The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-12-06 00:00:00

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fate. It might yet be said, that Par!Motet was
the plate in which such great questions should
originate. Undoubtedly that was the place.
,It was their province most especially. Ile was
sorry indeed that lie. Could not look with hope to
'Parliament for such in Inquiry ; for what had he
seen, from the II er Capittilation up to this time,
that could, lead to espett such an inquiry
from thevote.tof e taotity iti Parliament ? On
all occasion. such inquaies Were negatived by over-
whelming majorities. He could not forbear to
say, that under the present system he had no such
confidence in Parliament as to justify him in any such
hopes. Every body had seen how many members of
that body soled rather to defend corruption than to
defend the interests and rights of their constituents.
"But beeatrs.i Parliament neglected the People's
rights, had the People therefore uu right to de.
mend them ? ( Hear , hear !) What was the
boasted benefit of the Constitution of this Come-
'try ? What was meant by persons who had that
word for ever in their mouths ? Every man talked
of defending the Constitution of the Country. If
the Constitution were to be defended, however, it
was not to bedone by eating and drinking, by votes
and courtly addresses and resolutions; it could
be done by the proceedings of that Court merely ;
it was the people, the peasantry of the country,
that the arms of the enemy were to meet in the
field. The Constitution meant, with many,
Imerely the support they insisted In giving the
Administration of the day. They talked of the
wealth and prosperity of the country. That was
to be judged by the state of the whole of the in-
habitants of the country. It was not is the
fortunes of contractors and merchants that ..it
was to be ascertained : no, we mast go and eon.
snit the state of our workhouses, and the num.
hers of our pour. If the Constitution of
this country had an advantage over every other
Constitution, it existed in its giving to the pub-
lic a check and controul over abuses and over
Ministers of the Crown, who used the King's name
for bad purposes, and who wasted the resources
and endangered the liberties of .the couutry. Ho
wished to trouble the Court with but stew words
more, and those upon a subject which had lately
occasioned many remarks. It had been said,
that there was a design to hurt all public men.
Certainly nut. God forbid that he should enter..
tain so illiberal a notion as that of attacking all ;
but what he wanted nas, to hold public men to
their own public principles. He hail never said
that there was no difference in the talents or clia-
ratter of public men ; but he believed what Mr. 1
Pitt bad said on the subject of that system, by
which all public men, more or less, had acted. He
had seen the lucome Tax increased by those who
where loudest in complaining of the Income Tax ;
l and he had seen coalition, formed, by which the same
system was constantly pursued, by different seta
'of public men. Ho re nembfred when the charge
(too true a charge, he believed), of indifference
and apathy in the public mind, load b en given as
the reason of secession, amid retirement from Par.
Battiest, by public Jaen ; and nos., when that;
apathy wars dying away, and the public spirit was 1
awakening and reviving, he did net see those
-public men taking advantage of theft favourable
circumstances for the discharge of their public
duties. He remembered Mr. Grey, now Lord
Grey, upon different occasions calling for Re.
form, and lately be: heard of his having spoken
of a species of canting Reform. lie did not
Speak this from any ill-will to Lord Grey ; but
he did sincerely wish to see public men so situated,
that thei should not be compelled to act under
the domineering influence of a Borough.monger.
iag faction. He might be called one of a faction,
by those who pleased to say su ; but he was of
no faction. Ile was not devoted to any set of
Ministers, as individuals. lie wished to see
those as Ministers who had great public ta.
lents, and who united to them private vir.
tues....(ilear ! Hear !)—V try different, how.
ever, from those who bad lately conducted the
affairs of this Empire, who had not more dis.
grated their country by their public transactions, I
than by the recent exposures: it was evident that they
had disgraced themselves by their mean, shabby, 1
contemptible devices to overreach, cheat, and be-1
tray each other. (Hear ! Hear ! Hear !) As to
that part of his motion, which humbly advised
the calling together of Parliament, he had no de-
sire to press it. If his motion (that excluded)
met with the support of the Court,- he should
be satisfied. He did nut think, as the time of
the meeting of Parliament was not far dis.
taut, that it was of much consequence. In.
deed, he was advised to inflect it against his
own jedgment. However, there was nothing in
it, either way, of any consequence. But let the
Corporation address the Throne on the awful si-
tuation in which Ministers have placed the coun-
try; and we had a right to anticipate that the
King would do what King George the gecond did,
under similar circumstances ; namely, direct an

Inquiry, and be ism to see that his subjects
ok so great a share in the interests of the
Drown, and the welfare of the country. He
then moved his Address, which was couched. in
'terms correspoading with the spirit of the requai.
'tien, and noticing the disgraceful( divisions of his'
Majesty's Ministers, &c. nrc. ; and, finally beg-
ging for an Inquiry into the recent failure of his
Majesty's arms.
The proposed Address being read by the Re-
corder, and seconded,
Sir VILLIAM CURTIS addressed the Court
at some length. lie did not agree with the bold
lineations of Mr. Waithman. He thought that
thc. Expedition to Walcheren was a good one.
Walchercn, be thought, might be of more use to
us than Gibraltar or Malta. He knew of the
plan, and had known Flushing well, and thought
It was not safe to proceed up the Scheldt without
taking it. • lie thought, too, that the,Expedition
had not been well managed, but w,as sure that
the Commander in Chief was as ready as any
person in the world for an inquiry into it.
He thought the divisions among Ministers dis-
graceful ; and they must have had a very bad effect
on the management of that important Expedition.
lie reprobated their divisions warmly,and indent_
aflisis opinion on the injustice aad injury deco to

THE STATZIWCAN.

