The Statesman. — London, England, 1810-01-23 00:00:00

. 6 ~„, . • vi 4 irea•e.. zc iA Lord uwilcreagily' was of as h wild nature, spd e%horting me to kora to EnAland foribwilh 4 . lost I should eiperietice barvb treat.iient. 41- . Nolo it hit andi the representations I veditived, i i. Ss I could ant pe 'de myself to believ e, that an Officer whose It riv was covered with lausidP woniti become the mainmast of persecution—as I was not conselqui of haring ever done any thing that sh,oild'oftend a brave man, and as I flattered Myself, that *0 4 man as Sic Richard Stream' cupid not be my rmmy, sinless through the in. !hence of misrepresentation —I deter ta wait upon him—for that purpose I pro," to leis fiait.ship, where I learned that he was on shore; but I left my name. Some time after I went an shore, and there I Nand that the Order I have al. Jutted to was nniveraally know'. I there too dis. covered, tb. Lord Chatham had had a similar Order from Lord Castlereagh. But, I must say that, although the existence of such an Order was univers illy notorious, although the motive from which it 'prime, and the impression which it was meant to produce, was quite obvious —although it was intended to excite a warwboop against me— ethowah the original issuing and subsequent eh-- ciliation of such an Or.ter, conveyed a very direct int. lligible itelinselion, I never experienced either insult, or injury, from any individual whatever belonging to the army or navy, and this circum atan,•e scrves to justify and to heighten the respect and regard which 1 have always entertained for these g•sllstst professions, which suffer most for the public service, and are least rewarded. After being in Waleharen sheet ten days, Sir Richard Strachan entered a room where I wits weting, accompanied by Captain Perish, of the navy, by whom lee was introduced to mo. The terms in which this gallant officer addressed vats, were precisely such as I expected from hiTv character. In fact, he spoke in a strain of regret, that the necessity had been imposed upon him of [,shin{ such an order as I have stated at Deal, which he had done to consequence of an iistima. lion from the Seeretary of State—and an official order. Adding, however, that as Lord Chatham and he had received a similar order, 0 they must feel unpleasant et my remaining in the island." siseh were his words; and on my observing that if it was o w object of the order to prevent the nesesia. per+ Irons receiving any communication, that ob ject cassitl not be accomplished, as there were se veral other observers in the island. . • s;r Richard Swat-ban answered, that he knew mottling of such MAWS. and that the order re. ferred to me alone. ;. I said, that it was my inten tion soon to return to England, and that I knew else ostler alluded to proceeded from Lord Castle. rtach, of whose character it was quite worthy. Sir Richard remarked, that he had nothing to do Frith politics : and expressed a hope that. I would Consider him but as a mere agent in the transaction, nod a uish that I should go home ilia vessel of war ; an sring mc,that I might rely on receiving the kind. es. t treatment I could desire. With the latter request I saw no ,114-etiots to compiy, and theroTore I ae. siniesced, and was accordingly referred to Lord A. Beatirlerk, who was directed to procure me a pas. sage. For this passag e I waited some time at Tervece, until indeed he events of war had ter , rtinatcd, and then I was acco mmodated in a Re. • 'cone cotter, by which I returned to this country. *l•hug, to please Lord Castlereagh, I was sent home at the public eepenee. It is hero, however, but fair to state, that Lord A. Beattolerk shewed no . . disposition to hurry . me out of the island. It is not only jest toward:l his charFter, but grateful to my own feelings, to declare that in him I wit. Wowed nothing of a disposition ta gratify the per. secutittg spirit of Lard Castlereagh. No! the genuine, bold, and independent character of a na val (Aker, is ill suited to sycophancy, or to ad. minister to the vindictive passions of any matt in p u A er. Whether Lord Chatham ever issued this order, I arn linable to say. I was told that he had ; but es no attempt was ever made to execute it, I . have Dome doubts upon the eubject. The older of which I complain, mast have been issued by Lord Castlereagh from one of two natives—either( from a wish to deprive me of an typortuitity of making any olPervations upon The conduct of the eapedition ; or to fix upon my eleiracter the imputation of some illegal purposes. if the former were his motive, then he was afraid of any publication Of the truth, and Jana wish the people of Engla.utl to be GO , informed of the course which he and his agents were about to pur sue. But if the latter motive actuated his con. duet, if it ,yore his object to fix an imputation of ill -Ratify upon my view., what opinion must the public form of ais !emir of literality and justice ? I DEFT the Noble Lord to adduce any evidence to justify such an imputation. If there be any charge against me, let it be openly and legally preferred ; and openly and le gstly lam ready to meet