Star.
London, England, 1819-09-18 00:00:00

All attempts to obtain a further hearing
truidess3—
FT' "
Mr.P Ilatourwatt. said, they had been told that
tß:y were about to prejudge a case, and that they
1., before they pronounced any opinion, to wait
till the petsons accused had been heard in their own
defence. But was it not well known that the accused
were not to be brought to trial? None of the ordi-
sary and regular means of inquiry were to be adop-
ted, the innocent were left without vindication, and
the guilty without punishment. In such a case it
was their duty, and their only resource, to exercise
the legitimate right of :netting, and petitioning the
Thmne. He did not understand that any of the ma-
terial facts alleged were denied, or that the right to
petition and ts, assemble for the purpose ot petition-
hg was controverted. This latter right was founded
en a principle established and confirmed at various
nochs in die history of our Constitution. It was re-
cognized in a variety of Statutes, and formed• a part
of Law of England. It was because this law had
been violated, and one of the pillars of our Constitu-
;on defaced and polluted with blood, that they were
now invited to join in protesting against such an ex.
rsp!c. With regard to the circumstances attending
it, ore was remarkable, and, as he conceived, decisive
af fee question, viz. that no prosecution was to be
undertaken on the charge, which, if well founded,
cold alone justify what was done at Manchester ;
and that, on the other hand, a prosecution was pend-
ing against an individual upon whose testimony that
charge had been received. He could not then con-
ceive that they were acting prematurely in marking
rein ccademnation of that violent and outrageous
conduct, which could plead in its defence no better
excuse than the perjury of a witness. After these
Inv remarks, he should conclude by reading to them
an Address to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent,
fitaideti upon those Resolutions which had been pre-
lieusly agreed to, and which had so nearly received
..rr twanimais support.
Mr. ltru(,irrweLL then read the following Ad-
&e..,s, and moved that it be adopted :
" To his Roval Highness the Puma Reamer.
" The humble and dutiful Address of the Citizens and In-
habitants of Norwich, in Common Hall aesembkei, on
Thur,lay, the 16;11 September, 1819.
" We, tl'e Citizens and Inhabitants of the City of Norwich,
assembled under the authority and in the presence of our
Nalistrate, beg leave most dutifully to address your Royal
llihne,s on a subject which we deem of equal and vital int-
znance to the interests of Prince and People.
We humbly represent to your Royal Highness, that it is
tapossible fur us, as Englishmen, and the free-born Subjects of
:51i limited Monarchy which is the constitutional and rightful
Government of these Realms, to avoid feeling and distinctly
tnwssing our shame and grief and indignation, at the cruel out-
ntes which have lately been committed at Manchester; where
r arnied force, acting under the direction of the loca Magis-
tracy, in defiance of all law, has done military execution on a
tf..iceless multitude of our countrymen, assembled for a lawful
.Ae, and peacefully exercising an important public right.
iodtT.Altletitly of the urgent motives for this our humble
tllt'Aijull and remonstrance, arising from the harsh nature
Ai do:recite,: tendency of the transactions to which we refer,
it ate so much the more earnest to express our feelings on this
sza.tau, e:cateze we have long observed, on the part of the
Ministers, a settled and systematic purpose to deny, ha-
ant! suppress, the petitioning of the People ; and by thus
etriepting tar current of their complaints in its lawful and td -
Mt ;IL tattl to the 'Flume, to prevent the voice of a sufferinl
I tie:: from reaching the ears of a generous Prince.
