Star.
London, England, 1810-04-27 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX MEETING.

Yesterday, in consequence of a requisition addressed
to the Sheriff of the County of Middlesex, calling on
him to summon a Meeting of the Freeholders to
cons;d.-r the propriety of adopting any and what mea-
sures by Address, Petition, Resolution, or otherwise,
on the subject of the late Votes of the House of Com-
mons in the case of Sir Francis Burdett, and of the
new and extraordinary proceedings had thereupon,"
a Meeting of the Nobility, Clergy, Gentry,: and Free-
holders, of the County of Middlesex, was held at the
Mermaid, in Hackney, in open County Meeting, to
consider the points referred to in the said Requisition.
—The Meeting was very numerous, so much so, that
it was found necessary to remove from the large room
to the green, and the assemblage there amounted at
one time to upwards of 5000.
Mr. Sheriff Woon opened the proceedings, by stat-
ing the purpose of the meeting, and requesting every
person who offered himself for their consideration,
should be heard with patience and attention. They
must be aware that otherwise it would be impossible
,r them to collect the sentiments of those who might
wish to speak, which he was certain they would all

be desirous to know.
Mr. Sheriff Ark!Ns enforced the propriety of a si
milar line of conduct. He begged that every Gen•
tleman might have a patient ard silent hearing.
Tile Requisition being read,
Mr. I-1A It F. TOWNSEND stepped forward. As he
was to have the honour to propose certain resolutions
to the meeting, he thought it necessary to state shortly
the feelings by which be w.ts actuated on this occa-
sion. He felt it necessary for him in the first place to
notice a cry, which had been raised against the Ho-
nourable Baronet, who was the object of their present
consideration. That cry, there could not be a doubt,
had been raised for the purpose of injuring the Wor-
tl4 Baronet in the public mind. It had not, however,
succeeded—the trick was too stale—it had too often
been practised. It was indeed always the same— to
run down the motives of the person complaining of a
grievous oppression, and to impute to him on account
of his interference, improper motives—while at the
same time, the only improper motives which existed
were to be found in their own perverted minds. It
was impossible for the factions in the House of Com-
mons to love Sir Francis Burdett (Apt/auffer.) They
could only love him as the wolf might be supposed
to love the shepherd and his dog, or the kite to love
the gun and the keeper. They bad had fifteen years
experience of Sir Francis Burdett, during which pet rod
he had shewn himself to be uniformly right, and the
factions had proved themselves to be uniformly wrong.
If they had known the sentiments and conduct: of the
Honourable Baronet only yesterday, then there might
have been room to suspect them. But this was not
now the case. The Freeholders of that County were
no strangers to the motives by which their zealous
friend—the zealous friend of the country in general—
was actuated. They were therefore called on not to
let the signal fly in vain, but to follow it up to that
point to which, if steadily acted tip to, it must lead,
to victory ! One of the factions in the House of Coin.
moss had gone almost the full way with the Hon.
and worthy Baronet, and had only deserted him when
he came to the protection of his mansion—that castle
in which every Englishman had been accustomed to ,
think himself secure. Hem they pulled off the mask,
which the Worthy Baronet had never worn, hut
which they, the Talents, never, on former occasions,
had found it convenient to divest themselveg ot; till
they were about to change from the Orposition side
of th House to the Treasury. li. nch. The Honour.;
able Baronet h:td redeemed all his pledges--the Ta.'
knts had re&enied none of theirs. When they last'
came into office, his (Mr. Hare Townsend's) heart
beat high from the glorious prospect which he flat-
tered himself was then opening on the country. lie
most sincerely did expect to see an immediate Parlia-
mentary Reform; and he also expected to see a repeal ,
of those inquisitorial restrictions under which the peo-
ple
of this country groaned. How miserably, how-
ever, had he, and all who like h m indulged such
hopes, been disappointed. '1 he Talents, when they
got into power, laughed at Reform ; and, to prove
- their sincerity in their wish to lighten the burdens
most grievous to the people, they raised that most in-
quisitorial of all taxes, the Income Tax, from 6i to
10 per cent. which they were pleased to say, was its
natural level. They even went the length of attempt-
ing to introduce the Excise into every family where
the master, either lrom conveniency, or from absolute
necessity, found it necessary to brew Isis own beer.
Had this idea of their's been carried into effectAhe ex-
cise laws would have proved a sufficient apology for
breaking into the Worthy Baronet's house, in which
case, they would not have had to discuss to-day the
legality of the Speaker's Warrant. These Talents
bad given Sir Francis a Judas's kiss, meaning only
to betray him ; and the moment he came to his strong
hold, his castle, from which he was illegally carried
off, then they handed him over to Pilate and hi;
Myrmidons. How too did these same Gentlemen
act ? They did not even in their pretended support
of Sir Francis, justify the motives under which he
acted, but rather recommended the mere lenient
course of proceeding, under the fear, as they were
obliged to avow; that, in sending the Worthy Baronet
to the Tower, the House would only add to his
popularity. In this, at least, they were correct.—
Yes, the day of his liberation from confinement,
would be a day of rejoicing from John o' Groat's
House to the Land's end—it would, indeed, be a
day of Jubilee. The two factions, no doubt, ex-
pected that the Worthy Baronet would have corn-
. nutted felo de ee upon his own reputation ? If-he
• bad surrendered to the warrant without resistance,
what would they not have had it in their power to
say, not only against the Worthy Baronet's consist-
ency, but also against the rights of the subject. It
would have served them as a precedent in future
cases, and would have warranted them in stating, at
some after period, that even Sir Francis Burdett him-
self had yielded. He who would have stood out till
he had been starved into compliance, had at once
yielded obedience to the omnipotence of the writ issued
against him, and had thus established the legality of
the Speaker's warrant, by adding his sanction to its
validity. This, however, was not the way in which
the Worthy Baronet had acted. lie had left the
question to be decided by \lagna Char ta and by a
British Jury. The case of Sir Francis Burdett
lay in a nutshell. When t a commit!) eat of Mr.

