The Statesman. — London, England, 1810-05-17 00:00:00

went on reading, but it was impossible to hear him. Upon his mentioning the word independent, one of the Freelionlers cried out, 46 fur God's sake leave oat the word independent, there is no Independence among you." He continued read. ing, but he was repeatedly interrupted by excla. mations of 66 It won't do, It won't do." He concluded by saying, " as many of you as are of opinion, I mean as many of you as will sign this Declaration, come forward and put your names to it." The parchment Declaration would most cer. tainly have met with the same fate as the list of names which the Freeholders had so woefully de. composed at the door of the other room, had not Mr. Mellish snatched it up, and made. precipitate retreat, under the protection of his partisans. Where they - went to, God knolls. A Freenoider, in a loud voice, exclaimed, " It is requested that the Friends of Freedom will not . leave the room, till counter-resolutions have.been en.ered into." Mr. BENTLIi:Y.--- 44 Gentlemen, I am sure if iu will commies for one moment, you will see -whlt m the only true way you ought to pursue. What is it to us whet these Counter.declarationista do at their private Meetings, which merely pro. fess to be Meetini t o of the Freeholders of Middle. sex ? Why, GLlalomen, it appears that the paper calling the hilteti together is without date or sig nature—it is not dated from any town, city, house, hamlet, or tavern, nor is it even sign ed. Gentle men, the coursc before you is a very plain one. The declaration of any Meeting, purporting to be a Meeting of any Body, is the declaration of no Meeting acknowledged by the Constitution of this kingdom, unless it is called and convened by the proper public functionary. I take this opportunity of saying that the Meeting, which has been so surreptitiously held this day is a foul and scandalous Attempt against the independence of the Freeholders of the County of Middlesex. What would be your situation if a Requisition without a name signed to it, and without being dated from any place, could be an authority far calling a meeting with a view to put down the Re. solnti• ns of the County of Middlesex at large? As it is a foul attack ou your independence, I have only to recommend to you to do every thing in your power to resist it, and as it is a ineasuro that ought to be discountenanced by every well.wisher to his country, you will signify your disapprobation of it by every constitutional means in your power." [Loud plaudits.] „. , • Mr. THOMPSON then moved, that Mr. Bent. ley should take the Chair, which he accordingly did, Mr. BENTLEY—" Gentlemen, several Rego. lutions have beeu handed to me, which I will now proceed to submit to your approbation; the first is— " Resolved, That it is highly unconstitutional, and deserv ing the severest censure, to site opt, by any wean', to coun teract the proceedings of Meetings ofFreeholders of Middlesex, legally and constitutionally asserts togetkr." --(Universal applause.] Mr. BENTLEY.—" Gentlemen, that you may Dot be taken by surprise,l will read the other Re. solutioos, and they will be put to you afterwards Separately. Thesecond Resolution is, " Resolved, That this !fleeting du highly approve of the late p , weeedings of the Freeholders of Middlesex, tat Hack to cap. ess their opluiou upon print dangeruns . to the liberties lit the country , and to Petition for a Reform to Far liame.r." reneral approbation was expressed • several VC.. 4hP' •• Take the Resolution into the room ;4 a 4; Mellish nosilhis Party are!" —• 4 No!" said shkers, '• they mill run aunty frees room to room to hide them elvev!"l- Gentlemen, I think when you refer t , s the circumstances under which this cowing -derlaratiosi was been obtained, you will giva these Resolntiptes your support. It is ob. viols that the Meeting for the purpose of passing tine declaration has been attempted to be smuggled in 4 most shameful. and underhand manner. ThO peper, as . 1 have already observed, by which the Id was convened, was dated from no place, and signed by no man. lam persuaded you will not suffer the Freeholders of Middlesex to be so insulted." He then put the first Address to the vote, which was carried with loud acclamations, nemine contradicente. Mr. THOMPSON.