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

?Hg STATE 7 MAN. doctrine. and Ft ' not ihe test time.' I hive heard ii , ke ought to go unshackled to listen to t he arg,tments he may hear, and to form his own op i„iteli thereon, and therefore it is contended by him that he ought not to attend to the advice o f hip Constituents. Now, Gentlotnen, hich of ° pinions are we to follow—which of the these two itrocriptions of these learnos Dodoes are we t „ S wallow ? The one says—you are not to find f,,, , s with your Representatives for not doing what you consider to be their duty—you ought to cell „won them and point out what it is you wish to lave done, and then, when we do call upon theiN m other says, I shall pay no attention to your calleet I must art independently. Gentlemen, we have uo remedy for these opposite doctrines. If me arc to look fur independence, I should be glad to k ilo w where we are to find it. Certainly it is not by a dopting' the sentiments of either of the Representatives who addressed you. The present cootest is, as I have observixl, very similar twthe contest which was carried on forty years ago. I t is similar. in its effects, and similar also in an. point of view ; for when the assumed privi. lees of the Secretary of State was exercised, it was exercised against the people, and by the most weak administration that ever disgraced the Go. vernment before that period. Like the present a dministration, they disregarded the interests of the people, and they found it necessary to stifle the public voice by resorting to unconstitutional mea sures. Gentlemen, I will ask you one other thing. If the present administration, Wowing thil might have committed faults, had been actu. ated by an honest desire to promote the welfare of couetry, could they have resorted to a measure like that which_ ig the subject of our censure and disapprobation? Tou will recollect that they.were at the time engaged is an Inquiry upoa the sub. J et t of one of the most disastrous events that over betel this country. We saw the delinquents vo ting for themselves in their own defence, in exculpation of charges proved against them. We 'saw them surrounded by Placemen and Pensioaers, who were also vuting fur them, and we saw them also send an honest man to prison, whose oppose titan they dreaded, and whom they therefore would nut suffer to be brouga to their Bar to speak in his own defence ! This is what they call justice. This is the conduct of these criminal Ministers, else ought to have been taken to the block—. Wear, hear, hear, hear, hear ! Loud accla. ;nations indict:tali:at the opinion of the Meeting tor in perfect unison with this sentiment.]—, Yo, Gentlemen, they ought to have been sent to the block, together with this independent Mem. her helsind roe, (alluding to Mr. Mellish). Vehe. otos( plaudits.] Gentlemen, I will ask you, whether, during this discussion, wherein the peo ple were so deeply concerted—metre deeply j u te. rested than ever they were before on any discut sion..l will ask youj say, whether that indivi. thud Member, Mr. Yorke, in excluding the Strangers from hearing what was about to take place, was or was • not: guilty of an outrage agstnst the Peopled England? t ale am! he was! exclaimed numberless voices.) I ask you whether, it the !Joule of Commons Could be legally armed with the privilege they contend for, we should at this moment have been able to have entered into any discussion upon the public conduct of nnr repre. Imitative'? I believe the worthy Gentleman be hind we (that is to say, Mr. Mellish) woOld have escaped with impunity ; lie would never have witnessed a County Meeting upon the subject, or if he had, he never would have found a man to pass an opinion upon his conduct. Gentlemen, I will not detain you longer ; but I will only observe, that it is absurd to imagine, that the House of Commons can want such a Privilege as that for which they contend ; because there never was e period in our history, in which the Rome of Commons acting for the people, and contending fur their Privileges, were :sot supported by the people. I defy any individual to chew we ao in. stance to the contrary. The people may be occa sionally wrong, but they have no interest to err wilfully. There is less chance that the people should err, than that their Representatives in the House of Commons should depart from their duty, because the latter have mono temptations