Star.
London, England, 1821-01-15 00:00:00

NORTHUMBERLAND MEETING.

A Meeting of the Freeholders of the County of
Northumberland took place at Morpeth on Wednes-
day last, for the purpose i,f taking into consideration
the conduct of the High Sheriff, .in refusing to call
the Meeting, and for addressing his MAJESTY and
both .Hou'ses of Parliament upon the late proceedings
against the QUEEN. .
Sir JOHN SWINBURNE being cared to the Chair,
Was received with great applause. He fancied it was
unneceisary to read the Requisition. With respect
to the signatures, they .must be familiar to them all ;
they were respectable from their character, respect-
able from their talents and ability, and he could
safely say, that the Gentlemen who had signed it,
held landed property in the county to the amount of
1;200,000 per annum.
Sir CHARLES Mona then addressed the Meeting
at considerable length. He confessed the refusal of
the Sheriff to grant a Meeting upon a Requisition so
numerously and respectably signed, worded too with
such great circumspection, and framed according to
the Constitution in all its points, was a matter both of
surprise and disappointment to him. The Sheriff is
an Officer appointed by the Crown, and holds his
office at the pleasure of t' e Minister of the day ; and
if the Minister did not animadvert upon his conduct,
if he did not instantly dismiss him, he sanctioned and
adopted the acts of the Sheriff. It was not yet twelve
months since they bad met in that Hall to congratu-
late his Majesty on his accession to the Throne; their
fidelity to the Crown was then extolled, and credit
was given them for their good intentions. Was this
refusal the earnest they were to receive of the feelings
t,f the Government towards them ? Sir Chariot
Monck concluded by moving the several Resolutions.
Mr. BIGGS seconded the Resolutions.
Earl GREY here presented himself to the Meeting,
and was received with the most rapturous and enthu-
siastic applause. After it had subsided, his Lordship
was proceeding to address them, but he had only ut-
tered a very few words, expressing as his reason for'
rising so early; that he did not see a disposition in
any person present to oppose the Resolutions which
had been proposed, when Mr. Orde observed, he
meant to oppose them ; and his Lordship instantly
sat down, and said he would wait till Mr. Orde had
addressed them.

Mr. ORDE immediately rose, and was received with
most vio!ent marks of disapprobation.
The business of the Meeting was interrupted for a
considerable time, and it was not before both the
CHAIRMAN and Earl GREY had begged of them to
give Mr. ORDE a patient hearing, that silence could
be obtained. The Noble Earl supplicated them to
give Mr. ORDE a patient and impartial hearing. The
cause they had to support could not suffer by discus-
sion, but would, on the contrary, be always best pro-
moted by hearing what their opponents bad to say
against them.
Mr. ORD! then proceeded.—He was sorry it should
be considered a favour for hiin to be heard for a few
minute% He had often given them his opinion, as a
plain country Gentleman, and he would never hesi-
tate to state his sentiments fairly and impartially.—
He was too proud to affect an opinion for the pur-
pose of gaining popular applause, and too high-
minded to borrow the sentiments of another. He
then alluded to the conduct of the High Sheriff, and
observed, that if the Shwa had complied with the
Requisition, he should not have blamed him ; but as
be had not done so, he contended that he had only
exercised that discretion which he was bound to use
in the discharge of the duties of his office, and he
was not bound to give. the reasons which influenced
him in that decision—(Disapprobation).—And he
considered that the Requisitionists would better have
discharged their duty to their country, if they had
suffered that already too much agitated question to
sink to rest, without unnecessarily re-agitating it there
that day—( Loud disapprobation).—The worthy Ba-
ronet had quoted Magna Charm to prove the impro-
per conduct of the Sheriff, but Magna Charta had
nothing to do with it, no more than it had with
Parga, lonia, or Norway—(Loud disapprobation,
and cries of Shane!).—He contended that Ministers
were bound to institute the inquiry into the conduct
of the Queen. He would ask the Gentlemen oppo-
site, if anything could be more degrading to her Ma-
jesty than to have a man waiting upon her in livery
to-day, And his arms about her to-morrow?—(Great
disapprobation).—He would ask them if it was for
that, that they would have her name inserted in the
Liturgy ?—if it was for that, that they would lavish
the money of the people of England upon her to pur-
chase estates for her paramour ? And was it for his
services in the polacre, the tent, the bath, or the boat,
that he was thus to be rewarded? WAS it for his
services as Chamberlain or Chambermaid ?—(Most
tielext dining).—He would tell them, as had been
lately said by Mr. Gooch, that the guilt of the Queen
was as plain as the sun at noon-day—(Loud hisses).
He objected to the Resolutions, because they pre-
sumed that Parliament would not do justice to the
Queen, and he did not see how they could reconcile
their demand for inquiry into the Milan Commission
with their hopes that all further proceedings would
be put an end to. There was only one further obser-
vation with which he would trouble them. Dear as
liberty was to him—(A laugh)—he hoped that some
mea+ures would be adopted to fetter, not the liberty,
but the licentiousness of the Press, which had deluged
the country with a torrent of impiety, and loudly
called for some special interposition. The Liberty of
the Press, like the Habeas Corpus Act, might be sus-
pended for a moment, to preserve them in their
greatest purity and force. He then concluded, amidst
very general disapprobation, by giving his honest,
zealons, and hearty opposition to the Resolutions.
„Earl GREY then rose, and spoke to the following
effect:—" Before I proceed to animadvert upon the
observations which have fallen from the Honourable
Gentleman who has just sat down, I consider it but
proper to pay a tribute of approbation to the courage
and manliness of spirit which induced him to come
forward in so public a manner to state his opinion,
face to face, with those from whom he differs ; he
disdains to 'skulk into any corners to fabricate calum-

