The Statesman. — London, England, 1820-05-24 00:00:00

1 11 p !Y r Convicts to see their friends, on the Itight previous to • transportation ; but upon u late •occasion it was nut deemed prudent to extend the usual indulgence, considerable tumult t0...k place iu consequence of the prohibition. It ought, however, in candour to have been stated, because it afforded a striking proof of tFe improved state of New i rate, which was mainly owing to :he exertions of these Ladies, that only eight of e iouvicts were i►uplicated in the tumult, aml that 0 ref..sed to juin in it. In adverting to the foreign e.ations of the Society, the Ilonourar:e Gentleman .:ereed, that the Emperor Alezauder bad giten his umbt cordial support to the objects of the Society, and t..at as Institution of a similar nature had been formed at St. P..teriburgh sal Moscow, of which Vac Emperor had mined him,elf Paron, ;.:141 his Prim! Minister, Pr u e Qrtitao, President. The Ilonoureole fieutle- tuaS then recapitulated the objects of the Institution, which were-11-st to establish a central focus of cont- munication upon its general views and interests; next to form a penitentiary for juvenile delinquents ; and lastly, if it should be the opinion of this meeting, ill fortheranc.. of those objects, to keep up the temporary tetuge for the destitute. The Marquis of LANSPOWN, in proposing the first Resolution, said that it was unnecessary to occupy the time of the meeting, after the Hon. Gentleman had so ably and distinctly stated the course which Lad b..ett pa..sueil, and that which remained to 1).• pur.eml. lle t. at , confident tf.at there would be but one sentiment i.. this meeting as to the propri, tv of Mims ing those paths, which he bad pursued with so lunch ho nour to himself, and benefit to the country, and of adopting his snggestions, with that vigour anti perse- I mance which would alone give them the due effect. Lord Att kLANI , seconded the Resolution. The Duke of lltoucesvea expressed his regret that the state of his health would nut permit I to con tiuue in the I hair, and rrs'rt.ed l.is abillrolletS of the %berm interest he Wok in the welfare of the Society. Hi- Noble Friend, Lord Auckland, had obligingly con sented to take the Chair. '1 he 3tarquis of LaNSDOWN said, it was impossible the meeting could permit his Royal Highness to leave the Chair, until they had expressed the crateful sense they entertained of his condescension, in presiding upon this occasion. His Royal Highness then left the Chair, amidst the enthusiastic applause of the meeting. Mr. Wit.nans once proposed the next Resolution; and, in commenting upon the objects of the Institu t:ou, regretted that the attention of the Legislature Lati not hers' sufficiently directed to the moral and re ligious improvement of the people. Mr. Svcituss Bot•asts seconded the mu ion. After what had beee so ably and eloquently stated by his lion. Friends who had addressed them, he should con sider himself as not only trespassing on their time, but :.so weakening what had been s forcibly urged. He must cordially concurred in all that had been men ti.;ned relative to the necessity of pri ins being pro perly constructed. Without that, in vain would ame lioration of conduct he expected ; fur the young, by !taxing indiscriminately with the veteran class of de i,retiaturs, would themselves become hardened and practised in every species of vice. He had seen the effects which heti happily resulted Loin his Honour aVse Friend's (Sir '1 houses Raring) exertions in a county where be was a 31agistrate, and in the prison 4,:* which an almost incre,:i'ale reformation bad taken place. This led him to be the inure sanguine in his h of the practical good which might be elected hr this Society ill their labunr of love. 1:e concluded by s.conding the Resolution, which w.s then put said B.: i reed to. Earl OPOSVENOft, in rising to move the third Reso lution, observed, that the able speeches of his friends vAo had preceded him had nearly left him nothing to say. '1 here were one or two points en which, how- : Leer, he should beg leave to say a word or two. He sincerely regretted that the Royal Personage, who had just lett the Unair, had been obliged to do so Lon) indisposition, and he perfect:y agreed with the remark wade by his Hon. Friend, that while-the Society was i h.r.oured by having such a President as the Duke of 4iionceeter, still, considering the nature of the Society itself, the objec4 it was to accomplish, and the persons who composed be thought the holding sub an of 6:A was equally creditable to the Duke, who was well known to be a distinguished benefactor to all