to en. taunter. The worthy Guillemots behind me, (Mr. Mellisli) perhaps has more understanding than all the Freeholders of Middlesex put together. Ile will find it difficult to persuade us that he has ;Imre honesty ;' but if he is put into a situation where his has great temptation to resist, and Ishere he has your business to transact,-and nut his own, I think there is no reason, why he ought to sacrifice your opinion to the one he may please to adopt. When you find public men attempting to .give a tone to the opinions of 'their Coustitu. ents, instead of receiving it from them, you will do well to resist such a disposition. Yon will do your ditty to yourselves; I trust you will not re. fix, bat Petition the House of Commons from day ta.day, until you obtain the Reform you want. I tst you will do this, without waiting for the To. ;.iiit4ry exertion of any individuals in the House of Commons ; but I must observe, that when a man is a candidate for tuhlic favour, when he is poking to conduct the public affairs of a great nu tion, he ought not to wait for the call of the People, but in proportion to the weight and con. sequence he derives from his rank and property, 'e ought to make greater efforts than it is possible "it tits, in our situation, to make for ourselves. the House of Commons arc a part of • : 1 1e People, and they ought to go hand in hand pith the People, not standing aloof, and waiting till a call is made upon them. Rut, however they may choose to act, I trust that you will persevere till that reformation in Parliament, which is so ne cessary for you, shall be obtained. Mr. JENN,INGS.—I should not have intruded "spun you any observations of mine, after the ex. cellent speeches you have heard, if it was not that I wish to take this occasion to congratulate you on what has been stated to you by your Respre sentative, Mr. Byng. Ile has met the whole question. Ile has given you a pledge that lie will vote for and supped your Petition and Ice se:lutions. In proportion as you have .slerited pleasure from his declaration, the Gentleman whom you have also sent to Parliament to take , - care'of your rights must, by the fesi words he has uttered to you; have excited your reeretthat you. should ever have deputed such a Memtla repre. sent yon in Parliament. Gentlemen, upon question with respect to which it is dunghill du 1 which side the right lies, a Member who is sent to Parliament may beat liberty to follow his own opinion, if the opinion of his Constituents has not been clearly expressed. But when the question is.the personal liberty of Englishmen, what can we think of that Representative who has had the hardihood to come here and declare, that when your sacred rights arc invaded, he will not be the man to defend them f This is nut only the sen: dissent expressed by Mr. Mellish, but.it is also the sentiment Of that corrupt majority of the house of Commons, who resolved to send to prison its most independent Member, who had manifested to his country that its interests was the object nearest I.is heart and affections. Gentlemen, the whole House of. Commons, and this your Represents- ' tire, who is behind me (Mr. Mellish), bare turned upon the people, and the sense of the poopli ought to be manifested by an unequivocal expres. sion of disapprobation at their and his conduct.--- Gentlemen, the first step theel sisituld recommend that you should take, is to - petition the King to dissolve this Parliament.—(Great approbation.) After what has passed during this last Session, it is quite impossible that the people can any longer give them their confidenee sti they must be dis graced in the eyes of all burope; they can only give confidence to the enemy, and despair to the people of this country; they have snorted to thu worst of times in our history, .in order to find precedents fur wielding the personal liberty of the subject. They have resorted to times when, by the authority of Acts of Parlia ment, the most atrocious murders were con. muted. They have resorted to the reign of Henry the Eighth, when it was enacted, if that any person should speak, or even think any thing to the prejudice of the Queen the King should marry, he should be guilty of high treason, and punished with death. This was done by a House .Commons;dif but the King afterwards wished to get rid of Anne Sullen, his wife, and then he made the same Rouse of Commons put to death this Anne Bullets, his Queen. Gentlemen, the only remedy you can look to is the sense and opinion of the people, expressed in public meet ings. Oue of your Representatives has declared he will not support your vote s .; I think that by such a declaration he has been guilty of a most flagitious, public act, and I am 'of opinion, you ought to pass your rote of censure upon him.