The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-03-24 00:00:00

the.--_ ._
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1 Law were Auto', they-soughs lawfully inert iii Pa-
-1 Inee-yard--isiol, therefore. they had changed the
illace of iuk:ettetic to 11'.14er-yard, •s beititc more
mitt/4440t. lie t►uwtell there cook' hr no just ion-
! potation of fraud or deception in acting •a he had
done. Ile would evt•r repel melt au attack,. as he
f now did, is, the teeth of hint who mule it.

Ilttwr explained, and iliaclaitoed Noy inten-
tion of wing the word deception or fraud in an
offli-ive
The Petitina IVO. pot to die vote mod adopted.

Major CARTWgiaIIT then moved the two fol.
lowing Resolutions in order : he moved them to-
gether, observing, that by recommending Petitions
in twenties, he by no means disapproved of general
lifertings,
4 That lifiniders beings enflieiently prone to persecute,
rontriiry to law, it'd it being nowise to tempt thrai 11. On,•
nettle arconling to law, it is therefore the hope of Ilia
Alerting that PArliamentary Refiersaists will not disregard
the Act of the 13th of Citadel 11. e. 5. which enacts that
none shall" solicit, labour, or procure the getting of hands.
or other consents, of any persons above the number of
twenty, to any petition, complaint, reautustranee, steel Ira.
lien, we whor addrea•--` fur alteration of matters esta-
blished by law in rhumb or mite,' unless the matter thrift(
have been Arse consented unto awl ordered by certain Ma-
glair:wry • sputa pain of incurring • penalty not exceeding
tone kindred ilinumbi is stoney, and three menthe imprison-
ment withmithail ;" especially as it is by no means Certain,
but that by ronstrowtion, the statute might be Interpreted
to mean, that every person who signed • petition, had,
by a previous act of his mind, procured his own Oriente.
5. Thal einicilletiras brut:: of imp/soarer. wheat lorry
twenty lersons. who complain aim evil whirls iinteriously
aff.ris the whole 1114eitill, are illegally compelled to write
their Prtitioni, the short form now in rims/whin, which
say?, a defective repremontins being the nation's bane, we
proy.that all male promos, infants, ineases, and criminals
excepted, may equally share in annually electing' Represen-
tatives to scree in Parliament," seems a convenient model.
Lord CticnitaNn addressed the Meeting, in a
speech of some length. He deprecated the idea of
the Electors of AVestuaimiter restricting themselves
its point of numbers. when pre-sewn% their Yeti.
pious to Parliametit. They had e right to petition
its what .bombers they pleased. Petitiouing by
twenties lie thought a mode lialsle to imposition and
abase. Ile observed that 14r.ve meeting.; were the
bulwark of liberty. The only influence in the
House of 'Commons was the infltsence of tear: it ,
was by the effect penance(' by meetings of large '
bodies Of -their constitoento. that any good could
be produced. He rouclusled by moving a Resolu-
tion, that ire should continue to meet, dour fore-
failtert had done, in thousands and tens tof thoir-
'sods.
Psttittrts secouded the Resolution. .He
agieed with she Noble Lor,l its this, as he did to
every thing elre proposed by Into on that day.
Major CA aTWRIG tIT 104.111, that there was GO dtf.
rerrlifc liatKtril the Noble Lord (Cochrane) and
himself in point of priucil.lr ; the only abject he.
(Major Cartwright) lind to view, by proposiug that
Ito more than go should sign any petition, was to ,
cosiform to the law. It was the opittion of the
Judges in the time of Lord George Gordon. when
law of the same kind related, that it would be
illegal for more 'toast the prescribed numb!? assign
a petition. It would he lit, then, to pot the people
in the country uposs their guard, and prevoittliiessi„
if possible, front being unite Ilse stetsons of spies and
informers-. If Oliver, or Castle, or any odor spy,
could prevail upon more than twenty to sign a patio
(tots, the consequence would be that the issursous
so signing might be put its prison and lined 1001.
It was out fur his own individual safety that he
made the propoestion. Ile was ready to sign any
smelt Petition tis that alluded to by the Noble Lord
(Cochrisse).. and to clicomster any iwrsonsil risk
that might arise from it. But eat the some time he
was desirous to put the people in the country upon
then guard, that they might nit be subjected to
inconvenience:4, by contravening the. law. It.
could be just as convenient to leivel'etitioies signed
by twenty as by larger bent. Petinossa signed
by great numbers were n lauhle to fraud than
such as were signed by only the limited slumber of
twenty. It appeared that famed Petitions hud
come from two or three places. The Motive we' to
give the borough factions an opportunity if eying
in she House of Commutes that they were forged,
and thereby of throwing odium upon the cause of •
Reform. The Petitions alluded to were forged
very probably by the borough faction itself. They
were sent down to the. places from whence they
came, end every effort would be inside to discover •
the authors of them. They would, 'perhaps, by
Ilion means, he enabled to put the middle upon the
right horse ; and care would be taken its future.:
that no Petitioso should be presented that weremnt .
signed, boar fide, by.the masons whose signoturee
were attached to them. The Noble Lord Alid.not
appear to him to have inbred any impropriety in
the proposed liCSOlUlliill, so far as it redeli the
nusubshould ers into sign. Ile (Major C.) should ,
therefore adhere to it.

