Star.
London, England, 1808-10-29 00:00:00

son and Government, and, at the same time, of dteif
strong feeling fur the honour of his Majesty's arms
Yesterday-there was a numerous Meeting of Free- ! and the character of the cotintry, and praying him to
holders at Chelmsford, in consequence of a public no- 1 institute such an enquiry as would lead to the discos
Lice from the Sheriff, to consider of an address to his , eery of the real, causes and authors of the Convention
Majesty oti the late Convention in Portugal. ,I In Portugal. - • •
The Hall was completely filled at twelve o'clock, I Mr. Weareati read the Actilressewhiah- was to be
'which was the hour appointed for the meeting . and : submitted to their consideration. . •
the business commenced a few minutes afterwards. Mr. Du CANE warmly supported the motion of the
The High Sheriff read the requisition, in compli- Noble Lord. He said, that he should have felt a
mice with which he had convened the County. diffidence of presenting himself to the notice of the
TheEarlof Sr. VINGEN r then cameforwani and said, ; Freeholders, if he, did not feel conscious that the sen.
rat it had been assigned to him to state to the Free- 'i timents which he• had to utter were in unison with the
olders what were the grounds and objects of the re- ; public voice, and the feelines of the whole nation._
quisition, and the nature of the address which was i He agreed with the universal sentiment in reprobat-
to be submitted to their consideration. He should i ing the Convention at Cintra, as a most disgraceful
endeavour to make that statement in as few words as ; transaction, and in thinking, that the right of peti.
the nature of the circumstances to which he must ; tioning the Throne could hardly be ever exercised on
allude, would permit him. He should, in the first in-1 a more important or proper occasion. It had been.
stance, both in his own name and in the name of those : said that such an interference.would be prejudging the
who joined with him in the requisition, entirely ; case of individuals. He could not see the justice of
disclaiM the idea of casting any censure on the j such an observation, nor did he see how the nation
conduct of any particular Officers. He believed that' could avoid forniing an opinion that guilt or miscon-
the Officers employed on the Expedition to Pomo duct attached somewhere, when they compared the
gal had enjoyed an unblemished reputation in their Gazette which had announced aglorions victory over
profession before their arrival in that country, and he the whole of the French limy, with that armistice
knew that some of them had previously acquired a and convention by which we engaged to send the
high character. It was not therefore his object to find French home in British ships. When Government
fault with the conduct of the army, or to hold out any
particular Officers as objects of reprehension. With. published the accounts of their victories in their
out, however, considering who were the individuals Gazette, it was impossible for the nation not to form
in- an opinion of the result which ought naturally to
on whom the criminality attached in the present
stance, he must say that he felt that so foul a stain be expected from such victories. It was an insult to
the good sense of the nation to say that they were in-
had never been cast on the military character of the
capable of judging what result should be expected
country, since the days of the tyrannical and detests-
hie reign of the family of the Stuarts. This most in- from the events that had been stated to them. The
glorious Convention of Cintra had lowered the just nation could not avoid thinking that there had been
guilt or misconduct, and he could not see why they
pride of England among the nations of the earth, and were to be prevented from expressing this opinion to '
had rouzed the most unanimous feelings of indigna- 1
his Majesty, in humble petitions for a strict enquiry into
tion against its authors, not only in this country, but
in the minds of our allies, and of all the nations of the circumstances of the transaction. It was never es id
to be prejudging the case of individuals, or acting con-
Europe. He would keep clear of any thing like re-
flections upon the conduct of the Generals who were miry to the principles of British justice, when a Jury
employed, e
of Freeholders gave their verdict to the Coroner of
as he knew that there was nothing more
wilful murder against some person or persons
delicate than the character of military officers. His unknown." The. tendency of such a verdict was only
comments should not be upon the men who thought
right to agree to such a Convention, but to produce a proper enquiry; and he could not con-
itthey ceive how it was more incompatible with the prim&
should be on the act itself. In reprobating that act,
pies of British justice to pronounce, in the present case,
he was at a loss whether to condemn it most as dis-
Me opinion of the nation, that there has been guilt
irraceful to the honour of this country, as injurious to
the interest of Portugal, or as discouraging to the tr misconduct, which ought to be the subject of the
most serious enquiry. Such an opinion, pronounced
causeof the Spaniards, who were now so gloriously de-
by the nation, would certainly deserve the utmost re-
fending their liberty and independence against an
spec: from the Government, and might lead to a
ambitious tyrant, whose aim was nothing less than
much fuller and more satisfactory investigation than
the subjugation of every other nation to his arbitrary Ministers might otherwise be disposed to make. .He
and savage despotism. Considering the Convention
could not conceive howsuch an Address could be fairly
in this point of view, it appeared to him that it was
considered as disrespectful to his Majesty, as the an-
the duty of his Majesty's subjects to appryach his
ewer which was given to the City of London must,
throne with dutiful and loyal addresses, praying him
to cause a strict and effectual inquiry to be made into like the speeches delivered to his Parliament, be con.