— [Plaudits...There as a general cry for a rote of censure against Mr. Mellish. Some - as. claimed " is Mr. Lethbridge there P'] The first Resolution, expressing that the Peti tion should be presented by Mr. Byng and Mr. Mellish, was pnt—the Freeholders unanimously exclaimed, No i no I by Mr. Ding alone. Mr. CLIFFORD-1 live you will agree td leave in the name of Mr. Mellish. [No, no l re. sounded from every _part.] I hope you will leave in the name of Mr. Mellish, for two reasons : the first is, if you omit his name, he may justify him. self, by saying he has not your orders ; and se. condly, now your opinion is so clearly ascertain ed, lahould like to see whether, in the House of Commons, he will venture to disobey the instruc tions so unanimously expressed by his Constituents. The Resolution was then put and carried nom nimousle, with the exception of one hand. Many of the Freeholders exclaimed, " it is Mr. Mellish's brother," and, upon inquiry, so the fact turned out to be. The other Resolutions and the Petition were put and carried in the same manner. Major CARTWRIGHT. , Gentlemen Free holders, I have been between thirty and forty years pursuing a voyage on the coast of Parlia mentary Reform. During that time I have expo rienced all kinds of wind and weather---some times I have met with foul weather—sometimes with stormy weather, and sometimes with calms. The calms I have found in the apathy of the peo. pie, and the storms in the oppression and persecu tion of the Government; hut I flatter myself lam getting in sight of land and a safe port ; I trust the Tower of London will''serve me as a light house. I beg leave to read to you an Address 'which I have prepared to be presented to Sir - Francis Burdett, POW a prisoner in the Tower. (The Letter was extremely long, and contained, in fact, the substance of those opioions respecting the nature and effi cacy of the posse eormitiesstis, which' Major Cartwright has endeavoured to impress upon the public' mind for a long series of years. It would be molest, tberefore. to our Readers. to go at length into that arpiment, which has before been communicated to them lo 90 many shapes. The following is the substance of the Address:—The muneof Sir F. Burdett. it said, for the noble resistance which he bad made against the tenoned authority of the Noose of Console's, would be con pledby posterity with the name of Hampden, who in former times bad so gloriously resisted the assumed prerogative of the Crown. The country Mt good cause of congratulation on the ilisloction which Sir F. made between the army of this couc h% and the misty power, a distinction which he hoped would be always preserved. ne arbitrary measures of late Administrations had idtscrit thrown the employment of the latter power Into complete disuse, although it was well known in former times to have quelled internal disorder, as well as to have repelled foreign invasion, a duty which such a power was always most likely to perform better than hired soldiers, they natives or foreigners. because a regular .army was al ways a machine in the hands of its Com nouiderm ho himself was under the absolatecontroul of the existing Miuistry. If Sir Francis Burdett had thrown a chair at the Speaker, or bar tered for a dozen seats in the House, a reprimand at the Bar might he deemed a sufficient punishment of his conchal ; hut by exercising a wholesome and constitntiooal privilege. he had been sent to the Tower for an unlimited period. Instead. however, of degrading him, as his enemies intended, the odium of his punishment recoiled upon themselves. The Ad dress concluded with exhorting Sir Francis to persevere in his laudable endeavoan to effect what he bad so happily begun, a Reform in ParUasient, and the restoration of the Posse Cemitratel Mr. CLIFFORD seconded the Letter, and the Sheriff was beginning to read it ; but the Meeting, by a show of hands, resolved that it should not be read a second time, but that it should be presented by the Sheriff to Sir Francis Burdett, us the Ad dress of the Meeting. Mr. CLIFFORD then came forward, \ and ob. served, that several G-ntlentea ha, daring the dismission, expressed a wish. to pass is vote of censure on Mr. Mellish. lie, howefer, woad nd; recommend such a vote, lest any pretext should be thereby given for saying, that the Mooting, which had comietted itself with such propriety and ticcoruni, had been actuated by any motive likh Malice. A vote of thanks was always more agreeable to him to propose than a vote of censure, and he held one of the former kind in hand, which he hoped the Meeting would agree to, and as it was only intended fur Mr. Byng; be trusted such exercise of cool discrimination would have a pro. per effect upon the mind' of the other Represents. sive, who, by excluded from their thanks, would thereby appear beneath their notice: (Great applause.) fie then proposed that the Thanks of the Meeting be given.to Mr. Byug fur his general condtict in Parliament. Mr. BENT LY here said, that ad expression Of" Mr. Byng had been misunderstood by some Gen. tlemen preseht, and he wished to take that op..' portunity of putting them right. Mr. Byng, by saying that many Members of Parliament waited only far the countenance of the people to pra mote a Reform, meant, that without the assis. tance hf the peeple, he and his friends could not, in the present House of Commons, effect their ob.. ject, but did not require to be goaded to do that which they conceived their duty. Mr. WAITIIMAN taiel, he had no intentlowt of throwing the least reelection on the conduct or M. Byng, 'whose sentiments and actions be was to well acquainted with. The Resolution was then passed, and • Mr. BYNG returned his warmest thindite for the honour they •had just conferred upon Mm. From the period he first was returned to Parlia. meet, he never wished for any place or emote. meat in the gift of the Crown, well knowing that if he accepted of it, he could not do his duty to his Constituents. He was always a friend to Perlis.. metftary Reform, and if the People were decided in favour of it, they must attain it. lie %ruin the habit of acting with men who acknowledged that grand truth, that all power was derived from the People, and that it was to be employed only for their support. [Great applaucc.] Mr. CLIFFORD then expressed his perfect satisfaction at the alacrity with which the Sheriffs called the Meeting, and their impartial conduct that day. He therefore proposed that they should re ceive the thanks of the Meeting. Major CARTWRIGHT seconded the motion, and observed, that one of the Sheriffs (Mr. At kins) had a double claim on their gratitude, as he understood him to labour under a se►ere bodily indisposition, and that he was also affected with a recent calamity. Mr. CLIFFORD, proposing the thaots of the Meeting, remarked that he must imitate the con. duct of the House of Commons, by assuming the authority of the civil power ; but that he was constrained to do so, as the worthy Sheriffs had too moth modesty to put the vote themselves. • Mr. Sheriff WOOD felt highly proud that his condoct had met the approbation of so respectable a Meeting. He took that opportunity of observ ing, that he was called upon to give some explana. tint) of a transaction wherein he took a part, and of which some misrepresentations had gone abroad.. A 'Member of the House of Commorik had lavidi. ously asked the Serjeant at Arms—whether there was not a marked difference in his conduct from that of his worthy colleague, when they were at Sir Francis Burdett's house ? In consequence of that question being put, he thought proper • to give an account of his conduct when he dined last week with the Friends of Parlimpentary Reform, at the London Tavern. The report of what• he had then' said, which had appeared in some of the papers, was extremely incorrect; and partly in consequence of that, two Magistrates bad thought proper to publish a statement in the Newspapers not - very favourable to him. The multiplicity of duties which he had to perform during the last few days, prevented him from publishing any answer to it hitherto, bat he assured the Meeting it would appear in a few* days, or, perhaps, to-nserrow, and he trusted his conduct would then meet the approbation of the County, as being legal and constitutional, and consistent with the dignity of the high situation he held. He stated ids perfect readiness to give the Freeholders at all times an opportunity of assembling, and fully and freely discussing all