The Statesman. — London, England, 1818-02-04 00:00:00

_ , MR IN ZIOA 7.-fi Jsday et the Peblie Ohm. STATESMAN. THE LONDON: WIDNISDAT, 711111111ARY 4, 1618. • --Geo..— The Liverpool Letter, in liar naval column, an. menaces the arrival et that port of Sir Guinea IW`Gatooa, the patriotic friend of the Spaniels In dependent', from NUMB, Nrw Providence. - It Is as we suspected—the contents of the Green Bag (an •ruinous opening !) are to be referred to Se cret Committees. Lord Stamoeim moved last night, ie the House of Lords, that his vindicatory Papers, on what he calls the internal state of the country, shouts! be referred to the consideration of a Commit tee of Secrecy. The Members of this Committee, who are to judge and report on the conduct of Mi nisters, are to b r chosen by ballot, by which means the Ministers will, of course, appoint themselves and their immediate friends t• determine upon their ow e pioceedings, with such evidence only as they may think proper to present. The enquiry, we are gravely informed, is fort the satisfaction of Parliament sod the county). A very odd way of satisfying the country indeed. We know not whether Parliament will be satisfied by this mode of procedure, but we are sure thst the country will not. This proposed investigation is merely a prelude to the adoption of some Legislative wasores to screen Ministers from Prosecution for the abuse of their power, and pro bably lay the foundation of more imprisoning Acts. The Marquis of LaNsuowas and the Berl of CAR• NARVON made some very proper remarks °to this ex pedilious proceeding of the Home Secretary. These two Noblemen thought the proposed mode did not appear likely to afford an impartial or satisfactory view of the subject, and were strongly of opinion that the fullest enquiry should be instituted. The Earl of CAR. NARVON thought, as many will do who have traced the (petitions of the Spies and the Spy System, who have looked at Bradley's bill of sixpences, and who have , teed the afflicting details that we have submitted of the sufferings of the imprisoned Reformers, that if both sides of the question were fairly investigattid, "much cf the evil that has fallen out might be traced to the very Office of the Noble Secretary himself."— It was well observed, that as the coontry is now stated, from authority, to be in internal peace ■nd tranquillity, Ministers had not now to act in this affair on the spur of the occasion. The provinc e of Ibis Committee is avowedly to enquire how Mi nisters have acted. Is it possible that a full or pro per enquiry can be instituted upon information fur nished by Ministers alone, *to will naturally lay before it only such evidence as may suit themselves. Will they submit Bradley's bill, the Spy's acknow ledgment of monies received in specific terms, with the names of the persons commissioned to advance it to him, for the inspection and Re. port of the Committee ? And ought not the attention of these Judges of Ministers to be specially directed to the investigation of the justice of the dreadful treatment sustained by the men who have been so long imprisoned spots arbitrary warrants, and who.now demand investigation at the tribunals of the Country? Ought not the subject of enquiry to be considered in indissoluble connection with the trials and 'acquittals that have taken place, and the pro .ceedings upon what Ministers staked the propriety and justice of their Government ? If these points shall not receive due investigation and appear in the Report, in the name of truth and justice, what have the Committee to consider, beyond the means of evading all these questions ? In the House of Commons Lord CASUSIREAGH also presented his Green Bag, equally stuffed with papers of the sauce kind, and laid Thursday for the• appointment of a Secret Committee to take the same into consideration. IVe hope the constitution of this Committee will not be considered a light matter, .and that his Lordship's boast of convincing the country of the wisdom, justice, and lenity of his Administra. tion, wider their extraordinary powers, will be put to the test. Mr. BEnwerr sands pledged to the production of evidence that may not comport with the Green Bag allegations. Mr. BENNETT, and such • intrepid enemies of oppression and delusion as may jni►► him in the proof of this most important question of national and individual-justice, may be amply sup -plied with documents and particulars, if such be ne cessary in the House of Commons, of a nature very different from what may be expected to transpire from the Green Bags of either House. This manoeuvring of Ministers in the dark is of it- proof that they hive no proper justification