The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-02-14 00:00:00

I A pot afford the Most inconsiderable /,mind for ? I put itgravely to the House to consider, licr such a charge ought. for one moment, to : e rtained 1 and call upon it to decide, whether, the various and adtive efforts of misrepresents alter ewty threat, an(lalse impression, which, ' hoot the whole ciiiiittry, have h'en rircu th pcisoa rid mislead the public mind, the A d of hostility which the 11. m. Gentlemen :kg have chosen, is mit alculated to I ,suer, cr thin raise them, in the estimation of this au and this country ? He ! Hear!) 'I he ISlemiser for that c unty as declared his .to for referriag it to a Committee. buck a wish -literally congenial with the circumstances in ;a he stands, but the House has no personal ; . g t to indulge. It cannot entertain a motion .fi calls noon it to pert-arm a most serious duty, splicrlile to an extraordinary, unsupported, and I s pine to say, foolish Petition ; a Petition of sit ..duth, addressed is Pact to themselves, who isq , es to verify What they have so loudly and it eiiculated. They have, indeed, prevailed :t.rir s.rvants, tenants, and dependants. to sign e it I am informed, that the name of a Clerk at esrmost in the Treasury, isaflixed to this in: a ;.retry decisive pro w ed, that, on the part of vernment, there has been no resort to any pin 'e undue influence or official ptrsecution.— reser you view this measure, or in whatever the I-Vese may please to consider it, it will be id a mere patty thing, manufanured fnr party trpo,es, And certainly no credit to the mantal r, Nir, the lion. Gentlemea are a you t °post , and as all traits must h:. tre a begenuing. we Wily infer. that the great reltrmr., the kignt a. Gratlenstn on the other side (Mr. G Rose), in the lapse of own.• few years, arrive at con -I.erahle eminence on the opposite Bench— ! • !/--Again, I do knit, that nu case tis le out to warrant a proce.tding, •vever Institut c iL *pi t o an aEtual int*: ingoment .f the provile f .t this Maw, or a viol uion of the IL. tie. of mit `7p ICo For the car:reagent length co which pa. ry .as may drive Hon. Gcutlea,en, cat make • Atiova::ce ; but there art.. limas to it trty feel which .Iralld not he 0. verie.,),%l ; a n 4, :slaty riu.t Jaime my conviaina, thAs questioa •f tt.is id and dose: iption, currying from such a is a ter, n orovote no other sensation than disgust (:rfir! itlf That aSerietirry of the Tteasiir). to.. the last rears, undo all the well known and adnui ted cir stances of those 16 peers, should accuse a pre- Secretary of tojust interference iu the rights of lion. and of an unconstitutional system of te, in promoting that influence, is one of those teem. 'samples of humaa audacity, which toe zory of an irritated fattion can only displa.y" Mr. CANNING, in a swain of spirited retort, lied to the observations of the Right don. eleman who sat down. He deciered it tort:s ee free the Country, now that he war-in. power, t isss accrssion had induced him to aban&us all ise plans of reform. which, when out of place, re the endless theme of his political discussions. e Cnantry bad now an opportunity of ascertain the precise ideas and correct nmiceis which he sued of Parliamentary Reform. Fl., long•o ' in recommending the plans whish should sued, or the ensiles necessary to be adopted, is devoted himself only to the opportunity of ig on his adversaries tenfold aggravations, the Claret.: which thy have brought agai::st F its system of put iry is teamed, not from peirormancs of any beneficial m asure, but -!y from the rel.tion of that to w no cel -1 Mr) , is atuchabie. He has tlil us that the iaio.re of an high Office in the Treistry is no ; cued of suspicion, when us-ii in eietive rights; that Officer in his individual capacity, it was iln. I ;Sill* hut to speak with every respell; but his in le-Fern e in Hampshire tan never be defended, w.„l • the prinetoles of the I:l:it:r.h Constitution are ro led. Defence h net been made for such c Ju.R . Jud tL.. itlfeten.:c and m.o niog of the G •nt. who spoke last, w mat every see:eater A minietsation rosy Comm .sae 40 opera tien of .ept.sals against t .0 former. and that the sttliesi should only be redressed by the mutual ac cosatioes of these respeCtive Ministers. On a com parison of • 're two letter:, the one wtitteo i . 1779. by the Doke of Chandos, and the other in ih, wesent instance, there ea olio be friend an neprej ..Feed man rho will say the litter of the Right Hot , Gentleman is not the owe unto , aicutional.