The Statesman.
London, England, 1813-05-06 00:00:00

BERKSMRE MEETIAG.

Monday, in inconsequence of a Requisition to the
nigh Sheriff, a Meeting of the Freeholders and In•
liabitastts of this County was held in the Town Hall,
nt Reading, for the purpose of considering of a loyal
end affectionate Address to her Royal Hig,hness.the,
Princess of Wales, on the wickedand base cons
,piracy against her life and character, which ft recent
exposure had brought to light.
Tile Hien Snett:re having been called to the
Chair—
Mr. Monett rose : he apprehended there could be
hot nue sentiment on this occasion ; and most feel-
. Potty cow:wield on the serious nature of the charge
se:lich had been brought against our future Queen,
► the Princess of Wales, and the dreadful consequences
wrack might have resulted from it. He animadverted
,vitti much justice on the conduct of the four Com-
-I:ii•)ion,rs) who, on mere partial evidence, had con-
•icted the Princess of gross and unbecoming levity,
in so doing had exceeded the bounds of lawful
eielenity. Ile animadverted on the uhmerciful and
esecrahle instrument, recommending that the inter.
cour:e between her Royal Highness and her daughter
situAl he immediately restricted, and on the Privy
Couneillots and Bishops, who were parties to it.—
Ile prnied the dignified patience and resignation
ith %Lich, out of regard to her Rorl Consort,
she bore tier humiliating condition, and admired the vi-
eorous it solution she at last adopted in lasing her case
before Parliament, and through Parliament before the
public. The jurisdiction was now transferred from the
Cabinet to the Country. The British Free Press was
now the Court where her cause was heard and dies
cussed, where Truth was the presiding Judge, and
they, not the Privy Council and Bishops, but they,
the People, were the Jury. At once the People,
with one voice, pronounced her innocence, and
• loaded lier detestable accusers and their confederates
with universal scorn and execration. Although there
was nose no longer any mystery, or cloud, or shadow I
of suspicion, attaching to the conduct of the Prin-
ce;,, there was still a great deal of mystery about
the Prince Regent's Ministers. How happened it
that they, who of -late years had never shown them-
selves slow or inexpert in the arts of prosecution,
had not yet been able to devise a method to bring to i
condign punishment the false accusers of the Prin-
cess? • How happens it that, as she has been proved
innocent, the etesseequettee has not followed, that she
should be treated as innocent F How happens it that
her Royal Highness is still doomed-to lead a life of
r.einparative penance and seclusion, *and has not a
distinct establishment suitable to her dignity ? How
happens it th..t the cruel interdict of intercourse with
ker child has not been revoked He concluded a
most able and ite'precsive speech, by movieg an affec-
tionete Address to her Royal Highness the Princess
of Wales, and fte,eintions expressive of the abhor-
rence in which the county held the horrid conspire-
tors. _

