The Statesman. — London, England, 1810-04-10 00:00:00

IHY STA.TF,SIII‘N • was the object in visiting upon Ministers toidefined and ill.supported• accusations of not maintaining the pablie peace ? , 'Vhat effect had sue.b.c.barges Had riot Some : cf iheipeeches .they ball heard a tendency to excite popular irritation, and give rise to disaffection. [(Oder, order Id A Member rose to Order, and complained of charges having been made against the motives of certain Members who had spoken, by complain. ing of the tendency of their speeches, which he presumed to be disorderly. The SPEAKER said, that he conceived it to be within the prescribed limits of debate fur any go. nourable Member to to the tendency (in his jedgment) of any speech he had heard, and in that sense he concluded the Honourable Member .(Mr. Ryder) to be in order. [Hear ! hear ! Chair ! Chair !] Mr. Secrettry RYDER then proceeded to re state his assertion, and concluded by expressing Isis earnest wish that all the proceedings of Govern ment on this momentous business were in detail be. fore the hawse. Sir JOHN ANSTRUTHER. statedi that a Right Hon. Friend of his had been charged with great warmth upon this 'subject. He confessed that it was not One upon which he could speak very coolly, when he recollected that, owing" to a re missness in some quarter or another, the lives of his wife and children had been fur a long time en. dangered. lie asked if there was a man who d ou bted that this busluess .had beea . brought 1 upon the house by •Miiiisters, and if their offi cial influence had • not been the means of pro. curing the decision thitt had been uktimately de. tertnined on [Order n He was not out of or. der—he spoke of their influence in that House as men of talents and responsibility. He the" adverted to 'the evidence of the Serjeant, and ap. pealed to the House, if it 'did appear from that evidence that Ministers had . not taken any steps whatever to provide against ceestapiences, w hich might have been •so easily foresee.t. The opinion of the Attorn s ey General *es out taken until late on Saturday: why was not that opinion taken upon Friday mornin;,• .and forthwith acted upon ? If it had been taken and. acted upon, what might it not have save,! --the confusion of two days,. Ike lives of some of the King's subjects; he eon• sured the sort of atiiiee given to the Serjeant by the Ministers ; it amounted to this—" Go, and execute your warrant; you shall have all - possible' aid, both civil and military but then we can't say how far you may lawfully go. Never mind, how ever ; do your duty, and 'tis no matter whether in the event you are hanged Of out for the attempt." [A laugh. j Mr. DU N DAS expressed his sincere regret for the violence done to Sir .10bn Anstruther'a house, but: It °Mended fur it, that if the Executive had gone farther, they would have keen as loudly cen. sured as they were for what they -had omitted to do. He thatied that Ministers 'had any reason to auticipate, and to provide against the unexpected and unpOecedented resistance on the part. of Sir Francis Burdett. Mr. WILLIAMS WYNNE' contended, that Ministers'aiere bouud to provido against all cons: Atiences resulting front a measure saltieli they had taken 'sun pains to prevail' Upon the House to adopt. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL vindicated the 'conduct of Ministers against the charge of remiss. ness..• The Serjeant at Arms, to whom, however, he wished to impute nothing which the facts of the caselid not sunstnntiate, had twice through him serf, and once by means of his deputy, the oppor. , (unity of taking Sir Francis into custody', if he had availed himself of those advantages. In either case, any reAstanceafterwardsmatle by Sir-Francis or his adherents, most have been construed into a rescue, which wonld have fully warranted the breaking into his House. Mr. C. W. WYNNE argued, that Ministers should have been aware of the validity of Aloe war. rant, and of the male of executing it, before they proposed that such a measure Should be adopted by the House. Sir M. WOOD