The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-12-09 00:00:00

it carried its antidote along nith it, for the extra.
ragout wildness of its sentiments and vehemence
of tope, were calceleted to obviate any evil im-
pression that the w►iter of it might hare been
disposed to produce. We published the letter as
sui historical document. in common with our con.
tempora►ies, but bow the composition found its way
to the Morniug Paper where it first obtained pub.
lictty. we pretend not to know.
We do not, however. think that Mr. H. DAVIS
is justified by the appearance of that letter from
declining to pay to her MAJESTY the respect due
to her tank and station, or to decline the honour-
able dety assigned to him by " such a respectable
body of his constituents." A QUEEN may address
her Consort, or aomelxxly with more zeal than sense
may write • letter to the KINO in her mime, in lan-
guage not sufficiently judicious or temperate ; the
tote of remonstrance might be harsh and offensive,
bat we kite's not what right Mr. HART DAVIS has
to withheld .o that account his duty to his con-
stituents, tied whim to become the medium of
communicating to her MAJESTY the expression of
Aline affection and esteem. Aud walk this Gen-
tlemen'. inconsistency ! He would feel no diffi-
culty in transmitting the Address conjointly with
his worthy Colleague to the Queen's Vice-
Cassineataix, but he cannot as a Member of
Parliament present it in person to the Queen her-
self. That is, he is perfectly willing as a Member
of Parliament to treat her MAJESTY'S servant,
acting as her immediate agent, with all due respect.
but he cannot as a Member of Parliament conde-
scend to treat the principal with the respect which
ciistom and the principles of our Monaichicel Go-
*eminent require from every gentleman in the em-
pire. Mr. D•vts might recollect the it was not to
pay his personal respects to the Quer', con-
stituents required him to wait upon her MAJESTY,
but merely, as their agent, to convey the expression
of their.seatiments. In making his bow, therefore.
he might solemnly protest apiiist her MAJESTY'S
receiving it es his act in his private eipaeily. The
bow was to be considered merely as a state bow, or
a how of ceremony—such a bow, fur instance, as
the Hon. Gentleman gives to certain of the worthy
electors of Bristol, whose persons and principles he
holds ki religious abhorrence, with the comfortable
convidien that " no love is lost" between them.

Now we should wish extremely to know when
this ingenious excuse first smote the brain of Mr.
HART DAVIS, fur every body must see thst it it
merely an excuse, and that the real cruse for thus
dissenting fro u the wishes of his constituents
bears a far different complexion. Had that injn.
diciest leder never been written, would Mr. HART
DAVIS have " seriously objected :is a Member of
Parliament to paying his personal respects to the
QOllll S other circumstance in the con-
duct of her MAJESTY or of her friends would
have soggeoed to an ingenious mind a pretence
equally cogent. Never, we believe, was the con-
duct of any individual watched with keener avidity
to discover pretences for offering injuries and in-
sults, or for witholding kindness and resin ct, than
that of our unhappy QUEEN. Private interest
prompts thousands to insult or desert her, and
thousands are therefore employed in ilevising ex-
cuses for their illiberality and cruelty. Evety act
of her life is distorted to give a colour to ac-
cusation, and censure dares to raise its bead iii
circumstances where, if justice were suffered
to prevail, praise alone might to find entrance.—
Let the candid observer of her MAJESTY'S life and
actions examine with honest impartiality the con-
duct of any individual, whether in public or private
life, who may chance to come within the scope of
his vision, and then weighing the power of per.
verting with malicious ingenuity the ohj-cts and
character of the ordinary transactions its which
human existence is versant, let him declare whether

it were poisible fur any person to pass the ordeal of
slander, and bear a reputation clearer from the con.
victinn of offence than that of her Alijeaty the
Queen of El% ULAN D.
itilluwitig is the letter to which we have re-
ferred :

" London, Dec . 1, 1820.

" MY Draft SIR—I have had Ihr honour In reeeive your
letter, with the information, that at a numerous and re-
spectable Meetigeof my Fellow-Citizens, at which you were
called to the Cfrair, an Address to the Queen was sctiii-
oitisty 'Writ, which the Representatives in Parliament fur
the City of Bristol were requested to prevent to her
Majesty.
" It in eery painful to me to be obliged to decline a duty
which inch a respectable &oily of my Constituent.' have Mi.
',used upon me; and 1 feel it necessary, iir few wurda, to
explain the reason of my dissent (ruin their swishes
" I 'Mould have felt no difficulty in transmitting this
Address, conjoiuily with my worthy Colleague, to the Hon.
Keppel Craven, the Vice•Chamherlain of her Majesty. but as
a Member of the British Parliament I do arrionaly ohjert to
Hying toy personal respects to the Queen, until the lots pub-
licly disavowed an injurious letter written and pothlishril in
her name, and addressed to our most grarions Sovereign.
o If this letter lie 1111, a treasonable are, which my legal
knowliolge dors nut permit me precisely to determine, it is
notoriously of a char:wire so closely 11.11thq mg upon it, that
no loyal subject, who litters and holism's his King, can consi-
der it in any other light than as lending and Wended to
lonic the Kong's Person and the Mnuatchy of the C try
into ciontrnipt.
" With this conviction deeply impreased in my mind, is
there one of my etienlitutailia who will not PO that I should
dishonour those who sent me to Parliament, if through ally
hair desire of poplar applause I should act 111rou'ruhr-
lion
to it ? I will real my rase here, and trust fur toy
apology to the 'viol sense and loyal frelings of any Fellow-
Claisros.

" I liner the honour to be, dear Sir,
" With sentiments or esteem and regard,
Your GIOIA and obedient Servant,
(Signed) " RICHARD MART DAVIS.
• Richard Bright, Eeq. Chairman."

jkle. Mottitov, it is ouppobed. will be re-eleeted
Pre•itlent of the lloite4 State. of America.

*..."••• •"%IPA..6* •