John Gale Jones. was moved in the Hottse of Corn-'
mons, the Worthy Baronet was confined by indispo-
sition. When somewhat recovered, so as to be able
to agitate the question, he brought it forward, and in
an open, manly, and most able manner, denied the
power of the House to commit Mr. Jones, or aay other
of his Majesty's subjects, for offences similar to that
imputed to Mr. Jones. Here, however, the Worthy
Baronet only kicked against the pricks—his motion
was lost ; and, according to the good old custom, he
felt it his duty to address himself to his Constituents,
explanatory of his conduct. But this Address had
been construed into one of the most atrocious of likels.
What, he would ask, could the freedom of the press, or
any other of our boasted privileges avail, if the business
of the House of Commons were to be conducted with
shut doors, or if their Representatives in Parliament
were to be deprived of the right of submitting to their
Constituents what had been the line of their indivi-
dual conduct in that House ? If it were once to he
sanctioned that the doors of that House were to be

shut against the Public, and that they were even to
be deprived of the gratification of knowing from their
own Representatives what was going on, must it not
be obvious, that, in this view of the matter, the
House of Commons might be erected into a species
of Secret Tribunal; and that the Serjeant at Arms,
as the Runner to the Inquisition, might hive the
power of hurrying off any subject of this country to
a prison or other place where he should never more
be heard of ? The Honourable Baronet, however,
had resisted in his strong held. He had grappled
I with Briarius and his hundred heads. He had yap-
! pled whir him by the leg, and, he had no doubt, the
result would be a shout for the people, and the at-
tainment of their grand object—Parliamentary Re-
form. What then would be found to be the case
with the Whigs ? He had no doubt there were
among them a few straggling grains of sound wheat
growing. To the Worthy Baronet, he hoped it was
reserved to separate these grains from the chaff ; and
that, emerging as they once did, under the Marquis
of Rockingham, from the mass with which they were
encumbeted, they would once more become fresh
and vigorous :n the support of the liberties of their
country. He concluded by reading the following Re.
solutions, and the Petition referred to in the first of
them, all of which were received with the loudest ac-
clamations :

That the Petition now read be adopted, and !hat it he presen-
ted to the House of Commons by our Representatives, George
Byng and William Mellish, Emits. who are hereby instructed to
support the same.
that we highly approve of the proceedings of the Electors of
Westminster at their late Me, ting, and most heartily concur in
the sentiments contained in their letter to Sir Francis aurilett,
and in his answer.
That the Thanks of this Meeting are due, and are hereby given
ro Sir Francis Burdett, Bart. for his truly patriotic conduct in
Parliament—for his unanswered and unanswerable argument in
the case of John Gale Jones, vindicating the rights of the subjittt,
and denying the power of the House of Commons to imprison
without trial and 'luring pleasure, the people of England—.for his
letter to the Speaker protestitig against the power of the Moose
of Commons to imprison, in like manner, one of their Memb,rs.
for laying before his constituents a ..iithful account of his conduct
in Parliament—and for his Constitutional resistance to the Spea-
ker's warrant, whereby he has g!veo a practical illustration of its
inefficiency, and has 'hewn that it could not he put in force with-
out military aid, a violation of our ancient laws, and a breach of
the pro i'eges of Englishmen.
That these Resolutions be fl;rly transcribed, and presented to
Sir Francis Burdett by the Sheriff, accompanied by George Byng
and William 'Nlillish, Esqrs. our Representatives.
The first Resolution being put and seconded,
Mr. BENTLEY presented himself, not to counteract
the Resolution which had been proposed, but in fur-
therance of ete grand object it had in view, in his ob-
servations on part of which, to his mind, the Honour-
able Gentleman who proposed the Resolutions had
f.ilen short of what he might have expressed. He
alluded to the cry which had been att6eeed to be
raised on the present occasion, by whic!...e contend-
ed, the people of England had been ;:rejy and Brie.
vously It had been dr:laved, that it was
nceeseary to call out the but not the military
merely, but tl!e army had been called out. And
against whom ? Against the people ; not riotously
assembled, but to keep them in subjection while a
warrant was in the course of being executed, which
never could have been supposed to be legal. If any
Gentleman had been present at the War Office dur-
ing these prep-alations, he could have formed no other
idea than that the enemy was landed on the coast.—
What could be a more gross libel and insult on the
people of England than such a proceeding ? Who
were the persons, however, who had thus insulted
them ? He had traced them through the whole of
the present long reign. He had kept his eyes atten-
tively fixed on them, and he could trace in them the
same persons who had rebelled in the years 1715 and
17.15. He could trace them to be the authors of our
war with America and of our wars with France.—
He could tr.tce them to he the same persons who had
involved us in our present wasteful expenditure ; the
same persons sho had involved us in a-debt so excessive
that it would serve to rebuild all the towns, cities,
harbours, hamlets, houses, and cots in the realm ; he
could trace in them the screeners of every species of
delinquency. • They were the Walchernites, the au-
thors and supporters of the Cintra Convention, and
of every other meas..% tvl.ich, during. the present
reign, had disgr.:c..2.l the country. They had not only
been the advocates for those measures, but they had
been uniformly the determined and systematic oppo-
nents of every thing which could tend to re-animatt
the Comtitution. Thee were the decided opponents
of Parliamentary P...!form, from which alone the peo-
ple of this country could calculate on receiving any
substantial good. These, however, were the men
who had dared to libel the people of England. His
present Majesty had ascended the Throne with the
hearts of all his subjects at his command ; but it
seemed to have been the object of the dishonest men
by whom he had been surrounded to endeavour to
deprive his Majesty of this supremest blessing. He
had said this much in vindication of the libelled ho-
, nour of the people.
Majort CARTWRIGHT then took that opportunity of
informing them, that it was his intention before the
mecing broke up to propose an address to Sir
Frati-
cis Burdett, which he should take a subsequent oppor-
tunity of reading to them.
Mr. l‘let.usu then came forward to address the free-
holders, but the expression of disapprobation became
so loud and general, that Mr. -Sheriff Wood was
obliged again to interpose, and reminded them of the
piomise given at the opening of the meeting, that
they would bear every one impartially.
Mr. MELLISH then, after eereated efforts, was at