it. Bat is it to be en. wired by the liberality of England-44a it region. citable tt ith the precepts of justice nr the prinei. files of the Constitution, that a atitish Minister shall le at lib .iy thus to *hose his official power, :hail be allotted by any secret order, to proscribe the character, to invite the persecution of any in. divides , ? I ant fully assured that Lord Castle reagh alone is rispuctible for this order ; that it was sJlely and exclusively his own act, with the knots ludo, pewliai.s, of Lords Malgraveand Chat. km, and, no doubt, with the full a pprabatiOn of Mr. Edward Cooke, hl4 witty friend and'coadja. tar daring the torto re of my unfortunate country men. But that the Noble Lord has act 41 npou this occasion, without the consent or knowltelge of any of the neort iteportant of his icolleagees in of. ice, I ha c net the slightest doubt. Whatever limy be my opinion of those cup:agues in other re. epeets, I do not thi4 ,ihere is one among them who vould recommend 41 approve of such a pro. eiseding. I know it may be said, with repril to t'.e par. titular act which gave rise to this letter, that ac cording to netrtial law a Commanding Officer is antle.rizal to pretrot any man front accempany ing l o re. wham he thinks proper to suspect ; init shit orzli theviistuace of this rigia may be tin. .111. 1 ~t p 1 <• rwintwFurifF , • a rilZ MATS, NT AN. _ ; ' . r ' , . , . .. I . ,_ .. ~f . the ......e-----_______ deniable, the expediency of its exercise may be aid cau s e ? Is it in any country respecting the tachment to the ca useu of public freedom, and the : very questionable. prnciple of humanity and justice, that that cen. independence f County, that had an long The right of a Court of Law to iotlict punish; su re which ought to be confined to the oppressor, been considered as the mere property of a few meat is indispntable, but that right would not should belevelled alone at the oppressed ? Will Cosines of two contending parties. The minds justify the infliction of undeserved pinishment.— it be endured by any description ot persons, to of the Freeholders of the County of Essex em Sir Richard Strachan or Lord L'hathain might have whose opinion it is possible for a man of conneon anxiously fixed on the result of this Meeting, had the, right to send me home; but does the ad- honour or common seise to attach any value, that which he trusted would be such as to give a nim mission of that right tend in any degree to acquit tyranny shell transfer to its Victim that odium I impulse to the energies of the Electors.. The in e Lord Castlereagh as to the malicious misrepresen. which ought to attach to itself ? Lrity of the representation of the people was tation of my character, which would prompt these So muc h, indeed, did even the Viceroy of Ire- [ foundation -stone, without which libert y was ? Officers to exercise it laud (Lord Camden) revolt at the severit y with I but a name, and the Coustittitiou a •soune....e n d That Lord Castlereagh hates me, Mr. Editor, I which I was treated, that upon a simple remon. to the violation of that purity might be attributed know l and lam proud of it. 1 feel tha t i t would strance he, at the moment of his departure floes all the misfortunes under which the country was 1 • I require a much higher character than [can rice Ireland, ordered my liberation, when not more. now groaning. He could state to thou some facts hope to profess, to withstand his approbation. It than half the period pr e scribed in my sentence haul respecting a former contest in the County ut e s . has been the study of my life to deserve the hatred expired. And I cannot pass by this act of Lord sex, between Luther and Conyers, whiele pe t i ole, .of such a man. Camden's clemency without stating my opinion, might be out of their recollection ; but which, h e But how have I deserved it ?.--not by the breach w hich is justified by other facts that have come to was certain, would astonish all who heard than, ef any moral obligation, not by any offence against my knowledge, that no degree of cruelty is fairly 1 In that contest, the place in which the Jail emelt the principles of justice—Nge h no ! —Lord Castle- attributable to the disposition o f that nobleman. be fried, was a subject of one of the most viut eN e . reagh has become my foe, Mr the very reasons As soon as Lord Camden hail left Ireland, and disputes that ever had agitated any county. Th e Why a freteentl a humane people ought to be my not rill then, it was /Lordship ' s( d to nie that, ()tamest lay between the Whigs ,You , s b u t at friends. as I flatter myself I shall be able to show. notwithstanding his order, I was not length thc %nags prevailed. " shall hare se e It will not, I hope, be deemed impertinent, or to be liberated until bail was procured for my con. Jail where you please," said the 'Tories--<e h ut obtrusive, in me to offer myself on this occasion duct for seven years, to the amount of 20001. for that concession ylirst let us bring in a'fory to the attention of the Public. I have been most Thus were Castlereagh and Cooke determined Member for the con and a Tory Member wet