The Sun. — London, England, 1830-12-24 00:00:00

MATT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. canaot be denied that the French capital, Ithin our last despatches left it, was in a very arid. 'cal state, and it is probable that Were this day's journal shalthe put to preen, the mine which heaved for vent, and was only kept down by external pres sure, may have exploded'. It in fl ames the fury of the larisiani to suspect that England, favours the seemed, and is intriguing for their acquittal. The rumour is, absurd in the extreme. It is painful to speak against men while on trial for their lives,— and it is for their lives only that they are tried; for previously to their impeachment they bad by their conduct thrown away every 'pretension to honour, humanity, and even common sense , . Dot it is pain ful to speak against men, whatever may be their de merits, whilst their life or death hangs on the ba lances Now, however, when it is beyond a doubt that their fate will be decided before this journal Neches Paris, we have no hesitation in saying, that the general opinion in :England is, that an example ought to he made of them or some of them t or else a Minister of State mount possibly Commit any crime in that capacity, which should subject him to the severest award of the laws Nothing, certainly, in a civilized country, ever exceeded the criminality of these men. They violated the law, overthrew the constitution by despotic ordinances, deluged tie capital with blood in support of their criminal measures, and, in the midst of carnage, were pro. Jeering civil proceedings, which should ultimately deprive of life those who only opposed their abo minable acts by civil means, by personal remon ammo' and legal expedients. This is the plain Vats o f the case with respect to Poligriac parti eularly,,, and his colleagues in their several degrees. Still, we confers, we fear and deprecate mofi.„ whose rage is undiscriminating. If the Peers have salt bad the integrity to pass a just sentence—or rather, if from the fearful recollection of past events ,they have been averse to shed blood for political offences, of however atrocious a character, we had rather that the wretchedmen were allowed to ensile, ete they can do no more harm, than that they should be surrendered to: popular fury. but we confess we cannot nosy forget, simply because they are at last in that situation in which their crimes have placed them, the indignation which we and all civilised Europe felt when they were in the ruth less commission of those crimes. We cannot forget how we invoked the laws of God and man upon their heads when they abrogated the elec tions without suffering the Members to meet—when they rescinded the Charter of Gallic liberties— when they 'shut up the Press-when they directed a fresh Chamber of Deputies to be chosen, not Sc. fording to law, but according to rules of their own pres' eribing—and lastly, when they ordered the stoops, or suffered them to be ordered by the most miserable miscreant of a King that ever disgraced humanity, to charge upon the people who rose to resist these outrages in masses. Since this was written we have received from Paris an express with the sentences, and .% description of the state of Nis. Ws sse, alas 1 no ground to change our opinion or moderate our fears. The peace of Paris, and per baps of France,. depepds on one point the troops act P--;tomes. The following is an extract of a letter from a dis tinguished Member of the Chamber of Deputies— ' Pasta, Dec. go.--.We are at this moment in A state of flagrant revelution. Under pretext of the trial of the Br.filinistere, republicans and others threaten the Ch am li er of Peen, the Chamber of Deputies, the King perhaps, and ear institutions. All our National Guard is under arms, as well se Ow military garrison I and this night, perhaps, there will tars battle under my window.. The populace is netted by agitators, who represent the former Minis. sere as the murderers of their brothers and their children, said the Peers 44 Francs as the accomplices of the Sc. eased where they aro to judge. The .enlightened part of the population appears determined to repulse every at tempt all a rovolation."-- Time. The public sympathy seems, in most instances, to betreadi4,siteitiol in, tamer of working mains , feetureisi who state On the ground or pretext of hi- Sufficient wages, W. have received a printed list of wages earned for sometime past by the cotton printers in one great establishment at Manchester, on perusing.which it appears to us that most people will ask " 'What is it that these men really want ?" Surely, if it be an advance of wages, they must have taken a somewhat sanguine view of the profits now derivable from the trade in manufactured cottons. It is stated in this document that the a. d. lifachiee-printers earn, on an average, per week 31 2 Apprentices in the some 1ine..... llioek , printerraourneymen) 27 4 Ditto, ditto (apprentices) ... ... lb n Ditto, ditto (appr e nti ces , enind e nt u r e d) l2 7.. Ditto, ditto (boys in the brat half-year of their apprenilas.iiip) ' ' • • 0 loi• The above statement is given on oath before a Justice of Peace at Manchester, by Thomas Smith, book-keeeper to %tsars. Butterworth and Brooks, of that town. 'Yet' the body of " operatives" emit. lug each daily wakes an those above-tnetitioned, have had the effrontery to turn out for more I In this Wa sae plainly, a spirit of tyranny which must be overawed. This is not the appeal of starving want, but of insolent profligacy. Thu last accounts, from Manchester lead us to believe. that every, precaution hat been taken to secure the maintenance of public order...