political subjects. (Applause.) Mr. ATKINS said, he had nothing more to do than to act according to the best of his judgment ; but as his situation was merely Ministerial, lie wished the Meeting had not imposed, any ot::er duty upon him. Ile concluded with saying, that he should continue to exert his judgment, and discrimination, that he should always be proud of their thanks, as he then was, and should be very sorry if he should lose their good opinion. Mr. Sheriff WOOD said, he'shonld feet it his duty to present.their Address to Sir Francis Bur. dett in the Tower. (Applause.) Mr. Ctierono then moved, " 4 That the Reso lutions should be advertised," which was agread to, and the Meeting adjourned at half past four o'clock. • Just published, in large Demv Octavo, price Ss. 6d. (the only complete Edition' vet produced) embellished with a striking LIKEN ESS of Sir IRAS. BuaDETr, Bait, TILE WHOLE of the late PROCEEDINGS In PARLIAMENT respecting Sir F. BURDETT— his Letter to his Constituents, with the Arguments thereon, and all his other Letters—a faithful Narrative of the late Disturbances—also as accurate Detail of the Westminster and Livery of Land an Meetings, &c. To which is prefixed, an Origiaal SKETCH of the LIFE of the Hon. Baronet. The whole arranged by a Gentleman of great literary Abilities. Printed and sold by J. !dolma, No. 272, Strand s by A. M ACTF tERSON, Russell-court, Covent-garden's by J. Dsca, 55, chi s weii-street I sad all other Booksellers and Newsmen in Town and Country. Archie& Mnils. " Doe. 0-•••••• • • **** • * 4 ***** Dublin 1 ....ii• * • ........ of • • Waterford.... ..... % 1 • ('littenburgh— -1 - Lisbon 2 0 , •••• ~ • Culi2 1 9 ••• • • Uelizolemd... ..... ,4) . "' ea lP. •41,0.0 0 LONDON! Rye, . Barley, Malt, W. Pens (Boilers) Grey Pens, -- - Beans, (old) - - - • rkE ,STATESMAN. IPSIDAT, &MU 27, 1810. Tho'folloii . iii g fetter — train our Cerretp Ondent of Weymouth, edneiditi evenini v anionecea the capture of pitiateer Lti PostiltiF, of 4 guns and 3::= rnt , n; tit ihh . marque, Capt. Coal-tea • of * " • " The ship Larkini, hitter marque; torn Jamaica foi tendon • Captain Coirritn • enelosit.;• • der, ient . into this port List • night the trinci • schooner privateer La• Paulisi; . itOuntinj four carylitgegunt s *itli small arms, and manned 'with 35 1104 . 01er most gallant action of one hour and a half ; she *is, carried by boarding; Ili ,Fretteli,Calitain and 10 men *ere hilledi and hens! *ounded. The Larkins had four melt. . kill tJ and, . several wounded. The prirateer, • *hen taken, Fad' een three day out of St. Ma loci, but made no Capture's: Greet credit is dtte to tl.e Commander, and crew of the ship Larkin*, • . in boarling and carrying ihc privateer, as they were greatly inferior iii number of men;...:The. privateer has lust het furensatt." - • • • Ws . hare, this morningi readied fOreki per, fnt *Mch est Itave mad. Art We* is extracts: A snriety s of Letters from the North 'concur in stating.. that measures o.seitraordinsry 400, - to, , destrey..English cornmettee, are daily adOpted:' ..Baosaot, APIA 7.—The Supreme Janta of this Ira vhme has received the fultomiag letter from that of Ciadad Rodrigo t " Lleut.-Cot. Don IN SA Nedra. Commander o''t' 6 living party of cavalry Of els um ;I, intoug it the fruits of his last sally, 23 French prisoners; and atneng them an officer and four dragoons, with their h melt, w hom they took in the vicinity of San Munoz. eight leagues di t ta! f * -in Sa lamanca. The Junta cnnceives it proper to tran.mit to 'ion this intelligence, that if you should judge it espedivnt, it may be in the Diary; for, though the success is not of great mag nitude, the public, perhaps, ought to be made acquainted with it, both for the satisfaction of the said C mont:. r and 11'.4 troop, and to,produce an active emulation in she service of the country. • " The eactuy remain in their farmer positions, threatening apparently this plat"; but we are animated a ith valour and enthusiasm, dad, if the meant of subsistence do not fail, they will attack in vain, though they bring against us a much greater force than they have yet produced. ". The dewrtion of the enemy in the principality of Cate. lonia is extraardinary,uo less than 1900 men base come over to our banners within a short time." • • Musitctr, Aran. 4.