foully slandered, and to remain any longer silent to counteract the benevolent intentions of Lord elected. Thus the 'Creche! lets of the county of *would be. to betray a culpable indifference to the . Camden, and flattered themselves with the pro. Essex were disposed of by a party compromise preservation of my own character, and to the, spect of complete success, from the intimidation between a few Whet and Tory families. Incredi. weight of public opinion. Lord Castlereagh has emeant to be employed towards any man. who ef_ ble as the fact might appear, there were 'bun. 1 endeavoured to stigmatise my name; and that chin. feted to become my bail. This intimidation was dant proofs in the possession of the Pro. ;meter, which a :Minister of the Crown has thought indeed actually employed, . and very industriously priotor of the Chelmsford raper. The elec. 'worth attacking, it.will not, I hope, be deemed too, towards-some of those who originally of- ticu was since that time to return a Mho, ' presumpinetis 'in me test think worth defending. fered ; but yet, In despite of theft artifices, bail when the Whig Member died or resigned, amf' The public have heard of the attack, and let me was entered by two public.spirited. Gentlemen, Tory when the Tory Member died or resigned. hope that their sense of justice and liberality will who have never bad any reason to regret their The Parties therefore were represented, and not ohs dispose them to attend to my defence. pledge for my conduct, and I was liberated. Freeholders. This gives the Freeholders no opposer- Bait before I enter into that defence, I think it After my liberation, 1 found that it was quite (unity of asserting their rights and indeeendetice, right to state, that Ido not ascribe Lord Castle. impossible for mu to make a settlement in Ireland He next stated, that he had attended the Meg reagh's PERSEVERING hostility against me to the with any prospect of success, while the frowns of meetieg at Chelmsford, where it was objected to bim mere difference of political opinion-1 am not dis. suc h men as Castlereagh and Cooke, who mono. by Mr. Western, of whom he spoke in teens of posed to give the Noble Lord credit for such a policed the power of the Government, were so the highest respect, that he was not a p.trty n o n . degree of attachment to any political principle as decidedly fixed upon me. I therefore determined He had asked, whether he would .consider sap. would prompt him to become tho particular rue- to quit Ireland, and applied to Lord Castlereagh pert at present as a pledge of future sti le my of its opponents, unkis those opponents cote. e was tem impedefor a passport, which, according to the older of port ? and he answered ? " No. II trihuted to his personal views. No—the his Government, was required of any man about asked, whether- lie would give up his pretensions I'motives of his aversion to me I fully understand. to leave the country. But to this application, after the' present Parliament? a question week lie is tolerably aware that I have some knowledge twice or thrice repeated, Castlereagh replied, that lie considered as absolutely insulting—as it e s ti. of his real character, and that I have not omitted 44 it was not the pleasure of his Excellency the mated that tut might be prevailed upon to be ; to propagate that knowledge. Besides, lie has Lord Lieutenant to comply with my request"— mere stock or tote. He could not accept the deeply and frequently injured toe, and therefore, thus prophaning the name of the brave and humane t sepport of that Meeting upon these terms. Ile according to the old Ailege, hu cannot forgive me. Cornwallis, who, according to the b est informa. 1 had avowed it as his opinion, that io times like But to proceed to the Best cause of my itstroduc- . ti o n I could collect, knew nettling of my case, to these, it was difficult, if not impoiaible, to ad. Lion to his notice, with regard to which so much facilitate his own persecuting purpose. here to men oithout dcserting principle.—. foul calumny has gene abroad in this country.* Nor eat will the public think of Castlereagh's In many respects he should have voted .With Its the course of Lord Castlereagh's Admini. feelings, when I state, that at the period of which Mr. Western ; in others he should not. ]led titration of the Government of Ireland, I was per- lam writing I was not 2t yearrof age. lie been in Peliament when a tax of elmer cent. vented in consequence of a publication which ap- With regard to the calumnies sent into circula. uponlncome `d i dh prupesed, hue should east peered in a newspaper (entitled The Press) with tiro against me, in this country , the y are lmur- opposed it—bu h ee e had been called upon to. , which I woe connected. In that publication, the thy of serious notice, particularly considering the vote for the advance of that to 10 per cent. Levied IGovernment of Lord Castlereagh was censured hose character of those from whom they proceed. the imposition of which at 6e he had voted, fur the following act te-A. Mr. Orr, who was a The man who resolves to do good, as I have be. would it be an answer to the