The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-07-17 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COCNcIL.

A Court of Common Council was this morning held, for the
purpose of addressing his Majesty, or petitioning both
Houses of Parliament, with respect to the Bill of Pains and
Penalties now p.•ding in the House of Lords against her
Majesty the Queen.
At twelve o'clock precisely the Lord Mayor entered the
cwt. At this period (we presume, from the wetness of the
weather,) few of the Members were assembled. The Court,
hoverer, gradually filled, and when the business of the day
wis opened, a very respectable body of Members were is
attendance.
Minutes of the proceedings of the last Collet of Common
Council. and the resolutions then passed. censoring the
emidect of the Lord Mayor for the introduction of the mili-
tary on a former occasion, were first read.
Some other business of an ordinary nature was also gone
through; after which
The Loan MAYOR rose, and merely observed, that he had
convened the present meeting in consequence of a Requisi-
tion which be held in his hand.
The Requisition was then read by the proper officer.
Mr. FAVhLL said, that lie rose with diffidence to sub-
mit to his Lordship and the Court, a subject of great and
reerral importance. lie was satisfied that he might
with troth say, that this question was as momentous as
say which had ever been submitted to the Court. It
was mmatatesse not only from the rank of the par-
ties which it effected, but also in a constitutional point
of view, Princes and Queens might pas* away, but the
Lira efillstice were eternal, and he hoped would never
pus stray in Great Britain.—(Load cheers.)—After
rmearkiagmpon the prneeedings of both Houses, sines the
udnort had 'ire come before the Court—the !secret Com-
mittee-6e adoption of a Green Bag by one House, and its

rejection by another—the Worthy Member proceeded to
restart, that, notwithstanding all the unfortunate circum-
stances now affecting the tetra illustrious branches of the

Royal Family, he hoped that the conduct of the Court is

this instance would be such as best to secure its own honour,
and to display its respect for the dignity of the Crown.
Having said this. he u Mid now give an outline of those
considerations which had induced him to come forward
In the character which he had done. In doing this, he
would dismiss all party or political feeling, because
he thottgla it neeessary to avoid all improper bias. He

deprecated the idea of taking one part or the other, except

loavinuch as they were warranted in doing so by law. and by
justice. lwthe tirst place. it would be allowed that the pre-
sent proceedings were entirely new, and he thought that the
peculiar usea,are of a Bill of Pains and Penalties sufficiently
shelved that the evidence against the Queen was not of that

•atom wttieh was addneed in ordinary easel. It was a Cu.
rwus fact iq the history of such Bills. that a sueceeding Fir-
!lament frequently reversed the attainder which a former one
had in this meaner eased. The Bill now brotrght in had
two eitieetv—flna, to degrade the Queen from her dirtily;
and. secoady, to procure a divorce between her end his

Majesty. The whole proceeding. therefore. was such as to
wirratit'lbe feelitle of Englishmen in alletnpling to present
so dangerous a precedent. Nothing could be considered so
'weeping*, a Bill of Palos sad Penalties, where no dates
were wieutioned. and no charges made in a manner which
admitted of a dietiott answer.—lf the first families la the
land were visited by such a am, he would ask how many
mega sib Se *row the Mit stone at 1511feers ?
(Lead Ceneva.)—The present proceedinors game in the shape
of a (kale expedient. and he fervently hoped that the people
of Eagland would never sanction those State expedients.
hick tended directly to dissolve the nearest and dearest
connexions of civilized society. He hoped, that as there was
no Ru3nl stay ;o the knowledge of mathematics, so there
would be found so Rossi way of es ading the obligations of
startled life and at the request of one party procuring a di-
tome. Ife would read to As Court the redezions ofa great
man upon this suhiect.--(llere the Worthy Member read an
extract from Dr. Pale's works, in shish he condemned. In
el eases, the introduction of Bills of Pains and Penalties.)
If there had been any personage who was above the law, the%
a sweeping Rill of Pains and Penalties might have beam
tolerated. Rut in a Cunstilutsun where no individual wtl

