The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-06-13 00:00:00

11111EFFIELD MEETING, Seitz 8. -
AT s E [NG of from SEVEN. to FIG lIT
THOUSAND of the INIIABITANTS of the Town
and Neighbdurhosid of SHEFFIELD, conveued by public
Advertiemeot. and held this :lay in l'anidise-fmt ire. ('Y ad-
journment from lite Town Ball, to take into cresideration the
assumption of Privilege by the Howie of Comoro':, of impel.
reline his lihiesty's Sahjerts for ()fences cognizable iu the
Citurts of ew ; the etteect l'arliamentary Reforests; and
:he propriety of rem ning thaisks oi Sir FRANCIS BUlt-'
DlafT for his Services, to hi. (7ottutey,
Mr. E. RHODES. in the ("heir,
The followiag Resolutions were voted iiiianitsously
Rcsoerco,
I. That the Subjects of these kingdoms are entitled to per-
sonal liheity and security as their unnlietteble Birth-right,
transmitted by their narestors. and contieried by many time-
rattle situates; A high stud sacred trust which they are deter-
misted. if possible, to treat unimpaired to posterity. •
tt. That Do privileges subversive of these Rights can coe
ex t• t with the statutes whisk enacted and cotter:Med them ;
;old whir we fatly nekeoWledge the rompeteacy of the t tun-
mole House of -Parlianimit to pupae' contemput, and to re-
move obstructiona to public bibinies, err most solemnly main-
tain that it him uo powerto thapoise w ijh the tiurepea led sta-
tutes of the. Realm, by punishing at discretion such °Welters ;Is
cause no actual Interruption of its proceedings, and are cogie-
, aehlein Ike Curls of I.ew.
J. That feeling the newt ar...eout attachment to the Constitu-
tion of our cngntry. and jealous of the least iufringetneat.
upon those Laws to which sue owe our dearest enjoyments,
are have observed, with unalfected sorrow mid alarm, Nene
receut proceedings of the 11m:storable the Heave of Cont-
emns. by which it has assumed the power if depriving US of-
our per- mini liberty, contrary to the triter and spirit of many
excretes* stritatre which enact (bat "no Freemau shall he
imprisened but the LAWN' judgment of his equals, or the
law of the land.
4. Thal in oar opinion a Judge and Jary form the only
proper and legal tribunal iu cases of ; and were the.,
power now assumed lit the House of Commons of deciding
in nil eases upon the Ware and e .tent of their own privileges I
confirmed, it would have a fatal influence upon the liberty of
the Press, and might, in the hands of a coartipt nut unlit tie
cipled A'ilitainistratiene become a dreadful engine of deem-
Mato, mut finally subvervive of the English Constitutinn.
5. That the fatal wars in which we have hues, enraged, the
la ash expenditure of Public Money, the exercise by the
'louse of Commons of ilegal and unnecessary
approbation of ruinous Expeditimie itienppint of weak and
arbitrary alinistets, its reheat to enquire into the sharaful
practice of trafficking for settle and to adopt any plan of
Refor, and all the other miner us grievances under width
we have long been labouring, are entirely owing to the waist
wf a well-ergtmized and more extended representation of the •
people in Parliament. • •
6. That in order to arrest the progress of our national ea.
laanities, ond atert those dangers which threaten the. de-
struction of the Seer, it is our decided opininte that the
House of Clint:noes :should be restored to its Constitutional
dependence upon the the people, wheat it is its proper Line-
tem to represent; ena we higlily approve of the Petition
