Virginia Argus — Richmond, Va., 1810-06-08 00:00:00, page 2

iftftumia ^Irgna.
HIGH M O N D,
FRIDAY. Iumk 8, 1810. >
The Baltimore Federal Republican,
•onducted by Wagru. r& Co. is sorely
t'oubled th*t the Virginia Argun ha*
criticised the behavior of Mr. Pink
ney in his ministerial capacity. The
Ai £U6 will do its duty on ali occasi
ons ; a*- well against n»en “ of great per
sonal firm ness,” as against those ol no
firmness ; and without ever once t.top.
ping to ask whether a man b.; slow or
quick to anger, ft is not difficult to
perceive tiiai the prraj r.-.phs in ih; Ft.
derul Republican of the 2d inst. in re
lation to Mr. Pinknev are the produc
tion of some ill judging friend of that
gentleman. It is not true that Mr.
Pinkney was charged in this paper, ei
ther roundly'' or squarely, *k with
bring bribed by the Englihh minis.
U i." But we did charge him with
forgetfulness of his ntutiou as the mi
rioter of a republic, in suiTeting a
member of his family to appear at the 1
queen’s drawing room in frippery and '
diamonds. We say it was unheconi- I
ing 8b him to do sn. . We cautioned
him to forbear such exhibitions, so j
contt ary to the genius of our govern- ]
nient^#0 di. met; icaliy opposite to h.s 1
< riginal and humble fortunes. We
saitt it would lead to suspicions, inju
nous to- his fame, as to the source
« whence h e was enabled to-draw funds
to defray the expence of such a spleu
V did costume. We have also said, and
we say it again, that he sacrificed hi*
ministerial dignity and \n paired the
respectability of his government and
country, 1 y descending to the dema*
g<- gue ti Vk oT haranguing a company
o Englishmen at a sheep*shearing fro
lic. We have declared likewise.
Mr. Pinkney’s letter to. Lord Welles
ley was not such at it might to have
been ; tha-. it was whining, solicitous,
and every thing ch« but the proper
diplomatic r.ou of a real Amercan
minister. kins he not, too, either
been the dupe of Wellesley, or know
ingly deceived his own government,
by comnounictiirg points as settled^
wNieh, in the sequel, it appeared had
net been settled ? Does Mr. Wagner
want any more ? Does the friend ol
Mr. Pinkney want any more of our
oj mio; s of that tuvo* ? Ah to his
rerd’.r.* ss to gt t in a yussion} he has
ciripinly given no proof of it towards
th* E glish ministry; h« has been
cool enough tht te, even under circum
stances the most disrespect!ul to him
self. We do not say he should have
shewn “ire,” but we do sav (hat he
should have shewn more u personal
* firmness” ou certain occasions.
but why are our s'ricturea ascri
bed to the Secretary of State i Sure
' ly the Secretary has enough to bear
ni'hout being burihened v i ti the o„
dium (if then- be ary”! of our obser
rations. If an embargo is 1 id, it is
tli;- Smith influence : il Jackson is dis
missed, it is the Smith influence; (and
these are charges which ih S. ern-ry
n.ay bear with honor:] if the Unued
States cannot &ubdu<- bo;h England
and l7rur.ee, i is the So ith influ* ncr :
and, t< rsooth, if the Virginia Argus
criticises the conduit ol Mr Piukney
?s minister, it iithe Secretary cfSute
. t . i _ • . a .
u,..i unci u, -.mu wc arr xnreutenea
with thr “ire” of Mr. Pinkney, aud
r< g .h U with an essay a'>«<ut his “ per
icftal firmness.” Di es V\ ago. r think
to jnt,midate people w ith i> i» nor 01
menace ? Or tan any friend of Mr.
Pir.knty’sbc so weak as to im <gine
tl a. he can prevent s< rutiny by pass*
ing r>ur envty in London for a bully ?
