The Sun.
London, England, 1810-04-18 00:00:00

IVES'TMIiIBTER Al EE7IX G.

Ccnformable to a Requisition to the High Bai-
liff, and announced by advertisements in the Public
Prints, a very numerous meeting - yesterday took
place in Palace yard, nearly opposite to the front of
\VestinitisTer-Hall.

The High Bailiff read the Requisition, which
vat; signed by near-2000 Eleaors, and stated the
objet for which the meeting had been summoned.

Mr. STvacn Men came forward to move certain
Resolutions. It was unnecessary for him .to dwell
at much lengh upon the loss which the City of
'Westminster had experienced, in being deprived of
a most able and faithful Representative. lais loss
was deeply felt by them all, and no words that he
could use could add any thing to the impression
which was already on their minds. it became the
daty of those who signed the Requisition for the
present meeting, to examine attentively into all the
circumstances attending the case, and connetied
with the present meeting. It was their opinion at
the first, that it would not have been prudent to call
the meeting at an earlier period, as it could hardly
be expelled that men's minds would have th-n
been cool enough to enter into a calm and deliberate
consideration of the subjed. It' was for that rea-
son that the Meeting had not been called sooner.
I%,iany of those, however, who signed the ri.cp
tion had found it their duty to win in their minds
the Resolutions which appeared to them proper
to suenait to the Meeting. These Resolutions he
would feel it his duty to read to them. and.he felt
convinced that they would meet with their decided
approbation. Jt was not necessary for him to make
many preliminary observations, for the casd upon
which they were called together was perfeetly
known and .understood by them all. The House
of Commons had thought proper to confine, during,
their pleasure, Sir Francis Burdett, their Represen-

tative. He could safely say that a more honest or
abler man never appeared as the Representative of
"that city. His house had been broken open,.and he
himself dragged to prison, there to. remain during
the pleasure of the House. Would that Meeting
believe that it was for any crime ? They could only
conceive that it was for honestly doing his duty,
and nothing more than was his duty. He had re-
sisted, as he conceived himself bound to do, what
he tivrug,ht a most arbitrary and unwarrantable
stretch of power. Their honoured Representative
• certainly possessed a firmness of mind which, in the
discharge of duty, was not to be shaken ; but still it
would be right in them to skew him that he had

every support which their entire approbation and
warm afithion could give him. When the arm of
power haul been stretched to such an unwarrantable

and unprecedented length, it was necessary to inter-
pose whatever shield the Constitution allowed the
People, to prated their rights in the person of their
Representative. He trusted that the Resolutions he
had to submit would be considered perteelly legal;
constitutional, and honourable. He hoped and con-
fidently trusted, that the citizens would not by the
slightest irregularity, afford a. handle to their bitter
enemies. He trusted they would ever continue
to press upon the Parliament the necessity of such
a Parliamentary Reform as would give them the
substance, and-not the shadow merely, of represen-
tation ; and that the time would come when the
people would be fairly represented in the Commons
(louse ; when no more money would be taken out
of the pockets of the people than was absolutely
necessary ; and when the money that was raised
would be expended with economy. Considering the
harmony which had usually prevailed at their meet-
ings, it was a most unnecessary parade of military
s,tength, an useless insult offered so_the Electors of
Westminster, for Government to pretend to sup-
pose thit the race of the country was likely to be
violated, by their meeting, in the regular and con-
stitutional manner, to complain of grievances. This
w,ts among the Uniiiher of insults which were daily
offered to the pubic feelings ; and be was convinced
that their pcacefolcondwl on the present day would
Shew the folly of the pftpaiations of Government.
After many other general observations, he conclud-
ed by mot in thy- following Resolotiuns :
Resolved, That we roost highly • approve of Sir-
Fritnecs Buidett's Letter to us, Lis Constituents; the
subjeert t),O of the utmost imp,rtance, and the ar-
gurnentsmcol trovertible.

