The Statesman. — London, England, 1821-10-26 00:00:00

, . ; q ;.t 1 7 1 v•-• i a spirit of malignity which would never cool, and mitt-] iog a storm which was not to be laid. But be kaew that there was but one line for an honest man to take, and he took it;—(Cheers.)—the consequences Are such as he (lir. B.) need not further explain. He was not to be dissuaded from paying the last honours to remains of an injured and insulted woman ; he h►d stood by her in her misfortunes•with the honesty of a palriot, and the chivalry eta soldier, and in the same spirit he followed her to the grate.—(hood up probation.)-11e (lir. B.) joined him in that mournful procession, and though he was not himself as active in his humanity as his Honourable Friend, who put put himself in the front of the battle to stay the effusion of blood, he could say, from his own know ledge, that he did no more than his dnty.—(Applause.) Hovernment had not put forth their case, although one of their agents had promised it; hut the fact ►vas the►• had Do case to chew. They might, indeed, have some such tale as that which had been deposed to be fore a Police Magistrate ; they miebt have affidavits, snrh as had 'wren made before Sir R. Birnie, and which all knew to be false, but which went near de priving an honest man of his bread and his license. (Cries of " Simmer) No doubt the police offices were crowded with such affidavits, but it was evident that Ministers themselves did not believe them, as they struck the blow before they heard the evidence.— (Cheers.) They had punished Sir Robert Wilson, be would not say on anonymous evidence, but crrtainly on evidence the next to anonymous, as they deed not bring it before the public, which step they were bound to take on every principle ofjus lice. The victim of their oppression was a soldier, covered with honours, of character untouched and un rallied one whom Providence in its wisdom had not made rich, who had little but the profession in which he vested his property, and who was by this act turned out of his profession, and robbed of his pro-. perty.—(Loud Cheering.) And in whose cause did that happen? Was it in hia own? No, it was in that of the people;—(declamations)—it was in the rause of the hundreds and thousands who might have perished like the unfortunate men Honey and Fraticis—(Hear, hear !)—when the military, los ing all cos.trol, fired on the people; and be interfered to check the soldiers, to shew them the duty which they owed to their commanders and their country, with the honest and glorious object of preventing the wanton waste of innocent Lige. If any one doubted that his punishment ;rose from his having checked she abuse of military power, let him couple it with an oillet act that would give it a complete explanation, Lc meant ti.. dismissal of Sir Robert Baker; that Ma xistrate, who, It might be fairly slated, hail been de prived of office, because he would not carry the fu llersl of the Queen over the dead bodies of his country men.—(itepeated Cheering.)--.Now, there was but one part for Englishmen to act—let every person, ac cording to his means, lend his aid and eupport to keep tiovernment and the Court in subordina tion to the wisdom of the country, and the honest and just feeling of the people, and then they would not deprive a 111111 of his property who did not deserve to lose it. The people should, en thireeeasion,in the first in stance, open their purses, to make up theproperty unjust ly taken away ; and in the next, they should uaite to re sist, by every lawful means, the encroachment of Minis terial oppression. A subscription such as the present. carried nothing discreditable with it to him who re ceived it, and they should be the last to call it discredit able, who always - had their hands in the public purse— (Cheers and laughter!)—He did think that great meet ing would 'thew to the disingenuous and grovelling persoils in power, for however high their stations, they were of low minds ; they would shew that they had a s?irit which would not brook military tyranny, or allow one of their best friends to be oppressed, — without ;riving their aid to succour, and defend him— (Cries of '• bravo," and "we will!") —having said so much un the immediate object of the Meeting, he would beg leave to add one word, as an appeal to their benevo lence, on another subject. They all knew that there were three or four persons, the relics and family of the men who were slaughtered on the 14th of August. --(Cheers.)--Atul the same might have been the lot of the verson who was then speaking, or of any one who heard him. Those unhappy persons of whom he hail now spoke had lost, under Providence, their best, and per haps their only support, and were left in a state of beg pry and destitution. A subscription had been entered Into by a few persons for their support, which amounted but to a small sum, and it was not too 11111011 to ask them to combine this object with their great work ; and while they gave their honourable aid to an injured country man of theirs, as great as his Honourable Friend, they would not forget the poor and humble, whom the public calamity, which they all deplored, had brought to that condition—(Applause.)