The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-05-17 00:00:00

went on reading, but it was impossible to hear
him. Upon his mentioning the word independent,
one of the Freelionlers cried out, 46 fur God's
sake leave oat the word independent, there is no
Independence among you." He continued read.
ing, but he was repeatedly interrupted by excla.
mations of 66 It won't do, It won't do." He
concluded by saying, " as many of you as are of
opinion, I mean as many of you as will sign this
Declaration, come forward and put your names to
it." The parchment Declaration would most cer.
tainly have met with the same fate as the list of-
names which the Freeholders had so woefully de.
composed at the door of the other room, had not
Mr. Mellish snatched it up, and made. precipitate
retreat, under the protection of his partisans.
Where they-went to, God knolls.
A Freenoider, in a loud voice, exclaimed, " It
is requested that the Friends of Freedom will not
. leave the room, till counter-resolutions have.been
en.ered into."
Mr. BENTLIi:Y.---44 Gentlemen, I am sure if
iu will commies for one moment, you will see
-whlt m the only true way you ought to pursue.
What is it to us whet these Counter.declarationista
do at their private Meetings, which merely pro.
fess to be Meetinito of the Freeholders of Middle.
sex ? Why, GLlalomen, it appears that the paper
calling the hilteti together is without date or sig-
nature—it is not dated from any town, city, house,
hamlet, or tavern, nor is it even signed. Gentle-
men, the coursc before you is a very plain one.
The declaration of any Meeting, purporting to
be a Meeting of any Body, is the declaration of
no Meeting acknowledged by the Constitution
of this kingdom, unless it is called and convened
by the proper public functionary. I take this
opportunity of saying that the Meeting, which
has been so surreptitiously held this day is a foul
and scandalous Attempt against the independence
of the Freeholders of the County of Middlesex.
What would be your situation if a Requisition
without a name signed to it, and without being
dated from any place, could be an authority far
calling a meeting with a view to put down the Re.
solnti• ns of the County of Middlesex at large?
As it is a foul attack ou your independence, I have
only to recommend to you to do every thing in your
power to resist it, and as it is a ineasuro that ought
to be discountenanced by every well.wisher to his
country, you will signify your disapprobation of it
by every constitutional means in your power."
[Loud plaudits.] „. , •
Mr. THOMPSON then moved, that Mr. Bent.
ley should take the Chair, which he accordingly
did,

Mr. BENTLEY—" Gentlemen, several Rego.
lutions have beeu handed to me, which I will now
proceed to submit to your approbation; the first
is—
" Resolved, That it is highly unconstitutional, and deserv-
ing the severest censure, to site opt, by any wean', to coun-
teract the proceedings of Meetings ofFreeholders of
Middlesex, legally and constitutionally asserts togetkr."
--(Universal applause.]
Mr. BENTLEY.—" Gentlemen, that you may
Dot be taken by surprise,l will read the other Re.
solutioos, and they will be put to you afterwards
Separately. Thesecond Resolution is,
" Resolved, That this !fleeting du highly approve of the
late p,weeedings of the Freeholders of Middlesex, tat Hack-
to cap. ess their opluiou upon print dangeruns.to the
liberties lit the country, and to Petition for a Reform to Far-
liame.r."
reneral approbation was expressed • several
VC.. 4hP' •• Take the Resolution into the room
;4 a 4; Mellish nosilhis Party are!"—•4 No!" said
shkers, '• they mill run aunty frees room to room
to hide them elvev!"l- Gentlemen, I think when
you refer t,s the circumstances under which this
cowing -derlaratiosi was been obtained, you will
giva these Resolntiptes your support. It is ob.
viols that the Meeting for the purpose of passing
tine declaration has been attempted to be smuggled
in 4 most shameful. and underhand manner. ThO
peper, as .1 have already observed, by which the
Id was convened, was dated from no place,
and signed by no man. lam persuaded you will
not suffer the Freeholders of Middlesex to be so
insulted." He then put the first Address to the
vote, which was carried with loud acclamations,
nemine contradicente.
Mr. THOMPSON.—a Gentlemen, while. our
Chairmau is correcting a passage in one of the
Resolutions intruded to be put, I will read this
to you—
" Resolved—That the conduct of dime persons Who have
attempted by Filch improper menus to convene the Meetiag,
at winch Sir (iibboni has pre.ninivd to act a:. Chair-1
man, is deservio4 of the utmost ceaiure, particularly, for
the etzutdestinei•ircumshilice of convening it by a. letter with-
out a date, or siirmature."
Mr. BENTLEY then explained, that the letter
alluded to was dated generally " Middlesex," but
there was no date from any particular place.
Mr. TIIOMPSON observed, he was sure that
tlr. Mellish had said there was no name to the
letter. Meerut. the letter was written by, ir-ett-
a twist unhandsome attempt, b.dh on the part bf the
writer and of Mr. Mellish, to subvert the privi-
leges of the Independent Freeholders of the
County of Middlesex; and he did hope, that at
the next election, they would mark their sense of 1
his conduct, by their indignant rejection of
him as their Representative.—[Plautlita—:" lie
trill never represent Middlesex again."]-
1( Coustitutiunal Meetings of the People wens
thus to be subverted by Placemen and Pensionersol
...-if what was falsely culled public meetings wore
to be held in private rooms and closets, therel
would he an end of our liberty. He lamented
that their. Representative she': tit have become so
abandoned as to enlist among the mercenaries whip,
were destroying the Constitution. He hoped that
all who heard him were animated by their love
and attachment to the country. However foul
and rancorous Might be the abuse which was le-
velled they might be called Ja-
cabins, they had the emisciousnes in their
own breasts Oat they did not deserve the
reproaches of their enemies. The real Jacobins
were not those who Were StappOrtiONat: Comfits.
lion, but those who were endeavouring to under-
. mine and destroy it—the Borough' faction, who
were lording is witlsosit law, not only over the
King; but the real Representatives of the eouple.
When we considered how the present House of
Commons was packed—that 307 of its Masaben

jW4rW, 'Y ;`
.