The Statesman. — London, England, 1818-07-14 00:00:00

= ~~ . K, • PO \ E. 'A i 1 f ~~ among them a socresaion of great and honest men to eisferid and perpetuate the liberties of their country. eause.of liberty was every day gaining ground —even elide they were speaking it was making'pleos gress.—During the few last years thousands and tens of thousands had been added to their cause. Even 'many of those who were formirty its most oleo and bitter enemies, were now afraid to speak against _it. Even Lord Castlereagh and Company were become the advocates of a free Press. After that, what might they not aspect?—He assored them that he should -not be surprised @t that Noble 'Lord, before their neat Anniversary, should signify his desire to dine - with the Friends of Parity of Election.—{..4 —He concluded with proposing the health of their Worthy Representative, t• Sir Francis Burdett." After the acclamations had ceased— Sir FitaNCl4 BURDETf then rose and addressed the Meeting amidst the loudest and most general plaudits. lie commenced by saying ) that he felt himself wholly unable to make any due return fur those testinto..ies of esteem, regard, and affection, which, on various occasions, he bad received from die great and en lightened City of Westminster. 'lle could only ac count for them on the consideration., that having 'from the *tidiest period of his political life, up to the present moment, embracing a period of nearly a quarter of a century, still adhered to those opinions upon which he first offered himself to public notice, be now had to congratulate them on the progress of those opinions. It was now about 23 years since, on his return from his travel!, he had been requested to take the chair in that very room, at a meeting of persons desirous of effecting some Reform in the House of Commons. That invitation ha had ac cepted, and had there distinctly avowed those prin. c'ples which, although in some degree since modi- fied by times and circumstances, he bad, during his subsequent life, done all in his power sub stantially to promote.—(General` applause.)—Mr. Sturch, who had' already addressed them, whom be was proud to call his friend, and Who had done him the honour of espressing sentiment, with regard to him personally, that could have arisen only from the partiality of friendship, but which must still afford him the highest gratification, when he found that such kind and favourable sentiments were echoed by the testimony of the general voice, had made one or two observations to which he would beg shortly to refer. In the first place, however, he must say, that If the feelings whirl) he now confessed were to be set down to the account of vanity, he bad no reluc tance to plead guilty to the' • charge. It ever had been the pride moil glory of his heart to obtain the good opinion of his countrymen by an honest atten tion to, mod support ot their real interests.--(Ap plouse).-*lle was aware that he had been accesed of cotiduct not conciliatory to those who followed his opinions; that he had held himself back from his own supporters, and had not adopted the means usually employed by men 'whose aim it was to culti vate public favour. But having on his own part no object to carry but the recmery of the liberties of the country, he had felt a strong aversion to the'per. for inance of any act which might create even the ap pearance, or indicate a design, that he was desirous of succeeding in any purpose of a personal refute, or in a hick his personal feelings would be con sulted. lle bad felt, that by coming forward at the time when he was called for, he should have compromised not only his own dignity and theirs, but the dignity of the cause itself. On the present occasion, he was happy to assure them, they saw him the same man in 1818 which they bad seen him in 1802, when, during three successive elections for the county of Middlesex, he had, by canvassing night and day, endeavoured to advance their cause. He Should not now scruple to do the same thing again, if, in this advanced period of public opinion, he thought it at all necessary to its progress. But he I acted upon a different principle, because he trusted to the enlightened miod of his Constituents, to the enlightened mind of the People of England, to their spirit and their determination, never to abandon the cause, in its present stage of advancement. —(Loud and various applause.)—By the course and result of the late Election they had placed the cause on a ground higher than it had ever stood on before : they had raised it, and recovered it, from , a mo mentary. fall, and their victory over unexpected dif ficulties gave them a triumph of much higher value than any former which they had achieved. His valuable friend Mr. Sturch had ventured upon two predictions, and if, among the wreck of political predictions, a safe one might be made, it was, perhaps, that which related to himself , and which, he hoped, his conduct would verify. But with re. fiord to the other, as to the probability of Lord Castlereagh's falling into their ranks, be would not assert that it was impossible, because the Noble Lord had set out upon the principle of Parliamentary Reform In Ireland, and had redeemed his pledge by supporting Parliamentary Corruption in England.