" la heguage, therefore, the most respectful, and at the same
ims the most firm, we earne:,,ly entreat from your Royal High-
as indulgent attention to our Address. The subject yields
eclat it: interest and importance. One of the greatest of our
r.,s:.—rights expressly recogoized when the Throne of these
was settled on the present august Family—the right to
l'ai;ion the Katz has been violated, and by means the most
rallo. Bland has been shed, bodies have been mangled, lives
Lye I ern &buoyed. The very principle on which is formed
Sc founded the title of your Royal Highness's illustrious House
t th. flee Crown ot the Kingdom, is brought to question, and
edin3ered b 7 the ou•rages at Manchester. The Bill of Rights
ilthre", that ' it is the right of the Subject to petition the
1a;: and it is indisputable, that upon the People's right to
publicly, and by Petition to interfere in the administra-
im cf their aZairs, is mainly depending all the rest of our costa
etitional liberties.
" ire believe this right of popular assemblage and petitioning
rite amongst the earliest, as it certainly is the most important
• tit privileges. The preservation of it, in all the fulness of
rifection, is essential to our existence as a Nation of Freemen.
au descended to us from our forefathers; it is recognised in
Great Charter of our Liberties ; and we hold it to be amongst
terrine sacred of our duties to transmit it to posterity unin-
cd and entire.
Confiding in the natural mildness and generosity of your
Espl 11.glinesi's disposition ; relying also on the eflcacy of those
-Zvd and beneficent principles of Government which, imbibed
doily life, cannot fail to be deeply rooted in the heart of your
tool Highness, we persuade ourselves that measures will at
ate be taken for holding a solemn Inquest into the causes and
Int:instances of the cruel conduct of the Magistrates at Wall-
a:au, on the 16th day of August : that so this gross and wan-
la violation of the rights and liberties of the People may not
It showed to pass into an established precedent; and the stee-
-1 authnila actors, and abettors of this sanguinary military tu-
tak and execution may be brought to condign punishment.
ire we deem this measure to have been rendered absolutely
Ic.`"3rYt because we have observed, with astonishment and
t, th%t robtzinecl, no doubt, by false and wicked misrepre-
ada.s of the teal r cure and character of these proceedings)
eaten; ithlicyl hw tour of your Royal Ilighness's approbation
seen ut. 'owed en acti which the force of truth compels us
"use Mesa! art! urprovoked, disgraceful to the national
meter, and rcpte.natt te all the feelings of humanity.
* Tirlt ir. ; to net:e of his Majesty's subjects in dutiful and
inticnate t.• your Royal Highness's illustrious
a: int. Per.or., atei sincerely and equally devoted to the
of tl.e tights and liberties of the
I.IC.:!t:OVL s a.tare burs: !y and dutifully to Petition your Royal
to diii,lace, fn: ever, from .your Royal Person and
&lab, ecoally weak std violent Ministers, who have
dab J. uu tilt to connect your Royal Highness's
,tare 'di thy massacre at .Manehester ; and in whose
n..eitros and weaitires of Government we have long
pereeive the faintest traces of the mild ivalities and
'AN., et k.tirlish Ltv.."
?it.T.ciLort, jun. assured the Meeting, that in now
the few :entarks which had suggested them-
tuiral, he was as little influenced by party
t•arty objects as the Gentleman (Mr. Saint
"In), vaiu'md so absolutely disclaimed them. He
time furrard, impelled only by a sense of what was
to the Constitution of that cauntry in which it
be the highest boast of all that they were
••,: lira.. (Loud and vehement shoots ofapplause).
ulsed that they ought to wait for further
before they presumed tl express an opi-
ul tin= awful and lamentable subject ; but where
v:ere known, where facts were notorious and
'l:ti•al'lcted, and where t!‘ose facts were of a nit-
-4) afflicting, were they to be told that they pre-
.llectuustion, because they gave vent to their
u'Stuttignation and abhorrence?—(Ahniause).
:cfm.e. shedding of innocent blood, he would
-Y by soldiers, but by men in military clothing,
eppNresc teas here vociferated for same moments,.
