The Statesman. — London, England, 1818-12-21 00:00:00

4 . NNW' 4 " WEST MINSTER ELECTION. T COPY OF A LETTER. • The Managing Committee acquaint that they have taken into consideration the request of the Gentlemen of the Harmonic Soclet,y, as well as others, who desire Mr. lloottotnes company, and they beg to submit the following reasons why they think (and they trot the Gentlemen will also think) that to comply with their request would be ioexpe. client. . The Managing Committee have no desire but to Nippon the tree interest and honour of their Consti tuents, the Electors of Westminster ; their pbjects are to preserve entire the purity of Election, and to fol low up the great 'sample which has been set by Westminster in the former Elections, by sending to parliament a Representative honoured by their free choice. in strictness, there ought not to be Candi dates for Seats. Sir F. BURDETT never was a Can- ilidate for Westminster, and never appeared even on she Hosting, at any of his Elections. The People 000 ht to choose withoot the indoence even of solid- tatiou; and when the Committee consented that Mr. Eostiouse shoold appear on the Hustings, end should in fact take •pon himself the form of a Can didate, it was solely on the impression, that he was •not sufficiently known to the great body of the Elec- Ws to expect the same eupport as their present Re .peeseetative. . For the same,reaton the Parish Meetings were de wised to give the Electors en opportunity of aster. Hitting his principles, bet beyond this the Committee feel they cannot concede, without in fact themselves destroying the influence of the great example that has ,been so Fghly estimated throughout the country, by degrading its character and retrograding to former vicious practices. • They therefore, in the first instance, laid it down .as a law, with which the principles of Mr. Hunnouse coincided, that he should not ask any vote of any .person whatever, and that his ettendauce should be strictly confined to the Public Meetings of the Pa rishes, where the Electors would have the means of becoming acquainted with his person and his senti ments. To extend this basis would be to compromise the purity of Election; and they cannot feel war ranted to propose to Mr. Hosannas to go beyond it by attending on any private companies, and they feel assured that those Gentlemen who are now desirous .of his company, would be the first to reject it, when accompanied by any dereliction of principle. Committee Room, Cruwa stud Anclior Tavern, Dec. 8. CITY FLECTIONS.---The approach of Saki Thomas's Day bat set in active motion the various popular Welds. The Ward of Farsiegdon Without will, in all probability, puss another year without a contest, as Mr. SOUTHGATE, of Fleet-market, being likely to succeed Mr. THOMAS REEVE, without oppo , sition, wept from Mr. CLARKE, of Fleet.street,who has offered a slight appearance of an intention to op. pose him. The contest in the Ward of Bishop gate promises,on the contrary,to be warmer than has been experienced for some years. The retirement of . Messrs. DUFFEL!. and Ilanvtir, and the death of Mr. IVAC VAZIL, which occurred some time since, has produced three vacancies to supply torbiebtthere are , lie Caididalks...._ Wk. Aunt), on the Ministerial Interest (who once before offered himself, but de caned proceeding to the poll), and Messrs. Dowses, PEACOCK, STIRTEVANT,I BENNETT, and WOOLER, on the Opposition. Mr. Runs, it is said, is now supported by active friends, who intend raising every possible opposition to Mr. WOOLER'S election. The business was to commence in that Ward, at St. Bot tolph's, Bishopsgate, this day, at twelve o'clock. On Thursday last a SECOND PUBLIC VESTRY was held in the parish of St. Leonard, Shoreditcb, to take into consideration proposals made to the Vicar and Churchwardens by his Majesty's Commissioners for building Two NEW CHURCHES and ONE CUAPEL OF EASE. The novelty and importance of the sub ject occasioned a numerous Meeting—but though numerous, it was comvc,sed of the most respectable inhabitants. The subject was patiently discussed and maturely weighed ; the deliberations commenced at ten in the morning, and