The National Register.
London, England, 1819-12-13 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER MEETING.

Of. Wednesday, about 50(./0 of the inhabitants of
Westminster asses bled at Covent-Garden in pursuance
of the Rt•gitisition, upon the subject of he Bilk pending
in Parliament, for the Abridgement of the Liberties of
site Subject. A stage was erected near Richardson's
lintel. Before one co clock there arrived at the Hotel,
Lord Althorpe, Lord Nugent, Sir Francis Burdett, Mr.
Lainbton, tlr Linthe, Mr. Douglas Kinnaird, Mr.
flobhouse, Mr. Fish, Mr. Bowie, Mi. Sturch, and
Mr. Wishart.

The High Bailiff, in stating that he had called the
Meeting in consequence of a Requisition signed by
many of the respectable inhabitants of Westminster,
declared, that the Meeting should he conducted upon
the principle acted upon by Counties, and by the City
of London, namely, that no person was to address the
people who was not an inhabitant Householder of
Westminster.

Sir Francis Bartlett came forward. He could not,
he said, help expressing his astonishment at the doc-
trine laid down by the Malt Bailiff fur the prevention
of that impartial mode of discussion to which West-
minster was aecusttunit.l. Whatever might be the
practice of the City of I.ondon, and of the Counties, it
was always a rule with the inhabitants of Westminster
to give to all their fellow-subjects an opportunity of
addressing thesis upon questions wh ch equally inter-
ested all (applanse,) and never to exercise any commit'
over the liberty of speech, except that which necessarily
spiting from the weariness occasioned by uninsportant
matter. All that was asked by them was a clear stage,
and no favour. ( ipplause.) Having thus protested
against the new doctrine of the High Bailiff, he said he
should address the Meeting upon the subject of the
measures in Parliament, which they were called. together
to discuss, but how to address them, or what to address
to them, was, in the strange, unexampled situation in
which she Country now stood, a matter of great diffi-
culty indeed. To speak truly was hivlsly dangerous—
to speak falsely, impossible. (Loud applause.) This
was a new era in the English annals. It now appeared
that what was apprehended and protested against by
she wisest men, was to be fullfilled. Whets those it Is
were once passed, a system of Government would be
established, such as never was contemplated by our
fiarefathers—such as would require the patience of Job
to endure, and demand a powerful resistance from the
good sense of the people, acting legally and constitu-
tionally, to prevent the exercise of a power which must
he regarded with horror by every honest 111311. (Applause)
The Btlls in Parliament trenched upon those prescriii.
tive and inalienable ri.!hts which the people time im-
memorial exercised. Tire rt4ht of the public to meet
was a right of Nalare, and not arising front any system
of human government. God hail trivet' to the people
the power to 111111 l unicate with each other, and sanc-
tioned that communication. Of this right, derived as
it was from Nature and Reason, he was jealous and
would not give up an ieres. (Great applause.) Never,
since Ead,land was England, was there greater occasion
than now existed Mr tine general exercise of that right.
The Press iris said to require a check—without the
operation of those 11111 s the Press could by no means lie
considered unshackled. The power already exercised
by the Attortiev-General was more than sufficient to
curb, lie could not call it die licentiousness of the Press,
but its free spirit; a spirit which, irthia opinion, should
be reliet ed flOlll all interference by such an authority
All the other ine.eatres were an itaringturteut upon the
Rights of the People, and formed a code of despotic
power giving legality io acts .s itch never, in his opmioti
*mild be couteun,dated, as Itavt:ig the colour of colisti-
tutional law. %Vitt' respect to the permanency of the
measures, tie looked with indiriereuee upon that point.
lie was careless whether they were der:laird by Minis-
ters to be for five years or for ever. The declaration of
a limited period could not reconcile any man, who was
capable of thinking,. to a mischief so deplorable, to a
grievance which proved the existence of a power
imle-
pendent of the people, which could make that perma-
nent, the ()perianth' of which was eirettitiscrilwd. and
enable the Alawitaistratiois to laugh at the credulity of
those whoexpeeted political redemption at the expira-
tion of the stated term.—(Applause.)—There was one
Bill worse. if possible, than all the rest. it was diet
which wealt to contravene the established principle that
said " that an Englishman's house was his castle." The
violation of this great maxim was to be found M the
power of searching for arms, a pretesice, ler which,
at the option of spies and informers. the house of indi-
vithuls could 1w entered and ransacked by day and by
slight. The people west empowered by all Laws to be
armed. At toe present moment it was. more than ever
their right for the necessity of protecting themselves,
which was nothing strut of self preservation; besides,
were they not liable in beater! upon for constitutional
purposes, :o take arms in their hands. Those who k new
what had occurred its !retain, nest see the melancholy
effects oh the system there ; but he trusted that the No-
blemen and G.eit lemon of England woubl raise their
voices in time against the prooess of this effort of Nilo-
isters--(Cries of They won't allow time.")—lt was
true, they were in a hurry, and would not allow time,
and it was toe more remarkable. as there now existed
Ito pretence far au invasion upon liberty--ail that had
been c 1111 l olaiased of was over.—The storm. if there was
any storm, and tile burry, if there was any hurry, were
pone by, and then canoe forward Nliiiiaers when prew•
tog danger was at an end, melt she determination to
ruck the Consitioi 111 l without giviaug the people time
to twee mete abhorrence, a language whirls would upon
such feet nr tittered from one end of the kingdom
10 the aver—(Great applause). Bust though there was
not time to complain with an uniseisal %owe, s ill the
people astiAttt meet for a repeal of those IIIeaSIIIVS,
and for a restos...iota of the Constitiatiota as it stood,
adoption limited as it was, at this day. The nt
.samit principle to meet the evil would at this crisis
he of rerausount necessity. All variances of a pi-