The Statesman. — London, England, 1820-12-27 00:00:00

F " I'. al s . THE STATESMAN. the people of these kingdoms bad been regular , and progressively becoming worse and worse.— *lan) , dais wealthier classes of people, who had been entirely ruined by the late enormous depression of every kind of property, had been reduced to a state of comparative poverty. The state of all kinds of busi ness—agricultural, manufacturing, or commercial, was such as to produce loss, in place of profit, to those whose capitals are employed in them; and the fall of the wages of the lab .wring classes had reduced the great body of the people to pauperism and misery. In this situation, it was surely the duty of the Meeting to inquire what were the causes which had produced evils of such magnitude, anti whether the general po erty was produced from the idleness and extravagance vii the people, or from the faults or misgovernment of the Ministers of the Crown. For his part, he would say, that it appeared must clear to him, that it had not proceeded from any want of industry or frugality on the part of the great body of the people. For. v 041 , 1 any man lay his hand on his heart and accuse them of idleness or luxurious living? Were not their working hours as long, and their exertions as great, as human nature could bear? Could any abridgement or saving be made from their allowances of food, or noshing, or firing, or shelter? He acknowledged, and deeply lamented, that some of the people were ad dicted to the :hose of spirituous liquors—an abuse which was indeed a disgrace, and a curse to them and ttv their country ; but he asserted, what be thong lit all would allow to be true, that the great body of the people passed their lives in the exercise of the hardest and moat constant labour, and iu the practice of the strictest sobriety and frugality. He asked if lie needed to inquire further, whether the people of tbis coun try had been deficient in skill, ingenuity, or enter. prise, in any of the arts of lif•, agriculture, inanufac tore, or cuiumerce—and whether it was not known to all the world, that improvements in all these artf had been such as had increased in an incalculable rate all the products of labour, and all the necessaries, con- treniences, and comforts of life? What then, be asked. could possibly be the cause, that this increased prodnition of all the materials and component parts of ‘s.:altli had terminated in the poverty, degradation, and miss r}• of the hotly of the people? One cause, anu one manse only, he thought, could be assigned for it—the unequ.il and irregular distribution of these products of labour and industry, occasioned by the :.!inost perpetual wars in which we had been engaged. and the consequent increase of the National Debt and lases, unchecked by the only possible controul, a just and equal representation of the people in the Douse of Commons. For the last seventy years, the British t:,►'.ion had, he said, enjoyed very few years of peace; moil almost every year an additional tax and burden had been laid upon the people. While the improve ments ie arts and industry were sufficient to counter talance, and even to overcome the effects of war and taxes, the Bl.iisterial party who bad so long 1W -covet-rued this country, had the audacity to hold out these wars and taxes as the direct and efficient causes of our prosperity. According to them, the sun preme Governor of the world had, in his providence, made it the interest of this country to be engaged in constant hostilities and warfare against other nations. Every war was • just and necessary war, and an en couragement to trade—every new tax was an addition to the riches and prosperity of the country—the na tional debt itself was a prodigious mine of wealth and capital to the Nation—and his Majesty's Ministers, and the wisdom of their councils, were the direct tansies of all this weal Is and prosperity. All these po sitions, he said, had from time to time been main t&ned by the Ministerial writers, and their friends a•td followers ; and it was mot tong since Mr. Southey, the poet laurel's, in the Minish•rial or Quarterly Re •iew, gravely proposed to make an immediate and great addition to the taxes, as the certain and tali method of relieving us from all our em 1a meats. But dear-bonght experience bad at last impressed the people with the conviction that sooner or later the unchristian practice of war would he visited on the nations who delighted in it with the • first vengeance of Providence. And that the waste of public money and human life, and the increase of debt and taxes, which are the necessary consequences of •• war, in place of promoting, were destructive of na tional prosperity. From the sufferings brought upon the nation by the extravagance of Ministers, . it bad become the most necessary and impe- _ . rious duty of oar Government to retrench its expenditure, to reform its abuses, and to lessen the heavy burden of taxes now levied from an overloaded and impoverished people. Ile concluded that he would not detain the Meeting any longer by further observations on topics so extensive, but humbly pro pose certain Resolutions as proper to be adopted by Cum. The speeches of Mr. Oswald and Mr. Grahame were frequently interupted by the loud and enthusiastic ap • plauses of the Aleeting. Mr. J isles Gstviavocm, banker, having shortly se conded the