length allowed to begin. He sid, that he hoped the
very few words he should have to say, would be re--
ceived with candour. In obecience to the wishes of
a meeting of so many Freeholders, legally convened
by the Sheriff, he should feel it to be his duty to pre-
sent their petition to the House of Commons, but with
respect to the latter part of the Resolution, he must
be allowed to say, that he must consider any pledge
given by'lirn to support that petition as a disgrace to
those many Freeholders not now present, and as a
disgrace to his own independence as a Member.—
[Here Mr. Mellish was interrupted by such a burst
of indignation, that after an attempt to gain a hear-
ing, he retired behind the Sheriffs.]
Mr. HARE TOWNSEND expressed a wish that Mr.
Mellish should be heard, that Mr. Clifford (onennumg
the Gentlemen on the steps behind the Sheriff) might
hear and answer him. (A laugh.)
Mr. BYNG next presented himself to the Freehol-
ders, and was greeted with acclamations. He said,
he should be very short, and that his principal mo-
tive in addressing them was to explain clearly his
opinion upon the great question now before the pub-
lic, respecting the right of the House of Commons to
commit. He thought that House had privileges and
power to maintain them ; but that power and those
privileges were always to be exercised for the people,
and not against them. (ilmlaures.) With respect
to the petition just read, he should present it to the
House. The principles of that pptirinn were such as
uniformly had, and should ever have, his support.—
(Applauses.) He had said, that the House of Com-
mons had privileges. lie thought that they had
the power of removing obstructions that had the
effect of stopping their proceedings ; but with the
necessity of the case, the gpower itself ceased. He
th )ught the people had a right to criticize any' com-
ment upon the public conduct of their Representa-
tives. With respect to the letter written by Sir
Francis Burdett to his Constituents, he regretted that
in the debate upon that question, the question of ad-
journment had been moved. He wished that they
had come at once to the direct question, libel or no
libel, and had they done so, he would have 11..14 no
hesitation in voting that it was not a libel. Sir Francis
Burdett made a metion in the House of Commons,
which he thought ought to have been carried. It was
rejected, and then Sir Francis knowing that it was
his duty, as well as wish, to make his Constituents sa-
tisfied with hii Parliamentary conduct, addressed
them in a letter explanatory of that conduct, and of
the principles upon which it was grounded. Accor-
ding to the good old constitutional practice, Sir
Francis Burdett had a right to account with his Con-
stituents. (iim/ausa.) His object in doing so was
not to libel the House of Commons, but to account
to those who sent him there, in what manlier he had
„upon a great question discharged the trust reposed in
him In that letter, Sir Francis had taken an excep-
tion with respect to the right of committing their own
Members. This did not shew that he then had any
intention of libelling them. With respect to his own
public principles, he had only to assure the meeting,
that they were at that moment what they had ever
been. (AN/aum.) He was then, as he had uni-
formly been, a steady friend to Parliamentary Re-
.form, and he avowed that he did not think the pre-
sent mode of Representation in the Commons House
of Parliament, adequate to the just claims of the
Country. He thought that the right of franchise
ought to be extended in proportion to the growth of
intellect, an i the increase of property. Before he
concluded, he must say, that he thought the people
themselves were much to blame, as had they evinced
more zeal and perseverance in the cause of Reform,
no Ministers, however corrupt, no House of Com-
mons, however constituted, could have long with-
stood their united wishes (applause: ;) but as that
souse was now constituted, that the unanimous'
wishes of the country must have prevailed. There
never was an House of Commons in which these was
a greater pibportion of honest, upright men, more at-
tached to the real interests of the country than the
present. [Here there were some murmurs, with cries
of No !No !] That was his opinion—it might differ
from that of many, or most of those who heard him, I
but still it was his opinion, and he thought it would
be wiser to unite all the real friends of the Constitu-
tion, however they might differ in shades of opinion,
while they agreed in the great principles ; it was
surely wiser to keep them together than to set them
at variance upon trifling grounds of petty distinctions,
while the common enemy, the advocates of corrup-
tion, seemed to be so firmly and indissolubly united.
He regretted that his friend, Mr. Townsend, had
dealt so indiscriminately in the abuse of public men,
for there were in that House of Commons many ho-
nest men, who were prepared and disposed to listen
to the instructions of their constituents. Let then the
people of England speak out—Let them persevere
with steadiness and temper in the cause of Reform,
and Reform must ultimately be obtained. Mr. flyng
t'• en bowed to the meeting, and retired amidst the ap-
plauses of the Freeholders.
Mr. CLIFFORD said, that from the manner he had
been called upon by his friend (Mr. H. Townsend)
he felt it necessary to offer one or two observations
to the Meeting ; and first, with respect to the charge
preferred against the people by the Gentleman who
spoke last. Upon a recent occasion two individuals
had stood forth in their behalf, and one had been sent
to New gate and the other was a prisoner in the Tower.
(Apelause.t).—Both of these fellow-subjects had been
deprived of their liberty by the mandatesof the House
of Commons,a set of men whom we sent into Par-
liament to do our business ; they were our servantsd
and we their masters ; but instead of faithfully an
obediently discharging their duty to the people, they
have ungratefully turned round against them, and re-
duced us to that most degrading state of labouring
(to use the words of Sir Francis Burdett) under the
bitterest of all curses, the curse of Canaan—that of
being the servants of servants. What fell from one
of their Representatives (Mr. Mellish), he confessed,
did not surprise him. (..4 laugh). He would pay
that Gentleman one compliment—a compliment that
could not be justly paid to any public man ; Mr.
Mellish had been throughout consistent (laughter ;)
the Freeholders could not but remember that when
that Gentleman was a candidate for their county,
during the whole course of the poll Slr Francis Bur-
dett tried every possible means to get from that Wor-
thy Gentleman some explanation of his political prin-
ciples, but that Gentleman avoided all explanation,
and only referred him to the state of the poll. His
only words were—" Look to the poll." The Hon.

