The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-05-04 00:00:00

i....

.4••

:MG;

t3"~' ~ - .

. -,

• !fi 4141 io •;i
• "I-A ' 'gilt • •

gathereri to take thoii prods; thid ti to d
trete and ilea. they Webs.* tebbeff (for all
represented periods dray safely do sd, and the lair
holds this opinion good); end Ittirig It beta* e :NV
of your countrymen, plead your own caulk aft he
greyed of non4reptesentalon; and More ii no desk
but a verdict will be when for you—LthLid thy fi*nifs,
the Borough usurpation Map.
Before he had dope he begged to ii ed t~ftFiii shit
he had beets chailviliihd inarearted, Irebibltedstia
felon (tool town to lows for this glottal, deed!deed! of
Parliamentary Refer*, and after ail they bud pre-
vented him from telling a /ay of such treilliterit by
whet was called at Act of lodemeity ; be with all
Isis sufferings, whilst be bad a tongue to girt a-
igrettes, be woad never cease to adiocate the tights
of the People.
Mr. Dutiatmoob nett addressed the Meeting.-=l/0
'sold, hd was proud to see so large and respertablr. en
assembly as Ohl befote him; it was truly Aistifying
Ito see his countrymen come forward to show their
labhorrence of the present system of corruption and
*eedful imprisonings. The country had been eccusott
ef treason, but who were priived to be the traitors.?
Why, the very accusers. They cam. forward with
•
an old Green Bag, anrl the contents of their own or
their sines' invention. Because he espied those who
lived on the loaves and fishes and Corrtigitiori, be
knew they would lot late him for it, but Ise regar&
frd them not; be loved only the estimation of honest
men. The lavish expenditure had so increased, that
in 1794 it was about twenty milliass ; in 1804, Stip
too millions; in 1815, one hundred and twenty-six
millions; and all these sums had been spent in bloody
wars, in which, as a People, we had no interest
whatever. Some people said it was the best policy
to sit still and see the system fall of itself. He,
thought such an idea unworthy en Englishmen, for
such event must cause the most unbounded misery.
If it had been possible to have precuted Spies td
have taken away their lives. be was convinced it
would have been done. He had been active in the
rise of Parliamentary Reform, and he would never
swerve from it, though death should be his dbnm for
such opinions. He had suffered nine months impri-
sonment, and he should take every opportunity to
promelgate the same doctrines for which he had suf-
fered. The suspenders had hypoctiticallt• said, they
would defend the Constitution with their lives, and
it the same mothent they were destroying it by whole-
Me. The day of intellectual of light and jellies is
drawing on; let us only manfully persevere and be
courageous. A system that needs Spies is on the
brink of destruction—all men now see the reason.
soleness end lawfulness of Refortn. We ire od
longer considered S rabble, but a rational,- thinking
People. He would advise all not represented persons
not to pay any more tales, but suffer tiantax-gatherer
to take his own way of recovery, lentil they were re.
presented freely and fairly.
Mr. BanuLat then came (*tenni. lie said he was
convinced the best way of effecting a Reform was to
deform, that 11, the present system. No considera-
tions should prevent bi' from speaking what hd
thought tight.. It was an old 'lntim, that a know-
ledge of the disease was half Its cure. Nothing so
clearly proved a bad Government as those Hein un-
der it being reduced to beggary and 'Mint. All Men
were of opinion that something was necessary to be
done, and the nation bed petitioned by millions as
one mean of obtaining relief, but the reply had only
been, that they were deluded, mad, seditious. lie
thought that the People should now boldly yet tem-
perately demand their rights, for would it be tole-
rated that 162 persons should retort' 306, and then
style them Representatives of the People—preposte-
rous !—Whatever is contrary to the fan:laureate! ac.
knotiledged law ought not to east. Ha neat pro-
posed that Manchester, Birmingham, and other great
towns end populous districts shoold elect, at 'he Ge.
metal Election, persons to meet and consult on the
best means of effecting a radical Reform. Some
people did oot understand what was meant by Reg
form ; be would tell such that it simply meant to re-
store the Constitution to its original form; so of 80.
roughmunger, one who bays and sells 'eats in the
Commons. It unfortunately happened that the Re•
formers were divided in their opinions, but heron.
ceiverl that Annual Parliaments were preferable either
to those of three or seven years duration; if, for illus•
tra lion,. garden was not weeded for three or soviet years
every valuable plant would be choked with weeds;
but insteed of the last term, if it was weeded yearly,
the plants taken up, the weeds and rubbish picked
from their roots, and if found to be good plants set
',gain, they would flourish and bear a hundred-
fold. Parliaments should be plucked up annually,
and what is good reinstated again. Besides this,
there is another great improvement to prevent cor-
ruption, undue influence, and bribery, and that is,
the ballot. The People are omnipotent, and may
recover their rights when they please. It is au old
saying, that the voice of the People it as the voice of
, Resist taastion (as the Quakers do) not le.
Ord agreeable to law and reason—Hampden did so,
•sd be finally conquered. Tyrants must feel abashed
St the cries of the widow and the orphan.
Mr. NICHOLION observed, that the glorious cam
Of Parliamentary Reform was rolling on with haw
posing march ; all 10.0 began to see its necessity, '
entl were anxious far its adoption. Ile asked, where
were the mighty empires and atoms that had existed
--the Bab) lonian, Persian, Roman, Grecian* and
Carthaginian—they had perished, lad their places
only remained to tell the enquirer this important
lesson--r-bb We perished for want of timely Reform."
The Friends of Reform bad. many diSositits to
strufAle with, arising from prejudice and interest
but so long as truth is superior to error, right more •
forcible than wrong, no honest man had ream to"
conclude Reform is hopeless-m.44,nd, persemeraticei,
and the People wilt finally trinisf h.
Mr. JOUNSTON observed, be had omitted ah
portent part of the question under tansidetation, Sbd
that was a repeal of the Cern Bill, as it wee
an Act which bad struck a dreadk blow at thiersioe
Inertial interest of this country, by prevtotlwg fo-
reigners from bringing their lope/abundance of
gram. when under the very low sum of 801. per
quarter, and taking hack is exchange iser taper-
abundance of marrefsctered goods. Bet, Fellow-
Countrymen, said Mr. J., the raising the price of
land was the only motive fir that Act, tossed iu the
very teeth of nine.tasthe of the People, and which
has rendered the Maeda% son completely wretched.

- .

‘.