Resolutions, the same were unanimously carried by acclamation. Mr. LANCASTER proposed that the address should be presented by Earl Grey, Lord Erskine, Lord A. !Inmates and others, whom be named. Dr. RICHARD Mtia.an moved the Thanks of tfie !testing to xlie Chairman, and the whole business then • c Gael tidal . The Meeting afterwards dispersed without the .Xnaallest confusion; and, although there were upwards of 2,500 people in the Church, no disorder or accident 'of any kind occurred—every one seeming anxious to demonstrate how peacefully they could meet in the exercise of their constitutional rights, and that no danger could ever ensue to the community from ea assemblage acting under the influence of the laws. BRICON A meeting of the ishibitan'ts of the borough of Bre ton tras.coovesed by the Baililfoa Tuesday last, at the Towoball. for the purpose of subscribing a dutiful and loyal address, to his Majesty, which was nume rously midmost respectably attended. The Bailiff be fog called to the chair. Stilted the pompom for which else meals( was clime:wed. aid declared his deternii. heti*. to abide impaithap by the . decision of the *Wilt Mr. B. ertios, la ai eioquest speech. proposition address for the adoption of the meeting, which was seconded by Capt. Rynd. Mr. f►. Reis then rose, and, in a very dear and energetic speech. submitted as an amendment another address, which was seconded by Mr. Henry Powell in a neat speech, in whirl, he forcibly vindicated the loyalty of the tradesmen of Itreron, and contended that they were as firm in their attachment to the King and Constitution as the constituted authorities them selves. _ . After which Hants Wan, sen. Esq. proposed a third address, whirls conveyed nearly the same sentiments as the second addre s s. He expatiated in a very anima ted manner on the original address, contending that the purport of it was nothing more or less than to bolster up a tottering adwinistrat• . This was seconded by Henry Lucas, Esq. Mr. JOHN LLOYD then rose, and in a long and lu minous speech argued in favour of the first address. lie was replied to by 11. ILot.n, jun. F.sq. in a very neat and maiden speech, its which he differed upon the points advanced by Mr. Lloyd. Mr. Joust Jo-4 Es. in a very energetic and eloquent speech, endeavoured to impress upon the meetiy; the propriety of adopting the first address, to which, he observed, nu honest DIDII or Christian could refuse his signature. 1 'fhis a Lion was ably and forcibly replied to lay Mr. Sinn. who sterility cosi:ended that those who sup- ported the ►eroud address were equally worthy of the appellation of honest men and Christians as any of those who supported the other address ; and that it was the duty of every loyal wool faithful subject to express Isis sentiments to the king, when he pers•sived that his Majesty's constittstion:s: advisers were, by theft. acts and evil cou k, e.trottiging the affections of the p e ople from their S•irCl rig it. Mr. JOHN Powau. spoke in favour of the original address. The Utiamott7s; then refused to put either of the ad d to the meeting, and .aid that he wo.uld only sign the one proposed by Mr. I ',lurch, and no other. A scene of the greatest uproar and confoosion imagin able ensued, and the Bailiff ;abruptly quitted the meet ing, together with the few who supported that ad dress, amidst the loudest cries of `o Shame, Sii3llll.• !" from all parts of the hall. The amended address was signed immetiistely by nearly 31111 inhabitants then present. After the conclusion of the meeting, and upon Mr. Bold descending to the lower part of the hall, the en thotsiasno of the inhabitants was so great, that a chair was prepared, decorated with laurel and ribadds, into which he was forced, and triumphantly carried. pre ceded by a band of music and a large body of the in habitants, through the principal streets to his own-re sidence, greeted with the loudest and reiterated cheers of the people as he passed along. The bells of St.' Mary's were rung on the occasion. A requisition having been handed to the Bailiff, signed by 73 iooloaloitant householders, requesting him to convene an early meeting of the inhabitants of the borough of Brecon, for the purpose of taking into consideration a congratulatory address to the Queen on the abandonment of the Bill of Pains and Penalties, the Bailiff, in c.oupliance with the above, appointed that such meeting be held on Friday lits 7, the 22d inst., at 12 at noon, in the Townhall. II I'DDERsFI E I,D MEETING (11110 M TIU 88888 *Vint RV, DEC. 23.1 Monday hat a meeting of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood of Hnslderhficl.l was 'arid in the large room of the George 11111, " to vote an at-- dress to his Majesty," not to consider of the propriety of such a proceeding, the practice of the loyal ad dressers being to determine first and consider after wards. Sir J. L. KAYE, Hart. was called to the c h ait ; and after expressing his acknowledgments for the honour conferred upon him, be said, that as the object of the meeting was specific, no debate or discussion would he allowed. 