Titat Sir Ff., ci, Burdrtt's conduct in calling up-
on the Civil Po ,er for the protedion of his house
against a miii•ary f ice, as dictated by prudence,
rawledge of, and confidence in, the laws of his
Country.
rhal the House of Corrm.)ns be called upon to
restore to us our beloved Representative, and to
-co-op::rate immediately with him in his endeavours
to procure a fair representation of the people in Par-
lia inen t. •

That the Pc!ition now read be adopted; that it
be signed by the High Bailiff qnd 25 Eleaors, and
deliveted to our I etnainingßepresentative, the Right
Flon. Lord Cochrane, to be by him presented to the
110 se of Coinmoni.

That a L: tier be addressed • to Sir F. Burdett, ex-
pres,ing our 101 l and entire approbation of the whole
and every part of his conduct tis a Member of Par-
t
hauteur.

That the Letter now mid be adopted; that it be
signed by 23 Electors, in the name of this Meeting;
and that the High &Irbil' be requested to present the
same tt, sir F. Burdett.

That the Thanks of this Meeting be given to our
worthy Representative, the Right Hon. Lord Coch-
rant!, for hIS support of Sir F. Burdett during the
-present aidnous struggle.
Th,tt the Th, nks of this Meeting be given to
those ii,depen.lcut Nletnhers of the House of Com-
m:us who hive supported the rights of the people.
"I httt the Thanks of this Meeting be given to Ar-
thur Mon is, .E-q. High l3ailitY, fur his ready coat-
pli'mee With the recitu4t'.on of the Electors, and fur
able ami impartial ,vtictuct in ,he Chair.
Mr. Wis 4A K2' seconded the Resolutions.—lt
shou:d re,e that if the House of
Comnlous hnd iv!leges to maintain, the people had
also rigt,ts, which it was their bounden duty to pre.
:erve i;•vi i rte. - They should not allow their rights
to be t,'l(-) .t,•d or (nitwit.' o.• without the most per-
c,..tveti!!g; was convinced, t hat when
all the prttvS in Pdriiiiinerit were t lking of rallying
eGOverntrient, rite Electors at Westmiii-
nu. do better ha... rally round ti,el taith-
ful F.e?leseutative, Sir Fratvis Bufclett.. It they

Tv

were to examine -tie prm,c;.,lings of Path
this occasion, they wt)old find that Sir F. 8ur70.1 •
had been committed for writing a letter to thew (oi- •
planatory of what he coneei‘ed to to a., onwartant-
able stretch of power on the part of the House of
Commons. It was certain, however; that the House
of Commons did not always assume as hioi a tone
as they now did; and, in the beginning ut the last
century, that great laWyer, Lord Cruet Jusoce Hv t,
or,. red the Speaker to withdraw %,‘ ith his ni:ice,
and told him, " that if lie staid five minutes looger„
he would•commit him, even if •he had the whole
House of Coinotoris in his belly." The privileges
of the House of Commons, which were now so
Much • spoken of, "we're originally granted fur the .
.pro;ection of the people against the Crown and it •
was never dreamt Of in the early times of our Coo-
stitutioo that these privileges were ever to be turned
against people. Nothing could be mole violent
titan the conduct pursued to the Hon. Baronet. If
a Member of Parliament was merely committed to
the custody of the Set jean[ at Arms, and kept con-
fined in a room" at the House of Commons, ,such a
circumstance would have created neither tumult nor
murmur, In what was called a trial before the
House of Commons, the same persons were the ac-
cusers, judges, and jury; and, however it might be
st ,t,d, he never could believe that it was merely for
writing that letter to his Constituents that he had
been seat to prison. No it must -be --recolleaed
how strenuous an advocate he always was for re.fi •
form—what a strong enemy to corruption ! Such a
man as him the Ministers would naturally wish, to
get rid of : and yet, in other con-tempts against the
authority and character of the House, they were not
so implacable. When two of his Majestlat
ters had been accused of selling seats in that House,
and the fad was offered to be proved at the gar,
and was indeed- confessed by them, the majority of
the House unblushingly declared, that the -practice
should not be dealt with severely, but tiuttit might
be almost justifird from the ft equency and notoriety
of such practices. There were many who thought
that it. would be necessary to petition his Majesty to
dissolve a Parliament which had made such a violent
attack upon the liberty of the subject. die was
afraid, however, that there would be little. use in
addressing his Majesty, so long as those Addresses
might be intercepted by the very Ministers of whom
the nation had to complain. He anxiously wished,
however, that the time might return when his Ma-,
jesty would again grant audiences to his subjects, and
receive their Petitions in his Royal haott4. • kit Con-
cluded by exhorting the Eledors•to a peaceable de-
meanour, to deprive their enemies of the handle they
so much wished for.

