The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-04-05 00:00:00

To as BBlls9ll 6f THE snriesm.im

CI R. • lilsrth 31.
With the opinion delivered last Thestlay eight; in the
Bowe of Commous, by Mi. Bne nes. that "the question
86 ;sea J.:debate. of the Rights and Powers chimed by the
„!owe. was ef mire importance thee twenty Walcifetieit
4. gspetlitiens," 1 most fully coincide: l even go teethes,
oil say. deo saser wit there agitated within the walls of
gist House, a questiou of snore serious cousequence to the
liberties air l tranquiiiity of the cowttry. It is no lelista guess
tioo. Meg whether we are to have real and essential'(lOelty 4
ore hetber, under at mockery of freedom, and a einisitetion
J mere forms. we are to have a most tincoatrouled despotism,
te4 to submit V. the. most absolute Theretbre,
Clussh the Walclieren Expedition be SO deeply dyed in the
test blood of the nation, aid a jest retribution •so loudly In.
yokes on the authors of It that condign punishment, which the
tidy two zings and strithings of the lawyerly little quibbling
are contorted in all the slippery sinuosity of the
yes to elude, and I fear will succeed in sneaking from'; yet
skis Espeditiun, with all its failures and disgrace, is of much
k' importance, than what so vitally involves the very heart's
puha:inn, and perhaps the eternal fate of the country. It
ts:-.s from liberty all the prosperity of England sprung; from
Ste. ty her soperierity ie valour, in wisdom, in virtue, and in
aud whatever was great or good in her, arose.—
If 1:;4t source of all that is glorifies and noble be withdrawn,
• co...sequences e ill soon follow. and leave but the trace
behied to oven the sigh of rejection, or draw the tear of au.
v.:A. But the power which the House of Commons
sue, to Inc veins fame:sin; sod if it it ill be anise ed, leave all,
'tie slimier'. dry. I say, the vote that decides in favour of
• rower, sounds the last knell of liberty. Aimless power,
et whatever prison, or body of persons, it resides; is mortal
to Watts) ; and not may to liberty, but to common justice.-
5a- it is a motatrous combination in the same hands, of the
eseettive, legislative, and judnial powers;—there it is an
isomers! esien of accuser and judge, of plaintiff and jury, in
tie same person : n::d what is yet worse, it executes lint, it
tessiutses, and laStly it legislates and decides, that what it
les etecuied and judged is right. Though the Commons
erre e;ested seven times in one year, instead of once in seven
euee such s coalition of incongruous functions in them Would
he still despotism; and, " disguise itself as it may," would
he fundamentally and utterly destructive to every principle of
greediest anal iudependmise, and would be still absolute power.
It is ootaiug to tell use, that some former Houses of Commons
e..isner it, and even exercised it. So did they c:aiia other
privileges, which, thisuels more appropriately coming within
is true monies of privileges, are uuw abandoned. They
elsetiel privileges for their servants, and their horses. and
tSeira.oes: tie exercise or the risist of these privileges is now
giveaup. Then why should not those other privileges, or what
are rrroreously called privileges, when snare coot rary to reason
awl equity, mote 'Dui ust, and more oppressive, be also given up?
Sorely very great reflection is iieceesry, to enable us to
perceive hew truth more grievous the one is than the other.
Ow, however unjust, is but a passlee protection Orproperty ;
Cc a.her, i- aw tictive, invasion not only of propeky; but of
proon. thy the one, the Commons keep their oWit,'or what
is is their own possession ; by the other, -they attack and in-
yak our persure, mid deprive us of what is our most real
surf natniAl property, the source of wealth and industry,
sod eiCalllrmi of our personal freedom and exertion. If
pity abandon the less injustice, why not also the greater
' beery 1 Our Monarchs had pun ers and p.erogatives which
sky were obliged to abandon. Queen Luz AB tan claimed
sat tile' cased the power of imposing silence On her Com-
mas, ns well as the Coinaious now claim thut of silencing
ill Ise other inhabitants of the land. The power was
equslly just in the one and in the other... But if the
Monarch was eompalled to give it up, why leave it to
ee abject (fur, "in to of pride," the Cournoni ought
is be still no more Shan subjeCts)? Uo our reeresenta-
tires claim the power of oppression and Injustice by prescrip-
tion Why do we boast our Constitution? We say it is
hue au reason. If so, though it was not perfect at first,
acid it not be a system of proeressive anselioratiou? But
tennis the anselioratiou in baring our representatives, those
don we Choose. to protect our rights and to redress our
map, in having those very guardians of our interests,
that sentinels of our weal, defend a grievance, merely bee
use It is ao ancient grivaaee ? Even though this privilege
(rs It s called) of the /louse of Commons were as perfectly
hcoofmnity to Magna Chula, and to our Chaitered Co*
Onion, as it is in direct centrisdletion to thens,./p, it these
den we thoose to redrew our wrongs should 9intea4 for a
tatemation of what is so oppressive and usijuish The very
Wiseiple of this privilege, or rather prerogative{ is txreanical ;
ficrefore in its principle should it be renounced..the times
di for a renuaciation of it. The *cry arpnitini fur this
dam thews that they do. When In addition to its Many other
ernes of complaint against our representativel, tee set men
01.14 openly forward and coutending for a pewee in such
ussusition to equity and reuses, ands) galling and degrading
to the country, on the bare argument. that it bass been
!gaudy assuined, are we pot moat dearly shown how far
WS are to be trailed, and how far we should leave io their
hail* absolute disposal of what is still, I hope, dearer to