atnove the :aw—when a queen was attacked, who not only

arknooleflged her liability to the law, but appestat to its
decision. he would ask, could any man lay his hand upon his
heart, and assert that a new measure was either necessary
or expedient ! After some further remarks, the Worthy
Member proceeded to submit a shies of resolutions; and
concluded. by moving, that an Address, founded on the re-
solutions, be adopted by the Court.
Mr. lit-erosive seconded the Resolutions, and declared
his t i 7,11 admiration of the manner in w Bich the Queen had
met her enemies, and of the conduct of his friend Mr. Alder-
taw
Wccd, who he considered to have immortalized himself
by the I. only and energetic spirit he ha displayed in
rsadrring aasistsuee to her Majesty.—(llear, hear, hear !)
Some tirellemen might smile. but he would repeat, that was
a prowl day for the 11-orthy Alderman, when he assisted his
Mowed {Otero to return to her on u dominions. After gl-
teting to the odious nature of the eontentsof the Green Bag.
he said that a rumour had this morning prevailed, that the
proceedings against her Majesty were to be dropped alto-
gether, and such be sincerely hoped would be the result.
The Resolotion being put,
Mr. A. Btowmg. said. that after the part he had takes ea a
louver otersioa upon the subject of the present question, be ,
should not consider it es a discharge of his duty to give •
silent toss, which may lead some to suppose-that it was la
sontradiedea to his former sentiments. Much had been said
Maims a Bill of Pains and P.malties, and he would say, that.
rseepting in cases of peculiar and pressing • It
Mould not he resorted to. But in this ease he co Ted
that to other coarse was open to Ministers. It had been
eeid• why not proceed by the ordinary course of impeach- ,
meat ! Why. beesute be such a course it would be impossible
burrito. atshe cads of substantial justice. Adultery was
not a crime against the common law of the land, it was
a chit injury.. and its compensation, damages hi a Civil
Court. If adultery were committed by the Queen Consort,
or tile ileir Presumptive with a subject in allegiance to the
Sing, then, indeed, it was high treason; but if committed
with a fc•reiguer, it was not a crime impeachable at the Bar
Of the !louse of Lords. It might be said. then, if there was
sorties? committed against the laws, why tall for a punish-
ment! Ile masted, that if ever a Queen Consort should
Stand its that situation, he should not hear it declared by that ,
Court that she ought not to be degraded. or that her privi- I
limes and honours should be retained. The proceeding by a
Rill it' Pli:l4 and Penalties therefore. was II proper course;
sad it was a measure in whiel• the Queen and the public were
the parties eruseersed. But With respect to the divorce, that
was a question between the King and his wife, and it ought
not to have been coupled with the Rill.—(Hear, bear!)—
And if. as in all other eases, her Majesty were sot allowed
to Rake the **see of recrimination. he trusted the tables
of the House of Commons would be so loaded with petitions
to staler the whole proceedings nugatory. Thinking.
the pill of Paine mil Penalties the only course
that could be adopted, be should oppose Me Resolutions.
nosing the peptic'''. questing.
Mr. Ulsoli seconded the mod". •
_ Br. °tango was combating the arguments of Mr.
ellowne when we left the Court,

rr
TO Tag spitoie or TEE st,trismatv.
--a--
Stitl read it The ?loyalist Poet of this day, a
letter from a cottespondtat wk. describes himself is
be a Country (Muleteer. and states that he lads" by
the newspapers, that as lllast:ions Female was, br
numerous well-dressed and respectable hussies, who
had waited in Portasaskstreet sad other places. received
in a manner which showed their full approbation of the
conduct of that elevated personage." He them pro-
ceeds to ask the Editor, " if the mothers, the seivesol
the sisters, and the daughters of Englishmen consider
the charge of adultery as a particular motive fur their
protection and applause !" Now, Sir, that this Conn-
try lieNtlensan gave his proper signature as Nnatiews,
is beyond all doubt, but surely no other Editor of a
London Paper would have been rude enough to have
published such a stupid attempt to insult the character
of British females, except the one who had dared to
convey the suggestion that the Queen should be corn-
pilled, for what he called the sake of order, to yield to
I her persecutors as a martyr or a criminal! When
Antares gets home to reflect upon his attempt, if he
has the slightest discernment he may discover that'
it is not the charge of adultery that induces the
mothers, wires, sisters, and daughters of 'Englishmen
to come forward and protect the Queen, but the natu-
rat indignation that is felt by
finding this charge Immediately taken for granted as
if it had been proved, and accompanied by a base and
cruel persecution, even while no trial was designed.
'They are indignant, besides, at the manner in which
the proceeding, recently begun, has is every stare
been carried on. It is carried on by those, who, at
first, would have preferred resigning their offices to
undertaking the odious task, but who, perceiving that
had they declined the attempt another set of servants
would have been appointed to pursue the measure, de-
termined, after many straggles between their con-
, sciences and their places, to plunge into that bag of
filth and disgrace, from which fttesticers is lett to
pray that timl may send them a good deliverame!
London, Jr 1,14, Mt% CREANUS.
THE guEEN.