to offer. Could their evidence have borne the light of day s k would have been readily and triumphantly produced kr 11 , . trials of the men whom they have, been obliged to discharge as innocent. fly this at tempt to closet the groonds of their unconstitutional measures, wild skulk behind a 13111 of Indemnity, they directly and evidently falsify all their assertions, .that the powers granted to them under the Saspen •ion Act were necessary, and that they were his insnely esercised, au assertion that new stands•more in need of proof than ever. If they could prove the truth of their declarations, they would not ad thus— they would show in open Court drat - they bad really *eta justified by da guilt of theii prisoners, and THE STAB that they bad levrisoned tie one without jest cause. They hen been very csertlios, Very humane, very mild, in their greet offices; they challenge any one to produce an instance to the contriry, bat they take especial care that nine shall be able to produce such an instance, for they will seller no onssto ao quire ! It is not often that innocence thus declines scrutiny, or conscious integrity shelters itself-from investigation.—The effect of this proceeding must be to throw a suspicion upon, if not directly to disprove, all the boasted assurances of moderation in the use of the powers granted under the Sespen sion Act. 'Malt reliance can be placed on those as• surances when those who mike themdare not suffer them to he tried ? Where are the sufficient grounds. of justification for the incarceration of the &ANTES months before the Suspension powers were granted ?, Lord SIDMOUTII and Sir NATHANIEL CONANT are ap prehenstve of a series of actions being brought against them, and probably of such results to them as at. imided the. prosecutions of norm. But have not these Gentlemen the national Ors, to support there—is it out of any regard to economy on this'ecorillii. they delicately decline the process of Harden'? Have they not all the abilities of the Arronney tad SoLICIToIt-GENERALS to assist them gratuitouglyi nay, have they not the very lawn of the Land, the most learned and impartial of Judges,to tryikeiresete? Why then this timidity ? this retrograde creeping into a corner to erect a fence on nameless and obscure evidence? How monstrous thus voluntarily to cit. cumscribe the course of Lam, and invalidate. their own power and testimony ! As The Courier says, " Why do not these doughty defenders of the Con stitetion, if fall they must, fall at the outworks of the Constitution, instead of thus retiring to its last recess? which, by-the-bye, if this be the Constitutional shelter, seems dark enough. The Courier, in its trembling anxiety for Ministers, in their titres( from the field, condemns the expedient of ratting, and expresses a fear, that they may be "massacred" in their holes by the bold advance of the Reformers. It has "earnestly and solemnly" addressed to its Readers a ferocious piece - of rant about the symp toms of the present times, "which must alarm all but the unthinking and the lukewarm ;" for "the disposition to anarchy is matured." The Ministerial I alarmist, however, mixes his solemnity with a most unfortunate pun, in alluding to the cause of his tirade—"the mob of tried Patriots," who met on Monday, ■t the Crown and Anchor Tavern.— Now, we believe, it will be readily admitted, that one of the complaints of the Patriots, al luded to Was, that they bad not been tried, and we believe it will now be as readily allowed that their persecutors dare not try them, for their trial'wouid be the proof of others' guilt. Well may the swagger ing authors of these flagitious imprisonmints, and the criminal attempts to trample on the rights of the Bri• tish People, shudder at the exposure of their viola tions of justice and public decency.—Such conduct could not continue—could not be told, without pro ducing a burst of feeling and indignation, which it is only for the minions of despotic power to fear and to deprecate. A greater crisis, we admit, than has yet come to pass, mast arrive, demanding the application of a remedy more to be relied upon than. the moderation of the present Ministers. The British People will not perish by the abuse of that power, which, used whit justice, and wholesome regard to the wishes of the community, would yet make us and keep us what *e have been, a great, • powerful, and a prosperous nation. Let the Country then perse vere in demanding this remedy, • Reform of the Abuses of the State, that the Nation may escape a prolongation of the calamity of " beholding the sanctuary of the Constitution polluted by its de• stroyers." Some conversation again took place in