--Tito cr. Some curious accounta on the subject of local taxation hive been, printed lately by order of the Blouse of Commons; from a perusal of which, as excellently arranged by Mr. Rickman, second clerk at. the table of the House, the progress of pootsrates and county-rates in Engiand and Wales, with the por tient of them applied respectively to the relief of the poor and to other purpoara, may be traced through the following polaris down to the present day,---six., average of 1748, 1749, 1750, 1775,1770,-1783, 1784, 1785,-1802, 1803,and then, for each of the 17 years, beginning with 1812, arid finishing with 1820. The average prices of corn ate also given for the several periods referred to in these. do fitments, so that it is tint merely the amount in intones levied for local purposes on the different motifs, but that of the necesemies of life, in kind, adminktered to the relief of the poor of England, that may be got at without troy very difficult or la ' borions proems. In 117.5 A, the expenditure for the peer, wheat being then at 451. the quarter, amounted a 1 0 539,0004 That was just hefore the breakTirotst of the war with the American colonies. In seven years afterwards, on on average of 1783-4-5, wheat bed not risen ;note than ta. 611. per quarter, but the charges for the poor were attemented about half a million, or one-third more than in the _preceding period. Thu war then. had not been altogether idle in the aggro. vatiou of distress. But taking that unfevourable moment, and comparing it with the:present situation of the country,—that is, from 1820 to 1829 inch!. slve s —we shall find that the money expended on the poor has been more than trebled, while the popula tion has unquestionably . not increased more than one-third. This compertson will of course be qua ified, though fat from fully explained, by a rise in elle,rdee Of corn from ark average of 4th. 6d. the spree, tit ells oP 60a.; anti, from that whole an in nortmee may be fairly drawn, that pauperism has ad : vented et a more tepid rate than.either population or prices. This average coat of the poor for the last 17 years, embracing two of war and 16 peace, his been 0,430,0004, nearly 34 to one above the vole of poor -rates at the close of the American con test: Another document of considerable interest, but requiring n close and detailed e xami n a t i on to reader It' of much, practical use in ergement, is one shish affords a comparhon between the amount of emessmeota tern local purposes, and the annual value of reel,property in the several English arid Welsh wend**, the Utter being (minded on the Mill'efik" mem to the property-tart: in the year 1815. H ence also may be derived a highly interesting, though by no means a satisfactory, view of the progreas of the lees! taxation in tins country, as compared with th e resources on which it is 1i In ieni, the emul value of the reel property of England, as sestunl to the propertptax, was, as near as possible, 52,000,0004 sterling. The county rates, poor rates, &c. of that year were about 5,500,0001., the rents as well as taxes being calculated in the paper money of that time. But what is the case at pre sent ? The annual returns from real property — though higher considerably than they ought to be -.--have had a nominal fall, at a moderate compute don, of about twenty per cent. throughout Eng land ; and may, we suppose, be taken at present to produce about 40,000,0004 or 42,000,0004, instead of 52,000,0004 a year , --that is to say, in gold ; whereas in 1815 it was in depreciated bank notes, If, therefore, the load burthens of the country had continued with only a proportionate pressure ou its resources, the pauper expenditure, &e. of the last four years ought to have dropped from 5,500,0004 in paper, to about 4,400,000/. in gold ; instead of which it averages 6,350,0004, being equal, at the above rate of comparison, to 7,600,00/. in the cur rency of 18 IS—is rise nearly equivali nt to seventy five per cent. on the local taxation of that memo rable era. There are, no doubt, many other chan nels through which an approximation to the truth on this important subject may be arrived at ; but as every road to a sound knowledge of facts so mo mentous, ought at least to he tried by those who have no sinister object in view, we would recom mend to notice 11,e tables above referred to, as fur nishing many topics worthy of serious consideration. The subject of the Pension List was brought be fore the House lest bight by Mr. Guest, who moved for the warrant or other document, dated 6th Jan., 1823, granting a pension to Mrs. Harriett Arbuthnot. " He was desirous," he said, " that each particular pension in the present list should be laid before the [louse, fur the purpose of an examination of the grounds upon which such pension had been granted. It would be his duty, when the funds for payment of those pensions should be applied for, to divide the House, if he stood alone, on every pension which rnight not appear to have been granted for actual service." The feeling throughout the House seemed to be very strong against the abuse in grants ing pensions, and Mr. Guest received the thanks of several Members for bringing the subject before the House. The allowance for the King and the other branches of the Royal Family should be suitable But there is a wide distinction between setting spot such an allowance, and voting a Civil List to cover not merely the Royal Expenditure, but pen sions to Noble and Honourable paupers. The public money ought never to be bestowed except as a return for services ; and both the giver and receiver of a pension, where there is no claim for services, coremit a fraud on the public. Mrs, Harriett Arbuthnot may have valid claims on the public ; but we are ut a loss to conceive in what manner she can have served the public. We trust the exposure of this system of pen sioning will lead to a somewhat better morality on the subject. Exposure is a wonderful re former. When Noble and Honourable pensioners find that every pot-boy who can reed a newspaper, looks on their living on the money of others, and that thus, instead of being received with honour, they ere everywhere the object of contempt, they will be less desirous of figuring in the pension list. Those who have come hotiottrubly by their pensions have a deep interest in not being confounded with the rest.--Morning Chronicle. We rejoice to be able to record an example of disinterestedness and patriotism, well worthy, not merely of praise, but of general imitation. Her Grace the Duchess of Nenvestle has written a letter to Lord Grey, stating that, under the pressure now so severely felt in every patt of the country, she conceives it her duty to resign the pension of about 6004 a year, enjoyed by her for a long period, from the funds of the country. This its an act which carries with it its own commendation, anti needs no comment beyond its own record. We trust that the pension list will soon be submitted to the in vestigetion and revision of a Committee of the House of Commons ; for which there is a valuable ' precedent in the ease of the Duke of Marlborough, whose pension was reduced, by the interference of Parliament, from 5,0001. to 3,60 W.; and the exist ing list contains many that would well admit of similar reduction,—Morning Chronicle. REFORM MEETING. (From the Portsmouth Herald of Sunday.) PORTSMOUTH. A meeting of the inhabitant hueseholdera of the borough of Portsmouth wee held at the Now Town Hall, Ports mouth, at twelve o'clock on Friday, in compliance with a requisition to the Mayor, to consider the propriety of presenting petitions to Parliament, praying for a Reform in the representation of the people. At the request of the meeting, D. Ilowmtn, Esq. took the Chair, and wee greeted with universal cheering. Mr. Snook.