—Ano. thee argument for cl• oisong the Petition' as, that is was not brough iiirwai d at the time woen it would 'not be clef. , ained, and that the House are taut acquainted with the i-4StireS. the marginal totes, fag levatill.m., and the ioul copies which have tern made. Wilt the lionsc of Commons listen to s sc: 'Hine, and will they coiu:ide with that • syoens, which mooted as a dot.ht, s • ether the Government had or had not a right to inter toe in Elections ? the doctrine we may suppose • upon up to the mamma when the Right etonourable Geilteman rose to explain.--Will V•e /loose iit Commie,: listen to the weak and le defence of the Rig. Hon. Gentleman. who, ti-,e period of his writing this nnoonuimtional Leer, was s•-• perplexed with the confleing duties of a ircelol.liir of the county of Sautlianiptoni and Se e ear y of th- 'sot y. as to confound the :sets of one in she other. I.se Right lion. Gentleman pursued ....erenus train of observation, soil concluded by ex -1" ""•R his eonwierint • that it toe Petitioa, contain s • oils a strong .;ligation, and niferiog to prove '•••!'i pericMar, be dism'sscd with reprobation, it • • :ie nior lit those oecurreoces which was yet mi l. in ti-e legislative history of this country. • • ADA Mi -rose, and spoke to the following t. I cannot help expressing my disappro- I , - e „r v . . mai.per in wiliest the flight Hoe. GOD. de lft% just sat down, has treated the Right Hon. tie:rid:ay, wheelies, with stall becoming modesty, cand our , and tirmoess, del ruled himself ; especially when 1 coast nn , t'. at this is the first time the Hon. G'n'lensaall.b. et any length, addressed the House s h m which citcumosnee, ind-pendent of the un eirasarit situation in he then stood, he was so• sided, at least, to a taw end candid re statement of hi' assertions. The Right Gentleman had ac !ow the Right lion. Secretary of eang in delta , la:tin art sit parsiamentiry principt • ; and, to 'll4 'lo° 4 this there he had 7..4.cl to it , e most U. 'Cr 111C4t.S, in di t . .renz si. 111 , 11..ing of his Irressious r assul Lisa t..g Lutist tan a few words di orp:d Irma the Right Honourable Secretary, by mis take, which remake he had immediately correct ed. The question. Sit, in my opinion, tun s rather upon the condue ret the Right Honourable Gentleman. than en the general and wide prin ciple of Covet nment's right of interference, its influencing the concitadt of eleEtors ; which latter, the Gentlemen on the other side of the House, stem so anxious to establivh, as the present subject of discussion. Yet, what could be more satista.lory to those who were unprejudiced, than the candid statement of the Right Han. Secretary ? He had at, along disclaimed the letter, as an official paper, and defended it on the principle of its being a pri vate communication to his particular friend, re questing him to exert his influe ice for a relative, who intended to 'toed candidate for the county of Hants, where he (the Right Hon. Secretary) pos sessed a considerable estate, and an extensive irrfle ence. The dna:tine laid down is the speech of the Right Hon. Secretary, is that of private rights; in the exercise of which right of elective franchise, be was perfeOly justifiable, nretwithstunding he held an elevated post in the Government of the country. Whatever the circumstances attending the Hamp shire Election, and I am willing to admit, it is ra ther extraordinary that, in the former Eleelion, as well as the present, the same charge should be made respelling the interference of Government, yet till we must recalled, that the Petition only re- Inn era rsagain-t the condudt of the individual, as lember of the Government. Hail the Right Ho wrable Secretary no other character but that et lember of Government, the accusation waeld h. e appiied with full force. Rut this was not the rise He was not only a \leen;ier sf the Govern ment, hut also a citizen and a treenolder ; situa tt is which attac• ed to him certain privileges, ric s no pet.o swever exalted his situation, ild for a mailmen• hink of alienating. this the feeling of the ergh• Honourable Secretary, I appeal to his , words whets he obsi.rred, that sooner than be es •rived of this inestimable privilege of Britt- aberty. he would resin his station in the Wintry. howe..l (*.shed. bus:ls an exercise of ptivilegr w is perseetty consistent with the spiral of the Braid* :aw. Fur t' ougn there lied been, by theSt a t u , Law •)t the Land, several descriptions of r ens excle from the exercise 0: um eleeive France tr-t ere Members of Government were never supp. • to be