The amendment of the Noble Lord (C.)'was then
pot, and carried uuanis.tously.
Mr. WALKER then came forward, and said, that
be held in his hand a most valuable Revolution.
There was nothing is. it contiary to what' hod been
before adopted in the shape of an amenrinteut.
Should merely propose that the word " twenty" he
left out of the Resolution respecting the right of •
suffrage.
Mr. lIUMT said, he thought the whole of the Tle.
solo*. had bees. sh.posed of by "adopting the
amenclenent of the Noble Lord (Cochrane). Ile.
lied always. and ever should, iiipintwin the priticnifP.
of the Resolution, that every 111411 was entitled' to a
shore iii the representation of the COUlliry, becitise
he contributed by his exertions to its suppOrt.
-proposition of thi4 kind less never before submitted
to the electors of Westininstvr. It was proposed •
that all should have no equal right tube reiortsetit-
ed in Parliament. They would now have en op-
port y of rejecting or ructiving it. There was
one of their excellent repre,entatives hy•ihotii the'
principle was never avowed. Ile hoped he would
now conse distinctly fiirWanl, and state his feelings
upon the subject; tlnit he would say whether or
uut he bad altered his utiud upon it. It was a pelt.. .

whiar lee (Mr. H.) should be *sdy either
• die.
COCHRAN, amid, he would nit theiril
upon the atteutiou of the Meeting. tiler ten
eiperience of his couillict. it was aile•hard
• thus publicly called upon to answer such
~..erbob. If lie had silt oilier rptstin for refissing
than because he was tiros rhaUstipged, it would'
he quite sufficient with hiiu to uortit the demand by
a refusal, lie WWI N 111011. t s stubborn fellow,

and nothing cunt l induce him to do whet he did
not like. Ile helped the Blietors of Westminster,
like himself, would not he compelled to do *Mit
they were avrrse to. lie had always exerted hion.
self to the be.t of his uoderstanding, and from the
honest feelings of his heart to perform his public
cotoluct, as he stated before, was in
their recollection for the last tees years. That of the
lion. Baronet (Sir F. Burdett) was before them for
double the time, nearly for twenty years—lA per-
sou hi the crowd heie cried out, " Let Sir truncis
Burdett sped(
.for himself.")—Lord C. thanked
I fur tile hint. It was a proper correction, and
came in very good time. The lion. Baronet rouble
and always slid, speak for himself. IYith respect
to the form of the Petitions. Ile' that if they
.11 came to the House worded its the same manner,
they would he liable to the tame uhjections as
printed Petitions. They would appear to have been
drawn op from the influence or di nation of some
individuals. For this reason, he should object to
any specific form of Petition. The whole country
had different !Oral grievances to complain of ; they
all, however, were unanimous in calling fur Re-
form. Was it right, then. that the people of
IVestminster should prescribe to the whole nation
the form of words in which they were to come be.
fore the Rouse of Commons t "rite people should
be allowed to state their sentiments in their own
For these reasons, he thought that the
Resolution prescribing the form ought nut to
pass.
. _

Mr. WALKER said. it was not meant by this
Re-
solution to prescribe the form of Petition ; but it
was thought good to adopt a Wort uitr, and to di-
dare in a Item,luti DDDD 111/11U111 and egoist mar-
sristatiou aas the seutimeut of the electors or West-
minister. , ,

