The National Register. — London, England, 1820-12-17 00:00:00

404 MEETING OF THE PARISH OF ST. MARY, ISLINGTON. On Monday evening, a Meeting of the Parish of Islington was held at Canonbury Tavern, to consider of an Address of Congratulation to the Queen on the abandonment of the Bill of Pains and Penalties, and an Address to the King, praying the dismissal of his Ministers. The two great rooms which commu nicate by folding doors were filled before the business of the Meeting commenced. A t seven the gentlemen of the Committee entered the room, when Mr. SMITH stated that he had received a letter from T. Wilson, Esq. of High bury,who had promised to take the chair, which let ter stated that he was prevented from attempting to preside by a severe cold, which would disable him from making himself heard, but that he was willing to bear his share of the expences of the Meeting. Mr. Smith then proposed that Captain Longster should take the chair, which ttiaa unanimously agreed to. At the request of the Chairman, the Requisition and the correspondence with the Churchwardens and Vicar, the substance of which has been before the public, were read by Mr. TWIGG. Three or four persons vociferously culled for the reading of the signatures to the Requisition, and when there was some delay in producing them, attempted to prevent the business of the Meeting from proceed ing. This conduct produced cries for the expulsion of the most noisy of these persons, but we are happy to say, that though much provocation tsars given, no violence was offered. The names were read as soon as silence was obtained, and the business was not afterwards interrupted. Mr. SMITH then addressed the Meeting in a very able speech, and, after accusing the Churchwardens of a want of directness anti straitforwardness in their dealing, with respect to the Requisition, as one of them had at first given him to understand that the Meeting should be called in regular form, if the sunsent of the Vicar could be obtained, he observed that they might have taken a lesson from the Mayor of Bristol, who had lent the Guildhall one day to a Meeting to address the Queen, and another day for what was called a loyal address, without deserting his duty or compromising his principles. In the latter of the Meetings at Bristol, as well as at many other loyal meetings, there were a number of truths brought forward to which he cordially gave his assent ; the only difference was as to the conclusion to be drawn from the same premises, as to the causes to which the evils which they witnessed were to be attributed. His opinion was, that the proceedings against the Queen had weakened the stability of the Throne, and that it was, therefore, one cause of the dangers to which the loyal addresses deplored.— There was not, he believed, a man, who did not now lament that the proceedings had commenced (hear, hear !) they had tended to break down the barriers of the Constitution, and those laws which had fenced round Englishmen as with a wall of adament. Neither would any one now deny that a great ma jority of the Nation was in favour of the Queen. Was there a man who would say that such protec tion had been afforded by the King to the Queen, as as a man of honour and generosity would extend to wife ? (Hear, hear.) The omission qf her name from the Liturgy had, in all Catholic countries, the effect of an excommunication on the minds of the people, and no alternative was left her but to return and to throw herself on the protection of this nation. As to what had happened since, he had no hesitation in saying, that all the evidence against her was such, that it would not have been entertained for halt' an hour in an inferior Court. (Hear, hear.) — Had the Ministers felt any strength in it, without question, instead of a majority of nine on the third reading, they would have had a majority of 90. — (Applause.)—By whatever quibbling they might excuse themselves on the strength of that majority, the Ministers knew that the middle and industrious Classes of the, community, those who worked as well as thought, were of opinion that the evidence had totally failed, and that to have pressed the 13111 further would have endangered the Throne.— (Applause.)—They knew that when a number of men had got into a scrape, every man put the best face he could upon it in order to get out of it ; so that if' there were forty or fifty persons, there were forty or fifty pretences. This was the key to the variety of opinions among the Ministerial Lords. It' the Ministers had been wise, when the proceedings in the House of Lords had terminated, they would have allowed the whole matter to go to rest, and the Queen to sink to a level with other ft(lyal Personages, and have allowed her to inhabit one of the Palaces which the King did not occupy. This was not their course ; but whatever pruceed . . logs they might meditate for the future, the Queen • laving thrown herself on the People and the Pms, • it was not in thcir power to weaken her security.— After some timber okervations, Mr. S. proposed the tollotving re.,ol:atioa, which was beconded and THE. NATIONAL REGISTER agreed to, only six hands being held up in opposi. tion to it, in a Meeting contistmg of nearly 1,500 persons:— I. That the rejection of the Bill of Pains and Pen Odes againxt the Queen, by the House of Lords, is not only agate ot just congratulation to her Majesty, but alto to every !TA friend to the reigning family, and to tile Constitution of the country. Mr. TlLLocti rose to move the second resolution, expressive of the indignation of the Meeting at the conduct of Ministers in permitting and encouraging the diffusion of " a polluted and contaminating stream" to deluge the country with vice and immo rality. He called on the Meeting to contrast the circumstances of the country ut this period with What they were 30 years ago. What Englishman would then have dared to calumniate the Queen of England? What Minister would then have had he hardihood to commit the act of treason—tar, treason it is, by the law of the land, to traduce the character of the Quem Consort—not only to com mit the act, but to encourage by their own conduct the promulgation