comptenended under those disqu ilific.st s. which were only applicable to Peers (who, say their situation, s.ere considered to have renounced their franchise) and R:venue Of ficers, whos- places I say so immediately at the dis posal of Government, th it they were supposed in capable of exercising itudartinllv this inestime'rle privilege. But, my Right Hun. Friend, not content alone with aSing under the sanCtion of the law, was, to my !,nowledge, prepared to give to the Home this esa.nirg on in‘cance of that ragerneu to have this matter ilyeroughly inee ' , gated, which all must admire, though perhaps few wauld intim - Thi, was no less than to funnel hr accusers the original letter, the copy of which had h- na the sole I ) cument whereon they had founded weir ac cusation ; not being, aware of their Navin, the copy in their own po%•eieei , in. Of this intent:ea i myself was apprised, and am of opinion that such all instance of candour and sincerity will not tail of producing a panportiooateeffeCt on the House in his fivoar. This letter, it s'rould be remembered, was written to a gentleman, who, at least, WAS sup posed a freeholder in the county, in favour of his re lation. In this application, I must confess, I can see no criminality whatever, though it happened to be direfted to a man, who was also Barrack Master General. For if we were for a moment to admit the impropriety of an interference on the part of our friends, when such an application might accidental ly derive weight from our connexion with the Go vernment of the country, we might find it ex tremely difficult to dtaw a line of demarcation, and the landlord of an extensive estate would, on this principle, find himself, the moment he happened to be received into the confidence of his Sovereign and the nation, dept iced of all influence whatever, among his own tenantry, friends, and connexions. In fait, Sir. the question for our consideration is, what was the species of application made by the Right Honourable Secretary? If he had made, in the letter produced by the Gentleman opposite ni!, say offer of place or emolument ; if he lied. in th tt letter, denounced any threat of vengeance. or the loss of place, to those who were placed within the influence of Government, then indeed it would have been afar subject to lay before a Committee of Privileges. There now remains nothing for such a Committee to inquire into ; the lads have ail been admitted, and, in my opinion, there is nothing to hinder the House from immediately deciding on the question. which seems to resolve itself into this simple form : whether the letter was written by the Right Honourable Secretary. to create in the c witty of Hants all undue influence in the EleSion ? As this privilege is the most important and momen tous of all others, it would be highly indiscreet, if not absurd, to resolve nutselves into that Commit tee, since it is evident we shall gain nothing by it, as we are already furnished with every information necessary to form an ()pinion on the propriety of the Right I immurable Secretary's condat." Lot si FOLKS FONE observed, the Hon. Gentle man n e ed net have entered into an apology for the Right lion. Secretary. as he was of opinion that the Right lion. Secretary himself had already urged, wills some etre% that ibis letter was not within the Law of Parliament. Yet he was still of opining, that this letter, which was but a small part of the grievances stated in the Petition. though it could not by itself substantiate a direa charge against the Right lion. Secretary, might in cunjunetion with the other accusations stated in the Petitiou, be a very fit salve& to he laid before a Committee. should the House think fit to adopt the motion. He bail been mformod there were now several letters written from the Treasury dating the late Eletitons, with an intention to create an undue ilitience. toady to be p educed; he. therefore. helped the House would not dismiss this important investigation by a summary vote. eir.J . OHNSTONII said, that he conld by no means suppose, that a letter written fur the per posts of el.Ctionvering, from the office of the Trea sure y. sealed with the Public Seel, and delivered by re Official Mebsengsr, could ever be intended as a pinta cotarnunlcation. This was unfortunately not the only instance of Government's interference. le had in his rusessina a similar letter,• written to a freeholder in Yorkshire, by the same Gentleman The Right Hon Gentleman (Mr 1 ierneyi had said. he Ir..ped the resent Oppositioa sv. , u J, in ise, beet.ma god Reformers All a s..aU aid (said Mr. Johnst.,ne) this kind s, that I hope we shall never became such Reformers as those at Maids's:trip:9 Mr BATHURST spoke against the -notion. Mr. PERCEV AL rose, and spoke as follows— " oir, I cannot but express my sus :r .ir at fearirg Ministers attempt to throw on us the charg, of nacos. 