both House* yesterday, respecting the Bank Restriction Act. in the House of Lords the Earl of LIVERPOOL, in answer to Lord Kum, admitted the possibility of the continuance of the restrictions on cash payments ; and Mr. Gueasta.t. in the Commons called the attention of the House to the issues of paper mosey by the Bank, and the deposits therein, — He considered it an insult to the understanding of the Public, that a foreign loci, contracting with Arai or four great commercial houses in this, country, should be deemed sufficient cause to prevent the Bank from resuming its cash payments; ■nd in this opinion we believe every intelligent and independent man in England still coact's'. Paris Papers to the Ist instant have boma remitted. They contain the Report of another day's proceed• ings in the Chamber of Deputies on. the Recruiting Project. They have only got about half through the Articles. Amendment ippon amendment is moved; agitation, contradiction, temelt, and the arrival of the dinner hour, prolong the discussion to a tory tedious extent. The Duke of WawNGTON 6 S arrival is not announced is the Papers. It it stated in pri• vale advices from Peri•, that on the arrimil of the Duke of WELLINGTON after the signalers of the Treaties stipulating the evacuation of the foreign armies from the French territory, and the final settle. meat of the foreign reclamations (of whit* all the leading points are agreed on), Resolutions of the Allied Powers to the following pnrpprt will be 01. chilly promulgated :- 66 When the different mope d'prmee withdraw from France ) certain iv:liens of each, of theta are lo be directed to Frankfort, which position is fixed on et the central point for the great European Army. This blended force is destined to maintain the tram optoof Europe, and to form a reciprocal 'saran eespective Sovereigns. The Generalissimo le k let be cheaen annually after the consolidation of .11‘plan, which differs little from that conceived by Hemet 'fir." No doubt the respective Sovereigns will take care of eheowelvt, if they can—their fran gibility is always that of Eerope. The Paris Journals contain an, account of the seem employed by the PACHA of Egypt for the pre mised purpose nt,asserting his independence. His arm is said to amount to 100,000 men, containing. a number:of European officers, but this seems very ..Much exaggerated. To support his expences, he has devised a scheme for concentrating in his own hands all the commerce of the country ; but it is founded on the grossest injustiCeind ignorance. The wor• thy PACIIA, however, is only 'following the illustri °es ezample of the Powers who are now monopolis ing all means to maintain " the tranquillity of Europe." * -~-- A Dutch Mail has also arrived, with Papers to the let inst. They contain tome details of the proceed ings-of the Second Chamber of' the Sta•es General respecting Finance, in which several' Members ob jected to the Ministerial Estimates, particularly , of Military Espeaditere; but the Government carried their measures by a considerable majority. ft is sa tisfactory to find by an article from Leipsic, that British manufactures found a ready sale at the late fair in that city. LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE, FEB. 4.—Notice is hereby given, that his Royal Highness the PRINCE REGENT will hold a Levee et Carlton-house, on Thursday, the 13th inst.•at two o'clock. The Duke of YORK went to Windsor unexpectedly on Sunday to meet the Pnince REGENT. Ilia Royal Highness returned to town in the evening. The PRINCE REGENT, on the occasion of his late visit to Windsor, is supposed to have arranged with the QUEEN, the time at which her MAJESTY'S next Drawing-room is to be held. A letter from Windsor states, that an alteration has taken place in the mode of disposing the pieces of sitting in St. George's Chapel : the Dean and Canons are removed from the stalls which they have been accustomed to occupy for many years, and are to sit behind the Poor Knights. The reason assigned for this innovation is, that the PRINCE REGENT having been offended by the exclusion of bis Pages and principal Gentlemen from the Chapel oil the night of the funeral of the Princess CHARLOTTE, ordered an investigation Wove Lord Stvuouvu, the result of which has been the preceding regulation. Inv EAR:. or Sarrox.—Letiers have been re ceived from Crotteth, giving a *till more favourable report of the convalesceoce of the Noble Lord. We have the pleasure to add that the change hes been pro gressively for the better during the lest fortnight ; during which period not the slightest relapse has taken place CUTENT•GARDEN THEtTRE.