Gentleman was now equallrconsistent in giving his
reasons for his opinions, for, in refusing to support
the wishes of his constituents in Parliament, he had
done as ht all former instances, and been throughout
1 consistent in assigning•no reason at all. (A laugh).
With respect to the power claimed by the House et
Commons, he differed from his friend Mr. Byng, and
concurred with the words of the Petition, in protest-
ing not merely against the exercise of that power, but
I the existence of it. (Applause). The House of Core.
mons never had the power but in the time of rebel-
lion, when they usurped it, and reared their owe despu.
tism upon the ruins of the other two branches of the le.
gislature. The House of Commons was but a branch
of the legislature ;.it was a court of inquiry ; its duty
was to act for the people in the investigation of pub.
1k abuses. and to be the guardians of the public
purse, and the rights of their Constituents. Where
it suspected corruption, it might seek it out; but
' even after it had been detected and convicted, the de.
faulter they could not punish. They could only
• bring him to trial ; though in the present case, they
claim the right of punishing before trial, or even in-
I quiry. The House of Commons was but one of the
• branches of the Legislature. The King was another.
When kis Majesty some years ago was on his way to
Parliament, he was insulted by some of the mob, his
carriage was attacked, and his person struck with
dirt, what did the King in that case ? Did he pro-
ceed forthwith to punish without trial—no ; the con-
stableseemoved the obstruction, and the King sought
tpotoutehratwohfenthtehoKyinhgad.
not
thtehye
his remedy by law in an appeal to the trial by jury
t o were
b e en::
i (Applauses.)—But the House of Commons would
! taovtlal cploawimerapsatreramtchouont
I might
oght
power itself. They had, in fact, no power. They
wellh a vaenpdr i v
too i l e g eg
e;
nbeur
at l
lt these e suentdwe
two
tt(hei,ndg
I founded together. They had heard a good deal about
the doctrine of analogies laid down in a certain law-
opinion, that every one bad heard of ; but here it
ilooked as if the Speaker's warrant against any ma-
fending fellow-subject was, ty analogy, to have the
' force of the King's lawful writ against a felon ; then
' would the Speaker's wig, by analogy, be the same as
i the crown, and the mace have all the authority, by
1 lof
MN ogy, the royal sceptre. (Laughter). He then
proceeded to ridicule the absurdity of the argument
that defended the right claimed by the House, upon
the ground that that right might at sonic future pe-
- rind be expedient ; as if that which was in itself un-
justifiable ought to be subm:eed to, because an op-
portunity might come in which its exercise would be
lof temporary use. This however was admitting the
right, which he denied; and it was not sufficient to
; yield the practical exercise of the power, while the
I right wits sturdily insisted on. This was the are
I ment that lost America ; America refused the prof-
fered forbearance, while the right was reserved.—
The concession was made by us, because we were
weak, and the right was reserved, that we might
call it forth iato exercise the moment we, were
strong, The Petition had reminded the House of
I Commons of the conduct of their ancestors. Let
us hope, that they will profit by the examples, both
of their errors and their recantation ; and that
they will give, with a good grace to the prayers
of a petitioning people, what they will be other-
wise compelled, after an inglorious contest, to yield
in the moment that it is about to be wrested from
them. The struggle in which their ancestors entered
into against the people, though it lasted upwards of
20 years, ended in their total discomfiture. Let us
I hope, the present struggle will not last so long. In the
petition there was an allusion to the shedding of blood
lin the streets. It was a saying of Sir Robert Wal•
i pole, ss Give the power of blood, and they will have
blood," which Lord Chatham had parodied in the
Iwords 44 Give the power of corruption and they will
Ibe corrupt." It would be idle to talk upon se hack-
s neyed a theme as the corruption of public men ; but
he would say, that they had exercised the power of
blood, and might be said to have had the blood, He
then adverted to the circumstances of Sir Francis
Borden's resistance, and as a freeholder of Middle,
sex returned him his heartfelt acknowledgments for
his noble display of firmness upon that trying occa-
sion. Had he not made that resistance, and made it
as he had done, he would never have been able to
have brought his case before a British Jury so unem-
barrassed and unshackled as it now stood. That re-
sistance had proved that the Speaker's warrant was
nothing unaided by the military, that it depended for
all its effect and execution upon the assistance of a
military force. They may vote and commit, but how
is that vote of commitment to be carried into effect ?
By the King's troops—the King's troops are therefore
to be called in to enforce the privileges of the House
of Commons, the main object of which privileges
was to defend them against the encroachments of the
Crown. (elpplauses.) It was an old and a sound
maxim, that no party should bring into its aid allies
more powerful than itself, lest it should be finally
swallowed up by those from whom it sought assist-
ance. The House of Commons had claimed those
privileges in behalf of the people, and in defence of
themselves against the Crown, but in such an instance
what would avail those privileges ? Was the King
to call out his soldiers to aid a power contesting with
himself ? and without that aid, recent instances had
proved that all their boasted privileges could doto no-
thing. He concluded by exhorting the people per
severe, and let the House of Commons act at present
as it might, in such a cause the people of England
ought not to despair.
The Rey. Mr. DRAPER observed, that much as the
fate of the Electors of Westminster was to be rthegret-
ve at of
ted in being deprived of their representati ,
..
the county of Middlesex was still more deplorable.e-e
For although the former had not the support,
these
it coyldt
not a rehend the opposition of its retnesentativelku
the se of Middlesex was materially different. The
Hen. Member behind him (Mr. Mellish) had justdde
dared his resolution to violate the contract, an toe
cancel the bond between the representative and the
constituent, and had endeavoured to palliate hisputa
pose by pleading his independence. He was ready..
who declared his
confess his predilection for any man .
something wore
independence • but he must have . . e
than the declaration to induce his confidence—be
must be assured of a man's independence of any un-
ut he
due influence before he could applaud him. B
-
could not approve of an independence of honest obli
gation—he could not approve of a boast of a repo
sentative, that he would be independent of the opinion
of his constituent—be could pot approve of the per.

