The National Register.
London, England, 1821-02-19 00:00:00

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1821

to constitute a libel, that the matter should he fake.
But in these our happier days, according to Lord Ken-
yon, it made no difference whether what was charged
as a libel W3ll false or true. It only required it to be
' disagreeable to his Majesty's Attorney-Getieral, and
perhaps so much the worse that it should be true. Did
any man whom he addressed doubt of the Manchester
outrage? (No, no.) Could any man doubt its (No )
Well, then, Sir Francis Burdett had ready to offer to the
Count, were he allowed to do so, 119 affidavits from
persons who were wounded, assaulted, and sabred, at
that meeting. He was not allowed to have them read ;
sod they were thought in the proper quarter not to
weigh Qtle feather tit the balance And he conk} now
assure, not only that assembly, but rite people of Eng-
land, that whatever the opitimit of the Judges or of
Juries might be, Sir F. Burdett has peter regretted, and
never will regret, his having written that letter; anti
would now write it ten thousand times over if the cit..
cuttistances called for it. (Long and coutintied cheers.)
From the time of Lord Coke to the present day, the
opinions delivered by the Judges tin the law of -hods
had lint only been inconsistent with each other, but
inconsistent with theinsehes. Chief Justice Seroggs
had declared, that it was not otily'a libel to attack the
Government, but to praise it witbout its cooseitt.—
(Laughter.)-I'here was no danger of many of the
latter description of libels being committed in these
times. (Laufitter.) Until the time of Lord Kenyon,
falsehood had been always considered as tile sole Coll-
Stlttlellt Of a libel, and so it wall delineil by the Statute
of wandalum magrustunt of Edward.% the First, which
began with the words, " If any man shall have invented
a horrible lie." The statute of Richard the Second also
made the proof of 1i Ise It cood the constituent part of a
libel. No state of society was so abominable, as that
where offences were not deflated, and if no one stepped
forward in Parliament to obtain a clear definition of
what was a Ithel, and what was not, the Hon. Speaker
declared lie would himself. They 'night at present say
with Dean Swift, that it was strange that a mall might
be called upon to miss% er hir in a Court of Justice, what
he would not be called upon to answer for in heaven,—
The speaker contended, that those who declared that
mutt might be a libel, were not the friends of good
governmetit, but of anarchy, and were unlit ;o live in
civil state, where law, Alia law only was the rule of
every MAO'S e011illtlel• He recollected a saying of the
great Lord Camden's, that had it nut been for libels, we
should not have had the glorious resolution. After
some further observation, un the 1.1%v of libel, the speaker
conc.utle: by saying, that the sentence under which the
illustrious friend of the people was now suffering, could
not disgrace him; but, tin the contrary, gave him fresh
claims to his country's gratitude; and he could confi-
dently predict thi-t the name of Burdett would form the
brightest page in his country's history, and his conduct
be regarded a, the best example for future patriots, when
the name of his prosecutors, if remembered, would only
be remembered to be execrated,

Toe Camara/ix then read a letter which he had re•
crived from Alderman Wood, stating, that his attend-
:MCC MI her 'Majesty. today, at Brai.deuburgh.house,
where numerous addresses were to be presented, pre-
vented his attending at the meeting.
Mr. Gt roost read the Resolutions and Address to Sir
F. litirdett, which were all received with the greatest
applause.
• Tile AtPrcts embraced the chief topics so forcibly
alluded to in the speech of the Chaim:M. It COM-
InelleCd by nn the \V.,,rthy 1/3rOliVe. former com-
mit al to the Tower—it expressed in pointed terms the
indignation of the Meeting us seeing hint tiow suffer for
having billowed to reform the abuses of the I. gtslature,
and alltailed to the revolting pruceedulgs at Manchester.
fie then moved the find Resolution, winch was se-
conded and carried tumultuously.
Mr. licecnam then moved the second Resolution,
which was carried intattimoomly.
hKEL row, after a few ohtervatiotiv, moved a
Rusolution, wil.ett was iCCUlltieti byNlr. Parkins, why,
said Sir Flatlets Burdett most be supported by ever)
Ent:Wilma') who loved hmiself.

The It.. .solution was cerricil unanimously.
Mr. 13ENctilot ciiit, he never felt mote satisfaction
than in proposing a Resolution declaratory of the opinion
of that Nleetitig, of the necessity of Parliatoetitsiy
Rel.or of which their illustrious friend tsar the per-
let ering and distinguished advocate, and in blillOitti of
witch he could quote Mr. I'itt, Mr. Pox, Lord Grey,
Lord Erskine, Lord John Russell, and jll.lllle not less
great MAO the greatest in the History of the COUJlterm.
he meant the h.tllnwed name of %V inihread• (Hear.)
Gnd forbid the Friends of Iteforin should not he 1...hy1t.
toe Friends of the iong—..they welt indeed hi• hest
frielids, and his Nl.ijesty could never hate any thing 10
tear, ts lieu he reposed un sire str,:elions of his people
(Heir, hear.)
Mr. 11 UN g ►eeoaded the Resolution, whtoh was car.
tied ttna ll i iiii natty.
Mr. H. ScatiTnw said, he had great pleasure
in
prosaism& i It solimuu to rats& the fine imiinieti on Sir
Fraii.:is Bsrtlett, substtiptina gismo; ourschl.:3•—
• %ars}, itesr

Puce 9iL

The Resolution passed with acclamation.
Tae other Resolutions and the Address to Sir Francis
Burdett were read by the Cliairmai., and passed with
the greatest applause.
A vote of thanks was moved to Mr. Hobhouse, and
carried with applause.
Mr. 110SHOUSE, in returning thanks, declared that,
while his life continued, his hest ex. virss should never
be wanting in defence of the liberties of the people.