~31,er!ded the progress the scistemee}—,was, he,
_
undeniable. It stood recorded an example
11, most atrocious violence that ever sullied the
of England. As to the evidence by which it,

remained authenticated, he was not awate of a shadow
of a doubt that could be s lid to rest upon it. As
well might those amongst them, whom he now ad-
dressed, who had never been at Manchester, doubt of
the existence of that town, as disbelieve it, because
they had not been eye-witnesses of the transactions
of which Manchester had been the melancholy scene. I
,The sole question, therefore, which was to be consi-
dered was, whether a Meeting, convened and assem-
bled as the Meeting at Manchester had been, was or
was not an illegal Meeting ? Upon this must neces-
sarily depend-the inference whether it was or was not
legally dispersed ? Was that Meeting held and com-
menced in tumult and disorder ? Were its objects,
as far as they could be ascertained, illegal or dange-
rous? Did they menace the peace, or openly invade
the public security ?—(Cries of no, no; nothing like
it). If they had done so, they had been guilty of high
treason against the Government; if they hid not so
done, they had been illegally assaulted and dispersed.
It appeared that a Meeting had been advertised,
which, whether legal or proper, he would not here
inquire, but called by certain persons who seemed to
think that the Representatives of Old Sarum, or
some other places of nearly equal importance, were
not the most desirable or adequate Representatives of
Manchester. The object, however, of this first Meet-,
ing, was proclaimed by the Magistrates to be illegals,
and what was the consequence? The Meeting did
not take place : and all intentions of holding it with
such a view were abandoned. A subsequent adver-i
tisement was published, calling a Meeting for a din-,
rent purpose; and, according to the words of the ad-'
vertisement, the only purpose for which it was con-
vened was, that of considering the legal and consd-
tutional means of effecting a Reform of Parliament.
Their right to meet for such purpose had been justly.
described by the learned Gentleman who preceded
him, to be part of the law of the land In addition to'
this obvious principle, it was important to remember,
that the Magistrates gave no intimation to the People
as they had done on the first occasion, that they were
not to assemble, or any notice that the law would be
put in force against them. The people, thus unap-
prized and unconscious of their misdoings, assembled
—as those whom he now surveyed had come toge-
ther: The only difference of which he was aware in
the mode of their meeting was, that they had proba-
bly entered the Hall by one, two, or three, at a mo-
ment, till, in the course of a short titre, they had
grown into that vast and respectable multitude which
he had the honour to address. At Manchester, it
appeared, that they came forward more multitudi-
nously, by fifty or one hundred at a time. What was
there in this difference ? Did any Act of Parliament
prevent men from so coming to a Public Meeting?
or was there a Statute infringed by it? But it was
said that all this was done in military array ; it was
too clearly proved, however, that there was very lit-
tle military array on either side—(A laugh and cheers).
The next great " portent, big with fear," was the
image of a dagger, which was inwoven upon one of
their banners, car: ied by one of these parties of 50.
Now, it was odd that he, who, under the ensigns of
their Guild, had often moved and acted with no less
appalling emblems before him, should never have
been accused of menacing the safety of the State—
(A laugh). If they turned their eyes to the upper
end of their Hall, they would see it decorated with a
figure which held in its hand, as its peculikr symbol,
a naked sword. It was under the auspices of this
figure they of that city were accustomed to delibe-
rate and to act. (The eyes of the Assembly were
here directed, with a considerable degree of amused
attention, to a figure of Justice, bearing her usual
naked sword, placed at the upper extremity of the
Hall, and surmounting fine portraits of Lord Nelson,
Mr. Wyndham, and one or two other excellent whole-
lengths of the illustrious ornaments of this country.)
But again, it was stated, that upon a banner, borne
in the midst of this formidable array, were inscribed
the words " Liberty or Death." Strange that such a
motto should appear as the omen of danger, or the
signal of alarm among Englishmen ! Were, then,-
their cars unaccustomed to such a sound, or rather,
was there one among them who had not often re-
peated it with delight? Who did not cherish it in
his heart? and who did not, if he had children, im-
press it upon them also?—(A burst e. applause.)--,
It was scarcely necessary for him to say, that it was
a sentiment illustrated and adorned by the greatest
Poets and Writers, as well as acknowledged- by the
first Statesmen whom this Country had ever produced.
