The Sun.
London, England, 1830-01-28 00:00:00

CHESHIRE COUNTY METING.

A public meeting of the inhabitants of the county
of Chester, called by the High Sheriff, pursuant to
a requisition signed by a number of landowners, was
held on Monday, at Aorthwich, for the purpose of
considering the propriety of petitioning both Houses
of Parliament, " for relief from the present dreadful
distress which unhappily affects so many of his Ma-
jesty's subjects." The following noblemen and
gentlemen were upon the hustings :—The Right
Hon. Lord Delamere, Charles Cholmondeley, Esq.
(brother to the Noble Lord), Sir G. S. Stanley,
Bart., Sir H. M. Main mitring, Bart., the Rev. C.
Stanley, Wilbraham Egerton, Esq., M.P., G. Wil-
braham, Esq. M.P., Thomas Darnley, Esq., E. D.
l)averiport, Esq., Colonel Parker, Colonel 13arnston,
J. G. Shakerley, Esq., S. H. Harper, Esq., J. G.
Tollemache, Esq., S. France France, Esq., J. Sud-
worth, Esq., R. M. Fielder), Esq., R. G. Perryn,
Esq., and George Walmsley, Esq. The High
Sheriff was requested to take the chair.
E. DAVENPORT, Esq. rose and addressed the
meeting. He said the county stood precisely in the
same predicament that it did eight years ago, when
it fell to his lot to petition the Legislature for a reduc-
tion of taxes, and an alteration in the currency ;
which petition was attended to, and a good deal of
money drawn from the pockets of the people was
returned into circulation ; and he little imagined
then that the country at this period would have been
reduced to such a pitch of distress. Ile was confi-
dent that the gentlemen present would acknowledge
that the distress of the year 1822 was in active
operation. He had thought most attentively of
the cause of our progressive distress for nine
years, and he had found that it arose from
the system of spoliation, which was now
ripening to frightful maturity. It had made its
way from the pocket to the understanding; and
those who differed with him in 182.9, were now
ready to give their support to him. The meeting
would be aware, when they saw Whigs, Tories,
and Radicals combined, it must be a very weighty
affair, and they might be sure it was time •for the
people of the country to combine and endeavour to
save themselves from ruin. It was the interest of
all classes, where labour was their subsistence, to
combine against those who cheapened commodities
for their own purposes, and there was no other way
titan by petitioning the Legislature. The system
which had been adopted was plunging the country
into ruin and crime, which embarrassed the Mini-
stry ; and yet it was said that it was riot a proper
time to address the Ministers, because of their em-
barrassment. Part of the Government, he had no
doubt, were anxious to back out of the dilemma,
but others were urging them on to pay taxes, with-
out money for food scarcely, or in fact without
money, like a King of Egypt who wished to compel
the Israelites to make bricks without straw. Cheese,
the staple commodity of Cheshire, had, he was
given to understand, fallen 30 per cent. The ma-
nufacturers were not in the least better off than the
agriculturists. So lamentable was the distress in
the county of Chester, that at the recent Sessions
several children were prosecuted for stealing bread.
Mr. Davenport entered into a long detail of the ad-
vantages which would accrue to the country by a
re-issuing of the small notes; at the conclusion of
which he read a series of resolutions, which were
intended to be embodied in a petition to both Houses
of Parliament. The resolutions having been read,
Lord DELAMERE rose and objected to them, as
not being sufficiently respectful, and as being calcu-
lated to cast aspersions, upon his Majesty's Mini-
sters, whom his Lordship was disposed to consider