—Though the arrival of the Minister of State, IIoNTGCLAS, from Paris, has been expected here for more than a week, it is now said that his Excellency will remain th.re die whole of the month of April, and pro- • bably of May likewise, as important affairs render his conti. nnance there accessary. At Paris, preparations are now making for a general meeting of the Confederation of the Rhine, which will be held there inside course of t(e suatmer. There is a trport, that his !Majesty, our King, will, M the course of the ensiling month of May, again make a c iourn 7 ns to Paris, Where several Sovereig of tho Wiettish mefede- • Aldan ntelikewise invited to be present at the festivals gieeo by NAPOLEO ► the Great. APRIL 6:—Within these few days several divief ins of conscripts from the Tyrol have arrived. Ttiey are , een, ac companied by their new comrades, the soldiers of the army, in the streets and public places. His MA.tESTY, with the generosity natural to his character, has given totters Vert these young warriors shall be treated with the g-eatest mild. nein aid forbearance; they will be marched with their eider companions in arms.—( Correspondent, April 14.) VI evict, APRIL 4.—The intelliACnce brou•ht by several estafettes, that a strong corps of Russian Iroops has passed the Danube from Wallachia and joined the Servions. has had a great effect on this place, for besides that the iserrn. ciatinns for peace between Russia and the Porte mast be considered as broken off, the communication between Euro pean Turkey and the Austrian States, by toe way of Wed.. den and Old Orsorva, is entirely interrupted. Cotton, which before the arrival of the intelligence h d corahlerably has become already 15 per cent. dearer than it etas a fort night ago. The latest letters fro n Cowsiantioople (.if the sth of March), gives as reason to hope that toe Porte *lll permit neutral vessels to sail in the RI irk Sea. itswisich ease we may receive S•nyrna and Salonicha cotton by way of Odessit.—(Sates Paper.) AEISTREDER APRIL 7.--It Is understood that the toile of Embden, and the whole coast of what was firm sly East Friesland, wilt be occupied by French troops. A reeimmt of cavalry, and another of int attry, are ahead; on their march for that purpose. These troops will ar ive !hes. on the sr2d, and act in conjunction with the Army of ttehl.ntli, under Marshal Damao?, Duke of Re. Oh UPPER RAINS, MARCR St.—There is talk of tie erne. don of a superior tribunal, for the State of the Confederation of the Rhine, •-which, with certain modifications, shall have the same orgaaizatloo as the former Aulic Connell df the Empire. • The most important documents of the law Chan cery -of the Empire have been already sent' to Paris, and probably theorist important archives of the Aulic Council of the Empire wilt likewise be sent thither. —( Altana Moth cur.), stprit lg.) • Tut accounts from• Cadiz state • that the French prisoners of IhrrosT's army on beard the prisms ships arc dying daily in great numbers. The commotion at Tenerlffe, whilt we men. tioned yesterday, lasted for upwards of three days. The two persons killed by the tnoh were Mr. finez.tu, Clerk to Mr. Cor.oo.vm, mid Mr. BROAt, a Schoolmaster. A party of the mob marched to a small village a short distanee from the town, where some French prisoners were quartered ; but the inhabitants, apprized of their approach, armed themselves in defence of the rrisoners, and having refused them entrance into the-village, they were compelled to return without effecting their purpose. By this time the weal , by inbabiMnts having armed themselves,, repaired to one of their meetings, seized forty of the principal rivsleaders, and lodged them safely in the Castle, which effort had the good effect of restoring tram., quillity to the place. Comer Been.% nr, APR it. 270—T0-day there are several further arrivals of Fore , W hew - the effecter last prices likewise, and in good .• of the two kinds are t quarter. There are tam thereof are quoted at pt ices. Wheat, - - 725. 94.. Fine ditto - - - - 111► , •-- '.reign Wheat, and the e emu) lf tias ces being strpported. Barley wad Malt • d sapid r. Peas vary but little. : • dearer. New Ticks, 365. to •. al•ai tolerable supplies of Oats, •.• t little variation. Flour remain 'l' 7 F ' . • • 1064. I Tick Beans, (14) $lll. 10.. ills. I Oat, ' 475.81-. Polnarls - -- -20 w. Sss. - 49.• I Potatoe ditto -- - - bbl. ttfl. ' 684. iets. , Rape Seed - - - £44‘ •eal . 61s. 'ids. Fine Flour -- - - -001. 423. 413,.• I Seconds 64),. tkis. • . j :s , .... .••• ^.l