—lf we consider the times in which we liVe, so remarkable an epoch may never or rarely recur, when we may have the atone privilege and opportunity we now have of going before Parliament to state freely our sentiments, that we may possess a full and fair represent*. tion in the Gnomons House of Patliament. Previously to my submitting to you the first resolution, I will call yonr attention to one remark. Can we doubt that a Reform in Parliament is wily wanted, when wear* Gatton repre sented, and ISirmineloon not ; Newtown represented, and Leeds not; Old Sarum represented, and Manchester not. Ate not these facts sufficient to justify my asking you, is not Home change nectaeary ? I will now come at once to the first resolution. Mr. Snook then read the resolu tion, as well as the others. Mr. W. GRANT, jun.—Mr. Chairman, I have great pleasure in rising to support the first resolution. I at tended here to-day, Sir,, because I deem it as much my duty, in common with those who direct their attention to attiirs at home, to preserve and watch over our rights and liberties, as it is the duty of thole who are culled abroad, to defend them by the sword, I will close my roma, kw by repeating to you dte words of an excel'ent and eminent di vine, who in an address to the Americans out the declara tion of their independence, said,— " Ile this then, Uh, my countrymen, your care, Let not your jealousies create despair; With truth and loyal ►nodesty make known yonr just complaints—approach your Monarch's throne With tllial veneration—nor distrust Ms princely resolution to be just. Ilut, if the rudeness of n venal train, (A tribe whose only Clod is private gain) Atonnist the voice of truth, with conscious fear, Mould bar the passage to the Royal ear, And, if at list necessity should drive li.cl► Loyalty to arms, and strive gainst remedyless oppression, then Defend your liberties and die like men."o The foregoing quotation Was repeated with a great de gree of energy, anti proper emphasis, anti produced an evident awl strong sensation, anti universal cheers and rr Bravos." The CHAIRMAN then put the first resolution, which, net a show of bends, was cairiell eneuimously. Mr. Leno--Mr. Mayor, and Gentlemen, heviug been one of those who were instrumental in framing the requisi tion which has led to this meeting, it has been thought proper that I should move the next resolution. We a'e now met under auspices which I hardly ever expected. Who ever thought that we should at this time have en Administration who would themselves propose Reform ? From the earliest period that I paid any ;mention to politics, I have ever Peen of opinion that those evils with which we are now surrounded and oppressed, have ariaeri front the want of a just and fair representation of the people. The longer I live, and the more I see, the more ' confirMed I am in that opinion, and the more satisfied tint without a change in the representative system, we Gan neither have indemnity for the past, nor security for the future. We An know that great diversity of opinion exists es to the precise nature of that Reform which is supposed by various parties to be the moat likely to produce statist factory results; we have, therefore, thought it better to confine ourselves by merely stating our opinion on the principle, leaving it to the Legislature to decide on the mature of that Reform which shall appear to them most &likable. If, however, when the Ministers introduce th measure, they shall not some up to what we' think they ought, we MI then call another meeting and particularise in petition :to Parliainent the kind of Reform we want. It has been said by some, that the Ministers are going to do, of their own free will, all that is great, good, and pro. per; there is-no occasion therefore for us to interfere; let them elope, they don't want our advice. With regard to this first objection, I have only to say, that it must be, in my opinion, satisfactory to the Ministers to be ensured by the nation of their approval of the measures which they * Nem, entitled ti Liberty," by the Rev. Philip Odell, of have pledged themselves to support, and we aught there fore to come forward and encourage them in the work by an expression of such approval. I detest any thing like usurpation, and as far as regards myself and those with whom I am connected in the steps which have been taken in calling this meeting, we come here as men and English men, to state our opinions freely and fearlessly; and, Sir, I will add, we must have our: rights, or circumstances will follow which every man, who values the peace and happiness of his country, must deprecate. I beg to pro pose the second resolution, and have merely to add, that we have not introduced the subject of retrenchment and economy into it, from a conviction that a Reform in Par liament must bring these. Mr. Joares—l rise to second the resolution, and in doing this, I cannot refrain from congratulating you old re formers upon the present state of things among us. The question of Reform comes before us now under new and encouraging circumstances ; the King and the Administra tion are both favourable to it. Butswe shall yet have vast obstacles to encounter and overcome; the King himself is not omnipotent---he has often been controlled by those who have great influence in returning Members. There are besides a great many other obstacles to be subdued, when we consider the number of those whose interest it is to oppose Reform in the Commons. Look at the good old lady in Threadneedle -street, for instance. There are a great many ramifications of her family. There are many holders of Bank stock in the House. Look at the East India Company again! They are trembling alive for their privileges. They will muster all the op position they can, we may be sure. If a few handfulls of Bank Notes, or a few India Bonds would stop Reform, I'll engage to say they would not be wanting. There are various others who may probably be deprived of some advantages by the change, and who are also trembling alive. But there is one class in particular, who repre sent their own boroughs, or their family boroughs. It is much more pleasant for gentlemen to cull on some ten or twelve, than to have to call on the whole town, to solicit their suffrages. I expect many of these will not he very cordial Reformers. There are a number of Bishops en joying from two or three thousands to forty or fifty thou sands a year ; they won't be very staunch friends of He. form. Without meaning any particular reflection on any person, look at