—Had they witnessed what lie (Ir. B.) saw on that day, they would not think it re quired any apology fur bringing this subject under their notice. He had now to thank them for the attention with which they hail heard him, and would conclude, by reresting diem to bear steadily in mind, that they lived in an order of things in which tiovernment was ever ready to pounce on its prey; he requested them to be temperate, vigilant, and disciplined, but zealous, and never lose sight of the main object, which was to do justice to themselves, to force tluvermnent to do sub stantial justice, and to defend the freedom of their country with the last drop of their blood. The lion. Cent. then sat down amid loud and continued cheering. The Coati:scam then read the first Resolution, and. was proceeding to collect the sense of the Altering upon it, when Mr. Gale Jones sprung upon the table, and endeavoured to obtain a bearing, but the cries of " Off, off," were so strong and persevering, lie was obliged to return to the bosom of the crowd ; on his retiring, a person in a Quaker's garb, whose name we understood is Walker, attempted to address the Meet ing, on some irrelevant subject, but was also con strained to silence. The Resolution was then carried unanimously. Upon the 6th Resolution being read, Mr. Lastwros tone and said, that as he believed he was, with the esception of Mr. Ellice and Mr. %Vie th:Toone, the only trustee present, be hoped they would allow him to assure them, that be felt the trust they were pleased to repose in him, as the greatest pus. sible honour that could be conferred upon a public man. He could assure them, that in considering the simile of appropriating the sum which they had so gloriously determined to give Sir Robert Wilson, to indemnify him for the treatment he bad so unworthily received, he should only consider the best manner of laying it out fur the benefit of his Hallam Friend, and of his family.—(Hear, lirar.).-Se that both Sir Kobt. Wilson and his children should feel that the means they so received were not less 'honourable to them. selves, because they were not given by the King or his THE STA' . ~ Ministers; but by a grateful aid applauding vanity. —(Applause,) 1 . loteir On the mot i on.f Mr. Ream.. thanks tette . to the Chairman. for taking the chair at the desire of I the Meeting. Mr. Lansvo:4 again returned thanks, and said that the gratifying reception be had met with from so re. specteble a meeting, mach more than compensated bite for any personal inconvenience he might suffer, on account of his journey to town on Oil occasion an occasion upon which he was most glad to contri bute his sincere and ardent co-operation. On the motion that the thanks of the Meeting be given to the Hon. Henry Grey Bennet, IL P., to Edw. Ellice, Esq., M. P., Joseph Hume, 'Esq., M. P., Dr. Lushineton, M. P.. the Hon. William Powlett, M. P.. T. S. Duncombe, Esq. ' J. B. Monck, Esq., M. P., James i Barnett, Esq., and T. 13. Beaumont, Esq., for their very liberal support of this subscription, and for their attend tance his day, . Mt. Hemit rose, and was received with loud ap plause. He said that he was in great hopes the gra tifyitte. business of the day would have been brought to a conclusion without the necessity of intruding him self upon their attention ; but the call which they had now made upon him necessarily compelled him to say i a few words in returning thanks for the honour they] hail conferred upon him. He could assure them that l there was no man in the community more anxious than he was to support with his utmost power the rights and liberties of Englisbineng—(Applause.)—Consideriag himself as a man (indeenilmost the only one so elected in Scotland) indebted to the people for the free votes of his constituents, be should feel disgraced if be re frained upon such an occasion as this from giving his humble support to their present object.—(Applause.) —lle entirely approved of the step which they were about to take, and be hoped that the right feelings of the country would induce the people, from one end of the kingdom to the other, to testify the universal alt. horrenre with which they viewed the unjust and violent act of Ministers, not only to one individual for his pub lic conduct, hut also for their repeated and outrageous violations of the civil rights and liberties of English men.—(Applause.)