Star.
London, England, 1809-03-30 00:00:00

have acted as he had done.•
So irresistible was the
impression made by the evidence heard at the Bar
of the House of Commons on his mind, that it was
impossible be could have conscientiously' taken a
different part. He was proud to find his name coupled
with that of the won thy Baronet, who had obtained as
si anal an honour as ever had been conferred.on any re-
presentative ;—that of being returned to Parliament in
the independent manner in which he had been. The
resignation of the Duke of-York he considered as a
most glorious event for the people of England. It was
produced by the support that tha people gave to the
minority in Parliament. The public voice came in
aid of individual sentiment, and their combined force
proved too powerful to be resisted. He agreed with
the Honourable Baronet, that perhaps out of the
658 Members of which the House consisted, no other
man but Colonel Wardle could be found to bring for-
ward the subject. Had that Gentleman been unsuc-
cessful, it still would have been the duty of the inha-
bitants of Westminster and of the whole kingdom to
thank him. They should look to his motives, and
not to the event. They could now discharge that
duty with hearts much lighter, for Colonel Wardle
had completely succeeded. He did not, to be sure,
carry his motion in Parliament ; but he obtained what
was the great object of the motion, the resignation of '
the late Commander in Chief. He must say a few
words on the company in which they had done him the
honour to associate him. He was glad to find his
name joined with that. of Colonel Wardle, whom
he knew and respected from his earliest days.—
There was also General Fergusson, an officer of dis-
tinguished reputation, who had, he would not say
bled, but conquered for his country. He trusted
that the vote which that gallant officer gave on that
occasion would not impede his professional career,
and that if he should not be found in those situations
which he had shewn himself so competent to fill, he
hoped there was spirit, and virtue, and gratitude
enough in the people of England to call for him. it
also afforded him great satisfaction to find his name
associated with that of-one of the ablest lawyers in
the country ; he meant Sir Samuel Romilly. This
highly respectable character, and one or two others,
were the only persons out of the whole law phalanx in
the House, and a pretty strong one it was, who sup-
ported the motion of Mr. Wardle. Here was a sample
of the law, and a good sample too, with which he felt
no less gratification to having his name joined than
with that of the sample of the army he had just men-
tioned. There was one part of the Ron. Baronet's
speech in which he could not agree. He could not co-
incide in the sentiments of disapprobation that he tit- ,
tered against agricultural pursuits. He thought it very
practicable to combine these with political objects.—
There' were Mr. Cunven and Mr. Coke, who had
turned their attention to agricultural pursuits greatly
to the improvement and advantage of the counties in
which they respectively resided, and who notwith-
standing, as they had well proved on a late occasion,
were as attentive to objects of great political impor-
tance as those who were supposed to have entirely de-
voted themselves to them. Gentlemen would do well
to recollect, that it was the blood of the ancestors of
some of those persons at the head of the agricultural
interest which cemented the liberties of the people of
England, and that many of their descendants were
among the brightest examples of political virtue and
patriotism Such was the late Francis Russell, Duke
of Bedford, than whom there could not have been a
more zealous friend of the people. Such also was his
brother, John Russell, the present Duke of Bedford,
a man whose mild counsels would have completely
pacified Ireland if he had been allowed toaremain at
the head of the Government of that part of the king-
dom. He felt himself happy also to be in company
with such men as Lord Milton, Mr. Lyttleton, and
others, who were the descendants of the aristocracy of
the country. If he had the misfortune to differ with
the Hon. Baronet as to one part of his speech, there
was another in which he fully agreed with him.—
He was as sensible as he possibly could be of the ab-
solute necessity of a parliamentary reform. Such
was his. opinion during 19 ye..rs that he had been a
servant of the people. He had ever been a zealous
advocate for a reform in the representative system,
and he trusted that his labours to carry it into effect
would be more successful hereafter than they had
hitherto been. if the people were sincerely desirous
of reform—if they wished to stem the torrent of cor-
ruption—if they wished, as it was said by the Hon.
Baronet, to lay the axe to the root, they must be
true to themselves. If the people should be fully
impressed with the necessity of reform, the question
would be carried to-morrow. That they were not so,
when this most important subject was formerly
under consideration, was owing to the arts that were
practised on them. They were the dupes of a gross
delusion and imposture. The advocates of r form
were represented to them in the most horrible light.
—He had the honour-cf. having his name combined
with that of the late Duke of Bedford on that occa-
sion, and being called a Jacobin. But that was not
the only time that the people were so deluded. As
an illustration, he would cite the abominable cry of
" No Popery," which was raised two years ago, and
ran like wildfire through the country. That the for-
mer efforts to procure a more equal represensation
of the people in Parliament failed, was owing to the
people themselves. How could they hope to obtain
a reform, when they would not give their support to
such of their Representatives as wished for it ? He
trusted that they would not again be dupes of such
delusion ; and that, on this important subject, they
would express their opinion in the same temperate but
firm manner that they had done for the last seven
weeks. If the; did so, the question of parliamentary
reform must be carried; if not carried unanimously, it
would be carried by a large majority. The result of
the late investigation should encourage them to per-
severe. They -had seen what a respectable minority,
supported by their voice, was able to effect. He had
be.ai led into saying more than he at first intended.
Little more remained for him to say, than that he
thanked them wiih his whole heart for the honour they
had done him. it was to him a source of the highest
and purest gratification, to find that the sensations of
a self-approving conscience were backed by nearly the
unanimous sentiment of the people of England, Scot-
land? and Ireland.

The other Resolution" were arterwirds separately
put, and carried unanimously.
A Vote of Thanks to
.Mr. Moms, the High Bai-
liff, was unanimously carried ; and the meeting then
broke up.

I.