The National Register.
London, England, 1821-02-12 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

he touched upon politics—the cottager enlarged
upon the distrosies and oppressions of his country,
and concluded by paying a just tribute to the
goodness of his Monarch, while he loaded with
execrations the ear-wig-Ministers who poisoned his
mind and prejudiced him iq,,ainst his subjects, the
better to fulfil their iniquitous views. Early on the
morrow his suite surrounded the cottage, and to the
astonishment of his trembling host claimed their
Monarch—the Czar looking upon them with con-
tempt, exclaimed, " Behold this worthy man—he,
during the last evening, told me that truth, to the
concealment of which your lives have been devoted."
So much for history—and if England possess a
Monarch at least us goXl as the patriotic Emperor,
is he not surrounded by courtiers equally mischievous
—equally misrepresenting his subjects—and for
what? why, to enable thew, by creating distrust of
their loyalty, to make him suppose that the reign of
terror only is fitted for a people who, in point of
fact, venerate their Sovereign inherently—whose
first essay at any thing like harmonic power is uni-
formly "God save the King"—who can and would
protect their King at the risk of life, fortune, and
every thing that is dear to them, while they would
run the same hazard to vent their feelings on the
Ministers who have abused him, libelled the pen-
ile, placed in abbeyance the Constitution, over-
whelmed the nation with distress, and can coolly
look on while they enjoy the wicked fruits of their
labours—but "it is his Majesty's intention to gra-
tify his subjects by frequently appearing among
them," and the distorted view he has received of
their feelings will be removed—he will find that the
natural attachment of Englishmen to the blead of
the Executive Government is undiminished, in
despite of all the attempts to decrease it which his
Ministers have made, by shomelessly dragging forth
the Royal name in excuse Lir their delinquencies.—
It is now currently reported that on the delicate
subject which has recently so seriously agitated the
public mind, his Majesty is wiiiing to cede to the
wishes of his subjects, by replacing her M ijesty's
name to the Liturgy, but that Ministers oppose it—
and shall it be borne that fifteen creatures like them
shall oppose themselves to the will of nearly as
many millions—that they shall, to keep their places,
keep up a strife between the government and the
people, that proffers an alternative of despotism or
revolution.

Every division in that House which ought to
express the voice and wishes of the people proclaims
aloud the necessity of Reform—that on the motion
of the Marquis of Tavistock was triumphantly op-
posed to every expression contained in the loads of
petitions which, subscribed with the names of all
that comprise the honour, honesty, and respectability
of the United Kingdoms, have, night after night,
almost hidden the SpeAer from the view of the
Memb'ess—and can such a system last ?—can such
quackeries be much longer tolerated—is the col-
lected wish and demand of the worth of England to
be derided by the finger of Lord Castlereagh point-
ing to the gh» ious majority—a majority, the means
of returning which have been too often shewn to
require notice now.

In our proceedings of the Court of King's Bench
will he found the particulars of the ceremony of
passing sentence upon Sir Francis Burdett. The
Court could not avoid a sentence with a verdict of a
Jury staring them in the lam, while they retimed
to disturb that verdict—but we hesitate not to de-
clare our opinion, that had the Court hero constituted
as it ought to have been—had Mr. Jittice fly
occupied the Cim:r seat in that Court, to t% hull his
seniority in the Court, his ability, and his humanity,
equally joined to entitle him, the sentence would
have been a fine of six shillings and eight-pence,
and an immediate discharge. However, constituted
as the Court is, we really rejoice in the saitence as
it is—the fine Ovlach ‘%.:. be Lv oubecription

45

among his applauding fellow-citizens) would be-
nothing to the honourable and worthy Baronet, if
it came out of his own pocket; and as to the impri.
sonment for three months, we cannot but felicitate•
ourselves, and congratulate the true friends of our
country that the Court has been 'so far influenced by
popular feeling as to make his absence from its ser-
vice of so short a duration—we repeat, however,
our conviction, that, with the FATHRR of the Court,
dissenting on the point of the legality of the trial,
THE HONOURABLE BARONET OUGHT NOT TO HAVE
VEEN IBROUUIIT UP FOR JUDGMENT AT ALL.