'lbis extraordinary intimation, at the very threshold of the proceedings, called up Mr. SRN 1011. of Dalton, who inquired if it would not be competent to a majority of the meeting, if they disapproved of any loyal address that might be pin• posed, to vote another loyal address by way of amend ment ? To which the Coatitstsx replied, that he did not think that any amendment could be allowed, except with the consent of the ninety-three gentlemen who signed the requisition ; and some of the requisitors stated, that they had signed the requisition upon the distinct understanding that the address to be proposed by Dr. Walker. and no other. should be adopted! On referring, however, to the requisition, it was found that the words were fur the purpose of voting an ad dress, not the address, and it was then reluctantly admit ted that it was not imperative upon the meeting to take the Doctor's potion, whether they liked it or not; it was however, still strongly insisted, that no topic which regarded the Queen, or his Majesty's ministers, should be introduced into any address which might be adopted, because neither of those subjects was mentioned 'n the requisition. Dr. WALKER then rose, and after contending strongly for ottani 000 ity, delivered a very intemperate speech, which could nut fail to produce that disunion which be so much deprecated. In the coarse of this soothing effusion, the Doctor stigmatised those who were not of his own political creed, as " political in cendiaries—base calumniators—betrayers of their King—and perfidious and disloyal subjects ;" and bestowed upon that part of the press which does sot stoop to court ministerial favour, but breathes the spirit of freedom, the appellation of " seditious and blasphemous." Having thus fulminated his ana themas. be concluded by moving, " That a dutiful and loyal address should be presented to bis Ma jesty." B. H. Asstx, Esq.' seconded the resolutions, and said, amongst other things—" We are met not to ap prove or to disapprove of the measures of his Majesty's ministers, but to vote fur a loyal and dutiful address to his Majesty." The CHAIRMAN then inquired if any gentleman was prepared with an address. Oa which . Dr. Walker drew the address from kis pocket. sad read It over to the meeting. It was in meow very much the same as the other exclosively loyal addresses. and declaimed is the meal style egainit the "abettors of factloa"—a pre,- tituted press," and s 4) forth forgetting, altogether, that these topics were not in the requisition, and that it had been laiel down as a rule of these proceedings, that no topic which was not titers mentioned could be In trodnced. Mr. SAMUEL CLAT begged leave to propose another address by way of amendment, expressive of loyalty and dutiful attachuseta to his Majesty's person and govern- ment—of sorrow for the consequences produced by y r misrule of his ministers—of imagination at the 'Wimp recently made to degrade the Queen, and of a convictton that these appalling disasters would not have taken place if the people had been fairly represented in par liament. This address having been sceonded by Mr. Joists Boom a scene of jockeyship commenced, at which every candid mind must revolt. Dr. WALKER contended that the amended address was irrelevant, freestyle it introduced subjects lot mentioned in the requisition. (In which, Mr. WOOD inquired if the address •ed by the Doctor was not open to the same objection, seeing that the re quisition dial not mention the press, and his address made a furious attack upon it. l'he Doctor, instead of answering this argument, burst out into a furious tirade ngaisist persons who, he said, wished to dethrone both their God anal their King. (Violent murmurs.) Mr. SENIOR professed quite as much regard for both his God and his King as was either felt or shown by lk. Walker; and insisted that the hest way to serve the King ..vas to tell him what they thought of his servants. Josue 11A11311, Esc{{. then rose, and moved "That the original address should be put and carried." To this it was objected, that the amendment must of course he put first ; on which Mr. Haigh actually moved that the original address should be considered as an amend ment upon the amendment, and that in this way it I should take the precedency ! This highly irregular proceeding the Chairman adopted, and requested those, who were fur the amended (original) address to hold up i their hands. 4%3 might have been expected, an equireque was thus raised, anal a number of persons did nut know which of the addresses the Chairman had put. Sir John then put the other address, in favour of which there was a decided majority; but, from the confused i mode of rtibutitting the addresses, no reliance whatever could be placed upon the show of hands. Sir John, , however, exelainterl—" I believe in my conscience, as Gaol is my judge, that the original address has it!" and we believe, in our conscience, that Sir John is too ho- mutt-able a man to ',lake any declaration that he did nut suppose to he true. In this stage of the proceeding considerable clamour anal confusion prevailed, both par ties contending that they had the majority ; and, in or-1 der to remove all doubt upon the subject, the gentleman who moved the amended address demanded that a divi sion slionid take place ; but this request, reasonable and honourable as it was, was not complied with, and Sir John left the chair, and quitted the room midst:tut dis •olving the meeting. Mr. Jou,' Woou was then called to the chair, when the 311141 . 