The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-10-08 00:00:00

TIM STATESMAN

which I defended because I thought it my duty
not to give up your rights, Lord ELLENROROUGH di-
rected the Jury to find a verdict for the High Bailiff;
reasoning in this carious manner, 64 the burthen and
" the benefit ought to go together; -therefore as I had
had the benefit," said his Lordship, " by taking the
seat, the Election expeuces ought to fall upon me."
As to taking the seat, that was compulsory, in obe-
dience to the King's Writ, and what the benefit is,
of a seat in the House of Commons, I am still to
learn. How his Lordship could make so many blun-
ders, both in law and logic, in so small a compass,
it is impossible to imagine, unless it coUld, for an
instant, he supposed, that his Lordship spoke from
experience; and that, having found a scat in the
House a convenient stepping-stone to the Bench, he
had forgotten the ancient theory in themodere
,ice of the Constitution ; with the latter of which
his Lordship is said to be to the full as Well '
quainted as with oe former. But there is nothing
in the conduct of Judges, either ancient or modern,
to induce us to resign, at the shrine of their autho-
rity, all pretensions to common sense, and to the
understanding of plain Englishi—How are we the
better for the noble struggles of our forefathers
against arbitrary power in the ktria, if we ender*
it in much worse hands—those of our fellovi-sal-
. jects ? What signifies to us the law declaring, that
no man shall be imprisoned without lawful judgment
of his Peers, if the jargon of 66 Lex et consuetatto
Parliamenti" (a scrap of Latin is ever introduced to
cover a cheat), can render all the Laws useless.—
'How is the flock the better for being safe from the
wriir, if they are devoured by the very dogs placed to
defeml them ? What avails resisting the Lion to fall
into the jaws of the Jackal! ? to have pinioned the
Eagle's wing to become the sport or prey of Daws
and Kites ? Despicable condition ! cheated, sold
and arbitrarily ruled by our own servants, who ex.
reed ,lungs in treachery, and equal him in guilt !
i 'Ai House of Commons, instituted to redress our
glievances, is become the GREATEST OF ALL GRIM-
A ncEs, itself the ready instrument of all our op-
prcsssors ; a two-edged sword to destroy, instead of
a shield to protect us.

Gentlemen, the People of England are entitled,
by several positive laws, as well as by that which is
superior to all Law, Reason, and Common Sense,
and Common Good, to annual Parliaments and free
Elections. These are the vital principles of the Con-
stitution ; the only means of ensuring JUSTICE,
PEACE, and SECURITY to the community at large.
Gentlemen, we once had this happiness ; our Laws
were made by Representati►es of our own chusing ;
our money was not taken from us but by our own
consent, and the Laws made by common consent
were the measure of the King's Rule and the
subject's obedience. To use the words of our great
Dramatic Bard,

44 Look here upon this picture, and on this;
" The eouoterfeit presentment of two Brothers,
" See what u grace was teated ou this brow."
4' A combination. and a farm, Indeed,
" Where every God did %cent to set his seal.
4* This was year Coma rrrowion. Lutsk now,whatfollowe:
" Here is your CONSTITUTION."
We may well conclude by asking, with the Poet,
What devil waet
44 That thus bas cozcn'd us at houdusaa !Aim, ?"

Gentlemen, under the present system no change
of Miuistry can be permanently and importantly use.
ful to the country. The present are just as good as
any of their predecessors during the present reign,
or as any that are likely to succeed them. The
fault is not in the individuals, but in the system ;
a system under which no nation ever did or can
prosper ;—a system of the most infamous and 'com...
plicated corruption. To this internal situation of ;
the country, I desire to draw the attention of my I
Countrymen, persuaded that from hence alone pro-
ceeds all our internal sufferings and external weak.
ness ; by the removal of this system, you may have
foreign conquest, if that is desirable; by the non-
-ctooval of it, even vietery and conquest would serve
only to enhance, and to confirm the national servi-
tude,
depravity, and misery. This system must i
be pat a stop to by efforts from without the :
tbsors of the House of Commons, for, be ass
staled, the Gentlemen within will never reform
themselves. They will no more part with their
rotten boroughs than tl highwayman with his
pistols. The SPIRIT of lIAMPDEN must!
revise in the breasts of our Country Gentlemen, '
and the People, with united voice, must demand'
Reform in rt language not to be misunderstood,
—Until some such spirit shall manifest itself, I am
desirous of withdrawing from acting a part in the
low farce carried on in gt. Stephen's; of resigning
into your hands your delegated trust; of returning
to that retirement I had chosen when you so unex-
pectedly placed me in your service; thinking that in
so degraded, and degrading a state of the country,
" the post of poseur is a private station." At the
same time, Gentlemen, be well assured that nothing
can efface from my recollection the deep impression
of your noble and generous conduct. On this point
all the world are agreed, whatever difference of opi-
nion may exist about the object of your choice.—
Gentlemen, your kind and considerate behaviour has
made a burthen,.far too heavy for my shoulders, sit
easier than I could bare expected. Not only have I
been free from importunity, but even from the slight.
est request from a singhtinditidual of sour numerous
.body.

'

Gentlemen, this conduct fills me with esteem and
respect, Ind must ever Lind me to the Electors of
Westminster by indissoluble ties of gratitudt. and
affection. But, Gentlemen, I do most earnestly
wish to spare myself the ntortitirntian, and yon the
disappointment of passing a irlittfel life in untli.,7tti-
tied, because unsupported, and u:ta.,eiling, efforts
to stem a torrent of cu. ; nptiott, ai irrosistible
as infavnouS; of " Airpitig Lea. et` into empty wells
and growing old In dra 110thiiig op.°
Gentlemen,
I remain with the most
profound gratitude anti devotion,
Your humble servant,
rtt.AN&;is BußnErr.