Courage is so comm< n a quality in the
lT. Suits, that vr? take it f r granted
that tvtry man posse ts« s it un.ii he is
proved a costard.
Wugnsr often talks of things that
tran’p.re in the Dep. urn cm of S’ate :
Prsy, how does he come t" the infor
madotv ? Do any of hrs c cronies in
tbai office hold & secret correspondence
>r.ih him ? Wr do uot ask wbeth r
anyone in the for ign depart ment sub
scribe* Jcr his paper, because wc
should suppose it utterly impossible
that any gf nth man in that office could
reconcile it*ogentlemanly feelings, to
ljike a new' paper which is in the hahi
Inal practice cf propagation lies On
the ad nr, Inis ration in get rtf.!, ?nd -he
f^cretfity of State In particular. 1 bcie
t.hings#b-*V¥V, r', <1. not personally con
e*’fn -uCHelves ; and wr should not
ve meddled with them if Wagner’s
«-tinerce and f. lseh' od had no
• on pi\ed us to speak cn the subject.
As to ny tilly not on rh^t the S;:crr„
t?ry of «.< «te or run* other Secretary,
v "** 1 °n,('Jrtv»r the columns of the
A rS”V*'’,*?,,,«k9tirdity cerfectly con
g< Dial th the spirit in which the Fe
deral Hepublicat has been always cod
ducted r. spirit which adheres to
ev* ry thing’, and perverts in every
thii g but the truth*.4
It is doubtful ivhethcrthe President
will repair to Montpelier at all this I
season : it is certain, w* under* and, j
that he will sot go before the fourth
of July. Mr. Madison, notwithstand
ing the incessant duties which must
have occupied him during the ptiBt
winter, seems still determined to pre
fer the public welfare to his private
•onvenience. No certain acco iuts of
the arrival of the John Adams have
vet reached Washington City.
~F O H E I G N*
LONDON, April IT- *">
The Westminster meeting—-—The
meeting of to-day has been looked to,
from the events that have previously
occurred, with more anxiety than any
other that has, perhaps, ever taken
place in this city. The troops that
have be n brought from distant parts,
have been kept in and about the me
tropolis, under the idea that the meet
ing may be followed by a tumult. The
precaution is proper, though we are
persuaded there will be no tumult.
Early this morning, large posting
bills, to the following effect, wer.* pla
carded about the metropolis:
Westminster meeting—-44 The elec
tors of Westminster are requested to
guard against any at empt tout may be
made to produce tumult or disorder
of any kind, and to be particularly .
careful to promote a peaceable and
qui«t dispositon.”
It was intended to bold the meet
ing in Westininster-hall; but as the
concourse w mid be so grrat, it was
deemed more advisable to have it in
the open air, opposite Westminster
hall gate. Preparations were accord
ingly made, and hustings raised for
the speaker.
HPL _-__c » r _ ■*
I A u 1IIWI *111^; VT A9 I >1 UIIC \j
! clok—At 12o’c^.»rk„ Ke concourse of
| people began to be very greet; Before
1 »ud all palace-j^Hrd was chocked full.
—DroVes of pei»> n» were still croud
ing down Parliament-street. It is said
Mr Whitbread and lord Folkstone are
| at a house near the place of meetm •.
About one o’clock the High B i liff
opened the meeting in the u*ual form.
Mr. Sturch commenced the buai
ness by a long speech, in the course of
which he reminded the electors of
Westminster that they had been de..
I prived ol their representative, who
j had been carried by an army to prison,,
j that that rep esenutive was one of the
' thost able and constittfiomd they could
! possess. He had been thus treated ,
j without having committed any crime, 1
! and even without having betn brought
1 to trial. All that he had done was, to
endeavour to defend the rights of the
people against the exercise of an as
sumed power. For this he had been
imprisoned, and the means taken to
accomplish that purpose were equally
1 unconstitutional and illegal, but he
'could assure them, that surh was the
firmness of mind which their r. piesen
; tative possessed, that he w s able to
1 bear up agai. st every persecution.
i When, however, he » as a» ai ed, it
was their duty to express their grati
tude. affect iou, and, attach meat to him.
