins supplies of stores to the army and navy, and who were thrown out or envtoyment by the return of peace : but a greats cause of the sofferinp of the working classes was, in his opt. bleu, the almost nnieersal iutroduetion ofinaeleinery. In his recollection the Carbine operations of carding, spinning, and every preparation of the wont, were carried on in the cottages of the nianqfaetneers, but now they were performed by ant. chines i.• We used to lie conveyed on the river by the force I erflomisliandt,'lnit•now we were carried by means df steam, There 'were strait-boat* to Margate, to Richmond, lidera "Meat of the great rivers inn the country. Cone was' wive 'thrusted hymens bf machinery. He admired the ingenuity • thii as mach as any man, but it could not be denied Wit k t various machinery drove many people out of employ. ._ A great deal had been said of rotten boroughs, sad dti *believed it tree that seats in the •HOnse of Commons were 40111 betimes sold. (Hear,iesr.) Nay, he had heard a ateryaf I llittrorthy gentleman opposite being employed many yeah 111 as an agent for Alderman Smith, fur the purchase of a be . h. r. Waithman.—The worthy gentleman its completely wrong in his information.' • •. . . . ' • Mr, Dixon repeated, that the story, as told him, was. that that the worthy alderman and the gendettof went dawn • Ili Maidstone to purchase the borough. • '• Mr. Waithman must 'again re at that the allegation was th unfounded; and if e worthy utlemast persisted ia c ,au with Isis personalities, hamust gof him top out of ett i ns i lied he would personatly settle with him at once. " I agilia call (von him to state, if I was engaged In any such sale.* Mr. Dixon.—" I will tell yogi whit Alderman Smith bald to the person who told it to nee." • The Lord Mayor spoke to order. He did not like to be fortard in exereisidg his interposition: bet there vas eleri. ously some mistake, as Nlaiditone was well known •ta be is open borough. Mr. Dixon proceeded. He thought that what was railed a reformist Parliament aroubl be one of the most dangeroes 'experiments that climbd be made. Metes' minds were not cool enough for it: and it should not be forgotten that 014 Sarum had once sent one of the most flaming patriots—Horst Tookeinto Parliament. • ' Mr. Futrell could not resist saying a few words apron this important subject. HIM arortlfy Trieed had presented, in glaring colours, a fair vieer; winch had been endeavoured to be tarnished by a set of feeble objections, surged without any variation from those 'which had been* brought forward trete and over again, ever sluice he had the honour °fa seat amoug the corporation of lie City df London. The ;;Mat'adMeittes fut the cause of refotm, the statue of dhe of whom was nee, placed in Guildhall, had ulways been firm hsperectering'it forwardiug those principles which were essential to the web. fare and happiness of their countrymen, bat they' had been opposed by a thousand little objections, as immtesoptible as they were numerous. All friends to the liberty of their coun try would jails in one accord, mid' with one voice to eftet this lung wished fur and long expeetedachieweineurt.. He et:- !sorted his fellow-eustutryinen not to let slip this • unity lIN to regain their Leedom ; aid ' be considered' *at Aro ' ration of London was she fittest body td calletelleitil glori ous sin undertaking. , Mr. Fasten was followed by Mr. Harvey, who thought one that ebjeet should be to relieve the existing distress, lad that being done, thin to con-Sider what practical r intsild 7gl prevent the recurrence of the evil. Though a • ite fur.O in Parliament, yet this was sot the than • in is ch a change as Reform would introduce, nor did larapparwe of the Sweeping measures and extensive tight er willing *bleb, semi• would grant. • - Mr. Jacks said he could not agree with the worthy mover that the presort distresses were without parallel. • ()Wary. 'big that such assertions had bent], made at Spitaidelds Rua other places, 1w had beeeflodueed to Wilds* into the fact, and Lad loriud that after the peace its litls the efertimstances were similar, and in some respects Wohie, Dr. Oilsgestiburr, in his celebrated Treatise on 'the Wealth, Power and lir - sources of the Britids Enspiee, iii intistisedeg that petted states, " 'neat fur two Yekrs Ace the Anteritan watt, a gloom hveispread the comae', so ai.to partilyae every edlot of in dustry : that altheogh the prier o 1 the three per rent. eon suls -was. then • apwards td "lu, yet they fell considerably *lii the conese or flat year, and in October 1184 werli as low as 51e. (slow they are 0) but that in 17ai they reached upwards of 75, and that in 17s/ agriculture and coin. tierce began: t 0 flourish, whin a burst of prosperity prevaded every part of the rountry, sti that iii 1795, a years after the peace, consols reachel the pare of eta; being a rise of le per estitt... With ' respect to the remote cure, urix.-parlhameutai y reform, he &iambi soy but a few words, the subject having beet so often dmensseiliii that Court andelsewhere, that sin new light could lee thrown upon it. It was the misers:ll ' piuisces hi a certain party : if an expedition was to lac re. probated, as, for instance, that to Spain and Portugal, the faialguitge•of the genii...num opposite. was. cure itiby a '' ll Re tinal in Pat linoleum ;" If the General was to be abased after a baftle, as was the case of the great Wellington after 114 bat. tie of. Viiieera. a "'reform" would prevent a similar net t i r . refire : if an expedition was unmeee,sfut, as A t xr,, l „.h, i t a , a " parii,tateitiary riforiii" . wiitilill prevent again Aura on 0r..1- d at! But he (air. 0.) in amity ogler(' with the last spenikv:4 Hut the great ditileisity in forming II jadeeitt of this I (mica), was to estimate its nature anti eXiCill : no two tietsobt is itn whom be hod ever etriversed, served on las particular de:iii, lien, but t'-theatuver of Abe present question tad, throughout. . . DECEMBER ±. it was unueee.mary tw may tiny tiling, ou; be could nut Ant remark that their uporcherr visionary is his opinion, were always founded and amousn•d merely to this, that the perilt THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ;he sycnii I lion. parliamentary reform to satisfy their hunger and reliese s, howeve,. ;heir immediate uantsi The connexion between reio►:n in ;he war, and relief was nut so loose i.n , l distant as those hinted srlio struggle in put this:Deering question. If it could he shown that our us- ostpone all tiunal expenditure was the cause of Our national distress, and