Before, however, Mr. Hunt and his associates had en-
tered upon the business of the Meeting, before even
its introduction was completed, the Yeomanry CaH
valry plunged in amongst an unprepared people, and'
cut down men, women, and children at their feet—
(Repeated cries of Shame!) It was thus they effected
e
the dispersion of the multitude then assemble .
was persuaded that our whole history did not pro-
sent such an instance of atrocious and sangainary
violence. Were they, for now seizing the opportu-
nity of expressing their indignation at these transac-
tions, to be accused of wishing to violate the laws,
or to subvert the Constitution F And who were they
who so accused them ? Did it unfortunate) ha
that they were the same men who had
actually violated the laws of the land ; and not old y
'the laws of 1h..! land, but the essential laws of justice
and humanity—the same men who had at one time
suspended our dearest rights, and ay another moment,'
flagrantly s iolated them'? (Applause.) • A/though he
could not be insensible to the existence of many cor.
ruptions in the State, although he was no friend to
the abuses too manifest in our Representative system,,
although no admirer of the Septennial Act, heyt
deeply reverenced the Constitution, as estalishteod be I
they
our forefathers. He was a steady adherent
Monarchical Government; but he was eqnudaltloy
the
prioiched
to the maintenance of popula!rights, a
ciples of public and private liberty. Wheneeavlelrromediese 4
were invaded, he trusted that they would b i
to act as one man, in resisting
vasion—(Great applause.) and repelling that n-
The Address was then agreed to without opposition. ,
of Nillor.rwGily:v,
nextParliamenttilefoatrtetionCstofy
presentedMem r 'i
himself to
the lilulalul
a, i
iafinedd
aw;pslaruecse. received with
H' iti
onvalosii°raushilade Gicatil9Pigeweloi
of u
man observed, that in meeting his Constituents all
be
this occasion, he felt it his duty to Ochre, that
poiectly agreed with every sentiment ex
with
the Address which had just been read, and
_ ,nli
the argernents urged in its support. The eons Cr
the Yeomanry at Manchester, in attaching peaceable

habitants
'nor, lay,
1, We, the Citi
assembled a
rtlalistrate,
:illness on a sul
trtance to the it
We humbly
tapossible fur us.
tszt limited Mon
Government of I
envessing our sh
ryes which have
a: armed force,
trey, in defiant.,
itf.3iceless multi
vi••sr, and pr
indsTendete
:AI dna-twits,: t
Ire ice su lIIUCh
Itaiv44l.,
bore',
and supprec
ate-:epilog tar
MI 21i. tirta Cu t
N AIN: from rca
" la language
i:at the most fu
an indulgru
r.)..e tnterl
V-15 seti
tfnion the lid
vdi.uo. Blind
LT,• Lem d-str
nil fouLdtd th,
th. free Crtu
t•Ln;ered
txtire., that'
fur iz:' and it i
:t;entlile public
cf their a 2
r.iaonal fiber
4 irt
I be amongst I
itir privilegt
rgectiun, is ei
:Las descendi
it Great Chat
le most saerei
"Id and enti:
° Confiding
lsyal 11.glinto
keg and bet
'early life, e;
• loyal Ilighne
nee be taken
vtanstances
setter, on du
violation
• allowed to
aut h
nrs,
at
tsh and ex
ird we deep
be
• vet, ora f,
estaau.s of
&tin; ui
- been 14.. •
' 47SC'l
,1 Mrelel,
cn " Yield!!
•
s ettic•tzti.
'at • aftt.
;p -,
es
• '
•
t: •
t
tivey
e f lIzt: fur
`4oto t
its
ars
els . • •
:15 .
‘,51
•
.111;
I C
•
•
)1 •
Cl
el
a
na • , '
bs•