continued till one at noon. The Vestry finally resolved that the.parish could not en tertain the proposels.and that they were unable to raise any funds for the purpose of carrying into effect the intended plans of the Commissioners. This re solution was carried nearly unanimously, there being foot or five hands only held up against 4 or WO who were for it, and constituted the Meeting. We understand that amongst the early discussions of the enseiog Session of Parliament, will be some carious elucidations of " tho Secrets of the Prison Boats," connected with the King's Bench Prison, preceded, as we are given to understand, by an Epi• l made in the Court of Exchequer!!! If what is stat ed to es be verified, it will be an additional proof that other Placemen, besides the late GEORGE Ross,' have substantial reasons for wishing " things to re- 1 strain as they are," and reprobating any reform or :Ithenge. These disclosures are said to emanate from' Alt well initiated old inmate, who has been recently : emancipated, sad winces uuder the galling of his for- , • mer chains. • • Captain Joint, Ross, recently commanding the ► Expedition employed on a Voyage of Discovery to • the Arctic Circle, has been promoted to the rank of Post Captain. • A portion of the principal inhabitants of Man chester, having voted the leading official characters of that town, respectively, a splendid specimen of , plate, for their energetic services during the year 1817, several of them, to the number of 126, dined • together in the Exchange, on Wednesday week, to •if present the same, on which occasion, says the of& vial report, the responsive acknowledgments of the retipective parties,. were the subject of considerable ▪ compliment. Several toasts and sentiments were . given, but amongst the rest we do not find the name of Mr. Oliver, who was certainly one of the most . energetic characters of the memorable period of 1817. TUB ARIA y.--Ordered to be reduced on half-pay the 2d Lieut.-Colonels of the following Regiments : • Comics 12th Foot ; M•Bane, 19th ; Kelso, 21.c1 ; Mites, 38th ; White, 18th ; Kinrs.:ott, 56th ; Ross, ; Leitch, 721 ; Ilomoltry, 73d ; Everard, 77th ; Lindsey, 781 k; Symes, 80th ; Clother, 831 ; Sir C. W. Doyle, Kat. 84th ; and Warburton, 85th. • , 1 I 1 • .;~.. ~. A . , I J I AIM ••• I •~.- ~s. -~ --R-:~ . STATMMAii IVALDEGICAVE ' , Emus BIGNOLD. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STATF.SMAN. Sin,—The moment I had been examiwed yester day I left the Court, and was afterwards informed that some animadversion fell from the Judge en my attending to give evidence against my father, which' was presently followed by his stating that he had learnt with satisfaction that I had not come forward willingly. As this latter statement is omitted in the News. paper Reports, it has been thought needful that I should explain the facts. I first knew of the cause by its being mentioned a few days ego in a letter from my father, and the day after that letter reached me I was served by Mr. CARTER, the Plaintiff's attorney, with a subi cent. — He told me that the fact he wanted me to speak to was, that when I had seen a quantity of the Papers complained of lying at my father's Office, in Bridge. street, I had requested the Clerk to put them aside, and take an early opportunity of destroying them.— This was true ; but not seeing myself how it could be of importance in the cause, I begged that I might not be called, and he promised to oblige me in thi4 if he could. When the trial came on I was attending a Public Meeting at the City of London Tavern, an'l allowed a second and peremptory message to come from Mr. CAtvrEit before I obeyed his summons. On entering the Court [ went to him and begged he would suffer me to ask his Counsel whether my evidence might not be dispensed with, which he readily consented to, but on applying to Mr. Ser. jeant LENS he told me I must stay. It was in con sequence of my having made this enquiry that I stood near to the Plaintiff's Counsel, when Mr. Serjeant Coe uy rose to cross-examine me, and this drew from him his first exclamation end question, if it was pus• Bible that I could be there conducting each a cause against my father. That I was there was most pain ful to my own feelings, and it is scarcely less so that there should have been a necessity for me to revive the subject by this explanation. I am, &c. &c. THOMAS BIGNOLD, jun. St. Paul's Culfee•housr, Dec. 19, tblB. . '77,W w 7 . NAVAL IN l'E LUG ENC E. DEAL, MT. 20.