The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-04-02 00:00:00


1

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Ti rzs EDITOR or• rigs STATESMAN.

if ton
bite,—A new ma: now fast epproaching, when,
Eogliehmem will have an undisputed right of mekleg
choice of UMW, able, and independent men to repre-
sent them in Parliament; a choice, which, if eveey
Englishman were to value it its be unquestionably'
ought to do, would be viewed and coneidered as one
of the proudest privileges a nation could enjoy.
In viewing the approaching dissolution of Parlia.i
meta, I hail it as one of the happiest occurrences
which can occur, in the present situation of the[
country. My object in attaching so meat import.
ance to its dissolution is, that, feeling persuaded if
the 'HAW and impartial manner in which we are now
represented in the House of CoMmons, and seriously
viewing our present heavy and growing Taxes, whit*l
have been increasing for so many years, without the
least appearance of reducing the expenditure of the
country, and of our alarming military establishment
in a time of peace; taking these alarming evils into
consideration, I look forward with secret satisfac-
tion to that day, when the national character of oar
country will be roused to its former greatness, and
assert that independent spirit which crowned the
efforts of our forefathers with success.
Let all Englishmen at the approaching contest
against Ministerial corruption and influence, weigh in
their minds the peat actions of their Representatives
in Parliament ; let them view those Ministerial ma.
jorities which have appeared with so much triumph
in the Papers for the last year, who during the mo-
ments of their exultation forgot that it was over the
fallen liberties of their country. I say let every
county, even every town and village, who love and
venerate the Constitution, view the conduct of their
Representatives, even for the last year, and let them
reason and ask themselves, whether those men again
deserve to be returned, and by what means they
have deserved the esteem and support of their con-
*hoopla ? Whether they have endravoored to lessen
those Taxes, which so materially Huts the working
and middling classes *of the community ? Whether
they have even voted against the present military
establishment? And whether they have done any
thing to ameliorate the condition of the People? It
is a fsir and rational question. It is fair and just to
presume that our Representatives have not bee,
asleep during the last seven years they have pretend-
ed to represent as. Every person ought to ask this
question. Surely our Representatives have not been
deaf to the thousands of Petitions which have bees
intrusted to their care! It la natural to expect some-
thing from them. Ksery Englishman ought to be
alive to the ',stem persued b) these men for the last
seven years. I say ought to be alive, because an
opportunity is t.ovy fa.t approaching, when, without
any fear of the Suspension Act operating against
them, when ever* Engliviinan will have en oppor-
tunity of showing his zeal and independence, and to
shake off thoso shackles which have so long oppressed
anti grinded them.
I have no doubt but that many of our late Mem•
bars will again offer themselves to their constituents.
There are many who have deserved well of their
country Gots forbid that Ministerial influence should
have contaminated the whole of them! But I speak of
those who will have the effrontery to offer themselves
again, who have invariably, and almost on all occa-
sions (except when their own pockets were affected),
given their sanction and support to those measures
which have so materially injured the working and
middli' classes of the country.

.nog
The conduct pursued by those men (I cannot give
them the name of Representatives), even for the last
year, will unfold a system of tyranny and oppression
which would disgrace the annals and stain the page
of history. I impute the mischief which has, token
place within thelast two years to the wicked and dis-
graceful conduct of Ministers, aided by those Minis-
terial majorities which have appeared with so much
pomposity in the Morning Papers; for what Ministry
could dare to suspend the Laws and Liberties of the
country without • majority to cover their vices, and
sopport their brutal and inhuman proceedings ? 1
oonsider those men who have all along sanctioned the
Sestutes of the Ministry, and which have tended to
oppress the subject, and who have been the cause of
to much rioting and confusion to the country during
the last two years, as culpable as the Ministers them-
selves; and I view the conduct of Ministers with as
great abhorrence and disgust, as I should dread the
explosion of a volcano. Indeed the actions of a • inked
Ministry, combined with an impure House of
N.epresentaiives, is mere to be dreaded than the fatal
explosion of the latter.
I view with great concern the present alarming
state of our Taxes, with a heavy Debt hanging like
a millstone round our necks, whitest theaame time
we see the apathy and indiffereace which possess some
people concerning the affairs of the country. Although
the system of Reform gains ground surprisingly, )et
in the .differe•it towns and villages which I have had
occasion to pass through (particularly in Kent),
cannot view the ignorance of the People bat with
concern ; indeed they have little or no knowledge of
the internal state of the country, and live as if they
were completely separated from us. In one of my
excursions into Kent, passing through Sandwich, I
made a short stay in the town, being accustomed In
travel on foot, more from a desire to view the country
and form a conversation with some of the inhabitants.
I happened to stop at a very respectable Inn in the
town : during my stay, whilst in conversation with
the landlord ou the affairs of the country, and wish-
ing more particularly to know his sentiments respect-
ing the Representative system, I cursorily enquired
of him it he could inform me of the names of his
Representatives in Parliament, feeling conscious that
a man who paid at least from 501. to 801. a yes,
King's taxes would assuredly know, and feel some
interest for their Representatives. " Their names,".
replied be, as if for a moment petrified at so unex-
pected a qeestion, et length replied, with his band
scratching his bead, 44 I have nothing to do with
them, ..I find it sufficient to pay the King's TaAnazad
keep the bailiffs out of my house"—" What,'!! es.
plied, " are yaw really so ignorant of the solloillOi
your Representatives?"—" Yes," he replied ; Irby
should 1 usable myself Oast Uses, it is tery little