The Statesman. — London, England, 1821-01-25 00:00:00

deprecating the late odious and unsoiled for pro teedings against her Majesty, and praying the interference of that House to have her restored to all her just and constitutional rights. To the re proach which was thrown out against that House, and in his mind moss justly, as not adequately represent iNg the people of this country, he trusted they would not make any hither addition by acting on this ques tion in opposition to the public op;nion :o unequivo cally expressed. He was not to be daunted by any thing on that point which the Noble LOrd opposite (Lastlareagh), might think proper to advance. 'faking ground, as he did, on the declarations of those who assumed to be the exclusive Loyalists of the couutry (am, no, from some Honourable Member.) Ho was not to be prevented by such a kind of dissent as that just expressed by the Honourable Member for Lancaster (Mr. Doveton, we understood), from fear lessly and openly disputing the pretensions of those who presumed to call themselves the only loyal and respectable portion of his Majesty's subjects.----(Hear, bear, hcar ;) Amongst the many amusing exhibi tions which characterised the discussion of last night, there was not one more singular than the effort of the Noble Lord to persuade himself and the House that he and his colleagues possessed the confidence of the People. To the Noble Lord's assertion he would, Nvitkout fear of contradiction, reply, that nut only nine tenths, hot nineteen-twentieths of the people of the United Kingdom were in avowed and open hostility, rut to the Sovereign, butto his Ministers.---(Hear, hear, hear!) The Lion of Ragland, it had been said, was aroused, but it was rather out of character that the 'len of the British Lion should he found in Rotten toroughs, in Scottish Counties and close Conncils.— (ilear, hear, bear!).---He sincerely trusted that the Honse would at length feel the necessity of attending to the Petitions of the People. The refusal m.iy pos sibly lead to consequences which all of them might rue. The Petition, which he held in his hand depre cated the unparalleled persecution to which her Ma jesty had been exposed, and prayed fur her restoration to the Liturgy, from which she had been so unju.ti tiably excluded. In these opinions of the Petitioners, he most cordially concurred. Ile should have the honour, on a future occasion, to present a similar Pe tition from the county of Durham. flic Petition was then received, and ordered to be priated. PETITION AC !NAT MINISTERS FROM WILTSHIRE. Itlr. BENNETT (Merubtr for Wilts) stated, that he hail the honour of being entrusted with a petition, voted at a Cuuuty Meeting fur Wiltshire, must nume rously and respectably attended. The signatures to it were those of the High Sheriff, and 100 most re spectable freeholders. After such an attendance, the nunther of rignattidis was nut an object; for if it had been necessary, be could take himself to say, that it would have been %ivied by many thousands. These Petitioners prayed that that House would use its best e:torts to put a final terminationfo the odious and un ralled-for proceediugs against the Queen ; to obtain ter restoration to the Liturgy ; and to her other con stitutional rights. It woe the general feeling that those agitations shoal(' no longer continue to obstruct the consideration of Parliament to the claims of a loyal and suffering people.—(Hear, hear, hear!)—He did intreat his Majesty's Ministers, if they had any feeling fur the situation of the Country—if they had any regard for theirmelves, and for the essential in terests of thepeople,to relieve the country from further perplexity on this subject, and by so doin4, allow Par liament to direct its ditiViiioll to the present distresses of the Country. The Petition was brought up, and ordered to be printed. Mr. TENNYSON observed, that on rising to pre sent a petition from the inhabitants of Great Orinisbv, it iv.ls nut his intention, after so much time had been already occupied on the subject of similar petitions, to proceed into any lengthened discussion. If he un derstomi the Noble Lord (Castlereagh) correctly, it was the intention of his Majesty's tiovernnient not to renew any proceedings against the Queen ; that the only proposition now to be submitted to Parliament 1,4 Y a suitahle income. Ile had a right, therefore, to preunte her testuration to all licr tights. Any other course would subject them to the charge of incuusist- • miry. The Petition was received,and ordered to be printed. Mr. HI ME presented petitions from the boroughs of Banff. Arbroath, Annan, the