The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-01-03 00:00:00

LETTER 11.

Nome time sr I addressed your Lordship on
tile subject of a placard puated up in Linenln'',
inn-hall, the place where you bold the Court of
Chaiacery, interdicting all persons, who hail ever
untie', for hire, in the newspapers, from doing
tt ose exercises, which should enstde them to he (Vied
to the tar. The terms and scope of my eddies.
were rather of a general and introductory nature,
trotting to pond out the illegality of the exclusion,
and to expose the illiberality of the principle that
gave it birth. I traced, not in false or flattcriog,
hut in true and uuvarnished colours, the portrait of
a writer for the journule; and, for the sake of your
own diguity and character, I do siuterely hope, you
have, in contetuplatiug it, takeu from your mind's
rye the mote which impaired its vision. I might
leive represented it under the similitude of • rising
plait, nu' tuna' iu the warm sunshine of a southern
e•pect ; brariug, and giving promise or bearing
goodly fruit ; and hove inferred, I fear without
the imputation of harshness or injustice, that gone
Lordship's influence, like.the deadly blight comiug
from the North, had depressed its growth, withered
its blossoms, and nearly caukered it to the very root.
It hay been stated to me, by a kind of demi-
official communication, that I hate mistaken the
object of my attack ; that your Lordship has
nothing to 110 0104 the subject of my complaint;
that you are nut a Bendier of Lincoln's-inn ; and
that what I have unfairly attributed to you. has
proceedad front a set of persons, acting independ-
ently, and without basing been controultd, either
by your Lordship, or any authority whatever.
Is this a defence you are yourself willing to avow ?
If it is. I slhjil have attained one most important
point towards that ultimate soccer's to which I look
forward with Lolitileoee; I shall then have your
distinct admiecton that you are truly ashamed of
having it supposed you could have given your
couateuance to such a proceeding ; and that you
are desirous the odium of it should not be cast on
you, but on those alone to whom all the responsi-
bility of the act belongs. There are some repo-
sitiona so monstrous that they refute themselves—
they may be improbable, or they way be incon-
tinent with truths nut generally known. With re-
spect to the propcsitiou, that your Lordship is not
the direct author of this itiwretton, it will be my
task to skew that both those toochetones apply.
First, then, I say, it is improbable. Con any
man believe that the Drencher; of Lincoln's-inn
would have presumed to have e.tabllshed a rule for
the ous!:fi.-at.on or di.qualificanoo of persons who
were to pleat to the Cutlet where you represent your
Sovereign, without first hay.ng consulted you, ant
hail your enaction ? Wroild they have dared, I
*ay, to have altered the common law of the lend,
by restricting the rights of any class of men iu the
country ? or would they hare libelled yourLord-
ship,:hy affixing their ordinance to that effect im-
mediately before your [eyes, if they had not had,
or if they had not conceived they had, your ex-
press approval ? The thing is absolntely incre-
dible ! Besides, you would nut hare permitted
them to have done the act they hare done, di! had
not been perfectly aecordant to your own wishes. So
flinch then for the probability of the propos; i.on,t hat
I have mistaken tie olt,ect of ivy shat k. I pro-
ceed to tlie application of toy second text. It is
now some years since a certain bookseller, I think
of the name of Eaton, was tried upon an informa-
tion for imblishiug a pamphlet of • ecilitiutt. ten-
dency. Your Lordship was then Attornej,-Gene-
ral, and, as such, the Official Prosecutor for the
('roan. Yon cross-examined one of the witnesses
produced on the part of the Defendant ; that wit-
ness, as I rt.:Gibe', did not, by his answers, place
himself us a very favourable point of slew. When
asked what his profession was ? he said he was a
student at law. It did not appear that he had en-
tered himself of any of the Inns of Court ; but he
professed liss intention of doin,r so. Upon being
more closey ii.tergatc.i by you, he admitted, and
I firmly beltemt goitres's. that he was a writer for
lac ocwsperrent; iipon which your Lordship imme-
diately expreeseil a ourself to this effect—aud I state
your words, not *2 on my own reculieenuti,
24 on the authority of the more accurate 'corm-
hoarier of othero-.-yoo exclaimed, nearly in these
terms :4 It skull be asp rare dot A Pie of :Al te title/-
paper writers shall seer hare it in their power h,
cell f s tAe har !" You found one person of
doubtful character. perhaps, falsely describing him-
self as a wnter for the public journals, and express-