Major CART**VOW raid he hid now to perfiirrii
the most important part of Idi duty, For half a
century the friends of lilicity had beets lohouritig to
obtain ta Reform in Parlnfluent. They hod, at dif-
ferent times, petitioned to olnain it, b.t all to no
purpose. The question was, whether the Claim MAN
just or not! The Grenville Act completely shut
out the people from .having justice done them tiptoe
* qttestion of electsomil riieits. The House of
Cumulous was made the only judge in questions of
that nature, sod they refused to do justige to the
people; but they were hound to do justicei and
should At last tin it. He concluded by Itroptsaing
• atrinw of Resolutions as follows, and oleo the
form of Petition. which *err nitre l i 11l sootily *greed to.
0.. That., by the law of Ws land. it apposes, that when-
ever, by 'w Petition of night," even* petiole man Mitered*
the King 'himself, for that hit Majesty wroitgfolly holds an
loheritatice beibneing.to that man, the King, as mere MM.
her of official duly, invariably says in writing, " Let right
be done to the wirty;" vibes' a commission kV feverishly
Issordto that end
7. That whet', list year, more, as it is believed, than a
million of the aiggries:eil people, speaking, as it is helie•ed,
the move of malty nliUlow., emplended by,their -Nations
f Ihirbl,6' Howe Sfembers of the Holies of CoMinuisii, who
Wrongfully withhold from the whole nation the nsost vale.
able and the most sacred tokritsace, Cosstitationsi
presentation, the edipleadero, Instead of being answered
that right' 'should be ado? were iwornfollt refined justify,
end were, moreover, insulted sod calumniated; Nod their
oppressors had iwilsenee instingle, not oat, to tousle their
Pefitium to he tratopkd on, but to piorine a invprosion
*leo of all lairs of protection ; in eiinserpience of which,
Parliamentary lteformers were Minim:oily bunted by the
blood-hounds of (sive accusation, into ruin and misery,
chains, dungeon*, and elide.
That every English Court of Indieatare halls mantel,
altrilintellint 'lilies; nut Only stoliority Imt responsibility :
to try, VDT mutt., try, en ivstie, it bath no amnia—to do,or
not to do, its duty, It bath no choice; for, in the English
Constitution, as in the rode of mimic and reason, it is an
eternal princ,ple of equity, emphatically reiterated to the
maxims of onr law, triirlittines the brightest gess is Magus
Charts, that justice shall not be denied.
9. That as touching electorial rights, the House of Com.
muss claims to he as exclusive Court of Judieoneel us the
Grenville Art moan 111 l s that claim; and as for redress of the
greatest --efeeloestsrnoiks, the Courts of Law are seroritimely
shot against the people ;
.so the Heuer of f:oosisiona, use of
whose olden it is to impends unjust judges, cannot enume-
rate motor its privilege* that of Irking itself an milavdal
Judge; stir 111,11111 g it. attributes, that ails sattiority to mock
at justice.; .sit impiety peculiarly offinsafiro to God, nod Ilia.
gusting to man.

- -
11l Thit to deity ;melee, is to dispenee with and h *im-
pend law ; a treason Ilsr which • King was expelled the
throne; and inch m dealal by h Court that had motiopolisld
all the powers of reilimes, were an aggravation of the guilt,
beyond the force of language to !Immo.
If. That It "'priers to this Meiling that, in respect to
Parliamentary Reform, those are the factious, who, tirsiost
the totblie right of she nation, set up a private interest of
their party; those *re the rash, who, to geltlevidelit prin-
ciples, oppose obviously emetics.. opinions ; those are the
presommusins, who, in place of the unwind Constitution of
their country, prefer UMW/ minceits of their own ; those
are the intemperate, who expect the ammo* sense of the
cosantuulty to stoop to their 'period digestion ' • and those •
are the violeut, whose projects, if adopted, wouldidolatewor
liberties.
The worthy Major then 'imported-
-12. That dila blertiog Mont the Right Hoo.John Rooters,
Lord Sooners, for his laving Written an Easy, admirably
well calculated to accelerate the downfal of mirruption as by
law establialowl; by exposing the milieus* ittooralwe of its
defenders, the licasen foreheads of ittichawipiuss. the incor-
rigibility of degas& and the imbecility sof its apologist*.
Lord Cot:nob/4E detested the principles of Lord
Somers as much as the Hon. Gentleman who spoke
last, but he could not agrce to this motion; because
theelectors, out of the respect they owed them-
selres„ ought to abstain from tuixing any thing like
lesity iu their proceedings. Arcs lerolloUseerd
strung and decided opinion on the unconstitutional
tendency of the publication of the Noble Lord
whb was the subject of this Resolution, and
thought it should be met by a vote of teprobatiou.
.--Ptappiaaw.)
Mr. HUNT was equally explicit on the 'object of
this work, and referred to the acquittal of the Noble
Lord's (Somers) onerstor on impeachment, as one
of the evils felt by posterity.
Major Ca IrrWRIGHT times said he would withdraw
the Resolution.
The nest Resolatiou

13. That the Manta of this Meeting are given to lint
profound reasoner, mad iirr-renineat writer on Irrodstsoa,
icretor Bentham, Esq. for the philosophical sud unanswer-
able eindicatists, in Ala " Catechism on Parlimarotart Re-
form," of Uteri& of'ail the cootassous of thus realm, equally
to stare and saasally to-extrehe the freochist of choosing

power 'kilt, Nfaxi-tratts which they would litted ciple for
hero glad of the olpportittesti• of speeetwisq,.they to live or
burl right.to be M steln is stowable. In • Lord (
orttili, to rossfurtn to the Art. Mietilff deviatient long upon
from the original motile.' Wile, that the meoting had yea" eli3"
tweet intended to lw rolled at Covent-geode.) t but Slow to he
on looking into the Art, they (owlet that, as sari• a question
flier the fluis.e of C ttttt snow. air the Courts of 11, than b