sidered as the composition of his Ministers. The
the causes of that transaction which had, to use his
Majesty's own words, .. disappointed the hopes and Ministers might possibly be disposed themselves to
make some sort of inquiry; but that inquiry might.
expectations of the nation." It had been said in other fall very short of the expectations of the public, or
places, and probably might be repeated here, that the the real justice of the case. It appeared to him also
business of inquiry ought to be left altogether to his
very important that the sense of the nation should
Majesty, or, in other words, to his Ministers. This
be distinctly pronounced upon this Convention, as
certainly was true, upon occasions of less moment that might wipe away in some degree the stain which
than the present ; but on one so extremely disastrous,
and which affixed so deep a stain on the military chi- our character had received, of being wanting in good
faith to our allies, and of being careless of their in-
racter of the country, he thought that his Majesty's terests.
loyal and faithful people should not rely implicitly [While Mr. Du Cane was speaking, there were
upon Ministers doing whatever was best, but that
they should come forward and show that they ' loud cries for adjourning die discussion into the open
air, as many of the Fhlders could not
were alive to the honour of his Majesty's arms, and to
their own military character as a nation. This was an the Hall, or hear what Freeholders
waso going forward.] get into
Mr. BURGOYNE moved the adjournment from the
occasion upon which their loyalty to their King, as well
as their duty to their country, required them to speak Hall to the open air, which was put and carried.
The Meeting then adjourned, and the Petition was
out, and address his Majesty in the language of truth.
again read and supported by Mr. Du Cane, with ar-
lt certainly was not his object, nor the wish of those ;
uments similar to what he had before adduced.
who joined him in the requisition, to prej u dge any thine, ' g
Mr. Bt RV OY N E supported the motion at consider-
or impute criminality to any particular individual. All
they wanted was a real and effectual inquiry, by which 'able length. He snid that he had often addressed the
Electors upon subjects which only regarded their own
the true causes of this great national calamity might
' interests ; but he now addressed them on a subject
be made apparent, and the guilty be discovered.
l
If he were allowed to express, himself by a strong,
1 'which concerned the honour and military character
but homely proverb, what he wanted was, e that the ,of the country, the interests of our Allies, and the
.• •
saddle should be put upon the right horse." It ap- i obugations of ftiendship and good faith by which we
were bound to them. He utterly disclaimed the idea
peered to him that the Ministers themselves were f, . party motives.
liable to great suspicion. It had been said by many
of tne requisition having arisen from
officers who were employed upon the expedition to Pos. It might naturally be supposed that the Noble Earl
tugal, that the -preparations were most wretchedly de-
-1 (St. Vincent) did not require the stimulus of any
&mut in many points; that the army had not been iarty motive to feel strongly for the military clues
properly supplied with what fief French call " i. ratter
of the country, which he himself had so
.
