The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-11-02 00:00:00

REQUISITION FOR A COUNTY MEETING.

Mr. HUNT then said, that though some people might
think be had spout his two years and a leslf imprisonment
idly, ouprufitably, sod uselessly, yet be could assure them
they were mistaken—perhaps be might admit lie hail not im-
proved—for there he was again amimg them, playing his idd
trick.—(Laughter.)—He would assure them, they as he had
often dune before, that if the people of England showed a
disposition to lie down under oppression and ml.goveriime at,
t►ey would for ever have impressed upon them the stamp of
slavery.—(Hear.)--He OAS therefore ready to lose no time i■
beginning again his business, sod be had, with the concur.
mote of some gasilemeis around him, w►o were freehubleis
of the comity, suddenly prepared • requisition to the High
Sheriff to call a county meetrog.—(Applause.)—Lei all who
wished to promote the bersioem Guist.—(Cries of All.)—Nu
man he thought could object to it, save that man who was
ready to say—* We see i■ • stele of comfort soil pros.
parity." Were they so, or were they meat?—(Cries of
Ls the farmer bappy—is she labourer Ade to ears Isis bread
—(Cries of No.)—is it the• fit and right for the people to
take some legal slid constitutional step fur a redress of
grievances?—(Cries of Yes.)—This was then the osly way in
obit*, according to his judgment, they could legally and
constitutionally proceed—namely, by applying to the con-
stituted authority to convene a comity meeting. If they
weed allow him. as ■ freeholder of the county, be would
sign first.—(Applause.)

The requisitioa, which wiz its follows, was thew handed
round the table, and ausarruusly sigaed:—

PTO TUC HIGH 11111ZOIVI OV TOO COUNTY OW VONIRSIT.
"We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, freeholders,
landholders, tradesmen, and others., affected by the attics'.
tural distr.( sses of the country, request that yes will, *seedy
as may be, convrne a public meeting of the meaty, to take
into consideration the best means of petitioning Parliament
for the redress of those grievances under which we st pretest
labour ; and for restoring the represenlailoo of the people in
Parliament, agreeable I. the aloes' principles of the Eag.
fish Constitutioa."

