The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-04-20 00:00:00

BERKSHIRE MEET.:YG•

Monday toorniog, a Nleetiog of abottt one! thou-
Food Fr& eiloitlet, anti IchisbitHists of Bei k,hire Wa3
tLo TIM is Ilan,
sri:Et)I't:ILtSMETCALFE, Bayonet, High SberiD

iu the Chair.
Sir Jolty TIIROCOLMORTON obverted', that, beim;
one of those who had signed the Requisiticie, he
was called upon to propose souse Resolutiona
rela-
tier to the late investigation. They tended to de-
clare the opinion of the county on the abuses which
had crept tuns various department* of the state,
an d haJ arisen to height, winch must be attend-
ed with irremediable destruction to the country, if
the late inreistigetion was not followed by al:0:1104r
ref o ins. No hope of this stectssary event could be
enteettained, unless the •oice of the people was
heaq d loud end firm to demand it. One 4,1 the ob-
ject of reform, to which the eyes of the nation
were most naturally directed, was the shortening
the tin ration of Parliemennt lie traced, in a most
forcible anti elogisein manner, the history of Par-
liaments ; mentioned and answered all the objec-
tions that bad been made to Trieiminl Parliameuts,
during which the (wintry hail au:shied its glory,
under the Duke of Marlborough. He said, that
if Mitfisteri were at any time, as Might. he at pre-
sent the ease, afraid' to take the dose of the peo-
ple,-they might vote themselves into.a decetinial
p.diatneht.
- The lin-. Baronet's, speech was distinguished
for dignity of heeling, strength of exprentiou, and
exemplary suoderatiois.
The Reaolutiens• were read, which °enlisted of
Thanks to Mr. Wardle, Lord Folltstone, nod
to Messrs: Le Perm Hughes, and Knapp.
Meurs-
bars iathisComity theldatious that the Ma.
jwity of the House of Cominmis had violated their
duty—and that it was iudisnensibly secessary that
the duration of Parliatricuts should be shortened.
Mr. HAIXET rose to edema the motion in a
speech of Considerable length and ability, to which
our limits will not allow us to do juatit..." He con-
gratulated the country on a victory-110t the taking
of Vigo or of Martinique--but it was a victory over
corruptioo ; which must yet be followed up by fresh
attacks and treats victories, or little practical good
would be derived from what harl been done. Lie
descanted on the Duke of York'S conduct in se-
rend parts of his administration. and perticularly
connectimi with Mrs. Clarke, who, he said,
might as well give intellieenee to our enemies, as
commissions to our officers. The Chencellor of
the Exchequer had indeed brought lb a bill for pie-
renting abuses‘hut this was not dune, though he
saw advertisements every day to perpetuate them. ,
till Mr. Wardle had taken the film from his eye..
'The present Minister*, heobserved, were the weal:.
est part of the Heaven-horn Miuiater's Ail iii i i iistra.
Linn. At his death they resigned their ;duces,
lse-
anise they found themselves, what the country Itas
shoe found them, sundae to carry on the business
of the country. He exposed the conduct of the
Crown lawyers, who considered themselves. us soon
as they rose to their mystic. to have received a n-
tog fee to support the Ministers through thick amid
thin. He concluded that the first step towards pre-
venting abuses, would lie t.. return to the Consti-
tutional mode of Triennial parliaments.
Mr. BACON said, that lie did not think Mr.
Wardle an deserving of the thanks of his country
as Lord Froßtitoor. The tatter hod not used the
arts practised by the former to obtain information.
but bad honestly and openly acted the part of an
honourable aril conscientious Member. With re-
spect to the alteration of the duration of Parlia-
ments, he said he thought he should be made the
satoeta of a separate meeting. as the present as-
sembly had not had time to make up their militia
en that important point oh policy. With respect
to the vntes of thanks, he did riot think there would
be ft dissenting voice.
Sir NATHANILL DUCRINTIELD rose to °prise
the Reaolutions. He said. that adultery had ex-
isesel in the army before the times of the Duke of
York—and that it was DO wonder if he had bees
fascinated by a woman like Mrs. Clarke. Ile
thought the greatest misfortune the country could
receive was the disinistion of his Royal I belinesti.
• Mr. CHARLES Do riDAIS, Member for the county,
explained the grounds of his conduct is a manly
and energetic toisonwr. He appealed to his con-
ititileins for his constant attentioo to their iuterests,
for the repeated marks of approbation he had re.
(-rived from them, during four Parliaments in
which he had represented them. He sold that he
meant to vote against the Duke with Mr. Bath-
unit, because he thought a petition to the King to
remove the Duke, was making the hither the ex-
ecutions rof his mu, He wished that a Resoletion
had been voted, which would have been asserted
in the Journals as an historical precedent, to guard
against similar abuses.
Mr. CROFT supported the motion, and express-
eil a friend to Parliamentary Reform, the
only substantial ground of hope against the recur-
rence of corruption.
Major Iltmscat said, that he had been many
years in the army, am! had .vitsiessed the good ef-
fects of the Duke of York's fiitintlifct; that Ise
thought the embody degraded themselves by their
present conduct. lie accused anew of the meeting
of disloyalty for wishing for a Returns. (lie was*
often inter:towed by marks of disapprobation, but
he wits allowed to proceed, though he had inter-
rupted one of the weaker' in the ldle of hi*
speech, to exprewhis own sentiments.)—The qnefs-
tions *etre then severally put, and carried ounni-
suously, with the exception of from 4 to 8 hetuls.
A vote of censure was then proposed by Mr.
Palmer against the Mrcubets•fer the comity. A
flitlemce WWI unwed by Mr. Budd. in favour of
Donde*, who had attended the meeting nod defend-
ed himself. Huth were lintilly censured ; but Mr.
Dundalk iu insider terms. Mr. Vansistart wits fe-
rmented as undiafet ring of a eeverer censure than
ale Diadem, by Dr. Valpy and others. who were
of opinion-that he had served the county with WI
Ofinch fidelity as Mr. Dinulas, and that his absence
rught not to operate against him.
A vote was then carried, wills the }ATP nnani-
mity, against the present Achninistretic n. wi•li the
hope that nice would be placed in their situ dines,
who would be the avenger*, notlhe abettor. of cor-
ruption.
, The thanks of the Meeting were neanimonsli
voted to Sir T. Metcalfe, for his seri& aud
iatelli-
ge conduct.


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