chat+ , ,toble institutions ; and while saying so, it was utterly iesiossible to surrey the portraits in that hail, of se veral illustrious Members of that Royal House, without wiling to recollection the many and inestimable advan tages which had resulted to public charities and other societies from these individuals. lie would say for himself, that from not being in the habit of attending meetings like the present, though he trusted he had never been backward in supporting charities, be would bare felt considerable embarrassment had it not been tor the easy task he had now allotted to him. There was here no topic to excite controversy, as often was the case in matters of political economy. In the Re st.lution which he held in his hand, he saw It was stated that the youth were, in many instances, made the vic tims of vice even by their own parents. A more me lancholy considerati , n could hardly be entertained, and yet th. re was nothing more true. Parents, it was 1 , well known, not only urged their offspring to the corn mission of crime, but even threatened and punished them, unless they regularly brought home some fruits r. .w Of their depredations. AntiWiii it then to be wondered at that the perpetration of vice and crime wits so pre valent among juvenile characters? 'the prevailing dis tress of the country might also in some cases be as signed as a cause for urging many to crime. Without inquiring at present into the causes of that distress, or whether it would continue long or short, it was the slaty of all who had the welfare of the public at heart to endeavour to do something to produce a remedy. '1 his the Society accoroltigly did, for they confined D 1 their operatiois .o the mere recommendation of im provements in priuns, but they had provided a tempo far,' refuge for reclaiming the young. At present their funds were not, however, sufficient to enable them to carry their benevolent efforts into the fall and much d 'sired effect. He trusted that, when this was known. they would cheerfully contribute their aid in rescuing from destruction those who might be reclaimed, from their not having far advanced in a carver of limo frailty. sirs LUSIIINGTON seconded the mot:ou. Frugal Lay. THE Si A' AN. portunity of ascertaining the nature of the ease, and It was well known, that amongst those nations which hoe alarming evil which existed. One great cause of were most renowned for arts and acme, and, above all,' the increase of juvenile offenders was their being cow- for the sacred love of liberty, the testimonies of witted to Newgate, and at their discharge left desti- estimation from their country were regarded as Lute of all means of support. If he a hose character die highest reward which virtue could receive.— was unblemished could with diffictily find employment, Amongst the Greeks and Romans, it was the good opi haw was the pe.aon to find it whose character was nion of their csountrymen to which heroes, philoso-I tainted, whose reputation was infrisans, and who was phers, statesmen, and warriors aspired. Those rewards an outcast from ...defy ? Ont set 'elle who had been which were beseewed by Government, merely as Go- under the care of the Society, only 2il had miscon- vernmentavithont the concurrence of public sentiment, , darted theniselves; yet had there been even more, still I were nothing compared to those which were the result that was no reason why the Society should not perse-I of the -approbation of the peupk. Upon this occasion, 1 , vere in its lahonrs. Childremit had been already well therefore, he was not ashamed to feel proudly, stand observed, had been trained to tire by their parents ing high, as he believed he did, in the estimation of sad relatives, an instance of which he wonld mention. ! the people of Westminster, who were not the least en- There was one child of right years old, who had only lightened portion of the enlightened people of England. a mother alive, awl tint infant, as he might justly he j Having been joined with the electors of Westminster railed, h. 141 been nit less than eightccps times in lin an exertion to recover the liberties and Constitution different public oiliers on different criminal charges. `to which the pets; le laid claims, he felt, at the close How email tile 1 . 