The Statesman. — London, England, 1821-06-06 00:00:00

~~ • POOR LAWS' .4MRNINIIRATT BILL. country, respectfully sot It be applied to thine evils, truly powerful by reigning Over , hearts subjects. They state bow mulch their grittily. the 'ligation of Portugal was augmented, at dating that the King, who possessed the disposi tion to make them all happy sad contented, *as yet defierred the power. They wish, however. to draw a veil over the past, and to tare to the bright prospects of the future-4 Ring adored by his people, and both untied under a fret constitution, by the lease:ice of disinterested hesitate bn one side, and a sincere sense of gratitude an the other. After the business for which the meeting Ohs con vened had terminated. addresses of thanks were Teo posed by A. N. Peaks Esq., to the Editors of the ben% tido Bras:Mesas, PortlfflteS, and Campote, for their writings in support of constitutional 'disciples, and carried amidst loud acclamations. The Editors severally acknowledged the honours conferred on them ; and the meeting, after voting thanks to the Chairman, dissolved. ELECTION OF:4COMiIiarCOCNCILMAIN I4)R ALDERIBOATR WARD. of the inhabitants of the ward purpose of electing a tn of D. Kay, Esq. de- Chair, and opened the speeds, !r. IYalton as a can ward, took the occa , pay the memory of their late esteemed representative, Mr. Kay, who had been cut off by an apopletic fit. The speaker represented Mr. Walton ass gentleman of constitutional principles, and one who, as an advocate of retrenchment, was highly tit for the situation. The speaker called upon the ward to give the gentleman a trial until the nest St. Thomas's Day, when Ise would render up his accounts. Alr.Smyrit seconded the nomination. Mr. WELLS said, he felt himself imperiously called upon to make a stand for the independence of the ward, by putting in nomination a man who was known as a friend to freedom and of genuine constitutional princi ples. les the course of his speech he took occasion to Animadvert upon the monstrous combination v.hich, he 4sitl, was forming to destroy the liberty of the press. The e‘istenee of such an inquisitorial rombination, he considered a disgrace to the country. Ile was led into these observations by seeing one of their fellow inha bitants present, un whom this mushroom society had en deavoured to lay their fangs. Ile concluded by putting Mr. J. Diggens in nomination, as a man well worthy of their choice. Mr. C. Coanott.o said he should not perform his duty as a citizen, and as a friend to the independence of the warsl, if he were to abstain from supporting Mr. Diggens wbbsis he bad known intimately fur the last *22 years as a man of independent principles. Such men were valna able In ibises like these, when ultra-loyalists were com bining to destroy every thing that was dear to them as men and citizens. The show of bands being taken, was declared to be in favour of Mr. Digger's. Upon this declaration Mr. WALTON said, that he had been put forward by his friends, and after the show which hail been made, he would not agitate the Ward by entering into a contest, therefore he would decline opening the poll. Several friends of Mr. Walton resisted Isis resigna tion, and by their advice Ise waa inrlnced to rescind Isis sleclaratoilsel .• For Mr. Walton, fies-4tr. Diggen* 42—Majority for Mr. Walton, 21. BRIDGE-STREET' ASSOCIATION. MassioN-Hocsa.—Yesterday Mr. PARKINS, the Ex- Sheriff, waited upon the Loan Mavon at the Justice Room, as his Lordship was perforating the public choirs of the day, and stated that lie had an application to niake to hini of the most serious nature. Mr. PARKINS stated, that himself and other citizens had obtained the know ledge, and had seen at ith alarm, the growth of a mon strous Association, which he had from it.: origin con ceived to be illegal; and petceiving its growth to as snow a most dangerous character, he had sonic days since taken the opinion of Mr. Thrackrav, a barrister of considerable research, who at once declaied it to be an Association contrary to the Statutes, and in fact con trary to the Common law of the land. Two lawyers of great learning had since this spoken of the Association in question in the House of Commons, but it was not until Monday last that one of them had described it as an illegal combination within the Statute. Seeing that the combination was increasing, he thought it his duty, as a subject and as a citizen, to apply to his Lordship for warrants to apprehend the most active Members of the Confederacy, that the penalty of the law might be visited upon them, and that by the examples made of the ring-leaders, ignorant persons might be eantioned against being entrapped into an Association, which they would