Dr. Parr performed Divine Sers ice before the ()seen
yesterday.
lier blajesty on Saturday held a consultation with
her law advisers, at her house in Portman-street, on the
subject of the proceedings in the House of Lords the
previous evening.

In the event of the House of lortly proceeding with
the disruslion of the Bill of Pain, and Penalties, it is
believed that her Majesty, as was the ease with (teen
Catharine, will attend in person during the whole in-
vestigation.

An Address of the Barons and inhahltants of Bic
loyal and ancient town and port of Sandwich, in the
county of Kent, one of the Cinqne Ports of this king-
dom, assembled in the Guildhall of the said town, was
presented to the Queen on Saturday, to which her Ma-
jesty returned the following answer:—
" In the loyal and warns-hearted sentiments of this
Address, the Barons and Inhabitants of the widest
town and port of Sandwich have slime themselves en-
titled tom affectionate regard. I deeply deplete the
lees of the l Charlotte, lot only because sbe was
my beloved daughter, bet became she was Britain's
ammatiag hope. The decease of our late revered So-
vereign deprived me of one to whom I had formerly
been indebted for solace in sorrow, and for protection
in adversity.
•• If the people of England are prohibited from
praying for me with their lips, the prayers and affec
tionate addresses which I am receiving front all parts of
the country, and from all ranks of the community, con-
vince me that l am not forgotten in the silent adoration
of their hearts.

" I desire no praise for not compromising my honour
for any pecuniary consideration. honour is almsr all
compromise; and I shoulJ spurn the offer of millions. if
it were made the condition of leaving a stain upon my
character. In the malicious and unjustifiable attacks
which are making upon lay honour as a woman, and
zrmy rights as a Queen, I trust that my enemies
uever be permitted to violate the sanctuary of the
Constitution.'

' The Address of the town and neieibourhood of New-
castle-on-Tyne, to her Majesty, on the occasion of her
arrival in her dominions, and the persecutions that
have attended her, has received upwards of 5,5011 sig-
natures, and will probably have considerably more.
There has been the greatest difficulty in preventing
women from signing. One woman brought fire of her
sons to sign, and told them, if anyone of them refused,
she would never again acknowledge him ; and another,
when she was told she could not put down her name,
observed, she was very sorry, fur it was a woman's
cause.—We are happy to hear that Addresses to her
Majesty are also signing at Sunderland and Morpeth.
—(Carlisle Jorrnal.)
We have been favoured by a Correspondent with the
following address to her Mijesty, which is now lying
for signature at Morpeth—may every city, and town, and
borough, and village in the empire, record their senti-
ments on the subject. We trust our good City of l:ar•
lisle, though late, will not be the last in raising he
voice in behalf of persecuted innocence:—
"
TO Tlllll notax's 311011 T 71114.1M11,
" The dutiful and Loyal Address of the inhabitants
, of Morpeth, and its vicini,
" May it please your Majesty-We, the undersigned
inhabitants of Morpeth, and its vicinity, humbly beg
permission to express our sincere and nnreigned congra-
tulations at your Majesty's safe arrival on the shores of
Britain. And we feel great satisfaction in assuring
your Majesty that we view with the highest pleasure
and satisfaction the dignified and magnanimous line of
conduct your Majesty has pursued, against the font and
atrocious machinations of unprincipled men; over whoa*
wicked and malevolent designs, we trust, we shall soon
have the inexpressible pleasure of seeing your Majesty
triumph.
" We also beg leave to inform your Majesty that we
shall continue to be not merely idle spectators of your
Majesty's unfortunate situation, but will do all in oar
power to expose and repel those base and viperous calum-
nies that may be thrown upon your Majesty's character.
And we do sincerely pray, that your Majesty may long
enjoy that degree of bodily and mental vigour which is
necessary for properly exercising those rights and pri-
vileges with which your Majesty is invested by the law
of the realm, as Queen Consort of England.
"From the known character of your Majesty, we have
nothing to dread against the liberties sad valuable in-
stitutions of our country ; but, on the contrary, we rely
with perfect confidence, that when your Majesty tomes
to share the honours and prerogatives of the Crown,
your Majesty will do every thing to promote the hap-
pines. and welfare of an intelligent and generous nation.
--(Carlisle Journal.)