The Statesman. — London, England, 1818-02-25 00:00:00

peaderice t and, to the patriitiant of the tbentsolves to assist bias in bis efforts ,to proototai the future hippittese d. thereation..• On the 7th the 'Estates" *ere solemnly essembled, when they took the oath of allegiance to the King, upon his Throne, the Crown Prince (Oman) setting the example. The most perfect tranquillity is represented to have prevailed throughoet the capital and dominions of sweden when the last atcoents came away. Theirs! object of foreign policy with the new Monarch will, •of course, be to obtain a recognfiion of his title by the leading Powers of Europe—a recognition Odds, netwithitending all that has been said of the good faith and consistency of the Governments that have already, by repeated acts, nod .in various Treaties, acknowledged the King in his former character of Crown Prince'and successor to the Throne of Sive. den, will not, we suspect, be very heartily made, and may be departed from as soon as the holier claims of legitimacy can be set up with any prospect of success. The fate of MueaT most long be present to the finsginttioe of Benaanorrs. The Paper System has been often canvassed in • political paint of view, bet, as a question intimately connected with morality and humanity, there Is 'much reason to fear it has not been sufficiently cen. sidered. Sir JAMES MACINTOSH, apparently 110- pressed with this important conviction, last night, drew the attention of the House of Commons to the increase of crime in forgeries on the Bank, and on the metallic currency of the country. In moving for re turns of the prosecutions for forgery instituted by the Bank for fourteen years previous to the passing 'of ttse Bank Restriction Act, in 1797, and for simi lar Returns up to the present time, he showed from the account., tbit, in the fourteen years subse quent to the passing of that Act; the crime of for gery had increased one hundred fold from what it bad been in the fourteen years which preceded it. In the one period four prosetutions were instituted ; in the other no fewer than four hundred and thirty-eight. this speaks volumes uu the subject of the excessive Paper System. ~- A verbatim Report of the Secret Committee of the house of Lords has been published. The account which we gave yesterday was so accurate, that we have no occasion to reprint this document. The vindication thus published is only remarkable for its want of information nu all the subjects, in respect to which it was intended to produce untnized satisfac tion. A more meagre and coutemptible perform ance, when considered in reference to the charges made, amide greatiaterests involved in the question, has nut, even in these days of notable discrepancy, Insulted the eyes of an anxious and injured nation. — 'flit Report of the Committee of the Commons has not yet been made to the louse, but it is espected Ibis evening. If it be not of a more convincing na ture than the Report of the selected Lords, who have been so select In their topics of animadversion, it will be a very Common place matter indeed. Even the cruel and arbitrary acts of the Ministers, and their equally tyrstinicsl and shuffling instruments in the Magistracy, could scarcely have tended more to show to the Public the indefensible nature of the inroads made on the English Constitution, and the scandalous violations of individual liberty committed under the Suspension, acts which, in many respect., even tide justificatory Report dares not to mention. -...111 We have been so ample io our Report of the pro ceeding, at the COOIIIIOII Hall jesterday, that we must leave their importance to recommend them to the Reader's perusal. They, iudeed, deserve at tention. Let the particulars which the discussions Nlisclose respecting the fate of the unfortunate man. who perished by his own hands, through the Suspen. lion of the Habeas Corpus Act, and the shuffling between the Authorities under whom he was com mitted, be read in connexion with .the eulogies pro nounced on the mildness and humanity of certain Public Fenctionaries, and mark what will be the natural feelings thus excited. The letters upon that subject from the brother of the deceased, will be read with melancholy interest by all, and Atsay perhaps excite compunctious reflections in the most callous defenders of the late overthrow of our Constitution. We verily believe that Ministers themselves—at least some of them—now wish that they had never thought of baring recourse to the Sus pension Act. It has been a grievous occerrence, both in theory and practice. The measure, it must be recollected, took place in full peace ; and that at such a time it should he thought necessa►y to defend the English Constitution from Englishmen only, seems hardly credible: end still less, that the authors of this act should not dare to trust their conduct is the adoption end execution of it to legal in►estiga. lion, even after they have declared in the opening Speeeb of Parliament that the ferment has subsided. Will * Bill of Indemnity cover such sins'.l The onditr.mentionettabips arrived at Calcutta as follows, via.:—The Missend General Kyd. the 10th July ; the Margais a l Wellington the 25th July ; Mineeva and Streatham, the 27th July; the Rose and Princess Charlotte of Wales, the 13th August ; the William Pitt and Carnatic, the 28th August; and the Thomas Grenville and Lord Castlereagh, the lst September.