tind to their surprise to be both illegal and unconstitu tional. He farther stated, that it was for the want of mature arrangement, and not from any doubt as to the illegality of the combination, that he bad not made a ntoch earlier application to his Lord ship to put the law is force in a summary man ner agaiust the Confederacy, which bad assumed the name of the " Constitutional Association." lie had, he said, upon the present occasion, retained the Learned Counsel, who would state to his Lordship the grounds of the applicatioa. Mr. Titles's! said. Ise grounded the application for warrants to apprehend the individuals as being Mem bers of an Association under the Act of the 39th of Om the 3d, cap. 69, sec. 2, against illegal associations. There were three points upon which he founded the application against the body complained of. The first was as being contrary to the Act, in setting forth, s ubscribing to, and publishing a declarati on not re quired by law, and which had not been registered at the office of the Clerk of the Peace in the manner or form required or directed by that statute. The second point upon Which the application was founded was , th at the Association formed part of a branch Society as for bidden by, and within the intent of the Act. Upon this point lie cited the declaration of. the Society, to which it was stated that it had been determined "to I adopt a system of correspondence with those members I who live at a distance, and with such Associations as I may be willing to co-operate in promoting the same ob jects,"lke. The third point upon which he proceeded was, that the parties against whom they applied for' I warrants, formed a portion of a Society, the whole of whose names are not known to the Society at large. He read over the names of several anonymous correspon dents—Nil desperandinos pro liege et Lee. P.J.P. r. Sic. kc. He argued upou the above points, and com ments' epos the Section of the Act, which is to the following eifect:—" And every Society, the members whereof shall take, or in any manner bind themselves by say oath or engagement, on becoming, and in consequence of being members of such Society, and every Society. the members whereof shall take, subscribe, or smut to, any . test or declaration, not required by law, or not authorised is any manner herein after mentioned, and every Society, of which the names of the members, or any of them, shall be kept secret from the Society at large, or which shill bate any Consopittee, so chosen or appointed, that -...r• i TilE S T MA . sure they must be fatal either to his Hill. ar {he evils • by their pease of the kingdom, We see distinctly sad gesdeg . tnigb preriste the fall value of inculcating among the and the Sovereign bosom* .___.,_, __-_—• .- r..... ...te•esita la time Over the boort:sof his ouitii to the WO are The Poor Laws which were designed for the relief and benefit of the public generally, us well as of that particular class from whom they derive their name, have become the occasion of such numerous and in toierablo abases, that we do not wonder at the attempts that are made from time to time to rectify them. We are aware that they are often perverted from their original purpose, both by those who have recourse to them, and by those who have their management.— We are conscious, too, from this mismanagement they Dila to relax that reliance upon self-exertion and eco non which every one in narrow circumstances ought to cultivate; and encourage an improvident de pendance on external aid. But though the poor may thus he made to multiply " from what they feed on," there are other circumstances that have combined to cause the great increase of paupers that is now tiee subject of general complaint ; and eircunsetasaces that are independent of the poor and of the system. The feet is, the country is involved in distress by excessive taxation, and if instead of diminishing the weight of this, attempts are made to relieve one part of society by the depression of another, the greatest confusion and mischief must ensue. We, therefore, not long sluice, expressed oar wish that the countr y would de-I liberate upon the nature and tendency of the measure lately introduced into Parliament with a view to the amendment of the Poor Laws; and this we did from a conviction that its provisions would be found inadm grate to the end proposed, and its operation' pernicioel to many districts of the country it professed to relieve. We are happy to find that the attention of the public in such party of the country as those to which we re ferred, had begun to be aroused; and we willingly give place to the reflections it has occasioned. The fol lowing are from a large manufacturing city—the city of