The National Register. — London, England, 1820-03-05 00:00:00

ia .4 Sinptrial pattiament. HOUSE OF LORDS, MONDAY, FELE IS. Moro three recta. k the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the. Lail of liarrowhy, the Earl of pool, mid tae Earl of Westmorland, took their seats iu filitit of the throne as cnnitu issionets. The Continues, in consequence of the usual summons, h ing come to the liar, the Itoy al assent was given to the Annual Indemnity BM, the Lein' ing Laws' Bill, the Irish I.lectinn's Bill, and live local and private Bills. A second conunissioe was ilea a read, authorising the laird therein named to proro4ue the Parliament, a:id the Lcrd Chancellor read the follow ing speech : " My Lords and Gentlemcn. " We are cominanded by his Majesty to inform yeu, that it is a great disappointment to his Majesty, that on this lint and solemn occasion lie is prevented by indisposition from meeting you in person. " It would have been a consolation to Isis Majesty to give utterance in this place to those feelings with si hich his Majesty and the nation alike deplore the loss of a Sovereign, the common father of all Isis people. " The King commands us to inform you, that, in deter mining to call, without delay, the slew Parham/ it, his Majesty has been influenced by the consideration of what is must expedient fur public business, as well as most condu cive to general convenience. " Gentlemen of the 'louse of Commons, 44 We are directed by his Majesty to thank you for the provision which you have made for the several branches of the public service from the commencement of the present year and during the interval which must elapse before a mew Parliament can he assembled. " My Lords and Gentlemen, " We are commanded to inform you, that in taking leave of die present Parliament, his Majesty cammt refrain from conveying to you his w armest assurances of the seine which his Majesty entertains of the importaut services which you have rendered the country. Deeply as his Majesty lamented the designs and prac tices such us those which you have been recently called upon to repress should have existed in this free and happy country, he cannot sufficiently commend the prudence and firmness with which yon directed your attention to the means of counteracting them. " if any doubt bad remained as to the Were of those principles by which the peace and happiness of the nation Welt DU seriously menaced, or of the excesses to which they were likely to lead, the flagrant and sanguinary conspiracy which has lately been detected must open the eyes of the most incredulous, and . must vindicate to the whole world the justice and expediency of those measures to which you judged it necessary to resort, in defence of the laws and constitution of the kingdom." Then a Commission for proroguing the Parliament was read; after which the Lord Chancellor said,. " My Lords and Gentlemen, " By virtue of his Majesty's Commission under the Great Seal, to us and other Lords directed, and now read, we do, in his Majesty's name, and iii obedience to his commands, prorogue this Parliament to Monday,.l he 13th day of March next, to be then here Wilco ; and this Parliament is ac curdiugly prorogued to Monday, the 13th day of March Next." HOUSE OF COMMONS,. MONDAY, Feu. 99. The Sr►aker was strtononctl to the Peers to hear the enrontssion read for giving the Royal Assent to certain bills, and proroguing the Parliament to the 13th of March. Ile r<•tutueil at half pakt Otter, and, collecting the members tend to them the speech delivered by the Lind' Commis aioneis to both !looses. The members then separated. LIBERATION OF ma. HOBIIOUSE. Thursday nearly four hundred of the Friends of the Liberty of the Press. the Freedom of Election, &c. dined together at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, to honour tne liberation of Mr. Hohlumse. Soon after five o'clock Mr. Hobhouse and S.r F Burdett, attended by several Friend, 'Stewards, &c. entered the room amidst the tremendous applause of the company. The Band played '• See the Completing Hero comes. After an excellent dinner, the cloth having been Ire. snoa,ll, the Chairioßil, Sir F. Burdett, The People—th• only striver of legitimate power," which was received with mice time titre. tons siiikv Homy." _ _ The nest toast o.ts—" The King —may lie always re member the principle~ Winch rained his Faintly to be sealed ..n t:.e Tioone." It was received *tilt three (noes wee. Nlit•ie —Rale Its itaania. The which followed wan—" Thee only Remedy for alt g ,rievanres, a thorough Kelurm in Psi halm no.' It wys rt, tl V• 1111 ~,,, and Iting-constirimd