The National Register.
London, England, 1809-04-02 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

222

Jso trifling a douccur ? Alessrs. Barber and Sons, of Cowper's
.Court, in Cornhilh cleared (poly
" Ask me no questions," exclaim the children,4- and tell
Sou eo stories." Ito can blame poor Mr. Devaynes, as one
of the East-India Directors,•for declining to give in any written
account of his. patronising presentations ? It is the boast of our
laws; and the right of those who claim them. that no man is
forced to criminate hiinseif. We demand no j'ao-de7se evidence.
Why therefore arr..ign even Sir Frauds Baring, merely because
be did not like the test of calling for certain Declarations by
affidavit? What signifies it if,Mr.Jackson, with an antiquated
-perverseness of mind, exploded integrity, is "tilled with horror
t the nunal depravity exhibited throughout the whole of" the
Report of the Select Committee ! Complain he may, but it is of
no use, if the majority a ho, in the year ISO°, overruled, " not
by the fairest means," the propositions then submitted for " the
suppression of patronage." 0, these invincible majorities!
Mr. Baselei, become so notorious by the evidence of Mrs.
Clarke, is not, it should seem, tire only clerical trafficker. Here
is no less than the Rev. Thomas Lloyd, Chaplain to his Royal
Highness the Duke of Clarence, who obtains one nomination
through the interest of his- Royal Highness, and another from
Sir Lionel Dove!), both of. which he contrives to sell. Well !
60 it is, as the poet singeth, that
When natintisare to perish in their sins,
'Tis in the church the leprosy begins.
Lloyd, indeed, entirely transcends Basely. Basely wanted to
purchase some little ecclesiastical distinction for himself; but
Lloyd appears as vender of more•than one secular promotion to
others.
' There are still parts of this Report of the Select Committee,
which eminently solicit attention. How came it, Gentlemen, as
the Report states it to have been, and as Mr: Randall Jackson
now deplores, that, in June 1500, an Amendmeut subversive of
.all inquiry into abuses, and especially calculated to counteract
the result of inquisitions previously instituted—how came it, let
me ask, that this measure, when the votes were equal on both
sides, was, nevertheless, directly, or indirectly, carried by bal-
lot? Is it from this memorable transaction, that we are to col-
lect our opinion of 'the wonted honour and consummate integrity
of the Councils of Leaden Hall ? Facts are stubborn things;
and, when coupled with dates, they are sometimes irresistable.
After the abuses which this Report of the Select Committee
discloses, can we read without some feeling of horror, as Mr.
Jackson felt on hearing it, the following Form of Certificate
usually signed by the Nearest of ti in to each Cadet ?—" Ido
further declare that I received ae said appointment for my son,
gratnitons4, and that no money or oater valuable consideration
has been or is to be paid, either directly or indirectly, for the
same ; and that .1 mil: not pay, or CaUNC to be paid, either by my-
self, by my son, or by the hands of any other person, any pecu-
niary or valuable consideration whatsoever, to any person or per-
sons who have interested themselves in procuring such nomination
for my son from the Director above-mentiontd." If it be only
from compassion to their present private convictions, I shall lAN
bear citing the names of those respectable individuals, •` good
men," who seem to have thought nothing of falsifying their own
consciences, by dishonestly signing such Certificates to the East-
India Company ! Excellently is it remarked, by the Select
Committee, that, " where solemn declarations have been habi-
tnally disregarded, little reliance can .be placed upon the sanc-
tion of any other species of asseveration. Instances," they
add, 44 occur, but too frequently, where an oath comes to he
considered merely as part of the official form by which an ap-
pointment is conferred ; and the human mind, fertile in self-de-
ception, accomodate.; itself with onderful facility to.overcoming
all scruples, or app:ies a perverse ingenuity to evading restric-
tiow, which stand ill the way of present Intetest." Perhaps,
how ever, these good soul.; really concluded with the pious
liadibras, that