Mr. NORTH MORE theo rose and said, that he cordially
commend in the requisitioa which had just been sigard.—
It gave him great pleasure to attend ea the present ocessioa,
imollidoed Ihfiiwhmt plemeste to me se may Ladies in
the room, for he knew that the fele*" were all rellsemtlfse—e
(Hear, and laughter.)-0 that they had votes! for if that were
the case, he should DOW be the member of Parliament for the
city of Exeter. Could Ire have polled the Ladies, the ease
would have been settled at once, for with the true principles
of reformers, they were ten to one in his f at the poll.
—(Laeghter, and great applause.)—ludeed he bad for some
lime bees .isms( persuaded by the reavonioe of bis feared,
Mr. Jeremy Bentham, that Ladies ought in have • vote;
he knew very well the nature of the objections against that
proseiresion of privilege ;it bad bees said that is such a case
the Ladies weld have in feet ao voice of their owo, but
would be swayed by the twee. Now he thought exactly the
reverie, for he believed they weekl sway, mid rightly sway,
the men.—(Applause.)—This was not the place to lay berme
them some of the Laciest forms and maxims of the Consti-
tution of England; be should soon have another oceasiou for
entering into mach a dirquisitioe ; bat he might be per-
mitted now to tell them, that by the old law all who paid
taxes and fought fur their eosatry had, ipso Atte, a light to
vote for the elections in that couotry.—(Hear, hear.)—
Indeed a little of that ancient end undoubted prac-
tiee could be found still subsisting in the scot sad lot '
voting. Scot and lot were two 84X4111 words. Lot meant
militia, and scot taxatioo—that is, that all who were
freemen, sod entitled to be called upon for purposes of
war ur taxes, were entitled to vote—the privilege soil liabi-
lity went on together : so that, is point of historical fart,
universal suffrage termed a part of the Saxon cuustitittiou;
fur all who fought and paid—all, except slaves, could sole;
sad, thank God ! there were sow by law no slaves in Erg-
laud, except self-made sod volmetary task men —(Applause
—la former Jays, Members of Parliament were paid by
their constituents for attending and performing their duty
towards them—borough members had two shilling's day,
and comity members four shillings; those who did sot mi-
tred were not paid for their absence, bat ducked their day of
doing so birsiriess.—(Latigister, and cries of Hear.")—
"No work no pay," was then the maxim. Their ancestors
would have been startled at the system of having in Par-
liement 109 Members who received 200,tHOL asininity out
of the pockets of the people, without any stipolatina for
the people, hut for the Minister agaiust the people.—(Hear,
bear.)—Various opinions bad been at different times pro.
nuanced Nisi' the Members of the Honourable House; hat
there wee uoe of old date, and a royal our, tiro, soil be
liked it the better for its royal neighs, for he hooted there
was no oats in atteadauee tile day, who was not as
ready to mewl up fur the rights of the Kiog, as for those
of the Cunstitution.—((iseers)—But the royal opinion of
the then House of Cumnsons was finis King Charles 1.,
and it was this :--Cherles had been long teased by bit
House of CoMmone and he said, What am Ito do withthem, the Honourable Members are like rats," and his
royal reason for 'Within, so, was because they always
grew cursed with keeping."—(Load laultter.)—He (Mr.
Northeoure) had a fancy fur ibis royall reason, because
the comparison of member* to eats held in more ways than
one—lint, cats were fond of fish, so was the Houritirs-
ble Howes • them .gain they were alike fond of the same spe-
cies of fisl:, which war geld and silver fish (loud laughter
end applause) (and alio, exclaimed a punster, they are alike
fond of place) ; Secondly, cats were apt to quarrel with each
other, so was the tionoiirsb'e House; there was, however,
some little difference in the erbium of their qnerrels, foe cats,
it was said, 4.la,felle,i Joust wben most in hive; but the rats
is the Hotter of Cummoits quarrelled not in love, hut beratnie
they hated each other; the simile really might be carried
earl iliellem; if they robbed eats to the dark, every body
knew what • tight was emitted; when the members were rub-
bed its the dark, they emitted an electric Mead, trot
struck t• in so bright a light, as ',tiro their backs were ex-
; posed in a radkal rubbing—(ltenersed laughter.)
. .

Mr. HUNT then sddressed the cusupsoy. and said that
this was nut dm first opportunity they had hid of appreciat.
log the talents and priariples of Mr. Northmore, and he
could promise their • speedy opportanity of evin:live their
attachment to such' mini, fur be was this day to enter into
possession of some of his (Mr. Host's) land so qualify Inns
to bee freelscriarrof the count! of Somerset, and he hoped
woo to are him their representstirev—at least tbey,ahswild
hive the chaser, for Mr. Northinure should be pot in so.
twittallom fur the county at no distant period. Mr. Hunt
then cooeramed the value of each a man to the claims of.
Mr. Dickiossus or any other men who shared the money
taken from the packets of the people. With regimes to Ur.
Dirkisere, their pnrarnt "independent" member, be rested
a fight boom is the Lisiol Choose! et 101. 5-lest five Gas