— a Gentlemen, while. our Chairmau is correcting a passage in one of the Resolutions intruded to be put, I will read this to you— " Resolved—That the conduct of dime persons Who have attempted by Filch improper menus to convene the Meetiag, at winch Sir (iibboni has pre.ninivd to act a:. Chair-1 man, is deservio4 of the utmost ceaiure, particularly, for the etzutdestinei•ircumshilice of convening it by a. letter with out a date, or si i rmature." Mr. BENTLEY then explained, that the letter alluded to was dated generally " Middlesex," but there was no date from any particular place. Mr. TIIOMPSON observed, he was sure that tlr. Mellish had said there was no name to the letter. Meerut . the letter was written by, ir-ett a twist unhandsome attempt, b.dh on the part bf the writer and of Mr. Mellish, to subvert the privi leges of the Independent Freeholders of the County of Middlesex; and he did hope, that at the next election, they would mark their sense of 1 his conduct, by their indignant rejection of him as their Representative.—[Plautlita— : " lie trill never represent Middlesex again."]- 1( Coustitutiunal Meetings of the People wens thus to be subverted by Placemen and Pensioners o l ...-if what was falsely culled public meetings wore to be held in private rooms and closets, therel would he an end of our liberty. He lamented that their. Representative she': tit have become so abandoned as to enlist among the mercenaries whip, were destroying the Constitution. He hoped that all who heard him were animated by their love and attachment to the country. However foul and rancorous Might be the abuse which was le velled they might be called Ja cabins, they had the emisciousnes in their own breasts Oat they did not deserve the reproaches of their enemies. The real Jacobins were not those who Were StappOrtiONat: Comfits. lion, but those who were endeavouring to under . mine and destroy it—the Borough' faction, who were lording is witlsosit law, not only over the King; but the real Representatives of the eouple. When we considered how the present House of Commons was packed—that 307 of its Masaben jW4rW , 'Y ;` . r - ; • THY, STATESMAN. sat there by the patronage of 154 of the Pests, could it be surprising that such contemptible in sects as Mellish and his party, who were fatten. , ing on corruption, should be able to collect their mercenary dependants to sign any thing whatever, even if it went to' subvert the Constitution of King, Lords, and Commons. 'lle trusted that the People would explicitly statd what It was thcy wanted, iu order that their objects might not be misrepresented. They wanted, he was persuaded, to use the language of Sir Francis Burdett, no in. novations, no new-fangled doctrines—all they re. quired was, the old Constitution of. the country, the Law of tha Land—not the Law of the House of Commons, exercised under the name of a pre. tended Privilege. What, he would ask,*wastire vilege for which the House of Commons were con tending ? It was the privilege of sending all persons to prison who did not please them. Was it to be supposed that such virtuous men as Mr. Whitbread was surrounded by, would be above violating the privileges that were entrusted to them ? To an swer this question, he desired the Freeholders to contemplate the decisions of the House of Com. mons on the Walcheren Expedition, on tho con duct of the Delco of York, and on the charges which had been proved against Ministers them. selves. Without occupying more of their time, he would earnestly entreat the Freeholders of Mid dlesex not to give Ministers what they wanted — namely, o pi-etc-Om ror-suspending the Habeas Corpus Act, and of calling the military iu and round the metropolis, to terrify and alarm the in. habitants ; but, he trusted, they would coolly de mand their rights, and relax nothing of their ex. ertiuns, until they had wrested their rights (min the Borough faction. They stood on such constitutional ground, that nothing but cool 'leis dud temperance in the mode of claiming them could be requisite to ensure success. lie had been told that the Magistrates of the Police• Offices had been sending about to public houses, to six tf there were any meetings of disaffected persons— the Magistrates were mistaken if they supposed there were persons who were disaffected to their Ki.ig and Country. As Mr. Cobbet had observed, Ministers would give their eyes for a plot. There were no plots—those whom the Ministers suspect. ed of them, were friends to the King and to the Laws; they knew the laws to be the best bul wark of their rights and privileges. If they had any plot, it was only against that contemptible Borough faction, who had no other object in view but their own advantage. Ile.concluded by say. ing, that lie hoped the people would keep .in mind what had been so repeatedly recommended to them, that they would be cool, firm, and tem. perate, and then there could not be the toast doubt that they would recover all their rights. — [ Frequent plaudits.] Mr: THOMPSON then moved the following resolution :-- " 11..snlved—That William Mellish, Esq. Member fnr the County of Middlesex, by bis refusal at the several County Meeting to obey the hotsactions of his Constituents, and by inteudiog bore to counteract the Proceedings of those Meet ings, has lust the conlidence of the Freeht)lderi, and is deemed unworthy to represeut them again in Parliament." A FREEiiaLbEtt—` 6 Leave ourthe word again, because it may imply that he is worthy vow." The Proposition was adopted, and the Resole. tiun, so amended, was put and carried amidst the most joyful acclamations. Mr. BENTLEY.