Star.
London, England, 1817-12-30 00:00:00

maintain the Trial by Jury in the fulness of ;pirl.'
roil, as well as performed their duty in 4.
the Liberty of the Prem. Such Jurors wesi•
W the universal thanks of their casual, in' Abe
yelling the triumph of bound reason end comidon
loos otter 'hypocrisy and sophistry--(4Marma.)-,.
jrhe worthy Alderman concluded with a panegyric
dean the,Motion, which was pat and carried one",
mmously: It. •
The several Resolutions were then put, as follows;
'from. the Chair,land adopted with the loudest accla::
atittons of unanimity :
• That the Liberty of the Press is one of the dearest rights and
'POrrilile distinctions of Englishmen, and itheparably cossettedwlth. sad wholly depeadent oil the purity of the Trial by Jury.
• That the Inestimable importance of the sacred sad coati-
tedsoal right of lAA by Jury. • has new been more demeostri-
eleely ported than by.tiu recant preset:Mime and helm able ae-
'tub of Mr. Hinman Hots.
That pa Spiptere having hese written and pub-
Seed by •Martiiiimrla Father of the itelerniatio, by
ENgottaries of Ai other eminent and Warms!
IP4INIIIIIVie darns t time, we are persuaded that the
=tlitaken ..to Of wadies ef,Ml. Noes by the prisms
a. was touring political purism &p.mthe .Libeny
etas Prem.
, .
44 That a hypocritical peosdastitin of itelistes.sed a Pretested'
as for its defence, when used by corrupt Statesmen as a mask
fee editical persecution, must ever be hold by ea sincere (Unla-
de= as the worst prolanatioa of its awed mum
it is evident trom the manner in which those proems-
doss were commenced and conducted, that the real object et
Ministers eau not to protect Religion, but to crush an appa-
rently defenceless individual who had earned their political de•
linqueocks, to stile public discussion, to destroy she Liberty et
the Pres. and to uphold 'listing alums.
46 The; the estent•ive knowledge, the varied talents, theistical
kerepidsty, the cosy of mind, and the unshaken perseverance
whisk embled Mr. William Hone so dauntlessly to Melo Slie
Mumma' assaults cf Ministerial peisecuiies. entitle him ter she
gradtsde sad support of every friend to constitatiesal fretniom.
" That a tiebscriptim be now opened, and that the Morksy
which may be subscribe: i be placed in die hands of a Contusion
OW seedier sub way as shall appear to them best ealeulated to
promote the permatient welfare ot Mr. Hase-and his Varnily.
el That die /Wowing Gentlemen be the Cesuseittee—Stoisert
Waltham., Joseph Hurcombe, William north, Alderman
Thin% Alderman Grodbebers, Samuel Drunks, Mr. Williams,
Mr. Teesdale.
4' That Rebert Walthman, Esq. be 'rumour.
That the flasks of this Meeting are esurseatly due so Ro-
bert Waithistan, Esq. for his generous, able, manly, sad patriotk.
weaduct in the Chair this day, and at an dams; and for his laud
Was °fluter. service."
• Mr. WAITIMAN observed, that be had now a Most
ratifying communication to make to the Meeting,
illbich it was, perhaps. as well that be had forgotten
his first address. He had to state that be bid re-
waived £101) towards the subscription for Mr. Hone.
(.4fttilease.) Who the docur 'was, he (Mr. Watth-
man) could not say ; but what he was, could be col-
' Meted from the description attached to his donation;
I „
all the Meeting well knew through whom this mosey
was conveyed, and the gift was connected with the
following sentence—" nose a gibber of the Heels
of Lords--.an enemy to persecotioa, and e'
Ito religious persecution, employed for politics*
poses"--(latid Chars.) The worthy eventletWao
proceeded to eulogise the conduct of Mr. floe"; sere!
OA, upon the last trial. All were acquainted hoot
the public press with- the merit of this individual.—
bat having been himself in Court on tile last day, be
ask not forbear Irons declaring, that he never wit.
*weed more feeling, manliness, ability aaa
thin Mr. Hone had displayed, while Isis struggle ap-
paired to excite the approbation and sympathy of all
.the people who sorroooded him—that, in fact, the
I good wishes of emery man is Court wants with bias ;
such, at least. was the impression upon his (Mr.
Waithman's) mind
TUA;MILS et IMAMS 10111 W •i
Mr. Panay pressoted himself to the attention of
the Meeting, and was :weaved with applause. He
was called upon, he said, to take a pert in the pro-
imokdiogs of the which be undertook with them.
melt aacrity-; is palliating which, indeed, he laic
as inch pleasure es 1t bad he.. his fortune to rape-
d** diroogbowt his life ; for be rose to propose the
'rhombi of the Means to an eleinelit
=ilawhole' life was marked by the most able and
y strauitsks for the maintenance of those rights
hid priv which form the pride and the ptotee.
SIM of Eng Wimp, and Ihr the attainment of which
tbkir ant eston had so nobly fought. Every man who
beard bins would 'readily anticipate that be meant Sir
Wends Burdett; to do justice to whose merits, be
should require the talents and theoloquense displayed
ipy Mr. Hone in the course of his very able defence.
The character, however, of Sir Francis Burdett was'
wegll known. There wai not be believed alive a more
ardent friend to liberty ; and the best testimony to
his merits was to be found in the Warts of the people,
whose battled belied so long, so nobly, and so zea-
lously fought in the House of Commons. He was
delighted to fed the enthusiasm of the Meeting en-
tirely corresponded with- that which he himself felt
upon this interesting occasion. Assembled as they
were to testify theft solicitude for that invaluable pri-
vilege, which formed the marked distinction between
an enslaved or savage nation and a free and en-
lightened people, it was most gratifying to *Fitness
the ardour that prevailed among the numerous and
respectable body whom he had the honour to address.
'But they fele as they eosin; for the Liberty of the
Lieu was the ask of the skid, sodas essential to hie
gelatines as the element of air waslo the mai , -
off' Use" lainid boric .41 The 'Libel; of atirrtelb
woe, indeed," as had beat well observed, alike tbi
air we, breatbe--it we ban k not, we die." Of art
the die% that. wkich the people owed, the highest
p*haps doe to those who stood for-
ward to -defend that which was the food tithe ash*
TIM,•• Honootable Sirens to whom his motion relit.,
attbsd truly Wand, that the Law of Libel had MUM'
• &Owl; Oa* fact no one kneW what. was a
libel; Nod that thew a writer might weir* him-
self ceisellyanduadisignedly, while 'another, with'
his eyes tiPa.,inight detennim to write a libel. This
was undoubtedly true; foe acceediesteihe doctrine
tit ,judges; C.:Own Lawyers. and salin Lactated in
;swum the wishes of blighters. any troth whikh
-.knee or disturbed the sand tithe --Nitli