incorporated Trades of Aberdeen, praying for the restoration of her Ma jestv's name to the Liturgy, and a suitable income and resolrnce. lie had no hesitation rat stating, that if Scotland had been adequately anil fairly represented, tbere would nut have been a single Petition from that c l a s s new called the exclusive loyalists of the country. The petitions were ordered to be printed. Mr. itSTCOURT presented a Petition from four hundr.d lnb'tbitants of the Borough of Devises; de precating the unfounded aspersions cast against ti►e Queen, the corrupt offer of 59,000/. per annum ; and praying fur her full and nnqualilied restoration to the enjoyment of al her rights. Mr. GORDON (Crickliwk) wished to call attention to the Character of the Petition just presented. at the House must have perceived that the Hun. Member did nit say one word of it by heart.• (A laugh.)----The Petition was from a very numerous body of the inhabi tants of Devises; but the subscribers to that petition. when they gave it to that Hou. Member for presents: tion, well knew tbay bad no right to expect his sup port. They knew, that though in common parlat:e ire was the representative of Devizes, he in fact only represented the twenty or thirty Aldermen who re turned Linn.--••(ileac, hear.)-He spoke with no disre spect of those Hon. Members who were returned for Devizes. They were his pereutial friends. He men tioned it with the view of showing the nature of the real connexion that existed between them and the in habitants of Devizes. The subscribers to the petition just presented. understood the nature of their recipro cal connexion too well to expect or even to ask for the support of their Hon. Representatives.----(Hear, hear.) He called the attention of the Noble Lord (Castlereagh) to that subject, as, perhaps, a very forcible illustra tion of his argument last night.. Mr. PEARSE, as one of the Representatives of the Borough of Devises, coutetsdet.that he possessed the right of acting upon his own conviction. as tinily and -.- THE STATESMAk u freely as any one of these Petitionert. Hti den l that these Petition wee persons of any weight in the Borough. The did not consist either of the respectable or thi intelli nt portion of ea itihabi tants. !lit P. BURTA rT observed, it was easy to under stand the quantity'of weight which the Worths-Mem ber who last spoke would be dispoood to extend to the four hundred Petitiolers, compared with the claims of the twelve Aldermen who returned him.—(Hear, hear.) He thought that the present cue way be taken as a fair spechrien of the manner in which the Cumulous of England were faithfully aud adequately represented. He did, howev-r, trust that more at !notion than was u,ually bestoweil, woull, under the present circumstance-, be given to the petitions of the people ; that at length time wool 1 he allowed to at tend to those objects of public solicitude, which were more pressing on the consideration of Parliament. If he understood the Noble UM, and he wished to be accurately informed, he underst.owl hits to say that all further hostile steps agstiost the git”en were abaudon ed. Shell an annuiwialon to the country would be most consolatory, and he productive of the greatest ad vantage to the country. Lewd cAsTIAREmni felt it necessaay to guard against the impression, that kis Majesty's Ministers has recently adopted any new coarse, or given np any opinion they entertained when the late investigation ceased. He wished to a...,tire the House, that the inten tions of his Majesty's Government had since that pe riod undetgone uo change- They remained in the same position of determination liv which they were de cided when his 1))1)10 Colleague Lad, in another place, withdrawn the Bill of Pains and P).tialties ; from that hour there was Ito intention of substituting any other measure. Mr. Ewen! •RT denied that he was returned by twelve Aldermen of the Borough of Devises, as had been asserted by the Hon. Baronet : be was elected by a Corporation of 36 Burges..es.----(A laugh.)---But though elected by them, he considered himself the re presentative of the whole population. Sir F. BURDETT wi , lied the Nolde Lord had fa voured the House with more explicit information as to the future intentions of his 31.1je.ty's lhoisters rela tive to the queen than was conveyed in the phraseo• logy of their remaining its the saute position of deter mination. Lord CASTLEREAGH said, he had only to repeat, that front the moment the Rill a Pains and Penalties was abadoned, no further pri.ccrtliug Ito,tile to her Majesty was contemplated. lint it did not follow from. such a declaration that floc arrangement as to the lA turgy was to be disturbed. BROCGIIAM wished to know from the Noble Lord, whether his view of institutint,• no new proceed ing against her Maks.) , was to he nwrely this, that all investigation was to cease ; trial to be discontinued ; but punishment to go un.