The National Register.
London, England, 1808-05-22 00:00:00

MAY 2n,

how was the taking his seat iu that House to make him liable )
It was not a voluntary act, for It had been done in obedience to
a writ, by which he was compelled to take his seat, or submit
to pains and penalties. The Chancellor of the Exchequer was
of opinion, that no case had been made out by the Honourable
Baronet in which the House ought to interfere; but the Speaker
thought the matter important : and conceived that the Honour.
able Baronet, if be should find any practical consequences
likely to result from the judgment which could give cause to
complain of a breach of privilege, could not be too expeditious
in bringing the business before the House and asking its inter.
ference.
These appear to be the facts of this interesting case. The
comments of The Independent Whig are In the usual strain of
stupid abuse:
The electors of Westminster will here perceive, according
" to the new doctrine of Lord Ellenborough, that their worthy
" representative is, if we may be allowed to use a light express"
sion" (observe the pun) " placed as it were between two
" If he take his seat in Parliament, in compliance with the
" choice of his Constituents, and in obedience to the laws of hi;
" country, he is to be answerable for all the damages, and ar•
" countable for all the expences, however extravagant or name..
" cessary, incurred by those who sent him thither; and, if he
" decline, he is liable to pains and penalties for contumacy and
" neglect. Was there ever any thing so monstrous and absurd ?"
We do not had that Lord Ellenborough any where asserts the
liability of the candidate for all the expences of his elector:,
however extravagant or unnecessary. This is merely a charge
for necessary expences: a charge which certainly must be Foci
either by Sir Francis Burdett, or by his electors, and surely
the friend of the people is too generous to ask the electors to pay
expences, which though not incurred by him, were all incurred
for him. If the High Bailiff had made an unreasonable charge,
we should have been happy to see Sir Francis Burdett resisting
it on account of its exorbitance : but to take advantage of the
letter of two old statutes, when the spirit of those statutes cer-
tainly went a different way, does not to us appear a proceeding
so honourable to Sir Francis, as to deserve the public comments
of his friends. Even if we were inclined to allow that in the
construction of these statutes, Lord Ellenborough argued with-
out law, which by the bye we do not mean to admit, yet surety
he argued with the greatest equity. It is necessary, areordiii,,"
to the modern system of large elections, that there he cheek-
clerks as well as poll-clerks; and in such a place as Westmin-
ster there ought surely to be some accommodation fur iii
friends of the parties. But is the High Bailiff then to pay the
expences of all the buildings that are necessary ? Certainl;
not. " Nor the Candidates," says Sir Francis Burdett. Then.
the Electors must pay the bills, and treat their candidate.
How shall we reconcile this with the following paragraph is
the same article of the The Independent Whig.
" Sir Francis afterwards declares that he does not bring for-
" ward this subject on his own account, but as it is important
" to the Electors of Westminster, and material iu respect to tilt
" prig sieges of that House."
This is disinterested indeed! And Sir Francis's friends really
do his reputation a great service when they represent hint re •
fusing such demands as the bill of the High Bailiff for the hust•
logs and the Clerks !
But the most entertaining articles in last Sunday's IVkig aro,
the extract that has been made from Mr. Miles's Letter to the
Prince of Wales, and the Conductor's comments on it. In this
Letter the Prince is warned that " a project is widely surpectcd
" to suspend the constitution."
We remember to have been passing a few years ago through
the village of Ross, in Ilerefot dshire, when suddenly the church
bells began to ring most loudly. The post was come in, and no
news had arrived that could give occasion for any such boi—
terotts exultations but our curiosity as to the calve of the
übilee was soon gratified by the report of an old man, who
stated that France teas taken.
When we tind it proved that France is taken, perhaps we
shall believe that the constitution is to be suspended : in the
mean time we content ourselves with enjoying the liberties thi.t
we possess, and regarding as equally distant the sitbjliAatitin
our enemies, and our own annihilation.
The Independent Whig declares that secret rumour has de-
clared Lord Wellesley to be the champion w Ito propo s
to carry this new measure into execution. 1)0 the Conduc-
tors of this Paper imagine that Lord Wellesley is as mad as his
old antagonist, Mr. Paull ? Are these times in w hick att
se
however pre-eminent in genius, however regardless of hiannuit:
however devoted to dc•potic principles, will tonic forward 4"