The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-05-03 00:00:00

occasion.

But, Mr. PEIMEVAL saki in the House last I
night, —" He would ask any Gentleman, if this
46 was the language of Petition, which they had
44 heard to-night ? Instead of praying (or a rest.
" sion of the proceedings of the House, the Pe..
46 titioners enter their protest against the con.
66 duct of the Houses and dictate to it the mode it

"u to !name."

..•

Mr. PERCEVAL is remarkably ignorant of
the laws of his country—we beg his pardon, we
mean England. The object of a Petition to
the House, the le;ral, constitutional object, is
often. PROTEST in the form of Petition. It is al-
ways so, when it comes from the People stating
public misconduct in the House. The intention
is, to PROTEST against that misconduct. A Peti.
lion may be called a Remonstrance, and often has
been so called. But what is a REMONSTRANCE ?
it is something more than a Protest. It not only
protests against the proceedings of the House, but
argues with the House against its wrongs. But
whatever name may be given to this PROTESTING of
the People against any misconduct of the House,
it is the pillar of safety to the State and the Coital.
tution ; it calls back the House to the right path,
by legal and peaceable means, and shuts.the doer
against the practices of those, who, under the pie.
fence of correcting abuses, would destroy the
frame of Government. It as principally for
this reason we were sorry, alit! truly sorry, that
Mr. YORKE and Mr. WINDHAM have tried to bar
out the people from a knox ledge of the-proceed-
ings. of the House. Public opinion is the proper
controul upon that llouse,anti he is really the enemy
of the House, of the State, and of the Constitution,
who would remove that controul, or check its
power and operation—for such a one would in
fact substitute fur a peaceable and wholesome con.
troul the overwhelming indignation of the people,
which would aid must crush their enemies, sq.
probably the public fabric of the Constitution
along with those enemies. Mr. Paacar %I. and
Mr. You=r are IhOrt.lighted men ; and Mr.
WINDUAM Is a rash one—but we hope the
House has by this time reflected upon what it
is to do to-night, and will not only preserve itself,
but partly restore its own true dignity, by re.
raising the Middlesex Petition, and thus &Allow.
ledging the right (against the opinion of all their
ql advisers) of the people to speak to them as from
those who have only delegated power to them,
led do claim the privilege of PROTESTING
against any abuse of that power.

NVc learn, by a private letter from Liverpool,
that there will be this day presented to the MOTOR
of that place, a Requisition to call a Meeting, to
take into consideration the condudt of the House
of Commons towards Sir FRANCIS BURDETT. The
MAlrolts it is whispered, will refuse to call a Meet..
indfor such purpose; and therefore the eminent
persons who have agitated the Requisition, have re.
solved, in case of such refusal, to draw up, and
present to the MAYOR a Memorial, suitable to
the occasion. This Spirit, there Si now little ques.
Lion, will run through the whole country.

We have received Paris pepera to the 27th ult.
The articles of chief importance are those which
relate to Spain. Tranquillity is said to have pre-
vailed at Malaga, under the auspices. of SEBASTIA•
NI; and the Madrid Gazette of the 13th states, that
Granada was likewise quiet: "the inhabitants there.
oft being undeceived, thought only of living peace.
ably under the paternal Governmeneof the King."
The Papers likewise mention, that the French EM-
PEROR was upon the point of making an
.excursion
to his new Dutch dominions ; and private ae.
counts coincide with these in adding, that their
Majesties the Emperor and Empress of FRANCE
were at Antwerp on Sunday last, the 29th. The
name of Antwerp must create an uneasy emotion
in the mind of every honest Englishman 1
Yesterday, at one o'clock, Mr. Sheriff WOOD/
accompanied by Mr. BENG, one of the Members
for the County of Middlesez, went to the Tower,
to present to Sir FRANCIS BURDETT the late Reno.
lotions and Address of the Freeholders of Middle-
sex. The procession was attended by a vast con.
course of people, and cheered, 111 it paste along,
by enthusiastic plaudits, and repeated should of
66 BURDETT and the Conatitution !"