—The Waterloo and Wiachelsea left Penang for Malacca and China, the 25th Jaly.—The bunks, out ward.bouud, put Into Plymouth, the I `l iulthot. • flt: •• - .11‘ .. • • Dunks, Ilst iuiL IP! SVATRAMAtii N.4r4A. Attr114108,114;14. Our Wilms them the coast this iterning state some mournful catia4ties produced by,the late gales. Tire following are the principal disaster' yet knows : The Rambler, Pack, of Bed from -Yarmeeth to London, with a cargo of cork ,arid deur, was run down, on the night of the 23d, oil Paltefield. Crew saved.—The Minerva, -.-....., from Limerick to Liverpool, with oats, is wended near South Port, and has five feet water in her hold. Ross, FEL 21.—Last night, during a beery gale; the William, of Weymouth, was wrecked oe alto point of Cairusore, and the crew it is feared bare perished, there not being the least trace of them— the vessel is a complete wreck. CAUTION TO Al ARINERS.-41ARWICH, Fen. 24. Reporchas been broieght to this place, of Ihe,Longsaad ,haring increased near use miles in Went, iu a N.E. direction, on a line with the Galloper. The marriage of the Duke of ektiazscE with the rich heiress Miss WYEEHAK, is said to be finally ar ranged, and frost what we observe, it is not likely to 'pier any delay from the late domestic celavaity. It je said that the Passes astrater has gives his own "MOOS, assent; but whether it bee named through the mseetitational forms, and that the Royal Assent in Council bas been given we do not pretend to know. It mast have that sanction to secure to the Lady the right, for .herself aced heirs, of succeeding to the Throne. On this interesting sehject it cannot be forgottett, that the KING in Coeocil refused his as fent in three (wank instances. The refusal of the Princess Royal of Dcomseit arrived in town oa Monday or Tuesday last week. On Wednesday it was communicated to hic Royal Highness the Duke of CLARENCE, and on Thursday he set off to Brighton, offered his hand to Miss WICKMAN, and r• was a thriving wooer." Yesterday, in the afternoon, the P.ince of acct. Ammar; paid another visit to the QUAEN and Prin. ceases. In the evening, the QuEcrs and the Prin. Centel AUGUSTA and ELIZARETII dined Al Catkin:l - The Borough of Faeslism will be warmly contest. ed at the ensuing General Eiectinti ; Mr. Bounu- TOX, the son of Sir CHAttLES Rosa Iluutarrow, Bart. has offered himself upon the Independent in terest of the Borough, and is supported by Mr. ROGGE'S strong natural interest : upon the public ation of an animated Address from each of these Gentlemen to the Electors and Inhabitants of the town, Mr. MANNING declined, end Sir CHARLES COMERELL, Bart. Lord NORTHWICK'S brother-iu.law, has started in his stead, to preserve to the Corporation the no mination of one of the Members, in opposition► to the popular party. Mr. Howawrit stands so fair with theElectors,that his return is considered certain. COTENT•CARDEL—The new Opera of Zama was repeated last night with increased effect. Some judi cious curtailments and alterations have been made.— The patriotic song by BAMIMI, 111 the tune of the Mum!lois Hymn, is, we need not say, still a fa. teethe, notwithstanding the violent attack made upon it, the Licenser, toe finger. and the Managers of the Theatre, by the Newspapers that hate the very sound of liberty. The arrangements for the vessels about to caldera the Arctic regions are now nearly completed, and it is expected they will leave the River about the 21th March. Esery precaution has been taken for the general comfort of the crews, fixed bed-places are fitted, with sliding-doors for men to sleep in; housings, to form roofs over the ships in the event of being frozen in ; a liberal supply of vegetables, and a propertion of xis months' beef, slightly corned, with some preserved meat, will be sup plied. The Isabella and Alexander are intended to proceed in a north-wed direction to Davis' Straits, and explore there for a passage through, into the great Pacific Ocean, by the American Continent. The Dorothea and Trent, proceeding to the eastward of Greenland, will take a northerly direction, in the hope of reaching the Pole, and from thence to Behring's Straits. His Excellency Governor FARQUHAR, suite, and family, are passengers by the Phaeton from the Mae ritius, and Commodore PUGET and son (formerly from Trincomalee) from the Cape—in all eighteen passenger.. Sir ARTHUR FORRI4, Bart., and Lies tenant .1 casuists, Nth Regiment, late Aids-de- Camp to Governor Fanounaa, are come home with him. We are informed she does not bring any in. telligence of importance. There had been sin recent seizure of slave vessels in the neighbourhood of the Mauritius. The Slave Trade had been abolished by the Native Powers of Madagascar (which island was the great source of supply), by their municipal laws, in conformity with a Treaty concluded between the King of OVA and the Government of the Mauritius. Capt. STAEYELL (of the Phaeton), who had been in defatigable, zealous, and active in co-operation, for effectually seppressing the Slave Trade in the Eastern Seas, and Mr. Pt's, Agent for the British Government with the Madagascar States, carried into effect this most important measure. When the Phaeton was at St. Helena (Sib of January), BONA.. Passes was generally believed to be in good health ; but he had not been visible, for souse time, to strangers. RsoucTiox lie THE PRICE Or PORTER.