—A new melo•drama, . :t; two acts, called The Illustrious Traveller; or, The Forges of Kennel, was produced last night at this Theatre. An individual, a man of rank, pro scribed, in great measure without justice, for treason and murder, taking refuge froM the strong arm of power amidst the horrors of a Norwegian winter, pro- tected and preserved by the attachment and fidelity of an individual who had scarcely before beard his name, and who loved him chiefly because he was in danger, constitute the main action. It is a very in• teresting piece, and contains one or two scenes of great pathos. FARLEY sustained the principal cha racter. The piece was announced for repetition on Thursday without a dissentient voice. DUG, Fes. 3.—Came down from the River last evening and sailed, several outward-bound ships ; particulars unknown.—Remain the Johanna Maria Constantia, Madden, for Surinam. PLystouva, Fea. 2.—Cuse in the Speculator, Morrison, from Terceina. , FALstouttt, FER I.—Arrived the Dutch ship Ca tharine Theodore, Vanwalne, from Liverpool for Surinam, with loss of fore-top-mast. LzvestrooL, FES. 2.—Airived the Wiliam Fwart, Fisher, from Nassau, New Providence, with Sir Gregor 111 1 Gregor passenger on board. Matelot, Fes 3.—Arrived the Castlereagh, M‘Donough,with Mails and passengers from Ilelvoet ; and Lord Nelson, Livings, with ditto from Cue baven.—Sailed the Lady Nepeati, Liveiug, with ditto for Cushaven. Doyen, Fut. 3.—Sailed the Verses transport, and the Boston packet for Calais, for troops.—Arrived, the sloop Fortitude, Randal, from Jersey to London, with loss of boom, gaff, and bulwark. GRAVESEND. Fea 3.—Arrived the Duke of York, Fryer, from Rotterdam ; Good Friends, Sherratt, from Dublin; sod Fortuna, Hughes, from o,tend. Sailed the Princess Amelia, Balaton, for Indiaf; London, Campbell, for ditto ; Kingston, Bowen, for Java ; Mary, Fords, for St. Mary's, Sierra Leone ; Valency, Bryant, for Lisbon ; Williams, Williams, for Dublin; and Minerva, Smith Allen, for New York. LIVERPOOL, Fes.i.—The True Blue, Flat, for Holyhead, was lost ou the 31st ult. on West 110)41; the Master, his wife, and one man drowned; and one man saved. Coax-Excatamaa, FEE. 4.—Our market was thin ly supplied with all grain this morning, owing to con. trary winds.—Fine Wheat folly supports Monday's prices, as well as prime malting Barley, but the in. ferior qualities of each grain are very heavy, except at low prices.—ln Pus, Beans, and Oats, there is no alteratifm. Mrs. Dxvises, in consequence -of some migon. derstanding with the Sob-Committee of Drury-lime, la no lesser a member of that Theatre. Mr. Lw. performed Octavian, in the Mountain wen) lac eight, 61 4 it t tign s tiv these two years. Tim Petition Busparr, • Saturday forms. " TO 4 I It, of Beth, resulitd, thojnjurioes . the Representation of the Pao. ple, intreat your early attention to the gamin Parliamentary Reform. " A great proportion, perhaps a majority, k your Honourable House, so far from being the ' peesentatives of the People, are notoriously Mre, to represent the interests of wealthy Peers, or trading Boroughenettgers, or to have purchased seats in Jeer Honourable Roue, for the express purpose of dia. posing of them to iha•best adiantage to the MinistrY of the day; one of whom has been hinsielf branderi with trafficking in this disgraceful barter of national honour for individual interest. " Such a state of pollistion, in an Assembly which ought to bathe sowers of honce•, and, )he fountain of prosperity and freedoui, has t mailed upon tbis jured country all the mischief, attendant upon a stat e of corruption so gross, and a dependence so unlimited upon the increased and increasing influence of the' Crown ; and being firmly convinced that a radical( Reform in the Representation, a recurrent' to 44. Nita Perliamente, and the adoption of Chsiressd Ihiffrage, are the only means of preventing a fatal 'evolution, we ask from the wisdom of the truly Honourable Members of your Honourable House, those messeres, which can alone restore the coo. Hence, and teener the tranquillity of the Nation:— And your Petitioners 'dull ever pray." The greater number of the l'ati.ions were in a form which expresses our gricrince • and itr remedy, is nearly as few words as possii,li.'''i'Vf heti the /lucre refuses to receise printed Petite+, its; an , ' a Statute makes it penal for more persons than lazenly to sign one Petition, then an expedient to save utsuecessary writing is valuable. The concise form runs thus:—' " Defective Representation being the Nation's 'bane, we pray that all male subjects (infants, Wm's?, and criminals excepted) tiny equally ::hare in annually. electing Represeutetives to serve in Parliament."