101 proposed by Mr. Clay was moved, seconded, and carried unanimously by about -1-sths of the auto-1 her originally assembled. Since the meeting both the addresses hare remained open to the signature of the inhabitants, and the mu - hers of the subscribers to each are in about the same ' proportion as were their supporters in the room—that is, shout four or five to one for the amendment over the original address. The state of parties in Huddersfield and its neighbourhood, as in most other places, is this —a large proportion of the truly independent men are against the • 'sten, and against their measures., This is the rase slid, a large majority of the middle, and almost all the humbler classes of society. In the higher classes, which are always the most susceptible of , alarm anal of court influence, the majority cling to the ministers, thoech both with diminished numbers and diminished spirit; and it is, we think, impossible to give a more decisive proof of the lowered tone of the ministerialist, than is to be found in Mr. H. H. Allen's speech, when he declared that the meeting was not— " assembled to approve or disapprove the measures of his Majesty's ministers." This was alone wanted to render the lonmiliation complete: even their friends are ashamed of them, and when they come into public they shrink from applauding and even from canvassing their measures. CORPORATIONS rem , : CIVIL LIBERTY aid PUBLIC PROSPERITY. --..0.-- SIXOND SERlES.—Lrrega IV. "The Pharisees took Counsel how they night entangle ker.—MATTHEW xvi, •• Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites : for ye devour widow's houses, and for a pretence make long prayer ; therefore ye shall receive the greater datnnation."— Marrnaw :sits. 14. Sta—As there can be no doubt on the mind of any rational man, conversant with the world, and with the actual Ministers of this country, that, wholly in capable of profiting by experience, and determined to persevere in the desperate career in whio It they have been for sonic time engaged, they are now meditating fresh insults and fresh injuries against the Queen and the people, it is incumbent upon these to prepare anew for the combat, and to take every measure of precau tion against a crafty, an united, and a practised, although in other respects an incapable enemy. For the purpose of enabling us to do so with effect, it is necessary to enquire wherein the danger and the pro per measures of precaution consist. With respect to the precise nature of the new ag gressions contemplated, it is quite impossible for other persons to divine them, since Ministers them retires, who only exist by expedients from day to day, and have not a particle of public principle for their guide, cannot know, before hand, what course the fluctuating circumstances of the passing moment may next compel them to pursue. Of this, however, we are certain, from abundont experience —that, in the conspiracy against the Queen, in which they must be considered as the chief actors, they can have nothing but injustice for their object, and illegal and uncon stitutional measures for their means : and we know, from human nature, that the mortification of previous defeat is calculated considerably to augment the activity, bitterness, and malignity, with which they will, in future. per fee cut cc foe, seek the destruction of their victim. Nor have we any reason, from past transactions, to believe, that, in this pursuit, there are any acts so base, any plans so prodigal., or any proceedings so cruel, as to excite insernsostatable scruples in their minds. Under these eircurnetances, it is incumbent on the teal friends of the King, of the Queen. and of the people, to continue to exercise be utmost vigilance is watching the common enemy, to redouble, if possible, their seal, and to employ their highest diligence sad ingenuity, in &alluding, by astleipatlea, the eraeM. satiate of theme well-trailed etiospiratere wheat the public weal. Persons like myself, who bare sot the honor of being is the contemns of her Majesty, ma) \. occasionally discern things, which may happen r., escape the attention of those who are more in. de diately engaged in her service, and may consequent:v be enabled, from time to time, to *brow oat no.f.;: hints for the promotion of the great cans, of train and justice. I have, front the commenoentent w h at h a s peen railed the trial of her Majesty, strongly disanproved of that temporising policy, into whirl; her Majesty was attempted to he betrayed, because well knew the tactics of the enemy with whom she had to deal ; and, that if they ever sought to.conci. hate, it was only because they could not uth'r :se destroy. It was, therefore, I confess, with meth surprise, as well as with some pain, that I found the Qneen's lawyers bad advised their client to a h sta :, from htinging forward those matters ..f recrit u j uat ; o „ , which she was not the less entitled, on account-of her innocence, to adduce against the proseeigion. What did they expect to gain from such persons as were epposrd to them, by thus politely waving the exercise of an essential right ? The only effect which plain men could anticipate from curie policy, was a dint.. notion of the etrenzth of their rause, and an increase of confidence and of force to their adversaries. Was it expected that either Ministers, or those Members of the House of Lords who were hostile to her Majesty, were to be mollified or cajoled into justice, or fairne,s, or decency, by this questionable