4,i• be (ahem ise ? for these children I of a long interval of time, confirmed in the opinions Were accustomed to hear vice extolled and virtue ridi- whieh his early judgment taught him to apt. He 1. ailed and Olitkiitited. I never looked to the right hand or to the left do —without Sir Ttiosiae liaaixie in moving the third Resolve- I participating in the intrigues of parties—((arrest op tioa, said, that he felt much euillarra,seel in addressing plane)—but keeping his eyes steadily fixed - on the them, but allusion havieg been made to him by his Day Star of Liberty, and relying on the support Right Hon. Friend (Mr. itourne), lie could not help which he derived from the sentiments of the people of assuring them that the greatca4 change bad takes England, he did anticipate the eventual success of place in the !.riuti wkich that lientleinan had tnen- I their cause, however mortifying and alarming were tinned, he the introduction of employment, classifica- the present appearance:.—(Applause.)--It was a Lion, and instruction. He strongly recommended the matter of the deepest satisfaction to him that the Society to the public support. letter of regard, which he had the honaur just to re Mr. W. a Lies/ observed, that front having recently ceive, came front those who were most able to ap i visited some of the prisons abroad, be was prepared ; predate his condnct. It was equivalent to a verdict' to say, that hr highly apploved of the Society and of on his character, because it proceeded from his par its object. In one prison abroad, he had seen an in- , ticular neighbours, his fellow-citizens, who were, en dividual with nearly 100 weight of irons on him, the I account of the opportunities they had, as well as on bolts 4:f which were of • use thickness. He was , account of their enlightened minds, best enabled happy to asy, that in Sweden the number of criminals to appreciate the motives of his conduct. The was few ; but this was owing to pains having been j honours which were bestowed at Courts were not al taken to bring up the youth in virt'aous habits. In ways the rewards of good conduct, but t. o often the one place the gaoler was an old wotnan—(laughter)— recompense of bad conduct. Many of those wh• and in another district In that country, containing a receive titles would, if the proper reward were population of t:4 1 0,0011, there were only 90 prisoner:a given to them, he gifted with very different things The King of Sweden, the Emperor of ItusAia, the Sli- from honour. Many were presented with coronets, misters of the King of Naples, the Grand Duke of Ins- I who, in the public estimation, deserved to have re eany, lac. all (enflamed in the object of the Society.leei'ved halters. 1 here wear many reasons why the Indeed this was not a question of mere party feeling, : manifestations of approbation on the part of the pub for it was teie in which all parties might unite, sad of lie were lees equivocal titan those rewards which pro this they hail th.tt day a striking. instance, in seeing' seeded from the hand of power. liovernments have the dignified Clergy of the Church and Dissenters alt had bad passions and bad interests to serve, and they uniting. He concluded an anitean ti address by strongly ' never wanted bad interests to support them. In pro urging the necessity of new prisons in which females portion to the wickedness which was required to be might exclusitely I.e colifitied and properly datelined. performed by these instruments was the extent of the Mr. H. f;. Dorohas stated the improvement which' rewards and honours granted to them. But with the had been recently effected in the pri-tuts of Ireland. public the case was very different. They had no bad The Honourable H. ti. BENNILT said, his object ini passions to indnige; their motives were always ho-1 rising was to more the thank' of the Meeting to the nonrable and honest, and, though a false pretender to Country Magist-atex, for the liberal spirit they had their patronage might at intervals claim their atten- 1 evinced. He recently traversed a considerable part of tion, still they never swerved from their homage to England, and in not one county w.is there not some, virtue; and if any disgrace could po3sibly arise, it improvement going on in the prisons. He was glad I was to be attached to those only by whom the public that there was a prospect of labour being introduced i was deceived.--(Applauee.)---a he ancient Romans,' into the Middlesex gaol, because this might formerly who appointed to all the great offices of the State have b.ien called an academy of vice. Employment I during a period of three hundred years, while they was essentially nccessaty to give effect even to moral enjoyed their liberties, and while they continued and teilgintlS instruction. Tut. lion. Gentleman then, their prtper influence in the Government, never a! some length, enter' d into the state of the case, and 1 wade, during all that space of time, a single op how loudly a remedy was called for. , pointment which they had creme to regret.