—" It has beets suggested to sue, and I submit it to your consideriatiou, whether, inswing proceeded thus far,' you have ndt dune a great deal towards vindicating your honour, and having so far succeeded, we . should not now retire." Mr. THOMPSON then moved the thanks of the Meeting to Mr. Bentley for 3tis laipartial and upright conduct in the Chair this day. Mr. BENTLEY requested permission to pay his respects and return his thanks to the Freehold. en for the honour they had dune him. The co in. pliment they had paid him Was the greater grail& cation to his mind, because it conveyed an assu rance to hint, that there were in the County of Middlesex a large, respectuble, and worthy num. .ber of persons, who were friends to the liberties of the people, and to the laws and Constitution of the country. If, at any time„ he could be . their humble organ in forwarding their views, he should be happy to assist them by every means iti his power. TO TilE The Proprietor of this Paper having already replied to the vain boasting of the late Editor, and disproved his asser tions of being the "sole Conductor of Toe SteTzsmAx," art his pretended "Fidelity of Reports ;" feels it imam bent upon him to notice some further assertions equally untrue, which it seems have been circulated with view to excite the compassion of certain iudividuals, and to induce them to assist him in the formation of a plot, both unjust and illegal. carried on clandestinely prier. to his dismissal. The assertio-1 now alluded to, is to the following effect..viz. " That he. the late Editor, had sacrificed his time in the service of Tun. SvAfes st , with out any remuneration." Ai ow the fact is, that he, ins received upwards of Sia Hundred Pounds. for little more than &year's service. the latter part of which was remarkable only for the abuse of confidence reposed in him, neglect of duty in the ordinary business of the Paper, and also admitting several Libellous drlicles, for which two Prosecutions are already actually commenced, others threatened, and one, of the most flagrant nature, against. the Chief Justice of England, narrowly escaped insertion. If any person tinertains a doubt of the abOve statements being correct, be may be satisfied of the truth, by calling at the Office. No. S 7, Fleet-street. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The able Letter, received this morning from Mr. Sncrw E an, of Liverpool, on the subject of Mr. Ponsosnw's Speech, on Friday lust, shall appear To-morrow, if possible. We mitt refer our Correspuodent Z. at Leeds, to The British Press. of the 7th inst. for the article in questiom THE STATESMAN. LONDON • TIIURIDAT, MAT P OP I 1810. Oua Rustlers will see, by our Plymouth Letter, that a gallant attempt has been made by the boats of the dinnick frigate, to cut out a tuft of French coasters, from a small port near awited. W♦ call it a gallant attempt s fur wu Niro to give every deed its real name. But we do not the less lament such attempts. The diranide, on this occasion, lust Lieut. Towsmair and six searaen, and several more wt., e vended. The loss in almost all similar attempts is uniformly very great. But where is the object. that excuses, much less vindicates, such attempts ? Not, the pesiession' of a small fleet of coasters ? Not the injury done to the enemy by such annoyance ? Those caunot be ob. jects for the loss of one bright officer, or one brave seaman ; and yet many aro continually thrown away in the enterprig.-4 the object then to skew the undsauted courage of our Seamen ? That need not be. They show it on every proper occasion, and have had Many such ; and if there are few oow, it is because their courage has swept the enemy almost wholly from the sea, and the blood of such brave owl ought not to he shed in vain. LAST night Mr, PERCSVAL submitted his BIM. GET to the House of Commons ; and Ise had the singular courage (for it could be nothing sbott of that) to tell us—" that be could only observe, 66 that be uniformly acted foe the good of the 44 country, and would continue to do to ; and if " it should be his good tortoise to remain another 64 year in Administration, be was in hopes of be -66 in ably to - propose, that at least 600,0001. " should be added to the