—Yesterday came down from the River and remain the Baring, Lamb, for New South Wales ; Dowson, Dormer, for Madeira, &c. both of which ships touched on the Brtske Sand, but came off without damage ; and Marianna, —, for Con stantinople ; and to-day arrived and sailed for the River the Flora, Clark, from Lisbon ; Darlington, Brokenshaw, from Smyrna, &c. and several more, names onknown.—Came down from the River the Royal Eagle, Gibbs, for Lisbon ; Amelia, Jarvis, for St. Michael's; Sophia, Black, for ditto; George, IVhyte, for Baibadoes; Traveller, Bennett, for Ilavannah ; Mary, Phillips, for ditto ; Pomona, Beveridge, for Alicant, arid' remain its the Downs with the rest of the. out ward\horid as per last. RAMSGATE, DEC. 2.4 1 -Cade in several vessels for shelter. NEWHAVENI, DEC. 20.--The barge William •nd Sarah, Swine, of London, ran on shore on this bar to-day at noon, and soon after sunk—erew safe The vessel would !Ive foundered stints, hid not the crew run her on shore ; vessel and cargo expected to be lost. Po RTSMOUTH, DEC. 20.—Yesterday, arrived his Majesty's ship Drake, from Newfoundland ; 'Thompson, from London far Africa ; end to-day ar. rived the Duke of York, Fitilison, from St. Michael'; Tantivy, Parrott, from Genoa—pot under quarantine; Flora, Pertlet, from Amsterdam for Belfast ; Inte grity and Fos (tran‘ports), from Ireland ; and seve ral other vessels.—Tbe Retrench, Fiott, reported as sailed, still remains. COWES, Dec. 20.—Arrived the American ship Mary and Susan, Curtis, from Batavia, fur orders— out 110 days. _ . _ PLTMOUTIf, Dec. 19.—Came in his Majesty's ship Spartan. from Cork. FALMotirli, Dec. 19.—The Prince Ernest packet, for Lisbon ; and Countess of Chichester packet, for the Mediterranean, are gone into the Roads. PeNzANce, Dec. 18.—The sloop Emily, which sunk near the Rundle Stone, is gone to pieces ; a small part of the cargo is saved and lodged in the Custom.house.—All the wind-boond vessels put in here &allod yesterday, except the Jane, from Bristol to London. MlT.roan, Dec. 18 —Yesterday forenoon, about elesets o'cluck, the brig Bee, Richards, in coming down from the Dock-yard to Milford, for ballast, upset about half way—crew saved ; the vessel has been towed into the month of Milford, and hopes are entertaiued that she will righteu with the succeeding flood. The Vrow Geaina, Dik, from Amsterdam to Lon. don, Out into Harwich yesterday, with loss of an anchor and cable. ANECDOTE OF THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER.—A French Paper relates the following anecdote from Sedan. A great Sovereign went some time ago from Paris to Sedan in a bumble travelling carriage. A young peasant, who took it for a post-chaise, mount ed behind it some leagues from the town. The august traveller stopped and questioned his travelling cow. panion.—" Why have you mounted behind my car riage ?".- 64 Sir, I wish to go to Sedan to see the Emperor ALEXANDER arrive."—" And why do you wish to see the Emperor?"—" Sir, my parents have told me that he is good, and that he loves the French much."—" Well, my friend, look at me well ; I am the Emperor." The boy, confused, began to weep, and after stammering out his excuses, alighted to pursue his way on foot. The Emperor called him back. ' 4 Remount where you were," said he with much kindness, `• we will travel together." The young peasant made no reply, but alighted at the gate of the city, and the Emperor ordered him to present himself at his hotel.—" Do you wish to go to Russia ?" said the Emperor to him.—" With pleasure," answered the boy. " Well, since Pro vidence has given you to me, I will take charge of your lot." Tim, boy, in fact, set at neat day in the suite of the Etnimor. ~' .:.~_ • ..-. . r- 7 71 To ros EDITOR . ' or Tart STATESMAN. —ll.