The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-07 00:00:00

Te stopped for some momenta.) The retolutions, said Mr. T.
on returning, which I shall present for the consideradon of the
meeting, are such as L trust will meet your approbation; and
as applied to his Majesty's Ministers, they contain strong ex.
pressions. Mr. Thuxtell was here so overcome as to be un-
able to bring his thoughts to bear on the subject, and after a
few moments delay begged that the meeting would }mint hint
indulgence,eus be was not in the habit of public speaking. lie
then proposed the ResOlutimis, which were read by the Under
Sheriff, and which appeared in The Suet of Saturday.
Mn. GEORGE WATSON then again read the resolutions as
the meeting was not able to hear them before, and proceeded
to speak nearly to the following etliect am sorry that it
has fallen to my lot to appear in so conspicuous a situation as
to second the resolutions at a county meeting t but having been
called upon by a large number of my friends, I am juatified
in doing so, although I regret that the principal land-owners of
the county should not have come forward themselves on the
present most important occasion,. in support of their tenantry,
thus suffering them to sink without using on- single effort in
their behalf. But as they did not choose to 4ppear forward on
this subject, was it for the occupiers to be entirely silent? No,
certainly non—Weer, hear!)—.Were we to crouch and not to
seek the redress we wanted ? No, gentlemen, no, no ! I
hope, gentlemen, that however we may ditler in some point*,
%Ve know our rights, and knowing, dare maintain."
Seirry I am these gentlemen are so itulitkrent, because we
would rather follow than lead, and glad should I have been if
the landed proprietors had taken the lead this day. These are
times when every man should speak his mind openly, and
am sorry that now the vessel is so leaky, and in such danger,
any man, who should be lendinghis assistance on deck, should
be asleep in the cabin heedless of the danger that awaits him.
The landlords cannot exist without the tenants. They cannot
(term the lands theniselves, and what would be the consequence
of the destruction of the tenantry ? —Why, that the landlords
would have to support the poor, and that they would be swel.
lowed up in the vortex which gapes to receive them. I trust
that such a ruin will be averted, and that they will come for.
ward and lend their strenuous endeavours to prevent this line
pending danger.
Mr. COKE then rose, and was received with the loudest de-
monstrations of respect and satisfactiOn. Gentlemen, said Mr.
C. often as I have attended county meetings I never yet was
present at one which-gave me more infinite gratification than
the present. The requisition is signed_ by the cultivators of the
soil, and most numerously and respectably signed too--a de-
scription of men who through the whole course of my life I
have looked upon as the most valuable part of society. happy
am I, gentlemen, that the county of Norfolk, on this occasion,
sets the example to other counties in calling a meeting to pe-
tition for the redresi of their grievances: I trust that such an
example will be tbllowed by the whale people, to whose voice,
when united, Ministers cannot refuse to grant the redress re-
quired. The resolutions—and happy am I that the requisi-
UOl3iSiS at length concur in the Means of redress required, and
that both parties are so nearly united—the resolutions are pretty
stiff and strong, and signed by a large number of requisitionists
who agree in their strpport. It is peculiarly gratifying to my
feelings to perceive that at length the county is aware of and ac-
knowledges what during my whole life I have maintained—that
the system we haVibeen fallowing is ruinous. In the very first
line of the resolutions it states "that it appears to this meeting
that the system upon which our national concerns have been
hitherto conducted has.(at length) led to a state of agricultural
distress unprecedented and unbearable." To this confession I
ant not astonished that the county is at last brought. The se-
vend resolution is certainly equally strong with the filet. The
third, which presses fora reduction of taxation, " which ought
not to have been imposed," does not at all surprise me. IS'ith
the fourth resolution I agree in the main.
But as to the reduction of the national debt, I must state that
although 1 think the county must come to that nt last (appleuse)
—yet Its an honest man, I think that everyplace, pension, and
sinecure, every method of economy ought first to be resorted
to, ought to be fully tried, in order to satisfy the public mind,
that as much as could be done to alleviate the country from its
distress, its ruin, has been accomplished. I ant of opinion that
he time is not very far distant when a reduction of the national
4clet must take place, and I think that.the fundholders would
'be wise were they to come to some compromise. livery exertion
ought to be made to *reduce the expenditure. The abolition of
the Malt Tux would be a great relief to the agriculturists, and
would likewise be a considerable comfort to the lower class of
the community. These are my opinions, anti I tun proud to
stand here the representative of those who call upon the hegis-
lature, in so firm and so manly a manner, for the redress they
require. Mr. Coke said he would offer a few words on what
had fallen from Mr. AVatson. Ho must beg to differ from that
gentleman, who bad found fault with the large landed pro-
prietors for not taking the lead on this occasion. For his part
he was gratified that the meeting had arisen from the quarter
from whence it did, and be considered it by far most preferable,
that the resolutions should have been proposed by the occupiers
than by the landed proprietors.—( While Alr. C. was saying this,
Mr. Watson said, I find fault with others, not with Mr. Coke.)

