The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-08-01 00:00:00

No 1392.

Yrg.Dlfso.4lr,' AUG

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SIB FILLYCIS BURDET7'.

In consequence of an invitation from the Elm!
'tors of Westminster to Sir Francis Suetlett; that
'distinguished Patriot yMterday dined with his Con.
stitnents at the Crown.aniltAnchor Tavern,, in
the Strand. His recent committal to the Ti,wer
b) the. [Loose of Commons, and happy deliver..
emur froin their authority, hld excited a more than
ordinary degree of interest, and the applications
for Tickets exceeded even
.the numbers woich the
erasion% rooms of this 'Foment could, by pimsibl.
li,y, cdoita.n. Dinner was spread in. the (rand
f v site hundred. Every other.rootn in the
hies : .aaw fill 11, and loamy hundreds \veto disap.
p 'rhe Hon. Baroriet and !ilk` ar.
lir../1 eh •nt five o'clock. A plentiols olin,nev was
ser• op the principal part of..whiek'Consisted
of fr; • Winches of venison: After tkocleth was
rismiia••d; Burdett toadfish said; "
flemen, I dank all yber- gi.wail health!, and am
glvt to see you here to.d"y." _The: band of music,
sihich had been pinyiti4 at intervals during the
dinner time, acceenpa,. the pledge by the ppput
hir air r Pritm, qrike home.
Mr. WISH A Wl* observed, that of all the ex-
traurdinary circumstances which had taken place
in the course of the last Session of Parliament, nu
one had created so thilr a sentiment of indigna-
tion as the conduct of tb' House of Commons to.
ward: their most esteemed RepresentatiSe, for
commimicating to thent the opinion he entertained
of that Hotom in sending a private iniliviiltsal to
Hewgate, without • a trial,
.for writing what g.ithey
were pleased to.call a Wendt of their privilege',
and a libel against two of the • illymbers. of their
noose. The Meeting this flay had taken place in
consequence of the *relent 'as islo of a, bomber of
respectaidS Kleetors of Westminster, in order' hat •
they finest plangently testify the high esteem in
which they aelil the character of Sir Francis Both.
den, and the ;.:real veneradon AO regard they en-
tertained (Or their worthy Rtipmeatative. In ex.
pressing this feeling, they igirittletaiih to he un.
derstooil as considering this a tray or trill nob.
! the day.of triu,soph was not et arrived, but
he tervently ho;oeoiit !non Would, and that they
should all a e Poe *day when Conan 'atonal Law
would ooerturn ail Wept a•iiiiiosal v l Privite.- 4. He
tome I t!.e name of Sit Ftitlici4 !smile; t would go
to post ray with that of Abe tiist of Patriot! wed •
Heroes,. snit that he wool.' be enrolled among the
Dam* i.roliosehnetis who had Consolidated the li.
berries of the Couortyy..by the attachment. and
viol They had manifested in its defence.. lie should
shit encroach further on their tinge; but proceed
to the • business of the lay, and, -with the per.
tu ss•oit of did company; would. give, them this
toast— •

The Kilg, the Law, the People. •
Tins Toast was drank with applause, the Rand
immediately striking up God save the King.
Mr. WiSilAitT then gave as a Toast,
The Liberty of the Press. It is like the air we breatbe,
if we hnveit not we die.—( Lind p!usuli:•.)
The nett Toast given by Mr. Wishart.
Liberty, Privilege, ILA Prerogative aerial-ding to Law.
Mr. WISIIART 510, that its giving the Eke.
tors the toast which he shout I have the.bonour to
propose.at the conclusion of his preient ;Rauh, he
should take the liberty of encroaching fee a short
time on their attention. It must be in the obser.
vatioa of every Gentleman, that sacred an, pro.
fare history furnished numerous examples of those
who, haring endeavoUreti by Virtuous conduct and
great exertions to remove evils from or ameliorate
the condition of thepeovle, were assailed by their
adversaries with the greatest malignity. It was
out to he expected in the present day that fire or.
der of nature jti this respect would .be overturned,
and therifure Rivas found upon 01 occasions, that
when a virtuous man came forward, and atadtv
those proper exertions in the cause of his
subjects which became him as a good citizen,
,ho'
Was sure to be assailed, by the interested and,tho.
venal. Atli waksaid in ancient times-64 Oink
is Diana,. the GoOrwOof the Ephesirns; wi wish
for no Teforia of abpaqr —the same, cry was
brUeght' forward it the prpsent day ;. the cry of
" King aud•Church,', As of obi the cry of "
Diana, the Uchida's .at the Ephesians," was
raised for the wisest porposerven the venerated
'lmes liampries, Sydney, and Russell had not,
'eloped calumny. :,llow.thess was it to be expect-r
ed that their hUnortrable and distinguished Repre-
sntative should not have become obnoxious to the
Pe? of the hireling and the breath or the place.
Thin ? There was no way of resisting the fermi.
stable factions, but fur the good and victuons
binio4, and skewing every mark of respect and
confidence for those high characters who, like the
Honourable Baronet, had done so much to testify
It ie;ari; for their rights. It was nut his intention
at this moment to go over all the meritorious anti
services which had been bestoy4 4n
the fdectors of Westminster by the abilities
hour, and sacrifice of health on the port rif Agit;
Representative, Sir Francis Burdett. It—Woutd
b., Impossible to do justice to his merits, hilt'tby'y.
were as exposed as the sun at wicon.day.i Hr
trieted they w °old be appreciatedias they ought
to he ; he hoped that, in 'return for his exerttuits,
they would act with unaisitoity., and thati. as mei
Jot not differ ',IMO pointi,' they
%util•!, by their gu datii Cs..trefisto the calm.
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iND 00: USA".' 1 .1810.