applatisva and Itozza2. Moon! —" Kirk the Rogues wit." ,tr imrd:ft, the Chairman, (truinp:rs having first been cal;eit for) rose. The toast which he was going to Give •I,uke for itse;f: it was— " John Cam Holehoose, E:q —the vigorons and able Defender or the Peripte—may be, by the moonlight, nom- Mutated Westielinter Voters, be pi..ced face to face with Lis persecutors." It was pree;ed with thunders of Imams, which were /resumed, when Mr. Hobhou•e rose and ascended the table. He ti anked theist for the honour they had dime him ; it was, however, perfectly natural that any one, cir c•imsialiced as ice was, should be so received. It WAS Said in the old law, that there was no wrong with grit a tgragly , he, however, had be:o unable to find TIM NATIONAL REGISTER. ----- redress—except with tho.te to whom he slow appealed. It had been observed that the Romans, the most wlish ed tyrants the world ever saw, had been unable to COO. quer the laws and tustitutions of England; and was such a Cowl conquest to be reserved fur adventurers: No; Englishmen would never be subdued by such means. But. by open Itirce they would never he overcome ; he feared the efforts of timid. A pretty bold attempt at open force had been utade-t—but n failed, and they had only to guard crams. fraud. Attempts mould be made —they were now inakitia—to play upon the kindly feelings of Englishmen. It was so in the recent abo minable transaction—one of which the friends of li berty had most reason to complain : but bail as that transaction was, how could it he defended to stamp a verdict of guilty on the foreheads of those wretched men from their Sovereign, behove they were tried by Juries of their equals. lie contended that a must unna tural use had been made, and was making, ol the recent Alan. (hear.) They however had a little Lreathing time now—the Parliament had expired (applause)—a Pailiament winch had done more regarding the liberties of the country than had ever beets done by any for mer Parliament. During five weeks all this had been done—every statute, every liberty had been attacked. If be were to speak what were true of the dead Parlia ment, how sad an epitaph must he pronounce. (Ap plause.) Much had been said about the • 1 magic" of Parliament—Lord John Russell, all excellent y g Wall, had happily compaied it to Aladdin's lamp— The Noble Lord had endeavoured to scout the lamp— when up jumped the slates of tire lamp and Irighted away the scourer. (Applause.) Ile had Said in a pam phlet, of which the noose took so much notice, that few cared about them except certain intik !duals. Was he far wrong? No. But Lae question out of the lloosc was understood, and it was grab.) ing to find that even the Whigs of Norwich, York, &c. slow said that there most be •• a taorough Itcform of the House of Parlia ment." (Applause.) lie contended that the people had beets the depositories us the great question of Re ' fornt—the people who had been scouted by Mr Can , sling, and who could no more behold his people, than he could see me titan of Plato sit the bird of Datgenes. liad he possessed a seat, he would have said a nrjld or two fur this poor, featherless, unfledged, te u-legged thing, the people, especially in reply to hint who had lent a hand In idtlelilni4 them. (Applause.) Ile, how ever, relied on die peo i rle—they were yet the waves( and the best people in the world. While in prism, by the high behest of the Commons, he had received ad dresses Miter! would not have disgraced the pen of Mr. Canning. Ile would add, that whether in the House or out, tie should continue to speak and write libels against the House of Comdms. (Applause.) 7 f-Tney should of course be true ones ( pplanse)—the only dil ference would be, if he were Member tor Westimoster, he should speak more libels than he should write.— (Continued applause.). He then mentioned the way in which Mr. S. Wortley had spoken of his Pamphlet—the style in which it had been misrepresented—and was this die way in which the subjects of England were to be treated? And to be sent to prison? What will L. come of the Liberty of the Press,. if such precedent were to be endured? If any booby Yorkshire 'Squire, or ally bidder for the Speaker's chair, or any man who was learned enough, try having read Hatsell's Prece dents, or ally Precedent Poacher, were encouraged, the example would be firl owed by immense numbers as they soon would find. lie cared not for their Prece• dents. One had hinted that there was a Precedent for selling hint worse than he had been treated—that lie might be sent to solitary confinement without the use of pen, ink, and paper; but