The National Register.
London, England, 1809-04-09 00:00:00

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THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

lingaeucy almost in the highest rank of the state, and the
limply perseverance to follow up that arraignment with ir-
tefrogahle proofs of guilt. These were such as to carry Con..
V iermll to tile mind of toe country w herever the influence of Mi-
nisters ti,d not prevail, and in opposition to the vote or a map-
ri'y i Parliament. But notwithstanding that vote, the High Per-
oc.&,;e, for w hose vindication it was passed, in opposition to all
tv ..nice, so strongly felt the sense impressed upon the country
1) the proofs against. hint, that lie thought proper to resign his
orLice, anti thereby not only to ail.oit the proofs, but to reproach
the votes of the persons who chose to suet ieee their ow n inte-
grity and conviction fur the mere purpose of his vindication.
ill r. Goodbehere a oncleiled ire proposing, for the adoption of
the Court, the follow log Resolut hots :
1. Resolved, That this Court has, on frequent occasions,
evit,ced its detestation of the Public Atm.:es which have been
found to exist in various departments of the State, and it cannot
but equally condemn the corrupt practices developed by the late
Investigation before the Comment- House of Parliament.
2. Resolved, That Ciwyllim Lloyd Wardle, Esq. having, un-
awed by Nlinisteoal threats, exhibited serious Charges against
the late Commander in Chief, which have been clearly substan-
tiated, and which have in fact hid treed his Royal Highness to re-
sign a situation of.which he is now,rthy, is entitled to the esteem
and gratitude of this Court and the Country.
:;. 'Resolved, That the Thanks of this Court, and the Freedom
of this City, in a (hold Box, of the value of 100 Gaineas, be
pi-es:noted to C; wyllim Lloyd Wardle, Eq. in grateful testimony
of tae high sense they entertain of the zeal, intrei)idity, and pa-
t 114.6 :rn, which he so eminently evinced in that arduous and
audahle undertak'N.
The other Resolutions, consisting of three, went to thank Sir
Francis Burdett, Bart. Lotil Folksioue, Samuel Whitbread,
l's 1. Sir Samuel Mimi!: v. Knt. General Ferguson, Ilarvey
Cltris—
tient Connie, Esq. arid the rest of the ;Vernbers consti-
tuted the minOrity ; to declare that in the vote of the majority,
there was ground to apprehend it r.,tist have arisen from influ-
ence; an 1 to state the necessity of a radicitl and spectly reform.
}le then moved the first Resolution, which was ably seconded
by r. :\lll.l- Lit, in a short speech.
Mr. DIXON perfectly agreed in a Resolution of Thanks to
Mr. Wanlle, and censured strongly the immorality of the Duke
of York's connection as proved vv it h Mrs. Clarke. Fie ho‘v-
cver, totally denied thet any privity or connivance was proved
against him personally in the sentulalous tratlic which came out
in evidence; and lie deprecated the whole of the remaining Re-
soluf *ins as unnecessary.
Mr. Deputy EM t.n vek:mwledged that he was one of those
who signed tile tion, merely with a view of thanking Mr.
'Wardle for his meritorious conduct ; but he was by no means
aware that this was to be made a party question. He saw no
neceiiy for any other Resolution.
Alde7onto Cons: spoke in. support of the Resolutions,
31r. Gal FFITIIS supported the Reso! uti oils in a speech of much
Sir C. Paten took the opportunity of expressing those senti-
tne.its hi vi!:dic.ltiou of hiaiself, and of his worthy colle:gtt..s
(Sir ‘Villia,:s Curtis, nod Alderman Shaw not heo.:g present) for
toe votes tney had given upon this sooiert, and whi,:h, he slid,
Ere` was prevented from lotering before the Livery on Saturda),
by the clamour of the crowd assealbled upon that occasion.
WAIMM.t..; sup domed at considerable •lerkth the Reso-
lutions, and contended for t ite nece,sity imposed upon the ror-
• vocation of Loa:',ln, of expres,iug their opinions upon this sun-
jcct, as they always had been in the habit of doing,- in order to
• • give a tone and example to the whole conotry.
Alderman PRI NSE P supported the Re,olutions, and thought
*they contained such traisars as admitted of no coAradietion.
Afar sonic further discussinn between Mr. Whehle and other
ipeaki.rs, the lirt and second resolutions were put and carried
unanimously, and also the third, with the dissenting. voices of
Mr. Dixon and Mr. Kimble, upon the ground of economy, re-
Fpecting the gold box. .
The of.xt resolution was carried unanimously.
Upon the Fifth Resolution, r. Alterman Birch, in an ani-
mated speech expressed his decided opposition to the assumption
of any privilege on the part of that assembly, or any other in
this kingdom, to ceosare the decisions of the House of Com-
mons, or to impute wrong or corrupt motives to the Representa-
tives of the People in any decision, which by the vote of a-ina-
jority tl3ey should adept. Socha Resolution, theref,re niightlead
to the mos, lamentable consequences in the excitement of popu-
.4ir tumult. No practical good could possibly arise from it; but

