The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-02-21 00:00:00

sued alike naisbehaviOur in an Assembly, met for this
purpose of petitioning." This petition was referred tW
the former committee; and the committee in their re-
port, declare, " that the said Jefferies bath been guil-
ty of a gross violation of the right of petition, being.
at such time, the Recorder of London, which is 54
officer of the Crown." On the 211th Sept., Trenchard,
chairman of the Committee, reported, " that they
found the right of petition to be an ancient privilege
of the city of London, and that said G. Jefferies, by
preventing its exercise, had committed an encroach-
ment upon the tights of the subject." There was a
case, however, on their books, which in all point, re-
sembled that of the petition now before them. it was
a petition about infringements of general rights ; and
the petitioners were there to be found making allega-
tions precisely similar to those now under the consi-
deration of the House. They complained that they
had not had the power of duly petitioning. It appear-
s-1, therefore, that this sacred right bad been inter-
f •risl with, in the present instance, by the Sheriff of
Chester, in much the same manner as J nage Jefferies
had proceeded against the citizens of London, on the
same account, in the year 1690: and he should fol-
low up this view of the case by moving that the peti-
ti•in presented on the 19th instant be referred to a
committee, fur the purpose of ascertaining the facts
alleged, and of reporting thereon.--(Hear, hear.)--
This being the case of a vio'ation of the most sacred
duty of a sheriT, and a violation yet more gross—of
the most valushle rights of the subject, there were par-
ticular eirennistances connected with it, which should
render parliament extremely jealous of its authority to
protect, and of the rights which claimed its protec-
tion. la the first place, it was very difficult under the
new law, to get at any public expression of opinion at
all.--(Hear, bear.)—And in the next place, it was the
more necessary to do this, because the Noble lArd,
when the opinion of the nation, expressed in c.oinsy
meetings of the first consequence and character, was
nialst after night pressed upon his attention, was re-
peatedly maintaining, that nothing was to be
latherd
from the espressions of county meetings ;
that
the clergy and corporations, who cut so great a figure
every Saturday in our Royal London Gazette—(A
langli.)--ealticed in their addresses the real sentiments
of the nation.—(Laughter.)—" Therefore, when we
do get a county meeting" (continued the lion. gentle-
man) " ore should take care to see that we have fair
play."--(('heers.)-1t was not too much to asinine,
that if the ronaties had all been permitted to meet,
their dee:m.26ons would have been, by a majority be-
v,inil all proportion, against his Majesty's ministers.—
(('heers.)—Hid the Noble Lord (('astlereagh) deny
t fact i Why the sheriffs, in the first place, were
afraid to convene county meetings on that very ac-
count. The only instance in which at sus h a meeting
a loyal address haul been proposed, without lielitg in
the next in moon annittil ited, or beaten oil the field
by an atnentlment, was the county of Salop;—(llear,
from NI inisters ;)—anul even in that instance, his Hon.
Friend near him (Mr. Bennet) had published a letter,
which remained tocinswereil to this day, in which lie pre-
tested that if that aululress had b••en fairly put, a large
majority of the meeting would have voted against it.
(Hear). Butt this was not all. It was, to be sure,
somewhat true, when such men as Lord Crewe and
Earl Grosvenor, and the fressboldere of Chester, at-
tempted to explain the principles on which they moved
their amendment, that they could not be allowed to
express their opinions—(hear, hear;)—anal that when
the cle:gy and the corporations spoke, their language
wis to he takeu as expressing the sense of the coun-
try. Bat these Noble Lards and their brother free-
holders most be abused, to hoot! Let the House bear,
extracted from the London Ilazette, the latig,nage of
the loyal clergy and gentry of the town of Chester.—
(Here the II osourable gentleman read an extract to
this elect,---" We, your Majesty's most dutiful and
loyal servants, beg leave to express our unfeigned at-
tachment to your 31airsty's person and government.
Now, when faction has unfurled the standard of re-
bellion, an I !blasphemy preemies the land, tke.")—
There wits an address too from another part of the
Enmity r f (Ale .ter, which was published in the Gazette.
It was :sons a class of men tattier oddly named—from
the ineintwrs of the loyal Wellington club.—(A I.sugh.)
—at Stockport. This club, instituted its honor of the
great captain of the ag.., contributed freely to the
columns of the (Lizette their assumptions of peculiar
loyalty, their abuse of their fellow citizens, and their
political horror of blasphemy. Thus then were
dres-e- leave directly to contradict the statement of the
sheriff in his letter on the subject of potting the
amend:m.lA : for that gentleman haul distinctly and in
words said at the meeting—" 1 take upon myself to re.
fuse to pot the lineation on the amendment to the meet-
ing."—(,blear.)—lf the Sheriff of Cheshire had com-
mitted an error in judgment, that might appear by
examination before a committee; but at all events he
was anxious that the lionse should conic to a resolution
that the amendineut might to have been put, and that a
division should have taken place.
3lr. WARRE was convinced that the sheriff of
Cheshire had not acted with any intentional partiality,
even if he had erred iu point of form: he therefore op-
posed time motion.
Lord CASTLEREAGH felt that no case had bee*
oLule out to impeach the condnct of the individual in
question. No insinuation of blame had been uttered
against the intentions of the sheriff, and time conduct
of sheriffs at County Meetings were made the subject
tif the labour of committees, in what way were other
assendliies, whether convened by Lords I.ieutenant, by
five Magistrates, or in private rooms, to be excluded.
Ihe presidents of all these might in turn be brought
before the House, whose functions were ill qualified
fur such a duty. With regard to relevancy, who
should decide what was or was not relevant?
Mr. A. 310011 F. thought it of the highest importance,
as a questiu* of piddle right, that the House should in-
quire whether the Sheriff in this instance had violated a
Labile principle, or merely deviated from a formal rate.
Phu utlio. of Sheriff was purely Ministerial ; and wbest
he refused tug put an amendment, he exercised a discre-
tion with which lie was not invested. The persons as
semlated, and not the Sheriff, were to pronounce an opi-
nion on the relevancy or non-relevancy of the propo-
sitio
to
nsisubmittell to them. It was to that House aloe*
that
people could look for redress to a grievance of
this nature. A court of law could afford none ; but the
animadversion of the House, and a recorded stemma
of its opinion, could hardly fail to prove an effectual
eorreetien,
and prevent a repetition of the sane abase.
--(Hear.)
Mr. CREEVEY then shortly replied. If a Sheriff
could refuse to put the question upon an amendment, he