to she elooottrable House amts read; slant the Chairman and
Requisitionists be authorized to sign it on the behalf of this
Meetitie, 11114 i that it be transmitted to Mr. Whithreud, who
is 'tetchy requested to prevent and support the saute.
7. That frum a fail conviction that the present nee of tire
Represent:Mimi is the grand source of all our evils, and that
no real, milastatrial, permanent benefits can he coaves•ed to
the people. mull they have the power of setultug honest and
isidepewlent men into Howe of Common., this Meeting do
most eariwela and respectfully suggest to all the climates, I
eitiel, mod 1(01,10 of these kingdoms the necessity isf present-
ing petitions us Parliatneut upon ;his subject on the ripening
of the next :colon, and of support lag; Ity every means is; their
pewee, Sir Francis Burdett, ate Brand, and other (Wilde.
torn who niatreomperate with theta Mao important a work.
8. 'Fiat from toe recent decision upon Mr. Brand's
blotino, it is too probable, that the almost unardismos "nice
of tie natinu to favner of that measure Mee ewitinue to he
disregarded by the present !louse of Commons. It is there-
fore become ihe duty at the people themselves, independ-
ently to exert the prover rmining to them in the State, by
etabraeing every opportunity of electing such members only,
as will wiequiteriely promise their Mel exertions to obtain I
(tat Refiein in Parseunent, so aheilntcly essential to the ads
'ration and perm:item, presperity of the country.
'lliat the Right Bonournble Viscount hliltonp.when he
solicited the honour of representing the (amity of Icor**. did
solemnly declare es the petiple at the'Cliith Han, in Leod,,
the' they should ever find iu bins an active enquirer hen• a-
bises, aid were it in his plower, he would rota out the very
seeds of •Curcroptisiu; but that his Lordship, by his conduct
en the motiou of Mr. Alarbliwka, respecting Mr. • Perceval
and Lad Castlereagh's truiticeine fur smote by his vole I.
asainst the liberation Mr. John Gale Jones, and more part i-
ealarly by his vote and sprech °a Mr. *Arena's motion for Re- I
farm, his insulted the peeple of England, and rendered him-
ref unworthy of the comideace of has enastiesents.
it). Teri( the Thanks of this •Meetiag be given to Mr.
Brand, for his raotiosiaad speech ill the Mien. of Commons
tofavour of a Parliamentary Reform; to the 111 misname
by whom that memiere was supported ; lib I.ord Erskine :rod
Sir Samuel autqiliy, for Weir manly and eloquent defence sit'
the good (ltd Law; of Bastian:l, and the rights of their reS-
eabjectst and to Mr. Whitbread for his unreinitting at-
teutioa to his duty in Parliatneitt, and ins constant support of
every measure favourable to the interests of the people.
11. 'Filet the warmest acknowledgments of a grateful peo-
le are more pre-entineuily due to Sir Fran,, Burdett, lea
bia prompt mid generous nomition to the eit.f. Of Mt: J saes
fur his eloquent, learaed, and cons, mtionol Argument nguiwit
the power ;gowned by the Home of Coinsusite, of imprisou-
ing his Suejects ciettrary to the hens of the hind ;
and for his noble, his virtniass, leis ussreatitted exertions. I
" throagb evil report earl r,siod report," la Path; ttttttttt :and 's
uteri cif Parliasheist, in support of the gland CiltHe Su
which he is engaged. . •
14. That the Address to Sir Francis Burdett, now read by
the Cbairtitau. expressive of the iwistioseete mot feeliass scl.
this Meeting, be by him transmitted to the Host. Bart. with-
out delay.