-- Sia,—l admit the claim of your Correspondent,' in your Paper of the 6th November, to be informed es to the nature of the office of Procurator Fiscal, and of the duties attache) to that office. Ido so the more readily, because in discussing the motion to be made by Sir Joint NLIFPOST, in regard to the power of the Judges of the Court of Session to make Acts of Sederunt, and in regard to the power of the Keeper of his Majesty's Signet, dislocated for the worst of purposes from the Office of Secre tary of State, to sell -the offices of Sheriff's Clerk, or the patronage of the Crown, a short account of the duties of that office will contribute to throw some light on these subjects. in a Parliament called at Edinborgb, in 1372, King ROBERT, the first of the STUART family, passed this enactment— • " Act, emit uled Promise made by the King, and the Oaths given by the three Estates of Parliament. 1. " For fulfilling and observing of the laws, da King, so far as concerns him, has, in his Parliament, obliged himself upon the honour of a Prince. 2 " And the Earl of CARRICK, COnSliltaled ba the King, for falfilling of the promises so far as touches him, gave and mode his oath, the Holy Evangelist being toncbert by him. 3. " And all and suntlry the Prelates, and Pro curators of Prelates, and others of the Clergy ; and all the Est.ls, Barons, Knights, and Burgesses, being present, did solemnly swear and give their oaths to keep, obey, and fulfil the lasts after their power, and so far as was in them to maintain, fortify, and assort, the Earl of CARRICK, made and constituted Lieu tenant, under the King, fur ruling the realm, ob serving the laws, and administering of jusfice*." " The sobmission," says 111 elegant writer, 46 o f a free People to the Etecutice Authority of Govern ment is no more then a complirtnce with the laws which they thentsekey have enacted; and when jos lice is impartially administered, the obedience of the subject to those laws will be voluntary, cheerful, and I may almost say unlimited. A generous nation is grateful for the preservation of its rights, and most willingly emends the respect due to a good Prince into art affection for his person. Loyalty in the heart end understanding of an Englishman, is nothing but a rational attachment to the guardian of their laws; and those laws which protect us in our civil rights grow oat of the Constitution, and do either flourish or fall with ht." The Lord Advocate for Scotland is the King's Lord Lieutenant, constituted to put the Statutes of Parliament into effect ; and as his title, as well as his power, are derived direct from the head of the Executive Government, he has no right to prosecute in the King's name, but upon that Act of Parliament by which the nation vests, defines, and limits that power irr his author. The King has in him no power but what the nation transfers in trust to him, and the Lord Advoeste, as his Lord Lieutenant Wider him, cannot exercise a power which the King has not in himself tb delegate, vshietkilsar Nation did not trans ler to hiss. Vie- power aid authority of the Lord Advocate to pot the Statutes of Parliament in force, and to prevent them from going into abeyance, gives, when exercised, to the People, either that protection from the &sting laws which Parliament intended by them ; or it gives judgment and ability to that Pen. pie to seek a repeal of them, by a Representation freely chosen for these purpose:. Where the People feel an oppression, they soon find an independent Representation, if the Lord Advocate does his daft. The Statutory Law of Scotland was satisfactory to the People at the date of the above Statute. The whole Nation in a free Parliament assented to this, and promised to assist the Earl of CARRICK, then Lord Advocate, to enforce it. The Earl of CAenick, as Lord Lieutenant, gave his solemn oath to enforce the Statutes of Parliament. But the Earl of CAttRICK would never have done this unless the Sta tutes had been so enacted os to set limits to Ilia au thority. Ile would hot have done so if the Ft: l imes had been in one-half rescinded by the Scottish Judges, or if they, with impunity, acted " by the power of their right reason" independently of them. tie would ' in the memorable words of that eminent and ! distinguished. Lawyer:l:, who undauntedly com plained in his own name, and in the name of his Prince, to the whole united Representation of these realms, " That as Lord Advocate for Scotland, he j knew not where his powers began or where they ended." A declaration highly honourable to himself and to his Prince—highly independent of Ministerial I influence, and which ought alone to perpetuate his ! memory to the remotest ages as illostrative.of the beauty of that Constitution which we so much ad -1 mire. Now the Procurator Fiscal is an officer in some respects dependant upon that of the Lord Advocate. lle prosecutes iu his own name, for what be calls the public interest. la the inferior Courts he indicts for capital offences, in the same way as the Lord Advo cate does in the Criminal Court ; and though his ju risdiction esteuds solely to criminal matters, there is hardly a civil case where his name is not foisted in for what is called the public interest. Ilia title to pursue is recognized by no statute. He derives, of course, no legal authority from his Prince, nor does his com mission or appointment (low from him, and it is a fair question, whether his interference as a public Officer has not been of late so abused as to be more felt as an oppression than of any benefit. Since the suppression by the British Legis lature of blood-money, he has brought the cor. raciness of the Statutes of England as well as of Scotland against the compounding of fe. bony, or as in Scotland of Theft-boot, to be on. questionable; and be has of late began to connect his professional duties with the Police of London in a way highly questionable. Upon the most vague and unsothenticited information from individuals— without affidavit or signed information—he presents his complaints for the public interest against people in England, and if by assistauce of the English Police they do not *Mort money from the individual, they after detaining him for months in England, he dregs • Regimas Matistatem. Juniut. t lewd Praideot Hope. • •4-•• • • * ~- - ~~~ = - • . .~"`"~ them into Scotland, and sohjecis them to -. 'S; r; a, 7 - , .a tare of the Civil as well as Criminal Courts by a pro. tracted, expensive, and calumnious Th. John consider him an officer acting bona file, anti no act of oppression with them, ever operate in ob. taining a suitable redemption for the loss of their pro. petty, or for the oppression of an unlimited confine. meat. While the party concerned chooses to supply him with private and latent information, there is no end to the distresses of the accused, or reporatiota (or the injuries sustained by him. . SCOTUS. NAVAL PROMOTIONS AND APPOINT. IVRN74S. The following Lieutenants base been promoted to the rank of Commander:—lion. G. Barrington, Alexander Borthwick, M. Stackpoole, F. Brace, R. Boyle, W. J. Purchase, W. Grim., Bon. Fred. rick Noel, and Wm. Richardson (a). Captain Caulfield, Lieutenants 11. Price, R. Teed, G. Pierce, and Joseph Pearse; Mr. Thomas Cole, Purser, and the Rev. Mr. Ki►hy, Chaplain, have been appointed to the Windsor Castle. Lieutenants Cheseman and Goldsmith, and Mr. Petre, Master, are appointed to the. Superb. Capt. Martin White, recently advanced to the. rank of Post Captain, is to continue in his employ of Survey of the British and Irish Channels, in the Shamrock ; a service he has hitherto performed wittt incomparable skill and perseverance. . J I .1 CONSEQUENCES or rum L.4TE WAR. The origin of the tate war was the hasty and peo totem desire of Mr. Pitt to put down the efforts of the Ffericts notion in their rigt:sful use of reistancct to certain acts of unconstitutional despotism in the Government of their country, it sour ! ' after settled into a delprmilled hostility In 1);:e mat:, whose over throw was at last occasioned, more by his l ie lisle thirst of ambition, than by the FIT; I Die e , opposed to him. The Consi s te n t e rn s Mrs by Eng land to assist in iris destruction, and sfrir a lona., arduous, and doubtful struggle, this man; our most powerful foe. became our sopplisot •captire. and is still our ptisoner on an insulated I oclt in the Atlantic. The object iif the war was therefore obtained tseynnd. Ilse