—He could never look back at the outrages at Manchester, or the scene of the 14th of August at Cumberland-gate, without loudly complain. ing of the infamous conduct of Ministers in violently attempting to overawe politic opinion, and to keep hack by force the unbiassed expression of the country upon their unconstitutional and illegal acts. Ile re peated that be should never forget the Manchester outrages nor those at Cumberland-gate.— (Hear, bear.)—Let the people consider the magnitude of the question which the treatment of Sir Robert Wilson in- I volved. The act towards that gallant, individual af rested the situation of 30,000 officers, for that was the number of officers in the service: he had taken the pains to ascertain that number.— (Loud laughter and applause.)—He knew not to what to attribute this ex pression of their feelings, but to the known habits of his life, fur he was one of those who. thought, that when there were certain propositions, the proof of which was demonstrable by figures, it e was better to resort at once to facts, than rely u on vague and tonjecteral reasoningrrefllfariltear, l r.) —Much had been said upon the p eorogatiee as . the practice as affecting military commissions, partialar ly when upon half-pay. There had been only one case during the last 20 years, where an officer upon half pay had been dismissed, as Sir Robert Wilson had been, without trial, and that case related to three indivi duals of the 55th regiment. and a garrison battalion. The practice thus avowed immediately affected the pro- perty of 12,000 officers of the army who were on half pay, every one of whom might be ruined in the same summary manner, if the people did not interfere, and by their voice restrain and annul such practices. It was said, indeed, that the act was done according to the prerogative of the Crown. Now he was prepared to show that the Crown had no such prerogative to ex ercise.—(hear, hear.)—This was not perhaps the time to argue that point, but he pledged himself to support his opinion. by undoubted anthotity. He was not, in deed, prepared to argue so important a question upon the dry technicalities of a lawyer. but he would appeal to plain reasoning anti comnsmatse i whether all au thorities did not concur in eat q'the proposition, that the foundation of all government was for the good of the many.—(llear, hear.)—Locke and Black stone, and all the most eminent expounders of the laws and constitution of England,• had laid it down that the King exercised no prerogative but for the public good, and when the law of the land was silent upon the case. In looking at the conduct of the pre sent Administration, and he was certain that every good man, whether Whig or Tory. mast t I ke abhor their outrageous conduct at Manchester and Cumber land-gate, lie must impress upon the attention of the meeting the induence which such conduct, if permitted with impunity, must have upon the fate of soldiers whose arduous and severe pro fessional duties ought to entitle them to better consideration from the Government which they had, .served. When he spokubt military men, he begged to speak of a class which he looked upon as the most ' honourable in society ; it should never be forgotten that it was composed of men who had risked their lives and properties for maintalaiug the honour and security of their country; such men deserved especial pro tection, and when they retired on half-pay from the active and perilous service, they ought not to be de. Hied by their Government the possession of the rights of citisens.—(Applause.)--He bad already said there were 1.2,000 army officers on half-pay, and about 7,500 naval officers similarly placed. Were all those to con sider themselves as slaves. dependent for their sub sistence upon the whim and caprice of Ministers ? (Hear, hear.)--Were they to be thus the servile depend ents of Unseetnnens, and degraded from their proper rank in society ? Wete they to forfeit the high honour and independent feelings which characterise soldiers, who ought to know, that so long as they discharged their proper duties 'with seal and fidelity, they were en titled to the support and confidence of their country?, How were such feelings to be inspired itt the soldier's nsiatilf he sere liable. to professional degradation , merely for acting the part of a good citizen ? (Applause.)—lf the proceedings of the meeting were to be ' strictly limited to one *abject, he was perhaps digressing in alluding to general topics i but nevertheless he could not refrain from calling the attention of the country. in an especial mow. to. the general conduct - of the present Administration. and to this last daring attempt to make Mail half pay at: fivers their slaves and depeadasts.—(Naar.)