sag on intentboo of botomiug • student at iaw--
vett immediately detertsioed, that the pretrations

of all future cand.dates for the profession should
not depend upon individoal merit or demerit; and
you declared your firm resolve to use your authority,
ir.discrintataLtly, for the purpow of preventing all
persons who iti.ou4l, at any period of their lives,
have instructed their fellow-creatures through the
medium of a newspaper, sod had been rewartied for
their luitiuurohle labour, from ever approsching the
threshold of that temple which the law and cousti•
tutiou of IF...iglaA tys i 4 open to every subject.
Now, InUippoa'ng I sin correct. was this either
liberal or candid? 14 this a thing It to he related
of a Not,l, titAgi **pin.% to becou:e ChAiirillor of •
learned Uuiversity, the uunicri, the .flora Mater of

science. Without considering limv many writers
for newspapers there are wbose talent. would adorn
any assembly known to the Constitution of Esq.
you reject them all from the profession of
the lsw. beraues you once found one Nho was un-
worthy.

To proceed by degrees—Thus then stands the
argument with respect to the prop:nation that your
Lordship la not the author of this tinjutt system of
exclusion. I have inferred its improbability, and
I have shewn that it is utterly inconsistent with •
fact iu the history of your Lordship's life. I feud
you, when you was Attorney-General, manifesting
an inclination to do a particular act; nay more, I find
you entreating a determination to carry your in-
tention into effect. I find the very thing you
threatened, when you as Attorney-Cenerul, ex-
ecuted in the year 1807, when you was Chancellor,
and iu the zenith of power; and, in addition to all
this, I tind notice of it given in the very Court over
which your authority more pecnliaily extends.—
Can there he a doubt upon the subject ? I have de-
monstrated, with mathematical precision, the truth
at my position that your Lordship was the priori
cause and mater of this odious restriction. I have
fairly given my dam, and I than leave the public
to draw the• corollary.
lam tree to almit, that what I am accusing
your Lordship of, has, in effect, been done by the
Benchers of and is apparently their
act; but will any man, ambitious of a silk gown,
attempt to defend you, by throwing ■round you
such a inner veil of gossamer, which • breath is
sufficient to dissipate.—\o ! my charge is, that it
is your Lordship's deed—that you have either com-
manded it to be done, or, having the power, have
not prevented it—
. .

Qt i Gun wilt recant juliet--,
Amid •ilia ii kiss twill toe.

Upon this principle, and for the other reasons I
have stated, I must still continue of opinion, that I
have not ini,teken the priper object of my attack ;
and that in Hying my falcon at the higher game,
have acted the part of • judicious sportsman.
I now provecsi to mention the mints of these
same Bromberg, this sui-o'braer corporation, these
Lincoln's-mu Legislators, who have arrogated to
themselves the right of making bye-laws, forsooth,
which are to exclude (ruin a lucrative profession a
particular class.of His Nlsjesty's subject-, eho have
committed no crime I know of, that should operiste
as a perpetual attainder, except that they may hove
been too active in enposing the stint:nest end imbe-
May of some of the Arlininistratious, of which you
have been a component part.
The following is a correct list of this convocation
of politic Bencherst—

Julio Soley, Esq, Scslns-street, Eimes-rnsi- •
Ri• bard Ray, Esq. Hawleigh,
John Oril, 61. ii, Lincola.-inn.lleld..
Francis Barton, Esq. s, Vinser Brook .street, GI

Selwyn. C.q Kiner.roacl, Bedferd-row.
Right jlon Hninnitead.
Right Hon Visevaint nidinouth, It, Gloucester-plaee„
POOIII3II ...ionre
Right 11 m. Sir William Grant, KO. Master of the Rolla,
Chaneery.lat,e
Right lion. Lord Glenberste, Conduit-strett, Ilatierct.
squalor.
Fir Tlvmnis Plarner, Ip, I. "ruin's-inn.
. . .