liki

c
, f the Hon. Member behind him (Mr. Mellish) of power in such hands at the present would be
t, act
.-
of those who had invested him to give confidence to the enemy, and to fill with des-
s'
independently
f acting an independent and an im- pair the minds of all who love the country. The
r the power 0
eeriest part. The man who could forget his duty to Ministers had sought for precedents, to justify their
il:c reoPle when placed in a station of consequence conduct, from the worst times of our history. They
by the people, must forget himself, and could had even gone to the reign of Henry the Eighth, al-
only escape censure by being forgotten by the peo- though it was notorious that that despotic Monarch
ple With regard to Parliamentary Reform, he was , once got his Parliament to pass an Act to make. it
s,:ays a friend to that measure, and he should con- high treason, on," to speak, imagine, or think any thing
tinue to support it. He would, however, protest against the Lady Anna Boleyne," (whom he then in-
against any thing of a half measure, which must tended to marry) ; and yet, when the King's ,mind
coly serve to impose upon the wishes and to delay the , changed, he got the satne Parliament to vote her
I:tainment of the great object for which alone it was death. Such were the times, the history of which
‘l/4.erchi• of the people of England
to make any
strug- Ministers had ransacked to support. their late flagi-
i I-le thought that the desire and the interest of tious crimes against the liberty of the country.
the whole of the people ought to be consulted in any The Resolutions were then separately put, and car-
,,lat of reform which might be adopted. It had been ried unanimously, with the exception of one single
ori:sered, that those who paid the reckoning ought hand, which was held up against them.
to
have the controul of the account ; and, according On the Resolution that the Petition should be pre-
to his judgment, those who paid any part of that sented and supported by Mr. Byng and Mr. Mellish,
reckoning ought to have a share of that controul.— there were loud cries of " Byng, Byng! No Mellish."
The Reverend Gentleman concluded with observing, Mr. CLIFFORD recommended that the name of Mr.
the promptitude of some men to quo Scripture Mellish should be left in, to see whether he would
turier as it suited their purpose. It wash rue, there , venture to act in opposition to the unanimous sense of
was a text, Honour the King," but the first part of so full a meeting of his Constituents. . [Upon this re-
flattest was, " Honour all men."—(Alifilauses) i commendation, the Resolution was carried.]
Mr. WAITIIMAN began by observing, that it had Major CARTWRIGHT then came forward and read a
been truly stated in the course of the discussion, that very long address, which he recommended to be
sitnation of public affairs, as respecting the county adopted as the Address of the Freeholders of Middle-
ofmickeeser, resembled much the situation of affairs sex to Sir Francis Burdett. The commencement of
about 40 years no. The only difference was, that the it was a disquisition, at considerable length, on the
rights of the people were then violated by general war- idea which this Gentleman has so frequently recom-
rats from the Secretary of State, whereas now they mended, of restoring the posse corn:talus to the rank it
were violated by warrants of the Speaker of the House formerly held before the introduction of standing ar-
ct-commens. The nation was highly indebted to Mr. mies. The latter part was an animated Address of
wakei, (whatever spots there might have been in his Thanks to Sir Francis Burdett, for the noble stand
ite character) for the noble stand he made, in con- he had made in defence of the Constitution and the
Ugality of these general warrants. If he ancient laws of the country.
Lad no: then contested their legality, neither the life The Address was seconded by Mr. Hare Townsend,
or the ptoperty of any Englishman would be safe at and agreed to without opposition.
the rresent day. If the Government had then thought A call having been generally made for a vote of
rf'±e Fever which the House of Commons now thinks censure against Mr.
rpm. to assume, they would have carried their despa. Mr. CLIFFORD recommended that Mr. Mellish
r: measures, by merely substituting the words—Mr. should not be censured. (Shouts of disapprolation.)—
(~c iker's warrant, instead of Mr. Secretary's warrant., The Learned Gentleman repeated his advice, and for
(. ihttane.) If such a power as this were persisted two reasons—first, that if censured, Mr. Mellish
i„ we had come to the time foretold by Baron Mon- might plead that having been so treated he was not
tesenieu, for the downfal of our Constitution and bound to support the measures of the meeting ; and,
cur Liberties. In speaking of their two Represen- secondly, that he did not wish that any thing like ill-
mires, he would say that he believed there were will or passion should be imputable to their proceed-
luny worthy men who, like Mr. Byng, wished ings. He would rather advise that a vote of thanks
that the people should first come forward and state should be passed to Mr. Byng, and that Mr. Mellish
fair wishes, and in that case they would sup- should be entirely overlooked, thus marking their in-
let them. As to the other Representative (Mr., difference in a way which must be more painful to a
:lash) he could not avoid feeling astonished at man of prflud or proper feeling than any direct cen-
ts coming forward to say, that he felt independent sure.—(Appieuses. )
t'ahose who had sent him, and when placed by them Mr. BENTLEY said he was sure that an expression
i:Parliament was resolved to act for himself. Which which had fallen from Mr. Byng had been mistaken.
of the prescriptions given by these learned doctors He was convinced that he never had meant to say
-ould be swallowed by the Freeholders of Middlesex, that he would not support the cause of reform in Par-
t: was not prepared to say. It was curious to ob- Lament, unless particularly called on by the people.
terve how different the Administration acted in their Mr. WAITHMAN, in explanation, declared that be
ern case from the manner in which they acted in the had not understood it so, or commented on the ex..
re of Sir Francis Burdett. When their own con- pression in that view. Mr. Byng had always been
tact was the subject of inquiry, in the calamitous the steady friend of reform, and had openly professed
bpolitien to Wakheren, the criminals came forward his readiness at all times to support it with his best
Wrote in favour of themselves, supported by 100 efforts.- His observations were directed to another
c.e.ernen and pensioners, with their dependants.— class of Members of Parliament, who sheltered them-