IS net as the resneetableanito who are now uniting in
the cassise of Beaten', have been the subjects ref much calumay.
nnaeltuve, amt their motives most ustranaiille and isiagene-
reualy misrepresented, we cannot !ieitarsite mahout ituleur .ly
deceit ing our uts ialableattac Moto.' us the (item rut of ibis
Country as by Law established; that it•is oar Mae determine-
non equally to ...Import the Bights of the Croon, the just
privileeesa the taeoinvisisi and the liberties of the pellicle
that use want Ins imprecticable plane, a • fanciful theorset, no
vain 141/CC11)01i00111131 the sober and ratishial Reform tar
which we ,heebeen declared pe .esiary to the antra-
tent of the Wale Icy. the soot virotout Pierions ani mule en-
liglttenesl Statesmen; situ I ti,mJy. that the whole 'et tent Of out
detnaad is " the Constitterim, the alai C.otOttluti to, told ;sa-
tisfy.; but the Coosaittaton." •
E. 11110. )ES, Chaitwisin.
Revolved, That the Tbaiiks of iha.hleetiui be given tri the
Cheirnu es, for hilt swat), aitl lailepeedeut erinduefiti
the Ci-al?. , a•
ta That the Thanks Of this Meetinglse given to the-tweets'-
. . tour lteatienten Web seined the Requiaition (.4 toge-
littei tee ltihabilaim.xf the Teem epee this Impact**
erw-
- • ,
y 11
Nan, . •
•TO the liouourebk the Coxswain thelhiited jtjagns of
Grebe Britain and 'ream!. in it: •Urnotaiiitssien
'rill,: A01311E44 NI) • PrriTioN •
or 11l E enerioiseetts A rDll4ll.llllTtiNfill7llF-inigiiiW,ll
ANO Nr.11,11101111551000 bUairiEtia•
Sheiteth, •
That eer:awed, as we uuallerahly arr, that your &limner-
able Biome is .me-ui (he mans pillars our admirable Cade
st•tatino, (to which we are sincerely attaehea s: is u, lab um
fetesiell regret we are compeller; to eettailea teat trig wive
grit:tried, in Some respeets. *rim tee peculiar desiest of .our
Institution. by enasoining the esterteive with VIE legislative
tunciiine, on mid lateen the penetratine Mottiesq.iieu inret,:at./
might heinl this happy coign ry, Mid of -wrath, tie predicted,
see fear too out), that should it ever come to pass, it
would tercet the speedy decay ;sad eventual desti arum of our
WI :bout recurring to other actrof your Honored'', House,
which !nave a ispeered to es tore a disregard.for the ieutimente
of
,your come:wrists, rind l's indicate that you are only tio-
venally our Representative., we will at present 'fatten: our-•
wives to the emirs of Mr. Gale Jones mid :sir Frarattin
Burdett. not IT HhOta saute huge that 3,11 will regret the
esrerity of roar proreedbias towards those free-bora subjects'
or mar lawful Sovereign. and that you w ill feel bound to re-
aline them to their liberty, of which we conceive they have
been uncialstitutionally deprived. • '
• We tire well aware that •votir Bonourelsle /lapse has fre-
quently claimed mid exercised tho.riget of impristitiins parr-
sons, Meialwra of the House of Goltunons, nett 1115011111eTs 1101
being members thereof; hut we cannot help tegereaig such
right as opposed to the law of the land, and subaersive of
titer
11C(51111.111 security.
On former occasions, when the claim and exercise of the'
privilege in tpratteiefuive bees) restated, yonr Hint. Hower,
by adjourning beyond she time fixed for continuing tee dig-
eussiou upon such privilege, or bye:alit:tiring to persist in toe
restitutions yea/ had paned, have fremoently *hewn the sewers
Min 4411111 C of such claitiss, sine tacitly rein:tilted their hese
pedienre. It is bectiese the exercise of this aisunied m ivik'ye

