The National Register.
London, England, 1820-08-06 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

proofs of her guilt in their possession, was this the way
to deal with her? No, no, gentlemen, her crime con-
sisted in coming to England. Had she kept abroad, we
should have heard no more of the Green Bag, but the
moment she was guilty of cl timing her rights as Queen
of England on English gmutid, from that moment she
was mailed for destruction. The production of the
Green Bag was followed by a refusal to furnish her with
the time or ptace at which the crime was alletlged to
have been committed, or with any information as to the
witnesses against her. And it is against this which we
protest, not only because it affects ottr Queen, but be-
cause it may by precedent affect the liberty of any one
of us. Never were words of more truth uttered by any
one than by her Majesty, in her answer to the Newbury
address—" The tyranny." said she, " which overwhelms
me ?o-clay, nukes every mates liberty less secure 10-morroto."
Gentlemen, I colvend that is tine of the grossest viola.
lions both of the maxims and the practice of our law. I
would ask you, Mr. Chairman, whether in your ex-
perience, when Chief Magistrate of this City, you ever
heard of green hag evidence? Or whether it is not the
uniform practice in all charges which have come before
yeas, to have the amuses and the accused confronted,
that the full extent of the charge may be known, both as
to time and place, and the evidence by which that
charge is supported? Then if so, why, I ask, is that
justice to be denied to the Queen, which is granted to
the meatiest and most cti I of her sulrjects? But
we are told this is contrary to precedent. Is it possible
then that the most despotic actions, the greatest out-
rages upon law which have disgraced the worst periods
of our history, are to be cited as precedents? Gentle-1
mm, in the name of justice and humanity, let me call
upon you to protest against these lawless proceedings,
for if ever Englishmen become careless and indifferent
to such measures, their liberties, their invaluable laws,
an] their admirable constitution, will be lost to them
for ever. (Applause.) I shall detain you nn longer,
but to submit to you the following Resolutions:—
Resolved, Ist.--That this Meeting do most cordially congmtu-
tat: her Majesty upon her safe arrival in this kingdom, and at
tht same time beg leave to express their admiration of her Ma.
kiirwn instances in which bombazine dressers had established
jesty's conduct in firmly and courageously resisting the bribes and
threats, alike odiaua and contemptible, which were offered to
her Majesty, for the purpose of inducing her to forego her just
rights as the Queen of England.
ed.—That it being an undisputed maxim of our law to regard
aid treat as innocent all who have not been tried and proved to
be guilty, we are obliged to consider the omission of her Majesty's
mine in the Liturgy, the refund to send a yacht to convey her
tothis country, and to provide a place of residence suited to her
exilted rank and station, as a cruel and wanton outrage upon
her Majesty's feelings, and as a manifest proof that her Majesty's
acaners are actuated rather by a spirit of persecution than by a
deire of rendering impartial and substantial justice.
f.—That the appointment of a Secret Committee to inquire
inn charges grounded on the suspicious contents of a Green Bag.
wtliout examining witnesses upon oath, and the introduction.
upon this paper cx-parte evidence of a Bill of Pains and Penal.
tin, for the purpose of degrading and divorcing the Queen of
Ehgland, are proceedings which we cannot view without the
geatest alarm and disgust—as being utterly abhorrent from the
genuine principles of British Jurisprudence, and as tending to
.he subversion of the Liberties of the People.
lA.—That the refusal to specify time or place. when and where
the crime alleged again Her Majesty is asserted to have been
ximmirred, coupled also with the refusal to furnish her Majesty
with a list and description of the witnessesin support of theaccusa.
don, is a still further violation of the principles of justice,and the
maxims of Rnglish jurisprudence—and therefore calls upon us.
as Men and as Englishmen, to protest against this unmanly and
.tngenerous conduct, and to tender to her Majesty the assurance
of our deep sympathy with her, in the struggle which she is
waging against her enemies, and our hope and trust that she
will come out of the contest with the clear possession of her ho-
nour as a woman, and the full recovery of her rights as Queen.