—(Ap- Mr. (Jitney, Lord Nugent, Lord Uelgrave, the Hon. plause.)—How seldom it was that in history could and Reverend G. Noel, &r. severally addressed the !he traced a comparison between the conduct of Sleeting, after which thanks being voted to the Noble (kings and that of the people. From what he could Chairman, the Meeting brake up at half-past fire I collect In history, he was convinced, that the greater o'clock. ! the power and influence of the people, not in the execo -Ihe great room wasexcessively crowded, particularly the power of the Government, but in the appointment 1 1 by Ladies, among whom we observed a very great ito the executive, the greater was the share of general number of the Society of Friends. The galleries were I happiness and prosperity. In this country, however, it equally crowded, and there was not even standing happened, that we were struggling to bring about a room at the door. On the platform we noticed the • system, according to which, every man was to have a Marquis of Lansdown ; Lords Grosvenor, Belgrave, I share iu the appointment of the persons who were to dis- Auckland, and the Lord Bishop of St. Asaph ; Messrs. pose of his property and person ; and yet so low was Bennet, Whitbread, latshington, &c. the scale of opinion in favour of freedom, that this claim A large Subtcription was received. was considered, he feared, by a majority of those pee -1 sons, who were above the labouring classes, as a wild, impracticable, and insolent demand. Notwithstanding all this, the people will go on in the course they had begun. Light had gone forth. There was not a col lectiun of Englishmen—always excepting the assem bly within the walls of St. Stephens—which was not I in complete possession of the whole bearings of the question—who were not perfectly alive to the indefea sible right of the people to a share in the representa tion. Even the necessity of Reform was allowed in the House itself to be n..ceseary. He thought, that last year some attempt would have been made towards the reformation, of the House of Commons. Even Lord Castlereagh himself, who had been detected in the foulest attempt at corruption that ever was practised— even he was supposed to have admitted, that where in stances of notorious corruption occurred there should be a Reform. But this notion turned out to be a mis take. Nevertheless it was admitted, that there was no hope of extricating the country front the diffieul ties in which it was involved, except a reform of the reprepresentation. It would be improper, at a public auesting, to omit noticing some of the late trainee doss which occurred in the country. He believed there was scarce a company in England where spies were not introduced; and thought Sir Charles Wol seley was subjected to tho punishment of a pri son for having uttered certain words, he could not but remark, that the country must be reduced to a sad pass when words were looked upon as crimes yet all this would not deter him from speaking and writing whatever useful truths be thought it his duty to present to his countrymen.—(Loud applause) —He could not het. remarking, as a subject of as tonishment, that Mr. Hunt, who had been the peace able, but ill.-gal conductor of an orderly, peaceable, and legal meeting, was sentenced to two years and a half imprisonment.—(Shame, shame !)--He saw stated in the public papers, that two other defendants, of the names of Johnson and Healy, were marched hand cuffed, through town to be sent off--he supposed hand cuffed—to some distant gaol. Those who were capable of affording any service to such persons, be hoped, would feel the violation of justice and liberty in the .persJas of those individuals, and if they entertained any regard for the old and mild administration of the law in this estuary, they would apply some alleviation to seethe the sufferings of those persons.---{Applause.) —Tao offence of those persons was what the electors and Linsself, and many others in the country, had often DI.V.VER AND IRE:IENT TO SIR F. BURDETT. Yesterday a dinner was held at the Crown and An chor Tavern, to celebrate the anniversary of the return of Sir F. Bartlett. A little after fire o'clock, the Hon. Baronet, accompanied by Mr. llohhouse and several of the electors. entered the room, and took the chair amidst the loudest applause. There were about three hundred persons present. .After dinner, the following toasts were drank •, The people, the only source of legitimate power."— Three times three. • The king, way he recollect the declaration of the Prime of Wales, that the Crown is held solely for the benefit of the people."