*than our lives, our PERSONAL PERERON, mid of course,
**political liberty ? Whoa I because we express our doubts
*the wisdom, or condemn the &lib of what our represen:
tares soy in their public capacity, we are to he shut tip in
ktorceratioa, deprived of tbato without which life is worse
tax of nu value, is rendered intolerable to every feeling of
Ilholiens or ns ibility, a dark and tedious gluons, a heavy
adivisoine bunhen ! we are tube debarred of that freedom,
without winch an the beauties. of nature are pouted abroad
ban profusion. The very priocipk of this most eldest
std tjrounical pretension shoulcluherefore be perisitielyabro-
Pledi and if Sir Fa ANCIS he doomed to sutler the oppres-
Ibsof despotism, I hope Mr. WIIIITNRRAD, ur Mr. WAR-
-11.1.9 ur Lord FoLeasTON E, or Mr. BRAND, or that truly
"light and liberal lawyer, that phesomenoo in Isis profession,
ALINUEL ROSMAN. will snake a motion for the entire
Mbs. aaead.to such a claim. If Mr. tioraantast bad
idayed ti.l after the decision of the important question tidit
614 occupied the attention of the House, I would say, he
maa:ier in bringing this power forward against
4_,Prloo of such powers and taleild as Sir Fat. scts. It
WA not he kept as a bait of destruction to be buried only
tthe heal of weakness and inability to offer any resistance.
FeANcss's breach of privilege, if it was a breach, was
IRS greater than that of poor Jo Iv us. Besides, he is a Mem-
,. Taerefore ifJo Ls di ...eserved puaishtneut, Sir FRANCIS
'vriCi it 13 a tenfold degree: lied Mr. Las nee IDGZ, as
*gives his honour he was not made a tool of on this occa-
111e, limed his :natitin a littk better, hail his voice stuck a
akie hiOner to his throat, as well as his hairs stood an end—
* VlLrlotreibus Aerit steterunt que Coottly,"—he would bee*:
. to our thanks for bri ,git;g the question tb a full and fair
":3". A 4 here I tuaiataio that though Sir F 4 acte.s
*lll should be allowed to be a libel on the House, and
-‘NS he is.a !amber of that House, still the House has no
nibs of imprivoniog him for his letter. Though I allowed
4_.ac n rirsser letter, that the Coin:nous had a .power of cons-
' their tit a Mc* hers I did not allotv that this r

riser

4,41:41!?art of this Irtter was written before the decision
"'herern Liprditiou: unfortuuately oty fears were
f ndd.