Hies against his opponents, and to manufacture Ad-
dresses which are intended to have an effect very dif•
ferent from what they profess to be. Such, however,
has not, been his* conduct;, and, therefore, I think
great Credit.i.s due. to him L regret tha.: any interrup-
t►on has been given to him, though some sentiments

-

---

and opinions certainly dropped from him not much' hold =up to public odium, iv.iduals whom
_ some istd.
calculated to harmonize with the feelings, or mite' they do not name. 1 will here read paragraph
the sympathy of the Meeting. I will now proceed to which I allude :7" But it is not the populace
to offer some remarks upon the objects of the Requi- alone in whom the evil spirit of the
with
timesfeehlaingswsrwouhthht
sition. The first subject, then, which claims our at- ' its baneful work. We have seen,_
tendon is the conduct of the High Sheriff. Before I we forbear to express, men of exalted rank. and dis-
proceed to offer my own opinion on this point, I beg tinguished talents, fostering and stimulatrngthnefddies:
to read to you a letter which I have just received contents of the multitude, availing
from Lord Ossulston, because I conceive it expresses lusions which they despise, and of vices which they
a true and unanswerable argument against the con- reprobate,. to forward the miserable objects of party
duct of the Sheriff—CHis Lordship then read the let- ambition —( Cries of " Shame! shame ! )—When
ter from the Noble Lord alluded to, expressive of these Gentlemen assemble in their secret conclave, it
his high approbation of the motives of the Meeting]. is evident, to use the words of the Psalmist, that
—Earl Grey then, at great length, and with power- " their communing is not for peace, but they imagine
ful argument, pointed out the unconstitutional con- deceitful words against those who are quiet in the
duct of the She' iff. Upon the nature of the proceed- land"—(Applause).— I ask, against whom is this
ings, and the detail of the evidence, against her Ma- paragraph directed ? Can anything be more incon-
jest'', said his Lordship, I have elsewhere delivered sistent Kith their duty, as followers of the meek and
my sentiments; and having given the subject the holy Jesus, than thus to fabricate accusations in
fullest consideration in my capacities as a Legislator secret, and assail other persons with the venom their
and a Judge, I arrived at so very different an opinion malice has engendered ? Forgettul of the conduct
from Mr. Orde, that. I declared then, as I declare which became them as Ministers of our Holy Reli-
now, that, were I called upon to pronounce on the pion, they prepared their poisoned arrows, and shot
guilt or innocence of her Majesty, the only verdict themat random into the world, to be pointed against
which conscience and honour alike impelled me to any one to whom chance might direct them. Stand
give, was one of not guilty—( Loud Applause).—But forth, ye Reverend slanderers! and tell us who he is
it seems to Mr. Orde that this much agitated ques- that thus perverts his rar.k and talents, that, if guilty,
tion had better be set at rest, and the public mind the odium may justly fall upon his head, or, if the
not inflamed by a discussion of this nature.—For my accusation be false, may revert upon the heads of
part, I should desire nothing better ; Goo knows those who made the charge !(Load cheering).—
it has been productive to me of nothing but pain and Who gave them the power to dive into the hearts of
disquietude since it was first brougl.t forward. Bu. other men, and know the motives of their actions ?
who is it that forces this discussion upon us ? Who They pretend to see the mote which is in their bro.
is it that will not suffer this question to be set at rest? ther's eye, but cannot perceive the beam which is in
The proceedings against her Majesty are still con- their own and when they accuse others of being in-
tinned open ; slanders and calumnies ate still cir- flaenced by unworthy ambition, are they so sure',
culated against her person ; and though the legisla- that these workings of their holy zeal may not pro.
live proceedings against her have been suffered to teed from a desire to please their patrons, and thus
terminate, we are left in doubt whether the Queen promote their own preferment ? But if we exa-
is to be entitled to the benefit of her ac quittal, or she mine it more closely, we shall find that their ma-
is still to suffer all the severest inflictinns of that tignancy has a more particular allusion—(Hear).- -
1
odious and unjust Bill of Pains and Penalties, as if And though I have not the vanity to think that lam
she had really been found guilty. Mr. Orde says he deserving of the character of possessing distinguished
