The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-05-04 00:00:00

The Thank.4l the Meeting were voted to Major
Cartwright, iiletelpiiiiet, Esq , Sir F. Burdett, Lord
C°threllot egad dleiglierabers of the Hoots Of Coin.
mons, who !WMilper noted for enquiry into the above
abu.gas ; also Aer,the many able and political writers
w.
!into aably advocated a Reform is the aerosol-
-1
:4AI °P; , •
hp, itivetisig then broke up1 and peaceably dis.
Jr .0 to,,t#eir several bones.
he following is the Petition unanimously adopt.
, et! :-- . , t... t .
TO TIMAKIIN. THE COMIIIIINS OF THE UNITED
h 'SINE:DOM OP (MEAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND,
• I. ifr PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED.
-auPe Ett.. 0.5. end Rainoestrance of the undersigned Inhabit-
NM Or in the Parish, of Ashioamader-Line, in the County
Alf lancester.' agreed to' at .si numerous and respectable Public
j;enting, heM at the &feigned place, on Monday, the 206 day
- /101 l Igine .
.;
ItTe67ll woRT ff.
r. l'hat the said Petitioners have repeatedly applied for redress
of weighty grievances to the Haw of Commons. but have ob-
tained mama their pra sets .% T'hat your Petitioners conceive
rube motives for withholding such redresd have Dot arises from
• the nnewoleableness or anlawfolnets of their claims, bat from
those claim. striking directly at the separate interests of a so-
jorNy in year Hon. Hone. so called.aod rutting up the usurped
power of an Oligarchy. who alike trample upon the rights fit.
'Kim' and People. That our forefathers, we are convinclid,
never contemplated a House, and Named it a House of gam-
mons. in which sit the servants of Peers and Borough Proprie-
tors. as proved by a Petition presented 'in 1199 by the then Mr.
bre,. which maser. that 162 persons rano E 6 Of. yosi'Asember.
evidently contrary to several Statutes; and there w remaa to be-
lieve tem 487 Members are returned hi corrupt influence. add
,to which the great 'umber of persotwerho hold Others culler the
&
..R4oll.,sittiott and voting in your Hon. House, sontrary to the
f SOMnest. which composltioa rao4ers of an effect the
jaildelt part of your Hon. House.
--, That Ilia above usurpation by an Oligarchy. heirs can glee
kap better spree,. has destroyed the proper and biteaded effects
WV S.deliberinive Council. and instead of being the guardian of
diso rope. it is their greatest bane ; instead of -holding the
,Arliearm with a closed hand, it has opened it wide to any
Ikapot that wanted.. Look at the debt of nearly a thousand mil-
Voist. wietedly spent in cruel and vindictive wars, that have
pushed liberty abroad. restored the cruel Bourbons, the Pope.
sad the jequisitiou, and imprisoned on a foreign rock it man
*lto three' himself on the generosity of the English nation. and
Ibis too in the country that was once swayed by the true mag-
aanimity of an Alfred and a Third Edward ; that have taxed
and re axed the People till they are exhausted, which conse-
quently has produced an almost general pauperism, and crime
without end ; and which bat induced thousands of our suffering
countrymen to flee their native soil, and follow the genius of
liberty and happiness into forei;n climes.
In addlti'm to the above abuses year Honourable House have
passed a Corn Bill to make provisions extremely, nay, shame-
fully dear for all time to come. in order to keep up the ad
'anted price of land. when, at the same time. it was well
known that the value of labour was not half adequate to such
enormous prices. bus 'blasting the bounties of Cod an his crea-
tures, and ',Jarring the greater part if the People wretched,
poor, and s'arvtog .
That 'he maintaining of a large Standing Army in time of
peace, for -the purpose of keeping up foreign hateful Legi-
timacy (and that too by a Government established by a Revolu
Host. which professedly expelled the principle), and which is
calculated to destroy liberty at haste.—is what would have made
our Dottie ancestors to base startled with horror and indignation;
led We are convinced free Governments, built ou the affections
of the People, require nut the sword for protection.
That the soot iunance of the squandering of the Public Money
on toeless Sinecurists. Pensioners. &e. makes manifest that the
offerings of the People through excessive taxatiou. that meets
as every where. and in every form. and drains our heart's blood,
has lint in the least allicted Oltr.wouW-be tlepresentatives—the
Sig aforcsaa.
