The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-10-28 00:00:00

CONVENTIOINI Is PORTUGAL.

(01 ItT OF COMMON-COUNCIL, GUILDHALL.

l'estc:illty, a Court was held by special appoint-
nes.t el. the Lord Mayor. upon a notice of Mr.
%%so:mime for the purpose of considering the an-
swer returned by His Majesty to the fete Address
from the City, relative to the Convention in Por-
tugal. The hall was extremely crowded, both
abuse and below the bar. The Lord Alm or made
Ins appearance at one o'clock, although inn Court
had been summoned to assemble at 12 o'clock
precisely. 'l'he hosinem commenced be the Re-
commit reading the Answer which had been made
to their Andress ; after which,
Mr. W AITHINAN addressed the Lord Mayor and
Court, nearly to the following purport :
.. nly land, I certainly feel it necessary to make a
h a observations. previous to °Kling something in
the slug:ea a resolution, to the considerutionof this
Conn, founded upon that Address which has
.just
now been read to you. hi entering upon a subject
of tins sort, I am fully aware of the delicacy which
ought to lie observeti, together with the difficulties
that may be started, and the objections which may
arise in the minds of some Gentlemen upon such
an occasion. Previous to doing so, however, I may
observe, that I think it will he deemed hardly ne-
cessary to remind tine Court, that wu 4.iould coma- -
older the Answer as one proceeding from His Mu-
jesty's Ministers, and not the Answer of His Ma-
jesty himself, it being u point well understood, and
univereally acknowledged in our public and consti-
tutional law. To Inc this Answer appears to be of
a very extraordinary nature indeed; and I am at a
loss to know any occasion or opportunity that
could be offered of approachieg the Throne, if the
late one wn• not peculiarly fit for exercising that pri-
vilege. We all know that it is the right of the sub-
ject, to address and petition the Throne. It is a
right not conferred by the Crown, hat it is a right
that was demanded at the glorious Revolution,
and ought therefore at all times to be exercised,
without reproof or reprehension. 1 have looked at
the iteeppres for same yenta hack, and I find nu-
merous occusions in *hien it lOC, been put in prac-
tice, not only in the form of petitions, but even of
remonstrances, and repeatedly upon the same bu-
siness. I find throughout the whole, that there;is
nothing at all of a nature so repulsive in the an-
swers as in the present instance. I rather think
that we have been the WHIM of drawing this re-
proof upon ourvelves, by our own conduct upon
late occasions ; and were it merely tq give toes
Court a severe lesson, I should feel eornewliet glad
that it has so happenA. I should think that this
Court, elected as it is, annuaUy, cannot take any
share of the blame attaching to former Courts, as
they have been mending for some ennsii;ereble
time back, and would not now SIIIV:l100 some ef
those measures formerly adopted ic tins very plate..
If it had been so disposed former:). : believe some
of the reecilatioiai found Open th.., , ..... rt.els woe.,
not have been agreed to. Yoe teen• ysane, sari
during the most extraordinars vie..' teat are me-
-0014114 iu histtey, I believe [fare • . lint to be
Patent. •0 many of 1160.41 as Ir. . r,...i.... am , WI .1. jtilik
itpce twit hare Litserly ocieurrnitalur:•:.. ,:e se at
space of tnne, in tbiseoestry, act-. In C , • . ,
la the universe; we have not oegfteti,:
to of assuring TVs Majesty of our - ,
arid fes.,.lt), but I Lawn find a libgle . •. ,
which this Court ever ititerfeeeti with any of .; .
other bi ai.alleN of the Conititatien. Upon rite .„,e
change of Administration, we went up to address
lii. Majesty upon our attachment and loyalty, aiol
in support of the glorious inileeendelice of iris
Crown ; but I have not met with arty thing being
said as to the glorious independence of the other
branches of the Legislature. I alien ends your to
draw time attention of the Court to the Address it-
%cif. It says—, I give credit to the motives which
have dictated your Petition and Address, but I
must remind you, that it is niconvietent with
Ithe principles of British justice to pronounce judg-
ment, without previous investigation.' Now lam
et a loss to know how Ministers could put such a
construction upon it. When 1 brought forward a
motion for an Address for as Inquiry as to the ex-
pedition to the Helder, every nee seemed to think
it was necessary, I acept one Gentleman, who op-
posed it upon the grounds that we ought to take it
for granted that an inquiry would be made, and
that the motion itself contained nothing but truths.
Upon that occasion it was moved, that such an ad-
dress world he an insult to His Majesty, and
that motion was carried ; but I believe, that
no one will now say, that it was not necessary
to eater upon some inquiry. That mine gentle-
man (alluding, we believe, to Mr. Samuel Dix on,
who sat opposite), shall not now disconcert me with
his nods and his gestures, for it was visible to me
and ()the's, that if he could have taken the same
f eedorn, upon the late occaeinn, he would have
done se. When we were bid our holy religion
was in &neer, he urged the necessity of addressing
His Majesty, to assure him of our loyalty and at-
tachment; bat now he treats, with the utmost le-
vity, the. Address that has been presented upon the
present occasion; although, in my opinion, the ne-
seemly in t!..e one case has surpassed the necessity
in the other. lam really attemished how any one
can view the great came in which we are embarked,
1 sad treat it with such a degree of iodifference as
that gentleman has attempted to de. It was
thought necessary to go ea to His Majesty with an
Address, expressive of net loyalty, mid the interest
we took in the :muse of the Spailiah Patriots, yet
it is wonderful, that he treats this present Address
with levity and iadifference; an Address which was
certaiuly mach more necessary ; but I know it is
les il;epresition to be quibbling if he can. I defy
any individual to point nut to me any thing in
the late Address that will justify His Majesty's
Advisers in stating that we hod pronounced judg-
ment previous to sorestigatton. It was expressly
steted, • that we celled for inquiry, aial that pu-
' Wawa should attach to those alone who were
estate. A feeble objection was stated as to the
. era' pimiehnsent being introduced, it be:vg suffi-
cient that we expressed our wish for inquiry;
bat where, 1 would ask, is the date-el:cc, since,
. .
..
SICCOII.IOg to the course which eirtlee siou'd take,
Ps• fn.: elitist wo.ilel necessinily hillow non the
it0.,17 party? hen we look :.t ail tee ea cuts
Trairh hew taken ~lace ileum the. Calitii: nt, we
we nothing like such inilusea on the part ut our