~~:~fT
+^~T*T~

ably tune; for while Crown Lawyers arid their
spik ipi. irli pronounced truth q):tbeklut for one should
have no hesitatioq in braving their construction of
the law, and publishing .any sruth conducivetiilvetgoe to
public interest. ' To t 4 'the a p
he truth wax
which man was born, aal which he Certainly would
not belthe first to mcrifice. This indeed had always
!seen, as it ever should continue to be, his rule of ac-
tan, while he had the power to write; and he trusted
the public would ever be found ready to stand by the
advocates of this glorious privilege. But the doctrine
'of the Crown Lawyers upon'the subject of libel was
full of absurdity. A thing was said to be a libel bcp ,
cause it had a tendency to a breach of the peace..
The whole was, in fact, founded upon a fiction. He 'I
therefore agreed with the Honourable Baronet's COV 1
demnation of 'that which the Crown Lawyers pro.
flounced to be law upon the subject. There wasans-
deed, only one sentiment in the Honourable Baronet's
speech from which he differed. The Honourable
Baronet had &sal, that he did not know a angle
lawyer who had ever formed a common sense nodal
upon the question of libel. Although it gave him
pain to dissent from one whom he so much respected,
he must in truth and justice declare his opinion, that
there was a lawyer who had come to a correct con.
cluaion upon that subject, and that was the real la-
ther of the. Libel Act. To this opinion, indeed, he
thought the Honourable Baronet himself would be-
come a. convert, when reminded of -the extraordinary
exertions of that distinguished advocate to defend the
Liberty of the Press, especially in a case in which be
himself (Mr. Perry) was de defendant—he meant
Lord Erskine. Yes, this esisinent advocate had
spirit and talent to grapple with the first Judges elf
the day, at a very early stage of his professional busi-
ness, when he bad every thing to dread from their
frowns, and every thing to hope from his own sub-
serviency. Were he then to omit this testimony to
the merits of that highly meritorious nobleman, hit
should consider himself ungrateful, not only for the
services which his Lordship had rendered-to him per-
sonally, but for the important benefits conferred upon
the Liberty of the Press and the general interests of
freedom, by that steady advockate of the people's rights.
—Here Mr. Pam begged have to advert to-a topic,
which although not immediately connected with dot
business of the day, was of such a nature, that be
could have'oo doubt of the disposition of the meeting
to concur in his views. He therefore took occasion to
suggest the expediency before they separated of taking
some steps to have another meeting. He conceived it of
the highest importance that they should have an oppnr.
Unity to express their feelings on the great cause of
all those prosecutions. He wished that an expres-
dion of public feeling should go forth, and that a
Meeting of the Freeholders of the County of Middle.
au should be called for the purpose of making a deAr
claration against the suspension of the Habeas Can
pus Act, as:well as against that abominable Circular
which had been issued by the Minister of the Home
Department ; by which he had prohibited the circu-,
taloa of what he was pleased to call blasphemous lii
bulb. and tenfrowered the Magistracy to and to pri-
0n 01.°00 .17 whose they, Were circulated.. The thrie
blasphemous libels thus denoonced, bad sines been
found no libel by three holiest, intelligent Juries, after
dine successive trials, upon three successive days, in
Ow conduct of which it was sought to conquer Mr.
Hoofs physically, as it was fogad impossible to con-
s"; him mentally. Was the judgment then of the
'Home Secretary with whom these prosecutions on.
sated, to be entrusted with such extraordinary
as his !ma showed a disposition to usurp ?
7 o such power should, indeed, belong to any man.