--•(l{e.tr.) Lord CASTLEREAGH ucnicd that the terns pu nishment could be applied to all arrangement Haile in consequence of an Order in Council, preparatory to the investigation. Lord J. It CSSELL begged to call the recollection of the Noble Lord (Castlereagh) ; the grounds on which last St ,lion the exclusion of her Majesty from the Liturgy was defended by his Majesty's Miui'trrs. Would they, it was asked, place in the Liturgy the name of a pet sun over whom heavy charges were pend ing, and w !deb name, in the recut of guilt being es tablished, they would be bound to erase ? lf, then, such exclusion he continued, he was forced to con clude that Ministers take for g✓ranted that those heavy charges have been substantiated against her Majesty. Dr. LUSHINOTOX rose to present a Petition from the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Borough of Ilchester, on the subject of the Queen. Alter some preliminary observations, the llonottrable and Learn ed Gentleman proceeded to state, that the Petitioners prayed their Honourable House to take the necessary steps to restore her Majesty's name to the Liturgy.! and to put her in possession of all her rights and pri vileges; also to institute an inquiry into the origin and conduct Of the Milan Commission, and to hring to justice all those who were engaged in the foul eon :Tinley against the honour and security of the Queen. He would to God that he could entertain a rational hope that the House would agree to the prayer of the petition; but so lung as that {tom represented but a small portion of the people, so lung be was firmly convinced would it be inclined to oppose the best en forced opinions of the nation at large, and so long would the petitions of the people be neglected ; but the day would cotter, and he believed it was much nearer that many expected, when that would he done in baste, anti perhaps rashly, which could now be temperately and satisfactorily settled. Lord CASTLEREAGH rose to correct a miscon ception respecting some words which had falleu from him upon this subject in the last Session. It had been stated that lie bad said on a former occasion, that if the Rill then pending in Parliament against the Qucen did not come down to that House, he would' under any circumstances have proposed to the House the question of the provision fir lieu Majesty ; be had never said any such thing; he could not have said it; he had no such impression span his wind. He did say distinctly, that if the Bill came down lie would enforce the call of the House, but if the Bill did not come down, the call shouts be discharced. Now, so far from this implying that he would cute: on the question of the provision for the Queen. it implied quite the contrary. That question could not be taken into consideration without embracing other subjects closely interwoven with it, all those collateral goes thins which could not be discussed without a cats the House. There were at le tst two very importunt questions sachisvly connected. that they could net he separate& namely. the pr.tvision for the Queen, and her Majesty's conduct. Tire necessity of the tall of rthe House upon those questions was obvious; but he must repeat, that be did not intend to enforce the call, unless the Bill came down from the other House. He must, therefore, deny the propriety of the construe lion tvhieli had been put upon his words. I laird FOLKESTONE said that be did net see the force of the reason which the Noble Lord bad given, The fact was, that if the Bill had been gone on with. it would have been necessary to enforce a call of the House, because the feelings and opinions of most were averse to the instituting of it at ail; bat on the , aw being throtratint, the mprohn of the provision, and time arrangement of wher subjet is must have fallen In with the iatentiOns of atl parties, and the propriety _ _ of arranging them would have met with the concur came of every este; so that in torch a case a Call of the House would not have been necessary, and the Noble Lord might have dispensed with it, and yet gone fully into the qnestion. He then proceeded to observe upon what had fallen from the Noble Lord, in answer to the questions of the Honourable Member for Essex (Mr. Weston) and the Gallant General (Fer guson.) The Noble Lord had refused to give