of such a flood of immorality as could only be alluded to in such an assembly as he now addressed. Yes, by the conduct of Ministers and the enemies of the Queen, language which would disgrace a brothel had been rendered familiar to the cars of the virtuous—the subject of cannon conversation for the rising generation. How hateful —how execrable the conduct of the men who, by their labours, had endeavoured to render topics familiar to our cars about which it was difficult to converse any where without blushing, excepting only in a dissecting-mom, where the gravity of phi losophy and the garb of a dead language furnished a veil to hide the blushes of the speaker. Is there now no other place where sit: it topics eats be rolled about as sweet morsels, and without one feeling of shame? He would leave to others to answer the question. He could not, however, avoid noticing that, in many cases, the judges, when evil might be appre ' hended either to the parties in Court, or to the pub lic, prohibited publication of the proceedings, but, on the Bill of Pains and Penalties, not only was tae publication permitted, but great pains were taken that the moral poison should go forth without the smallest dilution of antidote. The Counsel for the prosecution had stated many crimes, too, which lie had not even attempted to prove ; in what they attempted to prove they had entirely tailed ; but the summing up—without one word in reply being permitted—was sent forth to act as poison on the public mind during the whole time of an adjourn. ment. He then reverted to the conduct of Minis ters at the commencement of the present reign. No sooner was the good old King dead, than machinery was attempted to be put in operation to destroy the Queen. Ministers were at their wits' ends. There was no law that could punish the Queen, had she been guilty of the foul conduct which some wished to impute ; and where no law is, there can be no transgression. But how much more difficult to fix crime on an innocent person ! Ministers were out of place for 24 hours ; but the sagacity of one or inure of them, counting on the talismanic influence of Court patronage, persuaded themselves that they could in this country—in England!—carry an ea. pva-f ado law to effect that which was contrary to law, to punish an individual, that individual the Queen Consort of the British throne. The good sense of the Country—that innate hatred of injustice and oppression which animates every honest English bosom—that love of truth and impartiality which ever rouses the virtuous to defend innocence—had defeated their mighty project, and humbled them in in the dust, loaded with contempt and execration ; and, therefore, it was fitting and proper that meet ings such us that which he had now the honour to address should express openly their honest senti ments respecting the immoral tendency of every part of the conduct of his Majesty's Ministers during these demoralizing proceedings. Mr 'l'. concluded by moving the following resolution, which was car ried with four only dissentient 2. That this Meeting, under a conviction of her Majesty's innocence, cannot too strongly express its abhorrence of the I i!:iuriotis tendency of the polluting and contaminated stream, wan which this moral country has been inundated, by the pro ' ceedings against her Majesty. Mr. itICIITER, in a very luminous speech, moved the following resolutions, which were carried with the same dissentient us the preceding one :- 5. That an Address fowled on the tiirt4;oing re.olutioni be presented to the Queen, congratulating her Majesty on the *ban donment of - the Bill of PAlil• and Penalties by the House of Lords. 4. That an Address to the Queen be presented to her Majesty by tliz Chairman, accompanied by the Honer and Seconder, and such Ladies and Gentlemen us may please to attend the pr,sentation. !Ir. It. also read the following Address, which was adopted with great applause : .• To the Queen's most Excellent Majesty. " The Address of the inhabitants of the parish or St. Mary, Islington. " May it please your Majesty, " When we hail the honour last to appear before your Majesty, we reviewed the pers.-anion; yJU7 Majesty 1140 undertone, and the manner in which your Majesty had counteracted and deli!ated thew, and we congratulated your Majesty on tile full and perfect triumph which we men anticipated. We have now to e.aignitulate your Majesty, that those who assumed to be your .I .lien l o some of whom again'd all known law were at once ptnsetutore, accu.er, judges, and jurors), have, at length, thought lit to reject the propo,ed punishment of your Majesty, upon which the hearts of your emitnies appeared to have been " The country had &Cared its conviction of your Majesty's innocence of the inf imous ()Knees ch.oged against its (bey:4unit its detestation of the equally infamou, means by which it was attempted to support them. Your Majeny's enemies submitted to the judgment of the people; at' that people who are mainly intere tett in tile preservatiop of She laws and constitution, and in the due administration of justice. They have subm teed to this univeisal judgment, they tell us, and have ceased to press for the punishment of your Maje s ty, by what they call law, for offences which they have not been able to prove: bin they have not ceased to persecute your Majesty, by every means which disappointed und:gnity can invent. They continue to refuse to the people per. mission, publicly, to implore fur your Maje,ry, the i , rotection of Altni,puy God--but you are never absent from their secret pray. ers. They attempt to render you dependent on their charity for support, dionoi this suffering people have large and nobly pro. vided for the dignity and honour of that lionily of which you ate a most interesting part. " This conduct can only be that of the enemies of the consti. tution; it can only be that of thin ,c who are determined to destroy the limited and regulated government of this country. Your .