The Statesman. — London, England, 1810-04-27 00:00:00

No 1300. .111DBLESEX MEETING. sin FRASOS titIRDETT. At the present awful and momentous crisis, o beli a noble, dignifled,• and DETERMINED stand to been made by the Constituents of this power ful kingdom, ag•tinst the encroachments and usur. Wit alb of these rho are supposed to represent, It o ought to protect them, it was -naturally to be niie . .ed that' the People of the County of Mid. sloe: woold avail themselves of the earliest op. portuoity of rallying round the ancient Cunstitu. goo of the country, and of expressing their just . v.goation at the viulent, flagrant, and °pyres. s h e ..trastikee Which have recently heels productive o f scenes of civil tumult s and have stained the ae;roplis of England erith the sacred blood of its citizens. • Accordingly, in pursuance of a Requisition to I that effect, the Sheriff yesterday convened a lloeting of the Freeholders of the County of Mid. a{es..t. at the Mermaid Tavern, Hackney, to e.mi•ter tae oropricty of adopting any and what awabare., by Address, Petition, Resolution, or otherwisP, on the subject of the late Votes of the }Lame of Commons in the case of Sir Francis Burgett, and of the new and extraordinary pro ceeding had thereiyon. The Meeting was so extremely numerous, that it was found nee.!sssry to adjourn front the largo room into the open air. • Soon after one o'clock the besi.vess commenced. Mr. Sheriff WOOD canto. f.lr ward, and address ing* Freeholders said, " Gentlemen, the Slice f iki, in consequence of a Requisition which will be read to yoo, signed by many of the Freehold en of thea Comsty, have convene(' 'the Meeting. ' i hope and temil yon.wPl pay attention to every s t arer, let his sentiments' be what they may, fur yoa . at ' stFrtreAware that et s Meeting like this . every Man Afraid he heat& I hope thist will be ,the race-upon the present occasion, fur unless you 'bear a man you cannot know , his sentiments, 1 'therefore hope you will pay attention to every speaker, Whether you agree in opinion with him et wt." Mr. S•heriff . It is not possible far me, nor is it necessary,, to add one word to :Ith.tt bag been said by. my Colleague,. I lievei only to request that every Gentleman may be allowed a patent and silent hearihg.'! The Requisition was then read byli4r. SMITH, thei.Fadr iheriff Mr. Sheriff WOOD.- 44 If there ii any Gen tle:eau has any thing to offer, let .him step for., ward." Mr. HENRY HARE TOWNSEND.-Gen. denten Freeholders of the County of Middlesex', as I in to have the honour of proposing some Resolutions for your consideration, in consequence of the Requisition you have just beard iced, I • think it right on entering, into the subject to no. tice a cry which has been sent abroad for the put. pose of injuring Sir Francis Burdett in the pub ic not to complain time it succeeded. NI), Gentlemen, it could not succeed, the trick eas too Male. laipplanws.3 I notice it be. close I wish to shew yOut the motives of those whose object always etas been to run Sir Francis Burdett down, by attributing motives to hint which have no existence but in their own per. • vetted minds. Gentlemen, as the adherents VS" either faction in the House of COmmons have more Or lives corrupt objects in view, it is as im.. pisrible that either of them cats like Sir Francis Burdett its their hearts, as it is itopOnible for the wolf to lore' the -shepherd end his dog, or the' poacher the keeper and his gun. From all we' have known of these two factions within the last fifteen years, experience has shewn us that Sir Francis Burdett has been uniformly right, end his opposers uniformly wrung. Rad we ktrown Sir Francis Burdett but yesterday it might be allow. able in us to pause, but experience has proved him true and faithful to our interests. We there. fore should not let his sighat Illy in vain, and leave lint to fight the battle by himself, but each man should Ily to his assistance, and bear him on to victory and triumph.) [Great