The National Register.
London, England, 1814-05-29 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL. REC;ISTER.

COMMON HALL.

Friday a very numerous meeting of the L'very of London_ was
held at titits,lllall, put:amt. to requisition, to take into considera-
tion the questions of the proposed alteration in tue Corn Importation
Laws, and the Blockade of Norway.
Mr. Waitlinean said, 04 ball was called on a case of great enter.
geecy,— the bill in Partiameet respecting certain alterations of a
most material nature in the present corn laws. He was aware that
the subject afforded opportunity for courting popularity by an ap.
peal to the passions rather than the judgment of the penple ; but
that he should avoid as tar as he was able. It had been said m Par-
liament, that this alteration was intended to raise the price of
bread ; but although that might not be the intention of the KUHR)*
ters of the measure, it was evident it would have the effect of raising
the price of corn, and consequently of every tiling else ; by whirls.
means we should be deprived of the benefits of peace, amt suffer
the disttesses of a state of war, by kcepieg up the present exorbi.
taut rents of lands. No num mole respect tor the landed interest
that lie had : but the evils of the late war had fallen on the mann-
factuting and mercantile classes, white the laudlaulder was obtaining
exorbitant rents: and he therefore contended, that there was no such
extraordinary measure necessary to secure tile -interests of the landed
proprietors.
Mr. White seconded the motion. This was a measure so obnox-
ious to the interest of the trading and manufacturing bodies, that
it only required to be seen to be most lietefid and disgusting. The
promoters of this measure called it a bill to encourage agriculture,
dud, by u singular perversion of the powers of reasoning, they said,
it was to lower the nice of bread, by raising the price
It was to serve us 'tow, in order that we should be better fed
hereatter. This put mind of the mall who wished to teach
his posse to live without food, but the animal died before the ex-
permient was completed. So would it be with us if this measure
were to pass. He denied that this would assist the farmer; for his
Juiciest could nut be woi-se ye d than by destroying the trading
niterelts. 'lbis measure wonid keep the quarter') loaf at Lid.; the
spec slaters would COllle in, and raise it greatly higher.. He could
not agree to die eulogium of his worthy friend on the landed inter-
, fur when any charitable subscription was Oil foot, for the poor
of etir own, or the distresses of other countries, it was from the
trading and manittacturing bodies that they twist look for the moues..
He wished the. Hon. Baronet, the reputed father of the bill, had
confined its benefits, as lie originally intended, to Ireland, and
left us poor silly Lughtlimen to go on our old way. The bid itself
carried a lie on the face of it, for instead of its being called, " A
Bill to encourage Agriculture," it should have been entitled " A
Bill to destroy Trade anti Manufactures." He would not fatigue
them by going into any dry calculations on the subject ; their own
understandings would be sufficient to shew that this measure would
be tuitions to trade and consinerc•e, and only raise the lauded interest
on the destruction of the other branches of the community.
Mr. Hunt, late candidate for Bristol, spoke at great leogth on
the same size.

The Resolutions were then read and agreed to.
Mr. AldermAil Wood (tame forward to propose a petition to Par-
li amen t iuotitled on them.

The petition wab then read, agreed to unanimously, and ordered
to be prebentcd to the Howe of Culllllloll6 by the City Reprelienta-
fives.

Sir W. Curtis, Alderman Coombe, Sir J. Shaw, and Alderman
Atkins, aupporto the petition, and declared their intention of op.
posing the
A similar Petition was then read and agreed to, and ordered to
be presented to the House of Peers.
10r. Alderman Wood then Caine torward to propose a number of
Resolutions, expressive of ni4dpprohatiou at the conduct adopt
by Government towards Norway. The criers of adjourn, adjourt,
were s.o loud, however, that he was at length obliged to content
himself with merely moving the Resolutions, which were read, and
.ec Juderi by
Mr. Vaughan moved as an amendment, that the consideration of
them should be adjotirned to Fritiay next.

Mr. Waitlunau opposed the adjournment, which was negatived,
and the Re:Odious read and agreed to, and UftiCILLI to be published
in (be usual papers.—ifdjourne.d.

One of our Cortesno.idents sends us the . following
Anagram .
In the IL* D'ELBA (1...1and of ELBA) is found LE DIALLE (the

35e)

MR. 11ONTA GUR BURGOYNE.

In putting any thing in. the dace of a Political Disquisi-
tion headed with the n:ltne of the person above mentioned,
it may seem we me singularly anxi;ms to bespeak contempt•
We hoPe.it will not be supposed,--we do not mean by Mr'.
Burgoyne--(for whit he may think we care nothing)—but
by the public, *that we consider this indiyithial- himself of any
insportance. We are ready to (10 justireteihisinsignitiFance,
init we cannot l the late tii.il iii, which lie was concerned
pass away' withont.offering a few reflections on th'e profes-
sions, avowed principles, and conduct of the faction to which
Iztt. Burgoyne Ist:longs, and of which we will add (the party
11W prosecute us for the libel if they please), he is po un-
sywil)' tnember.

