Star.
London, England, 1810-06-07 00:00:00

• ..
to petition. Of this meetlig ao one had Said it was
disreputable—no one said it consisted of pickpockets,
or that it was in the neighbourhood of Hounslow.
The inconsistency of suffering a similar Petition from
the same place to lie otilhe table, and to refuse this,
was monstrous. He apprehended there, was, tut pos-
sible ground for rejecting it. With respect to the
Glouzestershire Petition, it contained nothing but
mete allegations, without proof's. He beseeched the
House not to treat the country with cold neglect, it
could not receive any other Petition if it was to re.
jectSi this.
r SAMUEL ROMILLY observed, that the
Question demanded the most attentive consideration.
In the present situation of affairs the House would be
obviously wrong, if it was to reject the Petition of a
loge and respectable County, ori the grounds, or ra:'
the the pretext of disrespect. If it were rejected, it
must be imagined that Ministers were determined to
stand against every Petition. If it were said, that
because injuries are complained of, it must be ze.
iected, the House on this principle could never re-
ceive another Petition, not even against a Private L3ill.
With respect to the Gloucestershire Petition, the
Right Hon. Gentleman carried to an excess the worn
out argument of recrimination ; 112 did not look about
kim when he said that this side of the House rejected
Petition from Gloucester with one voice. There
were many who voted in the minority, and likewise
/ow of the tight Hon. Gentleman's Friends who
sated in the majority. As to his 'tote on the guess
tion, it was independent, and given with as clear a
conscience as the Right Hon. Gentleman vier Voled,
who seemed to be the depositary of the dignity of the
House. He thought that at least twenty-four hours
should be given to the consideration of the subject ;
he therefore, if it was not suggested by another,
would move that the debate should be adjourned till
to morrow.
Mr. STEPHEN was confident that the vote of the
Learned Gcntlarrian yesterday, was perfectly con-
sistent with his usual character. He was sure it was
west conscientious ; for although he in general voted
differently from him, he syas for th' rejection. of the
Petition yesterday, and exactly •on the same grounds
on which he would vote for the rejection of the pre-
sent one, which he considered to bu completely pa-
rallel to it. The Gloucestershire Petition was refused,
because it did not lead to any useful result; but seem.
t d rather for the purpose of gratifying a malicious and
improper feeling : the present lie conceived to be the
SAW case. He would not believe that these petition-
ors came forward with a real expectation of being
}ward. After the circumstances which have occurred,'
:mil the actions in consequence brought against the
Speaker, could it be expected that the House would
now comply, and erase from its journals the proceed-
ings and orders so shortly to bo subjected to investi-
gation ? He believed that this petition, like others
of the same class, was for the purpose of insulting the
House, however it might be worded (Hear,/sear,) for
the purpose of keeping alive the clamour which had
been raised for the worst purposes. When the ques-
tion was argued as if there was an intention of over.
throwing the right of petitioning, Gentlemen did not
seem to understand the nature of petitions. His
Learned Friend opposite must know, in the ease of 1
addresses to the Court of Chancery, the Keeper of the
Seals has a right to commit fortontempt of Court.—
He might recollect the cafe' of , Mrs. Crowe's Pam.
pl)let, who along with ber• Printer were committed by
the C,hancellor, Lord Ers:iine, to the Fleet Prison,
without a trial by Jury. The House could not be.
content to suffer insults to be laid on its 'table. He
could not but feel some indignation when, he was told,
that innocent blood was sited, in consequence of the
acts of Ministers. He denied it ; biood.was shed, in
consequence of the most audacious "and.4)osti,fiable
opposition, in consequence, he wool knot aty Of de-
mocracy, as he had the greatest respett
,for that part.
of the Constitution, but in consequence of jacobmism,
(Hear, hear) and in point of intention, the most sedi-
tious opposition. With respect to what bad been-aid
of his Right Honourable Friend,: as being the depo.
Mary of the dignity of the Hotsse, he conceived that
every Member was so. Considering the spirit whiCh
had gone abroad, he believed such petitions_to be for
• no othei purpose, than to shesv the people of England
how far the House could be insulted. He called on
the Hottse not to suffer it to lie on the table, as it could
not be productive of any good. •
Lord MILTON said, that he felt quite alarmed
kt the rejection of the petition: He did not know
what the right of petitioning was, if the subject had
knot in his power to complain of grievances. He
thought the privileges bf *the House to be high and
unassailable, but did not know of any spirit in the
country which tended to injure or abridge them. If
he thought like the Right Holow-able Secretary; he
should now feel sore on this question, as he bad voted
for the committal of Sir Francis Burdett: and Mr.
Gale Jones. If it was the right of the subject to pre-
sent petitions. it was the duty of the House to receive
them,

Mr. BARHAM hoped that the petition might not
be rejected.
Mr. LOCKHART thbught, that the Houle should
reject all petitioni will& were Worded in an improper
manner. The present he conceived to be extremely
insulting in point of substance, inasmuch as it charged
the House with a great political- crime, the assump-
tion of arbitrary power. Some allusions had been
trade to a bad split existing in the country; he be-
lieved that a little discontent did exist, but was con-
fident, that the greater part of the people were sound,
;ind wished only for a fair and moderate reform.
Mr. C. DUNDAS stated, that the Meeting was
numerous and respectable. The intemperance of the
Petition he excused on the grounds of the ignorance
of the consequence and the public spirit of the county.
In support of his assertion in regard to the respecta-
bility of the Meeting, he need only mention the name
of Sir J. Throckmorton, who moved the Petition. The
gnestion is now simply, whether the House is to draw
up petitions for its Constituents to lay on the table?
Sir JAMES HALL said, that the imputation of
Ministers being the cause of shedding innocent blood
Was totally unfounded; it originated in what he would
call the boyish mutiny of du: Hon. Barottet now in
the Tower. He conceived that this petition was a
gross insult, and ought to be rejected.
Mr. VANSITTART wished that the Petition-
?night be read again.—The Clerk then read it.
Mr. VANSITTAKT Observed that the accusation'
Heshedd blood could, Ildt appiea to-the Housed
He dia no vote for ateCotfimiiiai of S'►r Francis Bur-