The National Register.
London, England, 1811-03-24 00:00:00

REG! STEIL

180

Sir FRANCIS BURDETT said, that however highly be felt him-
self flattered at all times by the approbation of his constituents,
be felt still more satisfaction now than at any former period.—
He felt that it was not so much to be considered as personal to
himself, as an approbation of those sentiments of freedom, and
those principles which he always had,.and trusted he always
would, profess and adhere to.—( Lend applause.) After the
perspicuous manner in which-the business bad been opened, and
the very able speech of the Gentleman who seconded the reso-
lutions, he felt that there' was not much left for him to say, and
he should therefoie not trespass long upon their time. They
had heard it truly stated, that Al manner of abuses and evils
tinder which the count' y groaned, naturally sprung from a cor-
rupt Douse of Commons, and that those who had been elected
to protect the people against power send undue prerogative, were
themselves, in many instances, the champions of power and
prerogative against those liberties which they had been chosen
to protect. The House of Commons had itself assumed prero-
gatives against those who elected them, greater than were ever
assumed by any Kings, except by some of the family of Stuart,
one of whom paid with 1113 life for his assumption of preroga-
tive. The national grievances wire therefore properly traced
up to their corrupt source, and it was not difficult to prove to
the people of-England, that those who were called thtir repre-
sentatives, often voted, not only not as their representatives,
but in direct contradiction to their wishes and . their interests.
As to informations es idficiol he would always maintain that
they were contrary to the fundamental laws of the country.
He might be told, that these laws to which he alluded were eb-
solete and old-fashioned ;• but he was convinced, that if ever the
people of England recovered.their liberties, it would be by re-
curring to those obsolete laws, as others termed them, hut, as he
conceived them, those ancient asid fundamental laws on which
our freedom anthhe Constitution rested. The great ga ievance
formerly was, that the protector of the peoples rialits, their
Parliament, was often oppres-ed by the prerogative el the
Crown; whereas the grievance now is, that that is done by
Parliament which was formerly done by the Crown. No pal-
liative measure would cure the evils undsr which the cetifitry
now settle I , and neither freedom nor safety as a nation could
be had without a Parliamentary reform. He had been found
great fault with formerly for using the expression of " a flogged
nation :" it wouldbe recollected, however, that Parltament •
had the.power of sending as great a Tor ion of the to °pie.*
they pleased into the armies; and that they were then lisble to
be tlogsted. Was this, then, all the Roasted liberty of this coun-
try ?—(iLuzidopplaitae.)e-Wlsjor Cortwright had truly stated to
them tie danger to which this country was exposed from the
great power of Buonaparte, so hostilely directed against it.—
Against Clio great and constantly encreasing daegsr, it was ue-
cessary to ad ipt meaaurea far (hare= from those which were
pursued btt Niieiaters. Tu oppose the power and the talents of
Boonaparte, it would be only necessary to reanre liberty to
England.--{Great appiouse.)—Thr enemy had never yet sub-
dued free nations, nor would he be ever able to prevail over this
country, if free and united : but there was no way of producing
unanimity but by restoring to the people their just rights. is
was in vairnfor those men to send forth an hypocritical call for
unanimity, who were themselves doing every thing they could
to proauce discord.. In times of difficulty and danger, like the
present, a gpvernment of trick and delusion must necessarily be
tun feeble tO suhaist ; and no Government coeld hops effectu-
ally to resi.-.1 so powerful an enemy as we are now engaged with,
uniess a Government founded on the aiTeeiions of the people.
To use a cionniou phrase, a free stage, and no favour, was all
that England wanted in her contest with any enemy. A Go-
vernment that relied on the atfectioes of the people, and not uu
such an unnatural and perverted order of things as moo prevails,.
Would feel a great contideuce in the success of any war which
was really just and necessary. If the Address now proposer'
should be adopted, he would feel great pleasure in accumpany-
-1
ing the I-ugh Bailiff to present it to the Prince Regent. On, a
former oecaaion he had refused to go uji with an Address, from
which he thought no good could be derived. During the whole
course of the present long, unfortunate, and misguided reign,
the petitions of the people had been uniformly treated with con-
tempt. hie could remember, when in a coreupt, contan•ioated„
and self-elected assembly, the petiiions of the people bad beta
• thrown on the flour of the House. He, however, now thought
that an occasion had occurred, in which the people might pc-
itition with some hopes of success ; and that Major Cartwright
had very properly seized the opportunity to state the gi ievaeces
1 of the country to a Prince, whom the people. had long coast- :
4 dered as friendly to their liberties and happiness. Under these
circumstances, with more than usual hope, and with uefeigied
pleasure, he should be ready to convey their Address to the •
Regent. (Sir Francis's speech was received with great ap- .
pheuse.) •
The business of the day being then finished, the thanks of the
meeting were unienitnwasty voted to the high 3siliaL • ...
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