been delivered by Earl Orey-i-I 'ltot fix on
any man any thing which may appear In print
without his own name as the authority for It—it
wool& be uncandid and unfair to do so'—but, at
the same time, as it does purport to.be the speech
of Earl Grey, taken its shOrr-hand, it. most bri
so considereit,os far as I ant.entlesionring trice&
tradiet the' fallacy, the sophistry, and pretended,
cunstitutiobal.doctrines what' are to' be -feund
tbit epee& ef. the Noble Person to whom it is
attributed. There is a watt deal of ,specious
neralities—i vest deal of abuse on a partitulae
class of men who arc described 'as being the adro.
calf; of "wild and 'viaitsory Reform. At the
time,, the Noble E art hiririk, • before be was
Earl, pledged himselrtti the doctrine :of -Reform,
pow wishes to conciliate that pledge, with the
doctrine which the nese party • denomiaatod Whigs
now hold. There is in this speech a deal of de:
clamatiori against.inen who are described as men
of misehievuus character. Who the persons aro
against whom thir Insinuation is directed, I ab
era loss•to know • they are generally described
misguided men, who, under the pretence of Re-
! forte, want to destroy the country. What is the
occasion of this?--to whom is this a pAied ?.-.what
-eet of men are intended to be poioted at ?...I eta
sure Oa not any of those meni have been 'in the
habit of 'cling with. I • %svc never beard any
thing bet what the moat moderatl might utter,
and I may say so without the hazard of my as.,
aertion belt* impeached for the dictum it contains,
because the iloctrities I have been in the habit of
hearing from those to whom this speech alludes
are the doctrines:of the law, atul he who pretends
. to- be wiser than the law, is neither Wise nor pro.
dent. Upon an occasion when we ere met for
convrviality, it may not be amiss to mix a little of
thouseful with what is agreeable. I shall not
take up much of 'your time in commenting on this
long, laboured, • and sophistical speech, yet there
are some observations in it that aro so generally
marstialled against the cause of Reform, that I
think it may be important to notice, in order to
contradict them.. The first great fallacy Of this
speech is the doctrine now supported by both
parties, with respect to what they please to term
the Privilege of Parliament ; and the fallacy is
this-=they-set out with stating that those who,
argue against those doctrines; argue against the
powers' of Parliament, whirh,' in fact, nu hotly
does. We argie nut agahst the powers of Par-
liament, but ugly against the assumed powers of
"OV.sal_Couunowi.....3l --- •