In the mean tiine^ w hile he arm of
power was thus raised, ii requested
tne citizens ol Westmins'er to pre.
ih 1 r i^mh -r fn erf 111 •l.n* ,
moderation and propriety which be
came them «s go .d su jects. He ask
ed lor nothing liti; what was legal and
Con»tituti< i, and sho tld endeavour
to prooie .t by such mrans. Mr.
Stuiclt couilud d by reading tae rcso
lutitm-*
HOUSE OF COMMONS—
7,
WES'1. MH.oViiK PETITION.
Lord Co^hrinv brought up .he peti
tion of tin eke tors oi Westminster, o»»
that day assembled in palate-yard. and
moved that it should lie on th • able. I
—The following is a copy ot tne peti
tion.
To the hororable the common* of th*
United Kingdom of G'e.tt Briton
1 and Ireland, in parliament assem
bled,
The petition and remonstrance of the
inhabitant house holders of the city
and liberties of Westminster, as,
sembkd in new palace-yard, the 17th
day ofAprd, laiO, by the appoint
ment of Arthur Morris, esq* the
high bailiff, in pursuance of a requi
sition for that purpose.
We the inhabitant house holders, e
lectors of the city and liberties of
Westminster, feel, most sensibly, the
indignity offered to this city in the per
son of our beloved representative,
whose letter to us has fallen under the
censure of sour honorable house ; but
which, no far from deserving that cen
sor., ought in our opinion, to have led
your honorable house to reconsider
the subject which he had so ably, le«
gaily, and constitutionally discussed*
We are convinced that no one ought
to be prosecutor and juror, judge, or
executioner in his own cause.; much
less to assume, accumulate, and exer
cise all those offices in his own per
son. .
We are also convinced that the re
fusal of your honorable house to in
quire into the conduct of lord Castle
reagb and Mr Perceval, then two of
his majesty’s ministers, when distinct
ly charged with the sale of a seat in
your honorable house, evidence of
which was offered at rite bar by a
member of your honorable house;
a d the avowal in your honorable
house, 44 {hat such practices was as
notorious as sun at noon-dav,** prac
tices, at the bare mention of which,
the speaker declared, that our auces.
to » would have startled with indigna
tion ; and the committal of sir F. Bur
dett to prison, enforced by military
pow r; are circumstances which ren
der evident the imperious necessity of
an immediate reform in the represen
tation of the people.
We therefore most earnestly call
upon your honorable house to restore
10 us our representative ) and, accord
ing to the uotice he has given, to take
the s'ate cf the represents ion of the
people intoyour serious consideration ;
a reform in which, is, in our opinion,
the only means of preserving the peo
ple from military despotism.
The hen. Mr. Ward could not con
sent to the reception of what he con
sidered a gross and glaring violation
of the dignity of that house—(Hear,
Hear!) He chiefly objected to the
wording of the petition, and thought
the introduction of the term 44 remon
strance” particularly indecorous. He
trusted that the petition would hernia*
nimously rejected by the house.
Mr. Hall was totally inaudible in
the gallery.
Mr. Curwen also objected to the I
languagt of the petition, but thought!
it ought not on that account to be re
jected a’.toge her. Perhaps the best
wav vi ould be to have it for the preseut
withdrawn, in order that after it had
been subjected to the revision of the
petitioner , it might he again present
ed in less objectionable terms.
Mr. Lushington thought, that,
though the house ought to receive a
petition, still they were not bound to
submit to insult.