Mr. WOREITOTISIE rose, and was received with applause and
disapprobation, but the former prevailed. It is not, said Mr.
Weelehouse, my intention to trespass for one single moment
longer than a sense of public duty requires.' If these are the re.
solutions to be adopted by this meeting, it hi necessary on such
points, that one, standing in the situation in which I stand,
should think as he pleasee, and also speaks its he thinks.
(Applause.)— I will pass at once the first resolution to the se-
cond, being of a general nature, which complains that no dis.
position has been shewn by his Majesty's Ministers to diminish
the pressure of calamity, except by so partial a reduction of
taxation as beam no proportion to the cause of complaint.
You will have the goodness to recollect, that the reduction
that was made, and which you state to be partial, was very
nearly equal in amount to the reduction contemplated by some
of the leading characters of Opposition—Mr. Brougham anti
hard Alrhorpe, whose propositions would have included the
fatal annihilation of that fund, which,' in the epinion of two of
the greatest statesmen that ever lived, Mr. Fox; as well as
Mr. Pitt, was indispensable to national prosperity.—(A
laugh.)
Havtng proceeded thus far, I will trespass for a short time
longer. The conclusion of the fourth resolution prays for
"such a reduction of the national debt as is required by the pre-
sent circumstances of country, and the imperative claims of
public justice." Pray, gentlemen, let me ask you who is to
be the judge as to what portion of the national debt is to be re.
duced ? Sonic will require a third, some a half,' and some
perhaps the whole,—l beg to be understoOd not as speaking
from passion, nor yet without thought. Rather than give the
slightest countenance to a petition founded on such vague rea-
soning, to that which prays for wale reduction of the national
debt as the circumstances may require,. you may believe I
would rather never enter the door of the Howie of Corn.
mons again. The last resolution refers to the Malt and
Beer Taxes. My opinions respecting these taxes have been so
often delivered on this point, that they cannot be mise
taken. A great many are not aware how Logo a portion
of the revenue is derived from these taxes. IS respect to
the relief not being proportioned to the causes of complaint,
it has always been my opinion that without denying the
operation of other causes, the leading cause of our distress is
the alteration in the valde of our money. It was this persuasion
that induced me to vote with Mr. flaring, when before the act
Fatted, he proposed the reconsideration of the question ; and,
when the object of his amendment being to alletiate the pres-
sure of that act upon the various branches of public industry,
under the same persuasion that induced Me, in the course of the
last Session, to vote with Mr. Western, then the ease was Ma-
terially altered. I never could comprehend why, because we
should not do every thing, therefore we should du nothing. Let
me not be understood as meaning to cast any particular censure
upon the Right Hon. Gent. who introduced that measure to
Parliament, and whose name it bears. Loeking to the character
of public men, as a point of remarkable importance, I believe
that whoever dispassionately reviews the conduct of that Right
Honourable Gentleman since his entering into office, will feel
abundant reason for satisfaction, that it pleased his Majesty to
call him ter his councils, and to place him in the high situation
which he now fills. At the same time I never could shut out
from my mind, that neither he nor any of his Right Hon.
Colleagues, nor any of those distinguished persons by whom
they are opposed, neither Whigs nor Tones—that Parliament,
generally speaking, had not a Just conception of the work in
which it was engaged, anti wanting a clear Insight themselves,
they adopted that which was suggested by Mr. Ricardo, by
doing which they have brought a measure of sutferiag upon this
country which it should be the object of their future lives to
mitigate and atone for.
Immediately after Mr. WODIIIIOIIBE had finished his
speech, Mr. CORBETT, who was attended by a knot of Lila
supporters, rose to address the Meeting, when the Hall be-
came a complete scene of confusion. A party appeared to have
%untied for the express purpose of supporting Mr. Cobbett,