surplus a the Consoli. ! dated Fund." Mr. PERCEVAL need Make no further observation, or declaration, fur it is not possible that the loathing and indignant temper of the Public can. bear more from him. What has he (Line for the Country ? Hurried it on, towards ruin, with a precipitancy beyond all example" notwhhstanding the speed, in the same course, of Mr. PITT, and some others. But he has pro mised, if he has the good fortune to remain an. other year in Administration, to save the country 600,0001. We wish he had said something of the means ; because we suspect, that even he begins to find it necessary to do away sinecures and pen sions, although that will bear so hard upon him: self and his family ; for be may at length have come to this reasoning—" If I, and my family, and others, continue to take the public money as we do, an end, erelong, will be put to all our remit. ings, and therefore we will in 'time content ourselves with the lawfal salaries of office." It really is nut impossible that Mr. PXRCEVAI. may argue thus with himself and family at last. But a say. ing of 600,0001, will not be, sufficient now, for the purposes of national safety. Mr. llti=tttssort has put that question at rest. Wu must -reduce our expenditure by some . stua.tout yearly, as as coming to a Resolution, not on any accoun t to burthen posterity with any part of our expenditure. Nobody can doubt that Mr. H. understands this subject, and that is the substance of What he says. , Indeed, every one now understands this subject. Every one knows also that many millions yearly may be saved without difficulty. Thank God it wants nothing but good wilt and honesty, to make the saving The greater part of the LOAN of this very year might be Paved. * Something out of it may be wanted for the navy ; but what is to be done with all the rest.-.that is, how it is to be con trived to be expended, would puzzle any honest man. It is true, if wu will keep an army on the Continent for the purpose of its being cut down, as former armies have been, we may get through a good deal of this twelve millions. But on any, reasonable object, there is no possibility of ex pending a third part of the sum. Mr. Pencevar., however,,tells us, that he levies no new taxes for this loan. There is no such thing as enduring this assertion. It is substantially false. He in creases the old taxes ;—what is that ? Really, it is too much to be abused and laughed at in this manner ! But if he did 'not increase any of the uld taxes, the luau unnecessarily continues the; burthens of the . People, in this palpable way : If the surplus ,of the old taxes is applied to pay the interest of the loan, that surplus is uudialy taken from the People. That surplus might be, and ought to be saved to the people.... There is an addition, however, to the old Taxes, and that ends the argument at once, fur new Taxes, and addition to old Taxes, are substan. tially the same. But Mr. PsacEv.%c tell us a great deal about the flourishing condition of the country, and of its trade and commerce. We leave this iusult to the Mechanic, the Artisan, and the Manufacturer; and no doubt, they will coin. mcnt upon it duly, in the aching bosom of their families We . call the attention of our Reader., in a very particular manner, ,to the advertisement in a preceding column, from Sprinvroid, Salford ) near Manchester. Mr. Cota.ten tells his tale with a strong and manly 'mind and feeling; and we are proud that lie hits chosen our Paper to be the medium of his complaint to the Public. item far are these oppression to go ? and how long are they to be • endured? Is it possible to speak of them, with any patieneel Does ant one wonder, that men who act like these SALroaD Coinsussioweas should put their bands to Counter-Addrirtni the object of which • • =.z Couuter-Addresses is to continue abuses 'pas which they live, and by which they g ratify the g eagerest passion of the Italian mind, the triumph of titt:e.Hiainded intapier worth which they eon t r aib t..*.itundqi of ciunter.si g acr. I Aye! to 're... 1 I hem by thousands, w bile • • lk hi . t sots"of peel ep, ts. There are thoulaud e ofUlm ; but, then, fortunately for the country, (he numbers of the honest increase, and almost con. &tautly now beat them, pot only in the general and legally assembled Meetings of Liveries, Towns, Cities, and Go (, aatics, but in their men ti senaggle (awkwardly staUggled, indeed) Conater.meetinge, These Gentry, of the Counter-meeting kind, that met at the Freentasees' Tavern yeaterdv, meetly. pose, arts of the slice employ; sift the me t e coot. plesion, is thesoVard Comaitsienen. Le! than be who they snsy, howevot, the hew* lease, uoir.DERI bust than, and we ate highly yee t az e t I the fact ! T i p Alderman and Sealisittitimer-ei Nal Ward of e A ltlfi q rlloX WlMelre * Mire tefoold b o a t W an d buttisip otstwithstawangst Regeidlien was signed, bl more thaw MI Abe mostellaptetalsie Wants. A Mee iu& hinleMs. *owe SW* (Indy will be befit of the Ward ile.merreti r at 4welse otclock s at St. Bride; %twa t and, we biota doubt s will be atteatled j etery botteat_mas, a Freeman Hoosebeidlee *i Ward. Tho object of the Mreditg ie Tl ia rto telkiwg into consideration, and adopt 4 . 