Nnrwie!s." The momentous subject of the Poor Laws is again about to come under discussion, and the few princi ples involved in Mr. Searlett's Bill will probably bring on a general examination. The measure in con templation is so palpably absurd and the consequences to he apprehended so dreadful to the individual and PO mischievous to society, that we cannot persuade ourselves the House will consent to the adoption of an experiment which ought to have for its preamble,l " a Worm, for the promotion of suicide, rapine, and rebellion." Mr. Scarlett proposes to enact—first, that no sum of greater atnount than the rate of a year (probably the last) to be named, shall in future be levied on any place ; and secondly that no single able bodied man shall be entitled to obtain relief. Ily such propositions it appears to us that the lion. blember has not eoateinplated in their proper light either the causes or the effects, for he treats pauperism as if it were created by wilful idleness, not by desti tution of employasent. Now the cause, the great pre vailing cause which constitutes the rule, is not wilful idleness, but the falling away of work either from tem prirary or Listing mutations in the state of society. The entire occupations of a manufacturing town are often stopped for a time, and for a long time, by a sudden decrease of demand, by a change from peace to n ar, orleivo permanently by the caprice of fashion. as has been seen in the buckle and buttou making traees. Even in agriculture something approaching to this stoppage is of recent occurrence. The labours of rural industry are palsied by agricultural depression, and that steration which formerly was peculiar to mann• facture is now felt by country labourers. Without advocating natural rights, we may safely aver that a man mas t a nd will be (ed_whitever may be the penenee. hunger. (that will " break through stone Bails.") will set it at definite; and where sustenance cannot be obtained honeetly, there is the strongest resson to be assured that it will be obtained disho nestly or forcefully. We will then suppose the case of a young strong healthy man, (and it is one which is not far sought,) who Las no work and no relief. It is now pretty well agreed, and indeed proved by the rates levied—that al ;lost every parish is overstocked with labourers. — This young man proceeds for three days from place to place and finds neither work nor food. What will he do? out /se do f Steal. lie has no other alternative, and there cannot remain the shadow ofa doubt upon any man's mind, that tare sudden increase of theft and vio leece would be tremendous upon the immediate passing Searlett's Bill. We may now carry the same reasoning into a large manufacturing town or district, like Manchester, Glasgow, or Birmingham. A sudden decrease of de mand (which has constantly happened) throws from IMMO to 100,04)0 persons out of etnployment, and leaves them actually without the means of sustaining life for a week. The parish officer is denied the power of raising a sum beyond an amount greatly below the necresity of the case, for their relief. What can be expected from the dire necessities of such starving lumbers ?—What but insurrection, and insurrectio; • too for the mere purposes of plunder. They can have ne a lternative but to pledge their scanty provision of clothes or furniture, and then lay down an-I die. Has it not been seen repeatedly, over the whole kingdom. that subscriptions to an immense am unt have been re • quialte to support nature, even under the present pro . • vision% of the law? How then is it possible to take atiay•the existing statutes that alone furnish the means of life th such multitudes, without some regulation to adjust the degrees of the senorinetee change to be brought about in society ? The weft mug (Mude of the sums raised for the poor-rates is in Itself a proof that the law cannot with safety to society be %sullenlyl l or violently altered, and also that, whenever ate eaten-' sive alteration is planned, as equivalent in the shape of employment must be included in the design. Nothing can be clearer than the fact, that for whatever portion of the rate abrogated, employment wiestin some shape be substituted, and we think nothing can be more, certain than that it isisepossible for the paupers them selves to fled immediate employment. 