The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-07 00:00:00

NE WC.1.51 LE FON riIiVINER.

[Concluded frees second pogo.)

" The writer to wl lie And, il is Jostler Blackstone,
anal while In. might make aAnsission which he has mach '
Om note; we easy reflect upon the Io t, the ennuis-
tiou of the Judge formed a part of the oppressitta oh-el veal
upon, ai J the trial by Jury was 110 prutectuni to the !its, of
Poigli.:aniera It was then that Russell sue Sidney weir is.
ra ifirrol !as forms of law, against all law and justice, and OD
one very ins wheel the forms r was executed, the famous
ti. riie psocrrdrd from one of the Ustiverstties, tundemniug
1111 Impi.osv J. 14 le retell every pi ;maple on
which
a fr. t CollttilUtion eau lie founded Charter.. were forfeited,
lives takeii against law, convictions coirsim y to evidence,
eUpi pious tines and aridly:ay mut creel imprisonments, form
the Meek catalogue which the writer deplores; and these
Ise ileinwitioates great practical oppressiou. 1;111 111 return
to the übservatious of Mr. Fox, In this passage, which I
hope you will all carry home with you—hr proceeds—
'. • What a field fur meditation does ilmr short observa-
tion, from such a mass, furnish! Whit iefiections dues It
mut suggest to a thatching mind, upon the inefficacy of hi%
man laws, and the hopes fection of human constitutioas ! We
are called from the contemplation of the progress of oar Con-
stitution, and our •tteistion fixed with the must miuute
secaracy to a particular point, when it is said to have Moen
to his modal in 'fiction. Here we are then at the best nos-
"• roved of Ore best Constitution that ever !SODOM wisdom.
. framed. 1101,11 follows? A tone of Oppression and misery,
.• uoi arisisig from external or accidental causes, such us war,
larestilealee, or famine, nor even from any such ultimatum of
the laws as might he supposed to impair this boasted ;per.
fer•lion, but from a corrupt soil wicked Ailmilistration,
alt eb all the tontniorloailmared checks of.. the Constitution
'erre nut able lo pievint How vain, ilium how idle, how •
prsaampturrirs. is the upiusiiin% that lairs tan do every thing
sia/Phow Area! and perpocions the maxim founded spots it,
ahat moudoiree. nut torn, are to be &Hindi id tor
" This is it display of that wisdom which always distill.,
Kai-hied Mr. fox. Aud If its the exercise of that Constitution
iiiiiler which we have so many privileges; if tinder the 1...0M
o‘stem of representation that existed al the time of the
Rivratistion its 16811, and after its abuses have been oilfired
to 21111'r up amongst sea, may we nut Inospitose them OM much
to lime ni 1%4.11 f the fellowmen and aegligelice of the pro.
iilr, av to Ilse defects of the Constitution ?--(Appiiitie.,*—
T hese I% a ten a more dreadful institute than this WIN: found
in the history of a moots, whose popular Coastitation must
famish mailer of most interodisig oho-ovation to every
lover of freedom. The Coinditutiou ref Amnesic.. is Lee and
popuise in the largest scum ; the right of votiog upon su
exte..s.ve a priociple as to exclude nu citizen hum a vote
who is not actually a pamper. That right is exercised by doe
institutime of hallos, and the election of Representatives to
Ilwir great National Cutiventitio, the Congress, is for a
tetra not exereitiog Iwo yeArs. Yet this. outwithatandint,
fates shimt of slat parity and perfiction which reeineituenda
1011111 AI l'arlistitruts and lieu:weevil Siitit age extended to
so rams of a certain age mid woad iiiiilerstantlinz. What is
she case ito America ? A (h•aitlesiami was deputed by thirty.
iiiee fentilies, whet Lash Ise. n driven by the necessities of
the toms to third/ of emigroirrii--a melancholy proof
of our rest-itt cowl& —ow 111 s repot they were to de-
pead ilium the spirit of tLe country and the inducements
it might hold 41111 #ll them. The Gentleinclig Ducat is Fee-
ism. He has puLii..lird She Report which he made to these
persons, and ha hutik is full of the 11:0111 valuable informa-
tion. and is iliviinguished by the minks sisal only of au in.
eteriug. obisererog, sisal iategigent mind, but of the greatest
Aurorae; mail impartiality. Whit sloes Mr. Femme say of the
eperiti .... of Ilse laws and of this !roasted Coustilutioro?
Ballot. as on might know from tapir Imice in certain causes
its our own rotatory, is not Mond to exclude the nicalis
of
influence iii vole/ or unfairness in culleetilig them. AA •
proof that improver imireeedings are suspected, it Is suffi-
cient to mention that 1114.1.4• is always a previous struggle for
the appointment of inspectors; the will of the (maple is not
left to its own free operation, but the votes are directid by
a heady for which Ihry have t otu obliged to form a new ap.
prllatitto, that of ' Plll ',UM filVlllll. OW interest
ore more than surpected, as well as jobs, peculation, and