Mr, Whitbread was exceedingly
sorry that any objection whatever had
been raised to the reception of the
petition. He wished to have heard the
opinion*of the chancellor ol the exche
quer on the subject before he gave
his own; but still he had no hesitat on
in saying, that thougn h« objected to
fhanv of the phrases in which the pe
i tition was couched, vet if the haute on
that account rejected it, they would be
ltd into a most violent act. The pe
tition proceeded f rom a meeting high
ly respectable, convened according to
law, and conducted in the most order
ly manner. The grounds therefore 6f
its rejection should not be slight. An
objection bad been made to the intro
duction of the word remonstrance, but
the word itself conveyed no indignity j
it was used in every petition to the
crown, and such petition was never |
objected to on that aci ount. l'hee-l
lectors of Westminster were indignant (
at the arrest and impri .. orient of ot.t
oi their representative a tor what ikey
considered an 44 able, legal, and consti
tutioaal argument;” so far as it was
with them a matter of opinion, and
they had a right to exp'iss their opi
nion. As to the o»htr point of their
complaint—ibe acq >u.d ot Mr. Per
ceval and lord Casdercugh, that als*.,
i appeared on the minutes of that
house, they had a right to comment
o ; and still unore had they a right to
express their concurrence in the opi
nions so ably expr ssed by the speak,
er, to tin great inmuc ion of the house,
tu J delight of the country, and which
they might have se ft laithfully report
rd m the very phrases in which they
were uttered. V\ i;h respect to the
mode of ex< cuting the speaker’s war
rant, after all that had passed, he did
not wonder that doubts existed on the
subject. Wa* it surprising, after the
v ry ambigu »us opinion of the attorney
general f Was it surprising that wish
ing a< they, did for relormat on, they
should be indignant at the imprison
ment, and pray lor the release of the
great champion of that reformation ?
Was it surpi thing that they should be
incensed at the conduct of govern
ment in not calling our the civil pow
er until they had the military to march
by their side? (Hear, hear!) Was it
surprising that they should say seats
in that house were bought and sold
like cattle in a fair, when the asserti
on had been made even in that houst
and not denied ? The house, indeed,
admitred the fact, but disdaine 1 th ,
imputation; they loved the treason,
ai. I
o< I
the petition then could not be objected
o, and surely it ought not to be re-1
jectcd on account merely of the terms
in which it was conveyed. That might,
hereafter, be the cause for not acced
ing to the prayer of the petition, but
it could be no ground tor refusing it
leave to lie on the table* The speak
er hud on a former occasion, magni
ficently said, that the doors df the
house ought to be thrown open to the
petitions of the people? but if this peti
tion was now refused, that hou-e might
be said to be shut against them; it
would be indeed, an act most viol*e«lr
against the people* In one point of
the present petition he particularly
concurred, the prayer for a reform ; it
was indeed become highly essential;
the -country desired it, and the house
needed it.
The chancellor of the exchequer
thought here was much of the lan
guage 'in the petition which ought to
have been omitted, and which.was
certainly calculated to produce very
strong emotions in the breasts of those
to whom it was addressed. There J
were some cases, however, in prhich
the forbearance of the house might be
most prudently exercised, and in his
opinion this was one of them -—(Hear,
hear !•) Su; h was also the case of Mr,'
Hbme Tooke, which had been refer
red to. There was no doubt there
were many expressions in the present
petition, which the house might notice,
if they were captiously inclined ; he
thought, however, it would be the
w isest plan 10 pass them over. There
was no doubt their constituents had a
right (and had exercised that r;ght)to
ask a review of a measure which had
passed wuh a view to a reform. l*hey
were now then only actiQg on a former
precedent. He hoped gentlemen
would give him credit now for speak
ing his real sentiments, when he said
that he thought the petition ought to
beTeceived.—-(Hear, hear!) The ex.
pression to which he had most objec
tion was that in which they reprobat
ed the decision of the house ; but
still he did not think even that would
warrant the tot^l rejection of the peti
tion. He would, however, act very
differently if ho supposed the petition
did not contain their real sentiments,
but was merely intended as a vehicle
of abuse.
