The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-04-30 00:00:00

/0 THE' EDITOR OF Tfig STATESM AN.

Stn,—Ely insettlug the following in your va-
luable Paper, you will oblige 'Nosy of your
leaded. Your's, *c.
lolghara, Aprilsl, I. M.
It 481. in the midst of those claniours that
echoed through the kingdom in 1701, and the
universal dissatisfaction of the People at the pro.
ceedinp of the Rouse of Commons, sc. that the
Gentlemen of Kent petitioned them, in a very hum.
ble mahuer, to g Imre regard to the voice of the

6 people, and provide effectually fur their *engin',
and safety," &c. It was signed by all the De-
puty Lieutenants there present, above twenty
Justices of the Peace, all the Grand Jury, and
other Freeholders then there.

This petition was offered to the House on the
Bth of May 1701; the gentlemen who delivered
it, and owned it at the Bar of the House, were
Mr. William Colopepper, Mr. David Polhill,
Mr. Justinian Champneys, and Mr. William Ha.
milton ; for so I find all their names written in the
notes, without the addition of Esquire, tbough
four of them were Justices of the Peace, and two
Deputy.Lieuteintuts of the County. Concerning
the Petition, the House came to this resolution,
that it was scandalous, insolent, and seditious, &c.
The five gentlemen they ordered to be taken into
custody of the Serjeaot at Arms. The treatment
they had from him was very singular, and shewed
they were under the displeasure of the House;
for whoa he accidentally saw two of them talk to.
gether, he drew his sword upon his deputy for
permitting it ; and when, upon one of those gen-
tlemen's demanding a copy of their commitment,
which they reckoned they had a title to by virtue
of the Habeas Corpus Act, biul he refusing it,
the gentleman said, he hoped the law would do
him justice, his reply was, thai, " he cared not
a —for the lam." The reverence of the law
is fallen very low indeed, when one, who has the
honour of being a servant to the House of sum.
mons, can presume to make so bold with it.—
However, this speech was of a piece with the de.
claration he had made the getitlernan before
44 That he had an unbounded liberty of using
them at discretion, that he could confine them at
pleasure, put them into dungeansi lay them under
:round," kc.
And indeed, by the miseries and nastiness :of
their confinement, one would imagine that the
power of the Inquisition was at this time subsist.
ing in the storiioally very free country of Eng-
The people, however, being warned, and
taking %yarning, there came a Memorial inclosed
in the following billet, directed to Itt ll—y,
Esq. Speaker to the House of Commons :

" MR. SPEAKER.
" This Memorial you are charged with, in behalf of many
thousands of the good People of -England.
" There is neither Popish. Jacobite, Seditious, Court, or
nirty inte...*.:A concerned in it ; but honesty and truth.
" You are commanded by two hundred thousand English.
men, to deliver it to the House of Commons, nod to inform
them, that it is no Iciter, but serious truth ; and a serious re-
gard to it is expected; nothing but justice and their duty is
required, n: S it is required by them who have both a right to
renn.;-:, and prr.ver to compel, viz. the people of England.
" We coulti have come to the House strong enough to have
obliged them to hear us, but we have avoided any tumults,
not desiring to embroil, but to save our native country.
"•!f you refuse to communicate it to them, you will find
cause in a short time to repent it."
This was not delivered by a woman, as was
said, but by the very person who wrote it, guard-
ed by about sixteen gentlemen of quality, who,
if any notice had been taken of him, were ready
to have carried him off by force.
The Memorial, among other things, contained
a claim of right, under seven heads, of which the
three former are thus :

s, We do hereby claim and declare, Ist. That it is the un-
doubted right of the people of England, in case their Repre-
sentatives in Parliament da not proceed accordion.s to their
duty, and the people's interest, to inform them ot their dis-
like, disown their actions, and to direct them to such things
as they think lit, either by petition, address, K oposal, me-
morial, or any other peaceable way.
'2gl. " That the ilottse of Commits separately, and other-
wise than by a Bill legally passed into an Act, lave no legal
power to suspend or dispense with the laws of the land, auy
more than the King Nulty his prerogative.
slly, " That the Mouse of Commons has no legal power
to imprison any person, or commit them to the custody of
Scrjeaills, or othtrivise, (their own Members excepted) but
ought to address the King, to cause any person, on good
grounds, to be apprehended, which person so apprehended
ought to haso the benefit of the Habeas Corpus Act, and be
brought to trial by due course of law."
After other claims, it concludes—
" Thus, Gentlemen:you have your duty lajel kefore you,
which it is hoped you rill think of : but if you continue to neg-
lect it, you may expect to be ;treated according to the resent-
ments of en injured nation; Englislinsen are no mare to,be
slaves to Parliaments than to Map. Our name is LEGION,
and ice are many."
Such was the spirit of those who may tie called
our immediate ancestors !—And it stands recorded
in our history, that the House of Commons began
to alter their measures.

A considerable embarkation of troops for Por. I
luzal and Spain will take place in the course of
the ensuing week—the 103 d regiment is amongst
the regiments now on their route to Portsmouth
for Portugal.
It is now stated, that Jeffery, the seaman, who
was left by Captain Lake on the Wand of Som.
brero, was shortly after taken off, by an American
vessel, and is now in perfect health in the province
of Massachussets, where he goes by the title of
66 The Governor of Sombrero 7,,
AH the Officers who were offered by Lord
MINT() the alternative of a Court Martial, or
the resignation of their Commissions, have resolved,
with the exception of Captain MAettiNvostr, who
commanded the Chittledruog detachment, to Abide
the event of a trial.
Within a few days a great retrenchment has
taken place in fonr• public offices in the city of
Dublin, in the article. of " Newspapers." The
number taken in was very considerable. In some
offices it amounted to upwards of 50 newspapers
pee week, for the person at the head of the office
alone, besides a liberal supply for the clerks.
The very messengers were entitled to their news.
papers ; and such as had not taste for that species
of literature, received au allowauco in money, in
lieu of them.