the only reply which he gave to the hint, w hen as the answer sent by hi to the West minster Address. lie could only again thank them, and assure them that, however eircninstanced, he should not pail to be the earnest advocate of their Bights. In what he had done, lie enjoyed the appro. batten) of his own conscience; and he was granqul to bind that toev applauded his conduct. (Applause). When Mr. lAublitnise sat down, the whole rO4JIII rose from their seav, long and loud liuzzaed, waved their handkerchiels, sec. Sir F. Burdett gave " Trial by J nry—the security to British Liberty." Mr. Roundiliwait gave " Sir F. Burdett, our incom parabie Adioeate, -al, may a British Jury vindicate his Address on the .NaaneliesLer --„" It was received with immense applause, and Sir F. Burdett rose, and on his ascending the table, the whole company rest and greeted min with loud huzzas. lie was glad lo behold so respectable a t'0111.• piny, as he deemed it the harbinger of success Mr West minster. lie viewed it as a good omen regarding the struggle in which they were about to engage. There were mall untoward circumstances attending the last contest: but one advantage had resulted from it, as they had become better acquainted with the merits of Mr. lioblitinse- He .anticipated success now if the City of Westminster were mindful of its own interews and character; ior as ill Mr. G. Lainh's pretensions and public principles, the) presented a I/CrICCt blank to the eye. (Hear.) Such only was wrathy of a rotten Bo rough. Ile sincerely itroititnetided to it r. C. Land) an ..d% CIIISeIIIcIIL in the Chronicle, where " a Seat in a ctrtim Assembly" was odered. (Applause and laugh ter.) In Westmi isier his time and trouble would be lost. (Hear, hear ) it was, however, gratifying in find, that the spirit of Reform was every where showing Itself. It eau a ppeal ed in the Sister Kingdom, but no reticle in a mote intelligent form than in Scotland. There it was tumid that Erskine—the Erskine ix 1793 —he would not mix 111111 with the common herd ol Lords—there it was round that Erskine was the eloquent advocate of thorough and substantial Reform (Applause) Erskine there declared, that the discontent which existed wasnot proportionate to the cause there was for discontent —.that without &limn, affection and confidence could not be restored—that representation was the polar star of civilization—and that the relionailAdy of 51 uistcrs was a delusion. These were nut the opinions of a young 111.111, of one rising into Ilk, but of one who hail arrived at a noire extended age than most of them could hope to :taunt. (Loud applause.) These were the principles and doctrines which they had all along maintained and these were the (loch sties of the Tories of former times, of Sw 01 and litilnigbrolie, of Pope and Sheffield, of IVyndhato, &c. To:y were principles which had, however, been constantly attacked, and never more elaborately than in the last sad days of the last Parlia ment, since the glorious Revolutiou, as it was called. I was alt 'volition that was glorious only as pronounc ing good principles, —But what difference could there be between honest men, even now, when the question was, should they or should they not have a corrupt Government ? Yet they ought to get rid of the nick-names of %Vhig and Tory ; they were now senseless. He had long adhered to the question of Reform, through peril and calumny; and he wa* delighted to find that the spirit of Reform not holy made its way in England, but in Europe.—Even the Sp 'Mols were aroused. (Applause.) lie declared that he should alway s be Mond at Ms post. He knew what the troith:c was—but he should The cause of Reform must triumph. (Applause.) After sonic further toasts, the Company separated. ELECTIONS. A very small, very cheap, and very opportune Pamphlet has just been published on the above subject—had we n u we should like to give the whole of it, but for the present our limits restrict us to the following extracts : The authr of this sensible little flannel, proceeds at once to the root of all Wit esil—the misapplication of the politic money to the corrupting Members of the House of I.:minnow, and makes it esident to the meanest capacity, that while this system continues, it is iiiitios.i!de that that House can be an efßeient controut on the Executive. We could rain hope, that at a 1110111CIII like the pi esent, when the weight of taxation is operating with such malignant influenee on every branch of the Ilaiimial industry, the faithful picture drawn in this pamphlet, of the shameless prolligat•y of the House of Co iiiiii otis•(or rattier of a wet