the notorious Dr. Phillpott'e, we cant ima -1 gine for a moment that he will be very zealous in our case& Such people as these will even say, 't Better to bear the present evils, than fly to others which we know not of ;" and so they will all oppose a change. With re gard to the Duke of Newcastle, and others whom I need not name, for they are well known to you all, there is no matter of dispute at all, for they have avowed themselves decidedly opposed to Reform. There are a great many great Lords that will not be disposed to lend us a hand ; and, besides the preat. Lords, there are a great many little Lords of limited incomes of not more than finer or five thousands a year. Now, suppose they should have the misfortune to have a large family of nine or ten children ; if they send them to the parish they will only get, you know, thirteenpente a week—hardly enough for shoe strings Well, then, what are they to do ? Why, they must be saddled on John Bull, of course. One will be put in the army, another in the navy, another in the church ; and if one of them happens to have a little more umptiou than the rest, they will make a lawyer of him.... (Great laughter,) Now, what have we got to oppose to all this? Why, only the honesty and the public spirit of of those who prefer the national good to their own inte rests. lam persuaded that if we could have a Reform in Parliament, the saddle would be put upon the right horse. I can see no necessity in the world for our adopting any dishonourable mode of getting rid of our debt. An enor mous debt has been contracted, very foolishly we must all admit, but yet it has been contracted, and therefore it ought by all manner of means to be paid ; all we want is that the taxes should be laid on those who produced them. Mr. Gorman--It appears to me that the first resolu tion is not full enough, not strong enough ; it does nut go far enough to satisfy me. Reform has, indeed, been men tioned, but then it is only in a general way. Now, lam one if those who like particulars ; I should like the peti petition to owe what it is the people of Portsmouth and Portia want. We all know very well what it is we want. We don't like pluralities of livings, we don't like sinecure places; hut is any thing of that sort expressed in the re solution ? True, you may take it so, because you may say that a Reform in Parliament will bring about tinge other matters, but I wish something particular. lent it an abominable thing that the Clergy should possess livings in so many different places where they cannot perform the duties. Ono of them was bragging to me the other day that he had four livings, when he ought to have but one, We ought, therefore, to go at length into the subject in our petition. I am sorry to find fault with the resolutions, but they are not strong enough. Mr. B. Eetarm—Parliamentary Reform, Sir, is a Hydra, (rem which it you lop off owe grievance, hundreds still remain. A beginning has, however, been made in the cause of Reform, and the more opposition we see offered to the measure, the more united should we be in defeating such opposition. Our grievances ore great, they are many, all feel them. Who is the man that will not sympathize with the sufferings of the labouring classes. If it should not be thought irrelevant, I think we may, with propriety, compromise other objects than mere Re form. The present Premier has already been distributing his patronage among his own relations, who are not likely to be more efficient than thou who have been turned out of office to make room fur them. Now we all know whenever any one goes out of office, the pension list is in creased with an unsparing band. Look at the immense sums of moneythat have been squandered away in secret— there are 36,000,000/. unaccounted for of the secret ser vice money.—(Cries of no, no.)—This is one of the bitter fruits of an unrestrained and licentious Administra tion. If the present Ministry follow the steps of the former, the British nation will exist in the scale of nations but a few years. The majority of the lower orders are writhing under distress; they have intellects anal physical powers as well as ourselves, and they are willing to exert hem, but they have no opportunity. This is to be at. tribute(' to the great landholders not sympathising with the middling and lower classes. I feel competent to speak on this subject, having travelled through a considerable extent of rural districts, and I found few, very few instances of peace and comfort in cottages. Who would roll in bloated luxury and pride, when honest industry is trodden under foot. There is a great deal of national grievance, and unless those at the head of affairs will put their shoulders to the wheel, the distress will be still greater. Our burdens will increase and press us down, until the countrystgill sink like a millstone in the Rea. Let us en. deavour to rescue the falling reputation of the country ; this can only be done by honest industry. Let the Pre. !tier, with the Alonarch on the Throne, down to the lowest peasant, encourage individual exertion. Our revenue and expenditure are enormous, and they can only he diminished by.our impressing on the minds of Ministers a sense of the responsibility they have incurred. It is time to he on the alert. There are great grievances in the Church, there needs great reform in that depart ment. We hear of thousands possessed by Bishops; of millions possessed by Laymen and Ecclesiastics; fifteen millions would nut cover it ! The hulk of this amount is in the bands of laymen—it is in the wrong. hands. Look at the fallacious system of allowing clergy men to be pluralists, they can't be here and them at the Name time, in Portsmouth anti Portsea ton. When Wirt, the reins are thrown on the neck of the steed, there is no stopping him, it's a war-horse. I wish to bold no into op to obloquy, but if we may state one grievance, why may we nut embody in the petition a respectful wish to urge forward the cominiasi.n appointed to exami ne , i n to Ecclesiastical abuses ? We still Nee ple e di t i„ without number.