The Statesman. — London, England, 1821-01-09 00:00:00

M . , M. r --- - CORPORATIONS versus (Int LIBERTY and PUBLIC PROSPERITY SECOND SERIES.-I.crt►R V. " Nos Pretres ne sont pager qu'un vain peupie pease, Notre credulite fait tonte lour science." -rm• STANWM'S MPS or VOLVOS'S, p. 104. " That which makes the clergy glorious is to be knowing in their professions , unspotted In their lives. active and 'alto ; views is their charges, bold and resolute hs epitomise sedu cers, and daring to look vice is the fa ct; and, lastly, to be walk, courteous, and conepauionate to all."--Soutn. I SlR—The clergy owe it entirely to themselves, that the public attention has been irresistibly attracted to their conduct, and that it has become incumbent upon thug*, who have undertaken the labour of discussing political subjects, to canvass them in their clerical robes. As a body, they come so aptly under the description of privileged corporations, that it cannot he necessary to offer explanation or apology, for dedi• rating one of thibse letters occasionally to an exami nation of theirrinerits, particularly when those merits, . as in the present occasion, in setting men together by the ears, are so eminently conspicuous; when ei pulpit, drum ecclesiastic," has sounded so vehe mently to battle, in favour of tyranny, persecution, and all uncharitableness, and against knowledge and Improvement of every denontinatine. Who were most instnimental in the massacre of St. Bartholomew; in the business of Manchester; and in many other similar lairs? Why are tioe Society of Friends a more Mural and physically a finer race of people. than any other in the civilized world? Is it not principally be chute their regulations, in this respect, (the wisest ever instituted among men,) de not admit of systematic teachers of pernicions dogmas and delusions? They have no priests! Until, then, yon ran show me that there is any other description of persons to be fonnd upon earth, as moral, as wise, and as healthy; or swore moral, more wise, and more healthy, than the Society of Friends as a body ; and that those persons hate priests, I mint he allowed to infer that the absence of priestcraft is the principal cense of their eaperiority. I know not whether this idea is new. 1 ern not recollect ever haying read or heard of such an inion. But, whether the doctrine he new or old, whether it be original, or borrowed, it is well worthy of farther investigation; sod I should be much obliged ti an of your readers, among the respectable sect in oveitiors, who should (through your hands) favour me with preetee information on the subject. Does not the peaceful spirit of these friend., without ghostly • diteetstre, alien efford a strong ground for believing that poleetetaftk together with government craft, constitate the-tole causes of war, bloodshed, an.l desolation amweget human rommernitiel ? It would be much wiser, in the present day. fur the members of that peofession to endeavour to fonnd their claims to the direction of their flocks, to superior knowledge, inte grity, and practical charity ; than to the obsolete rutinattery of an Anherent sanctity. Do the priests among' ourselves really believe, and do they expect azy piher person will believe that they speak the truth, when, in takifig orders, they swear that they are Ykspir'e'd by the Holy Ohost? do they expect credit whin they profess tteir belief in the furious and insane teed of St. Athattsolus? Do these gentlemen wish it to he understood, that when they embark in their minis try, it is entirely from an innate regard for the salvatinn of mankind; and a conviction that they themselves are by far the most competent to point out the paths of that salvation ; and not with any profane views of income or power? But their loyalty, as welt as their sanctity, is not only inherent, hot exclusive; or, at lean, they only share it with excisemen and others of pretension : whilst they attribute sedition and Wasphetny exclusively to those who would prevent ark monopolizing also the good things of this world. Thus, tire Rey. Mr. Gilbert Beresford, Rector of St. ' Andrew's, Holborn, is a monopolist of sanctity and loyalty in his parish, whilst hid parishioners, who deny 'his right to between 12,000/. and 20,1100/. of their earnings annually, are uneanctified, disloyal, seditious, and blasphemous. I know, Sir, that the selfishness and servility of the clergy, as a body, has, in all ages, been proverbial amongst enlightened observers; and I feel convinced that it would be a foolish thing to attempt to non them from their evil ways, by any remonstrances ad dressed to themselves, if that public credulity, which, according to Yoltalte, constitutes the foundation of their science, were net daily diminishing