The National Register.
London, England, 1818-01-05 00:00:00

a jury from the Crown office, wail like presenting you with a
sket of rotten oranges with a liberty to choose. [Laughter
Sind applause.] Formerly the mode of nominating was quite
just They were' net for the word select! Now that thou-
sands of honest men were returned, they claimed the right to
pick out. He bad detained their attention too long. [Hear,
bear, hear.] Had he the most irresistible powerof working
up their feelings, he would add net another word to call upon
Englishmen in such a cause, for their presence there proved
their intentions and good wishes ; and he felt assured that
their liberality would be corresponding. [Great applause.]
'He then read the followingeesolutions :-
1. That, the liberty of the press is one of the dearest rights
And proudest distinctions of Englishmen; and is inseparably
connected with, and wholly dependent on, the parity of the
trial byJury.
2. That the inestimable importance of the sacred and con.
stitutioual right of trial by jury has never been more dentin.
stratively proved than by the recent prosecutions and honour-
able acquittals of Mr. William Hone.
S. That parodies on Scripture having been wrrtten and
vablished by Martin Luther, the Father of the reformation,
by dignitaries of the church, and by other eminent and learn-
.ed personages, down to the present time, we are persuaded
.that the except.ion taken to the parodies of Mr. Hone by the
present Ministers of the Crown was to answer political pur-
poses against the liberty of the press.
4. That hypocritical prostitutiou of religion, and a pretend-
.ed seal for its defence, when used by corrupt statesmen as a
smirk for political prosecution, must ever be held by all sin.
cere Christians as the worst profanation of its sacred name.

5. That it is evident Irom the manner in which those pro.
secutions were commenced and conducted, that the real
object of Alinigters was not to protect religion ; but to crush
an apparently defenceless individual who had exposed their
political delinoneocies, to stifle public discussion, to destroy
the liberty of the press, and to uphold existing abuse.
6. That the extensive knowledge, the varied talents, the
manly intrepidity, the energy of mind, and the unshaken
perseverance which enabled Mr.W►lliatu Home so dauntlessly
to resist thy• reiterated assaults of M inisteria! persecution, en•
title bun to the gratitude and support of every friend to
constitutional ft eedom. . . . .

7. Taal a subscription be now opened, and that the money
which may be subscribed to be placed in the hands of a
Committee, to be used in such wise as shall appear to them
best calculated to promote the permanent welfare of Air.
Hone and his family.
8. That the following clesttlemen be of the Committee :
Robt. Waittnhan, Alderman Croodbehere,
Joseph Hurcolula, Sameel Brooks,
William Starch, William
Alderman Thorpe, William Teesdale.
9. '1 hat Hobert Waithman, Eaq. be the Treasurer.
Mr. Alderman 'flitsepe seconded the resolutions.
Mr. Waitliman put the resolution; in succession from the
,chair, and they were all agreed to iittuitutinsly. He then
elated that the subscription had already cumin treed, and
read, from a list several names, and sums hoist 501. down to
6s. in may instances there were al. mid lot. subscriptions
under the designautots of " An enemy to persecution"—t' No
Politicia.."--' .% Hater of Hypos:, isy"—A Friend to Free.
done'—" A Fiend to the Liberty of the Press," arc.,; and
amestioseriptism was, " A Lid), t, one pouad notes and 6
dye pAs al notes." Mr. Waithissan having ronciode4l reading
the list. observed, that it was most grattryiug to hue to have
to observe, that at the very cointneue-ment of the business lie
bad to 4111,. te the recei,sc.tf a subscription of 1001. He
:could ua ,:ate who had given this NUM, though hr knew the
frier) d I ;ti mi go whoseltamis It eillllC.4lllll the information lie could
give t-a :modified in for uote which accompanied it, and
t.s.is its the following etitet
" A • &valuer of the House of Lords, an enemy to pease-
cation. anti especially to religious persecution employed fur
politico) oat mires, 1001." (Great applause.)
Mr. s' rty rose neat.— He said a part of the day's pro.
ceediug, had been assigned to him, which lie felt the most
llnfeits,ll pleasure in discharging. He intended to repose
the thanks of the meeting to the worthy Baronet who had
moved the resolutions t to which thanks he was /W well en-
titled, not only un account of what he had done on that oc-
sasion, but fur the whole tenour of his political life. He
could nut expect in any thing he said to du justice to the
character of the honourable Baronet. To succeed in such an
attempt would,require all the eloquence of Mr. Hone, all his
talent, and all Isis power, of ['teethe a point in that variety of
Tights which belong to it. He should only say, that to the
Hon. Baronet the meeting and the whole country were holm,'
by the deepest obligations for the zeal and patriotism with
which he fought the battle of the people io the House of
Commons. (Applause). He was happy to perceive that the
enthusiasm of
°the meeting corresponded with his own. It
might with truth Inlaid, that uu man deserved more the ad-
miration of his countrymen than the Honourable Baronet to
whom he alluded. Met as they were to defend the liberty of
-the press—thr unless tlie prep were free co ;non could exist
Tn s'ociety—it was the light of the mind, it was to the mind
as sir was to the human body, without it they must expire.
There yeas one observation which bad fallen from the
Hououtable Baronet with which he could not agree. 'flit
Houottrable Baronet had said, that there was cot a single
lawyer, who had ever formed ts commonsense idea upon the
question of a libel. Now' he should be most migrate! ul were
Le to allow that sentiment to pass without pointing out one
lawyer who did notmerit the Honourable Baronet's reproach
and whets be should'isalne the person to whom be alluded, lie
was persuaded the Honourable Baronet would become a
convert to 'lliere was a lawyer who had been
able to come to a just conclosion on this subject; he meant
the real. parent of the libel-hill—the man who had success-
fully defended I snider prusecutious for libel—Lord Ers-
' kines, what had grappled with greater Judges than any of the
present slay, and nobly resisted them, at a time, too, when he
had every thing to tear front the frowns of power, and every
thing to hope for front subserviency. —(Loud cheers).—Before
he proceeded to read the resolutions, to Move which was the
object of his rising, he begged leave to suggest the expedi.
Stacy, before they separated, of some steps being taken to
have another meeting. He conceived it was of the highest
importance that they should have an opportunity to express
their feelifiga on the great cause of all Boor persecutions.
That %hien lie wished was, that an expreSsion of public feel-
ing should go forth, amid that a meeting of toe freeholders of
the cuutity of Aladiesex aborold he called fur the purpose of
making a decimation tipou the susoeosion of the Habeas
Corpus Act, and upon that Asbounnable circular which had
been issued by the minister of the Home Department ; h,
which lie had proliteited thy circulation of 'what lie aa-
pleased to call blesphemons libels, and empowered the
nte-
gi.stuary to send to prison those by whom they were sold, it.
Goliclu7led by moving that tbe thanks of 1.110 marling ore du.