—Let Eng, SMAN. wheffelt as they ought redir4 those la tied and privileges which made teem in the r Of the world, look well to those repeated &Usti(' Mall 1 0 ministers upon their independence. See the dreadfo uences to individuals which resulted from such a sprees—look at the fate of Francis and Honey, and thee where was the man who would not wish to crush the de• testable principles which so much disgraced the charac ter of the nation that could tamely , submit to then. i Englishmen knew that they ought to enjoy a civil con stitudon ; but see the situation in which the acts at Man- I chesternad Cumberland-gate placed them ; they had a standing army larger than at any former period of their history; but an army which, it seemed, was taught to act like mere tools, incapable of any . refiection—that Imlay, which when acting on civil occasions, could not legally act except in aid of the civil power, and under he control and orders, was now it seemed to disregard all such civil control; and when called out to assist the ail authorities, was to take upon itself independently to keep the public peace, and, contrary to the letter and spirit of the law of the land, to take, as the judges would say, the law into their own hands, and acting un der secret orders, to subvert all that was held sacred, ender a free constitution.—(Hear, hear.) —Society ought to testify its abhorrence at the principles which prompted such a system : nothing could be more dan gerous than that the military should act, not only with out the orders of the magistracy, but, as he believed, en the particular occasion expressly contrary to the wishes and intentions of the magistrates whom they weti bound to obey.—(llear, hear.) —It was impossi -14111 to avoid looking at the manner in which the civil power was to be made subservient to the views of mi nisters. At a county meeting held not long since in Dublin, and dispersed by military force, it was said that the moment the sheriff appeared he could resort es whatever means he pleased, to get rid of a public aridity. When the Sheriff of London lately appeared to keep the peace on a public occasion, he was to be told lie had no business there, and to be assaulted for venturing to appear where the military were, in dis charge of his duty.—(Hear, bear.)—He trusted that ministers would not eventually be able to repel that inqulry which the public voice loudly called for. into all these scandalous transactions. IVith respect to the conduct of Sir R. Wilson on the 14th of Aug., he (Mr. Hume) could say that he had never left his side for ten minutes during the whole of_ that day.— (Hear.) —He could positively declare, that the dis graceful attempt to inculpate Sir R. Wilson for con duct imputed to him at Kensington were altogether false—(hear o—and he had no doubt that the other stories respecting him were equally unfounded. — (Hear, hear.)—The inquiry so pertinaciously denied by ministers, must be hail at last : what the public voice demanded must be granted ; it arcs for the peo ple firmly *to make the demand, and ministers nine, obey.—(Hear, hear.)—The national call fur justice could never be made in vain : see on a late occa sion, the people had but to speak, and the cowards trembled.— (Applanse.)—He hoped that meetings would be held throughout England to compel Ministers to account for their unconstitutional acts.— The country had obtained one verdict of wilful murder from a Jury, and another of manslaughter; and yet no step whatever hail been taken to bring the offenders to hear.).---The eases of Francis and Honey, who were so wantonly sacrificed, concerned the whole people of the country, and the case ceased to affect in dividuals alone. If the country did not denounce such contact, the profession of the military must become degraded, and the officers no longer possess the rights of citizens. The present subject reminded him of the case of General Boyd in the year 17M, in which the Judges declared that an officer on half pay was not liable to military law; if so, sorely be was en titled to the rights of a citizen, and being so entitled, were these rights not grossly violated in the case of Sir Robert Wilson.—(Hear.) —Reverting to the subscrip tion, which it was the object of the present meeting to promote, lie hoped they would not, if a surplui eventu ally appeared, confine the application of it to one object ; but that they would see the necessity of extending some relief to the equally sacrificed, though humble families, of the unfortunate persons who were so wantonly killed on the 14th of Augaist.—(,tear, hear.) —He trusted that ample funds would be forthcoming to afford proper re lief to all the sufferers. It was dreadful to consider what would be the situation of the country, if once consigned to a military government ; they would then be in the situation of !wine. their pockets picked to support a force employed to undermine thei; liberties. , tr, hear.)—There was no man in the community who would not raise his voice against so tyrannical a system, except those who lived upon the taxes wrung from the people. —(Near.)