. .
Sir John Allatrutitar, !.'art IJ' Albemarle %treat
William Gamow, Esq. Betlfurd row, and 2, Safe-toort,
I.lrwalies-tnn.

Willisus Mainwnrior, Fq. 71.nover-wtare.
Sir Vkary Btd''orl•ryuate, auJ 2, little-court,
Liucoln•r.ine.

Pubtrt Matas, E.g. 3, Sirlr-etowt, Linea tttt , aud I,
Right Hun. Spencer P I, '7, I.inroln's inn-fields.
Wtiham Admn, Lag. a, Ser:e-eaurt, Loacolu'bqua, sod
Bloomsbury.irinare.
Janes. Allan Park, nog 31, Luse*ls's-inn-6elds.
Richard Howard, Esq. Gulasetwor-squaCC.
Abrl Nloymy, Esq. 2:6, Haft-street, illoomslmr•squssr.
Sir John Po 11,6„ Bart. Reticulm, sear Aud..r,r.
Frsnets ItararAve, Lori Near Boverall.rourt, t'Atcy•street.
Edmund Myr'.li, ear, 10, Old•buildung•, I.lhr .11e,11111.
f;esnue %Vibon, Esq 6, Molar-buslebugs. 1A41,010'54,61.
Tboso.‘a Hdks, b Scrle.eouri, Loaceltia-lan.
l'harks Thomson, Esq. 113, Old-bsildsosts. 1.111C010.11.1160
Hem! S 1 artm, Esq. it, Serle-eom t, ion.
N.atbanu l Gooding Cherie. East s, Back-alum, Tampla

_ .
It will he observed. that, in the above, list there
are sonic Masters in Chancery ; some persons who
have reti:erl to their estats.; some of them per-
t:l.m of whom I shall hereafter have 1101(41 to say
and others. whose well-known liberality of seuti-
ment will DM allow me to attribute In them even a
illsow:edge ..f this odious measure.
I hupt, the only effect of nay making their lames
piddle, will be to give them an opportunity of dis-
avowing their participation in an act, which is in
opposition Iv the whole tenor of their political lives,
and would, if it could be truly imputed to them,
stomp their characters with the seal of hypocrisy.
I heel the necessity of bringing this letter to a
conclusion; what I hove left unfinished. believe in.,
shall not be omitted in my next. I think I have
already done enough to shew, that those who may
be at the Fame to explore the horoscope of that ad.
verse fate, which impended over the heeds of the
mortals, among whom I am classed, and threatened
to deprive us of our civil, and poli•ical rights, will
find, that, in an esil hour. you was Lord of the as-
cendant, shedding your influence over minor, but
more malign planets. I trust, the guardian genius
which brought light from darkness. and science
from barbarism. will cover us with her wings, and
counteract the destiny that hangs lowering over us.
Be assured, no exertions of mule shall he want-
ing. to produce this great end. 1 am strong in the
justice of my cause. and, at present, require no aid.
Avoid a defeat, by a victory over yourself.
butrwledges that, in au unguarded moment, you
have done, or suffered to he done, that which your
better judgment rsvolts at. Let your weld p
forth. Repeal this di. useful, illitibral, Wept,
nod uncoostiistional liye-law. Stiffer sot the
banner of ignorance. pride. awl •ftriatorracy. to
remain longer unfurled within the walls of a Court
of Equity ; arid, by se honowAdde al 'exertion of
your authority, spare me thispaiikriot atjdress-
, iug 1 remain, ice.
ONE WHO WAS A WILITBI NOR
• • TIM PUBLIC rArLits.