%lajesty's cause is that ofjusuce and innocence : we feel it us our own, and we shall not cease to express our indignation at every attempt to injure or degrade your Majesty. " The age of darkness is passing away ; ;cid your Majesty s . na doubt, as we do, that your present sa f e ty i s to be attri buted to that great and Important engine, the Press, in developing the conspiracy of which you were the devoted victim, a nd, operating upon the now comp a rativ e ly enlightened minds of the people, will not fail to perceive, that it is upon the freedom and integrity of such : a Press , and upon the fi r mn ess , unan i m i ty, and good will of such a people alone, that your Majesty can ever rely for the protection of your honour, your character, and your life." The }lc:v.74r. DRAPER then moved the sth and lith resolutions, as follows : 5. That in the opinion of this Meeting, the conduct of the King's Ministers, not only during, but since the termination of these proceedings, while it has been marked by the most studied insult to the Queen Consort of these realms, has been disgraceful to their characters as Men, derogatory to their wisdom as States. men, subversive of the principles of British Jurisprudence, and calculated to endanger the Constitution, by alienating the affix t ions of the people. (i. That impressed with these convictions, it is the opinion of this Meeting, that all who wish well to th e countr y are impe riously called upon to hoplore the King, to remove from his Majesty's presence for ever, the Ministers, who advised these disgraceful proceedings, (whose general conduct Ines been such as to irritate the welings of the peoploand to call to hisCouneils such men only us will support the dignity of the Crown, enforce the due administration of the laws, and by conciliating the affections, promote the hapitints; of the people. Air Twiou briefly moved the 7th and Bth moo lotions, which were agreed to unanimously :- 7. That an Address in conformity to the fliregohig resolutions be presentet t i his Majerty, the King; that the Address now read be adopted by the Meeting, and that it lie at appoited plea* for signatures. 8. that the Dukes of Bedford and I.einster, the Earls Grey, Darlington, Darnley, Grosvenor, and Carnarvon, Lords Erskine, Rolland, and King, or such of them as can make it convenient to attend, be ?qui:sari' to present the Addres, to his Majesty. Mr. Twttai then read the fidlowing Address to his Majesty, which was received with acclamations: "To the King's Most Excellent Majesty. " The Loyal Address of the inhabitants of the parish of St. Mary, Islington. " May it please your Majesty, " We beg leave to assure your Majesty, that we yie'd to none of your Majesty's subjects in loyalty to the throne and constito. Lion of these realms, though we feel, in common with our fellow countrymen, the ditlicolties and distresses in which we are all involved—difficulties and distresses which are principally prodmied by excessive taxation, and reiterated infringements of the liberties of the people. " We trust that we may be permitted to assure your Majesty, that we are well convinced that your Majesty can have no interest separate or distinct from the welfare and happiness of your people; and that, thewfore, when we attribute those evils to the system of Government adopted by your Majesty's Ministers, it is with the hope of receiving that attention to our representation which your Majesty must be ever willing to afford to the coin• plaints of the meatiest of your subjects. " The maintenance of a large standing army in a time of pro. Mum! peace, and the repeated substitution of a military for the civil power, furnish strong evidence of toe evil advice of your Majesty's Ministers. Your Majesty knows that your most faithful guards are your people, and your surest saki) , is their love. " four Majesty's Ministers also, by procuring car park state ments of pretended plots and conspiracies originating with agents of a description hateful to honest men, and founded on materials furnished by the basest of mankind ; by hired spies and inform ers, whose trade is to pervert truth and create crime, have dueivcd and deluded the legislature into the passing of laws subversive of the ancient and constitutional libanes of the people. '• After having thus succeeded in their measures against their fellow subjects. there remained but one other step to take—that of attacking Royalty it By charges equally infamous and umbunded, winch they have brought against the Royal Consort of your Majesty, and which they attempted to support by details the most filthy and abominable, they have disgraced this moral country. They have, in line, imeited, tar ever, the confidence of the people. We humbly pray your Majesty, therefore, to dismiss your Ministers titan your presence fur ever. We arc, indeed, assurtal, that your Majesty has been thaicivtA ; for we are confident, that your Majesty still holds high in your remembrance, which it has been your boast not to have rorgotten, ' the principles which placed your family on the throne,' and we trust your Majesty will call men to your councils who will maintain the dignity of your Crown, anti the due administration of the laws, and who will conciliate the affections, and promote the happiness of the people." Mr. Lenox, in a neat speech, introduced the 9th resolution— That all those Members of both houses of Parliament who opposed the iniquitous pnweedings against the Queen, are en• titled to the gratitude of the country. Mr. SMITH moved the fillowing resolution :- 10. That the important services to die cause of Freedom during the proceedings, t v the exeitions of the independent and incor ruptible part of the Press, cannot be too highly appreciated. Mr. GHEIG then came timward to move a vote of censure upon the Churchwardens. lie expatiattil severely upon their conduct, anti expressed a confi dent hope that the parishioners would visit diem as they deserved on Easter Tuesday next. Ile eon. eluded by moving, I That the Churchwardens of this Parish having a second time refused to call a Meeting of the inhabitants to address the Queen, upon the iequisition of many respecuayt, householders, *las Meeting cannot ti.rbear to express its indignation at such refusal, especially as an Address purporting to be A Imiul Address It, Vie tang," now h s under their auspices, at the Vestry Kiva),