—Looking at the enormous expense of this great military establishment, it was time for the atten tion of the country to he called to the propriety of revert ing to the old constitutional force of the county power : that old constitutiouul force again reminded him of the treatment of the Sheriff of London whilst endeavou r ing to preserve the public peace by the civil power alone. bear.)—He considered the assault upon that civil officer at Knightsbridge. without reference to the individual who filled the shrievalty : it was quite enough that A. 13., filling the office of Sheriff, had been so treated. —Now, when the Sheriff was the Constitutional Conser vator of the public peace within his jurisdiction , and when his authority was set at nought by the soldiery, it became of great consequence to consider the situation io which the civil magistracy of the country were placed 'by stab entwotinge.—(tfear, bear.)—He concluded by again eetreatiog the people, from one end of the country to another, to call upon Parliament to inquire into the whole of the transactions of the 14th of August. Dr. LUSHINOTON being loudly called for, then came forward. He said that he should not have obtruded any ofiaervations of his upon the notice of the meet ing had it not been for the resolution which had just been read to it, so completely had the speech of their worthy Chairman embraced all the topics for which it had been convened. His Hon. Friend with great elo quence and great warmth had observed to them, that the cause of Sir It. Wilson was the cause of the peo ple, and that to uphold it was the bounden duty of every man who wished to support the *constitution. and tosave front oppression and destruction the friends of the people. To what a state would the country be reduced, if the Officers of their army—numerous as that army was at present. beyond all former precedent in time of peace—were liable, without charge made, accusation heard, or trial given,_ to forfeit all the claims which they had acquired upon.tbe tiovernenent and the nation, open the mere epic dixit of the Minis ter of the day ? The consequences to all of them were as important in a political point of view as they were is private- to Sir K. Wilson, whom they had 'mac the . eictim of Ministerial malignity; for if once the coas t/ Gadd view them in silence and without a strong expression of Its disgust and abhorrence. they must themselves work the consequence. The example would -take .root; a fear of similar treatment would operate fe tw mindo of every Alter in the army, and they would either become tioo abject slam of tioyeratiost. 6 0 , , • pr they would shrink from the public expre oe h n of heir sentiments to save themselves from ruin acid ue. 'struction. He knew not which of the two was to h deprecated ar the greater evil: he knew not whst‘ei the public avowal of opinions hostile to the people •, its not more desirable, for open enemies could be go er d,a against, than that secret silent acquieseence left the people doObtfat of the opinions of indlfielc i and give to Ministers the strongest of all support s . that of tranquil undeviating adherence. They mu therefore bound in duty to restore Sir R. Wilms t o that estate of independence which, if the constitution pod been sound, he ought to have enjoyed heft r • hisdisslol o t from the service. He said if theconstitntionhad bee s sound ; fur no man ought to say in England that 'same ought not to be as independent as any other Wield/at %rho derived his income from any source whatmee t o. His political sentiments ought to be as free and W e t, toted as thoseo f any other member of :he community ; rit was in his military capacity alone that be *sett t o 007 ; in his civil capacity be ought to be exempt, free all controul except such as his fellow citizen heists himself obedient to. Why had Sir IL Wilson bees the first officer selected for minieterial persecution? The reason uas plain. When he considered whets/ere the merits of Sir It. Wilson, he felt no surprise, bat much indignation, at the malice of ministers. They had selected hint for their victim whose fame shoos bright in every quarter of the globe—(cheers)—wh o had proved himself to be in battle bold, and at the same time the kindest friend of a conquered foe—. (cheers) —who in the extensive warfare to which be had been engaged had ever been ready to raise his hand to protect the fallen, and to give from his parse to save his enemy from the depths of affiietion.