Sach a support as this was sufficient to acquit these selves under tbis excuse from doing any thing, or
Miters, who ought to have been led to the MA.— pledging themselves to any effort in the cause of Per-
il:li! eel continued a Itplause.)—He would ask them liamentary reform.
1-...ta:l:a the exclusion of the people from that inquiry Thanks to Mr. Byng were accordingly voted, with
tr._ not an outrage to the public feeling ?—(lt was, the exception of one hand, which the crowd exclaim-
fmm many quarters.) These Ministers, how- ed to be that of Mr. Mellish's servant.
err:, had, by the votes of •many persons of the • Mr. BYNo, in returning thanks, declared that he
description of one of their Representatives (Mr. Mel- never meant to say that he had been restrained from
escaped with impunity. He would not attempt ! any efforts in his power by such a consideration.—
to that the people were sometimes wrong, but He only pointed out the necessity of the people speak-
le would contend that they were oftener right than ing plainly their sentiments, because he thought that
thcse who opposed them. It was much more natural ; such an expression of their opinions would influence
that an immense body of men, who never could ; many other Members, who were, in their hearts, per-
t:ire any lowest in being in error, should be right, fectly disposed to assist the cause of the people.
thin that any particular set of men, who had a great Major CARTWRIGHT said, that he had been now
and direct interest in supporting opposite opinions, nearly 40 years engaged in a voyage in pursuit of
should be always in the right. It was evident, that ; Parliamentary Reform, in the course of which he had
the great body of the people were not so likely to ! encountered many changes of weather—he had met
act in opposition to their own interest, as any small with calms and storms—he had met with the calms
Pt) of men who had selfish objects of their own, lof apathy and the storms of passion and prejudice.
operating against the general good. If their Repre- ! Now, however, he congratulated the public on the
tentative, Mr. Mellish, could really persuade them Iprospect of success ; and he really thought that the
that he had more sense and information than all the Tower of London would serve as a light-house to
Electors of Middlesex put together (a laugh), then ; conduct them into the wished-for port. (Applause.)
?Amps he might be excused for his determination to The Honourable Officer concluded with proposing
act contrary to their wishes ; or if he could prove ! an Address to Sir Francis Burdett, which he read.—
that he had more honesty than all the Electors of i This Address was adopted with universal acclamation.
Middlesex taken together (a laugh), that also might! Mr. CLIFFORD then proposed a vote of thanks to
bean excuse. He believed, however, that Mr. Mel- I their worthy Sheriffs, whom he stated to have shewn
bob would find it very bard to convince the.county of ; every possible disposition to meet the wishes of the
Fos superiority either in the one respect or the other. I Electors, in calling this Meeting.
(4/1,11/asses). He could not altogether approve of I Mr. HARE TOWNSEND stated, that the worthy She-
te doctrine held by their other Representative, of i riff (Sheriff Atkins) at his left, had come forward to
public men being justified in their inaction, by their the discharge of his public duty, although labouring 1
rating that the people had nit come forward. It under bodily infirmity, and a severe domestic cala- i
appeared to him that public men being Members of , miry (Applause.)
l'arliameat,oughtnot to waitfor a call upon them from i Thanks to the Sheriffs being voted upon the pro-
v other quarter. It was in their power,-from their position of Mr. Clifford,
t:evated rank and situation, to do a great deal more I Mr. Sheriff Woon, in returning his thanks, took
good than could be done by numbers of obscure in-' occasion to advert to certain misrepresentations of his
t:vidnals like himself. So far from waiting for a call 11 conduct, with regard to the arrest of Sir Francis Bur-
io the part of the people, those Gentlemen, elevated dctt, which had' gone forth to the country, thorough
.11 rank, fortune, and situations should learn to con- newspaper paragraphs and insidious insinuations in the
'
''der themselves as part of the people. (Loud aft- House of Commons, but particularly through the ad-
They should not consider •the grievances dress of two Magistrates, to whose application to him
"hl oppressions of the people as: things foreign to he gave the short answer he thought proper, and there-
•m; bat' on the contrary, they should sympathize 1 fore they thought proper to address the public: Upon
the people, and without any particular call, stand that occasion, he assured the meeting that he had used
14ward in their places, to support the rights which every exertion in his power to do his duty, since the
ee common to all Englishman and the cause of our receipt of Sir Francis Burdett's letter requiringhim to
timanon country. call out the posse comitatus. In consequence of that
Mr. JENNINGS then came forward. He began by letter he immediately called upon the worthy Baronet,
' p imenting Mr. Byng for the general course of and ordered the soldiery to withdraw from beforehis.
-4 conduct in Parliament, although be could not residence, with which order they promptly complied ,
l'cid disapproving of the sentiment which had al- and he had made arrangements to call out the posse
read) been commented on. He dial not know any comitatur, who would have been in readiness to act it
"passions that were sufficient to convey his indigna- I Sir Francis had not, contrary to the expectation which
trna at the conduct of that infamous majority, who he had reason to entertain, been taken from his house
';'-inalyanddeliberately voted for sending to the Tower so early on Monday morning. But it was his inten-
thOnepeoof tlpake.mositiable and virtuous Rey tatives. of, tion to draw up and publish to-morrow or the next
many vo(iceeLhas)
from no equal ! there is no one like . day, a correct statement of the whole of his conduct
"meet of appeared before now, if it were not for the
It appeared to him that the first in this transaction, which statement indeed would
II petitioning would be for the King to dissolve have
le Parliament. Brava. After their multiplied pressure of his official duties. In this statement he
in •
vasions of the ri his of
the people, and p.. 3 particularly he had alluded to, and to sa-
sfzsteatrthtehics recent genormity, it eras utterly sm. possibleinvidioush had little doubt that he should be able to repel the
publications
the country of the propriety of his conduct.—
ecoui country could have any confidence in them. tisfy
ntY not, from many.) To continte the reins (Applaweb) •


