The Statesman. — London, England, 1810-05-24 00:00:00

r eV' represented by two men, who stand together upon popular ground, and who are entirely de. iot.ol to th,. Cause of the People. One of 4 iorthy kepreserititives you have already thank the health of, with all that enthusiasm viltiels the mention of his name so naturally and so justly in.. adires. Certainly, no representative steer deserved the attachment, affection, and gratitude of his eonstituents, more than Sir Fran& Burdett. Li , Bravo, brario! Never !" .4cclansutions Of tong continuance.] But, Gentlemen, in my hunt. bie opinion, there is nu action of his political life which ilmerfes greater applause—nci in. Pince of his public enntlect that ears loader tot the approbatiatt of his constituents than that which is cunnetted with ltii present 'Most snits*, Orbit rary, and uneonstitationai prisonment; end his firm, inanly..and constitutional telistanco to the Speaker's Warrant. [Mar, heart incessant ydatiolits.) It appears to tae, Gentlemen, that it. 0-by ouch struggles as those he . ii carrying on, and in the maintenance of 'Which I am happy to see he is daily more and more supported, .[Bursts of applause]—it it by such struggles as these that , the liberty we now possess, and all that is dear to ns as Britons and men, have been obtained. I have no doubt at all in my own mind, and I can hardly conceive how any man tart be so .credulunt atii so infatuated, as to have a doubt with retpect to the enormous power claimed by the Home of Commons, of imprisoning the people of England during pleasure; a power ;nett absurdly called Privilege, and which cannot be otherwise than un. constitutional and illegal. [Every man in the room rose, as if actuated by the same sentiment, to testify his abhorrence of such arevolting prin ciple.] But, Gentlemen, if even it could be thewtt to me, by reference to precedent, that the privilege claimed by the. House of Commons had ever been exorcised ;—[llear, hear !]—if they ctiukl produce me ever to many instances of such a privilege having been exercised for a length of tistiq still I sh.utd says it was a principle that was originally unfounded id injustice; and consequent. ly eolld not be 'Nally claimed; [Vehement ap. pteuse.] At well might they tell me that' rubbery Lad subsist‘..; time out of mind, and that therefore it was sanctioned by precedent. I say with regard to this assumed priVilegr, at I would with regard to robbery, that if it has exited even time out of tuind, it ought net to be suffered to ezist one mo ment longer. • . • . [Nu one who *as Mit prey ht could form any id u ~ f the manner in which this sentiment was re. ceived anti approved of. The acclamations conti nued for 'flatly Albums.] Gentlemen, IT Is AN ASSUMED POWER, WlllOl3 IF ACKNOWLEDGED, WILL DESTROY AND SWALLOW tip ALL THOSE RIGUIs BY WHICII YoUR LIRERTY lb PROTECTED. It will render all those wise and salutary principles w:.ich have been adopted by our anernators for the preservation of our freedom,. absolutely nugatory and .useless. This assumed poorer, foolishly and absurdly called Privilege, ought, in my opinion, to be resisted by all legal, tioaceible, and coustitutional means, till it is re. trounced by those who have usurped it. I think' Me ought to be thankful to Heaved that men of true constitutional principles; of sound legal knowledge), aid, I trust, of indelible integ rity, bate been raised up to set the ttoble xamile of o:wooing it. You know not what may be done by perSeveranoee I 'hare no doubt that• if the people of England are firm and steady in eipressa ins their detestation of this ustirped power,, their aids will be finally successful ; a glorious 'let*. ry will certainly be Obtained by constitutional principles over astemed, unconstitutional, illegal, Simi regal power, supported by arbitrary rind. pits [Great.opplause.] I have to beg pardon for trespassing on your time. What I rose for was to congratulate you on having two patriotic Members representing yon, and to point out that it was a singular situation for the City of West. /Meister to be in. I hope it is an advantage you will long continue to possess. Gentlemen, you have paid a just tribute of respect and gratitude to one of your Representateres, by drinking his health, and I hope yott will allow me the honour of proposing the health of your other worthy Re. preSenthtive, and Chairman, Lord COCHRANE. [lii: Lordship's health was drank with three ti.es three.] Lord COCllllANE—Gentlemen, the same feelings ire implanted itt the breast of all mankind ; and I trust, ou the present occasion, I May ap_ peal to those in your own breasts—to those which you feel, in °edit- to Manifest to you the feelings by Which, at this moment, I a:3l impressed. persuaded that you are not here assembled, merely to learn the 'causes of our grievances, but that you are met tore, with Minel.) thoroughly convinced, that without a Parliamentary Reform, things eau. nit be well conducted in this country. lam con. irinced you meet here, with minds rally alive to our present situation,. and with an impressioni that unless the unconstitutional measures whiCh have beets of late ado w ell, arc s resisted—unlese.l these inueiaturi, these Iteformets, if I may use the espveission, arc cheekcd in their pro4ress— un. less then: umlauts, which you are convinced have been otter. iced for the destruGtion of the country, are changed, this Email, must be undone.