defended the conduct of . - tcrs. . Mr. SHARPE, from the observations which he himself +ad been enabled to make, was of opinion that all the consequences resulting from the mea. sure Which hid been adopted were imputable to Mi. nisters. • The motion foe calling in the Messenger was then withdrawn. , • Mr. WHITBREAD moved that the papers and evidence beforithe House be . printed. The SOLICITOR-GEN.EHAL for SCOT LAND wished Mit a letter from the Serjeant to Sir Francis Burdett, MO his answer thereto, not at present before the House, should be presented, and printed along with the evidence now .adduced. —Ordered. ' - ''' FUNDINtrOF EXCHEQUER BILLS. Mr. PERCEVAL having moved, that the House should go into a l C ommitiee of Supply, fur the purpose Of-fundiu.g an additional number of Evehcquer"Billi. - . Mr.'WTHTBREAD wished that the Measure might btelpostponed, he having a case to state, connected. with' the subject, in which, as repre sented to him, grievous injustice hed been corn. !flitted. • ' - ~ . Mr. PERCEVAL wished that the House should go into the Committee; The Honourable Mein ber, on bringing up the Report, or in any after stage, would still hive Un'opportunity of bringing his complaint forward. The sole object he had at present in view was the funding of Exchequer Bills to she amount f the subscription entered into by Individuals more than the 8,000,0001. al ready subscribed for, which surplus only amount ed to about 300,0001. The House firths gone into a Committee, -a Resolution was passed allowi n g the additional stool of 300,0 001 . to be feuded . — The Resolution to be reported to-murrow, and the Committee to sit ag ain on Wednesday. . . The Repor t of the Judges' Salaries pill swat b ro ught up and agreed td, and Bil ls ordered ac cordingly. . . • - The ether Orders of the Day were postponed.' Adjourned at halt:past twelve. • ' „Asl4 - __ SIR - P1174 - NCIS BURDETT,II.4III9. ••••1111, &rm. NARRATIVE...OX. WIX..I3:3•OOEEDINGS IN OE ARREST or mg raAiszts BURDETT, RA ta. FROM TUE PASSING OF THE VOTE• COMMITMENT, TO MS ENTRANCE INTO THE LOWER Oa Friday morning, the 6th instant, at half past seved o'clock, as soon as the division *al known, Mr. Jones Burdett, accompaiiied by Mr. O'Connor, who haJ kunaitiod all night• at the House of Commons, •set off in a post-chaise to . Wimbledon, and informed Sir Francis Burdett of the result. Sir Francis Immediately mounted his horse, and rode to town, the other two rammed • in the chaise. Sir Francis found a letter on his table ..• from M.r. Colman, the SerJeaut at Arms, acquaint ing him that he bad ecceired a %Venom, signed by tht Hight Honourable the _Speaker of the House of Commons, to arrest Anil Conirey him to the Tower, and he begged to know when he might wait on him ; that it was his wish to show him (la ) : utmost respect, and theceforr, if he pie(erreil take his horse and rile to the Tower, he would meet him there. To this letter, Sir Francis Bur. Jett wrote an answer lo the following effect :..- " Stu, • 44 On my return from Wimbledon I found yofir " polite letter, and shall be happy to receive yolk " here at t ste-4tellck-10-m0rraw.....1 44 Sir, your obedient servant; "F. J. Coliaan, Esq. ' " FILANCIS BURDETT, Piccadilly, April 6,1810." Before this letter could be delivered, Mt. Col.; man came himself to Sir Francis' house, end tell him he hatl a warrant to arrest him. Slit Francis. said he bad received his letter, and had writ tea an answer, in which he told him, . that ho would be ready to receive him the nest day at twelve o'clock, Niue which Mr. Colimn politely bowed and withdrew. .About seven o'clock in the eveninghis friend; Mr. O'COnsior, went to the Tower to see that preparation should be made to receive him, as Sir 'r•aiteis entertained no doubt but that the next day the bi..rjeatit at Arms would come with a force to compel - liiireto Surrender. Mr. O'Connor saw Colonel Smith, who tole leer that every prepara. lion had been Made foe his reception ; that the house next to his own habeen well aired"; and that front a sense of duty as well 24 of respects