Star.
London, England, 1809-05-24 00:00:00

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•
&Med sought sorely to tali aside "the robe of
;'parity," that Right Hoe. Gentleman • would exhibit
-" the filthy dowlas." (Applause: and laughter.) But
the Right Honourable Gentleman, perhaps, from
becoming familiar to the view of these shameful parts
Fof the Constitution, they had ceased to excite horror
in his eyes. (Applause.) The Right Honour-
able Gentleman was so hostile when speaking about
Reform. to use the exclamation of—" Thank
God," with a view no doubt to induce an idea of his
sieterity, put him in mind of Falstaff's observation to
Mrs. Quickly, about " the thing to thank GOD on."
For what the Right Honourable Gentleman meant by
his " thank Goo," he could not precisely understand,
any more than he could the Right Hon. Gentleman's
allusion to party. For himself, he could say, that he
never belonged to any other. party than the public.—
He had no connection with those parties who com-
bined for private interests upon professed public
grounds—who led men into scrapes and disgraces,
' add then left them. He would not imitate the exam-
ple, or connect himself with the pursuit of such per-
sons. He wouldnot "say that he had never belonged
to any party, if he had attached himself to and de-
I serted every party as it suited his private interest.—
He has never, in any instance, had applied to him the
allusion contained in the advice given by Dogberry to
the Constable. No, never having had the misfor-
tune of such a degrading allusion made to him by
any party, he should not enter into any competition
'with the character, or be disturbed by the censure of
those who had. (Applauses.)
Reverting to the measure of reform, the Honour-
able Baronet exhorted the Meeting to persevere with
prudence and firmness in pursuit of that important
measure, which there was now so much reason to
calculate upon obtaining. It seemed intolerable to
think that Ministers, that both parties should be heard
to avow the corrupt disposal of seats in that House,
which ought to consist of the real representation of
the people ; and that after such avowal, a declara-
tion should be made, almost una voce, that such
Corrupt transactions should not be inquired into ;
that in fact public delinquency should in future be
sheltered from exposure and punishment. Was it to
be borne in this land, so long the envy of the world,
that, after having so often conquered otlkrs, it should
submit to such a shameful conquest of itself ; that the
nation which gave birth to Russel, to Sydney, and
to so many other heroes, should become so dege-
nerate and so degraded, that it could submit to
a description offered in defence of the corruption
of Ministers, that the whole country was corrupt
from bottom to top—but that the top was the
purer ? No doubt the top was pure, but it was in
corruption. He, however, hoped and trusted the
people would not allow the stigma of the odious
description to attach to their character, but that they
would struggle to recover their rights, to redeem
their reputation and consequf'ace, and to. re-estab-
lish the ancient Constitution of their country (Loud
applauses).-
The Hon. Baronet concluded with proposing—
" The Independent Electors of Westminster."
The next toast that was given was, " Lord Coch-
rane," which was drank with great applause.
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT then gave " Mr. Wardle,
and the 125 Members who supported him on his mo-
tion."—This toast was drank with .an extraordinary
degree of enthusiasm.
Mr. WanotE, in returning thanks, declared that
he had never received an invit..tion which had given
him more pleasure. He felt a particular satisEction
in paying every possible respect to the purest body
of electors.—(aNdaure.)—He thought that the elec-
tors of Westminster had done themselves almost as
much honour in the object they selected for their I
choice as in their manner of doing it.—(ANdause.)—
After the very able speech they had just heard, he
felt that it would be unbecoming of him to say much.
The country certainly now stood in a new situation,
when the practice of corruption was openly avowed
in Parliament. This was a fict which he hoped'
would soon be kno am in every cottage throughout
the kingdom.. In this avowal of' corruption, the two
great factions, " The Talents," and the" No Popery"-
men, both agreed.—(Loud applause). It Was really
astonishing that some of the members of the faction
of " The Talents," expressed a wish, .when they were
in power, that they might live in a house of glass,
that all their actions m;ght be distinctly seen ; and
yet now these Gentlemen who challenged the whole
country to witness all their actions, avowed andins-
tified corruption. h was, indeed, a curious treat to
which they invited the people of England, to look into
their house of glass, and see all their tricks and decep-1
tions, all their contrivances for returning Members,
friendly to their cause. He firmly believed that the
first-fruits of Parliamentary Reform would be that the
burthens of the people would be most sensibly'
alleviated. If Parliament were really the Repro-1
sentatives of the People, there would be no danger
of the people becoming their own executioners.
He had really studied the subject of finance, and
was convinced in his mind, that if there was a House
of Commons really representing the people, the in-
come Tax might be taken off the first year
pause). if, in any hour friendly to the people, he
were called upon to say how thin could be clone, he
would readily accept the challenge. He should alsO
mention, that new penal laws had been instituted to
protect private merchants from breaches of trust in
their servants. He should ask, was it not extraordi-
nary, that the officers of Government, or rather of
the nationstshould not be protected against breaches
of trust, as well as the office of the private merchant ?
If such penal laws were, however, to be enacted, it'
would cause the utmost desolation in all the offices of
Government. There would be hardly an anti Jacobin
left in them (net even Mr. John Bowles,) to revile such'
men as that meeting was composed of. It was full
time for the people of England to inquire into the
causes of the grievous burdens which they bear., when
their annual expenditure had increased from 16 to 70
or 80 millions annually. He did not know how that
wasteful system could be done away but by Parlia-
mentary reform. He hoped the nation at large would
feel the necessity of moderation, as well as firmness;
for if any want of moderation was to be found either
in their actions or their language, their enemies would
not fail to take advantage of it.-Loud applause:.)
Upon 4'e health of Mr. Madocks being drank,
Mr. Manoor,s rose and returned thanks for the
honour that was done him. He conceived it the un-
doubted right of the people to be fairly, justly, and]
uly represented in Parliament. As to Mr. Curwen's