—[Plau diA. Gentle: - ::gin, of what value is it that the Star Chamber ait.l the ImplisitiOns which formerly sub. bisted ; in England, hero been defile away— 4f, at this beck and cad of the Ministers, a pensioned Majority of the House of o:nmons can, without conitolii, and without ruspOnsibility of any kind consign to indefinite imprisonment, and scud to prison, by the aid of a military force, your fellow.eatirceis. . Hsieh a systeniih to be allowed, oT viliat avail is it that the Star Chamber and the Inquisitinns are done away ?—[Vehernekt idau 'digs]. Gentlemen, if by experience these men, who act as public Ministers, could he taught, We saiiiit expect sonielliint. We hero, in oar time, eXperience lefficient, without referring tO the isle of history, to citable to judge, not only of the evil c insilptences of vitiated Goverenieuts, Wild of the perversity and impolicy of the Milers , of Nations conilisCting therris,..dves contrary to the ti`ferests and %idiots of the whole 'mass of the pee: . 00, 'but we lave also had experience of the Atevolutions *lnch have resulted (iota such Ito*. ... . THE STATES tAN duct, and the dreidful consequencei• attendant upon them—es must d'i:d ought to deter us front lightly agitating a question founded upon the sertion of our rights upon ally other grounds than those which aro perfectly consitutional. May God remove from this country evils such as these, and may he in time olio' the eyes of our Rulers to, see the danger into which their precipitate Mea sures are hurling the people of this kingdom !-- Ma, they see the danger Of a Systematic opposition 'to all those measures which are by those best ca- Pablo of judging t I mean the People at large, considered fur their benefit! May they reflect upon the probable consequences Of the contempt they have hewn fur the public opinion, amid their unfeeling regard and inattention( to the op pressions under which this country labours! May they be actuated by a proper feeling towards this plundered; oppressed, hilt enlightened, and there fore, patidot People !. [Loud plaudits.] I ant no theorist—l am no visionary theorist, I want nothing new—l wish only to see the Constitution of the country restored—l wish to see the Constitu. tioii as it was enjoyed by our ancestors—l wish to see it restored to that purity which an enlightened People are justified in expecting; and wise Alai.- ters actuated by constitutional principles, might with safety establish—l wish W see the venerable fabric of the British Constitution teutain entire-- I wish we may Hand it clown to our posterity as our ancestors transmitted it to us—l feel a con viction in my own mind that our Constitution has been violated by pretended Reformers.— that it has been deteriuriated by innovators—=that in the beauty of its structure and the fitness of its parts it cannot be equalled.—What I wish is to unite the advantages which are to be found in the theory of the British Constitution with its practice, and to connect the energy of despotic rule with the freedom of Goternment—l wish to lay open to the meritorious the paths of honour. —I wish our old Constitution to, be restored to us, and to . exclude from public rewards; honours, and emoluments, those persons - who by improper means, and by servile and unconstitu. tional conduct, attempt to arrive at and obtain them. Ido not know any man with whom I can be disposed to act, who is inclined to go farther than myself. If any man wishing to go greater lengths was pointed out to me, I shall consider him as an enemy to his country. My object is to see the Constitution, which has been trodden down, restored to its ancient purity. Gentlemen, if by perseverance, and the line of conduct which I have hitherto pursued, I hate fortunately me rited your approbation, I can assure you that my conduct his been dictated by my conscience. If 1 shall continue to conduct myself according to the impression of my present opinion, and if I shall meet with your approbation, I shall consi der it the happiest hour of my life ; but should I unfortunately,A from the weakness and debility of human stature, appear to act wrong, I am per. suaded you wilt asesibe it to no improper motive, but to the frailty I have noticed. [Loud applause followed This speech.] • 'rho Chairman the n gave as a toast— The Purity of Election. • A song was calk,' for, anti sung by Mr. Najaf. We cannot say it was Well suited to a eotlvitial &teeing it was sung to a very old, trite, and common tune, and the straius were altogether of m most tristful feature. The tibkt Toast was— The First Principle of joitice, that none May be Judge la his own Cause. Lord COCHRANE then rose, Lod gave as toast— MAGNA 6HARTA t and stay its'Wholesome provisions Bever be superseded by Undefined Privilege. the cothpany were then favoured with a song from Mr. Lemaitre. It favoured the cause of Sir !rands Burdett; and of course