The National Register.
London, England, 1819-12-12 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

WESTMINSTER MEETING.

vale nature should be lost between individuals, and

- - - - --
-- - the nation should unite in that one powerful object of
rocuring a representation in the House of Commons
On Wednesday, about WO of the inhabitants of P
not under the connoul of Ministers, M t exercising a
NYestrninster Me !•bled at Covent-Garden in pursuance
contrail! over them. It was to be hoped that tio person
of die Rerioiaitavi, upon the tubject of the Bills pending
would put forward his political creed as a ground for
in Parliament, for the Abridgement of the Liberties of
refusing to co-overate ; and if there were any honest
lie
Subject. A stage was erected near Richardson's
persons who felt alarm (he slid lint mean productive,
lintel. Before one o'clock there arrived at the Hotel,
Ministerial alarm, but the alarm likely to arise iii the
Lord Althorpe, Lord Nugent, Sir Francis Burdett, 'Alta
mind of any good mart,even at the idea of a change from
Linnon, Mr. Lambe, Mr. Dauglas Kiunaird, Mr.
bail to good), the euppurt of such men would be a lOn-
lloilhouse, Mr. Fish, Mr. Bowie, Mt. Starch, and
Mr. Wishart, summation devoutly to 1w wished. Without specifying
The High Bailiff, in stating that he had called the any particular plan of Reform, he thought all hottest
minds would come to this conclusion, that mach alt Meeting in consecittence of a Requisition signed by
effectual Reform was necessary as would destroy the
many of the respectable inhabitants of Westminster,
declared, that the Meeting should be conducted upon intimacy between the administration and the majority of
the principle acted upon by Counties, and by the City
the House of Commons, put an end to the rotten ho-
ofrough representations, and place men in Parliament,
London, namely, that no person was to address the
who, limn their her acid the limited period for
people who was oot an inhabitant Householder of
‘Vestnaiuster,
which they could be elected, would be beyond the possi-
Sir Francis Borden came forward. He could nut, lily of corruption. lien would the rights of the people
be contended for without fear, amid that to which all
he said, help expressing his astonishment at the doc-
trine laid clown by the Mali Bailiff fur the prevention were entitled would be the property of all.—(Great ap.
of that impartial mule of discussion to which West- ideuse )—lf the end could be °blamed the weans were
a secootlary consideration; anti if a vigilant guard could
iii iii stcr was accustomed. Vs ha fever might he the
be set up in the House of Commons upon the public
practice of the Cite of Landon, and of the Counties, it
was always a rule- with the inhabitants of %Venni inner purse and public interests, the selection of those who
to give to ail their fellow.subjecta an opportunity of were calculated to be instrumental ought most to be a
matter of scrupulous investigation. None ought to be
addressing them satires questions wit ch equally inter.
coed all ( ipleatese,) and never to exercise any controul excluded front co-operating but those guilty of apostacv,
over the liberty of speech, except that winch necessarily and of supporting principles in their very nature hostile
spiting front the weariness occasioned by unimportant
to the welfare of the public; and all honest men, al-
matter. All that was asked by them was a clear stage, aftough they might not exact iy coincide in political views
and no favour. (applause.) Havin tints protested with the great body of the people, should be held as
g
swains, the new doctri me of the with Bailiff, he „tid he brothers. (Immense applause.) The first rudiments of
should address the Meetioa upon the subject of the tyranny were, " tisvide and subjugate.' Ministers., he
obtervetl, acting upon that great ride, endeavoured to set
Ilieailliei ill Parliament, which they were called together
to discuss, but how to adilre.a them, or what to address the Reformers at loggerheatls, by making distinctions of
to them, was, ia the strange, unexampled situation in an insidious nature, anti throwing the apple of discord
which the Country now stood, a miner of great diffi- among them, by the application of a name but the
culty indeed. To speak truly was highly dangerous— maxim 'slam which the people would contend against
to speak falsely, impossible. (Loud applause.) This them was " unite and be free." The officers of the
crown, and the would-be officers of the crown, had de-
was a new era in the English aniaths. It now appeared
that what was apprehended and protested against by Oared that numerous assemblages of the people were
the wisest men, was to be fulhilled. %Viten those Bills illegal. If that Was true, the friends he addressed were
were mice piaci', a system of Government would be all liable to be treated as were their fellow-subjects in
Manchester, where, he believed, in his conscience, ►the established, such as never was contemplated by our
forefathers—melt as would require the
.patience of Job meeting was not an atom metre tumultuous nut less
reaceable than the present assembly until it wasattacked
to endure, and demand a powerful resistance from the I
good sense of the ironic, acting legally and constitu- by the military. 'Phis he was led to believe, upon the
tonally, to prevent the exercise of a power which must evidence of those whose veracity lie would not put in
comparison with that of Alinisters,who had conic to the
he regarded with horror by every honest man. (Applause)
The Bills in Parliament trenched upon those prescrip- resolution of approving the acts of the Magistrates with-
tire and inalienable rights which the people time im- outinquiry=and why had they done so?- In support of
.... ,Lii., wO. at., .1. ,iown power.e—The people might meet abe,ut Corn
inentoriel exercised. The right of the
was a right of Nature, and not arising from ii,man-dPeopre 'clubs:, and conamit violence upon the property of maim-
sane- outers, to whom their distresaea were in their judg-
of human government. God had invest#l.
.e..iderived a: `cut imputable, without eallhig forth the resentment of
the power to communicate with each wires
nutted that communication. Of thiternlausej •us and i tlleadininistiation ; but when they put their finger upon
it was from N nitre and Reason, liee great al Nettie I batikor,,, and complained of the corruption of the
would lin, ;lit, „I) ti„ isle. (Great ai ....
_..e.'1., occasiog: la' rTheli-eisii acting system, then it was that Ministers
since England was Ent:land, was the i '' Ilia rich; •.."- u
• Ott! now you are guilty of High Treason!"—
• • (ea
than now existed Mr the general exert.. - ' -1.- i M.„ "also and cries of Shame.)—" I, then," exclaimed
The Press was said to require a check—venison' we i" nonourable Baronet, " proclaim myself guilty of
operation of those Bills the Press could by 110 111e31111 be High Treason, if to oppose the syssem of rotten boroughs
considered unshackled. The power already exercised be High Trejwn• I shall always oppose tiblo6e Gentle..
by the Attorney-General was more than sufficient to men who encroach spout the public rights with all my
curb, he omid not call it the licentiousness of the Press, might. I owe them no alleataner, and shall fur ever
but its free spirit; a spirit which, in his opinion, should meet them with hostility. I should bee tritium to the
be relieved front all interference by such an authority Constitution and to the people if I did not commit this
All the other measures were an infringement upon the treason to the borough-monger sysiens."—The Him.
Bights of the Prolate, and formed a code of despotic Bart. then pared admit iis ii anon to certain insects
power giving legality to acts which never, in his opinion which were very near-sighted, but wine furnished with
could be conteinolated, as having the colour of eonsti. what was called lechers, which they thrust out beyond
motional law. With respect to the permanency of the their noses, because they could not see farther than their
immures, he looked with indifference upon that point. noses to ascertain whether there was any opposition to
He was careless whether they were deel2led by Minis- their progress. Ministers put forth doctrines to see whee
ters to be for five years or for ever. The declaration of titer the people would be disgusted, and if theme was no
emotion they became bolder, and proceeded to a limited period could not reconcile any man, who was ixtwerful
capable of thinking, to a mischief so deplorable, to a action. The worthy Baronet concititled with expressing
grievance which proved the existence of a power hide- hope, that the people would set up a constitutional
pendent of the people, which could make that peruia- barrier against those 'criers. He should, to the best of
meat, the operation of which was circumscribed, and his power, act fur the service of the public, but he
enable the Adininisiration to laugh at the credulity of would at the same time t.eclare, that if he saw they were
those *int eanteted political redemption at the expire- acting not in conformity. with the principles of the Con-
lion of the stated terns.—;Applause.)—There was one situation, and engaging in wild projects, he should be as
Hill worse, if possible, than all the rest. It was that far from flattering as betraying them.
which went to eusitraveue the established principle that Mr. Lamb stepped forward, loudly applauded. The
said "that an Englishman's house was hit castle. The pleasure he felt at seeing his constituents was, he said,
violation of this great maxim was to be found in the somewhat depressed by the apprehension they were to
power of eearching for antes, a pretence, tinder which, meet no more upon the same terms. The only ember-
/at the option of spies and ittfortners, the house of indi- rassrnent he felt arose from the warmth of his feelings,
siduals could he tittered and ransacked by day and by and feelings were the only thinas that were warm on
night. The people were empowered by all laws to be such a day. The measures they reprobated were, in his
armed. At the present moment it was more than ever opinion, not worse than that from which they originated,
their right for the necessity of protecting themselves, the refusal to institute inquiry into the outrage which
which was nothing shart of self preservation ; besities, had given rise to the discontent that existed. 'lite Man-
were they trot liable to be called upon for constitutional cheater Magistrates were convicted by the refusal, fur
!imposes, to take arms its their hands. Those who knew every one knew that it vauld not lead to theirjustifica-
what had °centred itt lrelaud must see the melancholy non- The Dully pies set up for the Magistrates Nay, 111„1,
effects of the system there ; hut he trusted that the No- they were its trepidation and alarm. If that was the

