The National Register. — London, England, 1819-12-13 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER MEETING. Of. Wednesday, about 50(./0 of the inhabitants of Westminster asses bled at Covent-Garden in pursuance of the Rt•gitisition, upon the subject of he Bilk pending in Parliament, for the Abridgement of the Liberties of site Subject. A stage was erected near Richardson's lintel. Before one co clock there arrived at the Hotel, Lord Althorpe, Lord Nugent, Sir Francis Burdett, Mr. Lainbton, tlr Linthe, Mr. Douglas Kinnaird, Mr. flobhouse, Mr. Fish, Mr. Bowie, Mi. Sturch, and Mr. Wishart. The High Bailiff, in stating that he had called the Meeting in consequence of a Requisition signed by many of the respectable inhabitants of Westminster, declared, that the Meeting should he conducted upon the principle acted upon by Counties, and by the City of London, namely, that no person was to address the people who was not an inhabitant Householder of Westminster. Sir Francis Bartlett came forward. He could not, he said, help expressing his astonishment at the doc trine laid down by the Malt Bailiff fur the prevention of that impartial mode of discussion to which West minster was aecusttunit.l. Whatever might be the practice of the City of I.ondon, and of the Counties, it was always a rule with the inhabitants of Westminster to give to all their fellow-subjects an opportunity of addressing thesis upon questions wh ch equally inter ested all (applanse,) and never to exercise any commit' over the liberty of speech, except that which necessarily spiting from the weariness occasioned by uninsportant matter. All that was asked by them was a clear stage, and no favour. ( ipplause.) Having thus protested against the new doctrine of the High Bailiff, he said he should address the Meeting upon the subject of the measures in Parliament, which they were called. together to discuss, but how to address them, or what to address to them, was, in the strange, unexampled situation in which she Country now stood, a matter of great diffi culty indeed. To speak truly was hivlsly dangerous— to speak falsely, impossible. (Loud applause.) This was a new era in the English annals. It now appeared that what was apprehended and protested against by she wisest men, was to be fullfilled. Whets those it Is were once passed, a system of Government would be established, such as never was contemplated by our fiarefathers—such as would require the patience of Job to endure, and demand a powerful resistance from the good sense of the people, acting legally and constitu tionally, to prevent the exercise of a power which must he regarded with horror by every honest 111311. (Applause) The Btlls in Parliament trenched upon those prescriii. tive and inalienable ri.!hts which the people time im memorial exercised. Tire rt4ht of the public to meet was a right of Nalare, and not arising front any system of human government. God hail trivet' to the people the power to 111111 l unicate with each other, and sanc tioned that communication. Of this right, derived as it was from Nature and Reason, he was jealous and would not give up an ieres. (Great applause.) Never, since Ea d ,land was England, was there greater occasion than now existed Mr tine general exercise of that right. The Press iris said to require a check—without the operation of those 11111 s the Press could by no means lie considered unshackled. The power already exercised by the Attortiev-General was more than sufficient to curb, lie could not call it die licentiousness of the Press, but its free spirit; a spirit which, irthia opinion, should be reliet ed flOlll all interference by such an authority All the other ine.eatres were an itaringturteut upon the Rights of the People, and formed a code of despotic power giving legality io acts .s itch never, in his opmioti *mild be couteun , dated, as Itavt:ig the colour of colisti tutional law. %Vitt' respect to the permanency of the measures, tie looked with indiriereuee upon that point. lie was careless whether they were der:laird by Minis ters to be for five years or for ever. The declaration of a limited period could not reconcile any man, who was capable of thinking,. to a mischief so deplorable, to a grievance which proved the existence of a power imle pendent of the people, which could make that perma nent, the ()perianth' of which was eirettitiscrilwd. and enable the Alawitaistratiois to laugh at the credulity of those whoexpeeted political redemption at the expira tion o f the stated term.—(Applause.)