The Statesman. — London, England, 1809-08-10 00:00:00

'II labd by any means but those of truth.. In the human heart there is n thing that naturally vibrates to slavery, falsehood, t 1 dupliity—and I repeat that it is my earnest rnmendlition to adhere tin Truth, Integrity, and fair dealing. The late events on the Contivnt trill „nu me; to offer you one piece of adviceot - ailtiels I 0 Jaen' mean im portance at the r ento l lyijni ee, a affairs 41) , of Europe. W ecits'solvibly & grecs t, front She event of t test eft The Dauullic. Core ueror will no ' e the whole Conlitte 'of Eu.. Tope under his c rilml—hewll4 in all pr ' billty, now offer you in 'nt vereember, tif peace be once accepted proziiotsi to a Ref tit the re .presentative systtem of Englaed—you will cal the fate of the country. 1 am the strenuous and ardent friend of peace—but peace without Rte for motion, both•eivil and military, for the preserva tion of the Constitution, and to enable ns to resist the insidious enemy against whom we hive to con. tend, will inevitably bring this country to final ruin. Let us, therefore, have Reform, in order that we may have Peace. G en tlemen, I nil not • detain you any longer, but submit the Resolutions that I have to propose for your approbation and adoption. [Very loud applause.] I. That in a Petition presented tamed entered on the Jour nal. of the House of Commons on the 6th of May. 1193, it was averred, and sewed to he proved at their Bar, that 151 individuals (Peers and others), did, by their own authority, appoint or prox tire the Return of JOT Members of that House (e snootier of those. from Scotland), who were thus es:tided to deride alt que.tioliv ip tbe..name vss the-whole people of Great Britain. , i . U. That in a Report lately presented lathe said House, it appears that a large proportion of the Members thermal' are Ptacemen and Pensioners, dependent us the Crown. 11T. That in a Petition presented to the said House, and entered on its Joernals, on the 9th of December. 1790. it was averred, that " seats therein were as notoriously rented and bought as the standings for Cattle in the Fair," which asser tion was then resented in Met Rime as " scandalous and li bellous." But when Lord Castlereagh was. on the 11th of May last, accused of having soli a Seat, he was screened from punishment on the plea of the extrsoncnotoridy of the practice ; a practice which various of its Members unblush ingly justified. TV. That when Sent, lathe Commons House of Pallia tiont are bought and sold. the people, their laws and liber ties, we bought and sold. V. That while these eateeptionseontieue tn exist, the Pen * are deprived of Mete laWfel shore of the G merriment, by Representation in the Commons House of Parliament, which share has bens gawped by a corrupt and uncoils/Nu these/ oligarchy of Borough-menders. Vt. That Reform on Cosatitutienal Principles encourages us se hope that the expose's. disorders. and tumults attend *. Elections wadi be avoided—the Rights and Liberties of On Pei* seserear-Teses raved—the imersai -44 grievous inspositimu artho Property Tan ransoced, and Ware berthees revented-Xerrapties then wadi! he no Wager ancestry, inch leas avowed to be necessary fee the aillaniniebutiaa of public affairs. VII. That the King and his People have but ere interest, lot Bornagh- mongers have an interest sepasmte from each, aid Wetted to both; *nisi a complete Reform in the Re =eiTm * the only meal of destroying the corrupt in tbe latter, se it is particularly requisite in these than for s)e presereettea of both Ring and People. V;2l. 'Plat the Thanks of this ?denim be given to Sir F. Surdett. dart. for calling no dip Hesse to take into consi deration the necessity at &aurae ha tim Ilicvcrocammi.. 6 I hnt he be requested to mew his rimiest mete it the nest Session. 44 Mat we reemintaad to GenNss, Mks; kr. Towns, mei loranghs, to pesos do subject en lib attention of the Hens tf Commons, by raped/el arid earnest Petitions. IX. That the Petition now read be signed by the Sherif, and Freeholders, and delivered to George lilyeg, Esq. to be restated to the Haase. TL. That George Byng and William Mellish, Esqrs. oar alipeesestatives is parliament, are hereby instructed to sap lien the same. XI. That the Thanks of this Meeting be given to the She- Mrs for their promptitude in rallies this Meeting, and for their impartial melon in the Chair. XII. That the Thanks of this Meet* be given to Major Cartwright. for his perseverance and ability hs the came of Penitentiary Reacts. Mr. lIA