11motetions fee dig instruction of their *4011 1 01 1 1. 1 0111 ig Gpirilaq Couscit., in order that a ?el*" froin Court may 10 mead"! t OA Reps. of coats. mons, Toe pectiog (Le laic unlig and imp me o f two of their fellow l sobjefthas well at 0A most desirable, and lucked nerdsarit Ai m ; cla imme4iate qx4184000,44d Re, res a the C. motktlikuse of rarliement.M---This it who. e m Buda d 9, whe9 their Cittars presses I I reins, calling a Meeting. *bey bete a *lit tt meet, and ought to meet! , . 4 • The Ki cYbe.to tows yesterday aboutlwelta o'clock, from Wiodsor, escorted by a party af light horse, an 4 was flatiTed at the.Qitecos lace by several of the Royal Does. • A little afire is!clock his MAJUTT held it plrivate Levee. The death of her Royal Highness the Princess AYELIA was !cps , generally reported yesterday afternoon ; but typ trust that it trill preys ill. footnoted. The repert, we believe arose frogs the following circumsthqces ; We understand iir . ashy. Hunan sat up with the Princess Axst.iA oti Monday night. cht Tuesday night her Royal Highness bad ?writes" sleep ; bite was conqtdered R littlo better yesterday. The Prince of WALES left tows *Tostinday morning, at seven o'ctisclF, fa i r Windaor t the Princess • Allet*l4A, mid rotor* alioue four, when his Royal Nighties', In cos la Of the state of his boy's' filiter's health, gavelts • rections • for putdlog off a dinner pare, ?vet* was - to have bad in lb. eveniag . . • ' • • The Duke of Yost left town yesterday, *tat six o'clock in the eieoing, (or Windsor. • Tun Lsysair oir Lonnocoa-Aticothei comnloa Hell is, by appointment of tho • Lord - Mayor,. ti coovened on Monday heitt. •We andeiltaid that the requisition to hisLordshiti esprosss the 'purpose of 'the ibtosided Mintiest to be 44 '14.3,40 8 . into considetztind tile tejedtiosi,of tho latePotitien :of the Livery to the House of Commons,' and to assertithe indep,enderice and dtgotity of the Livery in Coeinoon •Ilall assembled, spigot thicatOiltea of men calling themselves Liverymen of London, and signing. their Address and Reciantion at Tavern." • " ' Intelligence has been received by the Jamaica, Packet, the arrival of which was mentioned In oar last, which wo.hope Ire shall soon bin the sails faction to esafirm. On the 9th instant the picke4 t spoke at sea the William Tell, of Boob", CM- • min N. WILLIAM, from Norfolk to Tonnlegimo witlo tobacco and staves, out twenty.sis days The Captain stated that the Nou.lutercoune Act was to be removed on tho Monday it his de parture, that is, on the 2d of April. A Gentle man who came passenger In the above pac ket has snide this commonication, which is cor roborated, it is said, by letters re ceived by woo of the principal mercantile houses conamical whit the American trade. The several measures whoih • BONAPARTE has lately ordered •to be adopted with respect to the American trade, add to the probs.. bility of this intelligence, fur these masons serel to have bees resorted to under an capectstiwo that the 'firemen which had arisen between the Uoit. ell States and this country wore aboutto be adjust. ed. A cartel which arrived us Mosby, has also brought a report of a decree of a very eittava i " .aury Wore having been issued. It orders, it is said, Americans of every description to quit FrAttcu without delay, under pain of imp ious ' ment of their persons, and CullfiaCatiOE of their property. adm an e s lic on , da isf y 3 a r t g t o a n i n „ o t a h o o on it;tfi Can c t; r i ss a n a us t . : arrived after four days passage. She has brought as ac count of the surrender of A.sturgas after at" dais severe Wolin. Itibss.-Allimat.—Yeaterilara Court of Direct.. on :wet held, when the underumatiened Cu." tawnier& look leave of tito,Ciiari s previous to de. !main for their restocetivodesilassions viz. C , 11 1)- 1 4 0 J. Mom Oataria l f4r Madeira , Ceyralit;aad DeogiliCilt. T. Howard, Monarch; .Capt. Brooks; nise, for • Madeira and Scrigid-L'7 o aP t • 0. Heating, ,Ecrrff'peacer ; Capt. P. Campbell, .Lord -Casipecii.; Capt.. T. Dembleton, barksiss f Capt. R. Johnson * lick, for Bengal diroct.-.. The Court adjourned at six o'clock tin Wedgy' day neat. • 1,. r, • ....•1 . , I . I . I .• . • A • . I