4ivency. Indeed, it must , ie acknowledged, this is of a piece with their usual condua. and corn with a peculiar good grace f(om that virtuoii &rushy, which was ever ex. - ioieli. se against the . . tai ...I the Hampshire Petition Now, mark their conduit when it is produced. !'hey who were sn anxious to exculpate themselves torn the charge .d undue in fluence, now refuse to go irtu Committee, where I..eir condua would undergo an impartial, I: • - t ts stria examination. With ss.h professions. .. es often see men endeavour to delude and gshi the credulous ; but Ministers may depend noon it, Lad this everdhg's conddct, if it doe. not tot-oly undeceive the courory, so Leg their dopes, will undoubtedly put the leao disci ming oa their guard in luture. 1 As for the Right Hon. Gentleman accused, I ' •uk upon him as the mere instrument an the hands of his superiors. In this point, ti..• Peti . -mos also view his concise ; for they allege, that v ;ions in stances of Ministerial interference. have, to their kanaledge, occurred in different patss of tie cowl. ty. How then is the Petition to b • answered? Not by going into the examination of tt.e prevailing and general abuse of power, but by patching up a sort of lame defence, in the only insurce, amongst many, specified ; and thus this virtuous colheion of Ministers, who were so clamorous for an opporta pity of displaying their innocence to the world. are now content to 'mother, in the first instanc • that inquiry, which alone could have preserved their charattei from those suspicions of ezertiog undue influence, which have so very generally prevailed ; and of which so many proofs are offered to be produced. The Bight Hon. Gentleman has said, this application was only made in the charatter of a freeholder of the county. But to whom was this ma...e ? to his tenantry ? No. Was it understood to be a private communication by General Hewitt No. He immediately, by his eecretary. writes to Davis this letter, adding, that be had received the orders eostiined in it, from (not a tee •telcicr of the county) but the Secretary of the Treasury The same Gentleman, I recoiled, said, that ..ad t!.e let ter been direa.el from the Ovate house of the Right Hnn. Secretary. all would have been nght. This I deny. What, are you to suppose, because it would not then corn- direCtli font his Office, that it, man dates would be less are Jet to t This would he, i:.!•-ed. to open au eternal suLtei i up, by which the Miniory could, at all times, escape the wholesome rettraiat provided by the wisdom of the Legi-Lture. Let the system Lid down by the Right lio.i•dir- Getalernan be only carried on with a little ing -shy, and each Member of Go: ---n. io, possessing a freehold in one or more coo may efferodally, in <pite of law, controul to. suffrages of .at county, and thus the hoasted in dependence ut Parliament will quickly be transform ed inte4te cairn subservience of con cup: placemen and p-osioners. It was worth the &tremens or tt e House to compare the former cor.Juft of the Gen tlemen now in the •sliaLtry, with their present unwillingness to oiquire int s t'.e complaint of the Petition. They had then asserted there had been corruption and influence res c red or Of this they could bring iio proof; yec tlaty collect for reform. Now the abuse exists, even be t.,eir confession, ye. they refuse to inquire into it. That is, in other words, we, whe were once so me, are, by the un happy influence of place. become so corruot, that we dare not permit an injury to be instituted, lest the disease should be d.scovered to have inteCted us all with its malignancy. It there be is Government any regard for the fromeof the Constitutim, they must be convined there is sufli:ient grounds tomer into Committeeon this Petition. And I hope that, notwith standing they have asserted this to be a party Ties non, which I think may, with greater jostice, be retorted on them. they will, nevertheless, give us an opportunity of having the matter fairly discussed, 'Tis a duty they owe to the magnitude of the ques tion, and the anxiety of the community at large. Mr. BATHU RS I' rose to expOtin. Lord HOWICK observed, that, from the sub stance of the Gentleman's speech, from his tone and manner, in which he bad out-Hetoded Herod, he must be convinced there was no party spirit in it. The Right' lion. Gentleman had charged Mi nisters. in his usual stile, with a derelietion of principle. 