The National Register.
London, England, 1819-12-13 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

vate nature shouhl be lost between individuals. and
the nation should unite in that one powerful object of
procuring a representation in the IitItISC of Commons
tint stouter the count sot of Ministers, Its t xereising a
coutroal oyer them. It wit to be hoped that nn person
would pot forward his political creed :is a ground for
refusing to co-operate; anti if there were any honest
persons who felt alarm the did lint mean productive,
Ministerial alarm, but the alarm likely to arise in the
mind of any good inalt,evrn at the idea of a change from
had to good), the support of such men Witold be a lOW-
illllllllalion devoutly to be wished. Without specif) mg
any particular plan of !tenet'', lie thought all hottest
minds would come to this conclusion, that such an
effectual Reform was nevessary as would destroy the
intimacy between the adrunistration and the majority of
the House of Commons, put an end to the rotten bn.
rough representations, and place men in Parliament,
who, front their number and the limited period for
which they could be elected, would be beyond the possi-
lity of corrupdifil. Tile') would the [iglus of the people
be contended for without fear, and that to which all
were entitled would be the property of all.—(Great ap-
plause )—lf the eitd.could be liblJltied the means new
a secondary consideraiteni and if a vigilant guard could
be set up in the House of Commons upon the public
purse and public interests, the selection of those who
were calculated 10 be instrumental ottalit most to- be a
matter of scrupulous inrestigatitm. Sone might to be
excluded from. co-operating but those guilty of apostacy,
and of supposing principks its their very it' re hostile
to the welfare of the public; and all honest men, al-
though they might nut exactly coincide in political views
with the great body of the people, sl Id be held as
brothers. (Immense applause.) The first rudiments of
tyranny were, " divide and. subjugate." Ministers, lie
olkierf eil, acting upon ant great rule, endeavoured to set
the Reformers at loggerheads, by snaking distinctions of
an invidious nature, and throwing the apple of discord
among them by the applicatioti of a statue' but the
maxim igloo wnich the people would cuntettd against
them was " unite and be free." The officers of the
crown, and the would-be Akers of the crown, had de-
clared that notorious assembla ,es of the people were
illegal. If' that was true, the rriends he addressed were
all liable to be treated as were their fellow-subjeels in
Manchester, where, he beteved, iii his conscience, the
meeting was not an atom more tumultuous nor less
peaceable than the present assembly until it wasattacked
by the military. Tins he was led to believe, upon the
evidence of thoye whose veracity lie would not put in
comparisou with that of Ministers, who had c 1111 l C lib the
resolution of approving the acts of the Magistrates with-
out inquiry—and why had they done sot In support of
their own power.—The purple might meet atmut Corn
Bills, and commit violence upon the property of manu-
facturer% to whom their distresses were in their judg-
ment imputable, without calling forth the resentment of
the administration; but wisest they put their finger upon
the surer and complained of the corruption of the
borough-inciargering system, then it was that Ministers
said—" OM now you are guilty of High Treason!"--.
(Cheers, and cries of Shame.) ." I, then," ezciditurtl
the Honourable Baronet, " pro: aim myself guilty of
I igh Treason, if to oppose the syssem of rotten boroughs
be high Treason. I shall always opixose those Gentle-
men who encroach upon the public rights with all lily
might. I owe them no allegiance, atul *lull for ever
meet them with hostility. I should be a traitor to the
roust' won and to the people if 1 dill not commit this
treason to the borough-monger sysiens."—The
Bart. then compared aftiiiitaistration to certain tweets
which were very near-sighted, but were furnished with
what was called feelers, which they thrust out beyond
their noses, because they could not see farther than thew
noses to ascertain whether there was ally opposition to
their progress. Ministers put forth doctrines to see whe-
ther the people would be disgusted, and if them was nn
powerful emotion they became holder, and proceeded to
action. The worthy Baronet cone:titled with expressing