3.—That this Meeting do instruct their Representative to
sppose this Bill, if unbapily it should be brought into the
House of Commons.
B.—That an Address (signed by the Chairman) be presented
o her Majesty, founded upon the above Resolutions.
That the Mayas, Mr. Sheriff Taylor. and the Members for
1 this City bertenested to present the same to her Majesty.
The Rev.G. BEAUMONT addressed the meeting nearly
is the following words:—" Gentlemen," said Mr. B.
• in seconding the Resolutions I have only one or two
observations to make.—lt is a law inherent in human
amuse for the male to protect and defend the female.
Even on the principle of mere gallantry we ought to
defend our Queen. Had we a Don Quixotte here, me-
thinks he would take his man Sancho Panza and go to
London, and there send Lord Castlereagh a challenge.
gut we have a much better principle than that of gal-
.antry on which to ground our defence of the Queen of
England—the eternal principle of justice. In justice to
a persecuted female, and itt justice to our own characters
as men, we are bound to afford her countenance and
protection. But admitting that the Queen were guilty
Ball that her enemies would lay to her charge, yet even
then she is, in my opinion, notch to be pitied.—Brought
from a foreign country into this nation in the just and
natural expectation of obtaining a husband to support,
protect, and comfort her, she was disappointed! Soon
after her union she was separated, and alter that she was
driven out of the land by persecution. Among the ad-
versaries of the Queen we find Lord Castlereagh very
prominent. Gentlemen, Lord Castlereagh is like a
prism—he has got three sides, but never a right angle.
I(Applause.) The prism shews seven colours, but Lord
Castlereagh can exhibit seventeen. He can be an enemy
to blasphemy, and yet a friend to wickedness—he can
applaud religion, and yet defend corruption—he can
talk largely of law, order, and what yon please, without
either truth in his words or sincerity in his designs.
Gentlemen, Lord Castlereagh is a political pedlar—lie
has been tramping all over Europe in the business of
setting up Kings, and now he is come home again to
pull down Queens. (Loud applause.) Gentlemen, in
the years 1799 and 1800 I was in Ireland, in the towns
of Belfast, Lisburn, and also of Castlereagh, the town
which gives this man his title, and I was there told that
this Gentleman having, previous to that time, had a
great desire AO obtain a seat in the Irish Parliament, but
being utterly unable to succeed by means of the High
party, he suddenly became a zealous Patriot. The pa-
tiieric party, thinking hint to be sincere, exerted them-
Ives in the astral way, by puffing his character in hand

bills, &c. in consequence of which he obtained a seat,
according to his anxious wish. But, no sooner was lie
seated, than he became a violent ministerial supporter;
and what part he has acted from that time to the presens
we all very well know. (Applause.) Gentlemen, it it
astonishing to me that the people of England will suffer
such a man to insult them for so long a time; that they
wilt so quietly and tamely per • him to form round
himself a focus of coadjutors, who, with himself, care so
little for either the feelings or the interests of the people.
Gentlemen, in domestic life there is a description of
women called char-women , many of these women pro•
fess to do all work. Lord Castlereagh is a political char-
woman—he can do all work; he can be a patriot, a
ministerial member of Parliament, au enemy to blas-
phemy, a friend to buying seats in a great house; he
can help to set up. Kings, and he can attempt to pull
down Queens. Gentlemen, we live in the times of
miracles and mysteries, of inventions and innovations.
The valuable inventions of iron bridges, gas lights, and
steam engines, are worthy of our admiration; but we
have also seen an innovation in the method of hanging
people by means of the new drop—innovations in suss
pending our liberties, and innovations are infesting us
in various ministerial measures. Gentlemen, had I had
previous notice of being called upon to take part in this
business, I might have entered farther into the subject,
but shall decline for the present; but in the mean time
let me remind you, that as men possessing the common
feelings of humanity, and professing an adherence to the
broad principles of justice, we are bound to give our
voices, our signatures, our support, and to afford all the
succour and countenance we can. in behalf of a perse.
cute(' and much injured female."