was heard with homplaceticy and delight, although the singer's focal effort was not entitled to any thing more than negative praise. The nett toast *as Lord ERSKUIE and the Trial by dory; with three times three. It was drank With all those expressionS or ap probation, which, with the exception of otte soli tary instance, now forgotten arid forgiven, hate characterised the feelings of the online With regard to this distinguished Orator and Statesman. The Company Were next inVitell loth-ink a toast, the theme of which was— • Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY, an& t h e Dominion of the Law. • Reiterated plaudits manifested the great este* in which this Learned Mao was held by his coats:, trytnen. . Lord COCHH,ANE—Gentlemen, I hate 't honour to propose to you a toast, which I la lure you will drink with satisfaction. It is— To the health of that courageous Exposer of Corruptims4. COLONELIVARD4X- - I propose to you to drink it with three time/ three. Mr. W Alt DLE—[Vehemenf tileniditsfor tome osinutesd—Gentlemen, your great kindness to use, renders it almost impossible to say what I wish, in order to thank yen, as becomes me; but •I trust you will give me credit fur • all I ought to say—and in doing that; you will do me, I assure ,yon, no more than justice. We are met noon an • Occasion, certainly of deep importance, and touter one circninstance peculiarly interesting to you— that circumstance is, your being deprived of your helolved Representative—of that man, whom we all mist respect, whom every man must respect, And every man respect most, who knows NM beat. Lametsting, its. common with you, his absence from you this - day, it is no small consols_. lion to Me, anti to you, to know the extensive gOod that is arising from hie being confined — a toed, The extent of which is not to be calculated. Verily believe that, splendid as his taknts are, and honest and pure as Ms heart is, stilt by his coefinement,more good will bellow, to the country than 'co'uld have been effected by any exertions vif M. if he hod been at large. (Plaudits.) Such ate my lettings., and 1i Ira glad to find that ouch ate yonrt. We have had an excellent specimen of whit be Would hive said ) given to at r Ives val at. - i ' • "‘'.7 bid brother. The Noble Lord, our CheleM kW, and my much-esteemed friend, hat said much to us, and has placed many things before us in, a strong Vuint of view. -I am sure, one . Getttleutan who has addressed you, has done hiatitelt great honor by the speech He has delivered. I cettaittly do feel myself' particularly fortunate id having this opportunity of skating my Sentiments to you, ftir it Will limible mc, through your` indulg. vice, to finish a speech I commenced on Monday last. You probably . Will grant me that indulgence which the-ilonourable }louse of Commons }would not. [hear, hear !] Ido press upon your indulgence tut permission to finish that speech. I beg leave to make a comment on some of the points that occurred in the debate on Mon day with respect to Sir Francis Burdett. One would have thought, that when he *as a prisoner in the 'lower; he Would have been suffered to es. cape observation ; but, on the contrary, as cu rious an attack was made upon him as ever was made against any man. The attack I allude to wit this—that he had been the means of keeping in his Majesty's present Ministers. You know, - as well. as myself; Sir Frauds Bordett's opiniod with respect to his Mttjesty's .present Ministers. You will be astonished at the occasion of his hay& ing been so attacked: I own I was at a loss to guess the grounds upon which it wasmatie ; but re. tolling in my mind how our worthy friend could have committed himself, it occurred tome, that not many weeks ago he had been !tensed of having, by his conduct, blinded the eyes of our Sovereign. Now as this heavy accusation against your worthy Representative comes from the party generally*. nominated the Outs, it occurred to mo that what was meant by his blinding his Sovereign was this, that he bad 'blinded the King with regard to their great merits, and had . prevented him from bringing them into office as the only people he could trust. I should think something of this kind must have been the foundation of the application made to the prejudice of the. worthy Baronet. Whether the King had been blinded to their valuable talents and integrity; it is not for me to conjecture, In this I know you will bear me out, that the people of England hate been too long blinded to their own interest. [Great applause.] Another point urged on Monday, generally urged in the course of the debate against Parliamentary Reform, or rather the main ground of opposing it, Was, that there were so few petitions on the Table. Oue Mem:. ber particularly urged that topic. I think it would have been candid in him to have stated how the people stood in this respect; what extreme difficulty they had in presenting their - petitions, so as to please the Honourable House ; how hard it was to have their petitions so worded as to ea.... sure their being received ) provided they spoke the truth, the whole truth, and nothing - but the truth t how dif f icult it was