—Three times three. The only remedy for the unprecedented grievanees, the unparalleled dietres'es, and lamentable degradation of the people—a Radical Reform of the Commons House of Par liament."—Three times three.—Tune, Kick the ropes oat I The CHAIUDIAN said, that he was called upon by a very large portion of the company to give the health of the Queen. He then gave her Majesty's health, which was drank with enthusiam. The opportunity now arrived at which ft was all ranged the silver vase was to be presented to Sir P. Burdett, by the Electors of the parish of St. James's. A number of gentlemen now entered the room in pro cession, in the midst of colours. Mr. Dean bore the silver vase, elevated above his head, and, approaching the cross tattle, deposited it before the Choirmsn„ wham lie add d in the following terms.— " Sir—The Electors of the Parish of St. James's request that you will be kind enough to accept this silver vase, as a testimony of the sense they witertain of the services you have rendered to them, as well as to the cause which they have been assiduous to support. I have the honour then to pro- pose the health of the bras e supporter of our civil rights. sod the undaunted defender of the people against military men tion—our beloved Representative Sir Francis Burdett.** The toast was drank with enthusiasm. Upon S r FkANCIB lICRDIETT ' S health being drank, the Worthy Baronet came forward, and said, that it was with feelings of unbounded satisfaction, and with. he trusted, a justifiable pride, he received this freak mark of the esteem of the Electors of Westminster. Nothing could be so gratifying to the feelings 120 lie men as the unbought, unbiassed, and int testimony of their countrymen, to the integrity of their conduct. He was proud to say, that it was slot in the power of any other person to convey to his butt the satisfaction which he then felt, or to confer on the mind of a patriotic man any Impose so great at that which the E:ect sof 'tt tstininster bad bestowed on Mid $ , ' committed, namely, the using all their eftorls to coua. terart the system of the boroughmongering factio n , which had coined the distresa of the country, and wottl.l. if not preventeJ, completely effect the ruin of the peo;•le. Whatever were th- misconduct and demerits of 3lr. Hunt, and certainly no man had more ressun to rum- plain of him than he (Sir F. Burdett), still he won'd be ashamed of himself were he to sacrifice to personal considerations the great interests of freedom, and, in the present state of the country, suffer himself to lie biassed by any feelings of a private nature, when every thought was demanded by the exigencies of the public. (Applause.)—The state of the country was truly alarm ing. Even the self•rlected House was assailed on all hands by great public bodies, who hid been always content to let things take their course—even these were assailing those whom they formerly adin;red and applauded with their ceaseless and reuiediless coin• plaints. Every• class of the people was plunged into the deepest despair. The agriailturists declared it was impossible to save them, nnless something, as they called it, was done. But speak to them of the remelt, and they startled at it as at a ghost ; speak of the real source of all their miseries, and they have not courage enough to look at it. The commercial men—they who, when the war brolo out, received the news, as lie wed remembered, at the Royal Exchange, with three cheer*, they were ;Ow iu a state of deep distress. The mani facturing classes also, who had thriten so well dor* the war, were astonished to discover, that a conatry , which looked so florid in the face should be so rotten in the heart. But none were so miserable as the ' labouring classes. In short, the only party ;bat throve, was that which fed on the vitals of the country. As the country sunk till. rose. Among the remedies adopted for the benefit of the coun try, the alteration in the currency was considered as a most wise measure. Yet it increased the bu:- den of the taxes 45 per cent., and enhanced the salaries to Government men in the same proportion. The Government went on like a spendthrift, borrowing and spending, and was compelled at last to mortgage all the property and industry of the country. It was difficult to say what might to be done. Yet it was some comfort for a man to know that he had no hand in bringing about these things. Unless a Reform is the House of Commons was a !opted. it would Le childish to expect relief. This was the conviction of the Electors of Westminster. This feeling was rapidly gaining ground. It began where it should end, amidst the inferior classes. If livwerer, th- principle of reform was always to be resisted, it would be ku. possible to say to what it should lead. The people of England surely would not witness the efforts made in France for the restitution of liberty, and those in Spain also, without end. arniring to keep upon a level, at least, with those Countries. 