could ht nveintel on every occasion. It is only when Aso-
lutettecemity requires their exercise of committal It is B& W.
able. This atssollte necesiiiv Is only for what classes *IOW
their own walls; and a menthol b no longer in any *give
under the jurudiciion of the Speeker, when he leaves the
Haase. if Sir Ft 4 acts is guilty of a libel, lit the public 'le-
aser be...called. Ser.Vie I Where an ydu ?—Stand up, thou
pillar of justice, thou ,advocate of bony ! Stand op, and
do thy duty, our very ungrateful to thy nature is the task I
Where these are other; and fair and Constitutional means o
obtaining redress, whoiwill say that the injured party. or the
party conceiving itself injured, bas a right to the office of
judging in its own cause ? Sir FRANCIS'S case is out one of
those instances, where absolute necessity justifies in the in-
jured party the exercise of inflicting punishment. His letter'
did ant interlope the proceedings sir the Home. or in any way
prevent their discussions. Though that pitiful, little, prating
P—L, took occasion from if to distract the Rouse, his
mean and paltry shifting was no fault of Sir FRANCIS. it
was the In wyerly canning of Guilt, to try to belle Justice.
If Sir FR A !gm be guilty of a libel, let him be brought to
She tribunal appointed by the Laws and the Constitution to
by cases of libel. What the House should do, on the eight of
Idebating this question, is, not to decide whether this letter be
a libel or not, but whether it be, or be Dot, in its legal powers
to imprison at all, except in cases of absolute necessity. It is
on this latter question it should decide, and according to the
decision will I hope.or despair of liberty. Rat I warn the
House of the awful consequences of an unjust decision s the
cup is already full ; and this may be the drop, that, in the
words ref Lord Bo GINCHIROKEs " IS to make the waters of
bitterness overflow." The Commons are sunk deep enough
already in the public estimation--they have supported a
mean, pitiful, and base, a wicked, hypocritical, and trett-
cher.vus Mhtstry, ill Its son poolligen and umstiocialcd
schemes—they have supported it in its diabolical system of
dividing and governing, divide el iaspere—of fomenting dis-
content and animosities assn ngstthe subjects, and keeping Ca-
t holic and Protestant in discord and jealous feeling to each
other. They have supported this Ministry in that villainous
and perfidious enterprise of cowardice and treachery, which
is, more than any other thing, the came of the present vast
subjeention of Europe, the famous, or rather infamous, Co.
Inlet' Expedition. They havesupported it in the annual expea-
diture of upwards of SEVENTY MILLIONS of our money.
They have supported in its protection of delinquency, pecu-
!aline, and corruption in every department of the State.—
They have supported it in its contemptuous spurning of peti-
tion, and in its resistance to any thingin the shape of Reform,
or correction of abuses. They have supported, almost in
every step, the most profligate, the most imbecile, and most
mean Ministry,, with which any country was ever cursed.—
And what (Indignation, lend me thy language !) in this last
Expedites.), for which lunatics should be put, in a strait
waistcoat, or the drivelling impotency of age be put on the
list of doting superannuatioa—iso this Expedition, where folly,
' extravagance, presumption, negligence, rashness, ignorance,
inhumanity, and every thing that could mean utterincapacity,
were, every one of them, so prominently conspicuous, and
where nothing alt are to palliate this foul combination of
criminality, bet itirigee, deceit, and treachery to each other:
In this Expedition, which the Country mourns in tears of
V blond, and which it will long mourn, not only as an useless
profusion of its blood and treasure, but as a stigma, which it
would give as much more blood and treasure to blot out from
its, records for ever—even in this Expedition, have Dot our
Cotimons supported this miserable and detestable Ministry—
' this union of extreme folly, and extreme wickedness ? They
I may be sure that this support is not forgotten by the nation,
and that the nation, therefore, justly beholds them with the
eyes of more than jealoney 'end mistrust. Then, if they add
I an Gijon detision, on tbisoccaein, to the other causes of bit-
terness against them ; 'if they asium. an absolute and nisi-
' trary power (Par an sign! *ebbs on this occasion would
be declaring &hat ehey nommeadie). Int Ibeno bike the ravens
sibility of the awful conseqeences. If same dreadful COOSIII•
sion be not at hand, which wifintdt the Mood on its base, and
rend our present instimbloa to dim naive, perhaps overthrow
all la one vast ruin, we will sink Ye dapper and wane oda-
unities, Jets the 'misery and degradation of unconditional sla-
very, aggravated by a Poignant tense of what we once were.
I believe' should rather die in the arms of Rebellion, than
in those of Slavery. I am sun I should in thoseaßesistance
10 Despotism Mid Oppression.
VALERIUS.