RE. TOWNSFND—When I came here I did not think that I should be called upon to second the Resolutions so ably introduced by my friend, Major Cartwright, and which you have beard read. Convinced, however, as I am, and as 1 trust you all are, of the necessity of thoseße. solutions, I second the motion with sincere plea. sure—and the more so, because in undertaking so to do, I stand in a situation perhaps more peculiar than that of any other Gentleman in the room. I am a farmer, and hold a farm, (belonging to my. self) for which, were I at this eminent to let it, I could not obtain more than 1601 per annum. Gentlemen, what will you say, and what will you think of the situation of England, when I tell you that the taxes and rates, and stythes of this farm amount to more thins the rent. (hear ! shameful, abominable !)—iich, Gentlemen, is the fact, which I attribute, in a great degree, to the immoderate and unnecessary profusion a ith which the public money is lavished. This land is tithe. able,,and being lately called upon fur an increase orthe annual paynsmst in respect of my great tythes, I wrote a letter to the inhabitants of Go. claiming, near to which my farm lies, which is so exactly illustrative of the present situation of the country, that with your permission I will take the liberty of reading it. Whatever coincidence there may appear to be between this letter and the ob. ject of this Meeting, I can assure you, that even the Requisition was at that time not known by by me to be in contemplation. You will observe, that in the account of the expenditure of the farm, the lax on cart horses is accidentally omitted— and the truth on that subject is, that the calls of the tax-gather are so numerous, so incessant, and so indeterminable, that I really forgot to insert it—so that the statement is really below the real amount of expenditure in rates, taxes, and tythes. My house too being on a scale somewhat more ea. tensive than that which would be deemed requisite for the occupation of a farm of this extent, I did not think it fair to include the house and window tar. A farmer to be sure must have a house-- that is, if he can get one in the present alarming and deplorable state of the country. [Read, read !] Mr. Townsend then wad the fu owing letter. . I • A Letter adiressed tin the Inhabitants of Gadslasi*, on the remit Rise of the pat Tithes. Gentlemen, lloshildge, July 1111, 1601 As an iticreased demised fir Tithes will oblige me to cease loot being a Grower of Corn a circainstaace which contents the Public as nearly as It does myself, I beg in present the Inhabitants of (lodalmin Parish with a statement of facts, which vamps may stimulate them to come forward with the friends of British FIVIIIONS to procure that Reforms which can alone wive the Gantry from Rain. When a bow has been strained to the almost, it will break at last. Rotas if the calls of Government were not sufficient to snap the string, and as if the snapping of it were OA bo wer to be coveted, the Proprietor of Tithes has come for ward on the present occasion to give the finishing pull, before another Budget should have prevented the Farmer from sup pl% lag t::e Peopl.. with Corn, encept at a price which none but the most affitseat could nford to pay. Gentlemen, the Farmer, she mere litemer, has been forced to comply with the various demands made upon him, and with the Rise of Tithes that has lately taken place, for the ehoncethat some scanty pittance might still remain to him, by which he might keep his Family from starving. But where a man is not dependent on the next year's crop fur hi, support, he has another duty to perfois I be is bound to act hooch a way, as to sbew the People the true state of the Country, and not, by submitting to be the mere agent of others who are fatlening on the pit6lic spoil. appear to be a partaker of the pluoder, and be held out to public detest ation, and pointed at by the finger of Scorn, as selling his Caro at ant:nor/twits price; when, in fart, the money be re ceives at market with one hand, is immediate', parted with by the other in payment of Land -tax, Primes-to-tar, POOP. rate, ilig h a, -rate. t; Uurc -r ate, and Great and Sots Tights. Io corroboration of which, I shall now proceed to slate my facts, by giving you an account of what I pay au nt:oly under those heads, upon a Farm for which, were I to let it, I could not obtain more than 1601. per ammo rest : ie. 8. d. Land-tax l6 8 5 Property-tax 31 6 4 Poor-rate 47 5 0 II igh n ay-rate • 10 17 3 • t hurch rate Great Tidies... 