Star.
London, England, 1823-01-30 00:00:00

SOAVERSEtsiiIhE REIT(IRM MEZTING.

Tuesday, the Freelu of the County of SoneA'
set assembled at Wells, pursuant to the second Nero& -
sition, to take into con.ideration the propriety of pe-
titioning the Legislature for a Reform of the Com.
mons House of Parliament.
The I.INDErt SH ERI Fr having read the Requisition,
Mr.,SAIZDemiD, seri. kresented hirrise4f tb the'M eet:.
ing.. The qoestion_ which they`nad rto disenss was
of tfie.most vital and:momentous character ; he how.
err!' anvil! not have-had to address them so prowl-
siently, but for-tht absence of Mr. Gore Langton.—
Nith .respeet to their difficulties, he would not blink-
the question. Prey iouSly to 1792;before -we entered
into that cruel war,. this country was happy and
prosperous:- then ••we fished in -troubled oaten ; in
fict, we ctiniliated aWainst.theliberttbs of mankind.
He thought the 'American war might havetaughths
enough of the consequences of such tantests. The
Earl of Charliarn had declare], "No representation,
no taxation ;" :141,1 those 'words were proclaimed
throughout A nierlca—(lleur).—Tfie conSeqfiences
were such as not to be combated by arias. France
anionLatayette to 'aid-in giving liberty to America,
add 'herettrined to Piarnce; and again assisted in
4 •
promot.ing the gloriotra rauSeOfTreedom—( Heat).—
This country bad expended millions of money, and
ofeins of blood; in:rdsistisrg the great sentiment em-
bNied in the langOage •of Lord Chatham; failure
had attended the effort, stad•ruin was now the result
tuthis country. It give his heart great gratification
to beheld this Reform Meeting in Somersetshire;,
add he should propose that they follow the example
sgt by 'the Torii Meeting, by adopting theyesolutions
agreed to at that Meeting-4" Follow no example here,"
rAelaitheir Mr. Hirst).—To adopt those resolutions
•wsrS, he' thought; a duty they owed to Mr. Fawkes,
i-.170-had occupied ',SO' considerable a • portion of his
• .
piomoting Reform. He wanted to preserve
theft property; he required -no confusion; he oily
I-Kited for the Constitution of 1638—(" That war all
ki4Wltik," exclaimed Mr.' Hunt).—Since William the
Conqueror there had not been experienced so much
rniveryfr Why were they to have 0. P. rents only?
Thir wanted 'low Taxes---(Cries of "Yes, and line
7eifspl..4laving again urged the value of unanimity,
observing, that to secure it even Mr. Wooler, at
Yorkyhad not differed from the resolutions, there
Vt. S. concluded with moving the six rest).
lafiCar's adOpted at theN'cri lc Meeting.
if r. BLAKE seconded tkelesolutions. The cOndiict
of various Administrations had induced him to sup.
port the cause of Reform. The long protracted-
warfare against America .and France, undertaken
(particularly in the latter instance) in defiance of the
just principles of nations, displayed a system, of go-
fetirttient that 'tektite* cerrection:
Dr. KtiioLAlei.said,.thit it was 'with dnfeigned•
pleisUre be met them on this great •oeCasiott,
they had to consider as-important a subject u Neer
agitated the polititailielingri of-the country.; it Was
nothing lest-than to support-the den:Socratic- privileges
of the peOple. The-regal privileges, and those of this
aristecracY, existed. but where were the
.demaeratic
privileges?" where were-the franchises of thy people?'
Had they not been purloined? had they not been
sunk in the aristocracy'? The people-were looked.to
as the source of power and indostry ; and were:they
to be deprived of that poWer, st!sd of due:cOistroul
over the fruits of their industry ? Aud for what were
they to be so deprived ?
.He woOld no; advert to the
dark 'periods of the history of Our R.epteseritition;
and 'as to 'what called the Couititation of /Ws:
be Was afraid of exatitlaing it too closely. The
Bordires whiCh- then e'xiited had been bought up;
and itich-Wia the' date of the Representation, that
they cold not declare raire than 171 Members to
be. yettithable, independent of Bdrough=mongeritso
infruerliCo: suehta dreadful preponderance had pro-
duced' c3larnitous consequences; thonstods vieie
thereWeisibled to live in laziness and luziry,
depehdettr of atirpitisular cOntrool. The- Ateeri.
cat war' had edit thecoitn6-7 a hundred tirillions-;
but-the 'seecind wit had c'oit-the'countrY4 thousand
maliohos'; and hew then could it be• surprising that
such cahtsuitiet everywhere surrounded' them?—:
1t was • time to• ldok•sthott them; and sure as effect'
followed cause, -the-country would be involved in
romplete-ruin, except a- reThedf were provided.
That remedy! was, •thattheiPeople should take their
dethoeratic station in the Constitution ; that the purse-
strings of the' People should be kept close ; and that
there should be a real watchfulness over-the interests
of all eludes:

The Resohrtions baring been put by the Hxnt
SHERIFF, _ _

_ .
Mr. Hear appeared, for the purpose of moving an
Amendment. Mr. Sandford had surprised him by
the propositions-which were submitted to the Meet-
ittg; they, forsooth,. were called upon to adopt the
ragteod.or Whit wis 'agreed to at the York Meeting.
lie thought there 'was hot a man or woman amongst
theth—not oliP-SciMersetsbire heart, that would nett
}eject such...iivopcisitisitCrki of " Yes, yes.")—
tould they •be dictated' to by Mr. Fawkes?--
(Cijiy of I! No, no.")--:Vrell, then, not one word
biore *as necessary on that poict—(Some laughter).
U.hf were thii tOtive a brace of Doctors to assist
the sud'ering lansktwiiers ? One of them might have
beer better engaged in physicking their late Member'
-- (Lare?,;:te)).:—Ope of the Doctors had *prescribed a,
draught for the Ministers, but it was catty air &twill-,
eat ; the other'had also provi.led a draught, butthat:
was rather of a drastic nature—(Laughter).-,He-did'
not differ from what had fallen from Dr. Kingiatei
he would not say that the worthy Doctor (who cer-
tair.ly- had spoken to the purpose) was a spy in the
camp, or reconnoitred like a skilful General. lie,,
however, differed from Dr..Kinglike's .coneltlSiOn—
the-necessity of suirpo:ting the Yorkshire Resolutions!
They spoke of the state of the Representitirti• ' but
vas there a beggar amongst Oxen that was noifiziTY
acuainted vi-4.: it ? That Meeting wools( voqiiireto
adopt sortlething specific—did.they not? Hasisivey
assembled thercto sauctiou lia) measures- oi itifiple
. nseasures?--o;.tclonzatiaue oPf.Fliole iiiittiiiiiit.rll
Aaditbarwas his Object. 11.4waraltide4 witb.aiiiiing 1
the following i'etitiop : _ . • •••
. i 4 1:0 Ifie Hansa:rave tie Cotußsioe sa 'eta. .
" Triel'vtitiiit itt tit'e Svbdlitt's sitil Air litlivibit4eii 'sit th•
gilt Ctrtr4Yof- 4.9s*ini anw*. It Co34()_ifOlgi '
t0!,,,?ft140;04. Inc it ells, tidarinA di/ 'Oll
Jativw7, I V61;40.'
" That yea nerilaCileirs Veit iiiiiibit oriem }Art