'lshii hail been attempted to be proved by mete invective, no argument what ever had been adduced. He had then proceed ed to declaim against Ministers as reformers.— Of the principles on which those charges were founded, he could never be ashamed. —His Lordship then produced a letter. signed George Rose, direacd to a Mr. Baldwin, a gentle- man in the Barrack Department, at Canterbury. desiring that he would use his best services in favour of his friend (Mr. Calculi). He thought. however, that the mere solicitetton of a vote by a person in au official sitnation. if not accompanied with force or undue influence. was perfeely adinissable ; and, unless there were other grounds than those, the House could not be called opoe to interfere. At the time of th e Election for Westminster. when Lord Hood was a Candidate. it appeared that there was a separate charge for expenees made to the Treasury. When. therefore, a **- palate account was formed, lie asked, would it sot have been a fit subjen of inquiry ? A charge was made against the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Rose) who was then Secretary to the Treasury, for interfering in the remission ot certain fines in the Excise Department ; and all he cased say was, that the motion was made, and the proof offered; his Lordship supported that proceeding, but was un fortunately lett in a minority. It, therefore, there had been a case of that kind stated, he would net oppose an inquiry ; bat no such case WAS now made out, nor any thing like it. His Lordship then ad verted to the Right Honourable Gentleman's in_ tettereuce when in o ffi ce, on an estate in Northum . . . . . . question he then considered wet.. -whether Mr,4 Fr. entente (•vho east it-ally delivered t.is s T.. time CS mac . better e r c ~,, 41) •ad iu ei feted in his intlevidnAl ••ha actor. or as I , CT they to the Treaeory ? 11, ',tee , ifest Gentlemen was of too proud and irefeeendent a spirit, to be made the inttrumee. to any imeroper influence. He was a trelai:.l... of mpshire, he was a Se eretery of ch. Tr • ury • d .e also was nearly con. nettled and re!atet: to e Gen.leman wh;) was Candidate for that ui •; this, described. he STOW a letter tress te :usury to Geueral Heieitt. requesting his indlue: a is a paricuiar liv .it ; but the dig t Hon. end L amid eentle man laid some peculier ernelmeis upon the word .4 private," written the free' of tee, letter ; and what was the true •;:enificetion of mat word why, by the word " pirate," in his conception .king, was me- something the was n . 0 made public, and this was the v ry hse i a d front of his Honourable Trio J's offense And he would id, did her: appear, in the who le of this trans hon. from hegiu eng en end, any one sentence or word, implying a •hreat pronere. ur exerti r. of nterest ? N • cacti t .ne appeared; but, on the cone; ary, it a peered. that several pet s, who had filled tfi urUt f.;rivernment, eseed different way. I et ere was any thing of eersonal rntet fete •ce or edieence, it was on the •irtno side; for, it was 4 known fad, that a military teerele man, who had some interest in the county.. we • or dered out of the distriel, to prevent his tering. fie Lordship then enumerated the signature t • the • Petition ie question; and oleset ved, that the greater pace of diem mem person s no s• holding offices under Gov ..:nraent, and oar of whom, at that moment, was applying for t; e Office of Surv.ynr of razes. This, thereiore, was • pretty good pool, :oat the pre rut Gneernenent was not so .errthle as had been stated. Het " - Hole, r, ntendeo, tL r, under these circa es, there w. • eto nee.-s- . •tr any in glary at Hoene, because eve,' thing . could be known was already before the House, anal he was convinced it wet a proceeding Cie House !levet would consent to. Me slier all the noise which has been made upon this Petition ; after wiring tl• public expedition to the higoest pitch, from the very commencement of the Parliament; now, at the end of two months, this greet question comes tar dily forward. lbe charge w.t now made, upon which the House was cep" hle of judging; and, is his opinion, a more frivoteut one he never heard t and trusted it would be at o.:ce di:trete...l out of Court. When Gentlemen found ills eelejesty's Ministers atting inconsistently, when they were netted mine tine cue and improper influence, then Gentlemen might