—(Question, quetstioo.) Mr. then ex pressed his determination to propose an amendment tl the effect stated by him, but upon the Chairman stat;ng• his opinion, that such antendivent would not come within the terms of the requisition, Mr. Elliott said that under situ circumstances he thought it more desirable that the object lie lord in view should be discussed at another meeting, whirls could be he'd for the puri.oae. Mr. Gonne); moved a resolution to the effect, that the unfairness of the representation is strongly exemplified in the instance of this borough, where, though the inha- Intents are from 60,000 to 60,000, the Members are re turned by the influence of the five resident Altittruten and 'even resident burgesses, without regard to the wishes of the inhabitante. This proposal led to great noise and con fusion, the feeling of the meeting being strongly against it. Mr. SNOOK then ruse and said, h e considered it his duty to second the motion. Mr. J. W. WILLIAM rose in opposition to Mr. Cod. den's motion. It might be true, that the borough returns Members as stated by Mr. Gladden, hut the prusetit meet ing bad nothing to de with that point. For himself, lie mid, it was his desire to, see the borough thrown open, but not fur party purposes, nor as a party measure. Ile wished for Reform may on getserel principles, anti deeply as his affections and feelings were interested in the pros. wiry of P or t sm outh, he did not desire to see it prosper to the prejudice of other towns. Re thought they would more effectually serve the cause of Reform, by not framing the petition upon narrow principles, as would be the case if they instanced the circumstancee of this borough alone. Re was opposed to universal suffrage, h eosn „,..h o hod i t contrary to the principle, that knowledge is the ftitindatiors of good government, and in itnoli a state of things was to be reared that the passions, instead of that reason which I results from knowledge and enlightenment, would have paramount influence. That Reform is necessary, is de clared by the bight at authorities, and he instanced pas sages to that effect from Blackstone, Locke, and Milton. He would not mince matters about corruption; he would say, that owing to that we had a debt which hung like a millstone about us, and the only remedy would be Reform. He would move as an amendment to the resolution now proposed, that which had been originally intended as the third in the series, and which concluded by expressing an opinion, that the duration of Parliament should be consi derably lessened. Mr. J. B. CARTIKR, M.P., was of opinion that the resolution of Mr. Goddeu and that of Mr. Williams should not be put, the one as an amendment to the other, but that both should stand together without clashing. It was not sought to be denied that the borough had returned Members by elute election. Such was their legal right, but the time was come when he wished to see an end put to that right. Mr. Garretn rejoiced that the present Administration were favourable to peace, and the principle of Reforni would keep them so, because they could not venture to increase the national debt. If that Ministry neglected their duty or were afraid to do it, it would be the busi ness of the people to watch them, and compel them to do it. Mr. Williams' resolution was then seconded by Mr. Low, and was about to be put, when Mr. DZWET moved as an addition, that " all elections should take place on the same day throughout the king dom, and that the suffrages should be taken by ballot." Mr. Mnrcitzx would second Mr. Dewey's motion, be cause be was convinced that voting by ballot was the best safeguard against corruption and undue influence. The resolution was then put and negatived by a great majority. Mr. WILLIAMS submitted a form of petition embodying the resolutions, and moved that it be adopted. Mr. Low seconded this motion, which was put and carried unani mously. Mr. Gmwrisr, in an eloquent 'pitch, which we regret our space will not allow us to report at length, moved that the Lord Chancellor be requested to present the petition to the House of Lords, and passed a high eulogium upon that learned nobleman, who he said had consecrated his political life a pledge to support Reform, and had been eminently useful as the schoolmaster of the people, in founding the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and the London University. Mr. Strong seconded the motion, which was put and earl led unanimously. .. Mr. CARTES. rose amidst loud and reiterated cheers.— He said he should trimlys consider it his duty to present their petition, whether he agreed with it or not; but in this case lie cordially agreed with it. For his colleague he thought it right to state that he was sure it would titan have his warmest support, and that had he not been de_ tained by his duties in looking into the Recounts relative to the expenditure of public money, he would have been pre sent. He, Mr. C., expressed his satisfaction that the Lord Chancellor was to present the petition to the House of Lords, and spoke in the highest terms of that Noble man's efforts in support of Reform, and for the good of the people in general. He bad heard it said that the arieto• cracy would not do their duty to the people, but he could assure the meeting that there were now rallying round Lord Grey numbers of noblemen who- would be foremost to promote Reform, even though they must sacrifice their own immediate interests, satisfied in the exchange if they could but secure the liberties of the people. Indeed, he would be sorry to see the idea prevail that the nobles of this country could hope to exist upon any but the firm basis of the people. _ _ It was th e n Moved by Mr. Soo and seconded by Mr. MlNcturr, that Sir W. ileathcote be requested to support the petition, which was unanimously carried. A vote of thanks to the Mayor was moved by Mr. Eworr, seconded by Mr. SNOOK, and carried unani mously with three cheers. The Maros. briefly returned thanks, and the meeting having given four times'four cheers for the King, and a hearty round for Reform, separated. POLAND. (From a Correspondent of the Times.) Immediately after the Congress of Vienna, the Emperor Alexander summoned the first Polish Diet, which was, by its constitution, to sit once in two years, but with this singular provision—that in case of urgent difficulties arising to the empire, the Em peror might postpone its meeting for two years more, the melt, laws, &e. remaining to :Wu quo. But if deferred beyond the fourth year, the people were ipso facto considered absolved from the obligation of paying any tax whatever,--a right, the principle of which, thus recognized by law, may be traced to the ancient right of authorized confederacy, so o f ten occurring in the history of those turbulent but steady republicans. Since the first session, the Diet has been assembled at the longest intervals possible, under one pretence or another : the publication of the debates, which have sometimes been very stormy, prohibited, on the plea that their publicity had been found troublesome in England, where it could not be prevented after so long u use of the liberty of the Press, and that if not nipped in the bud, a similar inconvenience might hereafter be found in Poland. Speeches