applause.] Gen. Vinci], you must hive observed that one of the fictions I am speaking of bad gone with Sir Fran cis Burdett hand in hand nearly the whole way till he came to the defence of his castle. I wish to draw your attention to this point. I wish to tear off the mast of hypocrisy from the faction I aim referring to, and show you these.peliticians in their true colours. I desire you to look at Sir Francis Burdett, who always means what he says, and then look to his calumniators, " THE TA.' I, ENTS,"• who seldom mean what they say, ex. rept when they tell you they wish to change from their position to the ,'treasury Bench. We have' had some strong proofs of this—fur Sir Francis Burdett has always redeemed his pledges, but the TALENTS have never redeemed any one of theirs. They have octet diametrically opposite, unless I mil strangely mistaken. When the TALENTS came first into office try heart heat high in their favour; I thought we might look with confide,nce fur an economical administration, fur a reduction of the tuablic eases, and fur a salutary Reform in Par liament. lint, Gentlemen, bow did they act ? Why they laughed at Parliamentary Reform, and they raised that inquisitorial tax, the incense tax, Item six to ten per cent. which they told you was. Its natural level—they did nut stop there, for, as --~~-- ' '. • . . - . -.. 1 8 .• . -1 • . . . ( ' i . ...•4016 ‘ . , . . . • • . .. . . . ' ''''• Al '. . • 11. ; .:til.H ..+ e '.. ' ..L . , ~.... . ' • . s .t. ,' ' . ..: ''* : 1 ! ::.• *. .- i • , ' ro .• • .• • • f . • . 1 . . . . . 11 (M 1 ••,, . .. * . C 6 t.'i I -. • .'.•• • • • i \ ' l / 4 . .• 1• 1 .. , t . a . .4. - . -- ' --- "i=111=1:11Wik411111161110211 . . ... . . ... A.: .. —. .._ _ LONDON, FRIDefl, 4PRIL 27 IMO.- < • 2 if _they wished to give the death Vole to thence. sies of 'Englishmen, they endeavoured to get the excise into private families, in which, if they hid succeeded, they would have given Ministers an vi ew,. for breaking open doors, and we should then' have- had no occasion to have tried' the legality' of 4 . the_ Speaker's warrant. --••••r it must be matter of surprise that these TALENTS' should not only have deserted Sir Fran& Burdett' when he stood in need of their aid and interest s . but that instead of describing him at an "Angel ever bright and fair," they should endeavour tar shew him forth as the blackest devil. • These h."' Bas's, who kiss bet to betray, and who wanted hand him over to Pontius Pilate, hew a 64? defend him in the Haulm ,of Gatemotts r l / 4 .041' plead** the purity eta his insesSiolit by' urging his veneration foe 'the law* orate' kW,' which they keen he would not lefriugii—bat by insinuating that his Majesty's Ministers would add to the popularity Of Sir Francis Burdett by sending him to the Tower. Genthen'en, it, will add to his popularity ; for the day • u i his deliverance from captivity will be the bright. cst day of his life. It will be !wiled with set. timents of heartfelt satisfacti o n by Jv e ry man' who loves his country, from J.ohn O'Groats to the Land's End. [elcclavecttions, and shouts of ap probation.] It wilt, indeed,' be a day of general congratulation. Why did the Tar.aNts load Mi. nistevs with invective fur sending' Sir Francis Bur. 4, dett to.the Tower ? It was the language of disap.. pointaseet t they thought to hive made Sir. Fran. cis' Burdett guilty of a kind of filo de se'nn his. own character—they vainly thuught to make him by his coedepeestabliali the legality of the Speak. tlei Warrant, which, when they returned to polver and office, might be their own they thought to make Sir . Francis Burdett the means of tricking themselves out in the trappings, of loyalty ; for they would have said, if lie hail sur. reoderal, that he had himself delivered the loon. est upluiun in favour of the Speaker's Warrant they would have said that Sir P. Burdett was nuk a man who would have receded from his opinion,'• 'unless he had felt and be4n conscious of the omni. potence of