considers her to have been found guilty by a majo- talents, yet I know that persons like these are always
rity of the House of Lords. I deny the fact. She ready to allow me the possession of them, when they
stands now as fully absolved from all guilt as if the wish to fix on me the stigma of perverted talents.
accusations had never been instituted against her.— But it so happens, that I was the only person above
He also says, that there was no other mode of pro- the rank of a Commoner who attended the County
seeding than by a Bill of Pains and Penalties—that Meeting of Durham; and I therefore presume that I
Impeachment was improper. 1 deny it again. It am the person to whom they allude. I therefore call
the Honourable Gentleman would revert to those upon them to stand forward, in some place where I
won ks which formed the professional study of his may be allowed the opportunity of defending myself,
early life, he would find it laid down as an unassail- from their accusations; and if I do not stand acquit-
able position, that there was no offence that could be ted in the eyes of my countrymen, I shall be content
committed against the State, which could not pro-. to submit to any degradation which they may think
sroper to inflict—(Cheers). They accuse me of being
perly become the subject of Impeachment. He would
find this principle particularly laid down by Mr. Jus- ambitious of power ; but if power is my object, why
Lice Blackstone and other writers on the Constitution. have I been so long excluded? How does it happen
Impeachment was the legal mode; I strongly urged that in the course of a long life, with the exception
Impeachment, but the advocates of the measure told of one year, I have never held office? whilst, from a
us that the Bill which was objected to was a most comparison with those whom in that time 1 have
nwit-
advantageous proceeding to her Majesty, as she would tressed possessing power, I may, I think, without any
thereby have the advantage of a double defence, and vanity, assert that I might also have possessed it,
the coscurrence of both Houses of Parliament on the had I chosen to profess similar principles with them.
sentence of condemnation upon her would be neces- Are these addressers so foolish as to suppose that I
sary. Now mark what follows! With shame and do not know that the principles which I have advo-
sorrow 1 say it, the House proceeded to the second cated through life were such as must exclude me
reading of the Bill with an unsatisfactory majority from power? It has happened to me more than
of 28—to the third reading with the still less ma- once, twice, or thrice, to refuse even the highest
jority of nine, the exact number of the Cabinet Mi- offices of the State, when offered upon terms incon-
nisters who brought it forward—(Applause).—And sistent with my principles. Can any of these Re-
then,. when a Peer was on his legs to present a Peti- verend calumniators produce an instance of a similar
tion from her Majesty, protesting against the next sacrifice?—(Cheers). From a firm adherence to my
motion which it would be necessary to make, namely, principles, 1 have remained excluded from power;
that the Bill do now pass, that Minister who intro- and it perhaps may be satisfactory to them to know,
duced the Bill stopped all further proceedings by that I shall remain true to the principles which I de-
postponing the passing of the Bill for six months, dared in that Hall when I first set out in life. And
thereby abandoning it for ever. I ask what state were the Government offered me to-morrow, a cir-
is she now in ? Is she, or is she not, to have the cumstance which I consider by no means likely to
advantage of this abandonment?. If the Bill had happen, I would not accept it, unless I could do it
been incomplete in any of its stages, she would have on terms satisfactory to my own conscience and ho-
stood discharged from all accusation ; and now when nour, nor without being enabled to effect a complete
the Bill is not complete in any stage, but is with- change in the present system of Government (Cheers).
drawn before it has passed even one House, she has This declaration I make without fear. There is one
the same right as any accused person against whom subject materially connected u ith such a change—l
the record has been withdrawn, of being considered mean the necessity of a Reform in Parliament, upon
fully absolved of the crimes which were alleged which I have been much misrepresented. My opi-
against her. But this right is now denied her : when nions of the most proper mode of effecting such a re-
no adjudication had been come to upon the Bill, it form have undergone some modification. I think,
is attempted to visit her with its severest penalties, in that from fear of evil consequences, reform should be