y great proportion of its members) ar:l not be altogether lust on the honest Electors of the canonry. Detective as the stale of our Representation is, much might yet be Jone by the sturdy determination of all imbiassed Else-• tors to give their votes to no one of those connected with the system of wasteful expenditure of the public money, and who a ill not subscribe to the economical tests pointed• ' !At in this tract. The connection between the increase of our hoidens and tire profligacy of the. Noose of Commons, is pointed out in the fellow ing bunt tttt ur 111:::::be: : " Let us es: ttttt ne, then, tile causes, a Lich base produced this ehaur,e in the characters of our Representatives, which have converted them fr bring the real itilkxilne guard ians of the public purse, into. the wining servants of the Crown; the brat and great cause of thi:4 'evolutin, I pro nounce to be uur enormous-Natiohal Debt, and the money paid in the collection of the taxes. In 11w 11l i ll ,; tit the reign of his late Majesty, the annual interest of the National Debt, ancl other charges 'sayable for the same tear 3,302,67 M. (see the Jason:lls of the House of Continuum s) at the piesent day, the collecting only of the taxes coots Great Ltritaiu 3,392,i'i61. and for Great Britain and Ireland 4,Vtia,boo. (see Annual Finance Accounts) that is to say,. at the close of the reign of his lute Nlajesty, and at pit:bent, there was and isi► much greatrr •um paid among tax-gat her rn of all descriptions, than a ae paid for the mulleu of the National Debt at the beg' ' g. Who then is it that dis. pubes of this enormous bum of four paid in the col lection of taxes? who puesesses the patronage, toe appoint ment, to the collectorstrips ? Nominally it i • the Crown; hut in truth it is the House of C 011111101.6. Does any limn doubt this fact I If a gent learnt F.•lsre:aloe a tow it of auy commercial importance, and seem,' is ti.e government by his vote iii Parliament, dues lie not attend regularly at the Treasur), amid demand as a matter tit the tilling of all vacant appliiiallientli m the Customs, Larson., Stamp ()dice,. &c. of the tosea lie represents with his ow is rclamions,lilends, or l oh Kcal supporters ? In the like manner, if lie repre sents a county amid supportb tine Mini stet. is not the valua-• ble appuiiitinent of Collector of the Land Tax, with other. such things, considered immediately as his °Wu private pro per() ; and du not we invariably see these appointments come snot pusseseion of his brother, or his sou, Or some family or political COMO. ago that Mr. 11 Oberlin - cc was reproved in the House of Cu 1111 l was by Mr. Canning, who taxed hum, as it west., with mugs atitude in opposiug the Government on that occasion,. on the sole ground that Mr. Vs inset force was as , regular a suitor at the 'Treasury fur the disposal of offices mu the revenue in fovutir of his II itods, as :oil other Ministerial Member, gaud Oil that ateUlllll urat 110.), the Ministers, had ass ilea I right to his vote and ,u 1 pui L." The author proceeds to notice the enormous patronage which has arisen out of our Ludt.. a Empire. and which (as in the case of Lord CastlereaJi, for instance) is bar tered tor seats in the house of Commune. Ile next no tices, on the authority of the Pwauce Committee, the possession of ()tlices, yielding a profit of 1, - )6.6061. by it; bleisibeib of the House of Commons, the application of the proceeds of the Droits of the Admiralty, the almost exclusive possession by the Members of the House of Cu 11111 l ous, in the shape of pensions of the four and a half per rem. Leeward Island duties i and having illustrated the all these and other menus of cournp's lion are applied, lie calls upon the nate 111 l to exact from all Candidates a ph tlge, that in the approaching settle ment of the Civil List, they will vote for precluding his M.iiesty from granting any lit usi 111 l out of asoy other fund than huetlteCitii last Revenue; that they will vote for the abolition or the present expensive system of collection u the public revenue ; ilia t they will support a Bill fur the exclusion of piact•ulru irons the House of COllllllllllß, par ly tire Boards of Ticamary, Admiralty, the throve Its ot• State, the Board of Cuiettiail, as also the Chief Justice of Chester, file Welsh Judge-, and the Masters to Chaticery. Whatever ditimence of opinion may arise as to the ex tent oh which Rrfmw in the Cuiestiititimi of the Douse might to lie carried, there can, we should think, lie no difference of opinion among honest men, that all these pract►cal Ittforius would be attended with the utmost Le. 100