99 2 6 Small Tithes 11 5 0 - Total ♦..157 t 8 0 This, Gentlemen, 1, what Ipay at present. But when the Proprietor of the Great Tithes was for raising them to 501 a par! w hich would have brought my outgoings for Tithes, Taxes, and Rates, to eight pounds fifteen shillings and six pence per year beyond any Rent 1 maid obtain, I felt that the last pull broke the boo, but that it *treed the Alan to re sist further Oppression I Gentlemen, when you consider, in addition to what I have bete stated, the increased puce of Labourers' Wages, and the increased price of every thing that is used upon a Farm, such as Iron, Tlat'a.,r, Leather, Cart Horses, kc. all . at which arc in constant wear and tear (the three first in the shape of Harness, Carts, Waggons, Harrows, and Ploughs, for %slid again there is neeevsarily an increased Demand I. the Making; and that the het are frequently swept off by the di_ oilers incident to Colts, or the ialluenee of contagious &tempers), you cannot wonder at the high price of Corn I and you mast be convinced that the present s)stent of Taxing and Tithing, if persevered in, will in a short time prevest the Farmer from selling the produce of his lind, except at a price. as I have observed before, which none but the affluent can afford to pay. Now, :ientlemen, there is an easy remedy for the griev• antes which all feel, but of which few dare openly to corn plaiu, and that is—a fair and equal Representation of the I People in Parliament. AVPre the I:te...ti Pen',lr't Po uperty Ihvii real Representatives, instead of being returned to sera* in Par liament in tile way the) arc, it is nut unreacciaable N sup pose that some the •k might be put on the Proprietor of Tithes, when his exorbitant demigods have driven the For tner to submit to his Tithes being taken in kind; and that the Farmer shoodd at least have a right to retain a fair Pro portion of the teeth part of his Crops set apart fur the Tithes, for the one be bad expended in buying Unming aad artiicial Maumee: And it should not be forgotten, that when the Clergy were first allosed a nnth part of the gross produce of the Land, the Tithes were divided into four equal Paris, and applied to four different purposes: The first /earth went to the Bishop ; the second to the Esainteunace of the repairs of the Church ; the third to the support of the Poor ; and tbefouriA was all that war pocketed by the Reeler. But, Gertlemen, the Rector now pockets AU! and so far from costributing to the support of the Poor, ahsointelv de ' titan& that the Farmer should pay the Poor-rate on the Tither be has compounded for Now, Geotkinen, I shall cnneludeby nbsereing, and it is ati observation that should be particularly attended to at time present juncture, that those who have Out the spirit to resist oppression and extortion at ►nine, a ill fall an easy conque►t to a foreign foe, should he ever elect a landing oa our coasts. Rouse therefore, Britons I from your torpor, come forward to procure a Constitutional Parliamentary Reform, and you may then look forward to Pence, Liberty, and Plenty, in tbc room of War, Vaal*, and Foreign Dependence! am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, And nell-wisber to my Country, HENRY HARE TOWNSEND. Gentlemen, I really had not an idea of this Meeting at the time I wrote the Letter I have just read, our would I have presumed to occupy the time and attention of the Meeting by reading it, had it not appeared to me to be the very best way of seconding Major Cartwrisht's Motion, whisk I greatly approve. To that much-respected cha racter, as also to every Friend of Freedom, I shall at all times give that strenuous support which I think the cause deserves. But in addition to the Resolutions that I have now seconded, I shall beg to move that a Petition, grounded on these Resolutions, shall be also presented to the House of Commons, praying a Reform in Parlia ment.