the Speaker's . Warrant. This would' have been sounded in the people's ears, and a question, the greatest tat has ever been agitated. since Magna Charts and the Bill of Rights, would nut have gone, as I trust it will now gti, before that palladium of our liberties, a JU RY. Gentlemen, Sir Francis Burdett's case, thliugh strong, lies in a nut.shell. -It is simply , this : Sir Francis Burdett was tint in the House at the time of Mr. John Gale Junes's committal ; but as son as he heard of it, and his health would ' permit him,, he in an able and argumentative 'speech moved for Maliberation ; he kicked against the pricks, and his efforts were in vain ; then, ac. reording to a good old custom' in this country, he . appealed to his constituents, in order to 13y betties)• them the ground upon which he had proceeded, rend to shew them it was the best of all grounds he OW have taken, namely Magna Charta. and the ' Bill of Rights. Sir Francis Burdett's Letter and . his Argument, as it is propCrly called, contained. such incontrovertible truths, that, according to the doctrine which was sonic years ago laid down by lord Mansfield, it was of coarse Voted a scut. iritous libel. Gentlemen, what is the Liberty of the Subject and the Freedom of the Press, !tidos they arc the means of affording the people security front punishment by any authority except the re. Infer sentence of the law ? Do awry these, rights, Out the doors of the House of Commons against the people, and you then convert that House into L a secret tribun a l ; the Serjeant at Arms may then rem:lute his office like the gunner of. a Bow.st rem Magistrate, and, armeilwith the Speaker 's War., tart, may bear off innocent persons. to distant prisons, never to be heard'of more ! Sir Francis Burdett, however, has, by what has been .called his weak and feeble production, accumplished the - whole object he had 'in view; he *has turned the Sage of power from the weaker to the stronger party—from John Gale Junes to himself ; he has grappled with Brierius and his• hundred hands. The contest may be severe, but I are persuaded he wilt at last catch the strung fellow by the legs, and give a death.blowle corruption. [The air rang with shouts of applause.] The Day of Freedom will then be at hand, and the ef f orts of Sir Francis Burdett will procurefor the people - tif this coml.! try that which is so necessary to their interest,' welfare, and political existence—a Parliamentary Reform. I will now, Gentlemen, read the Reso. !Wiens I mean to propose; but first f have a ques. Hon to ask, and I am prepared witti an answer to it. What arc become of the Whigs? They ere like corn surrounded by the chaff, Only to be dis. cerned by blowing the chaff aside; but Sir Frau. Alt Burdett will sift the wheat, and then the _Whigs uniting under him, as they did under the Marquis of Rockingliaiu, will emerge from the duughill that now covers them, mid present a giorions prospect of plenty to the land.—lCotiti- Wised bars' of applause, bravo! bravo OJ-Thi, Speech was accompanied and followed by reitera. fed acclamations. The first Resolution was read. The folloWing Resolutions Were then read : Resolved, That the Petition • now read Ire adopted, sad that it be presented to the House of Comesties,ky oar - sentafives, George Brag 'fad William, Melilds; .Esqrs. who are hereby instructed*. 'appal, the same. • , • That we highly approve of the promeilags of the Electors et Westminster at their late Meeting, and Mad ,Iteartily Com , car in ihe sentiments contained la . their Letter to lir Preach ' Deeded, and io hi, Answer. That the Thanks of this • Meetiog are Abe, and are hereby' given to Sir Francis Burdett, Batt. for his truly patriotic cow , ' I dart is Parlininent s; for his penaswered, mad smaaswentide itrivineat in the ease of /oho Gale Jaws, vindicattag the rights of the midget, mod den** the power of _Ow Masse of Cmostnii M imprisoo," without Mild. mad, Udall Pinson, **Pei* .of &WOW $ far #Airsolatier , to the r i A