in force. Those of them, heweter, who have' at all any discern ment, or who look beyond the boundaries of their (ells, or convents, trust perceive the daily diminution of this popular credulity, and that their own influence, in is far as it it founded on delusion, must decrease in the precise ratio of that diminution; as well as that every attempt on their parts, to hold their influence by compulsion, when the credulity, upon which it was fonatfed has ceased, must be nugatory. They ought also to be aware, that, to attributing to themselves exclosit4 loyalty, and to the bulk of the nation dis loyalty, they inevitably provoke; by such unfounded pretensions on the one hand, and gross calumnies on the other, a rigid examination of their claims. For my own part, considering myself one of the persons thus villfirld, by the hole and corner men, of whom members of the Church are generally the leaders, or :the prompters; and knowing that my own loyalty is genuine and disinterested, whilst their's is spurious and 'selfish, I shall continue to analyse their preten sions, whilst they dare to utter such libels against all • independent men, as their servile, and calumnious le aerations, falsely entitled loyal addresses, convey to the ear of a deceived, betrayed, and deeply injured , monarch. These knavish addresses, got up for the most knavish purposes, shall not succeed in identify-, ing or confounding the interests of the base ad dressers or their patrons, with those of the throne, the people, and the constitution : i. e. the constitu• ' tlion according to Its genuine principles, as by king, lords, and commons. yam. frormalte base alloy which has almost wholly disfigured ur destroyed it; not that ridiculous and disgraceful thing, the constitution ? , ea by law established. or rather as by Cintlereagh and Co. subverted. I feel warranted brae past, in assert ing, that the future attempts of the enemies of the ;King, the Queen, and the people, end of freedom all over the world, will fail to effect their elle purposes, through the-medium of the persteutioo of that' illus trious lady, or any other possible atetliteis. The hire. V • L. rk . ,i, ntigs of this they have bees have, I observe, talk of the bu! _ faction, . they have, by the genuine spirit of loyalty, reject ed their ministerial holsters, foie-termed' " loyal ad dresses." On the loyal addressers, or ministerial bolsterers, I am well aware that both reasoning and ridicule would he thrown away. But the public at large min benefit by the ridicule and odintn, by which these tricksters have been overwhelmed by the independent part of the press, which the hireling part of it has the ac.dacity, after its employers, to call factious.° Against the liberty of the press, there fore, all the knaves in the land are now preparing their fulminations. " We know," they acknowledge ta citly, " that we bare neither reason, 100; wit, learn ing, or common sense on our side; it is nut, therefore, fair play, that those, who possess all these advantages, should he allowed so unmercifully to belabour us ; hut, if Castlereagh and Co. will he graciously pleased to tie the hands of these our mtfair antaffunists behind their backs, the rognes will find how handsomely we shall be'eaguer and overwhelm them with abuse, of which we have always such large quantities at our command. We shall accuse them of treason, sedition, and brasilietny ; and, with us, assertion against our enemies is always syncrtimous, with conviction. With a censorship, a fig fur argument; without it, see are un done. Oh that a censorship bad been imposed last year, instead of the foolish six bills. The Queen and her adherents would have been long ago destroyed ; and we should have escaped the pitiahle plight in which we now stand 'More the world. Ue,-//te.o sarieni;." • In consequence of the eastigations inflicted by that glo. rim; engine on the Fit ileged corporations. their langnage has already beco►ae. in snn►e instances, lea% indecent. and less arrogant, than at the commencement of their ultra-loyal career. Some of them in their snore recent effusion% ha►e even the modesty to disdain imputing improper moist 4 to the nation at large. from whom they stiffer so aidely in opinion. fist this humility. we- know. arises from a cense altogether foreign to their natures. A tree press does won ders in restraining arrogance. BERKSHIRE MEETING. A meeting of the Nubility, Gentry, Clergy, Free holder*, and otic.:r inhabitants of the county of Berks. was held yesterday at Beading, to " consider of the propriety of presenting an address to the king on the subject of the treatment which the Queen, his consort, has experienced, and is experiencing, un the part of his Majesty's Ministers, and of passing such resolu tions