—There was one Bill worse. if possible, than all the rest. it was diet which wealt to contravene the established principle that said " that an Englishman's house was his castle." The violation of this great maxim was to be found M the power of searching for arms, a pretesice, ler which, at the option of spies and informers. the house of indi vithuls could 1w entered and ransacked by day and by slight. The people west empowered by all Laws to be armed. At toe present moment it was. more than ever their right for the necessity of protecting themselves, which was nothing strut of self preservation; besides, were they not liable in beater! upon for constitutional purposes, :o take arms in their hands. Those who k new what had occurred its !retain, nest see the melancholy effects oh the system there ; but he trusted that the No blemen and G.eit lemon of England woubl raise their voices in time against the prooess of this effort of Nilo isters--(Cries of They won't allow time.")—lt was true, they were in a hurry, and would not allow time, and it was toe more remarkable. as there now existed Ito pretence far au invasion upon liberty--ail that had been c 1111 l olaiased of was over.—The storm. if there was any storm, and tile burry, if there was any hurry, were pone by, and then canoe forward Nliiiiaers when prew• t og danger was at an end, melt she determination to ruck the Consitioi 111 l without giviaug the people time to twee mete abhorrence, a language whirls would upon such feet nr tittered from one end of the kingdom 10 the aver—(Great applause). Bust though there was not time to complain with an uniseisal %owe, s ill the people astiAttt meet for a repeal of those IIIeaSIIIVS, and for a restos...iota of the Constitiatiota as it stood, adoption limited as it was, at this day. The nt .samit principle to meet the evil would at this crisis he of rerausount necessity. All variances of a pi- THE NATIONAL REGISTER. vate nature shouhl be lost between individuals. and the nation should unite in that one powerful object of procuring a representation in the IitItISC of Commons tint stouter the count sot of Ministers, Its t xereising a coutroal oyer them. It wit to be hoped that nn person would pot forward his political creed :is a ground for refusing to co-operate; anti if there were any honest persons who felt alarm the did lint mean productive, Ministerial alarm, but the alarm likely to arise in the mind of any good inalt,evrn at the idea of a change from had to good), the support of such men Witold be a lOW illllllllalion devoutly to be wished. Without specif) mg any particular plan of !tenet'', lie thought all hottest minds would come to this conclusion, that such an effectual Reform was nevessary as would destroy the intimacy between the adrunistration and the majority of the House of Commons, put an end to the rotten bn. rough representations, and place men in Parliament, who, front their number and the limited period for which they could be elected, would be beyond the possi lity of corrupdifil. Tile') would the [iglus of the people be contended for without fear, and that to which all were entitled would be the property of all.—(Great ap plause )—lf the eitd.could be liblJltied the means new a secondary consideraiteni and if a vigilant guard could be set up in the House of Commons upon the public purse and public interests, the selection of those who were calculated 10 be instrumental ottalit most to- be a matter of scrupulous inrestigatitm. Sone might to be excluded from. co-operating but those guilty of apostacy, and of supposing principks its their very it' re hostile to the welfare of the public; and all honest men, al though they might nut exactly coincide in political views with the great body of the people, sl Id be held as brothers. (Immense applause.) The first rudiments of tyranny were, " divide and. subjugate." Ministers, lie olkierf eil, acting upon ant great rule, endeavoured to set the Reformers at loggerheads, by snaking distinctions of an invidious nature, and throwing the apple of discord among them by the applicatioti of a statue ' but the maxim igloo wnich the peopl e would cuntettd against them was " unite and be free." The officers of the crown, and the would-be Akers of the crown, had de clared that notorious assembla , es of the people were illegal. If' that was true, the rriends he addressed were all liable to be treated as were their fellow-sub j eels in Manchester, where, he beteved, iii his conscience, the meeting was not an atom more tumultuous nor less peaceable than the present assembly until it wasattacked by the military. Tins he was led to believe, upon the evidence of thoye whose veracity lie would not put in comparisou with that of Ministers, who had c 1111 l C lib the resolution of approving the acts of the Magistrates with out inquiry—and why had they done sot In support of their own power.—The purple might meet atmut Corn Bills, and commit violence upon the property of manu facturer% to whom their distresses were in their judg ment imputable, without calling forth the resentment of the administration; but wisest they put their finger upon the sure r and complained of the corruption of the borough-inciargering system, then it was that Ministers said—" OM now you are guilty of High Treason!"