ho 'Might &peed every attention should be paid to Sir Francis: • About eight o'clock the same evening, Mr. Colman and • a Messenger Cattle Wilk to Sir Fiancia'shouse, and the Serjcant told him he had received a severe repriinand from the Speaker for tint executing the warrant in the meriting, anti re. tuaining %ill' Sir Francis ; and he hoped that he would now submit to be his priSi4ier.. • 'Sir Francis anasiered, that he, iseia-iiipir the Speaker iroulenot; Won' considiretielt s " *tisk hint to Blame : for tleitit Weald - not luiletliesert•iit his "power to remaiitvrith him ; ae, •Ithontllit)'perso. nal olfaace . to him, "he Or Francis): not leave permitted kim to remain. •.! : The Scepaitt at Aratesaids " 1 shall be obliged, Sir, to resort to foretop at it is my. duty! to execute the warrant." ,'" Sir Francis answered ) ." If you bring an over whelming force, I must submit; but'l dare not, from my allegiance to the King, and my respect for his laws, yiehl a voluntary submission to such a warrant—it is illegal."' The Scrjeant again urged hin; to permit Mm to remain with him.• • • Sir Francis said, 14. You most lotto My house; hut I have written a letter to the Speaker, trhieli, if you please, you may take with you, and deli. ter it—it contains . my resolution as to your war. '• rant." . The Serjeant begged li.stve to decline taking charge of *any suc► letters he said he had already incurred blame by not•executiag the warrant, and he should be considered as ►nure criminal if he car ried any letter in contradiction to it; and he with, drew. Sir Francis then sebt the letter by his own son, .Robert Llttrilett, a youth of 14, and his brother, Mr. Jones Burdett, to the Speaker ; and it was accordingly delivered at 10 u°elock at night. [For that letter, vile proceedings in the House C, ms this day.] • ••• F of Commot. _ In the course of this night, as We hare stated, much tumultuary 'indignation was expressed by the people—windows were broken, and a • very general dispoSition to riot and excess *as winifest. ed. The particulars of the mischief :We gave in yesterday's paper. On Sattuday.mOrning Sir 'Francis breakfasted at thchouse of his Mead Mr. O'Connor, in, Mad. dox.strect, • Ilsooter.s4naire ;• after breakfast they walked to Half.hlcrOmstreet,'4lloß-9ir Francis mounted his horse, end took I ride. in tbu Park, accompanied only by his groom. On Mer•O'Giii. nor's return t o Sir F.'s . liouse inktliiedilly, heloUnd one of the Messeisger4 ofl;the 1141,sit of. Gammo n s waiting for;Sir F. Hesaid ile:lelor the Wairant tor his arrest in his pociiiet;Wmi be *hod to see him, as he bad- orders itn"iwismin With' i lim. - Qii Sir, Francis's return, tatigaiiiit in 'bit tabnigs number of his friends waitintfili- bitakraVe qyas told of , t , h \ e v h el l i es i m se y nger ltetd iti.. o.ii vitiOi d n: 964a . • sir * 7.1 ,,,,,. c.i.r.wi. .. , , be shown up. • ;'''! - ;'- - _ is your bitsint - 91 i" • ' • , wi tss .-.:4 , Sir, I • tiii desired to show . 3tcat.,olo o rder of the Hewsti :of Commons , - opiio -40 1 the warrant is isso4;-::to'serve that warrasit up on i you, and to remaih 'with you."' , .- • • -- He delivered the warrant to Sir Francie• •-• 'be g r h ea: , ad al ti tid tt p . et tl i t th it at in:o_l_t .s is i., ,D ...: oc a k g e , t .me . d,p4 .8 1 , , iat i . .. B. t c4 ; h c i • lowa : „ ✓ ~ izrevg.um:"inii:;,Bil6o l7 ‘ ow ir b .. ab aeil c set t j te e 1.; anc s Hr. :Ig4.4 : 47W tt; :it;l'ej a ri n edl d gied a t ; e . d t hatl h 6 C ‘S : ei . p art nf ' o f A Burdett,..a4wePap4elliiiiiii'tiltßuWled • , ..e e_k y ( ) . i: s s er and.. Argumtsit the s• " Marro 4( 41. • ( 44 - Loa 41 WOO , eauthority.gdhankl Sut e r t hi so of of orticr...as he was only Lith argunents to fortify the proposition before Cie [fume fur fur- ‘‘• 'nl' I•;,1 observed, that there were T „... e .. ter: viten' , i . e . the examil H a ti e n of u 50., . 