.
Mr. MACK/int§ (the Recorder far Wallingford)
raid, after the excellent ipeeeh of his Hon. Friend,
it was not necessary for him to address them at much
Logqi. lie took a gr'neral review of the hardships
and ill treatment to which the Princess had been sub-
jected, and was very indignant at the conduct of
those persons who had placed Spies in her house, par.
titularly a Nobleman who was recently appointed
to a Government ; he not only privately examined
her servants, but, it appeared, attempted to tamper
with her medical attendants. What could the public
expect from that man's government, who, by his
conduct in this country, had incurred the censure of
every honest man ? ile was most happy iu seconding
the Resolutions and Address, and had no doubt but
the Meeting would feel the same pleasure in alleri•
sting, as much as possible, the sufferings of an is.
jured and insulted woman.
Mr. HALLETT rose, amidst loud and continued
cheers, as he had stood conspicuous on many pub-
lic, but more particularly on a late occasion, their
reception was highly flattering. To avoid a recur-
rence of disputes he lead requested the High Sheriff
to call a Meeting of every person paying taxes, and
he now thanked him for his polite. attention. It
was the duty of the County to take the Princess up
as innocent till she was proved guilty. He congra-
tulated the Meeting on her escape from this most.foul
conspiracy, and designated her marriage as a mere
to pay the debts of her husband. Mr. Pitt
brought a motion into the House of Commons to
that effect, which was carried by ¶260 to 99, and as
h had been proved, that 71 'Lords returned 260
Members, lee rem tainly was correct, in describing this
to he a most vile job. On. her arrival in Vatgland
the Princess received many congratulatory Addresses,
amid the Prince in particular, declared his happiness
on the marriage, and his desire to perpetuate. his
line. It was to be remembered, that at this tins,
he was thirty-two years of age, and therefore
his inclinations could not be ftheedi as had bees.
ittsinqated in some hireling newspapers---nine montlis
after marriage the Princess produced a Baugh..
ter, and at the end of twelve months separation took'
place. This it appears, was the happiness the Prince
itaa promised.—Mr. 11. then referred to The Book,
and read two letters which passed on this occasion
bet- rev the Royal Pair. This Book, which was
written by the late Mr. Perceval, and contained a
most able defence of the calumniated Princess, hid
paved the writer's way. to
_power. When he dis-
covered it would be to his interest to suppress the
publication, and it was confidently stated,. that to
obtain the copies, which had got into circulation, no
.less a sans than 20,0001. of the public money had
been expended. A few copies, however, remained
in the hands of some honest men, to whom the cows-
adebted. Tim Mr. Perceval, after
r in defending tthe Princess of
his mernoq by deserting her

exclaimed, do not speak ill of the

replied, that he scorned to say
the living, when not present; but,
as the pulilic had paid the piper,
of justice.—lle remarked on the
hich the Princess had received, the
and informers by whom she had
and what was most horrid, •van
been converted into charges against
:ondentut.cl with much severity the extra.
which had taken place, to risks,

•

if poribletan•
practice with son
seen in that.
with the appellation Of °Jacobins and ___
(u ords which those who eniplOyed theta did not un-
derstand); but .whether they sent Cestgratalatory
Addresses,
or complained Of the meeedlags of, the
Duke of York and Mrs. Clarke, al wayslound fault.
For his part, he was so Orfectly independitit, that
he did not rare three straws what such people said ;
but it put hiM in mind of in old story—lan Irish
drummer, while dogging a soldier, struck high ;'the
man desired to he struck lower ; thii, however, did
not give satisfaction, when the drummee exclaimed,
" Oh, by Jars!, you came, here deteimined not to
be pleased."—[Leuelity• and applaused—From the
case of Messrs. Hunt, :he was convinced a pro-
secution would lie against the Douglases for a
libel or a conspiracy, and this was Confirmed by
Lord Ellenborough, who had asked whether 'it
was better to live under the dominion .of libel or
law ? He, therefore, demanded why the Princess
was 'suffered to live under the infamhus libel of
the Douglases ? . Perhaps Lord Ellenborough
wot Id agree with bin) if the Princess shOuld be
again re-instated at Carlton House, and enforce
the law on the libellers. Ile trusted, however, that
justice.woulil be done the Princess, and her vile ac-
cusers punished. If the Attorney-General would
not prosecute, where was Sir Vicary Gibbs, who
had been distinguiihed for hunting down all libels,
why did he not prosecute? With Mr. Burke, be
would ask, was the age of chivalry passed t He
believed the present 'was not the golden age-14f any
man put his hand in his pocket; he would find that
to be the case •, or let him take the paper promises
to the Bank of England, and there he would have
an answer. It was the age of paper, fraud, and
hypocilsy. If he might advise the Regent, it would
be to forget all that was passed, receive is wife, and
live in peace with her, dismiss the two factions, who
had always proved themselves enemies to the people,
and he would soon find himself surrounded with men
of talents and honour. Neither the Church nor the
Law would desert him ; for where the carcase was,
the crows would be. [hoard applause.] He did not
mean any thing 'disrespectful. All that could be
wished was justice in the Administration of the

It

Country.
And no Peer or Prince would say,
/leaven shortened George'i life one day.

