The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-08-19 00:00:00

- ir

i

_

'lifter all professions, became the Minister of
sn arbitrary Prince—hence be was accused of incon.
l'istency. But upon what ground did this accusation
rest hs was at a loss to decide. Informing his opi-
nions originally, he was ir.deenced by the writingt of
all stile men who had written upon the subject of
public !Uteri); and however he might differ as to certain
Feints with some of those writers, he could nut ima-
gine a reason for rejecting their arguments when they
were In coucarreurr with whit .tae deemed to
tight. With regard to the pimple:Of blachlailt he
!Sir F.) could not suppose how lie was to follow that
*sample, as 'some of his commentators seemed to
think Mm disposed. For be could not fancy where
an Whimsy Monarch was to be found who was likely
to select him (sir Francis)as a Minister.—( Laughter
und applause: )—Au arbitraty Monarch was not to
be round in England, for according to the Gonad-
• , tution of this country, the power of the Monarchy
was to be balanced by the fair Representation of the
People. Some persons might indulge a partiality for
Monarchy, and others for Aristocracy, according to
their erste, but the thing e.sentiat for the preserve.
lion of the Constitution of this country was, that tielt
• Penile sh,tildlie fairly represented in Parliament.- -r
'• (Applause:J-41i: own opinion was, that the power
' and prorugatttes of the Crown and the Peers shouldi
1 be pseserip4l, but that neither should, be allowed to
• leterfete wish the right of the People to a fair Re-
- presentation io Parltament.—( Applauses.)—lt
laid of Mr. Burke, who was no doubt a great
asap, that he took op Whiggism low, and-that he left
It lower; bet be (Sir F) could assure the Meeting
which he had the honour to address, that if he were
charged with taking up the principles of Reform low,
be should never be convicted of leaving those prin.
ciples lower than he foetal thetha-!(Loud-and long
Continued applause:.)' • i
Tte• neat toast• was
" To the Memory ufpr. Jcbb, Sir Willisavienes, add Gran-
t/ilk Sirri.e.'' • ...
The CHAIRMAN observed, that when the Meeting
recollected the progress of Reform in Scotland, it
must be disposed to bail the name of any indisidold
connected • ith that nation who had assisted in pro-
moting that glorious cause. 4t.els known to every
Gentleman who heard Mai, thit thelcotchMen re.
sident iu London bad centribited their full vivre-
- ' lion to the advancement of !Worm. Some Scotch-
•` men were, be was happy to know, among the most
"" active and efficient advocates of that cause. Those
who were aware of this circumstance, would, he had
`•Ao detil, be well disposed to receive the proposition
which he was shout to submit, namely,
'" " The kraltb of Grosse Kinlock, Eaq. the dit.tiogulshed 501)-
3• porter of Itefwm io Scotiat.d."
11:• bin. litsmock, in returning thanks, observed that
- the cause of It.*dscat Reform had made great progress
• in Scotland, bat regretted that in that country public
opinion had no -opportunity of expressing itself.—
. The Worthy Gentleman concluded with proposing,
" the health of Mr. I). Kiouaird, the spirited advocate of
--• M.. Kisumu' returned thanks in very impressive
'term., and -entered into a critici4m upon the various
ettiobadvetsions which had gone forth with regard to
. Radical Kr formers. S me had accused them of pro-
v- Wining every one who differed from them—others
-' that they sought too much at once;—to the first ac.
-ruse,' ,n he would give a direct denial, and as to the
.41atter charge he would declare his conviction that the
•retarda.net of the progress of Reform was in a great
• -measure the consequence of the conduct of the itadi-
..,voal •Reformers themselves, in not announcing their
.„ -object in the. first instance.—(Applause:.)—Ti.eie
loer. person', no•doubt, who recommended the Re.
formers t.-leave, all to their discretion, but be was
veonvinced,oere• that recommendation attended to—
., wese-the People themselves to abstain front exertion.
'they autl vtheir cause would he shook off just as soon
as it soiled the pleasure of tese who gave this ad.
vice.--(dlppleases )—lle therefore would urge the
,Teople to *trend to their own rights and interests,
rind not commit their guardisoship to any party.—
. -(Applauses..)—Here the Honourable Gentleman ad.
vetted to the cows's.* pronounced upon the Radical
Rent mere in the Edinburgh Review. and the
-speeches of Mr. Canning at Liverpool. The latter it
would indeed he hardly worth while to notice, if it
were not for peculiar CieCatnltances ; for Canning was
. -sunk so low in character and public estimation, that
no one could deem. his censure of any account, if
it were -not for the effort made to compliment and
raise him to setae consequence by a professor of po.
ogler principles -at the Westnsorlaud Election. At
this Election the ci•devant Reformer, Mr. Brougham,
bad truly described Mr. Canning as a snag of such en-
lightened turd milsrged mind, that no one could re.
.gard as a disgrace to be beaten by him. Well, this
1011. Canning said at Liverpool, that he never would
. agree to any plan of Universal Strange which did oot
include the women. This declaration was evidently
made its jest. .Mr. Bentham had, however, asked
why, as the women had an indirect inflame* in all
popular functions, they should •not be allowed to
use that Witten°e directly, by -being invested with
the right of voting ? This was the serious question
of a philosopher; bat Canning made the observe.
tion with a view at once to depteciatethe character of
Universal Suffrage, and the mind of woman. Row
the women who heard the joker could endure
such • mark of contempt, be (Mr. Kionsird) was
at a loss to imagine. Of the capacity of woman
to form a correct judgment, and to take a decided
, part upon political subjects, no onecouki doubt from
. various examples, but especiali; from the recent case
of Mary Ann Tocker.—(Loud plaudits.)—Bat the
Public -universally recognized the character of mind,
soil feeling, and legitimate rights which belonged to
the lamented Princess Charlotte.—(Applaure.)—liii-
tory recorded the conduct of the 3000 London wives,
who, according to Clarendon, presented a Petition
to the House of Commons, refusing to depart until
they received an answer to that Petition, which an-
swer was delivered to them by Pym and ilippesiey.
After such instances of firmness and judgment on
the part of women, he Yield not think- it becoming
in any man to treat with indifference the heart or
head, the disposition or judgment of that interesting
set. Yet Mr. Canning had ventured to do se. But
the Important influence of woman in popular Elec-
tions was proved in the late contest for Westminster,
in the course of which a female subscription was in.
Mimed, which subscription still continued, for the
purpose of defraying the expellee incurred by 114se
who supported the pretensions of Sir Murray Mu-
_

~~

Ni:

1
„
r
• \
• %.