Mr. Sherif ATKINS expressed his disinclination to
take any part in a political question of this nature,
but merely to perform his duty as a ministerial officer,
in pursuance of which he felt it incumbent upon him
to comply with the requisition for convening this
meeting, and to attend to its regulation. He declared
his thanks for the honour which the Meeting had con-
ferred upon him by their vote, adding, that he would
much rather they had not required him personally to
communicate their Resolutions to Sir Francis Burdett.
The Meeting was then adjourned sine die.

GOTTEi*illuitGri MAtL4

A Gottenburgh Mail has also arrived this day;
Which has brought us German papers to the 15tH
instant. The follol are extra,—

riving !CIS
BANKS OF THE ELBE, APRIL 6.
Intelligence has been received here that the Duke of Olden-
burgh, by order of the French Government, has been peremptorily
ordered to lay an embargo on all ships, and goods shipped or in-
tended to be shipped in his Duchy. At Varel,when the last letters
came away, the embargo had been laid, and by command of the
French, all goads either imported or for exportation were put
under seal.

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

FRIDAY, APRIL 27.
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.

S per C. Cons. money, 70 to 701—acc. 70-11.
Reduced 691i-4 per Cent. 831 84-5 per Cent. Navy 9913.1

This day arrived a Lisbon Mail, brought to Fal-
mouth by the Duke of Marlborough packet, which
left Lisbon on the 16th *instant. On the whole the
accounts continue to be more gratifying than they
were some time ago. These accounts relate princi-
pally to Spain ; nor is there much prospect of any
operations being speedily commenced on the Portu-
guese frontier.
We stated yesteiclay that the French, who had oc-
cupied the Wm:Lica Valentia with 17,000 men, had
1.11. 1.1. c pi:ICC on the 14th ult. in a precipitate manner,
It appears, by private letters, that they had expected
the aid of treachery to put them in possession of that
city. Of this spirit of rebellion rankling in the breasts
of numerous individuals, CARO, the brother of Ro-
MANA, and the Commander of the Valencians, had
been apprised, but, from prudential motives, he did
not instantly apprehend the traitors. Suddenly and
unexpectedly he collected all the troops, and such of
the inhabitants as chose to follow him, who rushed
through the gates upon every station the enemy oc
cupied, and compelled them to retreat with great
loss. Two hundred and forty persons charged with
treachery, were thrown into prison, a large propor-
tion of whom were tried, convicted, and immediately
executed.

After this disappointment the French withdrew
towards Teruel and Albaracin, on the southern boun-
dary of Arragon ; and it is probable that they pro-
ceeded from the places we have named to Tarragona.
We have a letter from thence, of the 18th ult. several
days subsequent to the event, which mentions, that
the French were in a condition to force the Spanish
army in that neighbourhood to abandon its position,
Ind that the latter was hastening to the town, with
the enemy in full pursuit.
It has been deemed prudent to remove the French
prisoners from Cadiz, and the transports which have
conveyed the English troops thither are engaged on
this duty. They are, we understand, to be conveyed
to England. The military force in Cadiz amounts
to 37,000 men, including the Spaniards, British, and
Portuguese ; and it is stated that 20,000 of them are
preparing to proceed beyond the limits of the Isle of
Leon, to commence offensive operations againit the
enemy.

