The Sun.
London, England, 1819-10-06 00:00:00

'On :h Pitt SEX! si.ATB of the COUN ntl

'lO THE EARL OF LIVERPOOL.

Loen---1 address myself to your Lordship
in preference to ail others, because you Hit: at the
'Head Of the Mieistrya because, you are in the
confidence of the PRINCES REGENT; and, because
you are the son of that able Statesman, who pO.l.
6essell the confidence and the friendship of our
• venerable and venerated Sovereign. It is to you
my Lord, that all those who are of any value in
Society ; all those who are loyal in principle and
practice; all those who, respectable, either for their
virtues or their talents, stow look up as their sheet
anchor in the present alarming state of the Na-
tion. They consider you as the soul of those mea-
sures, which will either save, or ruin the country.
streak, not for myself Moto., hut, I speak for
all those who are wit hitt the circle of my erquaint-
store ; and also, most undoubtedly, for by far the
hugest pot lion of the community; and we sit °tie-
ly remonstrate with your Lordship, awl your Col-
leagues, on the insufficieucy of the measures
which have been adopted to suppress the Homer-
oas Seditious now in existence. We look to the
Government for pro action and support ; for, we
see Sedition end Treason, stalking abroad in open
day, undisguised, Heil arrayed in all. their terror's.
We see all the horrors of a sanguinary end merci-
less Revolution but sting on our view, and we
also see the feeble efforts of Government to sup-
press them. Is it to be endured, let me ask, that
' the peace and good order of society are to be en-
danget ed ? That social amid friendly intercourse is
to be interrupted ? That Trade and Commerce arc
to he checked ? That our lives, that our proper-
ties, are to be pot to the hazard, because a set
of murderers, plunderers, and ruffians, the very
scum and outcasts of society, will it to be so? And ,
• have not we, the rational, the honest, the respect-
able, and the loyal part of the people, a right to
protection from the Government under whielAve
live, to which we are sincerely attached, and
which we contrNite to support ? Yes t. we have
a right, and we claim that right, we call on you
my Lord, we call on every individual member of
the Government ; and we most solemnly call on
the PRINCE REGENT, for protection. We ear-
nestly solicit that Laws of sufficient efficacy may
speedily be enacted, by which these Seditious may
be crushed, anti peace, security, and good order
he restored to the country. That the present
laws are insufficient for that desirable purpose,
daily, fatal experience conviuces ns, although
your I.oldsitip is undoubtedly highly to be com-
mended for a strict adherence to those Laws, how-
ever inefficacious they may he. But, if our pre-
sent existing Laws do not reach the poison ; if the
ranker is too deep for the common pruning knife
to eradicate, why not_ enact new ones ? why not
replace the old worn-out blade with one of more
exqeisiiely tempered steel ? As the condition of
society is continually changing, and, as new cir-
cumstances are in consequence continually aris-
ing, new Laws are indispensably necessary to
meet such changes ; and a servile adherence to,
or, a di,ieclinatiou to change those Laws, adapt-
ed to times totally different from the present, can
only he considered as little short of insanity. The
Disaffected clamour about the liberties of the peo-
ple, and the right of petitioning ; hut such liber-
ties as we now daily witness, could never have
been in the contemplation of our forefathers, from
whose wisdom and labonrs emanated our glorious
and invaluable Constitution ; equal Laws and equal
Justice were their aim ; not anarchy, mist tale
and insurrection. The Public were astonished
that the Parliament Was prorogued without some
energetic measures having been adopted ; it was
generally expected, it was universally lamented,
and the result was too truly anticipated. My
Lord, you had sufficient warning, the " many-
headed monster" did not hide his diminished
head, the storm was seen to be approaching, and
yet no decisive measures were adopted to avert it.
I say no decisive measures were adopted, for of
what avail are words and proclamations ? 01
what avail are a few charges from the Judges on
the Circuits ? Of what avail are the Ilesolus
lions of a dozen or two of country gentlemen
on a Grand Jury ? Of what avail are the ef-
forts of a few hundred Constables against
hundreds of thousands of infutiated, ragged
scoundrels ? Nay, of what avail will be the cf.
forts of a few thousand !Adieus, against such a
multitude of ruffians armed P which we have evi-
dence enough they will be, if time sufficient 'should
be given to them. If it once conies to this, my
Lord
,e if once, each of these hundreds of thou-
sands of ruffians, should get an offensive weapon
into his hands, farewell to our Constitution ;
farewell to our Government; farewell to every
thing which renders life valuable ; it n ill then,
alas ! be too late for exertion. IVe want the

energy of PITT ; the wisdom of BURKE ; end,
the "vigour beyond the Lat.," of WYNDHAM, 'to

sere•tisi not, my Lori% that i impale tire 'want
of these qualities to you, and to our colleagues;
ye have Al been bred in the school of that tran-
scent:fent Statesman, who was at once the pride
and the saviour of his country, and, I trust, are not
any-ways deficient in any of those ineat imahle qua -
;hie.. which he so eminently possessed ; but the