—An Ad vertisement on this subject from the Anti-Monopoly Committee will be found in our Paper of this day.— The Public are much indebted to these Gentlemen for the active manner its which they pursue their ob ject, and we hope will co-operate in supplying the mesas of rendering their exertions effective. The Tottenham convict ship, with the Derby rioters on board, having repaired the damage she lately sos mined its. the Downs, has again sailed from Sheerness, ,on her way to Botany Bay. Eisen/intr.—This m.-citing, at the usual hour, William and John Rarrlinson, suffered the sentence of the law in front of Newgste, for robbery on the river Thames. The frequency of these spectacles is truly horrible. The providential discoYery respect hog Kelly and Spicer, prevented the addition of two other condemned victims of guilt on this occasion. Coati-EXCHANGE, Fes. 23.—Owing to the heavy gales of wind we had no arrisils of any Grain at this day's market, yet what remained over from Monday's supply, met very dull sale, having but few buyer"; but prices of all articles are nominally Oat *oft as on -Monday. :;--~--. at %sl ZOMMON HALL. , v J.aot4l44lei PiliCrt;lo gp . ri so lea nso v.. . _ . Coabson Hall of the Tiverymen of Loudon Wits assembled pWrSuant toe Requisition, to Petition both [louses of Parliament against any In. demnity Bill, and against the conduct of Admiuist rm. lion during the Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Ad., After the Requisitiow bad been read, this LORD MAYOR came forward and hoped that both aides would be heard in the course of the discussion, as that was the best mode of proceeding in every public assembly. , Mr. FAVELL said that they WM' POI then assembien, that there might be brought before them points', of dispute out abstract principles of right, or pure .l theories of Government. They stood that day upon the great and admired principles, upon which were founded the laws of their country, and for which they might go back to their - Saxon auceators. The Nor mans indeed had endeavoured to destroy them, but they still survived. Our forefathers had erected grout landmarks by which the liberties of the subject were recognized and kept in..siew. These were Magna Chart., the Petition of Rights, the Act of Settlement, and the glorrious Revolution, which had marked oat ! and defined the coudoct and dirties of freemen Peen to that moment. It ought to be observed, that that day they came to consider the great trouts, the vital principles of their Constitution. If men were to be dragged to prison, and diet, released without trial, or without compensation for their sufferitte., our Constitution was not of much avail to us. If such things were to happen, we might go and bombard the Algetines, but we kept the spirit of their Go. vernment.—(Applause.)—He did not deny that there might be extreme cases, in which the Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act might he necessary, but there `had never such a thing before occurred at a period of profound peace. If a foreign enemy threatened nor shores ; if invasion seemed inevitable, in that case t h e s u spe ns i o n might, perhaps, be necessary. But it could not be requited when there appeared not pa ternal danger and little internal commotion. He spoke to a body of men titan whom he was con vinced none would go farther in putting down to. mutts and insurrections ; bat while there was a plau sible .oaiety manifested against tumults, they should take care they did not pot down the Constitution of their country. There bad been many dreadful in stances of abase in the conduct of Administration; some, indeed, so dreadful that one could scarcely think of them without shuddering. Ile was always unwilling to take op the time of the hall, but there was something that had come to bins that day of the most estraordinary and important ostu re. He alluded to two letters that had been pot into hi, hands, the subject of which, he had been told, was to be agi tated in Parliament by the Noble Lord, the Member fur Yorkshire. [The Worthy Gentleman then read the following documents t---) " Catharine-bowie, Jae. 26, 1818. M T LORD.