Mr. REY xattn.—Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, j
I rise to oppose the proceedings of this day, because !
I think them premature. I was once the friend ofd
Reform, but having changed my opinion, which,
while I have life, I will always maintain. The Princess
cannot be said to be triumphant, until a Jury has pro-
nouuced on her case, and condemned her base accusers :
but while the Douglases are at large, and, with the most
shameless insolence, insult the country, even in the
House of Commons, he never would allow a victory
to have been obtained. lle considered part of the
conduct of the Princess to have been incorrect ; he
did not approve of her riding with a Gentleman in a i
single horse chaise ; and having read " The Spirit ,
of the Boot.," in which it was stated, that on OR
first night the Princess had informed her husband,
that her affections were not for him, he cannot think
the Prince.so much to blame. As the father of a
family, he had the right to order the education of 1
his child ashe thought proper,--and it certainly was !
for thigood of the country, that she should be ex-
eluded from the company of her mother. lle called
ion the Meeting to be careful how they raised a he-
tion in the country against the Prince, and said, the
troubles in France and Spain arose from the factions
attached to the Queens of those countries. After I
re-
marking on the contersation of the Princess with
I Mr. Waithman, he concluded by entering his pro-
test against the Address, and calling on every loyal
subject to support the Prince Regent.
Mr. H. Mmtsn replied to the last speaker, and
ably refuted his arguments. He spoke with warmth
against the base accusers of her Royal Highness the
Princess of Wales :—and, in alluding to the words
of the immortal Burke, who, in speaking of the suf-
ferings of the late unfortunate Queen of France, ex-
claimed, " There was a time when 2u,000 swords
would have How it from their scabbards to haveaveuged
her injuries," said, if such had not been the case in
England, millions of tongues and true British hearts
had come forward to proclaim her innocence. Ile
was surprised to hear the last speaker assert, that ne
triumph had been gained; merely because the Doug-
lases had not been placed where they deserved to be
z---in the pillory. Ile took a getter:A view of the
horrid conspiracy which had existed against an un-
prGtected female, and hoped the Gentleman would,
on mature reflection, wave his opposition to the Ad-
dress.

Mr. MoxcE observed, that the arguments against
the Address hardly merited notice : it was, however,
ealher_strange to hear au attempt made to justify the
commission of an injury by the permissiaii of another.
Since such a trumpery publication as 44 The Spirit
of Me Book" bad been quoted, it would riot be long
before the Triads of Baron Illunchausen were given
as authority. A party existed, whose object it was
to degrade the Princess, but by thegood sense of the
people, of England they had been defeated.
The High Sheriff put the Address end Resolutions,
which were carried, with only two' issentients, with
the greatest applause.
Mr. HALLETT, in a complimentary speech, pro-
posed the Thinks of the Meeting to the High Sheriff,
for the impartiality and ability with which he con-
ducted the business of the day, which was carried
unanimously.
Mr. RATogowE came forward to propose an affec-
tionate, Address to the Prince Regent :—he was pro-
ceeding to state, that the present was not the first
instance" in the llistory of England, of attempts
being niedo to suborn evidence to murder an inno-
cefit Princess, when he was stopped by the Shprilf,
r who said, as the Meeting had been called to address
the Princess, he could not-permit other matter to be
introduced.
After a short conversation between Want Gen-
tlemen, Mr. Itathboue withdrew his Mores', and
the Meeting was dissolved.

The battle between Oliver, the gardener, and
Cooper, will take place on Saturdays the 15th of
May.
Molineux and Carter art expected to fight shortly.

:,,r►~, _

• .