as !nay then and there appear desirable, on the present state of the country." At half-past twelve o'clock the spaciuus place in which the meeting was held was crowded by respectable gentlemen of the county, notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather fur travelling. Mr. J. B. lloxus, M. P. was called to the chair, in obedience to the general wish of the meeting. The Citatasttx then opened the business by read ing the original tequisition, and a letter which he hail received (ruin Charles Dittolas. Esq. one of their county members, which was accompanied by a phy'sician's . . cerfifiente, setting forth The indisposmou of that gen- Lord FOLKCSToNe came forward to propose the rests. lotions. and was received with loud and reiterated cheers. The noble lord cutinseneed by saying that it became his shay to offer to that large and respectable mweting some observations swot' the object of their assembling, and to propose to them certain resolutions for their coliiiiirra lion, which he trusted woithl be unanimously adopted. He would endeavour, as shortly as lie mold, to state his opinions upon the present crisis of pnblir affairs ; but f r om the e xtended endure of the topic, comprehending as it did so many points of momentous interest, he teamd be stould have to trespass longer upon their attention than, under any other circumstances, he should fe e l him self justified in doing.—(llear.)—He roufessed that when he reflected upon the present agitates) and rola tni tons state of the country—when lie considered in par ticular the late unjustitialile proceedings in Parliament of his Majesty's ministers—when he was so forcibly im pressed with the fatal tendency of these proceedings upon the peace and tranquillity of the cowry—when, lie re peated, he felt the weight of all these rellections and considerations, lie approached the great business of their meeting nith fear and apprehension—fear, that he was unable to do jnstice to the subject ; and apprehension, that he might expose himself to misinterpretation upon so momentous an occasion. list the present crisis over 'lowed all feelings of personal forbearance, and called upon every man who had the good of his country at heart to conic forward and boldly state his opinions upon the prospective dangers and calamities which impended over the c ountry.—(llear,hear.)-1t was incumbent upon the people of tile country to step forward, and endeavour by the unequivocal declaration of their opinions, to ward elf the evils which threatened them, and to make their best effort to prod3ce an alteration in a system of mis government so fatal in its consequences, and which could only be ameliorated by the fi rm and general voice of the people at large.— (A ppla tt se.)—The terms of the requisiti on were as general As the subject to which they referred, they comprehended the whole state of the country, and armed a wide field of discussion—into the minute de tails of which, however, it was not his intention to carry lb. meeting en this occasion. The state of the (matey was indeed widely appalling.—(llear, hear.)—Turn to whatever quarter they would, they only met distress and dissatisfaction. If they looked at agriculture, they found it suffering in all its ltranclies.—(Hear, hear.) —Manu factures and commerce were alike weighed down with the heaviest impediments. The country was in that state which called for the serious attention of every ho nest man. Such was the universal pressure of distress end calamity, that the public had reason deeply to re gyet that tine united attention of Parliament during ni late sitting had been withdrawn from the consider ation of a state of things so alarming in every point of view to any other consideration whateme might bare bees its iheracter.—(Veer, hear, hear.)—After ad yeetlng to the folly as well as to the injuetice and cru elty of the measures pursued against the Queen, his Lordship dwelt upon the incapacity of the Ministers by *bons they had been conducted, and the necessity of a tbange not only of Ministers but of the system of On- Moment. Unless said he, the Home of Commons were made to act in unison with the general feelings et the people, it were rein for the 'vestry to look for a redress of grievanceaby any change which suerely.embraced the .mtlistitittion of one set of men for another in the affairs lit the country.—(Hear, hear.) A reform in the repre aentation of the people was therefore indispensable. (Lou.) cheeks.) No good could be effected by any set of men, however well disposed, without% If this healing remedy were not applied, the conntry mist go on from bail to wincsa.