•
It is new said that the Right lion. CHARLES
Itoate is to be offered to Marlborough, iu the
room of Virpont Srorraisb. •
We omit 40 in oar list of Members who would
; base voted (it a admire on Ministers, the name of
Mt. lionyweipts. That Gentleman we lament to
say, has been confined to his house with illness ;
bet the County he represeuts, and indeed the Pub.
He at large, are too well acquainted with his tried
integrity, not to know that bodily infirmity alone
would have prevented him from expressing his in.
dignation at the manner in which the blood and
' treasure of this country have been wasted is im.
provident Expeditions. •
Mr. Bkowtereir, Member for the County of
Armagh, has been stated erroneously to have
voted with the Ministry on the Walcheren gtes-
tion, That Gentleman has been absent during
the Session ; it appears, therefore, that a majority
of Irish County Members voted in support of
Lord POROUESTEA'S Resolutions, 20 to 25.
Wata Ceue....There wis a nenterous Meeting
of this respectable Club on Tuesday, at the Free.'
mason's- Tavern: Lord Rituals° in the Chair.
After drinblogg all the regular toasts of the day,
which the Noble Chairmen severally ifstroduced
with an appropriate iliustrationi he paid ad af.
fecting tribete to the memory of Mr. Fox. The
leading Members then proceeded to drink each
other's hi-laths, the Freeholders of Middlesex,
&c. when, - after some time,' Lord HOLLAND re.
tired, and Mr. SMITH was celled to the Chair. A
number of public toasts were given, and the [text
Meeting was appointed for-tie first of May.
Yesterday a Court of Directors wai held at the
East India Houses when Captain THOMAS HA-
I
VAUD ‘i as sworn into the commend of the ship
Monarch; as was Captain &toast into the Tyne,
both consigned to Madeira and Bengal. Captain
W. LYNCH, of the ship. Ilarrift% took his leave
previous to departing for Madras and Bengal. The
Court adjourned ail to.morrow.
The perfect goal bider and regularity observed
by the British troops in their marches and quer.
tees In Portugal is highly honourable to them,
and 'Ault prove satisfactory tO the nation at large.
Tito conduct of .the Guards was particularly ex.
emplarY, dud is highly spoken of by. LOrd Wet..
LI NOTON.•
CaptarßAßctAv's greens will undertake his
match o one hundred miles in twenty hours, in a
few weeks.

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K STATESM

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(19P1NT 04110.11 ff 17111.17718.
• CIATALAML

Tilo curidlity of the Public td hear this cele-
brated singer has greatly increased since thb corn.
menectuent if the OrMurios ; and the house last-
night was literally crammed at a very early hour
The overture, and ail the airs of the fiat act, ex-
cept that of Madame CATALANI (Pious Orgics),
went off extremely well—hut when that lady rose,
the whole house, after a burst of applause, were
held in the most profound and attentive silence.
A t length, to the great astonishment of the
audienee, a painfully protrdcted Sound. of—
" Pi-i.i.o.ous Or.r-gies " issued from the lips
of CATALA NI, whose voice was evidently subdued
by an inveterate hoarseness. Feeling the imprac-
ticability of proceeding, she piteously turned to the
performers near her, as if imploring theirassistance
*or apology—but "go on, never mind,. go on,°'
induced her to proceed -in the attempt. The ut-
terance of 66 Pi.i.i.o-ous Prea-a-a.yers," how-
ever, showed that the difficulty was insuperable.
Again she turned, and was again encouieged.—
" De-e.e.e-c-ent •Ah I" exclaimed the dis.
tressed performer,
.pointing to her throat, gi c'est
impossible "—and Mr.. BRAMAN immediately
joining, finished the passage.
A serious tumult, such as would not have dis-
graced the O. P. war, instantly ensued. " That
won't do, that won't do," exclaimed as hundred
voices. All was confusion and uproar.
Mr. BILLAMY then addressing the audience,
assured them, *6 thet Ole inalsility of *Marne ;
46 CAT ALA NI to go through her performance could
46 not be snore deeply lamented by the public than
46 by herself—she was anxious to make every ef.
44 fort to proceed—and, if the audience would
66 but houour her with a patient hearing, she
" would persitere in her endeavours to go throash
44 the songs, and give satisfaction
_to that eudi.,
44 ence for which she had so high a respect."
This apology was favourably received, mid CA.
TALANI was led on by Mr. BRAUAM ' • but the
conclusion of the Act with Hall shish was ac-
companied with a species of 0. P. perforninnex
that overpowered the whole orchestra.
Before the second Act commenced, Mr. 1110.
LA MY, again addressing the audience, sad, "VIM
" it was not until three o'clock that SigionSH
" plaint of Madame CATALANI was kilelle ter
" have attained so serious a height."--" Then
" why were not bills printed and distributed at
"-the doors?" exclaimed a Gentleman—and
'• Why not, why not, there was plenty of time,"
re-echoed from several paits of the House. The'
remainder of Mr. Bai.Lasty's address was inau.
dible.
Several Gentlemen from the Boxes and Pit sue.
cessively addressed the Audience—the general
burthen of their song was--that they came,to the
Theatre expressly for the purpose of hearing
catalani...whose indisposition ought to have been
announced in printed bills.
When the Performers enterej the orchestra pre.
vious to the 2a Act, Mr. Aiincer was loudly
called fur. Mr. C. Anus:- then addressing the
audience, repeated the assurance of. Mr. SIMLA.
KY, that it wss not until three. o'clock that the
indisposition pf
_Madam. Saratarst. was known
*to be at 41.*0iiw vitcacn tag' repetition