_ _ of Easter Term, the
Judeetwilted .spoh the Leto CHASCIILL* .411 the
inoseingi s,as punk, and theirlrecemisi.4 *VA to
their reepectiTe Cogrts.. ,

The Inlet returns as to the state of the Convicts
on board. the different bulks at Portsnieuth, Ply-
moutho; Greenwich, Langston Harbour; &c. .were
read, ,frem which it appeared that the y were, in ge-
neral, orderly and healthy, since the date of the last
return.
ItAilltAft PF:ItSONg.
Mr. PAlii moved for a Writ of Habeas Corpus,
for bringing before one of their Lordships at Chem-
hers, the body .of a Rev. Gentleman who was in
an insane state, and who had escaped out of the
custody. of Mr. Warburton, who keepi a house at
Holton, for the reception of insane persons, where
he had bfeen plaeed eeverat years ago by his family.—
The affidavit of Mr. Warburton stated, that the
Rev. Gentleman alluded to, whose name Mr, Park,
from delicacy, forbore mentioning, had been in-
trusted to his care by, his relatives, so long ago as
January, 1805.. Some time since; in the belief that
the unfortunate Gentleman was in a convalescent
state, Mr. Warburton allowed him to retern home,
sending with him one of his Keepers to attend on
him ; but, within a, fortnight, his conduct became
so outrageous, that his family were under the neces-
sity, of requesting that.he might be taken back to,
Mr. O'arburton's house. On the 7th of April last,
Mr. Warburton sent this Gentleman, with one of '
his Keepers, to Mr. Ware's, the Oculist, for advice
as to an inflammation in his eyes ; on which occa-
sion he prevailed on the Keeper to accompany him to
the house of Mr. Charles Ihrrison, an Attorney of
Court, residing in Lambeth, and having got thither,
he positive!), refused to quit it, or to return back to
Mr. Warburton's.
Lord Eumssoftoucn said, an application for a
Habeas, in this ease, had been made to him at
Chambers, and his reason for not granting it, he I
now recollected, was, that it was not stated in the
affidavit of the wife, on whose part the application
was made, that she believed that her husband still
was and continued in a state of insanity ; not only
so, but it did not even state that she had no reason I
to think otherwise.

Mr. PARK said, Mr. Warburton, in his affidavit,
swore that he was satisfied, from the period of the
Gentleman's coming into his house, that he was a
dangerous lunatic, and that he continued so till the
7th April, when he left his house. He had also the
affidavit of Dr. Stone, one of the Commissioners ap-
pointed along with Sir Lucas Pepys, and others, to
visit houses of the description kept by Mr. Warbur-
ton, who stated that he had examined the unfortu-
nate Gentleman in question, whom he esteemed a
dangerous lunatic, and requiring confinement ; he
also stated that he conAdered him a dangerous and
permanent lunatic.
Lord 17,11.1:xeonot7cu said, still there was no evi-
dence that the Gentleman. remained a lunatic to ►his
moment. It was strange that there should have been
such an omission in the affidavits, if the paylies
drl
not believe that he was now sane, and had recajered
his reason. Here there was a 'chasm left from the
7th April to this date. It was not required of the
party making the affidavit, and who might not have
had access to visit him, to swear that he was still
insane, but only that he or she believed that he was
still insane.

Mr. Justice LE BLANC said, a rule to show cause
was the common mode of proceeding in a case of this
kind.
Mr. PARR said, that would be attended with delay,
which might be dangerous.
Mr. Justice LE BLANC observed, this was not an
application for taking a person out of a custody in
which he was against his will, but for taking him out
of a custody which he himself bad chosen, for the
sake of restoring 'him into a custody iu which he had
been against his will.
Mr. PARK said, he should have an additional
affidavit, and should make his motion again to-
morrow.
Lord ELLENBOROUGII desired that it might he such
an affidavit as should exclude the idea of the Gentle-
man's being now iu a sane state. The motion should
be for a rule to show cause, and the service of the
rule should be on Mr. Harrison, with whom the sup-
posed lunatic was stated to have taken shelter.
SIR F. BURDETT B. TUE EARL OF MOIKA.
The ATTORNEYZENERAL thought it proper to
inform their Lordships that the parties in this cage
had entered into a rule, by which it was settled that
the Trisil at Bar, which stood for Monday, was not
to take place.

try whit much indebi
gaining great honour
Wales, had blasted
cause.
Mr. B. SIMONDs e
dead.
Mr. IIALLETT rr
any thing against. tht
in the present case,
it was but an act e
hard treatment whic
number of spies an
been surrounded, al
ber charities bad bet
her. lie condemn%
judicial -proceedings