the same manner as if she had really been found effected in a more gradual manner than I thought
guilty, and the Bill had passed to final adjudication. necessary when life was young, and hope more san-
Thus is she deprived of the advantages of this mode guine, and my dread of danger less acute. To the
of proceeding, which had been vainly promised to her, • principles of reform, as detailed in the speech I made
and especially of this important one—important not in 1810, on the state of the nation, I still adhere. A
only to her Majesty, but to every one who hears me change in the system of government is absolutely ne-'
—test the person discharged from all accusation cessary to preserve the Constitution from destruction;
should no longer be considered as guilty. When such and though a Reform in Parliament would be a most
attempts are making to pervert the result of the pro- powerful means of effecting that change, yet, whether
ceedings against her, and when further proceedings that reform should be pressed in the first instance, is
are meditated, will you sanction such a mockery of a consideration which, like every other public ques-
justice, and consent that the severest enactments of don, must be influenced by considerations of State
the odious Bill of Pains and Penalties should still be expediency, lest by a too hasty attempt to carry it
inflicted on her Majesty? It is true that the Bill not into execution, the probable success of
thoftheaccusations
reformcnsainst-
having passed into a law, she cannot be denuded Of self be endangered. If, in
her rank and style of Queen, nor can she be deprived which have been brought against me, I have ani-
of the minor consideration of exercising the patronage madverted severely upon part of the Clergy, and
and privileges attached to her station ; but her name expressed my indignation at their conduct in strong
is still excluded from the Liturgy, that act of on- terms, I request, that my remarks may not be applied
ginal injury and insult; a Royal residence is still to any but those whose conduct has excited them.
denied her; she is still dependent on Ministers for Born of parents professing the doctrines of the Este-
that support which she ought to have derived from blished Church, educated in its tenets, and attached
the liberality of Parliament, and is still exposed to to its interests, I feel most anxious to see the holy Mi-
suffer all these acts of injustice. What, though the nisters of my Religion enveloped in that respect which
Bill had failed, according to Mr. Orde, she is to con- must ever be felt for the Clergyman, the Parish Priest,
tinue to be treated as guilty. But this injustice no who performs his duty to his parishioners in a consci-
Briton can ever bear; for to suffer any penalties to entious manner—who consoles them in their misfor-
attach to her Majesty when the Bill is abandoned, is tunes, admonishes them in error, maintains them in
contrary to that love of justice and hatred of oppress right—their guide in health, their aid in sickness and
sion, which, whilst England is England, I trust, will in trouble, and supporter amidst the terrors of ap-
ever characterize ill who inhabit it—(Applause), proaching death; mild, meek, generous, charitable,
[His Lordship here, in strong terms, condemned the and humane, such characters are entitled to the
proceedings of the Milan Commission, and pointedly greatest respect ; end were they more frequent we
alluded to the conduct of certain Divines in the should hear lest of those attempts to disturb the peace
County of Durham, in getting up Ultra-Loyal Ad- of society in the name of Religion and pretended
dresses, and to the language used therein.)—l repel, loyalty 1 But if we contemplate the reverse of this
(said his Lordship) the calumnies of these Address- character—a busy meddling Priest, hardly known in
ens against my countrymen, and will resist, to the his parish, except by the vexatious collection of his
utmost of my power, the encroachments advocated Tithes, seldom heard in his Church, a virulent 'writer
by them upon the liberties of my country; for these of party pamphlets, so far devoid of charity as to
persons, not content with following the example of visit all persons who differ with him in sentiment
the attempts made in the reign of Charles 11. to with the severest condemnation, denouncing them as
govern without a Parliament—in which, if they had traitors to their King and apostates to their Goo,
succeeded, we should now have been living under the setting one part of the community, against the other
tyranny of the Stuarts—not content with this, they -I will :ell them, that one such Priest, much less a
think it right to make personal accusations, and to u hole conclave of them, does more harm to Religion