entirely free from being responsible for the distress
under which the country laboured. His Lordship
then read a petition, which he stated to have been
prepared that morning whilst he was at breakfast.
Mr. DAVENPORT objected to it; on which
Mr. Wthmtatuat proposed that Mr. Davenport's
resolutions and Lord Delamere's petition should be
referred to a committee of four gentlemen.
This was agreed to, and the Committee retired
for a few minutes. On their return they produced
the following petition, taken partly from Lord De-
lamere's petition, and partly from Mr. Davenport's
resolutions :
The humble Petition of the Nobility, Gentry, Clergy,
Freeholders, and Inhabitants of the county of Chester,
" Shotveth, That the distresses which exist in every part
of the country, agricultural as well as commercial, com-
mand the most serious attention. That we are sensible of
the extreme difficulty of pointing out the causes, or of sug-
gestiog any effectual remedy for the relief of this calamity,
from the various opinions entertained upon this subject,
dough we cannot but attribute it in a great measure to' the
late alterations in the currency. With those itnpresaions,
we strongly recommend that the earliest possible day after
the meeting of Parliament be fifwl for taking into cot.side-
ration this momentous subject, when we find that a reduc-
tion of taxation in the country at large, as is consistent
with honour, may beetfected, and a rigid system of economy
in every department adopted and enforced, to answer tha
deficiency in the revenue, will comb generally to take place,
and that your H inourable House will further adopt such
Ine,sures as may tend effectually to reaisdy the present
state of distress."
The petition having been unanimously agreed to,
Mr. DAVENPORT again rose, and said that he should
not have raised the least objection to it bad he the
wish and the opportunity of being made a Peer.
Lord DELA3IERE said, that Mr. Davenport airs
peered, from Lis manner, to make an allusion to him.
If that was the case, lie was glad of the opportunity
of stating to him, and to the meeting, that he
(Lord Delamere) was raised to the Peerage irides
pendently ; lie never was obliged either to the Mi.-
nisters or to the Parliament in his life, arid though
his Majesty had conferred so high an honour upon
Mtn, lie considered that he was in an equally re-
spectable sphere of life previously.—(Cheers.)—lf
the meeting would listen to him, rind lie had found
them exceedingly kind, he would state to them the
circumstances which led to his being raised to the
Peerage. In early life, said the Noble Lord, I was
intimately acquainted with his Majesty—was
biro
companion—his friend; and oft his coming to the
throne, his Majesty did that for me which one friend
would do to another. His was sorry to see so many
opinions as to the cause of the general distress, arid
various remedies were recommended; some said,
take the revunues from the Church; but in his
opinion there was only one remedy for the agricul-
tural distress, and that was a reduction of the roots
by the landlords.—(Tremendous cheering.)
Sir H. M. Mainwaring, Sir John Thomas Stan-
ley, George Wilbraham, Esq., Wilbraham
Egerton, Esq., M.P., Charles Cholmondeley, Esq.,
and several other gentlemen, subsequently addressed
the meeting.
Mr. WILBRAHAU moved that the petition be,
signed by the High Sheriff, in the name of the'
county; but subsequently it. was deemed more ad-
visable to send it to the House of Parliament with
the individual signatures attached ; ultimately it
was. agreed that petitions should lie at eaci. market
town in the county, for one week, in order to obtains
signature.ss
Thanks seere then voted to tb.2 High Sheriff for
convening the ri-aseting, and for his is in
the chair, and the riveting separated.