EiIIiTIIQU4KES IN ZiINTE.
MITRACT OF A LITTER FROM CORFU. DA 6.
" Haviag been absent (coin Zoete, I have escaped Iks
terrible ea-thquakes that have visited, suit perhaps con.
titete to agitate, that island. The first shock took place
on the 20th, uh. soon alter fonr o'clock, a.m.; it was of
about one minute's duration, anti so tremendously violent
as to overthrow a great ninny houses, and more or less
injure every one in the city. Some lives were lost by the
falling ruins, and a great many persons wounded. It hap-
pened to be the day fur celebrating the festival of Saint
Dionysius, the tutelar saint of the island ; and the cus-
tomary procession was commenced wills more than nseal
solemnity, Sir Patrick Ross and the garrison atm aesisting,
as is common, but in this instance with greater ceremony,
in order to conciliate the superstitious ideas of the people.
The procession had scarcely left the church, when an en-
exampled deluge of rain commenced with each violence
that the company was dispersed to seek refage, and the
priests, being unable to regain the church of St. Diony.
sins, were compelled to deposit the relics in the neatest
shelter they could gait'. The rain continued 24 hours,
intruded with heilsiones, or litmea of ire, as they are
more propel ly termed, viral in size to an egg, and weigh.
lug a quarter of a pound, inure or less. The situation of
the inhabitants during this torrent, with their houses
thrown dowe, unroofed, or cracked. is represented as
indescribably miserable. During the night it broke down
the dykes formed for leading the water from the castle
(on a lofty hill itninediaiely above the town) swept away
six houses on the declivity, and carried them, with fume.
lure and inmates, into the sea : three persona perished is
this way, and many were maimed. Minor shocks have
since been felt, to the number of ten is a day. The first
was attended by the death of 10 Individuals, and shoat
16) inure were wounded. The second of any violent*
took place on the evening of the 6th inst. (Greek Christ.'
mar day), and lasted longer than the first, though the
undulations were less strong: nevertheless, many build•
bogs already is a tottering condition, fell a sacrifice to it t
amid, what is the moat serious feature attending it, the
country, which hail pretty well escaped the first, has been
the victim of the second, and in three motions villages a
great number of houses are thrown downs from the fonetta-
tions. The situation of Zaitte is terrible,—nothing bat
vows, offerings, teligiuns processions, lamentations, and
total suspension of public business. It is plobably the
heaviest calamity that ever betel these islands. The 'te-
ntage. after the first shock and torrent, was estimated at
1,000,000 dollars; at present uo estimate can be formed.
Both the violent shocks were slightly felt; also its Saint
M oun, Ithaca, and Cephalonia: we have news, too, of
tin first being perceived in Malta. The apprehension uhf
further mischief has not yet subsided, as the dense atones-
pliere and S.E. winds continue."

A "MU: LT URALDI ST It lit Ten amongst
farmers and agriculturists in different parts of the
country is beyond precedent. High rents, excessive
taxation, and enormous wages for husbandry work,
placed some of the most hitherto respectable farmers
in a very unpleasant situation ; distraining and
seising property for arrears of rent and taxes appear
the order of the day, and unless legislative means
are adopted, this Session of Parliament, for the re-
lief of this part of the community, inevitable ruin
must ensue to many. One instance of liberality
and tiabearance we have heard worthy of imitation.
A Noble Lord whose estates in Essex amount to
.0,0001. annually, received for his last half year's
rent 2,5001. His steward as.ittred him there was
no probability of more being collected, ul Ltss
re-
course was had to seizure ; his Lordahip immedi-
ately protested against that mode of proceeding,
and deteratinel to lessen his expenditure according •
to his income.

A report is in etrculation that a new collect, in.
eluding the names of the Queen and Doke of York
as heir presumptive, will shortly be issued, by which
device her Majesty will Leprayed for, wi.hout beteg
mentioned in the same paragraph es the King.
Sir Francis Burdett wad's daily on the terrace
between the gatts of the King's Bench, for the
benefit of the air, and it gives us pleasure to state
that the worthy Baronet continues in excellent
lualth and
The supply of corn is dcrwient in many parts of
the south ot Europe, particularly in Italy, and us
the south ot France. Some shipments of grain
have already been made from England to the coup.
tries rortizi..,nea, and more are expected.