-4Hear, hoar.) Aid even oiler* it ap. pli attuning/oust see that mark of t padowo would still remain to be endured under any alteration of piti• THE STATESMAN. iegradetrett, of thjs iiiiis hods% as ti Raiment, in the Go en so apt* denominated by her Vajitty,' Mi hate topaNisk all du ve, dared, in their polluted vehicles , to e stork au imeediste a'k of tine wherever e people as a faction, people of England well, taamee, if Obey SSW-11 atm The people for no f if f hr Governmed. . would their patience; . chaege remedy. Hat .r he 'mew the , they world submit with pa ..era chases in the ability or conduct of the Ministers of obtaining any eventual relief.—(Hear.) They would. he had no doubt, place their fullest coofi deuce in an administration which they felt identified with themselves in promoting one common object—n lamely, the generalproeperityoftliecoastry. (LondCheers.) The topics to which be had now alluded were those comprised in the resolutions he had to submit to the meeting. There was only one other matter to which he felt it necessary now to allude, and that was the conduct of those' per` sons at ho designated themselves " loyal addressers. (Hee and pinch laughter.) He feared that that meeting was not likely to have the assistance of such men ; but if they were here, he would call upon them to point out one word in either the resolutions or the addresses which mild bear any other construction than that of the most perfect duty and loyalty to all the constituted authorities. K there were in them any such word, he was willing to have it immediately altered.—(Hear.) The noble lord concluded by moving a series of resolutions condemning the whole conduct of ministers, apt by afterwards pro aspo address to the King for their. dismissal , a nd a petition to the House of Col kkkkk uns for a reform of par liament. There was also a coneratnlatory address to the Queen upon her triumph over her enemies. Mr. James Weraut seconded all toe motions, except that which prayed the immediate restoration of the Queen's name to the Liturgy. Mr. Adam Bias tor rose to second the motion for re storing her Majesty:s name to the Liturgy. That mo tion 31r. Wheble was prevented through delicacy from seconding. as he was of the Catholic persuasion, and could not therefore suggest any alteration in the Pro testanr Liturgy.—(Hear.) Before the question was put npnn these motions, Sir Francis Burdett, who had arrived at t h e meeting just be fore the chair was taken, was loudly called for. Sir FRANCIS tirRIIETT Mlle forward amid the lousiest cheers. He would have been well content to have joined his $ ilfrage to time general suffrages of the meeting by holding out his hand in support of the resolutions, peti tions, and addresses, which had been read; but sinee i they were desirous of hearing his opinions, he would not fail more than on other occasions to declare, when so called on, his sentiments and most decided opinions. (.Applause.)—lie would not have intruded any (Amara- , thous of his if he hail not been particularly called on. because the able and eloquent speech of the Noble Lord so plain and easy, and so level to the understanding of all, made any observation from him, if not intrusive. perfectly unnecessary. He entirely concerted is all that the . Noble Lord had said, and lie heartily agreed with a gentleman neer him, that they were all under the greatest obligations to the Noble Lord for calling the meeting : and he would add, that they were snuck indebted to the Independent Magistrates who sanctioned this county nteeting, in spite of time nneonstitutional,ansi, he thought, insulting conduct of the Sheriff. After in veighing in strong ferule and at considerable length on the treatment of the Queen. which was one of the sub jects of the Address proposed to the King, the worthy Baronet said he thought the petition to time King parti cularly proper. lie would call it a loyal and constitu tional petition ; it was a petition worthy of Etsglisheneo to present, and worthy of an English hint{ to receive.— (Applanse.) —To present such a petition At the time when 1 every trick and artifice was used to keep the King , ignorant of the sentiments of people, was particsdarl I I arc -. Lord Sishuouth would not present it; It wild ordsh o i ta p iut pp e ar in a s the tl, e Gei e n o z ln ~,,,,, the ~, of fti a l t e tentio ze n ti s e of his were 1 eroted to other purposes They were appropriated to , Imposture and deceit, to the paltry pretence to loyalty of Aha hole and Niftier mom p altry pear tier of going to holes and corners was, he Isoped,a good omen : they knew that a corner was a dog's dying hole. (Immense applause.)—He (Sir Francis) would net have been at this meeting hot fur the hope that some of the " hole and corner men" wouldhave shown themselves. He hail seen its the public prints some statements of farts ' which seemed to him to he the preinsions to a battle ; he hail, therefore, come in order to see this class of beings, and to hear what they had to say.