1 :„. s by O l t !louse; and he maintaine d a • i:fe ieterroe itery ouster discussion related to a jot .i f such i:upertance as demanded the fullest :nee /aelicillerly respecting the NVarrant. `O:3 it was recollected that %Vest:Muster had been many days in a state: of tumult and commit). ,Jr _,he'' same of the King's subjects had been &lite —end whenthis was alleged to result mamas not having done their s ilitty, could ieetoteliel that suet a case did net call for ee in every querter in e !nett information ;%1 h.: 111 .1 ? N o twithstandieg the ,cualident tulle !a the Gentlemen on the other side un late %lilt respect te the Speaker's warrant, it r ,,, appeared that Into ee Saturday evening last o „(e. e llemen, withthe First (..,rd of the Tree cry a t Ceeir heed, I hoisgh t it necessary to put a o , s tem to the Attorney General as to tee ',flue ;Ithi"%atrant [-V° , nos n o , ( , n 111 , 1 Treumry goc il • li e a / int:eke% to the recellecti,ni of tee ewes this subject. Bee 111::Ca.r.t.t wOOll hilly explained by . the ;vi e wer which his „astirit ;lad in view. Ito would, dela:AT, i ' re s it ; and lie trusted• the Botts! would decide ~.,n the propriety Of seeking evert. pessilde in. or „,f e e; a, to the conduct of our Government in sick ils.isSPeots%*:illllCS. deoi:til their Mieisters put any oce ;„„ re his Learned Friend as to the validity of 1 ,,. ; sweet, and therefore the Ilenoureble Gen. eerie etas under a mistake. Ile begged to say, oral re e e t e.feeit had no doubt of the legality of thcSdeilt,e's 11'arrant ; but ia consequence of the d ei hts existing in the mind of the Serjeant at Arms, 0 , tit sG, leotity of bietking open the outer door sf S:r Francis Bettlea, ie order• to execute that . WM' MO, it WAS deemed expedient to refer the r etion to the c o nsideration of . his Learned F,ieml, and tipun this question ,aluite he was con suited. • Mr. IV arBiLEA O said, that in mentioning: tie sa b l e the ‘Varrant, he meant the extent %litchi! could go—that is, the puwer of ex.:cutiag it e :f its boast el o mnipotence. ale it. DUN exereseed his astonishment s t heariee, and from the quarter iropesite, that G, i verituteat should be cum geeble with any blame fur not interposing Inter each°. r ev, a mandate to direct or contrein the conduct of an Officer of that House. The reference to tleiepiiiion of the Attorney-General was, he ob. sated, with a view to solve bottle doubts which hail boot put into the head of the S.trjeant at, Anus, nut by any of. the Ministers, but by some Mieistrates and others. After a few more observations from Mr. Whit. brad and the ChineVor of the Evatiipier, the latter withdrew his objection to the exathination of the Atterney General ; and the Learned Gentle man stated in reply to Mr. W.'s queetioe,:that on F r iday morning—on recollection he begged to sey, halite:ay, he attended the Cabinet Council, and being called upon for his opinion as to the legality of breaking °nth WC/titer deur of Sir Francis Burdeti's home, • its -urger to execute the Speak er's warratat, ,ho requeeted time tit. cotusider it. Ile felt it to be quite a new question, and licits:Oil: acquaie:ed with A ny case ia. which such a didiculty arose in the elude of eiectiting eiteti a warrant, he b a d no precedent to refer to ; brit reasuning from arialo,y as to other warrants, tire tendency or Ili* Iditiio:l was, that the door aright to be brute opeti fur the purpose of executing this warrant. This itifpres•ion was 'the result of the best consideratioa which he canial give re t! ~e case, and - therefore lie telt! the Scrjeaut at Arms that he would be justified it: breaking uprn the door:. But nt.tlitt wile time, he stated . that he could give _no decide d o p inion ; at: far, however, as f;rorlion went, which was greunded•not upon altiltprity,, but reasuning, be Eseaget the door migliebe . 