— (Cheers.) The Meeting must know that he alluded to the efforts which Sir it. Wilson had made to procure the release of the Physician-General to the French forces in Russia, ansito the magnificent donation which he bad given him to relieve the distresses of his com rades in captivity. Such conduct be (Dr. bushington) hailed uith the warmest admiration; such conduct he deemed equally worthy of the man and the Brim; for what could be nobler than to show ourselves brave to such as opposed us, and merciful to such as oar prowess had subdued? When, without reward from the government which be had served, with the mere liberty of purchasing his different commissions, oar donned with any orderaof his own country, he ca rn et s reside in peace in the bosom of his naae land, he was elected as their representative in Parliament by the unbought voices of the electors of Southwark ; and when seated in Parliament, who was there more con scant in his attendance to his duty ? who was there more indefatigable in his resistance to oppression? who was there wore addicted to the great interests at liberty and justice ?—(cheers)—and last of all, oa the memorable question which had agitated the coun try from one end of it to the other—he meant the re moreless persecutions of the late injured Queen—who came forward with more manliness ? who stood iu the breach le greater constancy!—(Cheers)—All, yes, all, wig ails been pardoned but this !—(Loud Cheering. All might have heel .1.. forgiven, aid bu rled in eternal oblivion, her this !--(Cheers.)'--This it was that stirred up the dark visit of mihgaity against his gallant Mend ! this it was that lighted Um fire which was intended to consume him ! this it was that led ministers, regardless of every principle of jus tice, honesty, liberty, and truth, to award to him what they deemed punishment—to degrade him, as far as degradation was in their power—and to ruin him, as far as the deprivation of his commissions could effect his ruin. God be praised, it had produced a very contrary effect.--(Cheers.)—Against the oppression of ministers, the power of public opinion arrayed itself— againet degradation there stood up the honour of the land—and against deprivation, a subscription to place him and his family above want, and in a situation that would still enable him to discharge his duties as a faithful representative of the electors of Southwark. He trusted that those electors would never forget what Sir Robert Wilson had suffered in their cause, but would. whenever another opportunity should" occur, show how much they esteemed his condact by how little they cared for the malice of ministers, and her determined they were to support a faithful servant by unanimously supporting his re-election.—(Cheers)-- He again desir. d the meeting to accept his thanks for the honour which they had done him, and informed them, that though he abstained from saying a Ironies the occurrences of the 14th of August, be looked for ward with earnest anxiety to an boil which was now rapidly approaching, u hen they would all be brought before the proper tribunal, and after due examination branded with their true and proper colours. He would not mention them now, as he wished to refrain frost all discussion upon them until he had an opponent is combat and an enemy to subdue.—(Cheers.) Mr. Et.t.tcc was loudly called for, and on coming forward, said, that it would give him great pleasure. pride. and satisfaction, to preside over the applicatios oFthe funds which'had been subscribed, as well from the private feeling of friendship which be bore to Sir It. Wilson as from his firm reliance on his public prin ciples. He trussed that if there were any town' who had come to that meeting with doubts of tie i" - nocence of Sir Robert Wilson from the charges which had been wade against him. they would dismiss tkell now and for ever. They had hoard site of his Hon. Friends (Air. Hume) state, that during the 14th of August he had never been absent more thal 10 initiator from the gallant General's side; and he (Mr. Ellice) could infirm them, that be had himself been with him for the four days previously on the road from Paris to London, where they arrived at a quarter past five o'clock un the evening of the 13:h. And yet there were affidavits that charged the gallant General with having attended a meeting at Kensington to a rrange the obstacles for the Queen's funeral on one of thew flays when.he was actually traveling with him (Mr. Ellice) on the road to Calais! The falsehood of this a:ems:mon might convince him how little dependence was to be placed in the ether lying assertions retsid* hug the Oland tieneral.—(Cheers.)—The Hon. tent' concluded by expressing his great satisfaction at seeing s o respectable a meeting assembled oi ti e prom at itt . casion, and by returning his thanks to Mr. Lembo"' to whose exertions ke conceived they were growl/ in debted for the successful state of the. subscriptions. Mr. F A VII I.L then moved the following resolution: ',At the follow Log gentlemen be added to the Coe' mittee of the Riveters of Southwark : Marquess of Tavistack. X. P., Hon. H. O. Mows , M. P., Hon. Wm. Powlett, M. P., J. 0. Lawbiuti , l . . M. tvl it. , to ab r. I hi se It s.s.,