Star.
London, England, 1816-03-25 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

)411.1TARy IsTAISLIMIMENT AND PUBLIC ISCONOSIY.
On Saturday, at one o'clotk, the Court met, pur-
suant to adjournment, to resume the discussion on
Mr. Waithman's Motion. rospecting the present
state of the country ; recommending retrenchment
and economy, and a reduction of the proposed mi-
litary establishment, &c.
The LORD MAYOR inquired of Mr. Waithman if
he intended to resume the debate, as be had posses-
sion of the Court
Mr. Warruslas said, having addressed the Court
so lately, he should not now detain the Court long.
He regretted much that those Gentlemen who on
Friday opposed the Rerdutions, and wished for
something in another form, had not kindly offered
him their assistance in forming his Resolution., and
not thus come forward with a proposition for doing
something, which would probably do away all the
elf.lct of the Resolutions proposed. He was stvprized
that this stratagem, which had so frequently been
played of on other occasions, should have deceived
any one. He had but one object in view, an object
which he thought every Gentleman had in view ; and
he was surprized these personal obstructions should
have been thus thrown in his way by Gentlemen op-
posite. He h.,1 no wish but one; and therefore he
had, in order to meet, as far as possible, the wishes
of the Catirt, introduced some verbal amendments
into his Resolutions, which he would now submit.
Mr. S. Dixost objected to dais course; a motion
had been proposed, and an istnendtuent moved, and
that amendment was now to be debated.
Mr. Box said a few words to order-
Mr. DAYIRs thought the amended Resolutions
should be read by Mr. Waithman.
The Lotto MAYOR thought the best course of pro-
ceeding would be, fur the Worthy Member to read
his Resolutions as amended, and that the Court
should declare its sense on those amendments.
Mr. S. Dixos still objected to this mode of pro-
ceeding.
Mr.IkraITIINIAte could not refrain from expressing
h;6 surprize at this personal opposition on the part of
the Worthy Gentleman. With respect to his Reso-
lutions, he cared not what the Ccurt did with them,
he was ready to withdraw and leave them to their
tate. He was accordingly proceeding to quit the
Court, when something said by Mr. Dixon in an on.,
der tone across the table, arrested his progress, and
he exclaimed, " this is not to be borne l"—Mr. Dixon
replied again ; and a movement, very much resets);
bling a preparation for a pugilistic contest, was made
by each Gendernan. Their friends, however, inter-
fered, 'and held them back. The Court resounded
with cries of Chair, dial,. Order, order Shane,
'haat ! and strangers were, ordered to withdraw.—
The Court was accordingly cleared, and strangers
were excluded for a quarter of An boor.
Order being restored, the COMMON SSUSANT read
Mr. W:,itliman's original Resolutions.
Mr. Bitows could not refrain from expressing his
regret at tht• personalities which had passed in the
course of the present discussion. Whilst he bad the
honcue of a seat in that Court, however. he would
always express his opinion, regardless of any taunts
which might be thrown out against him. Be trusted,
that to-day every man would be allowed to deliver
his seatiateuts without any attempt being made to