to find out any pleasing way of expressing the truth, at all times extremely dis. agreeable: When the Honourable Gentleman held this argument forth as an objection, it would hive been candid in him to have assigned the rea. son I have stated to you, When be mentioned the want of Petitions on thdtable v and I ideerted Lathe difficulty of framing them so at tnpledin the HUM; it brought to my mind the story of uelratttmee,. wife was laying the lash upon a soldier for some offence, which had subjected him to torpors} punishment. I am sorry to state a !ethereal; ciesternstatece, wizen it is connected with a mode of punishtneet .feteit I have always considered degrading to the charac. ter of a soldier and art Englishroan ) and disgeadee feel to the country—a Ottnishi.teet, which it is to be regretted your Represc!itativee have made no effort to have done aw ay,— [Very great ap. plausel—Hut to proceed with the story of the drummer : ho was in the act of flogging this un. fortunate soldier, and when he had been striking him for some, time ) " pray," iiitid the poor fel. low, 44 strike die a little lower:" The drum mer, like a merciful drummer ) willing to oblige him, immediately granted his request. It was hot long, however, before the soldier, a*. dressing him agani, said ) " pray strike me a little higher." The drummer turned round ) exclaim , . bug, 46 Way really this is the most unreasonable - fellow I ewer met with, there is no flogging him so as to please him I" So it is with the people and the House of Commons—there-is ,:e such thing at presenting petitions that will please them. But I hope they Jaye found the way at last.— The three 'petitions that got upon the table . on' Monday evening, I trust have paved the way' for others ) and many hendreds Will follow, 'where'l is another point to which I beg to call your at. teution, which occurred on the same memorable night, and that is, that Sir Francis Burdett, and those few who are of no party,,were accused of objecting to every thing in theshspe ofilieform== that they Were •determined to• reject every proposition. Via was truly curious. I believe{ your worthy Representative' the Noble Lord!, and. toyself,—wooki- -be thankful If -they would I give us any thing in the shape of Reform. Furl my part, I will readily take any thing they will give me, that has the least tendency to MOW We were accused by theOn4e, at least by , use if , their leaders ) of objecting to every plan of Reform' but one own. They - said they were contineed that let them propose what they would, we sheedd start something in opposition to it. That if they were to propose that all freeholders should rote, we shottitlSib giie us householders;. and that if they, grant us householders. ,weshould get tip and pro. pose that women might be introdueeds lam sore I can answer for myself, and the lion. Baronet ie the Tower, that such an idea Hever entered our heads. We never had any intention of making such an attempt. ' We were far from thinkiog of any thing of the sort: r think we could show,_ why they are more hkeiy to make a motion of the kind. 'He had . never been • accused of the crime of supporting the **defined privilege:of the House of Commons. Among all the crimes and abominations with which We have • been charged, both itt Prenett and Euglikb v for the English langnage is not sufficient fte, the Inv pose, we have never been accused of that ; we have hevpt leeks up onr hands for the arbitrary peivikees of the Reese ot Commons. Ourskt ensers • have,. Gentlemen ' happeniiig to vast my cycs over Di: Lime, *who ,yon knett i vmelt. UM' - .7WW• . - oitatry, I observed he •vast variety of ptiti: !he Legislature in he did not klow to ekccpt making a woman. I think we had better ground hat which has beett ,iorters of privilege, idea au extraordinary first to introduce sun _ a measure as that of extending the right of election to womeni Ido really think that a more unfair attack neten was made, than the one I have refer. red to. • Gentlemen, Sir Francis Burdett, last. ses. siun, after being styled a Demagogue and Jacobin, was Palled upon to declare what the plan was which wee to give to the rabble--the mob, with au hjndred other such insulting names, the sure. macy. He was called upon to give in his plait— What did Sir Francis Burdett do ? He came for s . ward in that noble and dignified manner which hes longs to his character, and stated his specific plan. I took the liberty ofealling to the recollection oldie House what he said last session,.and upon his autho. rity I stated that he was still of the saute mind—that the plan he had before proposed was all lie asked, but because I repeated this, they asserted that we were ready to oppose every plan of Reform. le answer to the charge, we appeal to those opinions which had your satiation, or they never would have been onitted to yott • —they hare your sane. Lion, and the sanction of the people o f E ng l an d, We look to nothing else but the rest ora ti on of alto i—*ea Constitu s t k io r n o — r i t t r oi e l two askf sinp fur that, and nothing, bey on d te,sclear, and defined propositions. Your worthy Representativedrew up a plan