A Vote of Thanks was then proposed and agreed
to, to Lord Cochrane, for his support of the cause of
Sir Francis Burdett.

Lord -COCtir..tsc said, that, on the present occa-
sion, he telt more than he could find words to ex-
press. He felt, as others did,' that the iron hand of
power had been stretched out against his worthy ,
Friend, one of their RepresentativCs to Parliament.
If was not merely against their Representative, but
against a Representative that enjoyed their entire
confidence—a Man who dared to be honest in the
very worst of nines. He hoped, however, that the
people would never so far acqeiesce in this assump-
tion of power, as to allow it to be drawn into pre-
cedent for the future. He felt it necessary to ex-
plain a misrepresentation, which he was sure was
altogether unintentional, of what he said
ment on the business of Sir Fraecis Burdett. He
had not applied the. word censurable' to any thing
which Sir Francis had • done ; but he had ineteiy
said, that such an expression as was complained of
would' be ceesurable it applied to the Howe of
Commons which was conscious of having dupe t s
duty. But could it be supposed that he meant
that a House. of Commons which had aceoittcd the
Ministers who pianned the Walcheren Exp:dition,
and who had approved of their cohduat, were really
condueting themselves as became the dignity of the
House He thought the House of Cuuty,uns ought .0
have the power or committing, teat rot to the elaeh tit
had now been exercised. Those offences which were
cognizable by the laws should, as is thought, be lett
to the JAWS to determine. It was hard fur the
House to determine justly, not only by reason of
the party spirit which prevailed on both sides, but
because the forh.s of the Mouse did taut ahow wit-
nesses to be examined on oath, or !he persons ac-
cused to be confronted with their accusers, nor to
reply to the accusation made against them. Whatever
might be the forms of the House of Common,, the
immutable principles of justice were above'the re-
gulations of any body of men whatever. It was ne-
cessary to say a 'few words about the manner in
which the warrant was executed. An useless pa-
tade of Military force was exhibited before the
house of Sir Francis, for the purpose of intimida-
tion. His house was beset by armed men, whom
the Sheriffs afierwards thought it their duty to re-
move. There was, however, one part of the tran-
sattion in which he approved much more 'of the
conduCl of Ministers than he did of the principles
professed by Opposition. Those who sought every
opportunity fur attacking Ministers, found hodt
with them for nut resorting to military tOrec sooner;
DOW he felt some obligation to theta for having re,.
spelled the laws for two whole days, and hesitated
in breaking into the house, which by the law they
were nut entitled to enter. Their worthyßepre-
sentative (Sir Francis Burdett) hat always made the
most strenuous exertions to detect corruption,
wherever it might conceal itself. That great mea-
sure, of which he had been the poct'erful advocate,
a Parliamentary Reform, was in his opinion so ab-
solutely necessary, that lie tilt cunvinced, that if
that was not sixedily obtained, and !Ike unnecessary
expent es of the war retrenched, this country must
fall, like other nations, before that power which.
has now subjugated Europe. lie had mom heard
that this country was perfectly safe from all attacks
by the superiority of its paled force. He -would
declare to God that he was not of that opinion. He
was. well informed that we had not now in our
dock-yards timber enough fur the common repairs
of our navy. In Plymouth there was not a supply
for more than six weeks;, and he understood there
was istit sufficient to buil.] one-halt of a 74 gun-
ship. Now, when it was considered that we were
cut off from all supplies tram tl a Continent of Eu-
rope, and that pur. supplies fr rn Canada and Nova
Scotia depended On no firmer tenure than the pre-
carious wisdom of 'our councils, he thought that
even our nayy was in an alarm,ing situation, from