a direct an over to the questions of those Gentlemen, respecting inquiry into the Milan Commission. He said, indeed, that those Honourable Gentlemen might hriug fur. I ward what motions they pleased on the subject. Bat I no one knew better than the Noble Lord the difference of a question coming forward from that side of the House anti one originating with his own. After a few words from Dr.LUSHINOTON, in reply to what hail fallen from the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Castlereagh). The Petition was then read, and ordered to he printed. Sir THOMAS ACLA ND presented a Petition from the Freeholders and Inhabitants of Axminster, in De voe, praying that the Queen's name might he re stored to the Liturgy, and her Majesty put in pos session of all her rights and privileges. The Petition was read, and orderd to hr printed. Sir T. ACKAND presented also a Petition from the Borough of Ilonitnn, to the same effect, which was si milarly disposed of. Mr. Alderman HEYGATE rose to present a simi• tar Petition from the Inhabitants of the Borough of Sudbury. He observed, that it prayed her Majesty tuieht be restored to the enjoyment of all her lawful rights and privileges; and, what was not common in throat days, the language in which it was couched was not only respectful to both Houses of Parliameut, but also to the Sovereign. lie wished to take that opportunity of expressing his opinion on the subject of the Petition, which his constituents had called upon him to support. No man could deplore more than hr the introduction of the Bill of Pains and Pe nalties; and he deplored it because he firmly believed that it was not justified by any State necessity, nor could tend to any good purpose. lie could not hot congratitlete tloe House and the country on the decla ration of the Noble Lord opposite (Castlereagh), that there would be no further proceedings upon that sub ject. He was also displeased at the original omission of the Queen's name in the Liturgy, because he fore saw that it would he isroductire of many evils, and because it gave the best opportunity to those who cared nothing for the Liturgy, to abuse and embarrass the Government of the country.—(Bear, hear, from the Ministerial Benches). But it was one thing to re gret the original omission, and another to vote for an Adders. to the Sovereign, to request the insertion of the name. This subject was nut to be decided by the Queen's guilt or innocence alone as to the charges preferred against her. There was another very im portant consideration ; the line of political conduct which her Majesty had chosen to pursue since her re- turn to this country, and which was not more unbe coming her dignity, than at variance with the coun sels of her sound and higitimate advisers. This line of condect she had persevered in during the last four months, yet, on her first coining to this country, and when the proceedings against her had just cotnmenciel, she declared that she would not mix her cause ; the vindication of her character and honour ; yes, she said she would not mix up that cause with the views of any political party whatever. Unfortunately, her Majesty dill not persist in that determination many days ; she soon put her name to a letter addressed to her Sovereigu and husband ; yes, to her husband, and he spoke as he was sure every man would speak, who felt fur the character of his country ; this letter con tained sentiments, which, addressed to a private (leo would have been considered disrespectful in the extreme ; but, when applied to the Sovereign, because little less than what, in any other person must have been visited with the punishment of the law. This letter was followed by a long series of attacks on both Houses, its which she did not hesitate to say that if the Bill were to pass, it mast he gravely proposed to the people whether it ought to be obeyed. Direct encoura:eiteet u as also held out to the )Military, who were paid by that !loose and the Crown, to try how far they ought to disobey bole If others were now pre pared to forget those things. he was nut prepared to du so. It therefore became the House of COlllllllOl/4 to reflect, before it touk any steps which might be coo strued into an approbation of such proceedings. The Parliament ought still to coosider, that should they carry up an Address to the Throne in favonr of a per• son who had so conducted herself, it would appear as if they acted upon a recognitien of the propriety of such conduce—Meer, hear, from the Ministerial Benches.) He hoped that the moment wont soon ar rive whets the memory of all those unhappy proceed- Inge would be buried in complete oblivion.