which contained all the wishes of the pee:. plc. Having done this, was it to be expected that, in the very first instance, we were to second any plan coming from another quarter ? All we seek is the restoration of Cue Constitution ; but should we have been .doing our duty to you and to the country, if we had quitted the high Constitutional groutitni upon which we stood, and had approved some new plan of Reform ? As • for myself, as long as I tread in those steps that through life have I marked your Representative with the approbatioh of every honest man—as long as I look up to that approbation which you have given me through my short I•!itical life, and that approbation is the summit of my hopes, I shall never refuse any thing that comes fbrward in the shape of Reform. Let the Amine of the plan of Reform be What it may, I shall say, aye, because at least it will have this effect ) jt will lead to discussion—there is nothing so ems frevagatit that I would not say aye to. If Slr. Brand had proposed that the first Sift hundred melt who passed over Westminster.brodee, oil any given • day, should beloasi" Representatives, I would have said aye to thatl. woad have stid it upon the full conviction, MR niehone can be worse than the . piesent Representation. lam Or. leaded nothing can induce the People of Doeland to lose sight of their rights, till they bare the+ fights and the full benefits of the Constitution id. stored to them, Gentlemen, lam sorry to tres. past upon ,folur time! put, having since I cattle iota the Moth had Dhe Mmes of yesterday put We my hands, I think - it neenisery that I should call you! nttentico to what is Vei l ed to have been proposed to the House by 4 - /orthy Iteptesentative t and how It was received. ,1 do not mean to say, that it was any intentienet misrepresentation lii the gditoi of the paper; or that the Noble Lord with speaks it could have intetiJed to misrepresent my Honourabie eilend ; I know thd tiling to be ims PoSsible. I•cOriceive it most be an 'error of the rinter. What. says Sir Francis Burdett tlpoil the subject ! he madn the speech last Session s which I hold in my hand; it is a speech whit!' does him honour, as all his outer speeches do-.-he did in that speech ask for nothing on pair behalf which lie had not the fullest claim to ask, nay, to demand as a right : his first.ptoposition was, that every householder paying direct taxes to the Poor) Church ) anti State, should he allowed to vote for Members of Parliament, This, Gentlemen, was his first proposltiott ) and his second was,. that Parliament should be brought back to a coolants. tional duration. This was all he asked of the House of Commons; he did at the same time submit . to the House his plan for of that constitutional duration he wished for. All he • risked for was, that taxation and representation I should go hand in hand, and that Parliament should he of a constitutional deration. Having stated "that he did propose, I beg leave to read the pas regraph out of • the speech of Lord Milton, bat Ishich I think it is impossible he should have used. Ye is stated to have said, that Sir Francis Bur. dett's plan *as " 4 that the right of voting should be in Householders paying taxes, thus cutting off the right of the Freeholders altogether." I ton certain itte Noble Lord could not have so mistaken the fact; and I think it not right for any Editor to commit to writing what ate supposed to be the sentiments of another, without being certain that the statement is correct. I hue trespassed upon Say, an •d your time for the purpese of widely spreading the fact, what it was your representative did that the people of England might see that he asked i upon two simple clear defined propositions, what yon are entitled to by the Constitution, the la ws gvf the land, and ancient usage. There w ants nu. Ming to prove in 1810, that property should be the basis of power, or that Parliaments shoul d be ppf short duration. But what do they say, in iinswer to our just demands ? They say that th ose :who are pleading your cause, intend ill to the King and Country. This is all the argument th ey w i ll . give us, if you can allow it to be &Num cot. So , far from thinking, that to restore to the hotly o f the People that power which is their birthright, It ,old weaken tile other branches of the Constite. til s l v I rather think it would tend to strengthen em.. If I thought that to restore the political oqrWer to the People would be the means of Illey. the A ristoecttic fart of oar Governmen t, and reducing the Constituti4on to an eadellned mass, should he the first to oppose it; hut fecling that ! swain) ) ; but the restoration of the Rights o f the. People call protect the King., and defend the 1 4 :wintry from a power that has borne dee ii /di he. hica Isiat) Itecrase.tke" Pelvic hare au pu a Oh' $. I the Codstitutioitilf our Coun ito stated, after euttmerating a legekewhich belonged tn. tl USA/IS - Ductile ,caffeity, that I alty thing they asAilkipsiut do 4 0 4 'woman man, ~an I ou madame at w r making such chjir as ti %atle agaiust us by ,. uppi Mid that it yontd•notiaVe bee thing, if they had beet* the fi rs . . .