'brekeopen. Q. (By hlri-Wasereaten) ,ll.sve you stated all tea passed 114ha,Cttaieeil upon the subject of this %sealant ! A. I also eteted to the Serjeant at Arms the. consequetiCese of 'so eieruting the war. taut if not justiaetfittlavi. If a conflict were to ens to from Which any .death should follow', I °b hared, that theSerjeatit would or would not be jestifitel according as the mode Lime described of executing the warrant sbetuld be deemed legal or. illegal ; and I think t also stated, that if any . thin.; should happen to the Serjeaut himself, it must dewed it n pun the legality or illegality of the suede of executing the warrant, Whether a:ly per son should be criminally reiptinsible for the cut; segeences-: • • Mr. WHIT 'MEAD observed, that if the House were now in poesessioe of all the infurina; tem desired upon this subject, he would move to have the Minutes of the Es itleece printed. A Member whoin•we did not know moved, that the Messenger who, accompanied the S.ejeasit at Arai, to Sir Francis Burdett's !muse en Friday Bight, should be called in and examined. Another Mornher, whose Hattie we imilerstood to be JACOB, in rising to second ;his motion, , tent occasion to übserve, that the inquiry should take a wider range than Gentlemen appeared to have in contemplation. The object of all the intereegateries eeemetl. to be to criminate the Ser iota at Arms, the Ministers, or the Prisoner, rid fur this fourroso only one witness was CX3. Nottiiil4 had as yet been gone into to at.' feet the criteinality of the prisoner, or to expose ally of Ins secret advisers, whether Members of that House or nut [ef loud cry of Name, name]. Ile only meant to s uggest tne propriety of ex, lording inquiry upon tills subject, in order to as., eerfaiii whether any Member of that House, or who had recently advised Sir F. Burdett to resist the authority of the Speaker'.s Warrant. It ap peared to Wen that the [louse had at. least as much right to cart upon any Nlenther to violate his eon ceteisels with Sir Feiticis Verdett, as. it ltd to rail upon the Law Officer Alt the Crown to / 61 Ile hie cure:l:alio:la with the King's Cabinet. L JOAN CAV imie to (sitter. • He teg "g " ; ' . ." J the honourable ,Mother to be .tplite. w.ctue r from the qeestiose kiro k eerly before the house. fir. PONSONBY also rose to order; bid to fi di 1 ,01 iccril MO" and egr4l ^• • • I . -77 Nd itis -. :',.. ', • tiler icgoiry. The Honourable Member • resumed, ana — ob-* served, Oat he was not di pose) to believe that there were any of the secret advisers of Sir Fran. cis Burdett's conduct among the Members of that lluuse. The declaration, indeed, of one lid. nouroble Member (Sir S. Romilly) this ni4lit, whom the newspapers set down among the advisers of Sir Francis Burdett, justified this disbelief. — But still he must say, if it appeared that there were among the Members of that House any se cret advisers of this Honourable Baronet, he saw nothing inconsistent or inappropriate to the pur poses of this inquiry, to call upon such Gentle men fur an explanation or their advice and too- tires. Mr. ‘vitamtEno begged to submit a few o hiervations upon the insinuation of the Hon. Gen:le nail, which was certaialy by no means dark or tbilieult to he understood. The lion. Gent. conclud.al, he mu.t say, not very liberally, that any private advice given to Sir Francis Burdett, on his late proceedings, was bad. N'JW he !lappet's, cd to have his own name set down in, thu newspaa pets, not as among the advisers, but as among the visit irs of Sir Francis Burdett ; and he herd it would not be deemed less honourable in him tu avow, that he was one of the visitors of the Hone Baronet, than it Was in his Learned f riend near hint (Sir S. Remaly) to correct the erronesaue. mention of his name. lie had certainly never vi. sited Sir F. B. b.ifure, nor ever dined at his house, ii but once some years ago. But sit Saturday evea: ing lase he was induced to visit the Ron. Baronet, in compaity with another Member of . that House, who was better acquainted with the Honourable Baronet, and he did state such considerations to the honourable Baronet as he thought would have Had an influelice upon his mind. He men tiwied by pothetieally what he himself would hive done under similar circumstances. In order to avert time consequences likely to follow to the (King's subjects, he discussed the !hie of conduct which he himself would have thought it advise. ii:ile to pursue, even actinanpou the Honourable Baronet's own principles, and