coil option. This is Mr learuli's statement, amid I shuuld ob.
trove to you, that he is by to means • willing witneas on the
subject, and has sheen the strongest attachment to popular
freedom. Rut be cites au opinion which is better duos his
own. The man he quotes is nu lellll n prasut than Mr. Cob.
belt. He says, • Mr. H.' a poison with whose name lam nut
acquainted, who is a Lancashire lOanoracinter, induced to
lease this country by IliMil3r tenses with Mr. Cobbett, c in-
foams me, that he wu with Mr. C. at Harrishiergh ; that
Mr. C. di claret, that daring the aces rat yea, which hr re.
•ided near the Treasury in London, he did not witness so
much bribery, corruption, and place-bunting; I wish you,
Gentlemen, us mark the expiession, ' all he had seen us one
wnk in Pi nosylvania ; that the Members of the Legislature
were eugaged la little except smoking, driokine, aud gam-
bling; moil that lie could certaiiily hare carried his . i 11l
this alliii'ei to a pecuilialy claim Mr. Cubluit hail upon the
gi•lmbre, ' had he towbar roiled to bribe. all these
epimoits Mr. H. joins his friend. Althuagli I coma* go the
length of Mr. II and Nr. Cohlrett in their wholesale cen-
times, pi *haps from not having had the same opportunities
with them of forming a judgment, yet I hair become ac-
quainted with facts in Waulrintim which no man could have
induced to to befits... will t persoost olsservation."—Why
do I state these things! Is it that I racy dem trial. the ICI-
111C of popular rights in soar estimation ? Far from it I
wish wisely to shew you, that, louder a system 'which may
appear suture perfect, similar, or teen greater, abuses may
still exist. I wish nut to imply that puptear government is
nut to Le ranctioned aud enjoyed, become it is liable to cor•
volition. I hare no such design. My value fur popular
rights remaius undiminished. I believe Shut the principles
of it are destined to snake America one of the greatest na-
tions io the world. The evils with sbielt it is afflicted are
transient aml accidental, and will be easily removed. The
reason why I elle this passage, is to prove to you, hew idle
Is the opinion that laws can remedy every thing, and Milit-
ant that spirit in which liberty lives and pinata anti has its
being, coastal', and active in the hearts of tura, that the
best constitution and the best theories of reform can be of
no avail ; to warn you against that mischievous belief, that
nothing iv to bedtime madras certain measures can be effect.
ed. I think much of the cause of Reform, but not that
it is of that exclusive impurtauce which supersedes every
other t tfort, and without which nothing is to be douse.--
What instiintions art perfect? All have suffered much from
abuses and from the operations of lime. Hut pursue the
conilitirt that I have advised, and you will fool • ft (low-la.
boom arunduutis wish yuumelves to apply the necessary re-
Medico upon the principles and conditions wlech I have
stated Rot are the Recurities of the Coostitution really so
defective, that, is the present stair, if the people make
their vuire heard, it is tint likely to he effective noon
their representatives? My belief is the reverse. I tin-
phir• you to discharge this front 3our minds, if ever
it had any ineueace, and till that season shall arrive when
II greater reform can lie accomplished, to direct your OM Is
iu 'radios yourselves of this °ppm Sanity of rendering ser-
vice to VOW froliollry. Exit. /011tativta to check sad con.
trot prank 111 l —to mono, • system of economy soil of re-
treuchsueut is all unuecessai y expeuditure—to reduce all
oucuntaitutimial establishments—to correct the evils of
pauper circulation not founded on cash—to amend the cri-
'usual law where it is defective, which every day proves mote
tle altiCOdUlelit—to extend to all classes of your
felluw.subjects those rights and privileges which many have
hitherto asked in rain. 'I. hese are objects of tau inferior On-
pittance, and let me entseat )4141 nut to neglect them. They
are within your reach, and certainly attainable, if the people
of Euglaild are only true to themselves, and will t zed the
power which they power over Parliament under their present
Constitution.—(Applassit.)-1 was about to -hole, but
in stating the übjscla dist required your exertion, there was
one theistiotita on which I shall shortly observe, and which
must have otensiumed the most painful recollections. It is
ittspoasible to notice the state of the Crimival Law, and mut
to be resuitided of the &radial loss we have all sustained.
A gal all the great men whom fate has swept away within
a few short years, with a rapidity that seems awfully prophe-
tic to this country—amougst all the public inisfurfuses
ws
hive suffered, there is 111111 r eau excite a deeper sir a nen*
DiOCCte rigid than the torso( Sic "moue' Homily. Nut only