than twenty libellers of the most
tion—(Great applause).-1 cannot c
expressing my thanks for the patient
you have afforded me, and assuring y(
as on all other occasions, I feel most
my former Constituents, to whom
every tie of gratitude ; and you may al
my best assistance and endeavours
promote that spirit of liberty so essen
fare of the country, and if suffered tr
the country itself would soon fall into
the Noble Earl concluded amidst the
and applause of the Meeting.)
The Resolutions were then put
and agreed to unanimously, with
Mr. OaDx, and two or three other
was here a loud call for Mr. LAuero

Mr. BEAUMONT then, in a short speech,
the Adchess to his Majesty, which
Mr. Sum. The cries for

Mr. Lemma being here renewed,
rose, and said that it had not been
have offered himself to their Notice
evinced a desire for him to address
make a few remarks on what had
Orde. He accordingly did so, in a
and irony. He also animadverted
the conduct of the Sheriff, who, he
be treated with utter contempt, as '
himself, but from persons of higher .
had no doubt that his instructions tray
north, through Morpeth, to the Sheriff.
Mr. Lambton also defended the Press f
of licentiousness brought against it
maintained that nothing could exceed
mess and gross calumny of the Ministeri,
The Address was then carried 137-
nienous vote. The Petition to the
was then moved and read by Mr. 1
to the Commons by Sir CitalflLES
being duly seconded, were carried in
Mr. litoce then rose, and in a I
strain of eulogy, proposed the than!
to Earl GREY. This motion was carried
acclamations, as was a vote of thanks
SWINSURNE. The Meeting then broke


it inveterate deft.i.
n conclude wia4 D•••
'tient heaiing wI
ng you, that onak • a
nost an lions to 11,-1 'll
om I feel bound -7',
lay always con 4. • .
tun to Rippe%
essential to
ed to fall into:
II into ruin.."-N •• wa
• • . •
put from the
ihilicttheh:errut:Pah' eawesPr:seeoun:cico:Pud:::ll4l:lleNd":::... 40:"
ort speech, propiti •
wed, that GentLmzi tus
been his intention b , sri
notice; but as the, he
Iress them, Le eftl'i e
tad fallen from , o e
in a strain of semizi e
rted with seventy%
4ashehethja(cteghtd '61%,
Oter authority, bib •
ins travelled from 0 '1
Sheriff-0714%
Press from the chs% a
it it by Mr. Orde,4 or
exceed the licentin% 'at
Ministerial Peet!.
ed by nearly an nr%
the House of Lei
Mr. BIGGE, and a
ILES MONCE, 144
hi in a similarmas
n a manly and wet
hanks of the Meek' •
is carried amidst k% •0'
thanks to Sir im
n broke up. brie
tit
MEETING. Pro
ver
ke place at then, sea
wing to some circus it
ld at Messrs. Pain IT.
trket-street. Tlie* L..""
was made honk
,coached, great am stn
ante into the eke
tim
1
refatory remarks, al us;
Gentlemen, a °us
rto request of yon gez
o whatever myth!'
majority hat prat • °el;
lemn the condatt
ny of our loyal ton, 417
o meet us, wiil kink vtgl
d the dignity of*
tinst her Majesty k'IF
r of the laws in tic
reated with bacon/
the People in theist- Isn
oost as soon as tiw
the very commas
ige from her hiajes;
to us their humatt
ility, in thanking 6 tin:
their Royal Waal
neverKb i
st attention to the as
ons of a peaceabk,i do
that to be
thefo for
gam
u5,1.,Y11.1.
elation; that they bar
tect our impornisin
:ommercial, and egO,
the smallest pens
public necessiiim, st
arguments, and in th
for error, and hero
,ut, Gentlemen, tie irc
•e become shy of a
preference to sus; lb
ere they may, ualo tit
ours, cajole their*:
ints upon the ha 21lm. ';
ne to which we mei tic
v battering dos' #
lout Europe, Mg b at
stand but Truth xi La
Gentlemen, we la re
but disloyal to sa* sc
we lost, and deserve* at
afikes
tit
ng the Resolutioes •
.a
—" Gentlemen—lb
rsecaecd
I.—Gentlemen-4 if • to
sza
of your appretiall 3
tic°:uolarn:teidsthmbisyeetifirdalol7ll'
is duty imperfectly b
tility. In the Resoi
ropose to you, I Iv
the Ministry wbor
ilajesty. If I sloe' •
hich proves their hea t
nen of the People
r act they haven a
have uttered. TO
ire brought into pm, !
,eery"—that was*
elude to their fell
the Orders in 030!
to Commerce of Gm'
k, that as soon WI! I
din their placers! I
—the first blow atm
i was felt by this
our enemies, aa" s .
showed thE,lllSalle
ur brothers in bk. y, •
a country unwolt#lll.,
friends invaloot
ke and a: .
ect the famous
finest •arnsy than
n•pestilential
that- toirhty clot