--I beg lease to lay before your Lordship a most distressing case of the widow and family of ten children of the late Thomas Riley, who was, in my opinion, unjustly committed to York !guile in July fast, by order of Lout Sidurootb, me stated by B. H. Allen, Esq. but contradicted by my Lord Sidmouth, when questioned afterwards by Mr. Barclay, M. P.; who said he knew nothing against him, althoogh the before-mentioned Magistrate bad stated' to a respectable mercnant at Huddersfield, that they had no charge against him there, but that he was ordered to be detained by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and committed to prison. At the following Agsiges Lis Solicitor had prepared his defence, but he was refused a trial, for reasons well known to your Lordship, the palladium of British Liberty being at that time, and still con tinuing, suspended. He remained in prison until the 7th October, when he put a period to his existence by cutting his throat, occasioned by a depression of spirits brought on by confinement. Although a Peti tion, numerously and respectably signed by his friends at Huddersfield, aria a certificate from Iris medical attendants accompanying such Petition, bad byeti laid before Lord Sidmouth, of the danger of his further confinement, sod of his acknowledged in. dustry, and respectability of character and lo)alty iu his own neighbourhood ; and althougb Mr. Barclay pressed the necessity of his liberation upon the Noble Secretary, yet his case was neglected, and tie could riot bear so ignominious an incarceration without being allowed an opportunity of exculpating himself from charges yet uuktioirti, and believed siever to hate esisted. •• ender these circumstances, can I prevail upon your Lordship to lay this case before the Executive Government of the country, and intercede for some annual assistance, as either the Huddersfield Magi strates or the Secretary of Stare most have been the cause of robbing this family of their present as well as of all future prospect of support and protection from their natural parent and guardian. Begging your pardon fur thi► intrusion, I remain, •' Your Lordship's molt obedient bumble servant, "rtinlit Hon. Lord Milton, M.P. &c." •• Al. S. Such .as the substance el the letter which the brother of this unfortunate man Ltd addressed to the Member for Yin ksbire. The other document stated that— " On Tuesday, the 17th of last Jesie, George Whitehead, constable of Huddersfield, went to my brother's house, and told hini he was his prisoner, and expressed that he was much pleased he Initial length gni hold of him; he newer showed any aethority for tak ing him, and it is generally believed he had no Warrant for that purpose. On hearing he was apprehended, I went over to Huddersfield, but was denied admit• tante to him, nor could I learn any charge they had against him; bat learned that bail to any amount had been offered, but was declined on the part of B. H. Allen, Magistrate, of Huddersfield, intimating , at the saw time that he weir not acting upon his awn information, but from higher authority. On learn., ing this I wrote to you, informing you that, as far as I could hear, the information or charge was-laid in .London, at the Secretary of State'a Office. On the receipt of my letter yes applied through the medium of Mr. Barclay, M. P., to Mr. Addington, Under Secretary of State; this was on Wednesrtrie, gri July; . on the very NOW day a respectable Gentleman at Huddersfield was deputed to wait on Mr. Benjamin H. Alfas, who asked him if- bail would be•tateia for lig *realer Mr. Allen said be could set be liberated. ' ". Vrekbell. - The Gentleman then took the liberty of t asking Mr. Alleh what were the Charge( against 'themes Riley ? lie immediately teplird, they hat( no charge against him t but that en order had enveit down from Loudon for his apprehension, iiiid unfit he bad received farther inforeastiou from the Secretary of State he could do nothiog ; the charges being la d thews I have already 'fitted this was en Wed. 'wacky, the 2d July ; now, on Friday; the 4th of July, through the mediern , 4l Mr. Oakley, 'M.P., you received Mr. Addingtun's gnawer, milting there was no charge against Thomas Itileyi and that he eat not detained by order of the Secretary Of State; and that - if he was demised it was by thu local • Masi gistrates its the plate where .he leas apprehended. As with abhorrence I view Awse vexatious and edd- tradirtory statementsogow on this same day, Friday, the 4th of July,-M!. B. H. Allen committed my brother to York Goth; and on the f'diutsinf &V he was sent to the -Counks,Jail, under's strong patent of yeatnenry caveley, after being kept at Ileddera field near three 'leek% during all. a Bich time his die- . tressed wife and tionavious family •wert denied well access to or correspondence with him. Oe the 11th duly, he was furnished with a copy of the cherge's which were stated would be•preferted against him at Llhomiseirig,„Assises i bet, in the interim, a detainer was obtained from the derretary.of Stile, they being well aware that they could not criminate before.