-- In speaking of such changes of opinion, it was com mon to appeal to esperience as an instructor. Now, lie must frankly state, that experience had not made him wiser on the subject of Reform. Ile had formed opinions twenty-three years ago, and those opinions he continued to entertain. Though he had grown older, his opinions had not; and he would beg leave to say, that they were the opinions of the greatest statesmen that had ever enlightened or adorned so ciety in different periods of history—of Machiavel, of Locke, of Milton. Ile had himself no merit, except that of having duly weighed those truths which greater winds bad discovered and itwestigated, of having maintained them with honour and integrity, and if having, when mature reflection confirmed his first impressions, adhered to them with undeviating perseverance :—under all the circumstances of the . late Election, althop,gb he deeply deplored the loss 4 this late gallant Ad illustrious colleague, deploring ills he must, altboggh be knew him to be gone in pursuit of more Matt .bit not loss honourable objects, it was his du+ to state that he found himself happy insiorelawa 46 elleagar by his side— a man of acknowledged ability, of steady public principles, and from whom he confidently expected the greatest support in aid of „the great cause of a Reform of Parliameot.—( Loud applause.)—Mr. Sturch naturally referred to the extraordinary cir cumstance of Lord Castlereagh's allusions to Re form, addressed to his Constituents in Ireland ; and, certainly, they were sufficient to countenance any man in thinking that my Lord C.'s opinion wap that Reform J. THE STATESMAN: _ . - - - - was rapidly advancing, and that be, 4 dreading of all any of them (Mr. Bentham), and who considered things the quitting *of his office the most, bad es- l not merely that there was something rotten pevienced the necessity of yleldiug allitle (though as House of *Commons but that all was rot littlina possible) to the strength of public feeling. It that there was hardly it sound part belonging reminded hies of a passage is a farce, where a master ) There *at something curious io the folio desirous of intriguing with his servant) began by ob - pass a g e :—" Gentlemen, when the Reformer, serving, " I think I have been a' moderate master to discuss the British Constitution, nothing • to you ;" to which the servant answered, " Yes ) move respectful than their language towel Sit, eery Moderate indeed !"—(A laugh.)—Such Crown ; nothing more forbearing than their I might be tbe tone of Lord Castlereagh; it, bt least, roma of the Aristocracy. With the served to show what his opinion was of the progress Commons alone they take the freedom of famili of the cease. But there was another Gentleman, upon it they pour out all the ties of their ',- who had uniformly and consistently declared himself exhaust their denunciation of amendment." the enemy of all Reform—he meant Mr. Canning . ; Canning thought so, it might be asked, Ivr and as be had been returned by something like a po- not objected to the proceedings against polar election, and had made a speech upon the who, whether rightly or not, had been I occasion, which appeared to be given with en- punishment ) and forfeited their lives, f+ usual accuracy, and which had also been trum- against the Clown, they having declared peted forth by all the press on that side of the design to he, 12 procure a Reform in Perlis. question (which he was sorry to say was the But the Right lion. Gentleman wished et; greatest part), as containing a complete refutation of seduce the Reformers into the mazes of la the argument for Reform, it might not be amiss to bewilder them with the doctrines of treason enter into a little examination of it. In one part of however, knew well that they were only the speech it was said, " that the war had not been their right, when they exercised a familiaril so calamitous as was imagined, but had been produc- their own Representatives; and that if tire of great good." Now, he could not form a con- respectful towards the Crown, it was onl. ception of real prosperity arising from war, although they meant what they professed.