"

T

'THE

---rT -
bat been generally imeomponied wit h 'so touch leuity that it
hat trot been viewed with that deep abhorrence. which we
conceive its undefined and obnoxious nature is ralrnlited to
eat iff..:1,111 which has been dist( rihed, in she truest and most'
Jeci ive longliage, fit that Ft lend of the People, that firm
4iipparter of booted iimovence, Sir Francis Barlett. We
beg leave respectfully to state to your Honourable Home,
that we coillelllC eatiiely wit fi the learned ?Woolen( wed by
the patriotic Baroutt, 'aid decor I'. uataeered and imams
swerfihte. •
While, therefore. we fully admit the propriety of your
:removing impediments to the freedom of debate, while we
readily acqoiesce in your right of punishing wailers 'sot your
for contempt and prey:lac:nine, while we object to IKI
privileges which have fortheir side design, the prevention and
removal of every obstacle to the discussion of those itnportant
.sulojects, and the potash olthowt nereesary Inquiries? Which
sn frequently occupy your Honourable House, yet to cases
like those of Mr. Jelin (Lite Joins and Sir rfallCiS Burdett.
cases wherein tut violenee was offered to your liberty sof
speech, no opposition made tit your debates, no interruption
given to your accesi to the Hume of Common:, nor tiny re.
straiiit loom 'Oar pasons atietived ; un such casts we are
decidedly of opinion test we ought not to arkdowledge your
bleep'Privlee; and we do matt solemnly call 11111 M your Honour-
are to renounce, what ue must deem Wm improper
ansumptiou of needless power.
We earnestly breech your Honnurattle House to consider
that Britons have rights which they ought never to relinquish
-e-rights bought with ..the best blond of their forecathers— •
transmitted by them through a long line of ',Meiotic Amwstry,
and bequeathed, as tae noblest inheritance, to theirchildren.
Fur the exercise of one of these booboo:161e rights, airoagli
the medium of a free press. has your lion. House punished
two of Hose Countryman', setting aside the ordinary -cootie of
law, nod in your own cause tak:ng upou y norselves the
Mike, a said' we humbly ittaintaia belongs only to a Jury,
that of deciding wheth.o. the publication he libeling of not.
At the saute I isne' we Inman to learn, that in the execution of
Sour Speaker's Warrant, undue violence bus been used to that
law. whirls regards all Englishman's house as his castle.
With this terrific stretch of privilege are cauthot but be dis-
satisfied, as we feel that not even our real representatives
ought, on ally orcaSion. to have the right or power of ills-
' pensiag with time Charter of our Morales.
We tinagine that we perceive allot lier danger arising from
the possession of privileges unlimited by 10V, which, if la
wero the role tt:thger, woottiu prove thew impropriety. If
the two Hower of Isartianient have power to define their
own privileges, coal may assert such us are incompatible
with toose of the other, said which, by their clothing interests,
t envy produce the evils of anarchy unit civil sour.
Mere we cannot refrain from adverting to certain sentiments
said to hove been delivered in sour Honourable House' we
meals hints, we hod almost said directions given lathe Judges
of the Land, its to their future ronduet in the *chino brought
by Sir Francis Iturdctt against the Speaker of the Howie of
Commons, and the Serjeaut at'Arms. While we regard those
sentiments with indiguatiou, we trust that the Judges are to hi-
dependent as to treat all such intimation, wherever nod by
whomsoever they may have been uttered, with deserved cans-
, tempt, and that the court of King's Beach will satisfy the
country, that to Britons there isms wrong without a remedy,
and that by them no violenCe can be tulfered w ithout au appeal
to the law.
We sole:nnly assure you, Una. House, that we regard the
aforementioned rigorous treatment of British Subjects. and
many of the Yttrium evils which afflict the State, as arising
immediately froto the wretched policy of a weak 4;4 intule.
rant Ministry, but primarily from the imperfect state of the
' repave:tutu:nil of the people. The Petition presented by
Mr. Grey; now LortlGrey, in 1791, at the bar of your Unit.
House, fully details the most shameful abstws in the election
of Members Of Parliament, and numerous petitions since that
time, sow of tome very recent, have made it unnecessary
for us to empathise on t how grievances and abuses here.— We
must, however, take this opportunity to complain, that those
grievatices and abuses not only rentoin ancorreeted, hilt Om,
judging from sundry recent proceedings of yonr Ho:
we tear that it is the determination of a majority it your
Mesitheis t I perpetuate procure-If woich are avowedly the
disgrace of many lioroagh tlections, which are in direct
violas' of tne purity of your Hon. Mime, anti which exist
iii open defiance of the strong resolutions upott that subject
read by Mr. Mattocks, when he made his motiou respecting
the rio•rupt traffic and revocation of a seat by two of Iris Ma-
jesty's Ministers, in the ease of Mr. Quinsin Dick, into which
case, flagrant amid aggravated as it appeared, you refused to
wake any isrptirv.
Under all t hese eircuntstances, we tannot, without I hegrent-
est sorratv ,coolemplate the fate of Mr. iiraturs Motion on the
shntert of Pirliamentitry Reform ; a motiont tt hich had for
i object only the formation of a Committee to inquire into
the ex pediepc yof It: forest. We earnestly urge you( lionisour-
able House tolecoutider this saltject•; which, as ioseparahly
'entlitecied with the peace and prosperity sit our country, we
have most seriously at heart, beim. coolidently persuaded that
use disfranchisement of decayed lorouttes, the exteission of
elective rights to tantalum Towns, and triennial Parliaments,
so far &out being encroachateuts open the Untossitatton of this
Kingdutn, are bidispenablv owes:al for is. preservation.
'And ) oar Midtown will ever pray.. &e