'I he claims of the legitimates to govern were ridiculous, when compared with the claims of the people to liberty. He trusted, that though there were appearances of a disposition to erect a system of military' Government in the country, the people of England, Scotland, and Ireland would unite and support a Ra dical Parliainewary Reform, which would give to all equal rights, and civil and religious freedom. In cos elusion, he assured the electors, he never felt ow pride and satisfaction in his life than he experiseced upon receiving the present which the electors bedew him the honour to present to him.—(Loud applause.) Tune—" Whilst happy in my native land." Toast—" Our brother Reformer:in Scotland sad Ireland, sod may religious differeness cease to be a /rotted of civil inespeelty."—(Orrat applause.) •• Erin go braes." Toast—" The able and intrepid opposer of the Itoreesh liongetleo oligarchy, J.C. Clubhouse, Esq." Mr. Manor's then mounted the table, and address ed the company at much length. He declared himself ready to go env lengths in the furtherance of thetas's.. to support which they had placed him in Parliainest. The Hon. Gentleman then adverted to the motion which was made fur a new trial on the part of Sir F. Burdett, and animadverted, in strong terms, on the doctrine which was laid down by the Bench on that °maim and which, he said, if it was carried into effect, would produce the extinction of the liberties of the people. Xe man, however, could say, that the present system geoid last long. As every remedy had failed, let the eastraw of the Reformers be tried. Whenever it was to support any order of things, besetting one partirst people against the other, there he did not hesitMelossy. the King wisest tyrant and the Governmeot a This might be the language of revolution, e l:rtrona not his, it WAS the language of Bolingbroke, asl 4 to the system of liovernme it carried on by Sir L IV pole. lie did not mean to apply these terms to der sent time—car from it; lie trusted, indeed, that lhe people would have spirit enough to prevent the ell► blisliment of a state of things to which ssch is ON. could apply. There was more exertion in the peefielbo their rulers were willing to suppose. They relented few more instances of the resolution to govern by force, is er• der to show their determination not to he pursed ity force. With respect to II r. Hunt and the other defrocks% he believed the Jury who found them guilty never lotted• ed that they sl•ould be subjected to such a measure of pm. nighttime as that to which they were subjected. &hell it to he the duty of every Englishman to come hewed, and by his purse, or otherwise, to declare hie 4 nion of the sentence passed on those iediehldelo" The sultscriptiens, it appeared to him, weehl Met the opinion of the subscribers. He did iloppsos Mr. Hunt's conduct in general—bat he th conduct from his present seffering. A paWs;b—ildflP Lion was no farce—it showed that they were Is WM" —As is Reform, be said be was ready le NOP whatever be could get. He believed that a OP of advantage would be gained from Mr. Iowa ( o w n on i l t d ha ve his on vo t t h e e . coslirt: andoir so : lion, h Ise the won eff ld et s l up i p t * 46 u t i l i e n a few words. by It would be oppsetet ill_ House; lent, eventually, it was se sew!! rissole the sea was sure to return in the moral*. . L .I. opposer sir all obstacles it would ascend at last, sad et ou. , opposer of the greet principle he would say, is de low page of the English Pinder— " Fend, impious tows ibiukst thou you saursios sheik ailed by II" biesll6 loth quench e d the orb Oil; To4BefflN/ be seem= his prides toed. Ad mew dos Mimes with redoubled ray." _ A Yee, he wee esseleeed the principle would fltr. IP" shine with redoubled ray upon this unhappy alliol l " (Applause.) h Tenet—" lteuoveSed Sputa ! May every Wag himself above law, be. like Ferdinand. eoelpeded to aims hy the people!"-'This toast was drank with tine loom' three, sad great applause. The eNalialiall said he had a toast to girt. lible i k! it respected liberty, would be peculiarly leterediolf w' the Electors of Westminster. " Lord emelease and South Americas IsAersit i t Misty sad lieppiaeas to its brave memo as! OM" three, sad loud applause. t F ri 4' r, i e t 1 1