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some of the parties. He could say more on that
subject than he should then say. He repeated
that he had no objection to inquiry : on the con-
trary, ho thought it necessary ; but he thought
there was no occasion at this time for the present
motion, bedause the Parliament was already fixed
to meet on the 23d of January ; and there
could be no doubt hut, they would then call foi
an inquiry, and enter into it in the most serious
manner ; and the Parliament was, in his oyi.
nion„ the organ of the people, and as such
the most proper to take the matter up.
Whenever the business of inquiry into the subject
of the late Expedition to Walchercu should be
taken up in Parliament, hp would be one of those
who would give it his support; and if the Parlia-
ment did nut bring forwatsl the subject at a very
early period after their meeting, ho would then be
one of the first to join the worthy Gentleman who
brought forward the present motion, ur any other
Member of that Court, in any motion to the same
effect; and would use his utmost efforts to pro.
cure such inquiry. He thought, however, that
it was at present unnecessary, and should there-
fore, without taking up more of the time of the
Court, conclude, by moving the previous ques.
tion.

Mr. DIXON seconied the motion just made by
the worthy Alderman.
Mr. Alderman CII R ISTOPH ER SMITH
conceived that, as Parliament was so quickly to
be assembled, the interference of the Corpora.
lien of Lontluit was premature. If Parliament
did not perform its duly, by taking up the con-
sideration of our late Expeditious, a course of
proceeding which he was sure that body would
adopt, then he pledged himself to join every man
in that Court in calling upon the Crown fur that
inquiry which would lead to a redress of their
grievances.
Mr. GRIFFITHS supported the original pro.
position. He was free to acknowledge, that af-
ter the experience of the tat eighteen years, he
had bur little confidence in tire cuntrouling
mice of Parliament. When, therefore, the Citi-
zens at London had a right to exercise, and there
existed an important upporlunity fur interfering
with their solicitations, he was of ispinioe, that
the line of duty was to exert that right prorptly,
and not to depend upon the honesty or Oa viCws
of any other body, hoiwer strongly it waopruv-
ed that such an assembly ought to act upon simi-
lar motives.' • Einiugh•liasl keen shown to conviote
the country, that the Ildtise of Commons was not
the most active supporter of the people's Apts..
Whatever were its raid's, he still confided in the
practical attention of the Corporation of London
to the country's wishes. In doing so, it Indy fol.
filled a duty to a swilling and patriotic iyeopte—a
people whose sacrifices to thu wants of the state
had reduced a great portion of them to
absolute want. [Hear 1 hear l) Ile made
no idle statement ; he had is his hand the Order of
the Commisaiotiers of the Land Tax in the City of
London, which was on the morrow to be forward.
ed to their various collectors, peremptorily cum-
'Mending them to levy a distress upon every person
deficient in WarTaxtv to the amount ol ten pounds.
--(Cries of Hear ! Hear !)...To a people so
circumstanced, and to be deprived before
that Court met again, of Ilia little covering *hien
an inclement season demands, was not something
due in the shape of iniquiry for the millions
that had been wasted, not alone in %solar°. • blr,
but in disastrous Expeditions ? Upon such
grounds he would give his support to the original
motion.

Mr. KEMBLE only opposed the expediency of
the motion ; if Parliament did not take it up he
pledged himself to be must forward in impressing
upon that Court the propriety of their insisting
upon investigation.
Mr. Alderman WOOD expressed his hope that
the Court would not be led aside from the object
of the original motion, by those arguments which
had been urged of this not being a proper time to
bring it forward, because Parliament was so soon
to meet. Ile was of opinion that no time could
be more proper than the present for bringing-
forward such a motiou as that of his %art's)
Friend on the door. The Expedition to the Scheldt
was one of the greatest importance that had ever
been sent from this country : the greatest respoo-
sibility was, of course, attached. to it. It had
totally failed, and nothiug could be• more evident I
than the necessity of an inquiry • ioto the cease
of such failure. Being of this difieilm,. he hoped
that Court would do its duty by adopting the mu-
tion of his worthy Friend on the loor, and thereby
spew that the Corporation of the City of Loudon
were alive to the dearest interests, of the country,
and ever ready to give an example to the people
throughout the whole kingdom, of calling for in.
quiry whenever it shook! so Obviously,epoear to
be wanting. Fur his part 2 he was so convinced
of the propriety and necessity of the Motion,, that
he should be glad to claim • the attention of the
Court, fot four or five hours, un the subject, were
he possessed of eloquence and'abilities adequate to
the tasks nib Worthy Friend on the flour had,
however, so ably argued the point, that he would
content himself with time observations he had al.

!ready made, io its favour and support.
Mr. Alderman SCHOLEY said, it seemed tube
universally agreed that an inquiry was necessary ;
but many.were of opinion, that as Parliament was
so soon'to meet, it would be better to wait till it
should be seen whether they would immediately
'call for an inquiry. For his part; he could have
no doubt but they would do so, and he would,
therefore, vote for the previous question.
Mr. Alderman GOODBEHERE, in a most
nervous speech, animadverted upon the system to
which-certain Members of that Court had nerti.
naciottsly adhered to fur the last eirhteesi years.
They were then inoculated with a Ministerial
mania, which no change of emits since could era.
diCate. From 1793, at which period they unne.
cessarily lazed the city by an increased tromity to
seaman, for uo other purpose but to chime in
with the war.whoup of the day, they continuo: to
be the vassals of every set of men, hold by no
other conuexion but that their patrons were in
office [llear ! liter !] No sooner did political
eveata deprive these patrons of official existence,