moment, and it brought him in from I to 30001. a-sear.
Lately, whew • yeoman of the coedit, few to him in ask his
loterest to procure tome place fur • son of his, hie (111 e. Diek-
ingots's) rierly was, Nat molly Initig.eagaged in appraised*
present Shooters, he cowl.' oat ask • favour from shim.
Now, said Mr. Hunt, his mower ought to be, if he were an
'hnneet men —" Good friend, I am getting so much for MI.
self front the Goverment!, that edbund ask for any Ito y
else."—(Wear, and laughterd-s-He Oleo 'station Mr. Dickens
eon, as colonel of the yeoman". bad 1,5001. a year viand
throegh his bands. of which out, 3001. went to the setjeauta
—(Cries of " Shame'''}
The processius at eleven o'clock moved forward, preceded
by a large cavalcade of yeomanry and (sealers; the shouts
of the people were loud and reiterated, and mould their en-
shesissite applause. Me. Haag inesarefeewald tu somerton. at
the astraute of which teem site berets were agate talon
.ftrow Witerowelw, teal Imairs-Ihropr to the Wes edliseel
the cavalcade elision! for refreakaassit. Mr. Hopi aadremed
the people from his barouche, aid said that she black Amp
had prevented their bellafroni being rung; bat that ellsereold
nut du; for throughout the eoustey three were thee 10,000
bells ringing for him in places where not so nisch tithes ass
received. After partaking of refeeshavent at the inn, he
visited Mr. Andrew's clock mantsfactury. The cavalcade
acqusced a considerable attlitina of equestrians mot lodes-
bides at Somerton ;, and from that sown unfurl thotessnls
proceeded onwards in the processitis to Glastonbury, which
place it reached • little before low o'clock, At that mu.
meat nnl less than seven or eight tlwusaad were asitembled.
The hills in the seighbourhood were topped by crowds of
people, and the dampness of the weather (fur the morn.
iug was shuvreq) did not 'Newest well-dressed females of
farming classes from occupying stations along the road-
side, and wherever they cools' get • view of the passing
ceremony. At Glastonbury several pireartione were deemed
by the Mayor necessary for the preservatioa of the public
peace, as his friends said, bad as Mr. Heat's friends said.
"to kick up, if possible, a row." The Mayor had swore in
SO special wadable' for the otraitiou; the Clergyinew, not
wishing for a merry peal of the thatch bells, had (as the re-
port was on the spot, though at • subtopient lime it was con-
tradicted) declared it would be a high Onset for the bell-
ringiag fraternity to careens their skill; hot the church-
wardesia, not being "sew I. $ favourite sassiest accompani-
ment, kept the knead the chinch doors, mud admitted some
moose, who gratifies' the radicals of the neighbourhood
by ringing the champs sprit the bells in both churches,
which they did with considerable skill, both at the hour fixed
for the departure of that preemies (rum Ilediester, sad upon
its appearing is sight from the romantic vicinity of the
town : the movements of the procession were slow, sad the
appearence extremely pietureepte is the distant prospect.
The bright plaid cloak of the principal personage shed its
sparkling hues, and the Pretender himself, were he alive,
could not expect to have bad more honour paid to the tartan
at Basnockboru, where it was said Mr. Hunt's cloak bad
been manufactured, than was bete paid to the national garb
of Scotland.
Mr. Hunt seemed particularly pleased epos artivloye at
the boundary of his tumour of Glastonbury. His voice,
olinh kits lost nothing of its !tweet ful compass, woe here
most vehement in expressiez his thanks to the assembled
multitude. He was here drawn into the towu again by the
people.
Mr. HUNT, in addressieg the people before he alighted
•ne the armor haw, said that he isadevetned the Mayor bad
"We Algal epeeist cppstelefeet andopw he (Slr. Hoot)
was ',jog to swear la his toostahlee, and he alsoutd take
care to keep the peace, whether the Mayor did sr so. In-
deed, he would take care that all should keep the peace—
special constables sod stl—(laughter)—ay, and the Mayor
biantelf—for, if he did sot, be untold and was of his tit hist-
conatabhes to look after hies; fee it was be who had the
power of somisatiag the legal connalsks there. Here some-
body in the crowd hissed, sod then* around him seemed dis-
posed to beadle him roughly; but Mr. Hunt intetfered, and
begged that he might be permitted to pan natiot iced, for it
Mali be gratifying to them all to knew, that in such an im-
mense multitude there was only our slave—(applause);—and
he hoped, that during the evening, if such a slave casually
appeared amongst them. they would treat him with con.
tempt. . He took leave hy repeating his thanks.