—(Oreat applause.) — Their chairman seemed to hare b e en in a similar error, for lie had very prnaleatly cautioned them against too h warmth in their debate ; but it was not likely that there should be any warmth on account of the opposition of hole and corner men, or that they should fall into any error on that scor e . Bat the most important part of the subject embraced in their petition was the melancholy distress of this not long since happy and flourishing country. — That distress was universal ; it therefore admitted of no alleviation, for all classes being distressed, no one could spare any thing to relieve another. This distress was I felt after six rears of peace. If the cause of it bad been a transition, as Lord Castlereagh alleged, it was a very long transition; it was pretty nearly as long as Isis lord ship's speeches, and seemed to have no termination but in his lordship's transition from lifc to death.—(threat applause.) The canes of the distress were now known to he permanent ; bust, notwithstanding that the suffer ings of the people were so great, he felt mulch more for the violations of law and of the constitution. It was more than the half of the distress at every manly mind in the country, that be was not a free map. Deprived of liberty, he for one caret! little for life. Liberty was • pearl'above all price; but to find their liberty destroyed for haviisg subverted the liberties of other nations—to Anti themselves enslaved for having enslaved other even ' tries, added great poignancy to the bitterness of their situation.—(Brent applause.) Bet all proceeded frig* ' one source—and that source was the corrupt state of dm Moose of Commons. It had been truly said, that unless 1 the Mouse of Cotutuons were reformed, no ministers,' however honourable, could benefit their country : with. out change, the greatest talents toned be of no service. Nay more : he would say that without s change in the representation, no man could take °fries with an honour. able intention. Without such a change, the greater the 1 talents of ministers, the worse. It was manifest that in a system of roguery the less talent the better. I ndepen • i dently of suds a change, instead of desiring better mi nisters, he could not wish for any but the present.—(Ap pliose.) They had lost what he might call the best fee -1 titer in their wing. The abstraction of Mr. Canning ' rendered the administration infinitely better for the people, hot he was not sure whether the cabinet was likely to lose that gentleman. He was a very slippery sort of a gentleman. When they had him, the y had him not. He had acted in the most extraordinary man ner. He hail made a speech in favour of time pro siltation, mid at the same tithe, in the simplicity of his tendert, declared that he had supported the prose. .midis baismosamhing was meant towards the Queen bet Sadieran good feeling, regard, and ea taan o ,—(Laughter..) Mo then withdrew from the storm, expecting that it Would be soon over, and that he could then again em ltelt on the occasion with his colleagues • . bat on ;mu i( to the shore he heard the whistling of time tempest, VW again retreated. It was said that he was going *brood, and that he had written to his independent eon *digests, to assure them that the treatment of the Queen was kis only reason for retiring. This was saving In oither words, " that he would come back on the first off. pertnnity." More than that the Caningites, the friends, and adherents of Mr. Canning, no longer adhered to him. If befell those tuuliltle ideas of witadering, her, I i I Alf might wander where he pleased : they kept their pla tes. It was the play of puss In the corner. One more est venturous than the rest might leave the corner, but the test rensainett So the spirit and limbs of Mr. Canning still remained in office. This political polypus, lie ap. rehended, would lose much of his influence with his i e . - ak T endent constituents, if he did not return to office. It was no wonder that the right hon. gent. quitted office r with regret. To him might he applied the lines of the poet, with some whi to she..ealteratio alterations : , Freluctantly a prey, " Ilk pleasing place and pension e'er resign'cl, • " Left wares corruption and Its flowery way, " Nor east one longing lingering look behind r. (Herat applause.)—Bat whatever might he the feeling, of the right hon. gent. in looking back, it was their hat einess to look before, and if they could see no further than their noses, they must be convinced that svithoto a Reform of Parliament they never could recover their free. dom. He was going to say they never could be free : but they were tout free. The very circumstances iu which they wet proved that their constitutional liberty was lost : for why should the sanction of Magist ei g t ,,,' have been necessary for their meeting together to declare ' their sentitnentsi—(Applause.)