The National Register.
London, England, 1816-10-21 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

SOUTHWARK MEETING.

Thursday a numerous meeting was held, porsnant to
advertisement at the Town Hall, in the Borough of South-
wark," for the purpose of taking into consideration the pre-
sent distresses of the people, and the alarming state of the
nation, and to adopt rock measures as might be necessary."
Soon after one o'clock the chair was taken by S. Holmes,
Esq. Deputy High Bailiff.
Mr. Holmes bring regularly in the chair, read the requi-
sition by which the meeting, had been convened. It was
signed by at least tiny persons.
Mr. Hart iiien presented himself, and regretted that the
task he moving certain resolutions had fallen on him. He
began by denying that the cause of toe present distresses
was a transition from war to peace, and contended tleit they
arose from the Pitt system. The people had found it had
brought rein and desolation. Excessitte taxation, a standing
army, mud corruption elsewhere' had reduced this country
to the lowest state of suffi ring. Retrenchment had been re-
, commended, but the Government only insulted them. In-
stead of reducing the great sinecures and pensions, they had
taken away a few extra police officers front the Thames, in
cuusequence of which the property of the public on that
river Was tot sufficiently protected. The distresses of the
people were the effect of a long effort to keep the Bourbons
on the throne of Trance.—(Loud object in
the several resokmtionc he had to move was, tits, to express
their detestation of the 1111411111 by which the couutry had
been brought to its present state; and secondly, to propose
a remedy. The uext point for the consideration of the Meet-
ing was the state of the country with respect to tithes. lipou
that subject Inc had to propose a measure, by which tithes
might be redeemd. 7tro clown might collect a proper re.
nomendion tile the clergy in the land tax. It could not,
however, be expected that any advantage would arise under
the present corrupt representation of the neople. No good
could be effected without reform in Parliament, therefore
he recommended to petition the Prince Regent to lake to his
councils men who would promote Pat liameutary 111101111.
Air. Hall seconded the above. -
Mr. Calvert was of opinion, that war for the restoration of
the House of Bourbon had not been continued in defiance of
the remonstrance of part of the English people, but iet the
people of England.—(Nuzzo! lour° !)--If the resolution went
forth as it Oleo *Was worded, it would appear that part of Ore
people of England had been favourable to war for the resto-
ration of the Bourbons, which lie knew was not the fact.
Mr. Hall said, the object of the Meeting was to express
the sense the people entertained of the conduct of his Ma-
jesty's Ministers, sod the present alarming state of the
country. He had expected that men of public spirit would
have been present to discuss the subject. He was surprised
to plod, among others, one of their representatives (Mr. Bar-
clay) absent. He agreed with the mover of the resobitious,
that the distress of the country was 11w result of Pitt's sys-
tem; Waiters had told them to wait fur the meeting of Parlia-
ment, which would afford relief; but what hope could they
have from men who received a fourth part of the politic
money.--(!hers! A4tl done, my hey!)- -They had been told
that a man's heart must be callous that did not glow at the
result oldie late contest. If those who indulged in that re-
mark would look at the wretched beings suffering in the
workhouses, little would they find to make the heart glow.--
There were large sinecariats who flourished away from time
to time—front year to year, who were never weary of prais-
log and supporting the system which secured (twin large
.portions of 11w public money—(dpplouse).—George Rose had
.cone forward with a pamphlet, to tell time pour, when all
was gone they had still religion to Ily to, and saviug banks.—
ILasnrhier and huntac)—Sante had been threatened whim exe-
cutions for taxes they are unable to pay—(l bare, crud one
among; the crowd)—but the time might soon come when there
would be but little left to satisfy rapacity. 'lle only remedy
fur their inisfortaires was Reform in Parliament. _

.
Mr. Calcraft then proposed to amend the resolution, by in-
ting after Bourbon family on the throne of France," the
words—" in defiance of the remonstrance of the English and
Frence people."—The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Kemmish did not concider the abolition of sinecures
of much consequence. Looking to the state of families, they
wanted' more substantial relief. The national debt ought to
be wiped off, and the Bourbons made to pay it. Then that
arch hypocrite Lord Castlereagh, sold his country to this
cannily, the job never would have been brought about but
for the Janisaries WiliCh surrounded the Lord Lieutenant.

Standing armies had ever been the support of tyrants and
oppressors. James 11. of England was obliged to resort to
one, in order to oppress the people. Those tyrants, Louis
XLV. Laois XV. and Louis XVI. used a standing army to
murder their own subjects. (Here Orator Komuisit re-
ceived three cheers.)
Mr. Simile t toted, that every man ought to come forward,
and should be deterred by no considerations from suggesting
what might appear best calculated to relieve present dis-
tress. The situation of the country was intl:rd mlumost des-
perate from the immense amount of the public debt. (True,
true). From that source sprung the consi.iracy of a lira
overgrown sineeureists, to strip a flee people of their
To that cause was to be ascribed the diarees of the agrieul-
turist, the decay of trade, and time poverty and banks uptey
41:0W so general, but unheard of in former periods of oar his-
tory. The want of employment, was not owing to a bIIII4ICII
transition from war to peace, hut to the amount of the Na-
tional Debt, which had impeded the whole of our domestic
ettonorny. Instead of that mirth which was wont to accom-
pany peace, every face now wore misery and despair.—
Nothing now was talked of but executions and bankruptcies,
and the a hole system bore the marks of a national convul-
sion. Should we not then come forward to relieve the dis-
, tress so generally felt. The true remedy was to be found
in the virtue or • free people. But the language that
bad been held upon the subject must excite the indignation
of every generous mind. One spiritual and three temporal
lords had among then) 150,0001. annually, a sum that would
supply 25,000 persons with bread., belonging to that class,
the labouring mpoor that -constituted the real strength and
sinews of the state.—(Mack Appluuse.)— Should a contribm
tiou then be recommended to relieve the country in its pre-
sect sltstresst d state,s,vhen such s sssss s were swallowed imp by
an unfeeling aristocracy.% It had forme-41y been the opinion
that England was the admiration of the world, that she was,
as had been .emphatically termed, the gold mule of Europe.
So completely, however, Wet time scene now reversed, flout
she appeared begging fur aims, and receiving charity—ells-
city fours.' a Frenchman of •that family that slipped out of
Paris like so many .g,...assitoppers. Britain thus mit a beg
ging like Ileiisaritis itt.old for a halfpenny. That was all
nwimz: 4u it emit:rota metier), that had applied time wealth of the
imatimm to .use. In 1403 the lirst.James said to his j
karlituneut, that the good of his Inutile should be the. sole