The National Register. — London, England, 1819-10-24 00:00:00

._ ••• 11 , ...... . I ~~ ~. ,re,-:.~.s L -4. ~~~ ~>> , No. 241.—V0L. XIL] Volitical Uttvosspect. WE last week stated that the Manchester Coroner had without any adequate reason, (fir to constitute an adequate reason, nothing less than absolute necessity can be admitted in such a case), adjourned t',e Inquest of the Jury sitting upon the body of John Lees, (generally believed to have met his death from the blows and wounds he received on the 16th of August,) until the Ist of December, that is len days oiler Me Meeting of Parliament.— The objects of this desperate manoeuvre are too palpable to be mistaken, too impudent and shameless to be passed over. That justice should have i:s course without stop or impediment is the corner stone of all Government, the very soul and essence of all freedom. Obstruct this and you immediately open a dour to alp violence and confusion ; to. all iniquity and all the cruelties of private revenge ; to the destruction of private peace, to the disso lution of public order, and, in the end, to an unli mited and despotic authority, which by refusing protection and redress puts an end also to the just claims of obedience and subjection. The dominion of law is the dominion of liberty, but the suppres sion of law, or what amounts to nearly the same thing, its obstruction, is oppression, is tyranny, come from whatever quarter it may. In the present instance it may amount to a positive denial of jus tice. A second principle of the law of Juries is, that they shall be kept together in the strictest and closest manner: that all communion with the rest of the world shall be entirely shut out ; that no room shall be given either for sophistry to mislead, fur influence to direct, or corruption to sway their verdict, but that, left to conscience only, and to mutual discussion upon the case before them, the world and all its other concerns shall be excluded, and the dictates of immutable and eternal truth be alone present to their minds. Another reason for this vigilant care of the Jury is, that they may come to their decision with a full and fresh impression of the evidence they have heard ; and another stilt, that their decision may he as speedy as the inves tigation of their subject can possibly admit. How this principle is here violated end bused we should think it quite superfluous to state. But we will just add that if any of the Jury should in the mean time die, whether by the sabre of a Yeoman or in. any other way whatever, tise whole proceedings are at once frustrated, and every Linage, however clearly substantiated by evidence falls, and is buried with him. There is, however, one consolation often at teuding these gross abuses, and attempt at wrong. Injustice often overshoots the mark it aims at., and whatever doubts might before have hung over this much agitated question, we think the conduct now adopted proves what must be the naturally expected verdict and opinion of the Jury, as clearly as if Itifful Mu'der hail been written in Characters of Light Ivan the broad expanse of Heaven. It remains only that the Prince Regent should be advised to issue his letter of approval and thanks to Mr. Fer rand and Mr. Ashworth to render the whole drama, as far as it has yet gone, uniform and consistent.— If any thing could then be wanting, it is another deelarniion of the sincere satisfaction felt by the Inyal pad of our community. that a further respite has bean thus graciously interposed by ete.eoustituted authorities to the terrible sentence ationai Mtitittr+ Our Ulna, it olultitution attb U aiul. SUNDAY, OCTOBER f 4, 1819. evidently intended by an evil-disposed Jury upon the bold anti manly anticipation of riot at Manches ter, and a petition that so disagrecble a subject may be stirred no further. Should this pretty interlude ' be acted we hope it will be carried on and performed by real characters. It is always of some importance in Society to know who are its fools. There is an unfiartunate and blundering wrong-headedness in the Ministerial paper,s as now conducted, which render the comments on public business, which they ventures to give quite ridiculous. They deprecate County Meetings upon the outrage at Manchester, because forsooth it would be unjust and ungenerous to say any thing upon a subject which would be discussed before other tribunals, and because they never approve pejmdgi tg the the high and venerable authorities, whose conduct was already in course of inquiry in our Courts of Law ; and yet these very Papers set out by pronouncing lung ago with all the solemnity of judgment, that the Riot Act had been twice read, that the Meeting was illegal, that ruin and devas tation, and the overthrow of every thing sacred and profane was threatened and intentlad, and that the soldiers and MagisPates had neither dune too much nor too little, neither fallen short nor exceeded the narrow path of their duty, and were entitled to their thanks. " Verily they have their reward." We wish the other wise reason they assign us, were really true, instead of being falai and groundless. For neither the Magistrates norY inanry of Man chester are upon their trial at nor is it, we firmly believe, intended that they r shall, if the powcrof Government, exerted to i strength, can save them. No, we are ed, unless the the firmness and unanimity of the lie voice avert it, to sec what Mr. Burke pre& ed of another memorable instance, "-a tragi-coliedy, performed by his Majesty's servants, for the4enefit both of Hunt and the stipendiary Justices