he must say., that he was received nit!' the utmost possible atten tian ; • that the Honourable Baronet very po litely attended to every observation he made. The advice which he offered to the Honour able Baronet was not 'secret, but in the open day : and he would appeal to the candour of the House, whether, if even secret, it was therefore to be deemed bad. He fel: that he had done his duty in 'calling upon the Honourable Baronet, and of fering the advice he did. In making that call he was acting in compliance with the earnest sulicita, titl's oTi friend, and he 'certainly felt that far from *doing evil, lie Wit) likely to promote what he cou. ceived a very desirable good. Mr. JACOB disclaimed any parsbnal allusion ) hisubservariou being confined to an if, relative to auy MeMbers of that House being among the se cret advisers of Sir Francis Burdett.—[A'geweral •cry on the Opposition Tenches of name! "asset] Mr..I)OSS,ONIiY said, that whatevet were the prefessious of the illneOurable Gentleman, there could be lade doubt, that the' manner and Jeportmeat of that Honourable Gentleman- in the tonne of his speech was most unfortunate, if they were meant t o svcond the construction which that Cent;einau wished to have put upon his words.s--, ile (Mr. Ponso"uby) Would confidently appeal to the noose, amid ask, if there was one more within 'it's walls, who would takeupon him to declare, up. on his honour, that he did not believe that the.flon. Gent. Meant to affix a charge of giving secret and bad advice to Sir F. Burdett, upon some Member of that liouse [(kern And what could have been Meant by such an imputation ? Re did not hesitate to say, that it was an imputation that could not too speedily be retracted—Wear, hear!) By what privilege did that Gentleman as. some to himself the right of throwing out at ran dom groundless aspersions against the motives •of other Members, in what they believed to be the conscientious discharge of their duty ? Wheu tee Han. Gentleman made the c,harge lie did, he was called upon to name the objects of Ins c harge. He did not do so; and in not doing so, the Ho. sourablia Gentleman ievolved himself in the em-. barrassinent, either of making charges which .he could not, or would notatipport. lle would advise that Honourable Gentleman to be more cautious for the future, and not to deal out conjectural in vective against men as undeserving of such attacks as any that could make them. [!tear, hear !] A Member (whose name we could not learn) viedicated, in a few words, the propriety of Mr. Jacob's observations. Mr. SECRETARY RYDER stated, that the least part of the motives which then influenced him to rise, was that of vindicating his Majesty's 'Ministers from the attack that . had been made twin tirein. His principal object was rather to vindicate the privileges of that House, which had been so grossly trampled upon. The Serjeant at Arms had been described as the agent of Minis.. ters. How did that appear? Not surely in the obedience of that Officer to the suggestions of the Ministers. He (Mr. Ryder) admitted, that his situation, for the last four days at least, was a most responsible satiation—[/tear, hear l] re sponsible as • that situation was ) and humbly cal culated as ho was to fulfil its duties, still he would contend for it that there was no deficiency on the part of the Ministers. Moen had been said of what the Government had omitted to do ; but he would contend for it, that had the Government not done what it had done," the mischief might have been incalculably greater [ Hear t] But Ministers had been asked why they did not do on Friday what had been at length alone on tine Monday following? In answer to 'that.quesiion lie would 'say, that it was not the , Ssart of the Executive Govcrumeut to take from. :the House of Commons the rig ht of enforcin g its . Own order. Ai far as the Executive power was concerned in assisting in carrying into effect a legal warrant, so far the aid of the Executive Power was not wanting. • The Civil and Military Po w • .. . . ..a. —.l ..h.re_ Itaiil maid • • - • •