The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-10-16 00:00:00

.1, --0,

17Fv7s-y•revw

torttiftilet Vlne.street, Piccadilly, who •fated,
that hebil every reason to believe that the order
was wtlitert by a lad of the name of Charles Blue,
' who had done it oat of a frolic to the Prisoners,
and he believed, the order was written in bis alike
that afternoon, bnt without his knowledge; in
fact, the lad had told him he wrote the order as a
trick upon the Prisoners.
Mr. Newcomb proposed that he and one of
their Masters %could be answerable for the Prim
soners' appearance on Monday, when the lad
should be brought forward, which Mr. Brandon
agreed to, and they were liberated.

THE STATESMAN: _. •

Sr.dIVOING
lt well be seen by the following proceeding or,
a Court Martial, bold at Leeiv, that hieurenant
%Viten is eashieted for the outrages committed by
him, iii that wan, on the filth of Aiigust last.,
The decision of the' Court was such as might
have been expected--bet while we applaud the
,setitence, so far as it goes, we cano.t refrain
from expressing our astonishment at the fantasy
in which the charges arc cuacbed. An Officer,
after having created a disturbance in the town,
quarrelled with, and insulted the inhabitants—in
the plenitude of military authority, calls uut his
guard, seizes the person of the chief Gonstable of
the town, and two other inhabitants—marches
them away, under a guard of soldiers, to the
guard.lion.e, and there haprisons them. These
acts are, of themselves, sufficient to excite the
indignation of the country—but, as the very
climax of outrage, he finally calls out a party of the
6th Dragoons, and C harges the peopk--tbe peace-
able, ',noel:tiding people in the streets of Leeds—
appily no mischief was done—we say happily,for,
hail even a single man been wounded, this Lieut.
Werra must have been adjudged guilty of Murder
under Lord'ELLeNtionouon's Act—for the only
diflereuce between an assault a ruffian with a
knife, and an unlawful charge o dragoons, is, that
the probability of maiming, or slaying, is multiplied
in proportion to the number of dragoons. These
multiplied and aggravated outrages are mildly de-
scribed in the gentle phraseology of " being un-
becoming the character of an Officer and a Gen-
tleman, subversive of good order, and military
discipline, anal-contrary to the articlei of mar ;"
hut not one syllable, even by reference, to the
larovf the land. Every reference is military.—
We du net impute to the Gentlemen compo-ing
the Court Martial, the slightest deviation from the
accustomed forms of such Tril tines as Courts
Martial—it is doubtless conformable to etiquette;
but it is high-time that language so feebly descrir-
live of offences cummitted upon the persons, and
against the liberties of the subjects of his MA.
JlaTY—should cease to usurp that of cam-
mon sense, common propriety, and of common
respect for the People of England. It is probable
that the expressions ID which we have thought it our
duty to cull the attention of our Readers, may not

hare attracted general observation—bat we feel
confident, that when the subject is duly consi.
tiered, there will be an univeveld'itobseidenee of
sentiment. A Standing ArinrkiNl been the final.
agent hj which Liberty has been crtiagittaked in
every country that has tasted Frecdoti—nor
is it possible that a free people can ever be too
jealous of the domestic application of Military an.
thority ;hut when we find outrages against the liberty

and safety of the subject, such as thosecoasmitted by
Lieutenant Witty; described by the tender epi.
flirts of ungentlemanly and um:Oyer:44e, instead
of being reprobated as against the law of thalami,
all that we shall say is—Let the People of Eng;
land open their eyes to their situation.
To virvitice our Readers that our jealousy of
standing armies is neither excessive, nor unsup-
ported bYupinians of unquestionable weight, we
recommend to their perusal the preamble to the
Mutiny Bill, in u hich they will find indisputable
evidence of a standing army being a subject of
riedisuss, absolutely inseparable from the British
Constitution. •
•
, Wberess a standing army in time of peace, without the
" connect of Parliament, 14 euturary to lattr.",
is very true that neither are west peace, nor
is the consent of Parliament withheld from the
existence of our present standing erney...but inch
is the jealotiv of the British Constitution of
standing armies, that the sanction of Parliament
Is necessary to be renewed annnally by the Mu.
tiny Bill—which, were Parliament to reject, the
army would cease to exist.
IVith respect 'to the benignity with which his
Mammy has been advised, in consideration of
Abe yooth of Lieutenant Wutve, to permit him
again to eater the army, we cannot but view this
consideration of hisyoutk as an absolutely prac-
tical essay on our Military System ; ter it clearly
recognizes the adtiii.sien of penises into the ar.
my who were not proper NO their situations.
To us it appears iuconsprthesisibleohst a man
who (though a youth) has been guilty of each
outrages against his countrymen, can ever be
deemed fit to be entrusted with that power which
shall enable him to be guilty of a repetition.

At a General Coart.Martial, hold on tile 20th
ult. at Leeds, Lieut. William White, of the 23d
regiment of foot, was arraigned upon the follow.
lug Charges :
" Ist. For golog_into the greets of Leeds in liquor, on the
uight nf 'theft* of Au I last, and then mist there br‘setlinx
a diaturtsware, nig a Ith some of the lishabitqps,
which coattail was uobecoutiog the character of au Witter
and a flentlesaan.
"Yd, Fur disturbing the peace of the lawn oo the mete
night, by mot unwarrantable acts, sir.. First, by rninesittoug
to, military confinement. in the regimental guard-blouse, Wm.
Ihitheld, thief constable of the town, st lin was then in the
areets In the execution of his duty. hecudli. Itraissoking
Tatiana, Sharp, the laudturd of the White-titer, Kirtdate,
in Leeds, in his owls house. Thirdly. By courtnitting Wm.
SteeßlerAill. an itsbabitant of AlilLbltl, near Leeds, to mili-
tary continewirot in the regimental guard-home of the tub
olfloguon giants, whilst 'Attn.; quietly and peaceably in toe
W note Haw tohlcA said' lows oho olieram.
LAeaAaewetit of an (liner eta. Chatham...
" 3d. Fur calling out the regasoetstal guarded' the Gth drar

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