The National Register.
London, England, 1822-05-26 00:00:00

164

INDEPENDENCE VP n-E.srmiNsrEa.

Thursday the Fifteenth Aniii% eranry of Sir Francis Burdett's
ecetiou for Westminster was cilebrawd by tim Eitztuts in the
word minim r, at the Crimp and Anchor.
The comrtay assembled Was as numerous and respectable as
on any former occasion ; amongst them were, Lord EMington,
Lord Nugent, Sir Robert Wiktio, Pr. flume, Alderman W
31r. N ilhatos, and many other members of Patlianient.
Sir FRANCIS BUR ETT was in the

Mr. Hobhouse sat on his r.glit hand.—As soon as the dinner
1.:111 over,
The CHAIRMAN gave—" The People!—the ouly sou•ee of
1. Otimate power"—%l hick was chunk with three times three,
and imuren•e applause.
The nest toast was '• The king ; may be remember hi, own
declare:ion, that the Crown is a 'Frost for the B:netit of the
P.mple."—Three times three,
'the uc,t mast was, '• The only Remedy for all our Political
Evils, a full, fair, and Gee Representatiou of the People in
the Commons }tense of Parliament.** The applause with which
thin toast was received was unbounded, and continued low,
Iteroad what is usual. As coon as the applause load subsided',
Mr STVRCH said, the Stewards bad done him the honour to
app t him to propose the health of their beloved Represen-
tative, whose triumph and their own they were met to cele-
brate. NO Session of Parliament had passed since he was first
elected, without some effort on his part in fan our of liberty ;
and especially in tabour of th• t essential right of the people,
without widen there can be no hope of attaining a gonernutent
that shall he administered for the good of the many, and not
tor the emolument of the few—a full, free, and fair represen-
tation of the pcople of EnJand, Ireland, and Scotland, di the
Commona Ilmse of Parliament. (tlear, hear.) The worthy
gentleman said he should not detain the Meeting longer, but
would propose the torsi whinli they would all receive with the
same pleasure he felt in proposing-- The steady Opposer of
Tyranny nod Oppression—the constant Advocate of Pailia-
mentary Reform—and truly boae►t Representatine of the Peo-
ple, Sir Francis Burdett."
This toast was received with acclamations, which it would
he in vein to attempt to describe. As soon PS Sir Francis could
expect to he beard, he stood up to make his acknowledgments,
but his appearance produced such a renewal of the applause,
that several minutes elapsed before a word coald be hearth—
A silence that, as much ne the applause enlaced the highest
respect and admiration succeeded.
Sir Ensscin said, the pleasure lie at all times felt at every
mark of approbation bestowed on him by the independent
Electors of Westminster, was, on the present occasion, in-
creased, by the worthy Electors calling to :Mai the commence-
ment of his political connection with the electors of Westmin-
ster, which had been ever since continued with equal satisfac-
loin and with better prospects. (Hear, hear.) Ever since be
Lett the happiness of forming that connection, he had never for
one moment itottlited the truth and justice of those principles
that tint recommended him to their choice ; and if a mortal

retest promise for his own perseverance, lie thought lie might
gory that, to the latest period of his life, the same principles
should actuate his conduct. (Hear, hear.) They bad met
year after year under circumstances of encreased embarrass-
seem, but never was there such an appearance of a political
crisis ;ts at present. (Hear, hear.) The power of the Parlia-
ment to act again,,t the will of the people was b. come as op
parent to the whole world as it had lung been to the enli,;litened
electors of Westminster, who were convinced that all the li-
berty of the country would be a shadow, if the House of Cour-
t:tons were usurped by unconstitutional influence, instead of
being the organ of the 'maple for the controul of government.
(Hear, he ,r ) It augured well to the cause of freedom to see
so many present whose aid would be useful in its support iii
another place (alluding to the Members of the House of Com-
;mina who were present), anil many lie knew were absent from
particular circumstances ; one from a domestic affliction, who
had lately made an able, though ineffectual, effort to obtain a
a reform of the House of Commons, the refusal of which clearly
',hewed that Ministers were adverse to the slightest, as well as
the most effectual Reform of that House. Still Lord John
Russell's motion for Reform met more support than au; motion
sin the same stubject since (hut made by Mr. Pitt, when a Mi-
nister. Indeed it is impossible for any but the wilAillybliud
nit to see that some effectual reform was become indispensable
for the wifely of the country. It is now, for the lirst time,
at owed in Parham.. ot, Met it is necessary for Ministers to
maintain and excessive expenditure of the public money, for
the purpose of supporting their intbience in the House of Com-
mons. If this be a necessary part of the British Constitution,
then the eulogies that have been protiounred un it are false and
absuial ; but the great Locke, at the Revolution, entertained an
opinion an directly contrary, that he asserted, such conduct on
toe part of the Executive Power would justify the People in
resorting, to the best right of freemen—resistancc to oppres-
eion.—(lllear, he • ! )—The late Speaker of Ilie house of
Commons pretended to be greatly shrieked at the mention of
the influence by which votes in Psrliament were obtained ;
though probably no one was better aequaiuted with the practice;
—but decency was not then laid aside.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—
Much bad been said of late and particularly by a right lion.
gentleman (Mr. Canning) at the nireting of a literary society,
about upholding the nonerchiaal system and the Christian re-
ligion. This occurred iii drawing the attention of the meeting
to the French ambassador, because lie was represented as lut-
ing begun with writife, in defence of the Christian virtues, and
as bating ended with upholding monarchies! principles. Ile
( Sir F. Burdett) thought that a literary society was the last
place where monarchical principles should be ittioduced,mless
indeed, what was called the republic of letters was intended
to be converted into a monarchy. It appeared to him that the
principles of monarchy and the principles of Christianity were
entirely dissimilar. First of all, lie would say, in the words
of a great and able man, whom the electors of Westminster
uad the people of England would never forget —(he meant the
late John Horne Tool Monarchy we abhor, though king-
slop we admit." Undoubtedly, the constitutien of England
ayes no monarchy. It was a constitution of a very different
description indeed. It was dillirent from the principles of a
monarchy as ~,,, narchy was from those of Christianity
To use t: le words of the poet, monarchial principles
had taught to realms undone
The enormous faith of many made for one."
It proceeded on the ground that one family had a paramount
let-rest over a who e community. (Applause.) That was net
the piiiciple of English constitution, intich less was it the
principle or Christianity, which was, in fact, quite the reveres
at it. Christianity was opposed to the splendour of monarchy
by its humility ! it was opposed also to it by this essential
principle—that the Christian was told to sacrifice his owl' inte-
rest to the interest of others: and they well knew that the
great Preaciller of that doctrine sacrificed himself for the good
at the whole world. Nothing appeared to him so incompatible
to each other as the principle of monarchy, the principle of
Christianity, and the principle of the English coustitiaticm—