--. (Cheers, and cries of Shame.) ." I, then," ezciditurtl the Honourable Baronet, " pro: aim myself guilty of I igh Treason, if to oppose the syssem of rotten boroughs be high Treason. I shall always opixose those Gentle men who encroach upon the public rights with all lily might. I owe them no allegiance, atul *lull for ever meet them with hostility. I should be a traitor to the roust' won and to the people if 1 dill not commit this treason to the borough-monger sysiens."—The Bart. then compared aftiiiitaistration to certain tweets which were very near-sighted, but were furnished with what was called feelers, which they thrust out beyond their noses, because they could not see farther than thew noses to ascertain whether there was ally opposition to their progress. Ministers put forth doctrines to see whe ther the people would be disgusted, and if them was nn powerful emotion they became holder, and proceeded to action. The worthy Baronet cone:titled with expressing hope. that the people would set up a constitutional harrier against those feelers. He should, to the hest of his power, act for the service of the public, hut he would at the sane time declare, that if he saw they were acting not in confor eee i t y with the principles of the Con stitution, and engaging is wild projects, he should be as far front flattering as betraying them. Mr. Lamb stepped forward, I fly applauded. The pleasure he felt at seeing his constituents was, he said, somewhat depreteed by the apprehension they were to meet tin more upon the same terms. The only embar rassment he felt arose from the warmth of his feelifigs, and feelings were the only things that were warm on such a day. The measures they reprobated were, in his m • • , not worse than thatfrom which they originated, .he refusal to institute inquiry into the outrage which had given rise to the discontent that existed. Man chester Magi rites were convicted by the refusal, fur every one knew that it could not lead to their justifica tion. The only plea set up for the Nlagistrates was, that they were in trepidation and alarm. If that was the case, they were surely unfit for their situations; but what were the people to think of the thanks of Govern ment to men influenced by such motive's?—There was a story of a captiv:, whose truly auto-semi-tit was number tug the links of bis chain. 'Vise people of this country were not yet in that situation, and he masted they would prevent the gaoler from ravening on their bolts. They were told that the regulations were adopted for the pur. pose of promoting free discussion. No doubt it was the kind intention of Give ent to assist in such an ob ject, and the people were as grateful to Metal as a omit would be opens bilVing a gag put upon his mouth, and being told, **Now you may say what you like."— ' (Laughter awl applause.) Air Ilouhouse then presented himself to the meeting, Ist universal applause. lie commenced his address by stating, that he held in his hand Resolutions which he should have the honour of submitting to the turtling, and upon which would be founded a petition so the House of Cumulous. The Resolutions he had to pro. DEC. 13 pose would speak• fur themselves , and he should now hair the honour of submitting 11 1 , 111.—(Shouts.) 1. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the refusal too institute any Parliazuentery or adequate enquity into the late lanientabk occurrences at 51anelicaer is highly unjust and. &c. Y. That the law proposed for restricting popular assemblies is contrary to the free lorwtitution of these realms.. 3. That the law now proposed against the liberty of the press is in total opposition to the principles and practice of the Constittmon—and tha► the proposed increased severity of puoisliment fur libel is unjust, and a violation of the Bill of Rights. 4. the law now proposed for search for and seizing of arms by day or by night, is also against the acknowletlged rights of English subjects. S. That the lax now proposed to take away the right of Ira. voising from the defendants in cases of misdemeanour, is also contrary to the free spirit of the Constitution, and to the common law of• the land. 6. That the law now prop9sed to prevent drilling and training is called fig by noestablished facts. That without a due reform in the Commons Ifoure the propercontidence between the governors and the governed newer can be restored. 8. That a petition finintled on die above resolutions he pre pared, and that our Representative. Sir Francis Burdett, b.: instructeil to present the sanie to the House of Commons. 