present time is critical ; big with events of por-
tent4ms import, and regnires moie than common
energy.and vigour to conduct them. lam by no
Me an advOcate for sanguinary measures, ex-
cept in the last extremity. 13ttt your Lordship
knows, that when the '' swirlier in modo" has
failed, that the " fortiter in re" is our only
resource. Prevention is better titan cure. These
Meetings, tny Lord, must be prerented. No-
thing short of such a measure will in the least
grad. The People most anxiously expect it ;
they confidently look towards the immediate
assembling of Parliament ; to a revival of Mr.
admirabfc Bill for preventing Sedi-
tious Meetings ; to a Law, making the punish-
ment of Sedition infinitely more heavy than it ,is
at present ; to a much more severe pouisitment on
those who write, print, publish, sell, or hawk
about seditious and blasphemous publications,
and even to make the possession of
_them pengl !
Let not your Lordship be appalled, or shrink
from the responsibility which will attach to these
necessary measures; you are imperatively called
upon by the Country, by every principle of lit-moor,
loyally, and justice, to adopt thrtu. Be assured

that you will receive the cordial support of all the
good, the loyal, the virtuous, and the respecta-
ble part of society ; they will riliy rowu y u
with corresponding energy ; you will save your
country ; and the blessings of applauding mil-
lions will be shovvered Clown upon your head.

- - ,
I have the honour to be, &c.

Bath, Oct. 4, 1811%

FOR THE SUN.

OBSERVER.

TURNPIKE ROADS.-(LONDON TO PORTSMOUTH.)

Ma. Enrroe—l heartily concur in opinion with
your Bristol Correspondent, on the advantages to
be derived by the general employment of the Poor,
in repairing the Thropike Roads of the Kingdom;
and the public thanks are due to you for having
eirawirdie attention of the country to a con,i-
dermion of the subject, during the present Recess;
but it is to be regretted that you have not inserted
in your Paper the Report of the Committee of the
House of Commons, and the evidence taken before
them. It only requires to ho read, to satisfy every
unprejudiced disinterested mind, of the great ad-
vantages to he derived by the adoption of Mr.
M'AnAsrs Plan for the Improvement of Roads,
not only from the economy he has introduced, but
from the extended Employment it will give to the
Lower Classes of Society. Every one is intetested
in its adoption and success ; and I trust, that in
the next Session of Parliament, sonic additional
powers will he given to the Commissionets for
the issue of Exchequer Bills, for the encourages
went of Public ks, which will enable them to
lend money .to the Trustees of Roads and of Hars
hours, without requiring those Trustees personally
no pledge themselves for the repayment of such
Loans,—merely taking tte Tolls as the security for
the canoe, and postponing the Private Creditors of
the Roads and Harbours, until the money is re-.
paid to the Commissioners for the Public. If such
AO authority had been invested in these Commis-
sinners', many thousands who are no,v out of
work would have been employed; and, in many
instances, great public works are at present ar a
stand, from the want of capital to complete them ;
for, unalfinished, in many cases the Tolls are not
payable.-1 merely throw out this hint for the
consideration of the CHANCELLoft of the EXCHI3-
QURR, Who iS feelingly alive to every suggestion
which in any degree is likely to relieve'and bene-
fit the Poor.
.I shall now proceed to notice your observations
on the necessity of improving the Roads to the
four great Naval Stations in this Kiugdont ; for
every sentiment you have expressed on the sub-
ject I most cordially approve. I shall, therefore,
offer to your Readers a few observations on the
present state of the Road from London to Ports-
mouth, which is susceptible of great improve-
ment ; fur in many parts of it the distance may
be shortened,—several of the heaviest hills lower-
ed or avoided,—and the Road in various places
widened and improved.

The preseut (tine of peace is most auspicious
for the commencement of such a national under•-
takingl and there cannot he a doubt but that all
the higher Departments of the State—the Admi-
ralty, the Ordnance, and the Treasury—will give
every support and encouragement to it. Whether
the Commissioners of the two Trusts, that is,
from London to Sheet-bridge, and from the lat-
ter place to Portsmouth, are likely to unite in
giving effect to the improvements which require
to be matte, I do not know; it is, however, more
than probable, from their respectability, that they
will, as I observe by the Hampshire Papers, that
a Bill is to be brought into Parliament next Ses-
sions, to extend mud enlarge the powers of the Trus-
tees of the Road front Sheet-bridge to Ports-
mouth. Every authority required for this desirable
purpose should be included in the New Act, so
that immediately after .it is passed into a Law,
the improvements may Le entered on, tied the
poor people in the parishes on the line of the
Road set at work upon it.
If the Funds of the Trustee's of the Road are not
equal to the undertaking, they should be audio-
rited to borrow money of the Commissioners for
the issue of Exchequer Bills, and allowed at
least 20 years to repay it—indeed, a scale of pro-
gressive annual repayment of principal t►ed idle.
rest might be adopted—that would facilitate its
return to the rubhc—but not to commence until !.