'I he workhouses wneld therefore only empty themselves into the jails, which would also be encumbered by a vast proportion Girdle population, now just preserved from actin crime by an influence fatal in its tendency indeed, bat not se directly nor so imperatively destructive of all moral consiaetations as the principle bfr. Scarlett's 31s11 must necessarily briag latiforce. It will probably be said that them objections lie so completely open the sedum, they cannot but have met lir. %erten ° , , and consequently are &Med by him to be of ev e ns. It may be so. But we appreriat _ pour a prudential regard to fntnre adversity its time of prosperity, and of thusenabling theinduotrione man to lay up a provision during the brighter honrs of health and employment, against the days of sickness- or idleness. But a mere declaratory lzyr ip c u r Neithe r ! propagate nor enforce this salutary p ri 44 tom es"', lion and care. Neither caw it ever bt brae& iota action, except by the gradual operationW a steady contemplation of its known results wilier favourable circumstances. The time is now most entirely unpro pitious to such an experiment, except it be (as we con tend it must be) coupled with a national scheme of em ployment. At this moment, when the contraction of demand so heavily felt is likely to be pnshed still far ther by the reduction of every man's income, and when as an inevitable consequence of that contraction the labourer most be thrown out of employment, it is surely no time to augment the pressure upon the indus trious orders. Let Mr. Scarlett compute the compara tive numbers of the provided and the unprovideil, and we thinkfte can but dread the effects of turning so prodigious a proportion of society loose upon the rest, an without As means of obtaiiting food, raiment, or shelter. an look calmly upon suits of each chyme, his nerves than those *most retiring men , inapt however entertain is project, it Is the consummation of that di first infatuates and at last ilestroys a FORi/ 11 GAr The Appendix to the Report of the House of Lords' Committee, on the means of extending and securing the Foreign Trade of the 'pantry, is now ready fur delivery. It consists of upwards of 250 pages. Much of the first portion of the Appendix is taken up with details of the " East India Company's endeavours to settle, a•id prosecute trade in the Eastern Islands and other countries with China," &c. which, bring founded on " early records," trace the history of these transactions to 1601. Under the heal of Cischiss-China, there is a long and singular narrative of Mr. Chapman's mission thither, by command of Warren Hastings, Esq. Mr. C. return ing with two Mandarins of Cochin-China, whonemcci dent had brought to Bengal in Intl. 'I he narrative is accompanied with a sketch of the geography of the country, and some particulars of the 'nonusers, customs and history of the inhabitants. It is a most enter taining, and, indeed, a valuable document. It is fol lowed by the report of Mr. Roberts's unsuccessful mission to China, in 1793. Appendix E. gives a series of instances or disputes arising from the intercourse of British Sailors with the Chinese, from 1772 to the present time. Some of these have alrtatly been noticed ; but we cannot omit repeating the information contained in the following paragraph t—ln 1904, the attention of the Conrt was called to the long established practice of permitting the seamen of the Company's ships to spend three days ashore at Canton, " where they are exposed to Onset practised by the Chinese of mixing their lk ) goon, with ingredients of on irritating and a mirk dening effect,. causing a state of inebriety more fere' cious than diat occasioned . by any other spirit, and leading to 'Vous scenes of the greatest enormity, and which tend to keep alive in the minds of the Chinese the most unfavourable opinion of our character." The Appendix likewise contains the Correspondence between the Directors and Mr. Canning on the part of the India Boar& "on the necessity ofsimante relaxation of the Company's monopoly of the China trade." " Af ter the experience," says Mr. Canning, May 17, 1020, " of five years of peace, his Majesty's Ministers are of opinion that in the present state of commercial con cerns in this country, it is adviseable to permit British vessels to return from ports and places within the limits of the Company's Charter to any country in foreign Europe, without touching at a British port ; and they intend to propose to Parliament a Bill for this object. Under such a permission, British subjects will be at liberty to brine to foreign linrope the commodities of India and those of China, with the exception of tea. — This permission it is in the discretion of Parliament to grant, without any violation of the compact with the Company; but it is not to be denied that tea would be a most desirable article of traffic to those who are likely to engage in the new trade." It will be recollected that at the conclusion of the Report, it was stated by the Committee that they bad been informed by such Mem b.irs of the Committee as were connected