The National Register. — London, England, 1821-02-19 00:00:00

t '4° ‘ • - 41' ~~s~-~ f Tbr flationat _ _ Pl 4. _ _ *tyire+ i pio w Our lain% Congtitution, awl gaud. N01,299.—V0L. XIV.] Silt FRANCIS BURDETT. At one o'clock on Monday last, a meeting of the Electors of Wes tttt i t ister was held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, for the purpose of taking into their consideration the steps proper to he taken in con sequence of the sentence lately passed on their worthy representative. Sir F. Burdett. At twelve o'clock the great room was entirely filled hy persons of respectability, and soon after one o'clock isfr. lloblionse entered, attended by several gentlemen of rank in NVettininster, and was loudly cheered as he took the chair. Mr. Iloanouse then commenced his speech to the meeting. lie said, moat they were called together this Clay. in conseyience of the judgment pronounced against their worthy representative Sir Francis Burdett, The inottient that event took place a considerable num ber of the Electors of Westminster a-sembled for the purpose of. considering what steps it because them to take upon the sentence of their member ; and it was the opinion of these gentlemen, that a public meeting should, without delay be con' coed, for the purpose of deciding upon such measures as should be deemed de sirable upon the occasion. Tiley all felt that some step was necessary towards a man distinguished as Sir Francis Burdett was, by every claim upon their regard ; a Wail eminently distinguished IM his virtues, his talents, his Illustrious and useful character, which had secured hint hot only the esteem of the Eleotors of (Westminster, bin also that of the country at large...-(Loud and prolonged cheers.)—To the sentence winch had been pronounced upon their illustrious representative, there were es i deotly two parties, one, the accused—the oilier, the accuser. Of the conduct of which did the Electors of 'Westminster approier I)id they approve of the prose cutor? (Cries ot No.) '( l ieu lie hail only to ask them, did they approve of the accused? (Lout; cheers, and cries of Yes.) Had Sir F Burdett committed in fact any crime? (Cries of No ) liad lie from first to last in the mutter, which terminated in his late sentence, done a motile act which compromised the greatness of his character, or diseilittled 111111 it) a CW1111111311(.1 of that regard and attaonitietit which the Electors had co long and so justly cherished for him? (Cries of No, and renewed clieers.)--lie (Nlr. Ilobhouse) esteemed it the pride of his life to be honoured with the friendship of snot a man, (Applause.) He would not ads ert at any length to the circumstances out of which the late pro secution arose; the people or England were but too well acquainted with thel/l. 'file lamentable event at Manchester would long be remembered by them—it could neter lie eliaced from their memory. It was the outrage that had hen, enitinntleil on that oily which had roused Sir F. Burdett's—ewhich had roused their feel ings of honest ilidignalloll. And it was a clans...a deep And indelible stain upon the country—aye, upou the whole people of the country...to k now that the sad sweitts which occurred at Manchester remained unre drested. (Hear ) It was this which was calculated to arouse their feelings—it was the sentence pronounced against Sir Eraticts Burdett for expressing his hinicA indignation at the occurrences at Nlanchester, which must fill their 1111114 with the deep tiecessity tit testify ing the seitse they entertained of the conduct of their long-tried and illustrious represeittative. lie Ilan already said that the occturetices at Manchester left upon the people of England a deep stain. Alter soffit. • of the humbler vicuna were seized, their illustrious friend, Sir Francis, was marked out. Several important rights of the people Vicki IlitriligeLl by the manner iii which the prosecution was got up. In the first place. {bey had a right to complain of the prosecution being made by his Alajesty's Attorney-General, inasmuch as it dilo.keil the idosirtuti• defendant of that Joni, to which he would have otherwise been inittiled, "Ex- Itiforitialwila were lio part of the aticietirlaw of 1; iglaud, awl at the IteVolillloll. When Ole right was taken front the Master of the Crown °thee, it was also the intention to take it the Attorney General but, sutiortiiiiriely, dust inilnlraut Matter hail heel' ii,gleCted. Another piece of injustice of which lie had to was. that Sir Francis Burdett was tiot tried by those by whom he ought to hate 6euti: 'Flow had heard 01 V.ll (yve, stud lati;thler ) Melt, Sir Francis litordett was tried by ottlith:rs of the Pit Ciiib, lor an offence against the intlie.V.tei of Mr. Pdt, (Shaun.) Every man who heard him hail a respect for the eeri i tei Of Juries but it should out be forgotten that Ituntll and Sydney lost their heads by the verdict oh iiiriv9. The permits who assenthled a large meeting, to petition for a irco re l oreseination in Patllalltrlll, k%ele CM]. Vietell by the serdict it: a Jury. litlet•cl, lusts %sere many verdicts eis int by Jiffies, from which, with all respect to their gilivral molity, men might and thoilltt uce4l.loll.llly dilOvitl. Al all newt. he was sure fife greatest admirer of Junes (and, priyerly cimaituted, they were anintrable) it mild mill lord' Np a Pill Cunu 111, the ttlelllhOr% Wit.) were mtl Coiliouse it. I , was decided by the Jury, that Sir Frallett Burdett bad published a libel in Leicesterslore, where lit OW and then. ac they all kiwis, the lailit.etS Cattle 10 %% 7 0111111141er 11.11. K.r 11is gait lie Me lit In speak %/th tvtrS felielettce of the Judges, of else he might proaabh .