TIM STA'

conic' dot see what occasion be had to call the 'netting
at aU. In now pressing his motion be was actuated by
no vindictive feeling towards the gentleman whole coo-
duct was the subject of discussion; but be thodght the
[loose owed it to their constituents to uphold the sacred
right of Petition, to discountenance the new-fangled
doctrine, and to etptess their disapprobation of the
course adopted in this inatanre—The Hoose then divided.
Fur the motion, 65 Against it, l2j Majority, 57.
OLD STORES.
Mr. GRENFELL stated, that he did not think that
any Public Board could act upon a system of private
contracts, in the sale of public property, with safety.
He should then confine himself to the motion, that there
be laid before the House an account of all, Naval Old
Stores sold under the authority of the Naval Board by
private contract or private bargain, specifying the provi-
sions, the prices, the names of the purchasers fur the
years 1515-16-17-16.19-20. And the like account for the
same periods for the Ordnance.
Mr. R. WARD did not rise to oppose the motion, with
an exception to one particular part, which he should ex-
plain.—Some sales had taken place in the Department
of the Ordnance under private contracts, by which time
was given to the purchasers, and the Board bound itself
not to divulge the names of the purchasers, or the terms,
until the expiration of that period. lie agreed with
the Honourable Member (Mr. Grenfell) that public com-
petition was the most desirable rule for every public
Board, reserving to itself a discretion of adopting a pri-
vate sale, where the interests of the public recommend-
ed that course.
Sir T. 11. MARTIN stated, that this principle was
acted upon in the sale of old stores by the Navy Board.
Mr. GRENFELL did not find say- fault wills such an
arrangement, when it was the only mode they conld ob-
tain. He trusted, however, that the Hononfable Oen-
Orman (Mr. Ward) would have no objection to furnish
an enumeration of those contracts, in which the stipula-
tion not to divulge, for a certain time, the names of the
parties, was pledged.
Mr. Alderman WOOD wished to know how long it
would be before the time fur not divulginz the con-
tracts of Mr. Samuels 3nd another person would expire!
Mr. WARD, as we understood, said, August, next
year.
After a few words from Mr. Alderman BRIDGES,
which were inaudible in the Gallery, the motion, as
amended. was put anti carried.
On the motion of Mt. GRENFELL, there were order-
ed to be laid before the House an account of P•iblic Ba-
lances in the Bank of England, and the other notal Bank
Accounts.
AFRICAN COMPANY.