forbearance? I shall not now do more than merely advert to the several stages of the proceedings, at which, in my opinion, duty to their client required that her Majesty's Court i eel should have protested much more strongly the I they did, against their gross injustice; and, if their protests were disregarded, that they should have de dared it a denial of justice, and thrown up theii briefs; particularly when the judges rcfused to suffer any enquiry into the circumstances connected with the Milan part of the conspiracy, and upon the occasion 'of the abstraction of Itastelli. This last precedent being established, the other rrjured ss ituesses, we are now told, are removed, without excitin a word of comment; is this fact, or is it only thrown out to sound the public mind, and to prepare it for such a measure? Has it taken place with the knowledge and consent of her Majesty's legal advisers? Hese they, out of mere urbanity, connived at the escape of these wretches from merited punishment? lam certainly not an enemy to meenanimity or to mercy; but their exercise should be well-timed, and they certainly should not be made weapons for unfair adversaries to beat our own heads with. This farther abstraction of witnesses, if true, the machinations agaiust her Majesty not being terminated, and her Majesty not being formally re-'..red to all her rights and dignities, requires explanation. Are they to be conveyed, after a fertiler drilling, to the independent shores of Hanover? I do not allude to these matters in any spirit of personal hostility, or dissatisfaction against her Majesty's Counsel. Lawyers have necessa rily too much connection with the iniquitous system, which i.: the remote cause of all our calamities, to be able to steer an independent and upright conrse. They are in the leading strings of the system, and of their party; and we ought to make tine allowances for human frailty. Hut I will not suffer my complaisance to blind my judgment so far, as to admit that they deserved that mark of public favor and partiality be stowed on them by the Corporation of the city of London. That body, when it meddles with bestow ing rewards for public virtue, should take care that the honors are deserved, and that they' are granted with equal justice. In the first place, Ido not admit that the honors in question were at all deserved ; for the triumph of the Queen is solely and exclusively owing to her own innocence, and the spirit of the na tion. The lawyers, in merely doing their duty, and they certainly did not do more, bad nut established any particular claim to distinction ; and, if they hod, it was quite as well merited by the junior, as by the senior Counsel, or perhaps better. lam one of those who think that they might have done more, and that they durst not have done less, fur their illustrious client ; and, if mere seal for a cause were entitled •', the freedom of the metropolis, I would recommend the King's Attorney and Solicitor-general to the Corpor ation, as deserving that hot:or in gold hates of double value. The efforts of privileged Corporations to re ward merit, when they happen to take nearly a right direction, are always wade with a left-handedness, which burlesques justice. These observations are not made with a view to censure, but to obviate future errors in the way of complaisance, temporising, or giving credit to opponents for qualities in which they ate notoriously deficient. It is essential, in regard? the final denountent of this drama, that all the pathos concerned should feel, that not a particle of the-tri umph of her Majesty thas far, is owing either to any extraordinary exertions of her lawyers, to the Chris tian temper of her Revisers, or to the justice or merry of her self-constituted judges; but thet the whole of her triumph is exclusively, as I have said, due to her own innocence and the determination of the people: and that to these sources alone she must look few the completion of her victory. Haien .y to such adver saries, then, world be not only misplaced, but it would be treachery to her Majesty: lam therefore of opinion, and I know that in this I am not singular, that the moment any new project against the eighteen hone- of her Majesty is officially manifested, whether by fresh proceedings, or the refusal to restore her name to the liturgy, all those matters, which have hitherto been prevented by technicalities and chicane from being made known, as well as various extraor dinary information, which we are told is is the pot session of Mr. Alderman Wood, throwing light apt it this conspiracy, should be laid before the puldh, without scruple, or reserve, whoever way be thereby I shall advert to one circumstance mote, w: i 1b se ins to occasion sense surprise among the pibl.e. They are wholly unable to divine according to whit advice, or what policy, her Majesty has s• Meg al - stained from formally appoiatiag he r hensehold. and exorcising, as far as depends *pan herself, every other function of a (Neale Consort of these realem• Any hesitation of this kind, as if she herself ode , entertain a doubt of the validity of her eights, whilot they are questioned by her ad v e rsar i e s, give to ii,. • adversaries greater adamants this they cenW vrir have derived from their own *shimmies's. leak. the advantages of the Queen's perternt. P have all been derived firms the arms of he,