&Moor MO down. With respect to the Resolutions
proposed by the Worthy Gentleman (Mr. Wahl,-
man), he disagreed with them, because he considered
they went too far, and. by doing so, would render
"themselves nugatory. He was well ieformed that,
on the motion respecting Mr. Crokcr's salary; Mi-
nisters would again have been in a minority in the
House of Commons, had it not been for the violent
and intemperate speech of one Member of that
House, whom it would not now be prudent to name.
He was persuaded cool and temperate measureswould
do most, and therefore he should propose an amend-
ment to the following effect, viz. 44 That the Court
felt gratitude for the conduct of the Hbuse of Com-
mons in the rejection of the Income Tax—that ob-
noxious impost which the people had so long patiently
borne, in expectation of being relieved from it on
the return of peace. And farther, that it was, in the
opinion of the Court. necessary that Petitions should
be presented to both Houses of Parliament, praying
a reduction of the present military establishment, and
such a retrenchment in the expenditure as should
'render the farther continuance of the war duties un-
necessary." The amendment having been put,
Mr. GRIFFITHS expressed his wish, that, to insure
unanimity, a Committee should be appointed to con-
sider of, and draw up a Petition.
The LORD MAYOR said, the Resolution for peti-
tioning was not yet agreed to, and therefore no Com-
mittee could yet be appointed to consider of a Peti-
tion. The motion would, it no Gentleman oppoied
it, be immediately put, and if agreed to, a Corn.
mittee Might then be appointed.
The COSIMuN SERJEANT then put the question.
Mr. HARVEY could not suffer this clues:ion to be
adopted without some observations, because he could
not silently witness this attempt to rob his Worthy
Friend of the weal-earned fame for which he had
been labouring for the last twenty years. He could
not agree that the Worthy Gentleman opposite
should now step in, and, on the wings of peace, carry
off his Worthy Friend's honours. He should rather,
have expected, from the past conduct of the Worthy
Gentleman opposite, that, instead of such an amend-
ment as that proposed by him, he would have come
forward with an Address of congratulation to the
Ministers on the peace, and of condolence for the loss
of their favourite measure. the Income Tax. The
Worthy Gentleman in his conduct reminded him of
an Asiatic animal, called a Sloth, which travelled so
sluggishly and sn slow, that having once reached a
tree, it never quitted it until it was entirely stripped
of fruit, bark, foliage, and even of life; so it appeared
with the Worthy Gentleman, who seemed to have
feasted and flourished under the shade of the tree of
Ministers during war ; but peace having stripped Mi-
nisters of their flourishing appendages, the Worthy
Gentleman wished to seize the verdant blooming
tree which h 4 Worthy Friend had been twenty years
labouring to cultivate; and should the Worthy Gen-
tleman succeed in seizing his prize, be probably
would not quit it till he had stripped it of fruit, foli-
age, bark and .11, and till he should likewise have
exhausted this goodly tree. Mr. Harvey then pro-
ceeded to comment upon the Amendment, which, be
said, he could not support, as he considered it as sta-
ting !exiling sufficiently strong. He objected to it,
because it did not complain of a standing army as
being Unconstitutional ; and when he said this, he
did not mean to confine himself to objecting to an
army of 150,000 men; to him a standing army con
listing of a.COrpriraPc sward was equAlly an ohket of
jealousy. The question of a standing army was one
vital to Englishmen ; a standing army would endan-
ger the liberties of the people, and to a Briton, the
loss of liberty was worse than the loss of life. The
Worthy Gentleman then proceeded to comment on
the proposed retrenchments of Ministers, as they had
up to this period been made public; and contended,
that as yet nothing had been done. It was not
lenough that a few subordinate officers, who had been
receiving a salary during the war scarcely equal to
their support, had now been discharged ; Ministers
should be made to go farther, and adept retrench-
ment in earnest, by the abol:tion of their great sine-
cure places and pensions. The Resolutions of his
Worthy Friend recommended this course of proceed-
ing, the Amendment did not ; and therefore hislVor.
thy Friend's Resolutions should have his support.
Mr. Dixoo wished to ask the Worthy Gentleman,
if, notwithstanding the warm eulogium he had be-
stowed on his Friend's Resolutions, he had not, him-
self proposed an amendment ?
Mr. HARVEY acknowledged 'he had drawn up
three Resolutions,
,which he considered as embra-
cing all the objects proposed in his Friend's Res°.
luuons-
Mr. Alderman HIMONT! agreed in every part of
the original Resolutions, except those which said that
the Constitution was suspended by the existence of a
standing army, and that the economy reports made
by the Finance Committees were tardy and volumi.
nous, and not intended to produce the objects they
professed to have in view.
Mr. JACKS was in favour of the Amendment. He
did not anticipate that danger to our liberties from a
moderate standing army which some Gentlemen
seemed to do.

Mr. WHITE was not aware that there was any dif•
ference of ()pinion in the Court as to the object in
view.s-all the difference was as to the terms in which
the sentiments of the Court should be conveyed to
Parliament. He was of opinioh that moderate las-
guage would prove the most effectual.
After a tew words from Mr. S. Dixon, Mr. PAT.
TEN. Mr. BUMSTEAD, and Mr. Alderman HRYOAT&,
Mr. WAITHMAN replied. He said, that the Jan-
&age he had used with respect to 44 the exisience'isf
a standing army being subversive of the Convict'.
tion," applied to the immense establishment pro-
posed, and not to a small and gieaily
force—(Neer, hear.) The reduction of the standiug
army, in his ju.lonent, could only be accomplished
by the voice of the people. He had no obje•cti,in,
however, to leave out that part of the Resolution
which was objectionable upon this point ; but he con.
sidered that it 'became the people, if they expected
success, to go up to Parliament with strong and ener-
getic language.
The original ReSolutions were then amended by
the omission, of a few words, and the question was
put on the Amendment, which wad negatived by a
very large niaotity, Tie original Resolutions were
carried amidst loud cheers. Petitions to both Houses
..es Parliament 'were then proposed and agreed to.—
(See .eliivertiremeat.)

