The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-04-09 00:00:00

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sad in a very able awl copions manner, exprelsed his
full approbation of the Petition moved by the Sol&

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Lord•
Mr. NORTII3IORI said it was now 2G years since he
I:ad the distinguished honour of addressing his fellow
freeholders at a county meeting. It was upon that
rlorious occasion when be E.Toisded the motion of Sir
;lames lone., for putting a st.sp to that overgrown pro-
digality and corruption attendant on the war, which
be foresaw, and honestly foretold would end in cala-
elite, despotism and ruin.
They were told by Lord Rolle that the constitution of
this country was the envy and admiration of the Rudd,
now he would venture to say, that no nation in the world
either envied or admired it ; —it consisted of rotten bo-
rongle, aud a pretty nest of them we had in this county
barracks—standing armies—dungeons and gagging
arts—sli-Oress of every kind—paper money—parsons en-
joving pluralities against the law—spies—pfortners
lslood-usonev usen—purloiners of public charities—a debt
which can never br paid—a taxation collected by a stand-
ing army —and when our fellow creatures assembled to
complain, they were inhumanly butchered by the blood•
thirsty Yeomanry, who received the thanks of the saints
in the government. This then was the envy and admira-
tion of the ..world. They paid men for doing their duty
(and he wished they heel mere such to pay)—they pail
others far doing scarcely any thing, and •o
tie for doing
nothing at all, of which there were plertiful instances
in the Red-Wok ; and for this every thing was taxed ;
their hats were taxed upon their heads, their shoes were
taxed upon their feet, and every particle from head to
f,ot was taxed. Was not this a tight little island :—(a
laugh.)-31r. N. after expatiating' upon the distressed
state of the country, asked bow coned it be otherwise,
whilst rotten representation and pensions existed'? 144
peers returned 300 members to Parliament, and a few
Commoners and thavernment lts; wore, so that the total
returned by nomination were 4,7. The Peers, with their
families an I connections, divide about three usillions,
whilst the Members of the Lower [louse, and their fa
tallies, average about one million more. Ile then pro-
c..eded in a striking manner to expose the grievances of
the notation and the prodigality of the expenditure,
„id he :hoeld conclude olds a short historical fact
Edsctrol, the Confessor. (mire raised a heavy and grievous
tax upon an impoverished people, his Minister collected
all the money in a heap in a room with folding doors.
issto which he poinponsly ushered the King to show
what lie had dour; the King, who was a little supersti-
tions, upon the dour. being opened, started back with
horror, for lie saw the Devil sitting upon the heap ;
noon whieh he asked the Devil why he sat there, the
Devil reolie.l—" 1 am guarding my own gold." " 1
atlitsre thee," said the King, " to tell me why
thou cagiest that gold thine."—" I call it mine," said
the Devil, because it was obtained from the sweat
of the brows of industry"—upon which the king or-
dered his Minister to restore the gold to those from
wham be lettl taken it. Mr. N. had three wishes-
-Ist. That when any grievous tax was raised, that the
Itlinister might see the Devil sitting upon the heap.—
That the sifht of the Devil might leave the same
effect upon their nerves as upon those of Edward.—
That as the Devil had lung since ceased to appear
among mankind, which he was very sorry for, as his
Satanic Majesty was much waisted, he hoped that Mi-
nisters would perceive it hat was worse than ten Devils,
thee isoligitant voice of a free people.
Colou. I PELL said, alter the able, eloquent, and
constitutional speech of the Noble Mover, he would
not presume to think lie could throw any additional
tight on the subject; hut he felt he should disgrace
himself for ever if he reirasioed from allowing publicly
his eonvorretter it; every word of the petition, and his
un-halsen co isletion, that without a free and fair re-
pr •sentation of Ilse people in the House of Commons,
there coald be no chance of alleviation in the dis-
tresses of the cottutry.—(clear, hear.)--lie was in the
habit of mixing lunch in society in London as well as
in this county, and he went into none but where the
necessity of a just nod moderate Parliamentary reform
was admitted. With,tut it, indeed, the greatest evils
would acaue to the country. Ile concluded by quoting
the words of 31r. Pitt, who in the former part of his
life was of the same opinion.
Mr. TUCKER in a very powerful speech illustrated
111,. objects of the proposed Petition, and urged the
necessity of this great and opulent county touting for-
ward to --hew what they meant and what they required,
and to soond loudly throughout England, the words
retrenchment and reform. The Sheriff then enquired
if any other gentletnan wished to deliver his sentiments,
and no one coming forward, the amendment was put
and negatived, there being but a very small number of
voices in its favour, and the original motion was car-
ried with cheers.