* • The Luna v. Wd be still more rimeeisr by umitting-Tbe wise —infants, insane', and criminal", nod substituting—who pp • laic'. LONDON ADJOURNED SESSIONS. The following statement is deserving public Men., Lion :--Yesterday morning the above Sessions were to he holden at Guildhall, and at 10 o'clock the Ra.. CORDER and Mr. SHELTON (the Clerk of the Peace) arrived. Soon after Messrs. Aldermen Cox and BaXAN. with Mr. ALLEY, and other Counsel, So. licitors, &c. entered the Hall. The Court, floweret, could not proceed without a third Alderman, and notwitbstending that several of the Worthy Magi's. trates were summoned for the purpose, and mes sengers disp.•t bed in all directions, no Alderman was to be found. After wailing more than en hear, the Gentlemen (about 24 in number) summoned al Jurors became loud and impatient, and applied to the RecokuEtt, soliciting, or rather demanding, the e discharge. Ilts Lordship regretted very much the inattention that had been manifested in forwarding the public business and the ends of justice, as welt as the inconvenience to which the Jury bad been subjected. After this the Recorder, as well as the Jury, toured; some of the latter declaring that they would !eke no tice of the circumstance in a public way, the more, particularly as a like occurrence hau not long since taken place. In these complaints tit« Jury were • joined by the parties who stood upon their liberty, and were to be tried, together with numerous wit. nesse, and others. A man named Feumore stated to the Jory, that lie had been arrested upon the warrant of a Judge for a slight assa u lt upon w h a t Is t erme d a r• bail above man," and his sureties nor being deem- • ed eligible, he was thrust into one of the dungeons of Newgste, and remained there some time. From this incarceration he had hoped to have been delivered 00 the present occasion by a verdict of his countrymen, but his hopes were vain. The other parties to be tried felt equally hurt at the unaccountable postpone ment of their cases, as did numerous others who had applications to make to the Court. ..."377113 i k... ;:l';/PZI ."."12:111412114411N TIONS. • Petitions from Bath, presented by Sr Faint* rtr, on Wednesday, the Mb, and egg' 10 011 ty, the 31st of January, were in two mutat One of them is follows :- 70 THE HONOURABLE THE HOUSB OF COMMONS. 'our Petitioners, the undersigned inhabitaots deeply impressed with the eft!, that hank d, sod the rein that threatens to follow, from naves state of the Representation of the SPORTING JXTELLIGENGE. STATEMENT OF THE ODDS ON THE DERBY AND OAKS STAKES, 1818.—Fca. 2. DERRY. Takes 10 to 1 agst roll by Waxy, not of Miltroths. 16 to I a** tot by Orville. nut of Allegretto. Takeo Is to 1 oast Brother to Crecy. 14 to 1 bpi coil by Waxy, out of Riaglail. OAKS. Tits 5 so 1 ago . Lon. by Waxy. 12 to 1 ngult.si any other. • RI IMLESWORTH STAKES. Takeo 5 to I opt Brother to Crecy. 5 to 1 agst colt by Sorcerer, out of Hamby Lam. T.,kets 6 to 1 agst colt by blarosioa, out a Louoruhlra Witch. 9 to 1 agst cq't by Waxy. out of Ringt ail. CORONER'S INQUEST. On Monday sight an Inquest was held at the Son, Chapels street, Grosvenor•place, before Hoot Lawn, Esq. Comer, on the body of Mrs. Charlotte Bonfield. a fine young aromas. 90 years of age, who came by her death in the following dread falmanner : ' Mr. Thomas White deposed. be lived at No. 7, Cbapel-stecet. Grusvenor-place ; the deceased was the wife of Mr. George Bonfield, a cook in the service of Earl Craven. who is at pre sent at Rome; the deceased and her family occupied apart ments on the first floor in witness's house since last Lady-day her hush ,nd left them in the month of last December, for the purpose of going to Rome to meet the Earl Craven there by Om liithot that mouth Sunday morning last, about Savo o'clock, whom was in bed. and ass oke by the dirtremiog cries of Ott deceased's children, saying. Oh, my poor mother;" he was called up by the decea.rd's servant. who laid him her Bill"s had fallen in n tit ; witness immediately went up slain to her apartmeat; the deceased was' &sod Iyiag on the floor behiad a cupboard dour, with head towards the window; 'be had 00 her night dress; the walls and floor were covered with a pro fusion of blood, and likewise the deceased. whose throat was cut is a dreadful manner 6 two razors coveted with blood wow Wog by her side; she was quite dead. Mr. Parsloe, surgeon, of Upper Rion-street. Joel/tied the deceased occasionally for the last fear years, and bad observed heels have a depression of spirits and • peculiar irritability of 'toper.— Vert' ic omni Y. °LYDON: Printed and published hu 9. Lovvis. at MS Sz•runaa Orstcs, 'ger* klisbuipcsurt. L 4 • .