---[The substance of the Petition, which was then read, is as follows :] That on the 6th of May, 1793, a retitled was presented to the Home of Commons, V welch It is averred, that Three Hundred and levee el the Members fur England and Wales only, are not refereed to Parlietneet by the Suffrages of the People ; bat are, through Immerses breaches and evasions of the Freedom of Election, therein thily vet forth, appointed by Ow Hundred and Fifty-four Peers and Conememen That Evidence in proof of the facts contained in inch Pe tition was tendered is support thereof; and the allegations so stated is the said Petition, still 'Mad am the Journals of the House of Commons uncoutradicted. Thai by the Statute, commonly called the Septennial lid,l the same House of Commons may sit fin a period equal sal oise-half of the probable duration °Chemin life, take, at the most flavourable age. That the right of the Commas to seed Representatives to I parliament was, by our ancient GOlNollitliSt vested in tbe : Freeholders and iftioneholders s and long Parliaments were heretofore as stakisown as the modern practice of Members procuring their Seats in the House of Commas by Purchase, Nomination, or by barter of Patronage. 'Chat every departure from this undoubted den of the People to a subatsuitial Repotation in short Parliaments, was a violation of the fundalfal principles of the Cusuisu (inn, and is a grievance dangerous alike to the liberties add Property of the People. That this deplorable state of the Repre►entntiai, ed' operating with the Septennial duration of Parliaments, huh an alarming tendency to destroy that constitutional balavre which ought to subsist between the three Branches of 04 LegislatUre; and threatens the Subjects of these Rralms with a Tyranny more hateful and degrading than a despotic Monarchy—the I.:Aarpatioo of the Rights of the People by an Oligarchy of the Proprietors of Boroughs. That the elective Franchise ought to be hitrosted to those, and those only, who are likely to exercise it for the common ' good, which, by the Act passed in the last Session of Par liament, to regulate the disposal of Seats io the Home of Commons, the eetitiouess conclude not to be the ease is the Venal or depopulated Boroughs. The Petitioners therefore cooldeady rely on the Wisdom and Justice of the House of Gthamons, to take their Petition into their early and gloat serious considera tion, and to glint them such relief in the premises as sisal be most consistent with that leading principle of our happy Constittili,in, a full and free Representation of the People in Parliament. • Mr. MADDEN.-..Before the Resolutions are put to the vote, I beg leave to say one word on the form only in which they are proposed to be addressed, fur to the substance I certainly see not the smallest objection. I cannot but express my astonishment at the courage of a 111R2 W ho has spent his life in the service of the people (Major Cartwright), iti requesting what he calls the House of Commons, but what I call the lower House of Parliament, fur a reformation of abuses. lie has, in fact, called that the Representation which I call the misrepresentation of the people. Gentlemen, I really think that this is one of the most inauspicious times to petition the House of Commons that could have been chosen. Iles nut , the worthy mover of the Resolutions told you that this Irian of Reform, which is so necessary to the safety of the country, has been patronized by Lord Camden, patronized by Mr. Fun, pa. tronized by Mr. Grey, and patronized by Air. Pitt t•-.- Is this a time to hope fur success by cum. ing forward to petition the prosecutor of the uu. fortunate Hamlyn and the fromd of the absniali ble Reding t Most assuredly may y ott reckon that they will • not pay the slightest attention to your petition. This adverse prospect is nut, how. ever, sufficient, I admit, to induce us to view our condition as being ,texper ate. But there is one circumstance which I own affects me inure than any other, and that is, the langu.sv of those men who for so many yrles called themselves the antagonists of Mr. Pitt ; who, hating succeeded by continually dwelliug on a then* which deligh tor all, immediately on coming into power entered upon measures which fro:e the hearts of all. By accident an expression was dropped that we oeglir to be true to our object. Now I mean to prow. pose that we should petition the King, as was formerly dune in frequent instances, tar4to inns* his writs to the well-knoxn rotten iusrensgist ; we shall then know where the grievance really lies—and it will, in all probability, be seen to be with Ministers.. It is wholly useless to petition Par. liameitt ; because the fault is there divided amossra the oligarchy of England and the Ministers of the day—that Borough factiuu which hive divided amongst themselves the Government of England. If you want to see the Code a the Ina, Faction, you have only to read a Memoir by a IVriter of no in. considerable talents, who avows that ho sent it* os to read for our instruction. For my own part cannot but say, that I am most heartily glad that we are acting in