Mr Ponsonby did not think the pe„
tition contained matter which called
for its rejection. The constituent of
ten petitioned even against an act of
parliament/ and why should he be
now condemned for petitioning a
gainst a decision of a separate branch
of the legislature i The language of
the petition was, no doubt, in some
degree reprehensible j but still that
was, in his opinion, not sufficient cause
for its rejection.
Mr Canning, though his opinion
was opposite to that of the hon. gen
tleman who opened the debate, yet
give him credit for the spirit and
propriety with which he brought it
Forward. Whatever form the ques
tion might hereafter take, good must
have been done by the discussion. On
lookiogover the pc titi n, it was obvi
ous that one of its objects was to pro
voke something ol'.hat kind of remat k
which had been made, and that the
drawers ep of the paper were trying
»»ich lu^cuuuy iiuw uu5c nicy nriignt
run to the actual insult. Hut if this
petition were thrown out, the conse
quencc would be, that another would
he presented, containing insult equally
strong, but more dexterously conceal
ed. Then the house migu be brought
in*o the dilemma of having received
one and rejected another, while bo»h
contained the same matter. The w *rd
44 remonstrance,” of which so much
has been said, appeared to him not
worth consideration : the only phrase
which really seemedobnoxioiw was,
that in which it was said that the house
offered an indignity to any class o£ the
people* This was not true, and there
fore not fit to be introduced iuto h pe
tition ; notwithstanding which, he
thought, from reasons already given,
it might be permitted to lie on the ta
ble.
Mr. W Smith *rs induced to rise by
the last words of the hon. mn » ber who had
just tat down* 1 he indignity was not
spoken of in the petition as arising on
sny a£f of the house. It might be con.
stirred into ibe mode of arrest, executed
by ihe serjeant ai arms, on bir Francis
Btrdett. He (Mr Smith) gave the lion,
gen leman (Mr Ward,) who opened the
debate, sufficient credit tor his ftirantss ;
but the highest c edit for wisdom and
inodera ion was to he given to the twe
non. memoen (Messrs. Ponsonby and
Whitbread,) who suppporied the light ot I
he petition to be received, in the eon.!
Iu6\ of the hruse there was much room !
or pranie on »he pieseut occasion. They
tad ahewr-d themselves not afiaid of be*
thought COWH ds J they had r.Ow act {
?d in a runner, which it was to be re.
{retted they had not adopted in certain '
at* mataneca. It was by he exeicue cf j
nodeiauon a Vi kum.;sa thai they wore,
I© rent-w tha opnctxina tvbich c»tht *o
subsist between the bouse nod I he people.
A lew b£Is of :bis kind would go farther
tlidn any exetcisc of doubtful autharu
iy* .
Mr. Whitb»cad said, that be did not
conceive the word 44 midqjtmy,'' to have
been applied to (he pteecrdings o( iho
hou>e ; yet he wished it to be unders o d,
that even if it had been so applied, it ootid
not, in bis mtod, have sffeCled the righ'.
of the petition to lie on the table.
The question and its rec-p iqn was then
put and carried without a division.
The pai’tion wsa received, and ordered
to lie on the table. \
The Speaker read a notice of legs! pro. •
deeding against hnn in the . name of Sir
Fianos BordetU This paper differed
from that which had been before read
from the chair, only in (as far as we
could -ascertain) the name of the parish
in which Sir Francis's hoase stands.
The chancellor of the exchequer wish
ed members to cons der, previously to th©
discussion connefted with the notice just
read, whether a violation of their privile
ges was n.t involved in those proceedings f
l‘he aA of the speaker was the afil of the
bouse ; and jhe question might come,
whether the tnleilerence of any external
authority wkh an atl done in tbc bouse,
was not an infraaion of the bill of rights.
Mr. Whitbread thought.the chancellor '
of the exchequer's view of tha bill; Of
rsghtc at erroneous at Mr Yorke's. Tjie,
Rrr**t was an a£f done wiihootthe house,
and it wa. of course like any ether a£\ of
any other body of men.