tz ,tisku r actiess v ap-pr•se4p thrilling, '0 Aim prises,. le Shemmaser, nos of the iliefikeeiAto layber W rote Mt Constitseats a faithful across* of ilioliaalset is Pao. gamest; and for his eonstitatiossal residuum lathe eptakkee Warrant, whereby he has given a practical illastratisa of its inellciency,'aod has shewu that it could mot he pot is Seem without military aid, a violation of 04f emelt* laws, and a bleach of the rights of Englisttmea. That these Resolstinos be fairly trameribed, and presented to Sir Francis Burdett by the Sheriffs, accempanied by (eo. Byes and William Mellish, Fairs. oar Representatives. The Petition referred to in the Resolutions was now read, and is as follows : That the Petitioners hare observed with concern, la the ,cases of Johp Gale Jotterand Sir F. Burdett, Bart. that, the Home had moused nod exercised a power aoknowe to the Law, and opwarranted by the Conssitutime i alleging, that the Speaker's Warrant has heti executed by military forte; an F.antlisliman's bane, his sanctuary, has been violated; and the blood it, inoffeedime citizens has bee, shed ie the tercets. —Against the existeecis. es will as theexerelm of this power, they intensely protesA —a protest which tbeydlledge in be more necmierv, because their voles in its sopped are mitered on the Journals i but not so the Letter of Sir Francis Burdett to the Speaker, denying the Hou,e such jurisdiction. ' It then observes, that, in the early pad of this Reign, in the case of Mr. Wilkes, the rights of thts county, opt of the nation, were repeatedly and grossly. violated . 10 die House of -Commons—next proceeding to observe, 0104 at length, the Law triumphed.—After a struggle oftlthitly 20 years, the House abandoned the - .pretentious they bed arre• gated, and expunged from their Joustals all their declare. Lions, orders, and resolutions, as being sidivettive of the rights of the whole body of Electors of this Bipeds... Further alleging, that the Hume uf.Comemes, during , its planiare, deprived the Citizens of West/luster of-their Anne in the • Represeetatithi, and the public et laige Of theexerthilla.af a i faithful servant, in whose ability, drone*, .Mig kiliNh glit ! they pre-eminently trade. •• T •..0410POSt er. I The Petitienen say, they view with lestoosy eal seipicion the shutting up of Si. Francis Barden is prison, is hen the attention of the nation is directed, with anxiety, to his in. I tended Motion for a Recite in the Representacion" of the People in thut Horaserable Douse—that House, in which . they assert, the traffic in Senn has been avowed in the case of 1 the Right Hon. Speaker Perceval nod Lord Castlereagh, to be as notorious as the sui at noon—a practice, sit the mention 1 of which, in the emphatic lanmage of the Speaker, 6 t our I ancestors would have started with iodighation" They there" re pray the House of Commons to follow the example of their predecessors—and to " Expunge all their Declarations, Orders, and Itesnlntions on the subject, as tending to the subversion of our Liberties, and the introduc tion of a Military Despotism ; and to recal Sir Francis Mo de• to the service of the country in Parliament, that he may there improve that plan of Reim, which, last Session, he so powerfully 'recommended, nod which, in the opinion of the Petitioners. is absolutely necessary for the stability and ho nour of the Throne, and the safety and well-being of the People." [lt is hardly possible to express the joy with which it was heard; some exclaimed, when the passage in praise of Sir Franc.'s Burdett was announced, ruins is :tor .111 S EQUAL IN THE rrogtz rest°. Others said, IT oUGIIT TO BE ar.io- IN AL; CHURCUES 41• D CHAPELS TJIIIOUGEIO4IT ENOLAND.3 . • rive SMITH, Under Sheriff. Gentlemen, H is moved as a Resolution by. Mr. Townsend, and 'seconded by Mr. Holden, that the Petition now read, should be presented to tilt'. House of Corn. mons, by your Representatives, George Byng, Esq. and Win. Mellish, Esq. A Freeholder in the crowd desired, that'before that question was put, the Petition might be read again. The Petition was accordingly read a second time. • Mr. BENTLEY then thus delivered himself t • Gentletnea Freeholders.