unison with the friends of Sir F. Burdett ; but it is nor fur a man, so sensible of the injures of which we complain, to go with petitions to that Rouse of Commons in which oaths are rendered as cheap by that most inefficient of all weak measures—Mr. Curwen's Bill—as the pro. testatlons of Harlots or the promises of Minis ters. Indeed the assertions of the Speaker mid that Bill arc wholly at variance—and I totally ob. ject to a measure uhich holds out no security, un less the taking a false oath on so important an occasion were productive of the same species of ignonimous punishment which attends the giving of false testimony in a Court of Law ; and more particularly object to it, because it keeps up the delusion of the Whig Nobility being the attn. nuotts advocates of liberty, when, at the same time, we see from what quarter efforts are nude to put down a man who has done store by his writings than any other man to expose corrup tion, and elect a Reformation of Abuses (Mr. CORBETT.) The men thus arrayed against that man are not those I wish to see in power. Such men I wish to see lying in the same ditch or the commonwealth with the Nominors and Nominees of rotten boroughs.—What has nut been your experience on this afflicting subject, and what can_ you reasonably hope ftotn 'any rehire Admini stration composed of those materials ?--There was in particular one measure, of a must fatal ten. dency, which struck at the root of your liberties-- I mean that suspension of the freedom of the press that took place during the trial of Lord Melville. It can never be forgotten, that this attack upon a must important branch of our liberty, was made under the sanction of Mr. Fox and other Whigs— . it :cut —upplaitre j. Why, Gentlemen, ue might just as well get rid at once of all that publi city in the administration of our laws, which is obtained by an open Court of Justice, where every one has aright to bea spectator of the proceedings. —The suspension of the publication of the pru ceedings in the case of Lord Melville, was just as much as to say, that the People of England would necessarily think that because he was accused he ought to be condemned. What ! consist the thinking people of England weigh the evidence that may be laid before them from day to day ?—Are they more apt to decide on es parte evidence only than throw by whom the cause is to be i judged I—Are aot the Moose of Commons and the House of Peers necessarily to form their lodgments on evideoce given fromday today—on the proceed- I logs that take place, pall`by pert' Are they cum. posed of different it aterigs from the People of F, n gt ,n t, uho are refused permission to jodge for themselves, except by the perusal of s folio, um _ der the burthen of which a man would sweat ? This is 'most melancholy and molt ignore inieus to rememb. r! The Whig Admininistratien, however, at last, lust their places, by attempting a measure, the risk of which was nut worth running, as, after all, had that which they promised to effect beets carried iuto execution, Ireland would not hare been sat iejled. I never will consent to petition that House fora Reform in Parliament, which I knoe to be so absolutely under the guidance of the Aristocracy and the Clerks of the Tre miry. No ; we must go to the Kiw i ; himself, and say, here is a considerable: number of Nuns which for , inerly hada large population and numerous estates, but they now scarcely serve to hide t! e infamy of a corrupt Mayor and Corporation P.— Most delicious are the returns made by those places-- over -1(111:n hankers--brokers—contractors--- and stock-jobbers—swarm in them like mites in rotten cheese. These renal sons of corruption, having studied the art of government is th e s h a d e of these immaculate retrea . s, hasten to the Tree. sury, alike qualified to be representatives in the lower or the upper House of Parliament. The aground on which this corruption is defended is must curious. It is necessary, say those who jaggy the existence of a corrupt venal Represen- Wien, that property andinfluence should be repre sented. What is meant by this I know not ; are nut property and influence represented by both the King and the Aristocracy ? But mind what these inge nious knavec would add le the natural immanence of the different branches of our constitution ; they would, on that natural influence, engraft a purchased, renal, and corrupt influence, not I sanctioned by the Constitution, absolutely hostile to its existence. All wealthy men have a natural influence over