Star.
London, England, 1820-11-23 00:00:00

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against them. on tlte question of Parliamentary Re-
form. He tlfen'entered into a review of the pro-
ceedings of ParSament, alluding particularly to the
suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, and the Bill of
• "Pains and Penalties against her Majesty. His in-
ference from the whole was, that Parliamentary Re-
form was .necessary to the salvation of the country,
and that this vas the moment for pressing it upon
the House. After noticing the depressed state of
our trade and manufactures, the evil, consequences
that have -followed from the expensive system pur-
sued by Government, and making some strong ap-
plications from the examples of France, South Ame-
rica; Spain,-and Portugal, he described the Reform
for which he Contended, to consist in that gradual
plan which Lord John Russell had already begun,
and'- concluded with moving that the Petition be
adopted.—The motion passed unanimously.
Mr. El.us moved that the Petition should be
signed by twenty-four persons only, in order to save
unnecessary trouble and expense.
Mr. CALVERT thought that- the Meeting should
not depart from the usual custom of affixing as
many signatures as possible. If it was signed by no
more than twenty-four persons, the House of Com-
mons would only receive it as the Petition of those
persons, and not of tl/4 Inhabitants of Southwark.—
lie expressed himself strongly favourable to Parlia-
mentary Reform, and considered the dismissal of Mi-
nisters as a stepping-stone to that measure.
Mr. BLACK made a short speech in favour of Far.
liamentary Reform, but complained of the limitation
to which the Mover had restricted his views.
Sir ROBERT WILSON agreed with his Hon. Friend
and colleague, that the signatures ought not to be
limited ; but that it ought to be left open to all the
inhabitants of the Borough, to put their names to
the Petition. He hoped they would go on in gaining
recruits to the cause, till the enemy had not one good
man left in his ranks—(Applause).—He could not
but congratulate the Meeting on the unanimity '
which prevailed on the present occasion: It was
clear that neither public safety nor public tranquil-
lity could be established on a firm basis, till the pre-
sent Ministers were deprived of that power which
they had so long abused. There was a great dif-
ference between such men as Earl Grey and Lord
Erskine, and the men with whom the Green Bag had
originated. There was a great difference between
those two Noble Lords and the Duke of Newcastle,
who, like the Judge of Pandemonium, pronounced
his verdict of guilty, without waiting to hear the
merits of the case--(Cheers).—Ministers.were so in-
solent in the power and undisputed sway they had
obtained, that they were quite heedless of public opi-
nion. On the one hand, they displayed the most
abject servility to the will of their master, and on
the other the most inordinate contempt of the liber-
ties of the people. With as utter disregard for public
approbation, they depended only on brute force to
keep themselves in office. It was impossible that the
Queen could be safe, or the country tranquil, so long
as the panders of spies enjoyed the Kin's confidence !
—(flcalantations).—ln no one instance could Minis-
ters he said to deserve well of the people of this
great'and once flourishing country. They eared not
what privations men endured, and were uniformly
ialifferent to the public burdens. What was more
natural than that Meetings should be held in all di-
rections for the dismissal of such men? If they
wished to release from prison those unhappy indivi-
duals, who were guilty of no crime but that which
their persecutors bad created, then they would vote'
for the removal of Ministers—if they desired to save
that most upright and ardent friend of public free-
dom, Sir Francis Burdett, they would vote for the
removal of Ministers—in shisrt, if they wished to
rescue the Country from ruin,' and the Throne from
destruction, they would vote for the removal of Mi-
nisters !—(Shorts of applause).—The proceedings at
Manchester he could never think on but with indig-
nation and reproach. Where was the Englishman
whose check did not mantle with the crimson blush
of shame at the sound of that word " Manchester ?"
On a former occasion, the Electors of Southwark had
testified their abhorrence of the outrage at Manches-
ter, yet that outrage was still unrevenged ; the arm
of the law had not reached it; the authors of it were
still in power!—(Continued applause).—Whetr he
looked to the system upon which Ministers acted, he
found it to be the same which the despots. of Europe
had adopted against the rights-and liberties, not only
of their own States, but 'of all others that were de-
termined to assert their freedom. Why were the
people of Naples threatened with the knout of Russia
and the chains of Austria?--Solely because they re-
solved to be no longer slaves. He was free to con-
fess, that he had his political partialities, and he
knew that every man must have them. He wished
to see such men as Earl Grey and Lord Erskine in
power, because he knew they would not accept of..
Lee under any circumstances that could compro-
mise the distinguished character they had obtained.
Tl.ey would not accept office without restoring the
Queen to the full enjoyment of her legitimate rights,
taking care, at the same time, that the slightest of-
fence should not be offered to the Sovereign, and that
the liberties of the people should not suffer—( /fp-
iluse).—They would not accept office without re-
pealing the five obnoxious Bills which had been
passed during the last Session, and without releasing
from prison all those persons who were the victims
of Ministerial persecution—(L.oud clieers).—They
would not accept office, but on condition that a Re-
form should take place in the Representation of the
People. Nothing but such a Reform could restore
tranquillity to the country ; and if it did not come
with a good grace from within, it would come with
a vengeance from without—(Continued cheers).—Yet
the Ministers, once out of office, he should do all in
his power to mitigate political rancour. In that case,
he could wish everything might be buried in oblivion—
., Forkiveness to the injur'd does belong,
Ile cannot pardon who has done the wrong !"
Mr. Etas consented to withdraw his motion, and
the Petition being adopted unanimously, was or-
dered to lie for signatures in the Office of the High'
Bailiff.
Mr. BuTten proposed an instruction to their Re-
prerentatives to move for an inquiry into the Milan
Commission, and the impeachment of those who were
concerned in its appointment.
After some discussion, the motion was withdrawn;
after which the usual forms being gone through, the
Meeting broke up.