with his Ma jesty's Bovernment, that a Bfll was prepared to be submitted to Parliament, in the course of last Session. " for extending the private trade between Intlia and foreign Europe :" and that such Bill was only post poned in consequence of the inquiries depending, con , I nected with Asiatic commerce. in a=alawan===lo POR TUG URS E MEETING. A Meeting of the Portuguese residents in London was held (as stated in yesterday's paper) at tin City of London Tavern, on Monday, for the purpose of voting an address of congratulation to Zbe general ex traordinary Cortes of the Portuguese nation, and to the King. Nearly the whole of the Portuguese re sidents were present. At one o'clock the chair was taken by J. F. Pinto, Egg.; and A. J. Freire Marreco, Req. was appointed honorary secretary to the meeting. In proposing the addresses, several of the gentlemen present delivei ell their sentiments on the great re volution their country had recently experienced, with much feeling and manly eloquence. We regret that our limits preclude even a short transcript of their speeches. In the address to the Cortes, which was voted with entire unanimity, we noticed many striking passagts. but nose more so than an allusion to the alienation of their rights and liberties, which had been wrested from them above a century, but which to them was more bitter than to the rest a their countrymen, from their residence among a free people, whose proud station they were in the daily habit of contrasting with their ow■ fallen con dition. But they now, rescued from so long a political death, ventured to raise their oppressed beads, and to place them on a level with those from whom they re ceived the rites of hospitality. In their address to the King. which was also voted unaninimisly, they claim the merit of having, with all doe humility. laid their repeated representations at the foot of the throne, of food, raiment, or Yesterday a wardmote of the inhal n the practical re - of Aldersgate was lwld for the purl are far stronger Common Coaocilman its the room ol i. Shoold ' Paribak4gra‘ed...—Al C i f% took the Chi we *ball Zdri#lllishiess of IN; la alt o ppiae lispensatio ich Mr. Piet**, in rising propose M nation," didate fur the representation of the o II sion to pay a tribute of respect to tli • - ._....~. /.- i I . • the members egestitetinglt sh ft be knewatolijoet a a, at large to be • f retch j 'neinsittee, et ha d, or which shall have any Pres! dent, Treasurer, Secretair, Delegate, or other officer, sod hoses or appointed. that tfie election or appointment of suck persons to such °Sere shall not be known to the f society at largt. Or of which the names of all the members of all the Committees or Select Bodies shall net be entered in a book or books, to be open to the insl.ection of all the Members of such Society, and sever Society which shall be composed of differe•Jt divisions or breeches, or of nt parts 'titling in any manner separately. fit distinct from er.ch other, or of which any part shall 111ne a distinct P resident, Secretary, Treasure, Delisßote, or other Vfficer elected or appointed by su ch other part, to act as an officer for such other part, shall be seemed and Vasco to be unlawful combinations zed cons ; f.nd every person or persons, who, from and the passing of this Act, shall afterwards net a s members ereof, and eiery person, who from and after the passing• of this Act shall directly or indirectly main. tain correspondence or Intercourse with any such S O . cietw, or with any division, branch, Cionalltet, of other elect body, Presldent, ice. or who shall, byttontribetiaa of money or otherwise, aid or abet or support such ea. defy, shall be deemed guilty of an unlawful combination and confederacy." The Act further goes on to authorial/ the Magistrate to proceed in &seminary manner maim each member, and upon proof on oath. to convict % her in the penalty 0f20f., and in defeeh of paym en t t , • three months imprisonment in the common p s i or house of correction. The Learned Counsel submitted that the Association in question was directly is hes s f this statute. and indeed against the MUMS law. He could offer much more, but he trusted that shit b e h ad already stated would be fully sufficient for their risen purr{ The LORD 31ATOR put it, whether the Act cited ; . was not of a temporary nature against ,partintlar So c i et i es existing_at the time of the enactment. Mr. TIIACILRAT submitted, that it was not by any means ore temporary nature, and that the worilsof the Act particularly directed it against each Associations as that complained of, which, he contended, ender themask and appearance of a Constitutional Society, was mere dangerous to the wellbeing, and more