every man who has not leisure or inclination to mix in the discussion of political subjects. This necessary and unavoidable intlu_ ence no poor man grudges to the rich; it is a con. sequence which naturally arises out of the condi tion of society. But although the poor man grudges not this influence, it goes to his very heart to see the children of the corrupt and venal electors of some paltry Borough pro* ides! for by places, while his own children :ire doomed to the workhouse—the monuments of Pile's glory are barracks, nud workhouses—to such a state is England at length reduced !! ! In the correction of those crying evils, subitantial Re form is the sole remedy that can be applied.... There was certainly much truth in the observa tion that has been made, that in the prosecution of a correct principle there cau be no such thing as temperunce—for no man can be temperate in the cemaiission of perjury or murder—those crimes cannot be committed by halves...the least degree of either is positively criminal, and if you agree with me in opinion, yuu will resist the proposition for presenting a Petition to Parlez- Assent. lam fully sensible of the entire devution ' of Sir Francis Burdett to the support of Ilse Constitution of his Country, which he /mous and understands as 'weirdly as any of its, who are now contending for the restoration of its rights and privileges ; and I most readily concur a t ill passing another Resolution to confirm him in 1 the pursuit of the path that he has se lionoerably and so gloriously chosen for himself, and to es. courage Mm in the efforts he is making for our benefit. But I really do nut think that Sir Fran. cis Burdett could honestli . tell you that, by peti. tinning the House of Commons, you have the slightest chance of obtaining a Reform it, Partia -1 recut. This worthy and exalted character has that good sense which will enable him to do SU that man can do; and he is, as we all bin*, in pos session of the confidence ald affection of a'l true friends of the Cuestitistioo ; but- he can do no more than he has already dense 3;.lic cati go no further than he has 'already gune....asei all meashres in this respect Must . prove use less, unless the rapt* are determined strew,. ousty and feartessly to support him in his efforts to obtain a representation instead of a misrepre sentation, by which alone they cats' be defended against that power before whom other nations have sunk in succession. Front thy Power and ascen dancy of Bonaparte, great and eve* mighty as they are, nothing is to be dreaded by a free peo ple, fur he has not yet subdued any kingdom which was nut already internally subdued by the corruption and profligacy of its own Govern ment. This reflection ought to operate as an aw ful lesson to England, where the Game Laws and the operation of Pitt's detestable machkationt have taken away the right of arming the popula tion. f..et the people of England express their sentiments universally, boldly, and without re serve, and Parliament will no longer refuse that which they dare not sproathe—Reforui in every department of the Stnte, by which the predominant ascendancy of Enziand, among the nations, will be restored ; the alarm of the great Autocrat of Europe excited, and that careless Amara, restored to England, It hich in her best times made hes al most re z ormlless of they ferments and contentions of the whole world. (Loud applause, braro bravo !1 Mr. Iif:STLEY. When I enterni.this room, my sentiments wean perfectly in unison with those of the Gentleman who spoke last, but shat he has said has constrained me so far to OCT ."1:3 ',pinion, that I am now disposed to coulee Pe. eke sentiments of the worthy Mover o,lr the Petition„ and the ground of this alteratips, in my opinion, arises (rein this einisiderrion,—fhat If you netitiots the listig instead of the Parliament, from that mu. teen( there is nn end to all discussion of the ques- Nom of P4I liuntentary Reform. •Your Potter', to the King %s ill na handed •over to some Lord in waiting, and ..seer inure led the light. I Ilene same time perfectly agree in sentiment with, the , G en ti enete ah e ..iiee that vier hope of Reform iron, petitioning Parliament rinsing but be ex treniety slender; but seen; Vetifisei will 'sem-. warily pi °owe discussion. WI aroiru aliaMteasi pontl:tetweemrk.no7tW4:e:tisl:r:hriri i ,i n " k g . ; : 4 4. 1 h iki means e i i :o:fhl- this st f l i i i i :s I f o ll y . ri s on o o n e l r s ubsi ugf jest, with only a diferent . view of the maids. of • • • I \