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__ ..rwirettrit es isiltiat *estorget the: Su:
phone Power must exist -somowhere. I say that
is all a foliaoy. The contrivance of the British
Constitetput is, titai the Supreme Power should
Wedged nowhere, and ,therefore we say it is a
Government of cheeks and contrite!. It is not
becaasesthe supreme power has been exercised at
I inherent times by oni• breach of 'he Geverument,
' that the entire= power of right belOttas to that
branch •of • the Constitution. Wheneser ir• has
been se um :rased, it hat prothieed that misery and
'thitehief !which'they intend to fix 'onus—supreme
4Wierer. Titt:' final supreme liusver in all Govern.
',muftis hi the People-,-I• maintain that is the
'-EsigUsh Constititioni that it to be found in the
la* of the country, swithout thing to remote pe.
nods. We find it recognised. lonic Bill. of Rights,
and th.the i:rinaiples which arit'-tlie foundation of
the Act of Settlenkeni, audit. the. Constitutional
'Laws and Consittutirrn of the Country. Tlie peo-
pie untionbledit.do delegate a' large portion of
their lieiver 4. burit is, however, only delegated for
'their owe !benefit. This King is, the wily part •of
the Constitution entrusted With sapretue power,
ifitli supreme executive authority ; , hat the House
k' yr Cominbito capitol, 'rior can dinh'lClng, do any
rthoie acf•eithiCh ham lately.bten iitirped by the
',hese of CAstilifos! [lnceranq plaralitt.) Now,
Gentleirren, it has been the fashion fur persons trial(
panto, I titian byparties those men who look to
power anti‘eatuhtuictit from the corrupt borough.
tatingerintaystent-Lit is a sort of game and play to:
pack boroughs like paekitig 'cards, in order to usurp
the rights unite people of Englandhand defraud them
oflheir privileges. • 'rho doctrine of these persons
hits teen ,this—they want to hold up the Power of
tint Kkig as the principal medium by' which they
seek inltlilint the whole country ; they tabus that
the piwee of the:King- is the objea which is tole
getiri)ed againsi,wherias, in:my-00814)u, the people
bate nothing to dread from the power of t.llohino!,
—r.the power
,Of tho Kint and the power,of (he
people are eve, and no throne is or, earl' be Se.
cure . that dopy' not 'stand upon' that, principle.
Short-sighted must that • King be, sod ,still more
short-sighted-Inuit thnee'filintiterebo, who do not
see that they place the throne la e ifippery aline.
tion When they wish, to Ma katit indepehdent of the,
power of the people. Wise titinieters:;otighi to
lift the state of the King to that situation aelticlui.j
pointed out by the Constitution, _anitis 40 pointed
out becasse it is. oily front the due.eXereise of that
power there can be tiny safety: for the.poopll.
I•felr.,PbrisottbY ip particular, *lto seems Ili-he one
I•tsf these partphren,'.'itaii said that the %hie never
`can love, a Tatliament. ' He has stated iiktitte of
hix speeches, - that 'a King
.11aVv‘r 'tali slave 'Per:.
liniments.- Why ?' Barium?' they are a' clink.
and' controul on kir eutliesity.• .11,i'ii is ;Oat
proved t-::::When has earliiiikeit - chi eked • tiso
satitorkty. of this CrOwitt - We can staid '16(4
if
you where they have cinched, the nigh, 4 the
people. I elm point *on Oot notions, itxttees
in which' they have tin posedriihet Wend restiaitstil
on the rights and privilekts of the...prielel !stirl
ui
defy' Mt: Ponsumby to -point oaten hotline. i
"heroic Reit I iiiineu t hall pOrfeamt be offise of
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• , • %PRICE 841 t;

