The National Register.
London, England, 1819-10-17 00:00:00

No. 219.—V0L. XII.]

Jolitiatl tiettusSpert.

Tarr Gazette of Tuesday last contains a Procla-
mation calling Parliament to, on the .23i1 of
November, " for the dispatch of business•" The
state of the Country assuredly is such as to demand
the most serious deliberations of our National Comt-
e:ls, and the adoption of some Legislative enactutznts
which may heal the wounds and lacerations which
he Constitution is now suffering in t'ie stxuggle
between the violent extremes of Radical Reformers
on one band, and the still more dangerous attempts
of establishing a system of lawless and military des-
potism on the other. We call the latter the more
dangerous, because it marches on towards its object,
backed and encouraged in the first place by those
whom we ought to consider it a duty in all things
lawful to respect and to obey, and because ptea er
and authority are already in their hands. lkside4
this no man needs be told how eager are a large
portion of mankind to be on the side of those whence
the best recompence of their services may be looked
for, how many more make it a sort of point of
conscience, to support what is called Government,
without ever troubling themselves to enquire whe-
ther it acts right or wrong. The Revolution of
1688 did much towards establishing a better set of
principles, and more just motives for action, but it
was, we fear, rather owing to the circumstance that
the support of public freodont was at that time
identified with the support of the administration,
and with resistance to the dethroned flintily, than
from a pure spirit of patriotism in too many of those
who were firm in their adherence to the cause of
Civil Liberty. We are reluctantly driven to this
melancholy' view of the human character, by seeing
how the greatest violations of those sacred principles
upon which that Revolution rested, are now viewed
with calmness and indifference by some, and st.e-
nuously aided and abetted by others. What would
those who compelled King William to dismiss his
own guards have thought and acted on the massa-
crees committed at Manchester ? It is on these
grounds that tve really look forward with but very
little satisfaction to the assembling of Parliament.
Our confidence in the mass of public virtue to be
found there was very greatly shaken by ninny acts
of the last Session.

It is still, however, the only anchor upon which our
hopes rest, either fbr redress of the past, or preven-
tion of future mischief; and yet who can look for-
ward with any confidence that remembers what is
our state of representation, what were the majorities
obtained by a set of Ministers against whose policy
the whole nation rings with the loudest clamours;
what are the sentiments already publicly avowed
by them upon those very points wh;ch would con-
stitute the leading objects of discussion, and which,
in fact, constitute the sole and entire cause of Par-
liament being at all assembled. .7f the work of
Legislation is to consist of fresh gaing Bills, fresh
sospens:on Acts, and all those temporary tramels of
freedom, to which we have before been subject, but
which, thank God, experience has sheten to be
totally indequate to controul the spirit of the times,
then who would not rather pray that Parliament
should.not meet at all ! 11 ith respect to Ministers,
such a measure is now much too late to sure even
the appearance of dick coi.duct. They should
either have done this much sooner, before they had
oresumed to give any opinion of their own, or they

[Pima 9144.

DISCOVERY Ulf PIKES.
Blackburn Mail office, Tgesday evening, Oct. 12.
Infortnatiou having been given this day. that a large
number of pikes were made nut sold in Mellor, near
this town, Mr. John Kay, constable, attended by a party
of dragoons now stationed here, went ahis evening for
the purpose of ascertaining the truth of the ptatemept.--
On
arris mg at the spot, a person named Ralph ,Miller a
blacksmith, was immediately secured, aed his •atiopt
~earched, when II pikes were found on the'preintses!
The blacksmith was immediately brought before' T. D.
Whitaker, L.I. D., who after an examination °Nom*
length. c ed the prisoner to Preston.
Mailigice, 6 o'clock ,(Wednesday morning, Oct. V 3.)
This morning about 4 o'clock a person nattird.lanies
Morns, machine-maker, arrived here in a post4pise.
—He was taken into cnstndy at his residence at Voce
called Pike Law, near Rellthorn, by the constable and
a small party of the Dragoons, who escorted him to
this .place, where he is at present in custody, and la to
be brought before T. D. Whitaker, Lt. D. this forenoon.
A her of pistols, bullets, unfinished pikes, &c. were
f lin his possession.
Half-past 7.—We stop the press to state, that another
person named John Know lea, of Rawtetestall, has jnst
limn brought in.