—(Hose, hear, and laughter from the Opposition.) lie trusted that the time would soon come when this question would altogether disappear, and the permanent and great interests of the cossittry occupy the attention of Parliament, that we might be no longer the ridicule of foreign oations.—(Laughter). We had already suffered from this question ice many respects, and he did not wish it should long continue to interrupt the proper hasineea of the Legislature and distract the community. Mr. HUME said he wag Parry to hear the worthy Alderman charge her Majesty with a crime little Imo than treason, fur having uttered the sentiments NW tained its the letter to which lie alluded. He held the letter ice his hand, and he called *pen the Hon. Gen tleman to point out a single sentence which could bear out the serious charges he had made. He (Mr. Hume) was as sell inelined to support the dignity .s power of that House as any wan in the county; he would venture to affirsti,that there was not a senti ment or expression in that letter from whirl, he should take offence, nor was there any thing like improper feeling.--(Cheers oa the Ministerial lienehes.)--As to those men who could lay tkrir hands upon their hearts and say that they acted right or manly in persecuting a defenceless oissuan, he dui nut care for their cheers. He wished that they would imagine themselves in the situation of that Female, and then think what their filings and expressions would be. It was the part of a dastardly nTan to )ramose upon a woman, but ]b e d s . tees did endeavor to trample upon the Qaeee ; and when they thought that she I ra, i n th e d ust , b y their infamous proceedings•---(he used the word int imate in the broadest sense w high the Engli s h l angutee 3 c g u d e st give to it), eo theymp spaletelae-rd h reibtiLliing that ma From beg l i i is ce e nin7 l4 to end of those proceeding,, it was well worth cemsisler ing what was the sitoatigis of that unfortunate amd illustrious woman. If the principle which th e Honorable Gentleman had laid down was right, wh i t did it come to? lie (Alderman Music) had admitted the injury receive.] ; he conferred that it w ag a great wrong to have excluded her name front the Liturgy, and yet he tells her that, because the f.„ been aggrieved, insult innst be added to injere, a n t complaint must be met by new acts of oblmine an I iajustice.—(]tear, hear:)—As to the Noble Lord eta had cheered the Worthy Alderman, he slid not eery him his sensations when such reflections ma-t Wm on his pillow.—(A laugh.)—The House ought to can to its mind how her Majesty was placed isk" she ieturned to this Country. The Honourable Ow. tlemen then proceeded to review the grievances of bee condition, and the cruelties th it attended the vom i t. logs against her; and inaintained that in her "pe a l she had only demanded a fair trial, bad the, asked it any man demanded the same, would the Hee. Member deny it to him? She claimed no more from her help bawl, and it was really too much for as huliwidealte stand up and reprimand her for it.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. Alderman HEYGATE said, that he must .4.v a few words in reply to the attack which the Helmer. able Gentleman bad made upon him, for giving a fair expression of his opinions on a public and important matter. The Hon. Member bad called upon him to point the passages in the Queen's letter to which bit had objected. He had not that letter by him, and he had spoken of it from recollection. Yet he believed be reniembereil one passage which would bear out ha assertion. If lie recollected right, that passage said, is addressing the King, " Your Conn is a scene of low debauchery." He would pat it to the Hon. Member and the feelings of the (louse, if such language could be justified.—(llear I. and order!)—He had some extracts from her Majesty's answers to Ad dresses, which he believed would corroborate his remarks : one of these spoke of the Bill darkening the present, while the future appeared lowering with civil war. A limber, the Answer to the Address from the parish of hlarylebone (we believe)), had this sentence, " The time is come when it is under stood that the interests of the military are not dtstioct from Close of the people." Again, it was said that the Sovereign was the slave of his appetites, and only re markable for fatuity." Another mentioned the" insoles& domination" of thi Government. Her Majesty had set even hesitated to declare, that she would not submit but by force to any sentence not pronounced against her is a court of iIIStICC. The