,rwqr
But to return to the Suspension of the Habeas Cor-
pas Act: The whole foundation of that measure was
a mete fallacy, and under such circumstances, were
they, with their eye' open, to allow that measure to
algae of halt la—(Cries of No, No.) Would they not
rags', liy.a et -fie espeessioo of public feeling, call
fes—rihe imisediate repeal of this odisius measure?
ha shield the people appear to acquiesce in the
onisawei at this measure, thaw was no security in the
dignities of Ministers that the most dant/roes Os-
ld slight not be acted upon—that the Suspeision
ofdse Habeas Corpus might not hereafter be brought'
evrard and renewed with as little ceremony lathe
annual Mutiny Bill, or any common Shipping Bill.
HE advised tbm that, for the purpose he had de-
scribed, a requisition should be seat to the Sheriff of
Middlesex. and he +wished that it shooldbe known to
emanate, age that room. If. the Com:hitter who
bad the management of this Meeting would arrange
the object in such a manner as to them should seem
proper, he had no daub' that great good would re.
stilt from its adoption ; that the example of Middle-
sex weold be imitated elsewhere I and that the best
feeling would be found to exist and to act through-
out the counts y.—Mr. Pert y concluded wish moving
" That the Thanks al dile Mewing are due to Sir Francis
Burdett, Bart. for his spontamous offer of leo-oventioia with the
Gentili:mat wish:wins this Subscription—la strict conformity
with a life of pure patriotism and love (staving-T."
Mr. P. WALKER seconded the motion, in which he
declared his entire and cordial concurrence. He ex-
pressed his joy to witness so numerous and respeeta.
ble a Meeting, which was rendered still mere interest-
ieg from the presence ate many Ladies. For wee
their feelingi were milted, and their influence ear:
eised, there could be no doubt of success, and espe- 1
cially upon suck an occasion as the present.. Such
an assemblage could not fail to disturb the encossen
of liberty, by consoling and sustaining its persecuted
champion. But this meritorious individual deserved
the gratitude and regard of all Englishmen ; for hit
bad contributed to repel the storm of bigotry, which,
' driven from South America, bad sought refuge among
die Friends of " Ferdinand the beloved," in this en. and liberal country. He trusted, therefore,
the rod people of Enellids bosh male and
'Wok, moo= contribute to suable the plan who had
fought so good a battle, to place himself and his fa
asZta a comfortable coeditioq.
illiAlles &avert tosa to express his ackupw-
fedribme Is. the honour that had been done him.
asea weal estimate this fresh mark el public con-
Mareilighly than he did; for he should ever
. the pod Opinion of his fellow-countrymen
greatest and best reward for his public services;
' ling as be lived be should endeavour to de-
' send (*anon. No maerwas better able to
ailimardig. Messing our the awbjitet they were then
Mimi Ms friend, 'Mr. Perry. He and Mr.
wars Oa al, elittl7 ia amistd lo libels ; toe
-4
ihi bads slnvis millers.—CMr. Perry W/
• 11,1,41. e li!olo, that ke Iva/ Li ,

• '

ijapprigie or disturbed the tuie4 ertbe penal Isr &AA
link
olvasS.44arcard was a libel. Tbiferaisoen'esidell bellsaiemes
MeeaottitAeals. boweeer, opskeiot tette destelse; tie Ma
lad vaer.propedy. defined libel to be *8 any *kg Slew Ma
1 wsistaa or 3t4so of
nosy pylon. •of which sad, per. "odder d
sae abase to cotsitiai." • The Flonoorabis Barone% as abe pies
'Oak% the",
.dped ibis_ point, yea sake comet s mad as lets;
benbi lotto. .of dm!, HOOOGriblißareact's stew serve that;
' west : " • . 'explanation, is order to be col& &Wastrel.
plaidi; ,l
~ ' ' The, Hoaearabie Bosom bed diettedei
4
. . ~ ". sikbOreas 'a ease blohlty Perry WWI
to hii -.44 at - L ,_:' disi 10Ith Crown Were" Oa
_NM.
their' eloilltOcia a VIOL Minds roe ia I
. • 4. li f.. •