9. That the thanks of this meeting are due, and are hereby given to the minorities of both Houses of Parliament (ammo which we are heppy to observe the names of both the members for Westminster) tisr their present o r position to the proposed arbitrary measures of the Government. ui. That notwithstanding . this fleeting is by no means u m grateful tor, or in sens ibl e t o . the eittr.ions made by Moat mem bers of both [louses of Parliament wdo have opposed the Bills now in progre s, yet it thinks itself solemnly called upon to restommend all those members, in case the said Bills should pass, to witostraw their attendance trona Parliament. I 1. That this 'meting consider their thanks, and tl , sse of the whole country, to be justly due, and their thanks are hereby most cordially given to Sir Francis Burdett, for his manly and con stitutional speech upon the hue Address, and that this meeting do regard die State Prosecution now vending over hills, as ano. they evidence of the designs of ministers. and consider that it should be an additional itiotivefor the attachment of the Elector of Westminster to their worthy Representative. 14. That the thanks of this niteung be given to Arthur Nforris, Esq. High Bailiff, for his readiness in culling toe present 'muting, and foe his impartial conduct in the Chair ibis day. NIG Douglas Kinnaird thin Flood forward, amidst warm greetings it the assembled multitude. The Meeting hal, he observed, given their solemn protest against the hills, so rapid in 'licit comae through Par liament. lie had one Resolution to propose, withous taking up much ocetip.mun of tame, which was, " that the Tuanks of the Nleviing be giver. to Sir Francis Borden, lor his manly and constitutional ,peech, in 95. posing the Address to site Prince Regent. and for his Anis in the cause which had subjected him to the pro. secution of the Attorney General." ifec.—(Applause The High Bailiff then adjourned the Meeting. FROM SArtraaar NIGHT'S GAZSTTZ. BANKRUPTCIES ENLARGED. E. Carter, Bristol, cheese factor, from Dec. 111 to Feb. 5. W. Eames, Haymarket, borer dealer, from Dec. VS 1 Jas. la SUPiaIiEDED: J. Lonighurbt, Kgiwu, Hythe. Surrty, btuklea ti.tAKlil;rlN Lincoln. St. James ;.;% ; estaune ler, hatter. Solicitur,. Mr. Grosvenor. Gray . . G. Pulioyn,i'ork.uotn draper. Sots. lettrb. Windle, Per kins, anti I. raioptuni 6111'61mi. J. Wiluxit and N. limp+, Manchester , woollen cord want,- facturtsw Suls. Aleatni. WAIL. cuigke, mad %lawn, 11 arniont Court. .1 Viper, Bath, budder. Sol. M. Yousg, Charlotte Row, 11141bitua H (Mac. J. t% iekt, oruhlleworth, Yock, clothier. Sol. Mc. Battyr, COanevry Lace. W . 1 / 4 :tuule, Arundel, Sussex. innkeeper- Soles Niebars. anc i. recanan. street. J. Dumas, kuaat, scattier's,. timber merchant. Sots. 'Alvan!. Price. V 1 Wiwi., and N bile. Lincoln's Inn. J. ii.tratum, eurt,l.lout...taivcru keeper. Sol. Mr. Alexander, CarctStrert. J:King, Pinnies, builder. Sol. Mr. Alexander, Carey Street. J. P. Hutchins.n, /Lingstou upon Hull, wl itesmttlt. Sol. Mr. Ilax, Staple Inn. S. Wearer, Birmingham. sod A. and J. Walker, Philadelphia, North America, merchants. BAL Slash.. swain, Stevens, Ma. pia. Pewee. and Hun t (Ed Jewry. A. Lower Last Smithfield. victualler. Sul. Mr. Glynes, Burr atrmt, Last Sutidieki. J. Cliksbly. llunaister. York. joiner. Sots- Jlessrs. worth &LAI Crossiey.GLl's E. 'l4lm, Overton. Noutliassytam..shopkeeper. Sins. Messrs. Palmier and Friulcv, lialturd Mow.. J. Wheatl4 . Nuitifigllalu. lace ularialactrarr. Sol. Mr. TI.J miss, Barnard D lan. J. stepiitus. Strevt. Oxford !loud. bout maker. Sol. Clemon's Inn. W. It. tralf;rd. Green. Eases, victualler. Soli. 51e.bro. Evut and kixon. Haydon Stiaare, Mtnories. J. Manners, Lid,, York, grocer. Suls. Messrs. Adlington sod Gregory, Bedford Bow. J. Ktb.l.l, itarguley. Cheshire, corn dealer. Sole. Messrs. Adlington and Gregory, &Atom Row. J. 'l. Grucou, &dhoti. LAlOCAblillt. liquor merchant. Sol. Mr. Browouog. Gr..y's Inn. .. .. .. DIVIDENDS. Jan. et, W. Kent, High-liolborn. stationer-1, J. and D. Bn •e, Ingram-Court. merchant.-3, Rob , on. Brixton. Sung, Cattle I:ealer-4, J. Edt. mu, Liverpool, brationer 8, It. Yer, Kingston upon Hull, m. re: amt.-4. T. Parkinson. sent. Seanby, Lincoln. r. Parkinson. Juttr. king.. on upon Hull. wirl .1. I.illy, Scuicturtes, York, r..rt mereharit,— 4, JODells LlVerpolll. (:. DAVISOII. and W. Loosden, Silver Street, Wood bin:et, colour 114111itit..cturet.—t. S. Hicoardson. Nicholaur Lime, 1.-inhanl Street, merchant-3, C- 'l'. Baker, Alarlboronigh, Wilt..., linen draper. I. IiItTIFICATES to he granted Jan. 1. J. G. Jones. Mark Late, corn factor—M. and G. J. Rees. Donate 11141, merchant.-- W. Umatilla/id, Nl:tech:A:ld, currier J. 11. Orme. Liverpool, etoun,on bre% ‘r-.-.1 J. IV., t. Rattle ilit;hwJy..urgcou—A. Barton.. N iswl. it tima, C. 1.. Spina, Camberwell, merchant—T. Sked, J. Ituwky, C. Gartercr. Liniellouw. timber suereturnts—T.llartlir4. Cornwall. `tuner. A guinea tit the reign of I.:award IV. was lately found amidst some old ruins, ut Grove, near Pem broke. It is in a Lilt slice of i ireserv.iiiiin, land is nosy in the possession of the Rev. T. Owen, of Pembroke. Its intrinsic value is about Lis.