of the New Bayley, at the expellee of the Laws and Constitu tion." But, thank God, this idle sophistry of the " Courier" is now fully and nobly answered. Norfolk is at length roused, to follow the great examples of York and Cumberland. She is at length awake to what she owes to herself and to the country, to the throne, and to the "people. The most splendid and numerous requisition ever sent to the Sheriff of that County, is nor signed, and we are happy to say, that in the tudividual now occupying that important office, ill a man whose sound judgment and constitutional understand ing, will give rise to none of ti‘ose impediments which, to their shame and disAsee, have been thrown in the way of the expression of public sen timent and feeling in several other places. ON THE IMPOLICI OF .ENG44.i BECOM LAW A MILITARY NATION. ' . • The impolicy of England neglecting her Navy, and sacrificing its weltlire to the military mania, has often been descanted on ; we have however, met with no observations more appropriate than tho fol lowing, which are the produce of an American writer : " In cardinal points there was but little difference between the administration of Pitt and Fos, though to the former may be ascribed the present state of which has been gradually acquit log a form patrE 9;4. which now threatens serious injury —and, had the latter lived and enjoyed a more general share of public confidence, a portion of these evils would not have been known. Great Britain missed her aim when she became a great military nation. To ac quire great maratime influence, was probably con. sistent with her policy as a commercial and manu facturing people; and certainly while her efforts were confined to the increase and renown of her navy, she not only monopolized trade and commerce but acquired a very commanding influence among the Governments of 'Europe. The ambition, how ever, of being a great military and also a great na val Power, has bums a very serious injury to the British. England, 'lfiy its position, was intended only for a naval Power; but, setitt..ed by the mar tial display of Napoleon—by his battles, his victo ries, and his bulletins, the Ministry were restless, until the nation was plunged iu all the expense, the danger, and the doubtful issue of a military origi nation; they resolved, with a feverish anxiety, not only to sweep the ocean with the flag of St. George, but to exhibit their scarlet coats and Tower-proof muskets on the Continent. To accomplish this great end, it was necessary to stir up tbe'Continen tial Powers against Buonaparte ; it was necessary then to pay them, to subsidise each Power i^ to hos tility, and this was accomplished at an inordinate increase of the national debt, and the British, from this weak ambition, became paymaster and auxili ary to all Europe. Well, peace and internal tran quility prevail every where except in England ; the pressure of :this impolitic liberality, joined to other eating . s, is now felt and resisted. It is true that Iltionaparte is at St. Helena, but they ' paid very dear for the whistle' in getting hint there. It is true that the British fimght bravely in Spain and Portugal, but what blessings did they achieve for those Governments? They drove out a King of talents and character, because he was an intruder, and they restored a legitimate blockhead, whose pride of ancestry and whose bigotry has reduced the nation to a cipher ; as to the King of Portugal, he has left his kingdom in Europe in pawn to pay his debts, and now resides at the Brazils. In what manner, then, has Great Britain been benefited by becoming a military nation ? In no manner ;it has nearly ruined her; she has grasped the shadow and lost the substance ; her naval power, on which all her dependence rested, has decreased, and her mili tary character, which was worth little as an insular nation, has increased ; she has made peace on the Continent, and covered the sea with conimereial ri vals; she has given an impulse to the manufactures, to the agriculture, and to the commerce of the Continent. This certainly is very benevolent,, but it is like parting'with a last sixpence in charity to others. "In this state of affairs, the clamours arising from an increase of taxation, and from a want of employment, have become very powerful, and the tumultuous meetings lately held have been sith:e.ts of real alarm to the Government. Hitherto no de finitive plans have been adopted ; various resoluti ons have been paned, and many speeches made, vet the Reformers have made no satisfactory pre v -Tess. They talk of wiping off the national debt, which . would go to annihilate the existence of the Govern ment—a change of Ministry would produce no real benefit—a more fair and equal representation iTt Parliament might be adopted—the overgrown pen sion list might be decreased, and a system of greater economy adopted. These measures might allay the popular fury. and produce tranquility ; but it is un questionable whether a radical reform can be produ ced in the present disordered state of commerce and manufactures; and, if it can, it mug grow out of a c viand dispassionate view of things in genera!, and not by mobs or tumultuous association!." Lord and Lady Castlereagh arrived nn Tuestiay , nt their house in St. James's-square, from their seat, North Cray, Kim. The Address voted at the County of WA: meet., in k ,;, h, to he presented t•o hk v . oy:•1 ; n by the Duke of Northlk, a!td the 1;;;,r1 of Thatati. ~\ .. ~ ~~ h~~ \ . ,1, \w ~v .s. \'l l l \ \‘2 k 1 4 k\ i .r ts,_ ,-'L k , 11: .... ; Ye ni o.:', 4 7 "' N -- .)