—l assure you it was not my intention to obtrude myself on xitur no lice, with a view to counteract or find fault with any thing that hr.s been introduced by the worthy Gentleman who hac just addressed you ; but it was ifs furtherance of his sentiments that 1 %vas anxi.itis to claim your attention, and particularly with re. gard to one in which I thought be fell r.;ther short of what he might hale said. I meats the cry which he has stated to have been raised by persons I will presently name, amain purposil I will also nuti •e, in order to libel the whole People of Eng. land, by declaring it was necessary to call in nut merely a military force, but a whole army,. to . preserve the public peace. Gentlemen, it was a gross libel to say lhat it was ifeceisary to call into the Metropolis of the Empire an iriny of military melt. For what was that army called ? No( to enforce the execution of the law; but to keen in r i li bioctioti men whom they said were going to overturn the law. A fouler libel-never was tattered aguinst the People of this country.. 7 [4'lM, exclaimed mang]...and, Gentleme . u,'ltad you bents witnesses to the bustle that was in the War QlUcit 1 on Hie morning the Speaker's Warrant wits signed, you and every man would save thought that the . Mr. HENRY HAILE TOWN SEND.—Gen. tlemen, It is thought right to read all the Resole._ . lions before they are put separately. You will, therefore, hear them read, and judge of them af terw.trtls. They will be afterwards put distinctly, and voted, if you should approve of them. It is thought best to adopt this eburse, in order that you may know what they are, and that. 'in uoe may say he was taken by surprise. - • • 7P: , n i ._ ... . . ...,A," ' ; .i.• . ..., i ~.: . I , -7:,..*. i'...-, 4 e! ' • ':--4.- . . . . , . ieika A:, ill. . . I. . ,~ . ~, JP!‘ -3' * .. • .43tr • • " ~? •••.;.• ... ,~„~. ti ' ~ y ~ ICE $4l). ' ---. ~ . . . . , , enemy hid liadid,Wid Wessini osiridess(4 r Who • ': ware the military slaps tomato fail' What, • .bot .to sanction a seeesote whilli Ana: neitistere kuiw to be illegal. They have the loyalty -of the People of Eaglaad...theY hawer.lfseir weepers. tiiin for, their King * sad• their attilintilaik thl the . • Coastitution...they kneel that these coiniideradona . would prevent the People. free) tameltabmillisil :. • • to an act which was Wok to. dill atlttlistil of . the King, talwrsediel Ilstr.Lawe of the country, . and will as 6 friarSistlitr.•l* SO Britieh Coustitu. tion...that was O F tswel,,rimeas for calling forth the unitary. 1 wsitihNie4r. hid Majesty's Minis. tees whetner, if it bed leen:netteseary to lave t r,!! d flat: litOm.l4aVkleAlt the reelats dhow Sit fin aem i Z ie :eenikni . Mt it wiiinary root. .1I woad ash, 'w , If a Mitikatie we *wed Isy a Magistrate against hay re of the present PlOnlaters, a military power would be requisite to prevent It. affectation? . Nu: there would be SO obstacle to each an act of jestioe...tien, - why veil those. People who only oppose what is illegal l 'int. ibical to their country ? Who are these libellers of the People of England? I will tell you. I have traced them with minute eyes from the be. giunieg of the present reigq. Yes, Gentlemen, I .have lived long enough to have seen the begin. sing of this . reign...l have seen the desceedants of those men who sprang from the Star Chub. bar. still tyre:Dieing over the country—l re. Cognize the descendants of the same men who rebelled against the country in 1710 and 174b...1 observe the same men, who were the ad. vocates for, and the prosectitorsof, the America* war...l contemplate the descendants and followers of those men, who have entailed on the country all the dreadful calamities it endures—who plunged' the country into the unfortunate French war, by squatty interfering with a