The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-12-26 00:00:00

NORFOLK.

: .6.

4011MIMIla r-

NORFOLK COUNTY MEETING.
TO TOR LANDLORDS AND DRS OP TES COV:iTT OP

Keneing ton, Dec. 25,1822.
OINTLIIIgh-11 read, in a paper called the Norwich I
Mercury, an account of a Meeting of the County of
Norfolk being about to take place. I see the requisi-
tion, signed by a great number of person.; and 1 also
see that the High Sheriff has appointed Friday, the 3d
day of J y, for holding the Meeting. As an
Englishman 1 should have a perfect right to offer you
ivy adtic. 'upon this occasion ; bat beteg, as 1 am, a
freeholder Vibe County of Norfolk, 1 think it my duty
to &lit; not because I have any right to suppose my-
self better informed they you ; but because I see, in the
Norwich Mercury above, me. tioned, very strenuous
endeavours made to prevent you from uder, at the
ensuing Meeting, any thing like effectual Heim.
The requisition states the object of the Meeting to
be, to take into consideration the unprecedented die
4. tresses of Agriculture, and the beat means of relieving
" those disttestes.".. To take the distresses into consi-
deration je not much more necessary than it would be to
take the weather into consideration, or the soother of
days in the year, or Any etteste'shitste that ii perfectly
uotorionit;
,but to take inset.tonsideration ; that is to
say, to drink of, to ensgeetistio peopose, to discuss, the
feet medal rleSTlitleng •illeef distresses, is, indeed, a.
most iMpOrtant mother: a matter requiring a knowledge
• of the !elect, spirit to propose eff:ctual means of relief,
;and tench patience, impartiality and mute* Indulgence
. of each other, in the discussing of those des..
It would have been pleasing, therefore; -to see, in..;
'Newspaper of this great county, which newspeperaffeete
•to be a guide is these matters ; it would have been
pleasing to see all premature discussion, on the subject,
abstained fronikShis Dews-paper; or, if it iheeght it
its duty to prepeve its raa aa s fur the Meeting by pre-
vious discussion, It would have been pleasing to see
't
, suggesting sonic, at least, of the things which it loarditl
upon as proper to be prayed tor, as the means of tenet
The paper in qnestion haii, I am sorry to perceive, takes
a course very different from this. It has pointed out,
one means; one particular means, which it seems to be
• pretty certain, will be proposed to the meeting ; and it'
has not only reprobated such proposition before hand,
bit has indulged itself (for it would really seem to he
• happy while it is employed In abusing), it has indulged
itself id censuring, nay, in vilhifying the parties from
whom it expects that such preposition will proceed..So
that, if this paper were to have the effect, in this case,
seldeb i obviously desires to have, the ineetiew would
• MI6 pinta. under a restraint imposed upon i; not to
- listen to this reprobated proposition. This Is worse,
*-thliM any partiality that can take place at the meeting .
for it is actually destroying the liberty: amen this one
day's liberty, of the oppressed parties, befoul they meet
to disease the means of obtaining relief.
The particular proposition allnded to, U Hist for a
/Worm of the mouse of Common*. Certain)y this pro.
pdvitiou may be made with perfect consistency; for the
requisition states, thit the Meeting Is to take place for
the purpose of taking into consideration the best means
girsaering the distresses of the Landlords and Farmers.
1; therefore, it be the opinion of any our, that there
ire no effectual means of relieving these dist
scithoat a Reform of the Rouse of Common.; if there
be any one who is of this opinion, or, if his opinion be,
• that such a Reform would be amongst the best meansof'
• ohtaining the desired relief; if either of these be the'
case, is such person not to be permitted• to propose such
' Worm ; end is he to be darted before hand, and retire-
Seated as a person wishing for plunder, because he is
• oespected of entertaining the intention to make such
proposition to the Meeting? Gentlemen, if you admit
this to be right, yod at once sanction the dectrioe, that
• a County Meeting really is afarce.
I elioold, as I said before, have left the whole of the
• subject to he discussed at the ;meting. I should have
thought ir, not only presneminons, but extremely inile-
. carom., eery nntair, and very offensive to yon, to attempt
' to forestell the discussion iu any manner or through any
channel ; lint the publication above mentioned, renders
it neo•erery that some one should rebut the censure
'which- has thus been passed before hand ; and, as I
• happen to have in my bands the ;neves of endeavouring,
at least, to do this, 1 shall, with your indulgence, make
that endeavour.
It is always right, on all occasions, to hear both sides.
' I Will therefore, first lay before yon this article of this
Normich Mercury (of the 21st of December), to which
I have been alluding. I shall number the paragraphs,
• lest I should have to refer to particular parts of them ;
and 4 request your attentive perusal of the whole piece
of writings I request vou to read and to judge without
prejndire ; and if you find any thing ins the shape of ar.
lettment here, which is mot successfully answered by me,
• yonr decision will be against my opinions and in favour
of those of this writer.
THE APPROACHING COUNTY MEETING.
1. Our readers will see by the loag list of names which
• this day occupies our coiscona, that this business is really
an object, of deep interest with the respectsibie m•euplers of
the soil. At the name time they who are anxiossly employ-
ed in beginning this conatilutionsl and rational advents to-
wards redress, cannot but harp parer/eft that calumny and
a principle. Itspolistble, still more asaligneet, are at work to
defame the proeee•!ings beige. Mind, or to nullify them In
their progress. The mole (Merida they probably mill them-
selves) of Ministers are most eager to represent all such
meetities es yot up for mere putty purposes. and to sustain
their charge; they anticipate. that to lutrrass their Idols the
Ministry is the real purpose, RIM that to this Intent the
(legation of gamin Iles lathe bottom. and will appear epon
the surface—that to told out what are known to be the gee
swine ono praiseworthy motives of the movers of the meet-
lug, In a tallowy put f.wth only to cajole the supporters of
Government Into assisting, or If such be the only ends of
the Committee; that there era partizans who will overrule
this design. atol turn the whole matter their own way. Tnis
is the Mitsisteriel method of assailing meetings for the pur-
pose of petition.
• 2. On the ottlee sides few but desperatelY factious men,
who are labouring to exasperate the minds of suffering in-
dish:ea:a, to break down all respect to persons or to con-
dition. and to was* a war against property, who put for-
ward Reform as a pretext, but whose real aims are laid
bare by their Inveterate malignity easiest every, one above
themselves: thin very ergotl but desperate faction, we soy.
is on the other baud. endeavouring to drive the meeting
into 'the adcption of a resolution for Reform. If Reform
makes no part of .its objects, then, according to them, the
whole will Ise as coating.
3. It resin rev but a very little common sense to see to the
bottom ot these shallow and violent pretenders on both
Sides. The one set wishes to stifle an those just complaints
of the suffering classes which declare, is language not to
be misunderetond, the errors—the unpardonable errors of
an Administration which have brought more misery upon
the country tnan could possibly have been imagined could.
from any wisiskanagenannt, attend a period, end a lung period

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