—There was no security for the Queen, for the King, or for the people, if Parliament was not efficiently reformed. He thoeght th.t ! the demand for restoring her Majesty's name to the Liturgy was a point of the utmost importance, hecaese without it the Queen could not be satisfied. In itself it might be unimportant ; but in this case it was the point of honour. Without the restoration of her Majesty' s sane to the Liturgy, he saw no hope of peat-ea tram quaky to the country.—(Appluuse.)—But the great was the power of that base amid corrupt faction le whom he owed no allegiance—who disloyally shackled their Sovereign, and made his authority subservient to their own unworthy and selfish purposes. The Honourable Baronet concluded Is) congratulating the county on se numerous and respectable a tweeting, end seconding the pe:itiou to the King. The Honourable Baroneesspeech was succeeded by three times three cheers and walierof hats. Mr. Ilst.ere said it wonlil be groat prettrenntion is him, were he to attempt to say any thing in addifea te what had been so ably and eloquently stated by fi e Noble Lord and the lion. Baronet. Of the Quern's is nocence he was now more coniittee than he had butt siren years ago, when he moved an address to her as Princess of Wales. The witness, who was called in English " My Jockey." had jockeyed Ministers, the people, and even justice, for his ears ought to have Imo nailed to the pillory.--(Applanse,)—They had com plained that the Queen had rewarded a faithful monist for his meritorious services; hest he could refer Ministers to a hook where great rewards were girenfor no services at all.—(Applause.)—lle should like to see the Bidets of London in the situation of the seven Bishops in Or time of James 11., that he might feel whether the his s ; could do no wrong. The hon. gent. after several obser vations, concluded, by expressing the great obligations which the country owed to Lord Folkestone for his na tions bringing about the present meeting. Mr. MARSH said he agreed with the honourable loo• engirt in thinking that her Majesty owed munch to the nu ble lords who had been named ; but she owed much more to a man who was once of great coesequence, that was Mr. John Bull.—(Applause.)—He it was that paralysed her prosecutors,end condeeted her with triumph throngle a cruel end malignant primes,. He heartily agreed in thinking that, when all classes felt each severe distress, there must be some" thing rotten in the stateof Denmark. - Tlee hon. gent. then proceeded in the I.Appiest 'train In ridicule the inconsistencies of the ultra-loyal Addressers, and concluded a speech which was received througliest with great applause, by seconding the motion of thanks to Lord Folkestotte, Mr. Fven P.ttaese, IL. P., came leeward and was rt. ceived with great apploose: lie apologised fur set ad dressing the meeting at say length, which he was pre ven.eti from doing by a told. Mr. Bourses, of arringdon, addressed the melting on the infamous character of the Bill of Pains ant Penalties. The several resultitione, petitions, and addresses, Weft then carried with great applause, and after votes came sure on the rotelnet of the Sheriff; and of thanks It. Sir Francis Bartlett and to the Chairman, the bleetini; dispersed. THE ItErENU E. -0.- f•-• :Pl.': g r; * p • 5 4,• * I et 4 • es 4•• I g C 5 ; c ; s •cs et "I t S. C A re • ; 3 • g ; z O ; ; r 7!.1 -P rPOP i 1 1 1 1 4 1 h i c.: t a « ; a mi . - z 4 { 1 4 5. '3 rP rP2-7) .1 • r ili= . ''' r x Ha ' Av e ng; 4 iL 3 l '' I:" :4" PP ; 1 Y 1 - 4. -4 1 P` IT Q 2 t 2 o ic - - s 2 "• Pa e R a 7 ; al s X . _ SO It .... I ; 1 el 7, h. I [ I X - Hill :7; ~.. Ait 'lllyt F it t! si rlo .ss.4 3 d. e 1 ..0 111 , 4 , 6 0 IP .„. . • .1 I r" .1= i I P A • = a • s • 2 : 1 : f I i g 2 0 rpr 7..M1 tttt I - 1 II M I L; I Pz itT- P t It " § I • s ea _ P P 0 El i f • es z tf I 1 , 1 I n E, ^) I:- A •A• ".• E " 4 • • • - E. .1! F The average amount of Bank of England which have been in ci during the quarter eis - lag the sth of Jenuary, 121, according Wan otrul•il statement inSaturday's Gazettesit ig.693,575 1 . 56. I'l A lady in a tradesman's shop, is Kensington. 0 4 10'w of the days the Addressers were going up Queen, observed 4 ' that the whole that raja slot were hired," the tradesman immediately rsti;e4 l .° ll Nader, there must be a great many Masters_ lo4 ‘I'Y" tresses to Aire them all." The process eosmiseag Pd at C 01444 244, " aini ' Dr. Damps, 'worm that his plot bag sp. onMoll" " =ideation, I