or other publications have been allowed to be publi-lied, to a very limited number of copies, and it has been one of the labours of the lovers of liberty during the last few years to multiply manu script copies of such as had too small a circulation. One of the great inducements held out by the Congress of Vienna (to which England was party) to the ineorporation of Poland with Russia, was the hope that the first spoils of the infamous Catherine, the provinces of Lithuania, Podolia, and those formerly known as the Ukraine, might be reunited to the kingdom. Alexander, with his usual craft, said that he reserved to himself to choose the moment for extending the donstitutional government of the new kingdom to those countries,—a measure which he never found a moment for, and, indeed, to which he showed himself gradually less disposed towards the end of his life. Once, indeed, he went so far as io allow the Lithuanian regiments to wear a collar of the Polish colours on the Russian uniform, nod made his Aidc-dc-ramp propose in return the adop tion of the Russian collars in the Polish uniform. The Committee of Polish officers to whom it was proposed, kicked the Russian out of the room, and it was never brought on the tapie afterwards. It is a mistake to suppose the dismembered por tions of this kingdom are in the least strangers to this movement in IVarstiw, or the feelings that proltice it. The language and manners of all parts of Poland are remarkably homogeneous; the Priests are universally patriotic, rind the great famiiies of Warsaw are collected indiscriminately from all parts of the ancient kingdom, few liking to live at Berlin, Petersburgh, or Vivant*. The small republic of Cracow and its territory are the resort of many of the first families of Poland, who, nut b e i n g allowed to go from one part o f t h e country to th e other by their respective tyrants, buy sufficient land to make them citizens of Cracow, where they have freedrm of person and speech, bich wows in no other portion of Poland. The espionnage of Warsaw in particular, under Colonel who pretends to be of an English family, is qu4e disgusting. The Russian Government endea vour, by means of ribands, and titles, and sinecures, and the degrading system of classes, or more pro perly castes, of society, to hook on all the principal families to the car of despotism; but they do not' succeed. Every one who can, lives on his estate, lovely and mei :nchnly as they are in the present state of things, where a count") , party cannot as semble at Christmas, or a wedding take owe,. with out giving notice to the Grind D u k e . It came to my knowledge that Prince S----,who usually lives on his prop er ty i n V u lhy n i a , was k ept halfa year waiting for passports from St. Peters burgh, before he could cross the frontier to visit his estates in Gellieia. When passports are given to r o l e s of the Russian d om i n i on to go t h roug h t h e Austrian territory, it i s not uncommon to i nsert a clause specially prohibiting a visit to Cracow, which i s a place alwsys suspected, and m os t h onoura bl y suspected, of b eing the safe deposit of patriotism and of liberal ideas. Yet they do go there : many a traveller has left his carriage at the s a lt- m i nes o f ‘ViehFzka, and under pretence of passing a day in hiss made his way on f oot to t h e ttiltrcir inspect ion, entcapi capital to visit the tombs of the Kings in the Cathedra(, once presided over by the dauntless Archbishop Soltyk (whom Catherine sent to Si beria),to contemplate the narrow vault that contains the remains of three of their greatest heroes—So bieski, Kosciuszko, and Poniatowski, and make a pilgrimage to the tumulus or barrow of Kosciuszko, which is so appropriately placed on Bronni-slawa (the Hill of Glory). Lest it should be supposed that Russia has any hold on the affections of the sui-disant kingdom, properly so called, it should be remembered that half of it was never her's till the Congress delivered . t over to her; half its inhabitants, vexed by Aus sign and Prussian Governors, were quite new to he yoke of Rnssia in 1815; and that the mostdis- tiniuished officers of the army—Chlopieki, Con stantine Czartoryski, Kniazewicz, and Morawski— were educated in the school of Napoleon. Yet, with a natural predilection for his memory, and a friendly feeling towards France in general, they are not blind to the defects of Napoleon in respect of all but military matters. Before his downfall, they had discovered that he was never likely to do them much good, and had determined on using his power to do good to themselves if possible, but in a more liberal and patriotic manner than would have suited that maker of Grand Duchies petty kingdoms. The Poles wish neither for the Constitution of France, nor England, nor America, nor the Nether hinds, nor of any country but their own, as esta blished on the 3d of May, 1791, for which, and the history of their last struggles, 1 must refer to the Hisloire des Demembremens, par Fernand, and the Illemoires de Michael Ogiaski. (From the Lichfield Mercury.) As the eyes of Europe will again be directed to this once powerful and interesting nation, whose misfortunes have almost buried it in oblivion (the common' fate of fallen nations) for the last thirty years—a brief review of the most striking features in Polish history utay be interesting to our readers, The early history of the Poles is unknown, partly because they had not among them those poets whose songs, however fabulous, are the ground work of the early history of most nations—and partly because exemption from the Roman sword excluded them from the province of Roman his torians. About the end of the sixth century, we find an established form of government among them in the shape of twelve Palatines or Vaivodes, and a King or Duke elected by tl►e people, from which electoral form of Government may be t►aced the long line of disasters which were to be consummated by religi• ous fury. Towards the end of the tenth century, Christianity was introduced into Poland under the reign of Mieczlaus I.—the intermediate period having been spent, according to the custom of those times, ►n foreign or civil war, the few intervals of peace being moments of exhaustion rather than of repose. In 999, Bolestaus 1., the first Sovereign of Po land who assumed the title of King, ascended the throne. He successively conquered Bohemia, Mo ravia, Russia, Saxony, Prussia, and Pomerania. In his battles he twice led his armies, swimming over mighty rivers, to victory (one of them the Borys thenes or Dnieper of Bonapartean celebrity.)