excessive. Mr. C. Asaray contioued, address
the audience, but was inaudibleto all except the
few who were nearest to the 'stage. Being in a
scat in the orchestra, tee distinctly heard him con.
dude by offering 66 to return the money of ruch
of the company as chose to retire." - •
Of this offer some Gentlemen In the pit imme-
diately availicl themselves.
An interval of silence now ensued, but a Gen.
damn mitering the Pit, again. called for Mr.
Ammer, who, appearing,. was informed •by the
Gentleman that he had applied to have his money
returned, bat in vain. Mr. C. ASHLEY at.
tempted to address the audience, but could, not be
heard. He, however, signified by gesticulation,
that the offer he had made should he fulfilled, and
bowing, retired, as the House understood, for the
purpose of giving the necessary orders. Many
who hid out beard the original offer, then pre;
pared to quit the Hottse. The Secoud Act now
commenced, but the music and the voices were
ejiitts inaudible, until Miss GRIGLIETTI sung
" He teas cut off." That was heard, and the
House was tolerably silent. At length Madame
CATALANI rest,- and went through Quango"
—in a voice *full Wave lower than the pitch, to
the uttct astonishment of the Cognoscenti. Th.
exertion of CATALAN! was astonishing, 'and the
indignation of the House, wholelt for her situ*.
Lion, was now evidtsntly directly solely against the
Managers. _
At the commencement or the 3d Act, when
Madame CATALANI was led into the orchestra...
" Let her go home; let her go keebt;" was vo-
ciferated. The performance, however, proceeded,
and Madame CATALAN! Me to sing " 0 Do/co
concento." During the interval bet Ween Aciew,
she had desired the performers to transpose thssi
Air from B fist to G, in 'the hope of being able to
go through it with that alteration. The perform.
ets complied with her directions, but before OW
could get throsigh the first syllable of " d01ce"....
finding the effort impossible...she instantly drop.,,
ped a whole octave lower, and thus went Usenet
the Air in a voice tea notes lower than Menace;
to the astonishment and admiration of every tress,
teur...for the .execution was perfect, sotwith...
standing the extraordinary and intlantakeant,
drop in the pitch. Her voice during rho execu.
tints of this Air was unquestionably lower than
that of Mr. BALAUAIei lowest tunes. Moulage°
CATALAN' Was nearly exhausted by this effort...
but respectfully courtseying to the audience, she
left the orchestra with smiles and good humour,*
which did not desert her throughout the whole of
this trying appearance before a justly Irriteeed
British audience.
Mr. BRAHMA -exerted himself throughout the
evening with more than his accustomed energy,
and all the other performers laboured to supply,
by their strenuous efforts to please, the vacuum.,
produced in thei cutertainment of the evening, by.
the indilpositioo of CATALANI.

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