Oxford, Oet.E, 1312.

LONDON G..ME7'TE EXTRAORDINART,

ITLDNEgiI 1.1", OCT. 7.

Arcign-Offirc, 04.7, 1312.
A bispateh, of which the. Ming. :nir is n Copy, wax this tiles re-
ceived by Viscount Castlereaeh, his Majesty's Priticipal S,.
crelary of State for Fori ign Affairs, from ITEI Excellency Vis-
count Cathcart, his Alajecy's Amhattailor Extraordinary
told Plenipotentiary to the Court of the Einuror of All the
Itaselas.

St. Petersburg h, Sept. 13, 1812.
MY Letn,—l am most happy in having to begin
My efts-respondence from St. Peterthategl:, iry an-
nouncing that thY arms Of his Imperial Majesty have
been victorious in a most obstinate and general action,
fought on the 7th September, at the village of Brodi-
no, bet*een Mojaiske and Tjate, on the great road
from Smolensko to Moscow.

It appears that Bonaparte hnd concentrated his
forces after the affair of Smolensko.

Prince Koutonsoff, on his part, bad selected a
position, and had established his forces in its vici&
nity.
On the 4th of September the enemy made a recon-
noissance
in force, and was driven back with loss.
On the sth September, the French attacked the
left, and wre repulsed with considerable slaughter,
both in the action and in the retreat, and with the loss
of seven or eight piece of ordnance.
On the Gth Septembnr, nothing of consequence
took place; but Prince liontovsatf brought up his
reserves, completed his I !ispocitions, and added se-
veral intrenchinents and batteries oii his left.
On the 7th September. initlorcover of a thick mist,
the French again ntoacked the left with great • im.
petuosity, and with all the ineens and successions of..
fresh troops that they hive hitherto employed in their
most desperate exertions.
They were receisoil 11- the divisions of grenadiers
belorgir.g to the le r! wing, commanded by Prince
Migration; and the contre of the Russian line having
in its turn attacked the mass direetcl against the left,
the affair becaine general.
Prince Koutouull..l.ites his dispatch?! front the
field of battle.

The eaciny are stated to have covered their Pretreat
by the Wirtemberg infantry, and by large corps of '
cavalry.
Genival Platow, however, withCotlae)te foil'
lo•-.-ert kern, ..:;:d kilid ,v took emboli. '.
The eaemy retreated upwards teen wersta.-:-.'
I have detained this dispatch two days, h 1 expels!.
tion of further events, and of a more detailed report,
but as letters have beets received as fate as the 11th of
September, I have thought it expedient 'to transmit
in its present form the account of an affair wyCh
must for ever add lustre to the military achievements
of this empire, and which, though it may not be de.
cisive, *use at least prove a most Important feature
in the history of this war. •
I have seen letters frem distinguished Officers of
great experience ; they consider this as by far the
Most dreadful and destructive engtsethtt thei
ever witnessed, Infinitely beyond that of Prussian,
Eylaw. • .
Several General Officers have been wounded, be-,
sides those named ; and the loss of Officers of other
ranks is stated to have been in proportion to that of
the men. I have not heard the Russian loss esti-
mated at less than twenty-fire thousand men.
The loss of thz French should he infinitely grater,
because of the pursuit, and because the fire of their]
artillery ceased at an early hour, %%bile that of the :
Russians continued as long as the guns could be
brought to bear. i
The new raised troops from llose.ow were brought 1
I
up, and appear to be perfectly efficient. Those who
were ette,fte'ed behaved tell. The right wing was not
much called upon ; and of the guards one battalion
I only is stated to have sustained any loss.
I Reports hate been received of the junction of the
head of the army from Moldavia with General Tor-
; mazoff's tome, which, with another corps, consisting
• Of several divisions, which has joined that Officer,
will amount to an army of eighty thousand men of,
i the best deierirt inn,
I The corps of eighteen thousand men Which en'.
• barked at tlelsinfors, has landed at Revel, and is by
this time near Riga, witieli will lead to an immediate
,
reinforcement of General Wittgeostein's corps.
! Tr., much praise cannot be given to the •natiolial
spirit which animates all ratiks of tht, itusiians, esp
dally tine.? properly so called, and the most sanguine
expectations which were formed of their conduct have
I been exuederi. .
i ft appears, that much reliance was placed by 80.
' naparte on the effects of his attetipts to
sintroduce
French principles, and a portlier cry of emancipa.
tion and liberty ; bet that they hate been reec4ved•
as an stake to destroy their liberty and their re,'
ligien ; and it is very coidideoitiv asserted, that he
1 has given very strong marks of intliguation against
Ithose upon whose reports of the disposition of the;
people he relied. .
I have enclosed herewith translations of the Rut.
letilis of the affairs of the Sth had 7th ..of September,
uew style. I : •
The aceounts of the tittle of ti;e. 7th reaehed the
Emperor early on ere morning 'of his. tame day,
which Is always celebsated with vetginys and other,
ceremonies, end Illuminatiairs.: Cis Imperial M.i-!
jesty ImniNliately sent an.. Afd4rte-Camp to notify It
to met and after Divine Wersidp..iir the Cathedral*
in presence of theft Inlittlal Majesties •anitthi
whole Cpeet,.an DOice selds tudered to fetcd)he 13+
letin aloud, which gave the' populactiaik bffortanifY
0 exprinsitig thbir exultatiesk !
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