% Jury of his country." si. s. When application was made to know ath, digit man had bees imprisoned, the Magistrates had said it was by order of Lord Sidmooth. It was Paid that orders had come from London for his apprehenaioo, and till farther orders, no alteration-could be made in his confinement. When application was made ne the subject in London, lineeter, it. wag said ilea there was no charge alpinist him there, and lie was certainly confined by the local Magistrates. It could be proved upon oath, that the head anti fright of th a t mete* offending was neither • more near less, that, that Oliver bad Itsiotan•ti mats of the Home of Diego'', to whom he commuoicated that there was to be a great rising, and that Dawson, telling this to Riley, he had told it to some other petters.. Riley was as innocent as any man, !le (Mr. Favell) was convinced that be himself deserved confiliernesit ten thousand times more than that intincent Than, for he had attended many Meetings in that !lett and elsewhere. He tes'il not forbear telliog them that it was frosts the very boards oti which he stood, that 4 brave man, fee daring to ask the Lord Mayor to petition for a new Parliament, had been taken upend throe° into prison. Indeed, if ever theaCorporatien should vote another statue, it should be for that man, and then he enti Beck ford would see one snot hei--(Applause). IN I did not mean to say thing against a scarlet gown, but that Mall had only a plain blue one; though he wooly! say that bad he lived at ilie present day, only a Brien. ' draper and shopkeeper as he was, he should have . thought it right to send him to Parliament.—(efp. //lutist.) They would soon come to sotnethiog like a day of reckoning, end Owe it might not be amiss to put a few sober and c.minon.place questiOns to the Members. He had the greatest:respett Nethem; but as they .had said that four could do very little against six hundred, be' would silt iehetitei ting Cite paid no more Twits than in the proportion of four Its Itis hundred?—•( Applause.) When every Constable was liable to damages from Ravine imprisoned fidgety. 1 what slid they deserve who had :Wien the occaaion of the false imprisonment of so many? The Worthy Gentleman concluded. his speech by obser rice, that if 'their Members were not what they wished, they ' might look out for four more honest met'. Mr. &fell then moved th- Itesolu.ions, which will be seen in another part of our Paper. Mr. Witerebee rose to second this inntion. This was not, be said, • question of argument, fur no mats, except the grossest and most corrupt dupe, doubted that Ministers took advantage of the -situa tion of the People, in a frVllllOll of great diatrear, to suspend their liberties, and in that manner slide their irresistible complaints.—(flear, hear!)—To justify this measure no arguments had been made, nor cueld any be anticipated; mine, therefore, were required from the advocates of the People in support of their natural rights. Ile cousidered that the Lew of the Land was fully sufficient for the preaeivatien of the public tranquillity, when the Ministers thought proper . to call for fresh posers. If the Constitution were only to have existence when every thing was quiet, where was the necessity of calling on People to defend the rights it gave, if they were refused the exercise of them in the only m's. meut they could want them—a season of grievance and complaint ?—(Applause:)..-The complaint of I the Livery, last )ear, was against the Sespen. aims Act; in addition to this, they had now to coin. plain of the conduct of Ministers during the Saf- I pension . They had to c om pl a i n th a t h un d re d s o f their fellow-subjects were torn from their families— ' pet in dungeons and in irons—and kept so for shuntha, I to their ruin, and then discharged, untried and site heard. It mattered little that some of these men were of a low station in life, or what their nom• bees were; the trial of the liberty of the subject was brought to issue its the caae of a single individual, I like that of Mr. Je n ks, as muc h as if 1 , 000 h a d suffered.—( Ilear, hear !)—W hat defence hart Mi. tasters to make for burn conduct? The new edition of the Green ling—( Laughter)—marl come out feat 'light ill the House of Lords, and it did not distlose a single fact or circumstance that the Public were not *heady in possession of. The plats of Ministers was eidirely eapioded by the discovery of the hired spies, on whose information so many beings had been in. carcerated. if it had not been for the fortunate dis covery. of Oliver and his plot, poor men might have beets put ou trial upon their evidence, and perhaps convicted. The discovery, however, defeated this porpoise. The same farce had been yla . sed of 20 beau ago, but then the actors were more skilful than the present one', for they kept the machinery wholly out of sight,- inter; and a tauvls] —The late 1 , b Nisfpetifluit Act imaged certainly at an unprecedented period in every respect, and et no former perioll was so much oppression sod injustice exertised under ,it--it wag exercised in a manner as wanton as it was cruel, for 'the unfortunate sufferers were "charge!" when it was found by the explosion of the by See tem that they coold•not be brought to trial--net as they oegist to have been discharged, in an Wee . " - doted Maaner, bet upon haraesieg r ecognizant's.— , After lii moan. Great Bag Committee seas • • ---~ hrui- . • - 4 S. • a .