checking and tontrottling the power of . the drowni,
although he says that is the duty it Ought to yeti. •
form. The people haYe Secniong enough doped_
by sham Piffles, -who•would not hive aby eon.
- .
teen' placed
.op that omnipotent pone'.
_Which,
exists particularly in tide country, though OA-
, theoretically, y..tiiraCtically, in the horough.men.,
geeing system...their inableirce they have 'carried.
to such . a height; thet they hive eve, threatened
the
,King with the comenuences of comndtting.
high treaisori against their authority. Yea are not
to learn that in those famous or 'rather lifamous.
' trials which- took place in the year 1704, those
infamous atteteits to murder' some .a:the must
loyal and himourabk men in this counMr,. what
where the, doetriees which wore. held fort&lff•thet
then Attorney General, since created Lord Wino.
and not long before a priVite tutor at Oxford..
What were the doctrines he avowed ? they are tea
corded in public instruments which were meant tet
be laid before the King in order to awaken him to
a true sense of his situation. He said that if the ..
King consented to the geneyal wishie of an ups
pressed nation,' it he yielded to the *express in..
stances of his peeiple< he hoped that the King in
so yielding, if it was to have the effect of res, -
storing to the people the power of appointing.
their own representatives, woeld die before ha:,
'should be able so to consent to what was required
of him. I. say that no man charged at the Bar. .
for high treason had any Mist! attempted
.to bo
fixed ()slim that so approached to high treason as
the words spoke° by the King's owe Mice!, the
Attorney General. [Load end incessant plitisclits.]
Why then, Gentlemen, I say it is important to be
•
known, that the interests of the People and the .-
King are one. It is'important that all should feel, '
and that the King should know they fed, that the
interests of the People and the King are ode and .
the time. It should be known that Our object is ,
only the'destructiOtt of that infamous legally atig.,
matised monster, the berciugh.mongering !system ;.
..
that we are not afraid of the King; that we .now ,
the prerogatives of the King are only according -
.-
to the law ; that they. are contemned and bowed
by the law ; end that it is only the bormigh.mon. , .
gering Ministers who transgress the law, and know
no limits to their authority. We are told in this -
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ss
same speech of Earl Grey, that it is the faithle ..- .. • .
'of the (him to vilify and defame all public men. • - .. .. -
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I should like une of these vilifi Al and defamed dm. •% • 1
racier, to come forward, and point out in whit its .. _ *". , -
has been calumniated. In this tery_srecl,,,LAseL, • •
flirty says; be.hmi changed his apitilWas fro* whet' . ~;'---e..:.; ' ~
they were in'his youth ; bet he acknowledge. A .... ult ._. ---.,:....- ..,? -71. ..
When he pressed Parliamentary.R.eform, be pre*. : • :-- ~ .
ml it with,all the ardour which belongs to militate*. ' ' ,.„• • i
of youth and inexperience,, but that After semi' .• ... ' , !
years of experience, his opinion underwent load
variations. He dues not favour us with any as. , • .
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, corm* of what those variations are, or were, but
he only tell' us that his opinion" Were different '
' from what they were before, and he attributes thd .1
-alteration in his.sentimettis to the -effect of eitperi,
cuec. If this is to be the case I if the principles '
of men are to be changed as they ddrance it.
~
year S—if no man can.be pledged for the tonsisteuty
of his opinions, if it is to beg Sufficient instil* fut...
.'every man who thinks proper to change hie, politi. . . .. . ~:
cal opinions to say, that "•to.day lan oldie thaelip . - is" :• ! •
I Was when I pledged myself to a different °piss*: ' .
iiion,"' then.l say that such men do cut up and.; •
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destroy. all confidence, and thew that there Ought ' ' •. ' -'
not to be any confidence placed iti themi Wit , . : •
ought to
.ask whether such men, could ' evet hats ; , ,
been actuated by any principle at all ? A pellicle i .
' pie is not a new thing which may be thrown tuide:t ..
after it has . been once established i a principlecl • •
once formegt,
,remains for ever the same; it thseitsi .
not alter by.. lime; the min. professing it essei.,l
grow older, perhaps he may not gro* Wiser ut. : •
honester, but. the principle he hat prefessed cond.
' num,une and the same—that Cannot change,...ondt•
*lieu a M4ll puce biuds'und pledges himself td tees . •
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, twin peinciples, whether wisely or not it is for,
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litintiell.te conbider, lie has stamped on himeell
die ekaricter which he intern's
.00 belong td
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kin, and if he departs from these firincipieli It it • - ..s.. , ....14:
impustible for -any retscihable man ever *flee to ' ';'-'4'.:":'.,.;.4:,,..
' pus treat and confidence in him. There is another . ' ' : . '
remark** thing in the speech of Eirl.larey—re.:
-markable, because it is a falsehood* uttered Ii the
:
very teeth of the history of thecouatry. He says, .
that all the great public men, .(rein the Reline.
":
Lion drown wards* hate maintantek the doetriee Ml' - -
whichlie contends; and you' will &Were, that it • ' .•
le . the Wilgs that .go. this length ; they are the , • -
'"Whigs rolifo are assisting the Ministers, by doing
their; dirty work for them; they hate nut sat-
fermi the.
,Mittisters to
..g,-.1 out •of the mile .
as *ell in they cued, bet tbe I • hoe plungud . ,
themselves ie.eca-deep, in enter that the Menet.
ter. Might 4., free.— (Continued planditr,chtd peals.
of'laughter.)-116 says., that all the great public •
men 'uf this country have' acknowledged the doe.
trine of the Privileges of the House of Commons— '
that Mr. Pia acknowledged it, and that it was .
acknowledged by Me. Pitt. A gentleman hit! •
favoured me with a communication yesterday' . 1
which Contradicts this statement, It is an extract.
from woe of Mr, Pitt's speeehee, He stye* "'On t' t
reediug Mr, Giffird's 1,4? e-of Mr. Pitt, page 1()44 .:i' .
...
mi. 1, there is a.passage whichapplies td an as., - ' . 1
portion in Earl Grey's pamphlet, add i esti ;now . .•- - •
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eeribeil It fur your perusal. These ate the words of ; . 1
;Mr. Piii...it must be taken 'lithe iathotity bf itu .- •'' 1
Man of ability, by those Oho have •an opinion< "a , - : - "1
of his ability; but for my own patt* I haven't Nor 1 • ~ ," ' .
did• I eller entertain any opigion of hi, integrity na a'. . ,
ability, as a tatestuats ; but hating been .1 'rely;:
eloquent Oleader iu defence of the Boroughs '• .
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