That the Saspe lion of the Constitution. putting the whole Peo-
ple out of the pale of.tbe Law, and enabling his Ntejesty's
filinisters to Iniprison ifs-solitary cells, chain. iron, and exhibit
as trio t whonsessever they pleased, to sanction a system of
espionage ii.r ent•apping the unwary. to grant Bills of Indem-
nity for all * .o have acted even the mom cruel and abandoned
part.. detisitig justice to the appraised sod iujured suiferen—
packing ('nminittees who were both accusers and Judges—the
enteriainiag and nequiesenee of a Hill for taking a trilliou of
or oar) to build new Churches, II hen those alread . built are not
half filled ss ith caugregatiaos, and a thousand mhrr grievances,
such as never felt to the I t of any other People, call loudly for
a. Reform in the iteeresentation ; and isderd the almost general
stun-attendalice of Menai• es in your Honourable House upon
public business and important questions. evinces a want of Zeal
and integrity for the public good.
That to ever. intelligent naiad, nothing presents itself as a re. '
medy hut the putting of the Venple into imasedia.e actual pas.
*mama of their own rights, in order to a hich, we claim that the
blective.Franehise he extended toad who pay taxes; for a funda-
mental principle of the .Constitistinu is, that no man shalt be
teased without his own ',ousel'', or the consent of hisltepresenta-
sive purposely chew n. for virtual represen,arion is a non entity,
i. cannot exist. and because every mass is called upon to defend
his country on the ground of having rights, for the maxim is. be
who makes his own, laws, as the Constitution supposes. is free.
but he who don net is not free. And we have the highest an-
thurity fur saying, that Taxes levied without common consent
nia to be regarded as spoliations. and there is proof that the
greater part of the tax-paying People never were asked who
Should er should not represent them.
That the great length in duration of Parliaments has contri-
bitted materially is bringing to puss the present wretched and
alaratii.g order of things; therefore as it is thought the best. and
proved so by experience. to elect Mayors. Sheriffs, Constables,
and Courchwardens annually, so this Meeting and year Peti-
tioners are convinced that the ancient term of one year. which
Parliaments originally sat, would greatly mod to die main-
tetyar,e of the liberty and happiness of the People, and the ho-
urs.), and integrity of the servants of the Public.
-Against the abort grievances we do most firmly protest, and
for their speedy removal we do mast ardenth pray.
ISAAC SEVILL, Chairman.

LANCASTER ASSIZES, APRIL 3.
ADDRESS OF CIIIEF BARON RICTIARDS, ON PASSING SEN-
TENCE OF DEATII UPON TIIE PRISnNERS CAPITALLY
CONVICTED OF FORGERY. AND OW UTTERING FORGED
II NR OF ENGLAND NOTES.
Oxenham*, convicted of uttering a forged
bill of etcheoge, was first placed at the bar. "
Cotev BARON Osenham, you have been
convicted of uttering a forged bill of eschange, well
knowing at the time you uttered it thee it was forged.
The crime of which you have heeu convicted, an the
most satisfactory evidence, by a most intelligent Jury,
is a crime the most dangerous to society, and which
loudly calls for the highest punishment that the law
can inflict; for no man, in a commercial country
lilt: this, can, by any care, effectually protect him-
self from such attempts. If there should be any dis.
position at the foot of the Throne to attend its mercy
towards you, I shall rejoice: but of this I can offer
you on assurance, and if there shobld be any midge.
tine of your sentence. it will only be on condition of
your being for ever removed from this country. His
Lordship then passed upon him the last sentence of
the law in the usual terms.
The following Prisoners were then placed at the
bar :—Wers. Steward+, Thomas Curry+, Margaret
11'1)0ati+, .Robett Wurdlazo+, Redmond Mess,
Hannah Aluoor, and John Vaughan, convicted of
utterinr, forged Bank of Euglaud notes; and George
lieskit7+, convicted of burglary and horse-stealing.
The Cuier BARON, addressing by name the first
seven Prisoners, tiros proceeded ---•' son have beers
severally convicted of uttering forged Bank of' Kn..'
lend Dotes, knowing them to be forged; the law has
atfited to this crime the penishment of death, and it
is au .offente which, on account of its injorieus caw.
segment-es to society, requires the infliction of the
highest penishmeot. It is a practice which most be
repressed; and if this cautiot be ellimed by oases"
means, it must be done by visiting it with the otmoilti
severity of the law, foe the negotiation of forgek
Lutes is the stronvst and most exteusive mode of