people who were strug.. alit% to throw off the iron yoke of despotism. These are the persons who have libelled the People of England, and have thrown a stigma on their loyalty.' These we the people who have abetted etwermeallure that has oppressed them, who have wasted the resuerces of the country, .who have in. creased its debt to an amount - that would hate re.. !milt every town, city, village, hamlet, end cot... tags in the empire.. They are tits same men who, when public delinquents have been brought before . them, have sereened them from Inquiry and punisha rent. They.are the Walcheresites, the apologists of the Ono* Coneention, the advocates of every • 'eteitestre of Which yealtarese much reason to con. plain. Nay, they are not merely the advocates of those measures, they are not only parsons who are ever ready to impair your Constitution and destroy your Rights, but they are the uniform opposers of every attempt_ to renovate your Constitution, and restore those rights of which you have been so wrongfullydeprived...they - are unceasingly ac. tire to present your having the benefit of a Par. liamentary Reform. These are the men who have dared to libel and stigmatize the People of Eng. land. Genteemen,• when the present Monarch, who reigns in the , affections of his people,' ascend. ed the Throne, he carried with him the hearts and hands of all his subjects ; and I think I may truly say, that if he had been surrounded by honest Ministers, be would have still retained the hands and heart of every man, as I trust he will do . when he is guided by better connsels....[Much ap. -please followed -this observdtion.) Gentlemen, I will not :ire you. I thought it my duty to state thus much in vindication of your libelled hotiour, and, to repel the disgrace attempted to be cast uplift you. Major 'CARTWRIGIIT....GentIemen, I am not going to detain you one moment : I wish tnerely to apprise you, that after the RAtolntiona and Petition have been voted, I shall offer to you an Address to our Friend, Sir Francis Burdett, now a prisoner in the Tower; which an Hon. Friend of tnine will Deemed. . • Mr. S i lteritt WOOD....Gentiemen, you .have hoard the Resolutions ;.I think you have peewee(' me, that you will hear every Gentleman patient. ly, and I hope you will keep your weird. , ‘, Mr. MELLISH...OIdr. Sheriff and Gentlemen' Fre-holtlers, I wilVdetain you a very short time indeed,; hut 'I hop,: you will be so obliging as to hear the few words I.have to say. It is partite. larly to the latter part of the Resolution that I have to address you. With regard to the first part, • I mean that of prusentilig.ihe Petition to Portia.' meat, as,you have de , eired me to do so by your , Resolution made at this County Meeting, legally I calkd by a requisition of Freeholders, I believe it to he my duty to present your Petition to the [louse of Commons; but with respect to the lat. ter pail of the Resolution, which requires that I should support the Petition—[l7te Freeholders anticipated what he, was about to say, and 'ex. pressed themselves by a general burst of indig.• 1 nation.—[/isles, murmurs, and every token of popular disapprobation, prevented hit proceed ing fur a considerable lime. At length tile'. cc was obtained, and he added}—Gepilunicu, as• you recibir* me to support this Petition, I must be ei. lowed to say, that I think I should insult you and the other, Freeholders who are not here, if I was to permit myself to lose that independent si turition. [Off, off, off! hear no more ! a Ire. mendoushooting pat aitop to the Urator's Fri:. seceding.] . . , Mr. HENRY HARE TOWNS'END.—Gen. ;Janice, •let me request Of you'to be silent whit* Ur. Mellish is 'speaking, in order thiat Mr. Clif. ford . may 'f e ar what lie says. a Mr. . Slitfriff WOODe—Gesitlemon9 You de. . 1 prive yourl. ember of deliver:•ig his sentiments, • and yourser front hearing him. It ii in vain - :( - _ - . , , .1 • - .• ' A • .60" w~v-~* . - ii . • I ' ~; ~ M .~,~1 ~R•~ 4\ ~. " , "r : -A c.,