Ile Oita Daposes an oath makes it
Not he that, for convenience, tak
'Knowing therefore sotnething of fallible hum;
much, I am not, Gentlemen,, disposed to be unf
rious as to the particular dilemma to which
,eems now reduced. Some insight into =akin
purchased, does not, let me proudly say, mutt
to the imperfections of my fellow-creatures. .
still do I feel, and ever do I hope to feel, with
• Tis vain to seek in man for more Om
I an yet induced to hope, Gentlemen, from you
to severity of any kind, that you will not Ivti'
mendation, though made •to you even by the
tending to deprive those of your servants of sue
purchased, under your patronage itself, by .the
tions.—Would this uwasare he really fair ? if,
res•4lve on vacating al! purchased appointment
take care that• something is done with our
Lady Leighs, with -a IteV. Mr, Lloyd, or 4orii
and Sons, or our " first cousin" Woodford, or a Mr. Palm wr-
din, or Mr. Donovan, or a Mr. Garrat; or a Mr. Shoe, with
their (S.e. &c. Justice, though blind, dined still he even-
handed. While you, Gentlemen, are throwing patronage into
one of her scales, do Lot forget to load the other w ith corrup-
tion,
There seems reason to suspect, Gentlemen, that some of you
will not highly approve what is said. by the Select Committee,.
towards the close of their Report, about its " not.bcing unrea-
sonable to curtail the patronage of those rim have not been styli-,
ciently watchful in the disposal of it." What say you.,'{ientle-
.men, to this proposed docking of patronage? Oh the prancing-
horse patronage, how ditrPrent will be his air when they shall
have deprived him of the length of his tail, and the flow iugncss
of his mane !
April Ist, 1809. hove.
What does Mr. Lowndes mean, when he talked some-
thing about what he calls " surplus patronage" ; and this,
" after the Directors had provided for their own .Families?"
Well indeed, if such be the fact, might Mr. Lowndes impute
" the late corruptions to excess and repletion of the article !"
How just is also the recommendation of the Select 'Committee,
severe as to some few men it will appear, " to curtail this pa-

.ronage" altogether! What true claim have the Directors of

the East-India Company, excepting as to connection, to pro-
vide At all for their own Ninnies, if such practice tends, in any
case) to the et:elusion of in9re meritorious applicants ?

WESTMINSTER MEETING.

At 12 o'clock on Wednesday a vast concourse began to assem-.
ble in Westminster Hall, in consequence of the notice given by
advertisement for the inhabitant-householders of 1S estininsier to
meet to consider of the recent investigation into the conduct of
the late Commander in Chief. At one o'clock, Arthur Morris,
Esq. the High Bailitf of Westminster, took the Chair, attended
by Sir Francis Burdett, Mr. Whitbread, and a numerous loviv
of Electors. The requisition for convening the Meeting having
been read from the ('hair,
Mr. Swell said it was impossible for the inhabitants of West-
minster not to come forward on such an occasion. The eves of
the whole kingdom were upon them. Their local situation gave
them an opportunity, beyond others, of knowing, that the abuses
which Mr. Wardle had so successfully exposed had existed for a
series of years; and knowing as they did that such abuses pre-
vailed, they could not bsyt feel additional gratitude to that Gen-
tleman who had now laid them open to the indignation of the
vOmle united empire—Owl applause). Ile was persuaded,
that there was not a single town in the United Kingdom which
was not convinced of the improper conduct of the late coul_
mander in Chief, and witich would not adopt the 'sentiments with
which he was conlident that Meeting was impressed. if Par-
liament had not expressed what, he was sure, were the sruti-
, inents of the people at large, how could that he accouffied for,
but that the House of Cumulous were mot the actual Itepte:eil-

t;
Yes it ! ••
nanity, by far too
forgivingly censo.
II your patronage
ud, 'pretty ckarly
tier me inexorable
Lung have I felt,
-Dr.. Iroting, that
an man.
ur kno%rn aversion
ily adopt a recom-
ielect Committee,
eh. places -us ere
it friends and rela-
, nevertheless, you
ti under you, pray
Lady Lumens, and
ire Messrs. Barber

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