ti.e want of the ni,nns to rivtir cr build ships.—
fie then stated, from the Papers presented to the
Reuse, that the number of, British seamen em-
ployed in our trade to Europe was t 6,000, whereas
the foreign seamen amounted to 29,100. The 1,
English ships employed in the trade amoranted' to
2000, while the foreign ships exceeded 4000. .
After some farther observations, he concluded, by
giving his opinion, that a Parliamentary Reform was
absolutely necessary, and that if the People were
but unanimous, teey must obtain it.
Mr. WMSDLa then presented himself. He agreed
in all that had fallen from the Noble Lord, lie .
should maintain, both in the House and out of it,
that. they had t,o right to commit any person-to pri-
son for a libel. In considering what it was that the
House of Commons felt so indignant at in the letter
of Sir Francis Burdett, one remarkable expression
was, that the Speaker's warrant under which Gale
Jones was committed was a thineb sui generis. Now,
it would be curious to consider the progress of this
warrant, or, as Sir Francis would call it, this thing,
saigeneris, in his case. It Was first given -to the
Serjeant at Arms to execute ; but when he came to
the Baronet's house, he found there wes a door in
his way. What was to be done when this was dis-
covered ? The Serjeant at Arms was puzzled be- 1
yond measure, and went back to the Speaker, to'
know what was to be done. The Speaker looked
at • the warrant, acknowledged it was • his hand- 1
writing, but he knew no better what was to be done 1
with it : he was as much puzzled as the Ser-
jeant. He believed the next step was to shew it
to the Bow-street Magistrates. They also were
puzzled. They had been used to execute warrants
tor felony and other crimes specified in the law of
the land; but what was to be done with the
Speaker's warrant, they did not know. This un-
fortunate paper was then laid before a Cabinet
Council, where the Lord Chancellor and many grave
Lawyers attended, as well as the Wise Man of the
East. They were all puzzled, and did not know
what to say about it ;• when at last the Frst Lord of
the Treasury (himself a Lawyer) sent it, in despair,
to she Attorney-General, to endeavour to mend it ;
and aetrange opinion indeed the Attorney-General
had given. He was evidently as much puzzled as
any of them. There Was, however, one Tribunal
before which it might yet come, and which he
hoped would not be so easily puzzled—he meant a
British Jury. In the case of Gale Jones it was con-
tended, that the privileges of the House of Commons
were of so high and mighty a nature, that thaodges
of the land were not worthy to look at them ; but
in the case of Sir F. Burdett, the privileges of the
House of Commons are sent to Bow.street, to he
examined. He then read a passage from a speech
of the great Lord Lyttleton, where it was declared,
" That any privileges which were against the laws
of the land, were tyranny and oppression,- whoever
might claim or exerci.e them." As he never was
himself a party man, he was not learned in the his-
tory of parties ; but he thought it most strange that
the party designated by the natne Of .inigs,
lents, or outs, should have chosen this particu-
lar occasion to declare their determination of
lying round the Government. They now
lied round those men whom they had been for fto
many years in the habit of calumniating and re-
viling ; and now, in a moment, the Expeditions to
Copenhagen and Walcheren ' were completely
forgotten. To what was this rnira.ulous coneete
sloe oft ing ? They could not suppri-ss or. Conceal
111..•ir joy al getting rid of that honest a:-.d Able rrem,
who was al .vays ready 'to expose the corruptions
any of their parties, and to urge that foeic which
Was most dreadful to the ear, of the corr-upt, the ne-
cessity of a Reform in Parliamen- T:tey now sup-
poSeii ihat they had nothing I -ft to tsouole them.
Alt hough his enemies had suec,eded in dragging Sir
Francis Burdett from bis house, am' throwing him
into prison, they could not succeed in their hope of
dragging him from tae atfeetioos and hearts of his
Constituents. Although they had now for a tone
lost the ablest advocate for their rights, yet it they
would persetere and be unanimous, they would
finally obtain a fair represenration, and triumph over
their enemies and those of Sir Francis Burden. He
concluded by intreating them to abstain froin any
irregularity, which would Siva{ their enemies a bane
• dlefor which they much wished.
Mr. JENAINGi (being recognized on the. Hust-
ings) was loudly called on to speak. He began by
declaring that he had not come with the slighest in-
tention of addressing them. He thought, that
after the peaceable manner in which the Elefters of
Westminster had conduced themselves at the time
they made choice of their worthy Representative
(Sir F. Burdett), it was an unnecessary insult to
make a display of military force, under the pretence
of preventing tumults. He conceive-d that Sir F.
Burdett had held forth no other doetrine in the
letter for which he was committed, than that which
he had held both in the Horse and out or it. He
had steadily pursued the same principles which he
had always processed, and which recommended him
to their confidence.