come forward, anJ complain with j•i-t;ce. But how many proofs had they of this already'," and when they recelleeted what had been done on a o . former night, when a Committee was appesiteesi ter inquiring respelling the restedicn se useless PLC:ea and Pensions, what grented, he asked, was :bare for chargiiig Governmeat with iticreinit.g (err power and influeece •% as not that Coeinettee im mediately grantesi an.: was this, thee, a ort of of the ineonsistency of the enema Geireitiment ? oe of that exercise of tyr • , with which they ad !seen accused? But it w. .v, fur the fleet t a me. viii, a person holdiere •e ender Govertueeet, .rid not imolai* in teves• sns, and this was sup. * ition the vote of 177 e ; bat teat iteseinteon • only went to AM.& the imp, tete, oar of power. It might be cu. ',nicest, however, for many of those Gen t lemen w: o hasfhessn fur enoeters in power, and who, as had been stated to tee 2teelers of Hemp. shire, shortly again expelled • sa.ece2. His Nlajes. ty's - present Ministers, to entiel. as much as possibie, every thing upon them, to bre g teem into ding: ace and disrepute ; but his Lordship trusted the House would not be ld away by such .peeious argues:met% or carried into any hasty or imp; ovident sneascre, by such declaelation, hut that errs , would at once desalt s the subjeft au frivolous and grouedires. Mr. Pereeval, Sir Henry Mildrnay, and Lord Howick, severally erplained. Mr. ROSE said, he came down to the House, with the strongest determination, not to trouble the House upon this sehjed ; but as several aliutions had been made to him, in the course cf the De bate, and as the Nobie Lurd (Hossrick) had repro. sewed him, not entirely pure and immecuiate. (a feud laugh lie was induced to trespais ire the House with a few observe:inns. He then ad verted to the letter read by the Noble Lord. and observed, that the Hon. Gentle/matt, therein meitionel, (Mr. Calcratt) had made but a very indiZerint retern for his kindnesses. He next allu Jed to the complaint before the House, against himself, which was considered insoffigient ; role eete prosecution that he soon after comfeneed agAitiet the printer of a newspaper, whom he had peewee. red for ,rablishing those charges against him. in civil *Rion. and recover dem iges. instead f pro. securing criminally; and whic h was revtlhllll.o6l9 by a 'meson intimately conneeled win .1 Nobl • Mar quis. (Buckingham) He now Mt lernself retried on to answer a charge of listens held out threats, upon former occasions; and was the Committee of Privileges mew moved for granted, he should Lave thea thouelic it necessary In state some falls upon that head. tut it what had been s ated co the other side the House that n• ;ht wee true, be was most grossly mistaken ; he did not elle serf it of his own leowledge. '• at he was informed that an Ma. bfernber (Mt. Preemantle) wed gale to that town (Christchurch) aothoeised by the Treasury; aced the day betore the EleeVon for a Mayor, declared, that any one who Ad..esed to Va. Rose, should lose his employment. Upon the dis solution of Parliament, two Gentlemen. Pule& strangers in that ctoontrf, went down, armed with letters from the Fe•errtary of the eatery. tome of which he then had in his pocket, sod deeded the Custom-house Officers. who, by law. could not in. terfere at an leseetion, to use their influerce in A y our of • certain candidate; but, in the sesqctsl.could procure no more than one solitary vote. He never befots knew so touch iulluence used by the Treiesw ; he spoke with sincerity. and le any Lion. Gentle mats thew, if at any time before such influence had ever been used. As to himself, be defieJ any single men to produce a single instance where he obtained a vote from any person for whom he ever did a krad. neSS.—(4 1..14.4).—1n another part of the country (Southanipton)thete were 7013 roter., te :woof whom alone he had been of ease service, and e -.a.....—ww-etpipeesee-- we -ewe:tee.: . 1 1101 4 tck ? I liner sa ter the Va 0, after 0 , l ighoat P ~,ad 01 It Ise ;tad n. Men ..AES for r nat ural! ;i:ss he si ,r, ng t to ealli sppacn , .‘"dud , C.. 11 ci• anl I 4 me nl:1 lernitte. t"e 0f to %%ever y the 14 aad Dal •rpn+es, a , t 1 u, and a fairly Cza• in tht 'etsble e ute out t it again , this H. .I 7ple. I ars mil •!te altos whicl H utt do hi and nrovol at . Zh ; Cat I. mstance et Seerel &ion. .rnace,it atrerne I ;rimy of MT. CA pIiII to ate fo► at i. 4 3C h6Ne plain :re the a : l e Coon • ,g the pri ..gaged it pursoe. • has des :rating i the r 'la, 1. ' p-•iot frt i g:nund of • • 1 4 ;