The number of actions cornmeuced in the
superior Courts at Westminster, on an air 'tie of five
)ears, amounto to nearly 80,000 per annum.

THE WEATHER.—The season, in this titian-
ter, has been extremely inclement since our last. We
sever recollect to have experienced eu4 rapid variations
of temperature. Heavy showers of snow th,ioughout the
week, have been followed by sudden thaws, and those ,
ceeded by frosts of the most severe character• that can he
conceived. The coat:lames And guards of the Lincoln
coaches represent the weather os. that side to have been
such, as they scarcely ever encounter a 4 The snow has
been so deep es to oblige theta to work nearly throughout
the journey with six horses, and the winds were so I:o,is-
terous as to drive the snow and sleet with e. violence that
was seriously irksome to both men and horses. On this
side the Humber, however, 614 .snow does not appear to
have fallen in such quantities, as we have observed the
York coaches have only employed four Itwes As usual.--
Hull Packet,

EAST INDIA MONOPOLY.

(From the Times.)

We noticed on Tuesday the fact that a meeting, on the
subject of the East India monopoly, had taken place at
Manchester, and had been attended by many manufac-
turers and merchants of high intelligence, reputation, and
property, who were unanimous in their resolutions de-
precating any renewal of the Charter by which the yoke
of that monopoly has been imposed on the people of Eng-
land. Such meetings were held in various parts of Great
Britain early in the year just el ipseel, and we ven-
ture to say that they will become more frequent, as
well as, beyond measure, more importunate and ur-
gent, when the season arrives for bringing before Pa:-
liament the portentous question which occasioned, and
which still provokes them. It was not until at a
recent date, however, that we had materials furnished to
us explanatory of what had hitherto seemed the premature
alarm of the commercial body, lest their rights of free
trade to countries beyond the Cape, including the finest
field for peaceful enterprise in the world, should be further
violated by another twenty years' monopoly, after that
now afflicting them should have expired. We were not
long ago accidentally informed that a letter had been cir-
culated throughout India, purporting to be transmitted by
some individual in authority to another. The names of
both were given in a Mahornetan or llindoo form, and the
language of the writer, who talked like a very great
person indeed, was sufficiently alarming to all friends
of liberty, whether civil or commercial, in India and in
Great Britain. To cut short preliminaries, we publish
that famous letter; and if any -.thing can add to the
reader's surprise at its contents, it will be his finding that
a literal translation of the Asiatic names affixed to it, gives
that of Lord Ellenborough for the writer, and Sir John
Malcolm for the party to whom it was addressed. Now Sir
John Malcolm being Governor of Bombay, who some time
since had quarrelled with the (falsely called, as we
shall see by and by) Supreme Court of Justice in
that Presidency, and Lord Ellenborough being no
less a person than President of the Board of Con-
troul, it is of manifest importance to get hold of a
document which discloses the views of so very emi-
nent a functionary, on points of such moment to every
Englishman, as—first, the principles on which justice
is, with the sanction of the Board of Cuntroul, to be
administered to the natives of India ; and, secondly, the
policy of that Board with regard to the renewal or non-
renewal of that Charter which the bulk of the British
nation exclaims against as a grievance calling loudly
for redress. How this letter has reached our hands,
cannot much signify to the public. It has been sent
to vs with assurances of its authenticity so strong and
so accredited, that we cannot withhold from them our
belief.

The President of the Board of Controul, then, in
the first place, lays it down in substance, if not in terms,
that a Judge of that Court, which is described as " su-
preme," ought to administer, not that law which results
from his own learning and judgment, but such as
shall be pleasing to the political ruler of the province
or presidency where his tribunal happens to he placed.
In characterising the new Chief Justice D,war, who
from Advocate-General, was, •on the recommendation
of the Noble President of. the Board of Controul,
made Chief Justice over the head of Sir J. Grant (a
Judge whose law appears to have been intractable for
promotion), he, Chief Justice Dewar, is panegyrized
as one who appears to be " on terms of confidence with"
tie Governor. So, the Puisne Judge appointed to com-
plete the Bench of Bombay, is praised for having such
" right notions of his duty" as will " lead him rather to
support the Government" than resist it ; and it', with two
such guides and coadjutors, Sir J. Grant showld still be
rash enough to betray symptoms of troublesome inde-
pendence, why then, in the amusing language of the letter,
he will be " like a wild elephant led away between two
tame ones."

How would the late Lord Ellenhorough, we should like
to ask, have stomached such notions of jt. dicial dignity
and independence as are here avowed (if the letter be ge-
nuine) by the representative of his name and honours ?
But the second subject of this curious epistle is even
more critically startling : for we are told therein,—.and the
communication purports to be dated as far back as the 21st
of February, 1829,—that there was a chance of the India
Campany's charter being renewed this year, 1830—thrt e
years before the expiration of the former one! If this be
so, it is time indeed for the friends of commercial freedem
to be, one and all, at their alarm posts.
The following is the letter :

" India Board, Feb. 21.