Mr. GOCI.BURN rose, pursuant to notice, to move
for leave to bring in a Bill to abolish the African t 'um-
pany, and to transfer and vest in his Majesty all the pro-
perty, dominions, and forts belonging to them. lie
wished not to he nnd•-rstood, thit by making such a mo-
tion, he cast ally imputation whatever on the African
Company.
Mr. MARRYAT defended the conduct of the African
Company in the administration of the duties assigned to
them.
Mr. GORDON s'•.pported the motion. He was deci-
dedly of opinion, that the wisest way was, that (ovrrn•
went slionbl have the complete snperintrndener of the
whole of the affairs which the Company had directed.
Mr. %V. SMITH said * few words in fAvour of the mo-

tion.
Mr. WILBERFORCE said, that to facilitate the ob-
jects connected with the Abolition of the Slave Trade,
and the progress of civilization, it wa4 not only expe-
dient. but intlispensahle, that the Government should
have the sole direction of the affairs usty.:lly transacted
by the African Company.
Mr. 001; LIIU RN relined.
The motion tras then agreed to.
On the motion of Mr. 144W1A11.41N, it seas (Amid
that the, Howie should resolve itself into a Con iiii ittee
on Friday next, for granting a reasonable allowance to
such persons as shonld not be confirmed in the manage-
ment of the said forts, or retained in the service of Bo-
vernment.
Mr..l. P. BRANT moved, that certain papers he laid
on the Table, containing accounts of the Furvied and
Unfunded Debts, and the charges relative to the same.—
Ordered.

NEW MOUTH WALES .WT.
On the motion of Mr. GOULBURN, the Ilonse
te-
solved itself into a Committee for combiqlering the Act of
the 9th of lieo. 111. relative to the dories of New Smith
Wales, and the propriety of conflating the same. The
Resolution was agreed to, and leave given to bring in a
Bill to that effect.
AVER AGFA OF CORN.
Mr. ROBINSON gave notice, that he would on Mon-
day next, -e for a Committee to take into considera-
tion the Acts of the 311th, 4 Ith, awl 45th of lien.lll.
and submit a motion on the present mode of striking

the average price of morn.
The other Driers of the Day trete then disposed of,
and 6,, House artjoorned at ten o'rlock.

PRICE OF STOCKS TIII9
Ronk Stock ?1G
1 per Cent. Red. 73111
3 per Cent. Con. Nal
Se per (.nt. Sie
4 per Cents. Olt
opr Ct. Navy Mei
3 per Cent.
Long Ann. 19 13.16 13-16
lisp. 3 per Cent. 11

DAY AT ON 111 O'CLOCK
Irish 3 per lent.
India stock
Ditto Ronda 404. 414. Ain•
South-Sea Old Ann. 73
ELI:1111.2d. 34. Is, 34. pm.
woollies for Money
Rank for Account
Con. for Aeet Wen
Lott. Tickets 231. 10s.

HIOII WATER AT 1.0,100,1 RRIDOE ro-v Gamow,
Moraine. U alio. after b.—Er&niae. Iti sin. after