The National Register.
London, England, 1820-03-05 00:00:00

TIM NATIONAL REGISTER.

-----
redress—except with tho.te to whom he slow appealed.
It had been observed that the Romans, the most wlish-
ed tyrants the world ever saw, had been unable to COO.
quer the laws and tustitutions of England; and was such
a Cowl conquest to be reserved fur adventurers: No;
Englishmen would never be subdued by such means.
But. by open Itirce they would never he overcome ;
he
feared the efforts of timid. A pretty bold attempt at
open force had been utade-t—but n failed, and they had
only to guard crams. fraud. Attempts mould be made
—they were now inakitia—to play upon the kindly
feelings of Englishmen. It was so in the recent abo-
minable transaction—one of which the friends of li-
berty had most reason to complain : but bail as that
transaction was, how could it he defended to stamp
a verdict of guilty on the foreheads of those wretched
men from their Sovereign, behove they were tried by
Juries of their equals. lie contended that a must unna-
tural use had been made, and was making, ol the recent
Alan. (hear.) They however had a little Lreathing-
time now—the Parliament had expired (applause)—a
Pailiament winch had done more regarding the liberties
of the country than had ever beets done by any for-
mer Parliament. During five weeks all this had been
done—every statute, every liberty had been attacked.
If be were to speak what were true of the dead Parlia-
ment, how sad an epitaph must he pronounce. (Ap-
plause.) Much had been said about the •1 magic" of
Parliament—Lord John Russell, all excellent y g
Wall, had happily compaied it to Aladdin's lamp—
The Noble Lord had endeavoured to scout the lamp—
when up jumped the slates of tire lamp and Irighted
away the scourer. (Applause.) Ile had Said in a pam-
phlet, of which the noose took so much notice, that
few cared about them except certain intik !duals. Was
he far wrong? No. But Lae question out of the lloosc
was understood, and it was grab.) ing to find that even
the Whigs of Norwich, York, &c. slow said that there
most be •• a taorough Itcform of the House of Parlia-
ment." (Applause.) lie contended that the people
had beets the depositories us the great question of Re-
' fornt—the people who had been scouted by Mr Can-
, sling, and who could no more behold his people, than
he could see me titan of Plato sit the bird of Datgenes.

liad he possessed a seat, he would have said a nrjld or
two fur this poor, featherless, unfledged, te u-legged
thing, the people, especially in reply to hint who had
lent a hand In idtlelilni4 them. (Applause.) Ile, how-
ever, relied on die peoirle—they were yet the waves(
and the best people in the world. While in prism, by
the high behest of the Commons, he had received ad-
dresses Miter! would not have disgraced the pen of Mr.
Canning. Ile would add, that whether in the House
or out, tie should continue to speak and write libels
against the House of Comdms. (Applause.)7f-Tney
should of course be true ones ( pplanse)—the only dil-
ference would be, if he were Member tor Westimoster,
he should speak more libels than he should write.—
(Continued applause.). He then mentioned the way in
which Mr. S. Wortley had spoken of his Pamphlet—the
style in which it had been misrepresented—and was
this die way in which the subjects of England were to
be treated? And to be sent to prison? What will L.
come of the Liberty of the Press,. if such precedent
were to be endured? If any booby Yorkshire 'Squire,
or ally bidder for the Speaker's chair, or any man who
was learned enough, try having read Hatsell's Prece-
dents, or ally Precedent Poacher, were encouraged, the
example would be firl owed by immense numbers as
they soon would find. lie cared not for their Prece•
dents. One had hinted that there was a Precedent for
selling hint worse than he had been treated—that lie
might be sent to solitary confinement without the use of
pen, ink, and paper; but the only reply which he gave
to the hint, w hen as the answer sent by hi to the West-
minster Address. lie could only again thank them,
and assure them that, however eircninstanced, he
should not pail to be the earnest advocate of their
Bights. In what he had done, lie enjoyed the appro.
batten) of his own conscience; and he was granqul to
bind that toev applauded his conduct. (Applause).
When Mr. lAublitnise sat down, the whole rO4JIII rose
from their seav, long and loud liuzzaed, waved their
handkerchiels, sec.
Sir F. Burdett gave "Trial by J nry—the security
to British Liberty."
Mr. Roundiliwait gave " Sir F. Burdett, our incom-
parabie Adioeate, -al, may a British Jury vindicate his
Address on the .NaaneliesLer --„" It was received
with immense applause, and
Sir F. Burdett rose, and on his ascending the table,
the whole company rest and greeted min with loud
huzzas. lie was glad lo behold so respectable a t'0111.•
piny, as he deemed it the harbinger of success Mr West-
minster. lie viewed it as a good omen regarding the
struggle in which they were about to engage. There
were mall untoward circumstances attending the last
contest: but one advantage had resulted from it, as
they had become better acquainted with the merits of
Mr. lioblitinse- He
.anticipated success now if the
City of Westminster were mindful of its own interews
and character; ior as ill Mr. G. Lainh's pretensions and
public principles, the) presented a I/CrICCt blank to the
eye. (Hear.) Such only was wrathy of a rotten Bo-
rough. Ile sincerely itroititnetided to it r. C. Land) an
..d% CIIISeIIIcIIL in the Chronicle, where " a Seat in a
ctrtim Assembly" was odered. (Applause and laugh-
ter.) In Westmi isier his time and trouble would be
lost. (Hear, hear ) it was, however, gratifying in
find, that the spirit of Reform was every where showing
Itself. It eau a ppeal ed in the Sister Kingdom, but no
reticle in a mote intelligent form than in Scotland.
There it was tumid that Erskine—the Erskine ix 1793
—he would not mix 111111 with the common herd ol
Lords—there it was round that Erskine was the eloquent
advocate of thorough and substantial Reform (Applause)
Erskine there declared, that the discontent which existed
wasnot proportionate to the cause there was for discontent
—.that without &limn, affection and confidence could
not be restored—that representation was the polar star
of civilization—and that the relionailAdy of 51 uistcrs

was a delusion. These were nut the opinions of a young
111.111, of one rising into Ilk, but of one who hail arrived
at a noire extended age than most of them could hope
to :taunt. (Loud applause.) These were the principles
and doctrines which they had all along maintained
and these were the (loch sties of the Tories of former
times, of Sw 01 and litilnigbrolie, of Pope and Sheffield,
of IVyndhato, &c. To:y were principles which had,
however, been constantly attacked, and never more
elaborately than in the last sad days of the last Parlia-
ment, since the glorious Revolutiou, as it was called.
I was alt 'volition that was glorious only as pronounc-
ing good principles,
—But what difference could there be between honest
men, even now, when the question was, should they or
should they not have a corrupt Government ? Yet they
ought to get rid of the nick-names of %Vhig and Tory ;
they were now senseless. He had long adhered to the
question of Reform, through peril and calumny; and
he wa* delighted to find that the spirit of Reform not
holy made its way in England, but in Europe.—Even
the Sp 'Mols were aroused. (Applause.) lie declared
that he should always be Mond at Ms post. He knew
what the troith:c was—but he should
The cause of Reform must triumph. (Applause.)
After sonic further toasts, the Company separated.