The following extract from a private letter, received
by the Cadiz Mail of yesterday, will be read with
satisfaction :

" Cadiz, April 6.

" The French begin to find that their inroad into this pro-
vince, so far Irons facilitating their ultimate conquest of the
country, is likely to entail upon them some disastrous conse-
quences.—They have not been able to provide against fresh in-
surrections in the neighbouring places, which they bave either
abandoned or left weakly defended, and, it is not improbable,
that they will deem it prudent to retreat from the shores of the
Bay of Cadiz, where they are utterly unable to effect any thing,
and where, should matters in their rear not go favourably, they
will be infallibly cut off in case of remaining.
" The Spanish army, under Balluteros, is now within two
leagues of Seville, the bridge of which place, it is understood,
the French have thought proper to cut: they have been driven
out of Malaga, and in Valencia there has been some sharp
fighting, which has been to the disadvantage of the French.—ln
short, our political horizon begins to clear up, and Spain does
not despair of finally establishing her independence, in spite of
the difficulties with which she is surrounded."

The subjoined articles were received by the Lisbon
Mail of this day :
LISBON, APRIL 14.
Certain intelligence has been received here, that Ballasteros Is
with his division at Ronquillo ; the whole coast of Ronda is free,
and General Blake is marching to Derpina Pirros at the head of
.25,000 men. Nothing Is known with certainty of King Joseph;
it is, however, said, that he has left Andalusia.
In Cadiz every thing is going on well. The French have aban-.
doned several points which they had occupied, and it Is generally
thought that they will soon evacuate the whole territory. The
Junta of Seville is in Ayamonte, whither they removed on the
f.4th instant. The French are retreating from Olva in the direc-
tion of Niella.
I A report is current, which seems to be well founded, that the
Duke of Abrantes has raised the blockade of Astorga.
All the accounts which we receive from Spain state, that the
French in that country every where meet with de`eat,. It was
General Caro who, placing the French that were marching from
Saragossa to Valencia, 18,000 in number, between two fires, put
them completely to the route.
In Catalonia, the division of Colonel Saisfield, composed of
1000 foot and 60 horse, fell in with a French division, consisting
of 400 infantry and 50 cavalry, in Mulls, attacked and defeated
it with considerable loss.
It is also known, that tir: Spaniards have entered Aranjuez,
and taken there 6000 stand of arms ; and that the French are re-
treating to Burgos.
In Estremadura General Ballasteros is carrying every thing
before him, and all the movements made by the French indicate
an intention to retreat.

APRIL I.—Th. French garrison at Hambargh; consisting of se-
veral regiments of the division of Gen. Molitor, has suddenly been
diminished by two regiments, who received orders some days ago,
to break up for d-devant East Friesland, where they are to occupy
Embden and the whole sea coast, as far as Holland. In the
Duchy of Oldenburg too, the Duke has been obliged, at the or-
ders of the French Agents, to stop all ships that were not ready to
set sail, or that had not, to prevent confiscation, actually put to
sea. French troops and Custom-house officers will, it is said, tic-
copy the coast of that Duchy, and every thing will be done to
tender the communisation with England, viz. Heligoland and
Holland, if not wholly impracticable, at least extremely difficult
and dangerous. Near Cuxhaven and Neuwerth, the communi-
cation has, of late, been rendered very dangerous, till the re-ap-
pearancs of some English ships of war at the mouth of the Elbe.
l'he Senate at Hamburgh has been invited, or rather commanded,
to attend at the Chapel of the French Government at Harburgh,
on the '22cl instant, when a Te Dome wiil be sung, to celebrate
Napoleon's second marriage. The Senate has also lseen ordered
to give expensive fetes, on account of the same event, with ilia-
initiations, balls, Stc. at the experice of that poor oppressed city.
•I'!he hostile spirit of the Danish and Swedish Cabinets aril nstG Etat
Britain, at the request of France and Russia, becomes daily more
apparent from late measures taken in both countries, as well as in
Prussia and'• both Pomeranias, to suppress the commerce and na-
vigation of England or her :Mies.
Private letters received via Paris, by some French and Spanish
houses in the North of Germany state, that the French besieging
corps before Cadiz has suffered severely from the combined .ipa-
nish, British, and Portuguese forces. The American Alps that
lately arrived at Tonningen, and which could not obtain leave to
unload as fast as they wished, have sailed from the river Eider to
the Ba'•tirs

We have received some Paris Pipers to the date
of Sunday last, There is not a solitary article of
intelligence in them respecting Spain ; which is in
itself no bad omen.

According to the last intelligence from Cadiz, the French have
been compelled to evacuate the post of Santa Maria, after an
action in which the Portuguese Regiment, No. 20, took a share.
The report of the French having raised the blockade of Astorga
is also confirmed.

BADAIOZ, APRIL 11.
Our combined army has defeated the French in Chicana, Mu-
lina, and Puerto-Real : in consequence of the ►aid action many
wounded arrived in S. Lucar, and our communication by land
with Cadiz is open. It is also said that our army intends to
make a descent in Santa Maria, where the enemy has established
his bead-quarters; and that it would already have been effected,
but for the boisterousness of the weather. General Ballasteros
continues to occupy the Sierra Morena, and to harass the enemy.
General Carresa is this day to arrive in Coria with his division.
A dreadful explosion may be daily expected, which, from the
tried energy of our Chiefs, and the revived enthusiasm of the
army, will, we trust, prove destructive to the legions of harpies
which desolate our Peninsula.

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