y•
t. every general election, thise who seek popularity, en-
.. •
v to curry favour with the rabble who ramtat read, by
caning tbenrselves advocates for the liberty of the press. If
at such a time any unfortunate individual should happen to
be incarcy';,ted in a clung-on," (this is the spoutes phrase
for' iw.nk,on for having in the plenitude of his simplicity
been betrayed into the cominksi,m.of sonr.! such venial of-
fence as blasphemy or :;edition, it is surprising what a spur it
0, to their eloi):ience. • The suff,n-ings of such martyrs are
most patliericaqv lamen'ed, and all the mob are excited to
rail against Atto'nev•Generals r.r-ipio informations.
When rubl'cAti.(nls that ;ye merclv irtended to-subvert the
rstablished church, overthrow the cxit.ting• government,
are punished, we arc then told Oaf the fairest :lower of
116 ish liberty is for ever blasted, and tha. " the Bill of
Riglrts," " Magna Charta," and the sta'ute " dc Tailagio non
ennodendo" have become nei her more nor less than %caste

paper.
. But when the gentry who -regale us with these delectable
harangues are,tltemselvcs attacked, it is curious to obscrve
holy Instinctively they exert themselves to and some excuse
for seeking legal redress. Among the wise ordinations of
providence we sec and admire in the animal system., the
energy and intellect with which some creatures appear sud-
deml!f endowed, where-these qualities a-c wanted. The dull
timid hen, no sooner perceives her helpless brood about her,
than she displays cunning and sagacity to provide for them,
and courage to attack even the lords of creation, in de-
fence of her young. Jn a similar way those animals called
Ileformers. who for years contended that truth was no libel,
and that the press ought to enjoy unrestrained liberty, are in
an instant, on being themselves assailed by it, endowed with
that dis-riminating power, which can discover that the free-
doYn of the press is one thing—its licentidusness another. Then
66 away to heaven respective lenity," and Hallett the Berk-
attire dog shooter, Lovell the Newgate subscription beggar,
ATE. Montague Burgoyne,,and others entitled to equally high
consideration, come forward as prosecutors.
The libel for: which Mr. Kelham is sent to prison was con-
tained in a hand-bill circulated at the time of an election.
Mr. Burgoyne Swears he did not'sce it till after the election,
but as he admitSa paragraph on the same
.paper, to be an
election squib, we persome he has sufficientintellect to un-
derstand both articles must have been published at the same
Aline, and we can hardly suppose his definition of election

MAY !9.

. .
wit, to be—that which is' psublished when nd electitin is going
.on. Here then we may almost asstitnebilidiiiiti it to have
-been published at the time of an election.---Novi lee theivnild
prepare to reverence a display of sensibility which has 'never
been exceeded since "Times first morn"---A reformer, oho
of thelciudest advocates for the freedom of the press, prose-
cutes the printer of a hand-hill, which appears to live been
printed in the heat of an election; for a burlesque on ti% '
beg Oars ststision,
,in which he was not named ; in. which he
•n •••.
was not 'eve indreated by ! !
To be sure in the paragraph which followed a Mr.
11******* was mentioned; and this,- it was Said, proved the
averments in the poetry to apply to Mr. Burgoynei—a mice
question might have been raised on this point. Assuthing
that Mr. IV':**4.'. in the paragraph, meant Mr. Burgoyne,
as " a Wag" was also mentioned in it, why might not some
Essex wit have taken it for granted that the verses di-
rected against him ? We dare say there are many persons
in Essex who have been mere offensive to theirniiiighbours
than the extent of Mr.Borgoyne's capacity could possilsfy make
him. Many Mr. B's. have been "trche fried," yet this was al,
that made even the paragraph apply to him, For an indiyil
dual to be twice tried is neither very extraordinary nor ne-
cessarily disgracefnl. Why then should a man unconscious
of the infamy imputed to some one, in a reietical trifle, sup-
pose the averments in the parody to have any thing to do with
him. We do not understand this, thou4ll on the subject of
the :ibel being atrociously false, and of Mr. Burgoyne being
pct feeily innocent we have res doubt.
But whets Mr. Burgoyne had resolved to prosecute, what
course did he take? A high-minded reformer, a friend to
the liberty of the press—a patriot, who maintained the doc-
trine that truth ought not to be considered a libel—might
have been expected to prefer that which would leave the
Pefendarrt every opportunity of defending himself, by prov-
inw what he had published to be true, if he could. Who
would have instilled that such a person would. place the
party prosecuted in a situation, where proving the truth of
every part of the publication could Ire of no avail ? Had we
been told this before the proceedings commenced, we should
have indignantly replied—" No ; Mr. Burgoyne will leave
such meanness to those who feel, that, on a prosecution
for. damages, a jury must be of opinion that one far-
thing would give ample compensation. for any injury that
could possibly be sustained by their fame. If on a trial
for damages, a verdict even of forty shillings be necessary to
carry costs, we should have thought patriotism could not
have sunk so low in general estimations out it would stilt
fetch suclea sum. A patriot alone might have calculated
upon this. What then might not a man hope for, who, to
the prifession of a patriot, might add a list of •et celerat
almost as long as that of Caleb 240 tent, and almost as envia-
ble ; such as tt twice tried, honourably acquitted, twice
reprimanded. Colonel," are. &c,
Mr. Burgoyne, doubtless for wise reaming, (though his
wisdom is tolerably well. hid from .vulgar eyes) detirMined
on proceodini. by indictinent, and then came a delightful
bit of stage trick. .The Court were told, that though to
prove the truth of the averments in the parodt would 10