— He was a merciful victor, a prudent Prince, and was beloved by his people, yet is his name scarcely known among the recorded list of heroes ! During the greater part of the ensuing century, Poland was occupied in subduing revolted states; nor is her history unstained, during that period, by civil wars, one of the most dreadful of which arose from the following singular cause. Buleslaus 11., great-grandson to the hero already mentioned, quar tered a conquering army in Kiovia, " the richest as well as the most dissolute city in the north." Here the debaucheries of Cannte were more than re-acted, and were followed by yet more fatal consequences. All the soldiers, with their King, attached them selves to Kiovien women ; and, this fact being made known to their wives in Poland, the latter, in revenge, conferred marital privileges on their slaves. On the return of the dishonoured soldiers a civil war, too dreadful for narration, ensued. Suffice it, that the women fought . side by side with their newly-elected 'consorts, against their own husbands. This calamity was quickly followed by one of an opposite nature, but of equal severity. Religious schisms led to the massacre of a Bishop of Cracow. This offence against the Church roused the venge ance of Gregory VII., the most ambitious and op pressive Pope that ever filled the Papal Chair. He anathematised Boleslaus, released los subjects from their allegiance, and placed the whole kingdom under ban. Unutterable confusion followed, and the King, long the victim of persecution, is reported to have ended his days in the menial character of cook in a monastery. The Papal resentment being at length allayed, Uladislaus, the brother of the late Monarch, became Soveregn under the more ancient and humble title of Duke. His reign was a continued scene of fo reign and civil disturbance, as was the succeeding one of his son Boleslatis 111. Thu latter Prince, having conquered the Emperor Henry IV., fell a victim to his own carelessness, was defeated by the Russians who had revolted, and died from grief. Events of similar character, and occurring, for the most part, in the same countries, maik the history of Poland down to the 16th century. The most stroking incidents are, an unsuccessful invasion of Poland by the Emperor Barbarossa, a successful one by the Tartars, who were ultimately conquers d, the wars with the Teutonic Knights in which the latter were almost universally worsted; and the introduc tion by Casimir 111., surnamed the Great, of a writ ten code of laws. In 1507 Sigismund I. ascended the Polish throne, and under his reign Poland attained the acme of her glory. Ile first quelled the rebellion at home, and then so extended conquest abroad as to rouse the jealousy of Austria. This jealousy excited a si multaneous attack on Poland, by the Russians, Moldavians, and Tartars. But Sigismund overcame every danger, and in a single instance (namely), the capture of Strurehud by his General Count Tato, made 60,000 prisoners, and also secured an immense booty. Poland, Lithuania, the Duchies of Smo lensko and Saveria, besides dominions beyond the Euzine and the Baltic, confessed his authority; while Bohemia, Hungary, and Silesia, submitted to the rule of his nephew Lewis. Such, 300 years ago, was now despised mitt enthrall e d pok e d! But the curse of Poland, its elective sovereignty, was shortly to shake its prosperity to the founda tions, ns it had frequently done before. On the death of Sigismund 11. five European Courts in trigued for the election of a member from their re spective houses. Consequent intrigue, cabal, and violence', coded in the choice of the Duke of Anjou. This Prince soon deserted his post fur the throne of France, vacant by the death of Chutes IX. The disgraceful scenes were repeated, and Stephen Batori was eventually chosen. Under his reign t)antzic revolted and was subdued; and an attack by Russia and Sweden was riot only repelled, but the Czar lost Livonia as well as 400,000 soldiers. De Vasa and three other Kings succeeded each other rapidly through similar torrents of civil com motion, till they were at once arrested by the over whelming power of Charles X. of Sweden, who sub ' deed the whole country. In 1657 the Swedish yoke was thrown off—and in 1671 the character of Poland was redeemed by John Sobieski, who Jeft of 300,000 invading Turk% only 15,000 to escape. This celebrated General succeeded to the throne; and as under his gotten:- merit Poland recovered her splendour, so at his death it sunk for ever. Ills reign was like the hal liant ray of the setting sun, which is the forerunner and contrast of night. Civil commotions were re newed and were again checked by the armies of Sweden, under the irresistible Charles XII., who made Poland his prey; nor did he release it before his celebrated defeat, by the Russians, at Pultowa. In 1764, Count Poniatowski—who, under the regal name of Stenislaus, commanded the venera tion of so many yet living among us--was elected King of Poland. Such a man, had Poles remained what they had been, was fit, not merely to preserve but to create, an empire. But Poles, the nobles at nutui least, were worse than degenerate. Brave they were, it is true—but they were avaricious mid die honest—and, above all, they were bigetted fanatics. Civil discord (the effect of election of their Monarch, as we have before observed) had raged among thfm for centuries, yet they had ever recovered, INK did not always maintain a proud national stannic It remained for religious fury to shake them, as II nation, to their foundations—and for treachery to seize the opportunity of overthrowing them totay , In the interval between the election of Poniatowsk i and the death of his predecessor, the Diet of Poland issued an intolersit edict against Protestants; is pretended consequence of which the Russians mad* a military demonstration close to Warsaw. Another Diet met, and, by its continued restraints on the erotestants, afforded more pretext for Russian intar• erence on behalf of the Protestant cause. Extensive confederacies were now formed by the Protestants; and shortly afterwards by the Re• monists. And here we cannot help complainiaj our own part, however unworthy) of those hititr rians, whom we have been able to consult, within forty-eight hours, that they have used, mart" after paragraph, the one word " confederacy on both sides, without any distinstion. The who* history of Poland has required less of our attend. ; than the confused use of this one term. Biota oland. P lh e P r r e o s Protestants -so e s s t_a s n o t s d i f d o r t h m e e d ß c o o m n s fe n d c e ri a t t c h i c o s t etos.supeir _ vo : federacy was opposed to confederacy; and Ire nation was utterly divided. The confusion, I . # confederacies (worse than confusion) which 100 lowed, would hafge the industry of any 1110 4 0 historian, and the patience of every casual restill' i ,. o Of the inveterate nature of these confedersinl the most hellish proof was given in a well orten l , o " attempt, on the part of one of them, ll'" Illiww- sph, the noble Poniatowski, who was their Va details have been often before the publiisilnt "rm. os ti long for present it sertion, and too 'swilling so ' lll „ curtailed.