reasonable expectation of the meat sanguine, but the effects of it are indelible stamped, in the dis tresses of the People of England. The Minister who sounded the trump, and lighted the blaze of wit s sunk iota his grasp, exclaiming, as it is said, " Ott Say country," when that country was compare.' lively happy and Nourishing ; he left, as a legacy,• a set of Statesmen, bred in his school of arrogance and precipitancy,—the war was continsed (except for qt short interval) on his " immortal principles," it!di terminated in the adoption of those principles to'fhe fullest extent, by forcing an unpopular family on the throne of France. 1 At '1 , ' 0 England has obtained, by her groat success, an ac cumulation of debt, the interest of which she cannot pay. Peace, which formerly produced her the choice blessings of prosperity and happiness, has found her impnverkhed and miserable; taxes collected by ad. ditional eneroion,—Ponrs' Kites swelled to a fright. ful estent,—a metallic currency substituted by au in. flux of paper,—general wealth, *thing from the file produce of labour, and the legitimate sowers of mer cantile transactions, has disappeared, and magnificent fortunes speedily obtained by those who base dabbled in the Debt, have resulted in its stead ; in short, po i verty to the many, and riches to the few, is the frightful and alarming consequence of a victorious war. The hscknied argument, that our distress was ! temporary, and solely occasioned by the sodden change from war to peace, is now disproved beyond the possibility of doubt, three years experience is sufficient for the more sceptical, and we must now look, prospectively to see what the wisdom of the Mt* Parliament, with the old Ministers, wilt devise, to amuse the People into a belief that, although now cheerless and desponding, they will soon be happy and comfortable. For many years past the Nation has been accustomed to a fine flourishing theory, and WP dee no reason to doubt, but that Mr. Vansittart will adopt, or rather continue, this practice of de lusion, which his predecessors so unwisely main. The Ministers of Finance, for many years past, have constantly referred to Capel-Court far proofs of the flourishing state of the country; the facility of raising money there, and the price of the Public Funds, have triumphantly been adduced as positive evidences of the prosperity and riches of the coun try, when, if any thing were wanting to make the absence of real wealth moreapparent, it would be the multifarious transactions of that place ; the greater, or at least, a very large portion of the PA tic, are become jobbers in the Fonds, and the soil of the country, the original source of all true wealth, has ceased to claim their attention. This is altogether an artificial state of things, and requires no common share of wisdom to guard against the evils that may result from it, till England can make her revenue equal to her expenditure, the public creditor is not safe, and if this is difficult to accomplish in peace, what is to become of our finances in war ? The whole of the horses, the property of the Isle Qutem, ere to be removed to the King's Mews from Windsor, for the purpose of being sold. Coax Esctia ant, Dec. 4l.—There was a good supply of Wheat ibis marking, but dull tale at a reducti..a or 9 a. from last Monday's prices.—Fine English Barley I*. cheaper.—Gab, Beans, at.ii Pea, 2., lower.—ln other articles no alieration. Wheat (English) .... 70 78 Grey Peas 66 72 New ditto Ditto (Foreign) .... 70 84 Old do. . . Rye 54 56 lick do 37 40 Barley 64 69 (Oats New limed*. .. . Malt 64 6t) Poland d 0..... ...0. S 9 36 Waite Peas 46 52 I Feed do 92 34 New ditto.... ...... Fine Flaw 6O 611 Ditto Boilers .... ..... 64 68 Seconds...... SMITHFIELD MARKET. Ditc. 21. To sink the Otral, per stone 41 Blts.. Seer ... C. Od. to bs. 4d. i Head nt Cattle this dot • denim . ss. ud. to 6s 4d. Beasts Veal ... 6. 81. to is. Od. Sheep acid Lambe 1 Pork .. 64. Od. In 6s. 8. 1 . Calves l6O Lamb.— Os. 0.1. to Os tit. pi" HAY-MARKET. Hay ... ~ 51. Os. Od. t b 31. 00. Od.` Clore? .... 61. Os. Od. to 91.1 • el. • Straw .... 31. 10,. Od. to SI. es. . . . . ..ill ( I :c :_ ~. I t. ~.