EXTRACT "OF A LETTER FROM MR. HARMER. ,
•• Manchester, Thursday -Evening, Nine o'clock, Oct.
My clear G.—You will have learnt, no doubt
sensations of astonishment and regret, of the exrraordiar..,*•.
nary adjourisment ref the-Inquest on John Lees. flows
this proceeding tsar) be reconciled with any principle of. •
law and justice, I am wholly unable to perceive, an&
there was only this circumstance wanting to completely
falsity the assertion of the subscribers to thetoodon Ad,
dress, " that the laws were open for the punishment of
offences, have not the exact words before me,
but I believe I have stated the sulsstance. Wp had be-
fore instanced the Grat.d..lrwy dirOwing out ills so as
to prevent public investigation—the Mag,istrates cefita.
tog to hear evidence, and to grant warrants against per.
sons charged with capital offences; and now, to com-
plete the climax, a Coroner rejects evidence touching
the daub of an individual, and just at the close or the
investiaation adjourns the Inquest for nearly 2 months,
thus affordinc the culprits an opportunity of boldly pas-
sing through the streets, insulting the relations and
friends of their victims, and ate!) escaping with impuni-
ty. lam really so shocked at this outrage on the law,
that I cannot yet compose myself to write on the sob•
ject.—You are my, good friend, mistaken in supposing
' I would object to the Coroner receiving exculpatory
evidence:" because it is laid down by Sir Matthew
Wale, that the Coroner is to hear as well the evidence
which maketh for, as that which maketh against the
prisoner. But had the law been otherwise, I think it
would have been imprudent in me to make the objets.
tion, becati4e it would have shown a conscious appro.
hension that my case could be beaten down; feeling
confident, however, that it could not be even shaken,
hate therefore courted and challenged my opponents
to produce witnesses; they have produced them, and
every one has tended most strongly to support instead or •
contradicting the evidence adduced by me. I should
have been in London by this time, had I not known
that nor friend was on the ro id ; I was, therefore,
compelled to await his arrital, which has just taken
place, and I am glad to state that he is in good health
and spirits. We shall probably ,et off to-morrow, and
he in town on Snm.lay. !Lye the goodness to acquaint
Mrs. H. and family of this, and that I am well.—Mr.
Dennison desires his respects to you.
Your's moat truly,
JANIES HARMER.
From nastadt it is stated that Sande was consi-
tiered to be out of danger, and that his fate would
he soon decided ;we suppose the new tribunal at
Mayence.
We understand that the late visit of Count Capn
diatria to this country, had partly for its plea
the representation of the disaffection of the inha-
bitants of the lonian States under the present
system of government exercised there. He is, in-
tired, reported to have publicly declared at Paris,
that unless this system is changed, the British Em-
pire runs a serious risk of losiug this valuable up.
rend age.
New York papers to the I tub, and Boston
ult., have arrived. '1 My supply tin at'ilit
Bence respecting the negociatirms with
Florida treaty. A letter from Green Bay, '
chigan territory, dated July 19, gives a curious
of the visitation of that country by clouds
which may be compared with the swarms,
moire darkened the air of Elvin in their
j Tumid, as tar as the eve could discern, was f
lh,•?•c insects (called by the French the Intim
in consequence of making their appearance
quitos arc most numerous and devouring I
vezetatiou of all kinds was utterly devilled.

~ ~.1 ~_/

1 to the 15th ~.V II
lona' intelli.( ../ t'*7-•\1 ,
,ain as to the ''- .„...„,,,-.:‘ i.:..
in the Mi. 3 . i....;. ~ 1
non secoon ;;;;- tro.ki.tiii;
ds of insects 44, killi
which her ak,' -
ritirht. Th ; -!!..'
~..k, ..
ens fret! 14'11 V;;N, 0001,
ittio hawk .' .ry
when nt, 404 '
, /.;
........)
(hem). and