The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-08-12 00:00:00

,TRSAIAN

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paid in Itself, and 'in eontpletely exposed to public
view, that one must almost wonder that even those
who framed It should sot be aft. kid of sticking It op
when it Is for fear of the vengeance of t►e law; I
should haws hoes afraid of the " Soddy fbr the Sup-
" prestrion of Vies :" it is strange that they have not
Jawed bold aft before now; they are mightily given
to tear up naughty little books: pod gracious, ave,
what a revelation Is t►ere here! What, now, would
be the opinios of a lawyer, a gnat Ccanlitirtionsl
Lawyer, Mr. SCARLET?, for instance, is such a mat-
ter ; as a polities, subject I do not pregame to be
questioning any t►ing about it. bet I will submit it to
Mr. Scarlet; is the way of Common Law, he will agree
with methat this will be quite enough. and, I am
sure; would not recommend, upon any account. 0).1
*resales of a Btu. IN PAIILIIIIII2I4T j to, I think he
'sigh, And solidest Is the " Prseti;e of the Coaststu-
lion," though, to be 'sure, that is a glorioude lancer-
.ain thing, to make him doubt the right of Achille,
to make the appearance he does in the park. An old
authority, in mentioning some of those Wade-neat:ors
that are of an obscene kind, and the punishments
allotted to them, gives an instance of a man's being
fixed 2000 marks sad imprisoned for publicly espos-
beg himself IN a state of nakedaers, and this acknaw-
!advisees of the crime and punishment he talks of as
belonging to the COMMON Law. Now, what would a
Lawyer say ? The want of a precedent. lam afraid,
would prevent the law's being applied, in this case.
I mean, • precedent as far as relives to the offender
himself, " for though," the Lawyer might say, " this
" is really an drearier, inasmuch as be is very *errs-
" sine, and though he is • pH:mg:facie,' a Inas, yet, he
is nor a man to ell intents and purposes."—Now.i:
would be a carious thing to know how such a question
would be decided. It is very certain that the law
would punish a roal living man fer being guilty of ap-
pearing in the wanner in which this ttatee does, and,
what is the difference, in this case, between the living
man and the model?

Is it not. however. let the power of the law over
this exhibition be what it may, a shams sad degra-
dation to the country, to let the persons front whence
the thing proceeded be allowed to blase its fame over
the world as a present from ei TEL L►Dtaa Of ENG-
LAND?" IS there, think you, a farmer's wife or daugh-
ter dot would not repel, with indignation, the cor-
ruption-hatched idea of her being the first to propose
a bawdy Statue in England in commemoration of the
glorious deeds of our coontrymets ? What, indeed,
would the world say to this. The Ladies of Rag-
land! Is it from those women, on whom the name
" /AIR" has been so emphatically conferred, who have
ever been so mach admired in all parts of the world
for their good m , for their real politeness unac-
companied by degeneracy of taste, for their sonod
sense; above all things, whose modesty of deportment
has reflected se much honour upon oar character as a
nation. is it from them that the world is to regard
this "Statue" as a PRISINT? No; the world will
not regard it as such, it cannot ; and, it will
instil we cease to have 'ay s-nee of our own import-
ance in the world, and lute the lan atom of courage,
diet any Impudent impos•or shall dare with impunity
to entwine the name of the Ladies of Ragland with
the Idea Oa thing so opposite to all proper notions of
public decency. I am, Sir,
Year moat obedient Servant.
A. B.