It is but toocertaii
France, particulall-
discontent and
from the fear that
revision of the
which so tirge a
The evil minded
all possible mean
but the attempt;
by the zeal and
province of Picardy; which
to the King, is in some degro
The disbanded soldiers, the r
"and 'dowaniers, are still d,
knowledge of all this has gi,
sures taken by the Duke of
position of the army in a so
cipline observed by the Alli
the smallest complaint has
duct of the troops. It is till
put off his intended jouroL
after inspecting the army hu to P4ti,,
be better able to observe the state of things, aid -
•
ta
the necessary orders, as occurrences may requite.
MARCH 18.—Private letters from Amiens 'Lite.
that not only in that town, hot in all the principal
towns or Picardy, the ag:tatnrs endeavottrtoinfame
the people's :binds by splett,Log all 1:::1 's of fake re.
ports and distributin-, y wi itin:s. la.ate
to check those alarming movements %Oath rotNt
prove dangerous if they were left u:ittuti,;l2,l,
ral inhabitants if Ami,:ns, Boulogne, B.:auvais,
other towns, have received orders to depait
twenty-four hours, and to repair to the places pink.;
out to them, there to remaut under tue inspeetim
the police. Several military, of different ra tla, se;:o
publicly
sheaved
evil
lsentl ipi trhive
andbr
French
vee otile castle
Flanders their
and
of
Ham and ade'
o
Artois ate still greatly devoted
to the Bourbons; Lille,. i
shew an unparalleled loyalty and attachment, and
there is no doubt but Lille wtruld becu:ne the mat of
government, should new troubles cause such a re.
moval necessary. New and strict measures continue
to be taken on the French frontiers, to hinder the in-
troduction of certain j• urnals into France; two
persons, upon whom such have been found, bye
been thrall, it into prison at Lille.
MARCII 20.—Letters from Lille announce, that
the evil disposed and the oprnents of the present
Government in France have been for some time put
more industrious than ever in attempting to mideod
public opinion and excite new troubles. Writings.
secretly distributed, advertisements suddenly posted
up, anonymous letters mostly sent from Paris, and
similar usual and well known means are employed by
these persons to spread the must absnd reports.
Thus they endeavour to make it believed, that the
Archduchess Maria Louisa, rith i:er I,n, has set
off in order to assume the Government cf France;
;hat the Allied Powers are agreed on this point; and,
that tie Austrian and Russian armies are on their
march to support the claims of this Princess. The
Police, it is true, takes the most efficacious matures
to prevent the conserriences of these silly reports;
but the credulity cf the people, particularly in the
country, is so great, and the endeavours of the ene-
mies of the Bourbons so manifold, that people's
minds are kept in continual alarm at Lille. PLAN
aver, these seporto: hay. had no effect whatever, arA
a discharged officer who circulated them has been
arrested, in order to be tried by a Court Martial.
The Emperor of Austria has appointed his hrotltr.
Archduke Anthony,Viceroy of Lombardy and Venice.

13Ruirrs:, PAT:HR3I.6.
certain, that iu sertral pro7:nces
truly in Champaigne, o:ere is Ittuji
uneasiness, whii.n rises principany
will
atpsoor:eontiomfethoer ~
nthaen
tiottllleis e
ns
sales of the national prcpci:?,
i
do not rail•to augment this hAr by
ns, in order to influence the credulous;
; of the alarm;sts are sill kept di 07,1
d watchfulncas a the police. lise
trdy; which in gvaeral k rs devoted
in some degree uneasy on this accouu;
soldiers, the discharl4 ed ianctkmariel.
are still dangerous. A tlior, ugh
II this has given occasion to the mea.
he Duke of NVellington fur Ex:ng
irmy in a suitabk mim-
in. Tim 4,x
by the Allies is exenipl.try, and hot
iplaint has yet been heard of thrum.
Ts. It is thought that the Doke hat
,nded journey to England, and that ,
the army he will return