-e Ike tacit called up. In tartnet tastes it WAS IUC-ostlry, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1821 to constitute a libel, that the matter should he fake. But in these our happier days, according to Lord Ken yon, it made no difference whether what was charged as a libel W3ll false or true. It only required it to be ' disagreeable to his Majesty's Attorney-Getieral, and perhaps so much the worse that it should be true. Did any man whom he addressed doubt of the Manchester outrage? (No, no.) Could any man doubt it s (No ) Well, then, Sir Francis Burdett had ready to offer to the Count, were he allowed to do so, 119 affidavits from persons who were wounded, assaulted, and sabred, at that meeting. He was not allowed to have them read ; sod they were thought in the proper quarter not to weigh Qtle feather tit the balance And he conk} now assure, not only that assembly, but rite people of Eng land, that whatever the opitimit of the Judges or of Juries might be, Sir F. Burdett has peter regretted, and never will regret, his having written that letter; anti would now write it ten thousand times over if the cit.. cuttistances called for it. (Long and coutintied cheers.) From the time of Lord Coke to the present day, the opinions delivered by the Judges tin the law of - hods had lint only been inconsistent with each other, but inconsistent with theinsehes. Chief Justice Seroggs had declared, that it was not otily'a libel to attack the Government, but to praise it witbout its cooseitt.— (Laughter.)-I'here was no danger of many of the latter description of libels being committed in these times. (Lau f itter.) Until the time of Lord Kenyon, falsehood had been always considered as tile sole Coll- Stlttlellt Of a libel, and so it wall delineil by the Statute of wandalum magrustunt of Edward.% the First, which began with the words, " If any man shall have invented a horrible lie." The statute of Richard the Second also made the proof of 1i Ise It cood the constituent part of a libel. No state of society was so abominable, as that where offences were not deflated, and if no one stepped forward in Parliament to obtain a clear definition of what was a Ithel, and what was not, the Hon. Speaker declared lie would himself. They 'night at present say with Dean Swift, that it was strange that a mall might be called upon to miss% er hir in a Court of Justice, what he would not be called upon to answer for in heaven,— The speaker contended, that those who declared that mutt might be a libel, were not the friends of good governmetit, but of anarchy, and were unlit ;o live in civil state, where law, Alia law only was the rule of every MAO'S e011illtlel• He recollected a saying of the great Lord Camden's, that had it nut been for libels, we should not have had the glorious resolution. After some further observation, un the 1.1%v of libel, the speaker conc.utle: by saying, that the sentence under which the illustrious friend of the people was now suffering, could not disgrace him; but, tin the contrary, gave him fresh claims to his country's gratitude; and he could confi dently predict thi-t the name of Burdett would form the brightest page in his country's history, and his conduct be regarded a, the best example for future patriots, when the name of his prosecutors, if remembered, would only be remembered to be execrated, Toe Camara/ix then read a letter which he had re• crived from Alderman Wood, stating, that his attend :MCC MI her 'Majesty. today, at Brai.deuburgh.house, where numerous addresses were to be presented, pre vented his attending at the meeting. Mr. Gt roost read the Resolutions and Address to Sir F. litirdett, which were all received with the greatest applause. • Tile AtPrcts embraced the chief topics so forcibly alluded to in the speech of the Chaim:M. It COM- Inelle C d by nn the \V. ,, rthy 1 / 3 rOliVe. former com mit al to the Tower—it expressed in pointed terms the indignation of the Meeting us seeing hint tiow suffer for having billowed to reform the abuses of the I. gtslature, and alltailed to the revolting pruceedulgs at Manchester. fie then moved the find Resolution, winch was se conded and carried tumultuously. Mr. licecnam then moved the second Resolution, which was carried intattimoomly. hKEL row, after a few ohtervatiotiv, moved a Rusolution, wil.ett was iCCUlltieti by Nlr. Parkins, why, said Sir Flatlets Burdett most be supported by ever) Ent:Wilma') who loved hmiself. The It.. .solution was cerricil unanimously. Mr. 13ENctilot ciiit, he never felt mote satisfaction than in proposing a Resolution declaratory of the opinion of that Nleetitig, of the necessity of Parliatoetitsiy Rel . or of which their illustrious friend tsar the per let ering and distinguished advocate, and in blillOitti of witch he could quote Mr. I'itt, Mr. Pox, Lord Grey, Lord Erskine, Lord John Russell, and jll.lllle not less great MAO the greatest in the History of the COUJlterm. he meant the h.tllnwed name of %V inihread• (Hear.) Gnd forbid the Friends of Iteforin should not he 1...hy1t. toe Friends of the iong—..they welt indeed hi• hest frielids, and his Nl.ijesty could never hate any thing 10 tear, ts lieu he reposed un sire str,:elions of his people (Heir, hear.) Mr. 11 UN g ►eeoaded the Resolution, whtoh was car. tied ttna ll i iiii natty. Mr. H. ScatiTnw said, he had great pleasure in prosaism& i It solimuu to rats& the fine im iinieti on Sir Fraii.:is Bsrtlett, substtiptina gismo; ourschl.: 3 •— • % ars}, itesr Puce 9iL The Resolution passed with acclamation. Tae other Resolutions and the Address to Sir Francis Burdett were read by the Cliairmai., and passed with the greatest applause. A vote of thanks was moved to Mr. Hobhouse, and carried with applause. Mr. 110SHOUSE, in returning thanks, declared that, while his life continued, his hest ex. virss should never be wanting in defence of the liberties of the people. EiIIiTIIQU4KES IN ZiINTE. MITRACT OF A LITTER FROM CORFU. DA 6. " Haviag been absent (coin Zoete, I have escaped Iks terrible ea-thquakes that have visited, suit perhaps con. titete to agitate, that island. The first shock took place on the 20th, uh. soon alter fonr o'clock, a.m.; it was of about one minute's duration, anti so tremendously violent as to overthrow a great ninny houses, and more or less injure every one in the city. Some lives were lost by the falling ruins, and a great many persons wounded. It hap pened to be the day fur celebrating the festival of Saint Dionysius, the tutelar saint of the island ; and the cus tomary procession was commenced wills more than nseal solemnity, Sir Patrick Ross and the garrison atm aesisting, as is common, but in this instance with greater ceremony, in order to conciliate the superstitious ideas of the people. The procession had scarcely left the church, when an en exampled deluge of rain commenced with each violence that the company was dispersed to seek refage, and the priests, being unable to regain the church of St. Diony. sins, were compelled to deposit the relics in the neatest shelter they could gait'. The rain continued 24 hours, intruded with heilsiones, or litmea of ire, as they are more propel ly termed, viral in size to an egg, and weigh. lug a quarter of a pound, inure or less. The situation of the inhabitants during this torrent, with their houses thrown dowe, unroofed, or cracked. is represented as indescribably miserable. During the night it broke down the dykes formed for leading the water from the castle (on a lofty hill itninediaiely above the town) swept away six houses on the declivity, and carried them, with fume. lure and inmates, into the sea : three persona perished is this way, and many were maimed. Minor shocks have since been felt, to the number of ten is a day. The first was attended by the death of 10 Individuals, and shoat 16) inure were wounded. The second of any violent* took place on the evening of the 6th inst. (Greek Christ.' mar day), and lasted longer than the first, though the undulations were less strong: nevertheless, many build• bogs already is a tottering condition, fell a sacrifice to it t amid, what is the moat serious feature attending it, the country, which hail pretty well escaped the first, has been the victim of the second, and in three motions villages a great number of houses are thrown downs from the fonetta tions. The situation of Zaitte is terrible,—nothing bat vows, offerings, teligiuns processions, lamentations, and total suspension of public business. It is plobably the heaviest calamity that ever betel these islands. The 'te ntage. after the first shock and torrent, was estimated at 1,000,000 dollars; at present uo estimate can be formed. Both the violent shocks were slightly felt; also its Saint M oun, Ithaca, and Cephalonia: we have news, too, of tin first being perceived in Malta. The apprehension uhf further mischief has not yet subsided, as the dense atones pliere and S.E. winds continue." A "MU: LT URALDI ST It lit Ten amongst farmers and agriculturists in different parts of the country is beyond precedent. High rents, excessive taxation, and enormous wages for husbandry work, placed some of the most hitherto respectable farmers in a very unpleasant situation ; distraining and seising property for arrears of rent and taxes appear the or der of the day, and unless legislative means are adopted, this Session of Parliament, for the re lief of this part of the community, inevitable ruin must ensue to many. One instance of liberality and tiabearance we have heard worthy of imitation. A Noble Lord whose estates in Essex amount to .0,0001. annually, received for his last half year's rent 2,5001. His steward as.ittred him there was no probability of more being collected, ul Ltss re course was had to seizure ; his Lordahip immedi ately protested against that mode of proceeding, and deteratinel to lessen his expenditure according • to his income. A report is in etrculation that a new collect, in. eluding the names of the Queen and Doke of York as heir presumptive, will shortly be issued, by which device her Majesty will Leprayed for, wi.hout beteg mentioned in the same paragraph es the King. Sir Francis Burdett wad ' s daily on the terrace between the gatts of the King's Bench, for the benefit of the air, and it gives us pleasure to state that the worthy Baronet continues in excellent lualth and The supply of corn is dcrwient in many parts of the south ot Europe, particularly in Italy, and us the south ot France. Some shipments of grain have already been made from England to the coup. tries rortizi..,nea, and more are expected. -' l- i .-- ) -,, ' N v 1 .1t .. 1. : 4 1 , -, 11 ) , • ?, • Yo'S. 4. ' '‘...; 4 • Z .41_,.;"( •