• :iota, de guerre et de bonek." or, as we would call it, ant- 1:g be supposed
. -
loriously upheld. It could hardly
munition and provisions. It was said,
n
that, with the I tnat a GentleManm Of such ample fortune as the
great army which sailed to Portugal, there was note decoct should lend himself merely
o der of the
; to 'be the tool of a party ; and for himself, he would
' artillery enough sent to reduce even the few miser- i
say that he would rather cut his right hand off than
able forts about Lisbon. Het calks! them miserable I object WAS to
forts, because he had himself:Am them, and examin-
produce a ferment in the nation merely to answer the
set his name to the requisition, it its
cd their strength. If Miniiters had been so very de-1
• Purposes urp
ficient in their preparations, it became the duty of :p of a party. He would as soon sign the
Cintra name
s
the people of England to call upcdt his Majesty for
shameful Convention of itself as put hi
the fullest inquiry into the:eircum to the requisition, if the objects of it were such as had
stances ; and if .
they did not call for-an inquiry, they would be act- been imputed. Mr. Burgoyne then went at consi-
..
mg unwerthy of their ancestor. If ever the right
' tier:dile length into the circumstances under which'
of addressing his Majesty could properly be exercised .the expedition sailed for Portugal, and considered that
upon any, occasion, he thought it could most properly the
expectations of the nation, but that it must have se:.
Convention not ouly disappointed the hopes and
be exercised en the present occasion, in which the
. honour of his Majesty's arms and of the country was
of they brave e
Spaniards, who, were now so noblyintere con-
verel w ded the felings as well as the st,
so deeply involved. This right of petitioning was
tendin g for their own liberty and that of the world.
expressly claimed in the Bill of Rights, and it was
Mr. CONYERS (who was on horseback) then ad.
.
not contended for as a mere formal privilege, but as
one of the most important of which the subject : dressed the Meeting. He said, that he felt as much
as any man for the honour of the country, and would
is possessed. That right woo' I cease to be of 'do as much to support it. He, therefore, congratu-
any value, if the nation was to be told that. upon .
hated the country on their feeling with respect to the
all great and extraordinary occasions, absolute con- .
Convention, but did not think it proper or decent to
con-
fidence was to be reposed in his Majesty's Ministers ;
address his Majesty for an inquiry, when his Majesty
And even if they were suspected of being the guilty
had pledged himself to the nation that. he would
persons, the inquiry into that guilt should be always :
institute an inquiry. He thought Gentlemen should
conducted in the manner that was most agreeable to
at least treat his Majesty with as much respect
them. It ass to be observed that while such shame-
as they a trated one another, and not act towards
flu events were occurring, the him in means of corruption .
were constantly increasing in' the hands of the Mini-
with impuniy that one private gentleman could not
unity act to another. He thoughts that
sters. People of all ranks had become dependent on
them, by seeking places and emolument for them- in bringing forward this question, there was some-
selves and their children. The middling and lower thing of party motives, and that he saw a snake
classes of the gentryhad been driven out of their sphere in die grass A great canvass had been made
in life into retirement, on account of the galling pres-
to induce the Freeholders to support it ; and it had
sure of the taxes. At such a time it was a most af- been said, that the Earl of Essex and the Marquis
flitting consideration consideration to think, that the money wrung of Buckingham approved of it. He had the
nal friendship with the Earl of Essex,
from the nation was applied to so little eimpose, and nour of
that disgrace should be attached to our military ex. but, ontL)eerspLent occasion, he would not OA what
was the opinion of the Earl of Essex, but what-was
iseditions. After some further observations, lus Lord-
ship ooncluded by moving an Address to his Majesty, the opinion of the Freeholders of Essex ? As to the
Marquis of Buckingham, he considered him as the
expressiei'of their loyalty and attachment to his per- most successful political speculator in the country.

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