charge of abotedit respectable and intelligent farmer of the county It , fore observed, respecting these calumniators, must to say th tt he li e d voted with his pally? His poke of Antrim, was tried, and a verdict was returned calculate upon the hostility of the bad, and that was his country, and he Was of 140 party bat that he hail administered an unlawful oath (that that hostility will be virulent in its nature, just in that—ha was nut....nevek had been—nor , met 0f the U..it•il g,i.h) tA, a comsat's, Informer of the proportion to the activity of his exertions, or the would he of any other party. By holeing them' name of Wheatly, who swore, that having met e ffi ciency of his services. Therefore, so long as that sentimeut4,he knew he lad °fooled the party re, Mr. Orr, .casually, on the public road, he was hostility vents itself in mere abuse, a man who forms ling themselves Whip. In speaking thus plainly, taken home by him, and that Mr. Orr at once corn- the resolution I have Mentioned, should look upon it 'he felt that he acted boelly... but he would also I mitted himself by administering the unlawful oath without pain. Indeed, he should rather consider tell them honestly, that, though thus bold, he alluded to. 'rho verdict of the Jury, neon such it as a flattering testimony of his exertions to annoy was comparatively a poor man. True it waselte evidence, was,however,accompanied by a strong rc- bad men, and as the natural expression of their lived within his means —no man could- make au; commendation of the prisoner to mercy; but soon resentment. But, when any thing is said or dotes . demand on him which he could not satisfy— after the verdict, three of the Jurymen made a that i s calculated to produce a misconception of and he could entertain hie friends and neighbour solemn affidavit before the Judge who tried the his chiracter and views, or to subject him to a with hospitality—but he could not afford to cause, that liquor had been conveyed into their persecution which may be repeated upon others, spend anY thing on an election. lb did omelette room—that they were imposed upon by some of then a sense of duty towards himself and the pub- to say that he wished the Electors to pay his own their fellow Jurors, and threatened by others, if lic should prompt him to stand forward. Upon personal expences ; but other expences hesouhl they did not find the prisoner guilty, and that un. that ground I have been urged, on this occasion, pay none. It was ridiculeus fur a man to say Its der the influence of imposture and threats, an d to of f er myse lf to p ublic attention. loves his country, withou t loving his own fa. being old men worn down by watching and in. Lord Castlereagh may feel himself justifie d in mil y ; and if a man were not just to bit toxicatioo, they had given a verdict against him, the entertainment of a personal and political pre- own family, it was absurd to expect that he althongh they believed him in their own conscience judice against me; but, with regard to the Order should bo so to the public..." I cannot (her* to be innocent. Affidavits were also made by a Mr. of which I complain, the question is, whether Ise fore, nor will not, spend any money in , * Elder, a Protestant Clergyman, and a Mr. Mont- be justified in making use of his ministerial power Election." If the Electors chose to assert Iksk gemety, that Wheatley being indisposed, and 41)- to gratify (bat prejudice, to invite the persecution own independence by bringing him in (reefs( eta prehending tile approach of death, had stated to of my person, and to fix au imputation upon my pence, he would exert himself to the utmost them that his conscience was much disturbed in character—whether he be justified in at attempt serve them honestly and faithfully—but he siteldi consequence of his having been guilty of perjury to establish a most dangerous precedent? This' not think himself under personal obligations 4 and murder. These affidavits, together with the question I will, without further comment, leave his election ; because, if elected at all it mill s recommendation to mercy from the Jury, second- to be determined by the justice, the liberality, and Ibe on public grounds ; and the electors wo uld ea eil by the strongest recommendation of the Judge the good sense of the English people. well to take into consideration, that by inertial (Lord Yelverton), were transmitted to the govern. P. FINNERTY. a Representative on such grounds, he could nee Meat of Lord Castlereagh—aed yet Mr. Orr was , be led to consider Isis Constituents as his coen pre executed.