After this the Chairman took a shew of hands. The
hall rung with acclamations when the feeling of the
meeting was so unequivocally declared. A young lad,
a son we hear of Alderman Harvey, held up his solitary
hand against them.
Mr. GELDART." I have now to introduce to your
notice an Address founded on the resolutions, you have
just heard read. I had no intention of spe:king when
I came upon the hustings, but having the address put
into my hands, 1 have been reading it over, to see whe-
ther I can find any fault with it; but seeing nothing at
all objectionable, I shall introduce it to your notice...-.
The present meeting wishes not to prejudge the Question
—but in the true spirit of the English Laws, conceive
the Queen to be innocent, until she is proved to be
guilty. The Gentleman who spoke last mentioned the
principles of Lord Castlereagh; whatever the principles
of that Noble Lord are; on a former occasion he had
been authorised to inquire into the charges which were
brought against her Majesty, and acquitted the Queen nut
only of all criminal conduct, but also recommended that
she should be received under the protection of his late
Majesty. Believing as Ido this inquiry will have a like
termination, and that her Majesty, is at present the iuno
cent victim of calumny and persecution. I consider the
address worthy the acceptance of this meeting; and I
I trust the result of the present proceeding, although
highly objectionable will terminate in her halite exculps-
tion—(Lond applause.)
Mr. SP Arts:HALL seconded the address, and propoesd
that the Mayor 01 Norwich, the two Members, and see-
Sheriff Taylor to present it.
Mr. TAYLOR returned thanks for the honour they had
done him ; and stated that he had seen Mr. Gurney, who
would have attended the meeting, had he not thought it
extremely %indecorous, as he expected in a short time
to sit as one of the judges upon her Majesty's conduct,
at the same tune lie expressed his decided abhorrence of
the measures pursued against her. I must said (Mr. T.
trouble )oti with another general retain k, and that is to
propose that the thanks of this meeting be given to our
worthy Mayor fur his ready acquiescence with the wishes
of the Requisitionists in convening this meeting; and we
ought also to thank hint for not following the example of
his brother the Lord Mayor of London, that he has not
placed • troop of horse on the outside of the Hall to
keep us in order."
" Mr. T. MARTINEAU moved thanks to the chairman,
(B. Leman, Esq.) which were carried unanimously "
We understand that the lad who held up his solitary
hand against the resolutions, is not even au inhabitant of
Norwich ; the Chairman therefore with strict propriety
recaoned him as nobody, and declared the resolutions
unanimously carried.

Fatal accident—On Wednesday night, between
the hours of ten and l I o'clock, the Mllowing me-
lancholy accident happened near Battersea Bridge,
to two young persons, named Sarah Russall and W.
Firby :—ln the early part of the evening, accom-
panied by a lad, they took an excursion on the
water, towards Cumberland Gardens, and on their
return, it being dark, they endeavoured to effect a
landing on the wharf of Messrs. Druce and Hill,
near Chelsea. Not being a landing place, they pro-
ceeded to push the boat towards the shore, between
the stem and stern of several coal barges, when the
lad immediately mounted one of them. On the
female making a similar attempt, with the assist-
ance of Mr. Firby, they unfortunately were both
precipitated oul of the boat into the water, and in-
stantly sunk under the barges. The alarm being
given by the lad, the watchman belonging to ti:e
wharf, and several other persons arrived; but the
tide running very strong at the time, all cllbrtsn.
preserve their lives proved fruitless. The bodies
were found about an hour afterwards, but not !he
least signs of life remained in either. An inguto•
tion was taken, at a late hour on Thursday evening,
before Mr. Stirling, at the George and Dragon,
Paradise Row, Chelsea, on the bodies, and a ye.'
diet of accidental death was returned.
It. is now rumoured that the Coronation will
take place until the 23d April, being St. Geor4"'
Day.