The Resolutions having been carried nrmnimous-
ly, the buliness was at an end, and the Meeting
bloke up.

COPY or THE LETTER iENT TO SIR FRANCIS
BURDETT.

" Stu—We nominated you to be our Represen-
tative, without your knowledge, and we dreakr
you without your interference. We were confident
that you would perform the duties of a Representa-
tive in Parliament with ability and fidelity. In
every respeat you have not only fulfilled, but ex-
ceeded our expectations. We derive the utmost sa-
tisfattion from having pointed ont to the nation the
way to be fairly represented. Had it been possible
that our example could have been followed, and a
proper representation of the people thereby pro-
duced, the scenes we have lately witnessed would
not, have disgraced our country. We understood
the nobleness of your mind, and were confident
that you would not descend to barter your trust for
a place under Government, nor he the partisan or
leader of those who support or reject measures just
as they happen to be proposed on this or on that
.side of the House. We feel the indignity that has
been offered to you; but we are not surprised to
find, that, when evety excuse is made tor public
delinquents, the utmost rigour is exercised against
him wno pleads for the ancient. and constitutional
rightS of the People. 'you nobly stept forward in
Ot:fence of a felluw-sqbjed Unjustly imprisoned;

and you questioned, with great ability and kno"'
ledge of the laws, the warrant issued upon 0131 oc-
casion. The kior,se of Coma-ions have answerei
yOtir argument, by breaking into your house with 3
military force, seizing your person,- and conveyinz
you by a large body of troops to the Tower. Your
distintion between privilege and power remains
unaltered ; the privileges of the House of COllllllOll5
are. for the protection, not for the destruct ion, of •
the People. We have resolved to remonstrate with
the House of Commons, on the outrages committed
under their order, and to call upon them to restore
you to your seat in Parliament, which the present
state of the country renders more than ever neces-
sary, for the furtherance of your and our objet, a
Reform in the Representation in that House.
While so many Members are colleaed together
by means " which it is not necessary for us to de-
scribe," we cannot but entertain the greatest appre-
hensions for the remainder of our liberties ; and the •
employment of tt military force a;ainst one of their
own body is but a sad presage of what may be cx•
petaa by those who might, like you, have the
courage to stand forward in defence of the rights of
the people. When we reflect on your generous ex-
ert ons to destroy the horrors of secret and solitary
confinement ; to mitigate the severity of punish'
meat in the Army ; to prevent the cashiering of its
Officers without cause assigned ;' to restore, for the
comfort of the worn-out soldier, the. public property
Conveyed by a job to a private individual ; to pre-
vent the extension of the Barrack system,' the ob
vious-tffetit of which is to separate the soldier form
the citizen ; to prevent the introdus6tion of foreign
Troops ; to bring to light an atrocious att of tyranny,
by which a British sailor was left to perish on a bar-.
ren rock; and, above all, your unretnitted exer-
tions to obtain a full, fair, and free Representation
of the People in Parliament; when we refiett on the
firmness, the unshaken constancy, which you have,
invariably shewn " in evil report and good report,
we are eager to express the sentirr,ents of gratitude
and attachment to you with which we are imprtss-
,ed ; and we are convinced that those sentiments are
not only felt by the inhabitants of this City, but by
every person throughout the land who is not inte-
rested in the continu:mce.of public abuses."