* This, which is matter of undeniable ESSEX FRE 81104118 RS. vase property. He wished now to tern their et. history, was the proceeding animadverted upon i tendon to a point which demanded explanation: • in Victimiser I 'nude to, and is it possible that any His name appeared .in the Red-Book — bit whi also had appeared that of Newspaper could be fume' in England, even in Mr. Foe—ile, Mr. • th e must deeenerate state of the press, whihc te c e rtainly did hold a place of the am; iiat valite of a t . would no y ,t reprobate such a proceeding ? Yet, for 1 3001. Ile had this w hen aho, and.hadelartaalin that reprobation, I was arrested and committed • tity to d'eketvelle — l7he wen, iiiirtii Mr. Per to prison, a while there, -pmetette to my Mal, coal' wow -and throw his • patent .ia his fa ce, i nal every effort of intimidation, persecution, 'and Might be MO that this • was 'x • bri be es gain proffered bribery, was made use of to extract from county. . But he pledged' : him — setf,' :if .fie was ems the mane of the author' of the article I have teiMed, during the first cieseeond•Seseies, M tas m' referred to; twice was I taken from my prison foe the abolition of sinecur e s -tiot meanies, hi in the most extrajudicial manner to the office of everoo be rigid as to the trifling. ones,uf Oa ' the Superintendant•Magistrate of Dublin, where,milil 3001. a-year, where the subsistence of families i surrounded by a group of Police Magistrates and •depend Upon them. if ile, did jot iiiccee d in if, other agents of Lord Castlereaghlegovernment, I object, then be pledged himself eitheetwresig n was threatened with a variety of prosecutions for own place or his scat in Parliament, Inmates libel, and more rigorous confinement, if I did not should think it indecorous to represent Elul° betray the author of the article for which I was Pensioner. With these principles .he was Jet° imprisoned, and also the names of the several I mined to persevere in the contest, *eel lw silo 'Gentlemen whom I knew to have written for The have polled the last freeholder wile. would Press. Threats being found unavailing, I was him. lie had said lie wutild never - be tied tar offered pecuniary reward, and instantaneous re. party ; lie had, liewever, no liesitatipti ei say' lease from prison, if I would comply with this. with Mr. Fox, that he li)jkla iii s mall m oose wishes of this assemblage. But I spurned at their ' • way to a friend, in or d er to avoid giving apse proposition, and for this I was persecuted. Be- thing to an enemy. lie woutil -candidly Mate. •Icause I would not betray my friends—because I fell opinion, that without the Peeitisidry as, would not violate confidence--because I would ante of the freeholders themselves, there 0011 Id m not abandon the cause of liberty, of truth, of he any chance ;—hut it was net fur hi humanity, and of my country—because I would persuitelly that be asked their supPori— not be guilty of a breach of professional duty and for themselves-.-for the assertion of t private hpitour—l was subjected to every degree poll f own rights, and those 9f the country at Is of ill treatmeut and injury that 46 rigour beyond lie called on the Freeholders of the Coolie resist three or four great men l who had late ° the law" could inflict. Who then, let me ask, ought to be the subject totte4 and the folly to spend them in elcei of censure for such proceedings ? Is it in the His sentiments were those of an intlependret ° country in which Hampden and Russell a c q uired he had candidly stated them awl treeing ' . s immortality by dying for freedom', Belt . censure they must be satisfactory to those whom lus showlil attach to any tams for suffering% ;thin 1 1 4- addressed, he would conrlnde by omen di ll that he would be at no espenee,—for in 'tint! for their independence, he . was determined e Yesterday afternoon, soon after the close ef il the Corn Market, between one and two hundretL independent Free fielders of the County Of in the interest of MONTAGU BunGoYNI, Esq.H LPritiOrl vWcitt, in Le ndanisad its smeighboitsiti od), assembled in the great room of the Esser hotel, in IVhitechapel, which had been selected as the most convenient point of meeting. The Company waited a considerahle time, in op pectatitm of the arrival of GEORGE PETITE, Esq. who was to have been in the Chair ; but at length Ms inability to attend, in consequence of a severe indisposition from cold, being announced, T. IL WHITE, Esq. was unanimously called to theChaii, which he declined, on the ground of his not being a recident Freeholder of the County.: Mr. WHITE strenuously urged the propriety of placing in the Chair some one of thu many re spectable vonten present, a class of individuals whose interest, and rights were tto deeply in. volved in the question of electing a man to re present them in Parliament, as, in his opinion, to tender the selection of an Englisl yeoman for the Chairman of such a Meeting not only highly pro per, but absolutely necessary. No diklll of men were more impartant in society, sad it was time that they should begin to feel their real weight and importance, and ,especially on that of selecting a Representative in Parliament fur the important _County of Essex. Mr. WHITE at length conceded to the general wish rof the Company, and, haying taken the chair= • • Mr: BC RQ9YNE rose to 'trete the grounds en I which lie lied con'veited the Meeting. le felt him self highly Haltered by the ;Hoene* of many per. sons whom he had never even seen before, who hi"was therefore as-nreil could bit brought there by no other coneideratien than that of at . • A full account of this transactiou may be foaad Curran'a Speech uportony Trial. • I~ f