April 15.
SIR FRANCIS BURDETT. „„
The Speaket acquainted the house that
he bad received a letter signed Francis
But dett, on winch he wished to know llts
pleasure of the House. On aery of read &
read i he read as follows >—
“ To the right hon. Charles Abbott, spea*
ker of the House of Commons.
** Sta—You have on or about the 9 h
day of April, ins;, as speaker of the hotis©
ot commons, forcibly broke and omeritf
the dwell ng house of me, the undersign,
ed Kianos Buidett, situate in Piccadilly,
in the parish of St. James. Westminster,
in the county of Middlesex i and having
also, on the said t h day of April, caused
me to be apprehended, und unlawfully
cnmm’l'ed to a certain prison called his
majesty’s Tower of London, and to be
thrre imprisoned and as yet kept and d«.
tamed iu prison there, without any tea.
•onable or probable cause whatever. I do
the elote according to the form of the
sialU'S in such case made and provided,
hereby give you noiice, that l shall, at or
soon a! «r the expiration of one calender
month from the time of your being served
*ilh this no.ice cause a bill to bs furd
against you in his majesty’s court of king’s
bench at VVestruin* er, and a wjit of sum.
moos to he thereupon sued out of hit
majesty’s said court of k ng’s b neb at
Westminster ugau at you at my suit^ for
thvac said trespass and false imprison*
ment. and shtll proceedagainst y^u there*
upon acco.dtng to law.
I am, kc.
*• FRANCIS BURDETTV’ *
“ Dated the Uth day of Apn), iSlO.”
The Speaker said it was »\ ib<r opdont
i f the hou-e whe her the letter should
be en'ered on Ike journals.
The Chancellor ol tha Exchequer said
som thing upon the aubjeft, but m 80 lovr
a voice as to be almost iqasdibje.
Mr Pono-.by .bought tha< the Jetier
ought to be upon he ub'e.
Mr Whr bread wn.» of t.ie suras opinio’
on. 1 he letter contained coining tlit
could nv.kt t* ur.fi; to be received; »ncl
it might he the ground of great q .e»iion«
hcreailer to be (tied*
i he Ict-cr was then ordered to bt in*
•cried on the journals.
WESTMINSTER MEETING.
T he petition and remonstrance of the
Westminster meeting, to the bouie of
commons, having beco read and passed,
it »os moved—
, ** i bat a letter be addressed to Sir
brancis Uurdett, expressing the full and
entire approbation of the meeting of (fee
whole arid every pan of his condull as a
member of parliament.’’
Which was read, as follews. with gtn*
eral acclamations t *
“ Sir—We nominated you to be our
representative without your knowledge, ‘
and we elected you without your iuterler.
enre. We were c'mfi leni that you would
perform the duties of a representative with
abdity and iidtliiy. Jn CT£ry respell
you have not only fulfilled, but exotdtd
our exptllatione. We de<ive the utmost
•a KittClion from having pointed nut to the
nation the wny to be fairly represented;
a.l it been possible that our example
would have been followed, and a protrer
rrp esentaiiot) of the people i hereby pro,
duced, (he scenes that ire have lately wit
nessedwould not hyve d.-gracd our Court*
• ty. We under* Odd the nobleness of
your mind, and were confident tins, you
uou,d not descend to barter your trttkt kr
a place under government, nr,r be he pn
*,8.*n/>r leader of those who support or
•vjtct me a* iirtfs just as they tuppci, tu
he |» oposed on this or on ih*t Mile of'Jie
h°-n**rr WJ fte‘ tbc ird,«'"‘T ha*
been nflc.ed to you ; hut »r .re not ,„r,
prised to h r), that when every eacmo »
rrade for public del nrjuen $, <h»r *h;; i
m>sr rigor is exercised a*,,.*:
plearia lor the ancient ami
r»gh s <,( ,he people, \
w«,d in ttelence rj
just!" m.pn nr
with gttcr