MAILS.
Dot —4 Gottenburgb, t Lisbon, t Cadiz, z Waterford.

PRICP OF STOCKS
THIS DAY AT TIVaLvA o'CLOCIC.-
-Consoi*

S

_;_t_CLIV QUTS DIC/RE FALEUM AUDICAT?

L 0 AV .0 0 N .

WRDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1810.

We this morning received Spanish Papers to the
31st ultimo. Their-contents are important and sa"
tisfadory, At Cadiz, as we stated yesterday, no"
thing of importance_ had taken place, but Ow
'Other parts of Spain are very favours"
ble. The Spaniatils are mtist wisely pursuing did •
specie.; of wartare which foist ultimately prove sac"
cessful. No military sk,ll can enable the Frfeeh
Army, ho. Ovvr. innneroUS, to resist the cugstatit
and harassing attacks of the Spanish population. The
effect of tins mode of warfare is already visible freel
the mot ements of the French. They have be tied°
the necessty of evacuating Malaga, and uthrer towns
which they had occupied, because they co. Id not
keep up their communications; they havo the:Cote
endeavoured to concentrate their forces. From t"
mode of warfare which the Spaniards have thus
wisely adopted, we must not look for great and brild
liant victories. The French armies will not be
defeated in the fell of battle, but they will be de'
stroyed in detail, if toe Spaniards persevere in their
system.

The Thistle schooner, of 8 guns, captured on the
sth of rebruary the Dutch ship Havie, of 10 VW
and twelve men, with a valuable cargo, from Batavia
for New-York, and carritd uer into Bermuda, after
an action of 16%r:hours and an half, in which the
Havie had one math killed, and the Dutch Admiral
BUYille .(a passenger), and seven men wounded!
The Thistle had one man killed, and Lieutenaor
PROCTOR and six men wounded.

The Petition agreed to at the Meeting in Palace'
yard yesterday was, in the course of the afternoon,
presented to the House of Commons by Lora
COCHRANE. Mr. CI.IIIW2N and Mr. WARD object°
ed to the Petition being received, in conseque.nee vE
the offensive and disrespectful terms in. which tt
was couch td. Mr. PRIMEVAL agrcc4i tikut the terms
were not fiery respectful, but at the same time he

thought it not right to citti;ise too minutely the
language of Pelitons, and therefore recortinieridcd
tile reception of the Petition, which we's accoldina
received and ordered to lie on the table. Wrt-'
are extremely glad that the House determined 1°
receive this Petition, because we conceive the right
of petitioning is one of the must important and
sacred rights which Englishmen possess ; that right
.certainly may be abused, men may convey an 10'
suit, under the pretext of presenting a Petition, but
the abUse of the right should not destroy the right
itself.

Ili discussing, a few days ago, the question
respecting the privileges of the House of Comrnous,
we adopted the same plinciple,—we admitt .d alt°
possibilily that privilege might be abused, but WO
totally differed from those who thought that because
such a possibility existed, that therefore the privi-
lege shotild be abolished,

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