TO Slit FRANCIS BURDETT, BART..
" Sus ;—Subjects of the same Realm, exposed to the same
putter, timetable to the Nltlle laws will, ymtrself, awl county
. munched in the Cilllre Of Vailituneutary Reform, we Seel it
would be it dereliction of oar duty, and at, 41411411111114C1it dr
priocipe, were tie to omit addresSing you on pair presdel.l
cusifitsemetit in the Tower of Leaden.
•• Your conduct, its a repirschtative of the people, beef&
mined our highest npprishation, unit *et its retdili. give yes
our sincere and heartfelt tatenas. We have seen you -ysteasep•
tieally mid iiiinouraltly Mist:tin from those party 4s-stabs ,
aad coulees ions which so frequently occur in tee lima. of 1
ca,limaa%; draggles and contsnlians, its which personal aeb•
Whin and the emoluments of Aire, but too often pr distoineld,
wiser tile more important considerations of public eud.— I
With equal satisfactiou we have sects you nppropt tate yner •
tithe a sti your talents to questions, gesorally peril:kits. lees
attractive and imposing, but, in our estimation, of far nape-
riot tenimeant and of more salutary effect; the oppiessed In-
I dividual has in von found a ready, and an able advocate, and
1 tbe.public peculator a determined enemy;. by your research
and CWIIIIIIIII great Comistutional questions have been Au-
! eitlated, the provisions of else grand charter of British Free-
{ darn have become more generally knout), its blessings more
extensivel, felt, tend its value more highly and more ;wea-
-1 rately estimated; uud thou,s,ll we lament that those exer-
t HUM Imre subjected you to great privations, and much
I persumil inconvenience,- we rejoice that the .right of the
I(tome -of Commons to • imprisou without the interven-
tion of a Jury,' is, by your perseverance, shortly 4.1 be
(1(.6401 upon to a Court of Law. Yet, vilieu we con-
: template the idiportant• interests involved in ibis
deci-
siou. ive,,confes, we tremble. for tile •result, because we
Frei siorerely ern& warmly attar heal to the Coostitutionni
Government of our Country, as a Government, not strbi-
t Wiry .iind capriciou-, lint of known, defined, and positive
I lust i r.ccui big to she people, trial fur impaled offence..
e‘bieri we retard ;is the basis of nil political freedom, ;rust
s 'without which no liberty eitir possilily exist. Feeling strathg-
I,ly. (hi, ratinad attachment to toe a liolesione er.ivieiusts 41.4
Isisitj enactments of our fthrefarherl, Me protest agaisrst the
antes ri7tio winch has heels made of nii undefined and undeniable
privilee. hy toe lies. the ;louse of Gummier, its the itupti-
isotleilis 4 J olio Gale 0 inlet; sod yoeself, for alleged oLfentes.
which, in our sistuppe,, ore corm:gilt, say its the established
L.Cainas id' Low.,
•• Sir, we regaid-priiiir without tfthr as ovievot Memo's ,1
ndintes (Miceli Coo rota be prt.seated to the human imagination;
and we depremte itsestablislitoem as apart of the kilo. foment 1
of our C4llUllir‘, herniate we know that whevever it is still...red
to exist,' its iauence tend its operationtstuust of necessity be
shistlly and swing:mo t. Nu salutary provision can &oafish
%% Winn its reach. We know tikes n.e, that nor 'led pow- 1
er is apt to ((wrap' the minds of tante who possess it; rind that
a here law eons, tirsurty.beginv. • Permit us, Sir, before we I
quit this part of our suojeci, to candle, is; the language of 1
'lie great Unita:mi. when speaking of this =suns', lot; of
power by the honourable Home of Coutinoss• ; • What is
this inyvieriimi p •wer, undefined by law, unknown to the
stissiects wisteli we twist tun approach without a we,,nor speak
of a titian; tecirstee. u hien au wan way question, bat to
winch all mess inapt su Bair ?'
.` Sit-, I lasts( e tres.ed our approbation of your-conduct, ,
and gisen :aim our ,ineere and heartfelt iliiitiks, is e" have ouly 1
; i add our 5% iNc4O, that. restored to your famity and to the
public, ale 'se cause you assiduously serve, even from the re-
i etscs of a prison, NOll may long cordinue in perfect health,
toe delight of tile ate. and she ho n$ and ad 'alien or the
tillc• s use i' %;t.ople to all Gouts Is ...m, and the dread and ter-
ror W. viii doers. .

A oh*. mg.

1 ••• .
-tiotieutlturr,lt •••••••2
1113.•..•, Lisboa .
'.0!•••7. Malta 1
•

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