Answer to the Address from Cripplegate Witholit stated, that if the Bill passed the Legislature, it would be matter of consideration hew far it might to be obeyed. la her Auswer to the Ad dress from the Artisans, sloe said, that " it was °witty to the hard-beartelness of the oppressor that the sweat of their brow during the day was followed by the tete of atiiict• at its close, bet such things would her he regarded as the scenery of a troubled drelen." in l e t lie had quoted cumulated indeed for the greater part of general is/axiom, but they derived their force from the foamier of their application, and from the time in which they had been addressed to the Sovereign. For him- self, 1w mist repeat, that it would be the last thing he to should think of attack without cease, the character of an unfortunate and illustrious female. Ile deeply lamented (cries of spoke, spoke!). Mr. LOCKHART, after some prefatory remarks, is reply to the observations of the Honourable Member re specting her Majesty, stated, that the conduct of Mi nisters, in refusing to insert her name in tier. Liturgy, while they settled a proviaion upon her, would give bet command and influence, with a disparaged character, and enable her to keep a Court, while they pat her in a situation to deprive her of the association of persons et elevated statious and feelings. Under these circus• stances, and with a disparaged character, into wheel hands was it likely that her Majesty would fall ? The llottourable ? Merman had read extracts from the ea s.vers which bee Majesty hail been advised to give It the vast number of addresses that had been presented I. her. IVas it not probable that, under the ctretonstanoss which he had described, instead of falling into the heads of advisers, who would give her Majesty coostitetiosal advice, she would fall into the hands of those who, as the llomsurahle Alderman had said, would make a tool of her fur their own purposes; not with any sincere view to protect her, and wholly regardless of her gailt or intowesice? Was it not probable that her Majesty would again fall into the hands of such irresponsible ail risers, who would attain deluge the country with ar suers to addresses similar to those on which the Ike mineable Ahleruian animadverted.? If her Majesty woo placed in the situation in which an Wilmot penile ought to be placed (and he had a right to call that tote son innocent, against whom no accnsatiou had been established) tube would immediately have about her poi sons of rat* and character, by whose advice and es ample, aided by tier own good sense, she might becomes not the base of the tramisillity of the coomery, but still is some degree the ornament of it. It was Lis most earnest wish that, instead of the advice of the writers of those %bitted addresses, which cootedned all she aar sense uf the French Revolutionists, her Majesty should be placed in a situation in which she should receive the advice of the able, honourable, worthy, and independesl men who defended her on her trial. But, unless het Majesty were placed in such a situation that her rim. racier would remain untouched, she would be as a tit* brand in the country, and her presence weeldronstantb increase that discontent, acrimony, and angry &thalami of opinion which at present existed, and which wellt never cease until the Caine should be removed. M menient when the agriculture and the mastafactares the country west is sea langoishing a state, how wea l the people endure that their best interests 'Weld Moak. unattended to, while they were debating on a nsere pow tilio, a point of hemmer of Ministers? Ought the nughlf and sacred interests of the country to be left to shoo* lion by such trilling ? He was no enemy to the plea° Ministers. He never had been so. During' lona. 511 . 11, 1 he lied been their tins friend. Ile highly sP1 111•4 7. their conduct at the time he alluded to; and he had NW . then, as he said now, that their moues would stand hr in history. By their perseverance. fortitude , a nd w Eons, they had extricated this country from a aitoat.i of the almost per But he much doubted if they ste biy &wood the arts of peace as well as they had sliotiui had done those of war. In his opinion , it woul d more manly in his Majesty's Minister'', having t ifes in some degree. to weeile altogether. 'I his wield tranquillity to the country, and would l"tal,lT 3LI F the destructive sohjert at prevent so niiiireiet_, agitating the country ; leaving the Legislator, at I; ty to devote its 'Mintier!" us the real interests o country. • --- w e i a f I •—air welmumin. f I 1 a r P • Ii 1i a in ea a' MI is