blemen and Gen•lenten of England would raise their
voices in tittle against the progress of this effort of M in-
isters—(Cries of .• They woo', allow time.")—lt was
true, they were hi a burly, and would not allow time,
and it w is the wore remarkable, as there now existed
no pretence for an invasion upon liberty—:ell that had
hreu complained of was over.—The storm, if there was
ally storm, and the hurry, if there was any hurry, were
Moue by, and then came forward Ministers when press-
ing danger was at an end, with the determination to
•.tack the Consitution. without giving the people time
to Mbar their abhorrence, a language which would upon
such a subject be uttered from one end of the kingdom
to the other—(Great applause). But though there was
sot time to complain with an universal voice, still the
people might meet for a repeal of those measures,
and for a reitturation of the Constitution as it stood,
limited as it was, at this day, The adoption at
•.rete priitchtte to meet the would at this crisis
lam 14, i-144414 r;441 nt.ces?iiy. All vari.,accs of a rt.

, .
case, tuey were surely unfit for their situations ; but
what were the people to think of the thanks of Govern-
ment to men influenced by such motives?—There was a
story of a captive, whose only antusemcnt was
nuwbir-
ing the links of his chain rite people of this country
were not yet in that situation,and he trusted they would
prevent the gaoler f wetting on their bolts. They
were told that the regulations were adopted for the put.
pose of promoting free discussion. No doubt it was the
kind intention of Government Wissist in such an ob-
ject, and the people Were as gri, 4,etii as a man
would be upon hav nig a mg put ."/"I his mouth, and
tieing told, ". Now you way saj whet you like."—
(Latighter and applause.)
Mr. sloith )))) se then presented himself to the meetlige
amidst universal applause. lle commenced his addres:.
by stating, that he he Id in Isis hind Resolutions which
he should have the honour of submitting to the meeting,
and upon which would be founded a petition to the
Roust; of Commons. The Resolutions he had to pro.