r '

on the contrary much mischief; and if the people once asstinied
out of doors the privilege of censuring the conduct of t'arliament
there would be an end of the ConstitutiOn H-that venerable fa-
bric would be shaken to its fouudation and overwhelm them its
its ruins, .
Mr. Birch was ably supported by Mr KQrnble, Mr. Stakes,
AlderinanAtki:as, and Mr. Box.
Mr. WA urn xi AN replied. He said, that from the like senti-
ments which he had uniformly heard from. the worthy Alder
man upon various occasion;, he had preparLl to except theni
now, and had therefore fortified himself to meet his arguments
upon much stronger authorities than his own ;—they should be
found in Judge Blackstone, and other great authorities quoted
by that author upon the doctrines of the constitution of this.
country, namely, Justice Hale, Montesquieu, and other great
authorities, by whom the Right of the people to petition Par-
!lament, and to express their sentiments uprin public grievances?'
was recognized. Baron Montesquieu in particular stated, that
Greece, Rome, Carthage, and other great states of antiquity,
had successively fallen to ruin; that England would also fall to
ruin in its turn ; and that this ruin would Occur whenever the'
representative body should beCome more corrupt than the execu-
tive. Such had been the source of ruin to many modern nations
of Europe in our own day; and what, he world ask, could be
the value of the constitutional right of petition or discussion,
if their right only allowed them to petition, or to discuss the
conduct of the other two branches of the Constitution, the
Crown and the Lords, while they were to view with silence
the misconduct of the Com Mons, by whom alone their liberties
could be ruised ? It had been said by Mr. De Lolrue, the his-
torian of our Constitution, that the House of Colon:ions, in their
omnipotence, could do almost any thing, except malting a man
a woman, nra woman a man. He had, hOwever, recently seen
them unke a black man a white one, and therefdre he did not
doubt their privilege by the same means to vote a change of

sexes.
The previhus Question had been moved by Mr. Dixon, which
being first put, the Court divided=--Against it, $ Alderman, 6Q
Chnitrioner,, 2 'fellers, 70—For it, .4 41dermen,128 Commoners;
i Teller, 2:3—Majority against the previous question :;7.
At this time stran;ers were excluded, and the Ciiiirt continued
a considerable time in discussion. We imilerst;:ild that an Ad-
journment was moved and negatived w itliott I a divisiuu. .
Au amendment was then moved by Mclennan ATK IN`4l
kich on a division was uegatiYetl,—Ayes, 5 A1(4.0114111, 20
Commoners, 1 Teller, 32—Noes, 7 Aldermen, 52 Coihnioners;
2 Tellers, 61--Thjority 29.
The original Resolution was then put and carried, as was thq
siibacquent Resulntion, after which the Court adjourned.