Sir,—l had not intended to write to you until I could
communicate to you the opinion of the law-officers of the
Crown upon the difference which appears to have taken
place between you and the Supreme Court of Bombay' •
but the Chairs have just informed me that they wrote to you
by a vessel which sails to-day, and I am unwilling that
you should not receive a letter from me at the earee time.
" I believe there is but one opinion in this country as to
the conduct of the Supreme Court. Their law is consi-
dered bad law; but then errors in matters of law are
nothing in comparison with those which they have com-
mitted in the tenour of their speeches from the bench.—
Had Sir C. Chambers lived, I think he must have been
displaced. Sir J. Grant seems to have confined himself
more strictly to a legal argument. He may have been
led by his erring chief ; still there is much to cen-
sure in his conduct, and although I think it will
probably not be considered necessary to recall him,
his case is by no means decided upon. I ton to
have some conversation upon it with the Chancellor
in a few days. We are so much occupied with
our Roman Catholic Relief Bill at present, that w
have little time for other matters, however important : to
this circumstance must be attributed the delay which has
occurred on the part of the Law-officers. There was none
in sending the case to them. In the mean time the King
has, ou my recommendation, made your Advocate-Genera',
Mr. Dewar, Chief Justice. I advised this appointment,
because that gentleman appears to have shown ability and
discretion during the late conflict with the Supreme Court,
teed because he appears to take a right view of the law,
and to be on terms of confidence with you.
" I thought the putting him over Sir J. Grant's head
would do more to notify public opinion than any other
measure I could at once adopt I ana you have him iii ac-
tion two months sooner than you could have any other
sent froes here. I hope this arrangement will be satisfac-
tory to you.
" The Puisne Judge appointed in the room of Sir C.
Chambers, is Mr. William Seymour, of the Chancery
bai, The Lord Chancellor has a very good opinion of
him, and generally, I think, he appeared to have higher
claims than atiy other candidate. He is a gentleman
in his manners, and a man of cultivated mind. Ile
seems to have right notions of his duty, and of the
law which has been so strangely misinterpreted. He
will rather sopport Government than use the autho-
rity of the Supreme Court as a means of raising op-
position. At least, if ha is not all this, I have been de-
ceived in him. He will embark in less than two months.
He will probably be knighted before he sails ; and as it
will not ha right that the Chief Justice alone should not
be knighted, we mast consider in what manner that can be
best effected. I believe it may be done by patent ; but
my present idea is to empower you, as Governor, to confer
the ho..our of knighthood on Mr. Dewar. This will evi-
dently place tie.; Governor above the Court. It will magic you
out as the King's rearesentative; you may make the cere-
mony as imposing as you pleeese. I have written to the
Heeald's-office, to know if the thing could be done accord-
ing to precedents.
" It is as yet elradecided, the law-officers not having as
yet given their opinion ea to the law whether a declaratory
.et will be required. Perhaps the opinions of the law-
offieera, and those which I may obtain of the Lord Chan-
cellor and the Lord Chief Justice, may be sufficient to in-
duce Sir J. Grant to revise his notions of law. At any
rate, no more mischief can happen, as he will be like a
wild elephant led away between two tame ones.
,g See re may not impossibly renew the Charter next
year, we may ta;:e that opportunity of rectifying the ex-
pressions of the Act of Parliament, should they require
it. Many persons think it wouid be inexpedient to open
a ellsenettion on Indian matters this yeae, if it could be
avoided. gut ae I tell you no decision is yet come to.
" You will see that there is no intention of deserting
you. You have acted with r.eueli firmness and prudence.
I entirely agree in the view you lieve ezpeeesed of the dan-
gereitee consequences which would result from the eaten-
eion beyond ;11e limits of the Presidency of the powers
claimed by the Skive:roe Court. Orders have been given
for expediting the'patoret of ahe Chief Judge.
" It is with sleep regret that iciity,e heard that
the Cotn-
pany anti the country are so soon to 0i,04r E:eFyteestn
jadis. j could not ask you to stay one hour rk;p
danger of ,yotea vajuable life ; but I am confident you will
stay till you have reeeseal,lished the authority of Govern-
ment in the opinion of ,the oetiyee., I trust, indeed, that
the unbending firinnees yoo have displayed will have pre-
vented much of the evil which might have beer, te•peateal
to ,t,ow from the conduct of the Judges.
am going to send you a very excellent new Bishop,
whenever Pr. James resigns—Mr. J. M. Turner. The
Archbishop of Centeeleteey, the Bishop of London, and in-
deed all the Biehops I haKe eeeo are quite satified that
Mr. Turner is as fit a mart as Mid be elected,

will be mild and Arm. He is a very good and pious man,
without worldly motions, and really devoted to his high
calling.
" I feel sa ti.fled that you will act with the same firm-
ness under ail circumstances, and at the same time with
moderation and discretion. You may thus depend upon
the support of the Board of Controul, which I have the
honour of presiding over.
" I have, &c.
(Signed) " ELLENBOR9UGH.
" Sir J. Malcolm, G.C.B.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.