—(l..pplause• a fallacious appearance of it might be exhibited in Sidmouth and his unseemly associates, hi ' particular channels ; but it regularly operated to dry i his informers, would cast their imputation+ op those which were the natural and the productive. charges of plots upon them in vain ; an( For example, war might be favourable for a short spect to the Aristocracy at large, though not. time to gun-makers and casters of cannon : it might he more unworthy than the treatment whi enrich many who, but for the war for their excuse, formers had experienced from them, he did would be considered as atrocious criminals. The war, they could long uphold their present sr in the same speech, was described "as having had its tolerance. The speech went on to say, peculiar prosperity." His answer was, that this was the Reformers, were wise in their genet not a substantial or wholesome prosperity, and that reply to the whole of which passage he wet it might be said of every crime that it had its peculiar that they wished only for such a House ot prosperity. To instance the crime of forgery, to as made the Act of Settlement, and they which another peculiarity belonged, which was, it better for the Crown to depend on the that it led to the gallows.--(A laugh.)-lled large, than on • few Boroughmongers. the result of the war been the same as regarded passage in the Right lion. Gentleman's speed its authors, they might now have had • some reason follows :—" They (the Reformers) knr to rejoice at this peculiarity.—(A laugh.)—They battle is with the House of Commons, a. (the Electors) had been called wild and visionary, constituted ; and that once overthrown, although many who so denominated them, themselves pular assembly constructed on their p. considered the war as unfortunate. But this it was the creature and depository of the Petsl for them to have considered at the proper time. It and the unreasoning instrument of tht was not tree that peace was the cause of their pries- will—there would not only be no choi. tions ; it only put an end to those which the war will go further for them in avowal, thr must have inevitably increased. Peace certainly intention, than they go themselves) there could not pay off the National Debt, but it might be a pretence for the existence of any oth/ prevent its accumulation. When Mr. Canning talked the Constitution." He was glad to find of the difficulties of the first year of a peace, he ap. kedged, that their battle was with the Houi peered to forget that he was speaking in the third mons alone, which, in . his opinion, ow year, and must be concluded to have nothing to urge depository of the People's power, and in explanation of those difficulties under which we 'reasoning instrument of the Ministers' had laboured under the two last. Next came a sen. wished it to be no unreasoning instromei tence in which this great master of language probably considering its true merit to consist in the meant much, but which quite surpassed his (Sir F. it afforded to public liberty, and the or Burdett's) poor comprehension. He talked " of the gave to every individual of asserting hr difficulty in providing employment for an exuberant sonal rights. It never could be the population, the harvest of a long war."—(A laugh.) People expressed in the House of Cocci —The speech went on to ascribe the discontents of voted for imprisoning men without trial, the country "to some malignant influence ;" bat the tiny to the oppressors, and suffered the truly malignant influence was to be found its the House to be broken by the King's officers, 44 of Commons, which had plunged us into a destroc. should he denied to no mao." What cat tive war, and afterwards imposed upon us war este- assigned for such proceedings, hut what was to he blishments in time of peace.—(Applause)—lo the found in the private interests of the Boroughmongers? succeeding passage the Right lion. Gentleman had To those who were's() full of apprehensions of anat.- perhaps been eloquent, for it appeared that it was chy from the carrying of Reform into elect, he received with applause; but he could not help think. would suggest the danger of an approaching military ing that he had been indiscreet. It was as follows : despotism on the other hand. Ile felt happy in the " Bat, Gentlemen, labouring as I do under the belief, that it would be now impossible, in conse. . imputation of being a great lover of war, I am quence of the diffusion of knowledge and just prin. 1 almoit afraid to say, that there are some things in ciples to procure men in red coats out of Perlis the war which I regret, and some things in the peace went to subvert the liberties of their country. There which 1 like as little 49 even those privations of was more danger from the two or three hundred merce. which we have been speaking, but Which are happily caries, not in red coats, but within the walls of the in a course of daily diminution. The war divided House of Commons —(Loudapplause.)