likely mutually to overturn the Constitution and the established liner,- men?, than any whose avowed objects were directly hostile to the tiovernment. Theesceptions oldie Art, in favour of slid' Societies as were confined to "religiose and charitable purposes only," confirmed the obvious obstruction which he contended for. The LORD MAYOR said, that as the matter was one in which there was some nicety of legal consti action, and one which was of the most serious importance, lie should take care to deliberate and consult the Legal Authoti• ties, before he decided upon any measures which might affect the liberty of individuals. The parties then left the office, on the nmierstandiag that thee are to receive an answer on a future day. CONSTITUTIONAL ASSOCIATION. The following circnmstances are stated by Mr. King, of Chancery Lane, in two of the papers of this morning, in consequence of having read in them that an indictment had been preferred againt bins be fore a Middlesex Brand Jury for the sale of the " Dictionary."—" Without wishing to cast any reflection on other renders of political writings, I may be allowed to say, that during the last few years of un precedented political proseeitien, I have been ex. tremely cautious what publications I retailed. My principal business is that of wewsomedieg. Os* 16th of May last a respectable looking youth called in at my shop in Chancery-lane, maigalandisse bra isey of the Political Dictionary. I told him that I' had not got it ; on which be particularly mooned that I would procure one, and be would call 'pis for it in the course of the day; which I connoted to do, being at that time utterly igaerant of the existence of such a work, excepting from the advertisement in the public papers. He called a scrod time the same more ing, and I promised to get him a copy in the evening. accordingly purchased a copy, and at five o'clock be called a third time and paid fur it. My wife informed me that on the following morning be repeated his visit in my absence, and asked for a second copy, which she told him she could not give bin, as she had not one in the shop. " On Sunday last I received the first intimation of the indictment from the columns of the John Bide newspaper, and that the Brand Jury had rejected it.— I went irotnetliately on Monday to the Crown-office with my solicitor, Mr. Hayward, of Tooke's-court, where on inspecting the indictment, I discovered it was for the sale of the " Political Dictionary," with the name of Homan Orton endorsed on the back of the parchment as the only witness. Being satisfied that this Horatio Orton was the kind customer who purchased of me the only copy of that work which I had sold, I yes terday went to the office of the " Constitutional So ciety," in Bridge-street, accompanied by Mr. Hayward; and identified a clerk in the office as the person who had bought the work of me, and who admitted that he did so, aml that he was Horatio Orton whose name was endorsed on the back of the indictment. Mr. Hay ward asked Mr. Horatio Orton whether, as his sane was the only one on the indictment, he was the pro' tutor; to which he , answered, "Certainly not." Hayward them inquired who was the prosecutor, glidt he refuted to answer. " I shall offer no moment on Os ransaction, 6t.c. •LIMJIN The Lords ConinsiOeners Ilia Majesty' s Trete. slaty have been ba , their warran t, to extend the provisions of tie Act of 43 Oeo. 111. esp. in, for warehousing and bonding wines , sp irits, naval stores, Sac. &c. to the port of Bideford ; many of the respec table merchants are therefore busily emplord I°6l' ing up capacious cellars and warehouses. in order to avail themselves of the benefit of this privilege. Four men are in custody fur a burglary committed in Dr. Plgott's house, at blereworth, in Keet, on the 15th of last month. It appears they went armed with a brace of pistols loaded with ball, and that use of them waited without, %Odle the others entered the house, from which they took a q uantit y of gold sad slyer coins, several shirts and silk handkerchiefs, two pair of brass barrelled pistols , two watches, awl ether articles. After the rubbery, when they arrived at Oravesend, they quarrelled respecting which road they should take, and separated. On their arrival in don, they sold the coins and watches to a Jew for s mu between 501. and W.; the coats and shirts they laid up in a wood near the Vigo pablic-house, is the neighbourhood of itieopliam. , Their resent for these articles led to their detectio n. Sonic in of the ropbbery' a rties are suspected to have been concerned ithe of Dr. Willis's home at Wateringbery. the g ri of last year. and of a watchtnakers house at Vag in Essex, daring last winter. 'NW Zdir. I I I