* The King aped by t he is ef extraordinary courage end presence of minds *nd turned to Warsaw amidst the joyful *its of Mild. , jects, " the King is alive l" But in the mean time, Catherine of Itussis Frederick of Prussia seeing, in the disergs o i se d stele of Poland, an opportunity of dismembering bar, ell* tered into a treaty to do so, and to allot to thei it r 11 1 " spective gluttony th e dissevered members. Yit Wilk this very time Russia was in avowed peals Poland, and Prussia in a bounden defensive wet with her; and the King of Prussia proposed the scheme. Evel effort was made to bring Poniatowsitl•- (that is) Stanislaw', the late King of Poland (with whom some of our readers have been contenrif i l ) —to subscribe to this shameless distribution. Ne would not. But, he remodelled, with wisdom, Polish Constitution ? . and forgotten, as may bet d i e t glorious Patriot, lota i ns ignificant as m a y appea _, native country—this last effort d o ne of the b eil f. Kings of one of the p r oudest nations on earths"' made within life's span from the you n g est ot 1"" and yet it is forgotten!! I 1 1 : But Polish exertion ends n ot here---101104,, Pole, " Kosciusko," drove, with some mire"; 1.5,000 disciplined Russian soldiers out of —or perhaps we should be more correct in wit 3 t i h h ,o B o t O u Os thousand the r P i o s o f o l me ntary triumph was complete by the villn il si s t i n s he h erisr po s p n d u l enemies a 6 ti o on did so—and their' lor lasted for forty hour.. Bu w t pe n ier e ec it e b ss e la r oif Ko c si iitall i ti A lsi i nor Polish valour could withstand Rauh° n um rof Kosciusko died in a dungeon—snd the Wit!, Prague robbed Poland of her name as a nation; Tl:e wretched but still noble Ponistostelcittn; King, was made prisoner and has never sinet,bll heard of. The hypocrisy of Russia, and the troche Prussia, were now apparently successful... 4. ro Austria claimed her share of the game; thole ' I Ls had no share in the chime of it. Thp result Os division of noble Poland to the following 'bog " • 4 Prussia. Anita. ignoblelltita Square utiles... 1760 0 Inhabits :sue will 5,764,006 2,596,000 3,600 r: give an abridgement of them t old The frontispie c e to Hoop's Cotnie Alin I. , ~..mi., is " A Day at the Devil's Dyke ;" in which On, the 1111 1 1,7 • . 11. . foot, in the shape of a mawkin, is leaning 0 ru n, that it is easy to perceive honest persertrisee. only make matters worse. .. +, 11°11 A few days afte r the return o f S i r F R .- 0 1} he reach' uar arr fur the county of Middlesex,!, B :_. from an attorney far services rendered dahnj th i ~. t which contained one very extraordinary WO • T he ' - , t' Ms OO P t''' of law had not been employed lay the hi e isi t i , net's Committee, but had volunteered his s ervieelti , '. among the various charges of which his • bill Wes; i': posed there was so much for 'oieg from rthlwr:ber Acton, from Acton to Brentford, and to and frellt::,o places, to bring up voters, concluding 0 y earPl iettst* ite an extraordinary quantity of mental anxiety on i sm. i ! of a A le s t: 3 e lt r count during ten days, 5001. 1" It il't Per"Pci % t ut 1 m fro n m L A O Gi m E ag g h? n g ee l : to add that the Banmet himself Wed the bill, la the "mental anxiety" was stock out of till law4° _ ~.,4 1 t 1117E.:..,:t1tT41:;"-04,Erioirrotutor : of people, to the number of 2,000 or upwards, Slop 4. A day or two ago nea r Mr. Vasty., at n ell /00 on i. within three miles of Omagh . They Plattt id Stit _ ° i . 01 0 . ;" o t p h irie e r sid o e r g o r f ou th n e d f i r ti o l t l n ( w o h ne ie r soanngiet,pothoer rot;..irestoreszr.initsown 1, shout two years ago. Two or three at iv. , isni k tog magistrates saw w hat ' was go ing on; . 01 1 1 0 0 ll ' M t 14 Mr. J. BUCHANAN, agent to Mr• Vseart to 4 4 4 1/ile t i' - dtrteheernecetliaPeslriitniklsreoytwbstesahmnarttedede tuhr;clytdh,l"ueg:t°iftotheinadnlin,hdaravioilid“iser,liii:sietisrerla:l;ll4llll7lllgl4/1%:$11'11111' till-i notices were headed, " Fire, Fire, firei 1 ,.. 11, 0 114. 1: having posted several notices to the OW It bf were t t a i P , ta i i n reported 1 B F a n ia . a g t r h h A t e °r ;l l m wii :h a t:re i t they R oc k . i,lO c p o i ad sre . ler 5 157 st h ' lo e iii44191101e..5‘761e r: more Dublin Morning Regular..l -----:---r- ,- : '" • Dintil& T kh l k ief "c On the 22d Inst. the la d y of J. ottitose . Tilston-lodge, Cheshire, of a "" and heir. t. . 111... l ' On the 22d just. in Upper Berkeley-stree r.. ~, j eu gh l6 ll°' square, the !A rt y of R. Ronald, Et(let °altbsoi l a ' q On the 92d inst. at Higham.lodge, Wstertr: Gillespie, of a son. MARRIED. ~.„ifr, On the 18th init. at St. Th.tolph's , Dis ho P .l dap; 14 'i if [T. S evens, of Ohl-street, to R achel, socood Y the lot:, W. Oaks, Esq., of Botinthalitch. ant-liate b• if.. On the 22i1 inst. at All Soul s Langlis.ag , o d a , Walker, E.g., of Edinburgh, o Elisabeth , ee4° ter of S. W. Reynold., E.q., of Bmswi ter.... ~,•1 0 10, On the 2 3 d inat. at Si. Pancras,• Mr. T. E. 11 ‘0 , -10 6 of Staple - inn. to Elizabeth, e ldest daughter 0 I It. , E.g., of flampstead-road. IMED. Oll i ,.,4 4 On thei22d inst. in L oudon, Priscilla: r e '!'i ti ibe, Chattel Banbury, Esti•, of Mistral FAIP / ' year of her age. On the 9th inst. at IttAiNlf4 Valle, St. 0•11 01114 : 00 General Viiremte Ohert. On the 21st inst. at Bath, Amelia Cbs-'" 1 " 4 - -elt. tr, : daughter of the late T. Bird, Esq. f 000,,f P On the 21st inst. at Dev ises, Wilts, 's- A I daughter of the late Mr. H 10 " , .. Rutt, of renaboLw:'_ll, O Mrs On the 21st inst. . Vi v i an , wife of Or . , Vivian, of Chelsea. e at re On tl,e 20th must , in Upp er Charlotte-atr- itt square, Miss C. Bean raft. wine • ibete On the 20th inst. at Wedborphill, wo. ll ;ror,, , Li' ha 32d year, Elisabe th Harriatt , the tyir e e , sa • a* 0 1-. White, and only t au Elisabethe th 4hter of R. Williams .1 t , P -4 ' - ' 1 ,( l i, ton-hill, Surrey. a At On the frith last. at Glasgow, J. COP - g $ Newton-ludo. tier °ft- ti BIHNITti, Of Queen.square, BimMiblayt 1 4 4 1 0 '. ye 1 On the 19th inst. Annette, eldest . J 41111.- 1 PRINTED AV) PUISLISHXD 311 r MURDO. THU SUP 0171CX, 1 Ul f filscaxt, bw - I