—Mr. C., in the political parties of the country on one great goes- conclusion, said, "To maintain that Constitution has Lion, which involved and absorbed all minor consider- been the unvarying object of my political life; and aliens. With war, party has not ceased; but oar the maintenance of it, in these latter days, has, I differences are of a sort more ignoble and more alarm- have said, exposed me to obloquy and to hatred ; to log. The line of demarcation daring the war was re- the hatred of those who believe either their own flips 'Mance or non-resistance to a foreign enemy; the line tatiou for sagacity, or their own means of success, to of demarcation now is, maintenance or subversion be connected with a change in the present institutions of our internal institutions." This, then, amounted of the country. We have heard something of nom to a plain confession of what had been the original ben in the course of the present Election ; and there cause of the war ; and that was, in his belief, the' is in numbers, I confess, a coincidence which gratifies rising spirit of the nation, at the time when it was and pleases me. The number 300 was that of a ma undertaken, in favour of a Reform of the Commons' jority which assured my return. It is the number, I House of Parliament.—( Loud applause.)— The am informed, of those who are assembled here to greet preservation of the internal institutions of the coon- me this day. The lest time that I had heard the number try meant, the corruptions of that House. He had 300 in a way at all interesting to myself, was in an opposed the war from its commencement, because be intimation publicly conveyed to me, and precisely thought its object, although often denied by Mr. Pitt that number of heroes had bound themselves by until he was black in the face, was the restoration of oath to each other to assassinate me. Gentlemen, the Bourbons; its professed object being (as they knew) against my three hundred assassins I put my 300 the independence of Holland by the opening of the friends, and I feel neither my life nor my popularity Scheldt. More than enough occurred to prove that in danger."—The Right lion. Gentleman might have the real object was the destruction of the freedom of been conscious that no obloquy bad been cast on him this country; and no better evidence could be al- for any conscientious discharge of duty. The Kng.l forded than the trial of that great and honest man lish People were too generous to deal thus with their' Mr. Horne Tooke, and the practices made use of to opponents; and he might have felt that, if obnoai. convict hint of high treason, merely for having la. ous to the People, it was because they had always boured to promote Parliamentary Reform. Mr. Can- found him the interested supporter of every species ning spoke of the brilliancy of the war, in another of abuse and tyrannical power. As to his distinc. passage, which be would beg to read to them ; he tion between liberty and order, liberty itself meant said—" Gentlemen, it does seem somewhat singu. nothing but order; it could not degenerate into li ter, and I conceive that the historian of future times centiousness, which was its opposite. Licentiousness will be at a loss to imagine how it should happen, was a thing absolved from all law, the will of tyrants that at this period—at the close of a war of such an- exercising arbitrary power ; but liberty was a thing exampled brilliancy, in which this country had tinted which only existed under the controul and by the aid a part so much beyond its physical strength, and of law. Another allusion in this speech was to a let. its apparent resources—there should arise a sect ter which appeared to have made a deep impression of philosophers in this country, who begin to on the mind of the Right lion. Gentleman, and he suspect something rotten in the British Coma• accordingly thought proper to draw the attention of tution." The brilliancy, whatever it was, appear- his audience to a rhetorical flourish, from which the ed to him to be that of a gamester, who, having Right Honourable Gentleman could derive no seri. lost nearly his all, threw doable or quits, and ous apprehensions. It was no real dagger, but the happened to win. --(Great applause.)—ln the latter air-drawn dagger of the brainy Macbeth, that haunted part of the passage, he thought the Right Hon. Gen- his imagination : he felt that that letter had spoken tleman had shown some contempt for the understand- daggers, but meant none. They, on their sides, spoke ings of his audience. Could it be said, that it was the language of the Constitution ' • and uo doctrine only now that persons began to suspect something could be more dangerous to the Crown than that rotten in the constitution of Parliament, when the which represented it as depending upon interests ablest writers and the greatest men of this country, separate from those f the People. In opposition to i l Lord Camden, Lord Chatham, Mr. Pik e before his all the calumniengo Rh had been asserted against power, Mr. fr Sir George Saville,lproW. Jones , them, he was ' naafi ent that they had acted upon and others, had repeatedly declared, That the undue firm principles ; that they had abandoned no former info exercise the House of Commons was ground ; and that neither b nor bis friends had con moreltratigerous all the assumed ipe rogatives 'of I sidered ase e House of that inestimable value the Stuarts?