hope. that the people would set up a constitutional
harrier against those feelers. He should, to the hest of
his power, act for the service of the public, hut he
would at the sane time declare, that if he saw they were
acting not in confor eee i t y with the principles of the Con-
stitution, and engaging is wild projects, he should be as
far front flattering as betraying them.
Mr. Lamb stepped forward, I fly applauded. The
pleasure he felt at seeing his constituents was, he said,
somewhat depreteed by the apprehension they were to
meet tin more upon the same terms. The only embar-
rassment he felt arose from the warmth of his feelifigs,
and feelings were the only things that were warm on
such a day. The measures they reprobated were, in his
m • • , not worse than thatfrom which they originated,
.he refusal to institute inquiry into the outrage which
had given rise to the discontent that existed. Man-
chester Magi rites were convicted by the refusal, fur
every one knew that it could not lead to their justifica-
tion. The only plea set up for the Nlagistrates was, that
they were in trepidation and alarm. If that was the
case, they were surely unfit for their situations; but
what were the people to think of the thanks of Govern-
ment to men influenced by such motive's?—There was a
story of a captiv:, whose truly auto-semi-tit was number-
tug the links of bis chain. 'Vise people of this country
were not yet in that situation, and he masted they would
prevent the gaoler from ravening on their bolts. They
were told that the regulations were adopted for the pur.
pose of promoting free discussion. No doubt it was the
kind intention of Give ent to assist in such an ob-
ject, and the people were as grateful to Metal as a omit
would be opens bilVing a gag put upon his mouth, and
being told, **Now you may say what you like."—
' (Laughter awl applause.)
Air Ilouhouse then presented himself to the meeting,
Ist universal applause. lie commenced his address
by stating, that he held in his hand Resolutions which
he should have the honour of submitting to the turtling,
and upon which would be founded a petition so the
House of Cumulous. The Resolutions he had to pro.

DEC. 13

pose would speak• fur themselves, and he should now
hair the honour of submitting 111,111.—(Shouts.)
1. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the refusal too
institute any Parliazuentery or adequate enquity into the late
lanientabk occurrences at 51anelicaer is highly unjust and.
&c.
Y. That the law proposed for restricting popular assemblies
is contrary to the free lorwtitution of these realms..
3. That the law now proposed against the liberty of the press
is in total opposition to the principles and practice of the
Constittmon—and tha► the proposed increased severity of
puoisliment fur libel is unjust, and a violation of the Bill of
Rights.
4. the law now proposed for search for and seizing of
arms by day or by night, is also against the acknowletlged rights
of English subjects.
S. That the lax now proposed to take away the right of Ira.
voising from the defendants in cases of misdemeanour, is also
contrary to the free spirit of the Constitution, and to the common
law of• the land.

6. That the law now prop9sed to prevent drilling and training
is called fig by noestablished facts.
That without a due reform in the Commons Ifoure the
propercontidence between the governors and the governed newer
can be restored.

8. That a petition finintled on die above resolutions he pre-
pared, and that our Representative. Sir Francis Burdett, b.:
instructeil to present the sanie to the House of Commons.
9. That the thanks of this meeting are due, and are hereby
given to the minorities of both Houses of Parliament (ammo
which we are heppy to observe the names of both the members
for Westminster) tisr their present orposition to the proposed
arbitrary measures of the Government.
ui. That notwithstanding. this fleeting is by no means um
grateful tor, or insensible to. the eittr.ions made by Moat mem-
bers of both [louses of Parliament wdo have opposed the Bills
now in progre s, yet it thinks itself solemnly called upon to
restommend all those members, in case the said Bills should pass,
to witostraw their attendance trona Parliament.
I 1. That this 'meting consider their thanks, and tl,sse of the
whole country, to be justly due, and their thanks are hereby most
cordially given to Sir Francis Burdett, for his manly and con-
stitutional speech upon the hue Address, and that this meeting
do regard die State Prosecution now vending over hills, as ano.
they evidence of the designs of ministers. and consider that it
should be an additional itiotivefor the attachment of the Elector
of Westminster to their worthy Representative.
14. That the thanks of this niteung be given to Arthur Nforris,
Esq. High Bailiff, for his readiness in culling toe present 'muting,
and foe his impartial conduct in the Chair ibis day.

NIG Douglas Kinnaird thin Flood forward, amidst
warm greetings it the assembled multitude. The
Meeting hal, he observed, given their solemn protest
against the hills, so rapid in 'licit comae through Par-
liament. lie had one Resolution to propose, withous
taking up much ocetip.mun of tame, which was, " that
the Tuanks of the Nleviing be giver. to Sir Francis
Borden, lor his manly and constitutional ,peech, in 95.
posing the Address to site Prince Regent. and for his
Anis in the cause which had subjected him to the pro.
secution of the Attorney General." ifec.—(Applause
The High Bailiff then adjourned the Meeting.