—To these he mist add The opinions of . as to be h le, unless attained by honourable a grind net less enlightened, perhaps greater than 1 means,—•( and continued applause.)—He re- • • .411 • 1r us .k =[ fallmteln the •ebacrip dual, Mr. II prudently, be raw kow cad ; but I own feeling declared ti subject of that " SAT could be mi was tr ought to be Burdett, foi that every i Friends of limitation s of every in This was p those neat which they and imprac the princip as the Fit them regar had been s who maitsto that he she be abando! was, that i save him f The foil 6 J. C. H firr•i.id cmu Mr. If( principles to comme' been t ourt that his ho life their cl mu. h at th knew one not injurit tend to tl Consume t build up the State men who of the woi laded the more. an of electing sentatiee, found that trust. Ili whatever ti expiring C tore an term WWI applied est Dohhoule tained by worthy Ell interruntin rational m their eyes, the Chaim other accot for a mom/ —(Loud a following cheers • Tie furgeitioi out The toll with correa 64 The ro c 44 M febael • Trial by " The Ilvt were Nina 114 " The Lam if or have it Several I occasion, a late hour. shouts of applause. The following toasts were then given : " Our late zealous, faithful, and undaunted Lord Cochrane." " The Father of Reform, Major Cartwright." " Jeremy Bentham, EN., the Lla inswerdble Advocate of the Rights of the. People."... " !retool', and rani her Soil be es Free from those accursed Pets, Parlyinientury Cul ravioli/4nd Religious lotolerouee, as from nil tither Ven. 1 1 130119 Re,itil". " " The Hoe. Douglas Klanaird and the Reformers of MI , !nod." Mr. KttettAlerr said, that at so late an hour be was sensible the company must be little disposed to hear him, especially as no person could be expected to be beard with effect after their Representative. Still,-hewever, he could not help wishing to ler allowed to thank them for the honour they had done him, He should also observe, that it was but justice to themselves who had been engaged in the manage• ment of the Election, to tell their Representative that he bad not to blush for any act of theirs. The Com mittee had only been the mechanical instruments of carrying into ef f ect the wishes of the Electors in gee nem', and they had been amply repaid for their labours by the looks and cheers they every where met. They had neither bribed nor threatened, nor ministered to the bad passions of any man. They had made but one appeal, and that was to the under. standing of the Electors. They had, however, to tell their Representative, that this Election had beet profaned by soldiers ; but they could also tell him, that the purpose of riot, for which they were sent, was defeated by the prudent conduct of the People. That there was not the slightest occasion for calling out the military was notorious; and he could inform the company, that the High Bailiff, who was of that opinion, wrote to the Secretary of State to have the, , troops withdrawn. He had thrown clown the gaunt. let with respect to - the conduct of the Electionond could challenge ail the world to show that tiny im• proper act had been committed by those who managed it. Their Representative had, therefore, to go again into Parliament on the same high ground on which he took his seat in 1807. The chain. pion of their liberties was again sent to Parlia ment by Parity of Election. Having stated this much with respect to proceedings with which be had been connected, he begged leave to say a few words on the subject of Reform. He had been ac• cused by the Ministerial Papers of youth and enthe• siasm, and so was Sir Francis Burdett, 23 years ago. It had also been eaid that he was ) the advocate of Uni. verbal Suffrage. Now this Universal Suffrage was made the subject of ridicule by those who, wishiug to go no length at all in Reform, were glad to have the opportunity of declaiming against a proposition which appeared to go too far. It was, therefore, oeces• sere that what was meant by Universal Suffrage shoold be explained. That could easily be done 1), a reference to the proceedings of that great body of Reformers, who, in 1795, assembled under the dens urination of the Friends of the People. Amon; them were the present Vim... Chancellor, Sir J. Leach, Sir Mater Piggott, Lord Erskine, and other great lawyers ; Lord Grey, Mr. Tierney, the late Mr. Whitbread, and that illustrious Nobleman who had so lately shown himself the (Amid of the oppressed—he meant the Duke of Bedford, when ho came for ward sad coatrihoild tut .1•1•••MMINNIMMII• PRICE OF Bunk Stork 3 per. Cent. 3 per Cent.o 30 per Cont. tourols for A Ti The into nu itoterT pearance ti the triumpl seemed to countettanc eight ; " enthroned i their best ciple. Ne , sal mit toisit vs. thus snore gralif by the +►trot observe mo what distin not withstan ed for the ii ills. The ewer will dc good order the flume S for preseri precautions drawing of —a measuri "base been a the soccessf necessary, party who 1 triumph of - . ,-` ' •rt ." i.! Al 4 - . 1 ' - 7.:* - : „w 1 VA ''' ) ' ' ••. •• I . A . ....,,, , onsidered, greeted itse . a near Ade, f i ttl t es eh% den io the formed par "oimassent in prosperity,.and our we alt h otten, and and solace in adversity, some, instead of mi ni ". aging to it. ing angels, kadXstoopett to i renkr themselves e tse „ following tures of terror, o frighten mew into acts contrary rmers come to the dicates of d and their own consciences , ing , ing can be This was, in his o illicit', the only act by which th at swards the set could ever appear in an oufavouralde light, .heir treat- Against other calumnies it wis scarcely necess it y House of for him •to,sgoard himself in their esteem. Tb„,, amiliarity ; would not easily believe that he had bribed the who's wrath, and of Westminster, and was nearly ruined in his for. . ." If Mr. tune. To calumny he had so long been subject, th at why he had he had bug since learned to bear it patiently. g e . some men should now, after detaining them so long. conch* brought to by observing, that a new mra was commencing; si d . for treason he begged to recommend to them liberality of seal;, I their only merit in promoting its consequences, and to exhort 7 them to make allowance for differences of oP t i i : att t l v ia id m e e n n t t ly to among themselves; to avoid doing what some o ver . law, and to zealous persons had done, who showed more est. on. They, mosity against those who differed with them si . I exercising Irides, than zeal for the general object. The fact !Wily with which they should chiefly keep in view was, I they were majority of the House of Commons was returned by IMy because about 6000 nominal voters, or rather by about 250 use.)—Lord individuals, who hid thus at their disposal the liter, sis . spies and liberties, and properties of their fellow-subjects.-- ins and their (Applause )—II, hoped they would consider what • ad, with re- points of principle might be most easily carried int, ... °thing could practice t by their meeting the most general concur. hich the He- rater., and not clashing with honest, though au d not believe founded, prejudices. They had to redress • ves t ' , rstem of in- grievance, and to do this they must comline with .., , . 6 that they men who took different views of arriving at the 54% informs :" in end. With respect to the subject of the due event sold observe, of suffrage, he did not see his much valesd friend of Commons Major Cartwright there; but he thought it right i t y considered state, that he had always objected to his term si he People at Universal Suffrage, because it was indefinite, and be. s. Another cause those who used it never meant to carry it . nto Ipeech was as effect.— (Applause.)—His own ol ject, he might call row that the by way of distinction, "G nerti S ffrage;" but a is at present suffrage that should establish universal liberty, and another poi secure the People against universal plunder. Them principle—as opinions had gone forth, and if understood with wit. Dpl.os power, dam, and acted on prudently and effectually, would . the People's probably in a short time bring forth some fruit. Such 'nice, but (I opinions had formed the subject of anticipation is . hough not in the mind of their great and glorious countryman, , re would not when he expressed himself in these words:— her branch of 66 Methinks in my mind's eye I see a great and - id it acknow- puissant nation, rousing itself like a strung man after A ouse of Coto- sleep; methinks I see her like an eagle, mewing her ight to be the mighty youth, purging and unsealing her long abased I not the un- sight at the fountain itself of heavenly r rdianc., s' will. He whilst the whole troop of timorous and flocking . 4 meat at all, birds, and those that love twilight, flutter around .he protection amazed at what she means, and in their elision pportunity it gabble prognosticate a time of sects and schisms."— • tis own per- —( Loudapplause.)—lle trusted that no imprudence I will of the on their part would prevent their success as a mit,itty nmons which nation, in the struggle in which they were engaged. rove indent- The maxim of tyrants was, 66 to divide and con. , t King's oath quer ;" let that of freemen be, " to unite and to ' that justice defeat." ause could he The Hon. Baronet sat down amidst long continued . - ,at was to be shouts of applause. • A- oughmongers? Th e f o ll ow i ng t o asts were then given t -- . _ ions of tinny. " Op . late zealous, faithful, and undaunted Representative, ed go nd UP. is hit , AI Sc. la. 4 go. 111 to the lick :es• age by of no. one .1. >' . and i ley, r oeS • • the, of tat t l 1 , •- ; i I 4 i 1 ! . - is . . • 1 -01 : I • ''.. 1 1 : 1' . 4 i t 1 A C • •