The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-09-26 00:00:00

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them at the revolution. The people wanted nothing hut their
own rights—they might not to invade those privileges of
the Peers, which, extensive as they were, and questionable
if a wise man had them to re-model, but being here, the
people se;o1, wise or unwise, let them now remain in their
full extent ; with them they sought not to interfere. But
they had demanded. and would still demand, two vital pri-
vileges ; one was, simply, the right of choosing-their owe
representatives, and the other, the sacred right of an effec-
tive and honest trial by jury. (Applause.) These were
rights, which in common sense they knew they were enti-
tled to. The theory of these rights was not only admitted
hat praised. by those who in practice deprived the people of
the benefit of them. (Ilear.) The 'people had, in point of
fart, as little in the way of actual right of power to exer-
cise, as the people of almost those countries proverbially
called enslaved ; not that the people of England were the
most enslaved in the world, and why ?—because there was
still amongst them acme portion of their ancient spirit,
which compelled those in power to be occasionally discreet
in the exercise of it ; hot that was not the timorous! protec-
tion which the people of England ought to enjoy—it was
not the occasional keeping alive of this spirit that ought to
satisfy them. ?io reasonable mind would tolerate the en-
joyment of liberty, at the caprice of men in power. The
people of England knew that they had a right to a more
substantial security for their freedom. (Ilear,hear.) They
had a right to a full and free representation in Parliament,
and he hoped they would not relax their most steadfast
efforts for its promotion and ultimate success. It was fore
that, the people, of whom he was proud to be one, ought to
matte a united struggle. He was ready to put his foot as far
in advance as any other man in the attainment of it.—
(Cheers.) The electors of Westniinster, had already made
great and disinterested sacrifices in the public cause,
and they would he proud to find that other great bodies
of the lame towns throughout the country were ready to co-
operate with them in the promotion of the true interests of
the people. Bat when they considered the immense re-
sources of the corruption which they had to oppose, they
would feel the imperative necessity of redoubled efforts :
this o•orruption was appalling, it arose out of every thing ;
the blood and treasure of the people spent in colonial con-
(pests farnishe I a wide source of emolument in aid of cor.
ript power. Theca never existed a governinent—no not
even in the Roman empire in its days of most lavish re-
Bootees—which possessed such a mischievous extent 'of
means—it had not a tenth of the corrupt power which the
narrow oligarchy of F:ngland commanded. It was not the
King, who enjoyed this supremacy, for the King with all
his power and prerogatives, extensive as they necessarily
were, for the representative of the people of England, as
soch the king of a free nation ought to be considered—it
nas not for the King, but the boroughtuongering oligar-
chy, of which they had to complain: it was that oligarchy
which oppressed and loaded the King himself with obloquy.
—(Cries of " hear.") The King.and the people, upon a just
mutual understanding of their rights, had, and could have,
but one common interest. The Crown was bound to main-
tain the rights of the people, and the people owed allegi-
ance to the King, but none to the oligareby.—(Applause.)
That oligarchy deserved punishment rather than respect—
rather than the privilege of being respectively sued to per-
mit the people to reform themselves. Sooner than yield to
so base a power as this oligarchy usurped, be would risk
his life fifty thousand times over: it was against that
usurpation, that the whole artillery of the public might
to play—against it they were bound to direct
their loudest execration.—(Loud Applause.) If any
thing could put this oligarchy into a more degrading tight
than its monstrous usurpation, it would be its most odious
hypocrisy. Did not the company recollect that when an
aged gentleman, Sir Manasseh Lopez, was detected—de-
tected they called it!—(a doing that which five-
sixths of the members of the House knew they had done
themselves to obtain their seats, the unfortunate gentleman
so detected, not having the luck of his colleague, wise,
wiser in his generation, bribed off the petitioners who
complained of bribery (load laughter), became at once the
object of the indignation of the House. Really the
spectacle was ludicrous, were it not that the system itself
was full of public danger. Poor Sir Manasseh Lo_pez was
instantly overwhelmed as an example, forsooth! Even the
very Judge who tried him, who must have got his own seat
in Parliament in the very same way, and who possibly made
the seat be had so acquired the stepping-stone to his sub-
sequent promotion— even that Judge read the old gentle-
man a long lecture upon the heinousness of his crime.—(A
laugh.)—Big wigs and long robes not only hide a man's
face from his acquaintance, bat also from himself; or else.
the public could never be treated with such exhibitions as'
the sentence of Sir M. Lopes. It was a sort of drama,
which, contrary to the rules of the drama, began in farce
and ended in tragedy: for the poor gentleman who was
proseented, bad to endure two years imprisonment, and to
pay 10001. fine: a more odious act of injustice, heightened
by hypocrisy, bad never been exhibited.—(Hear, hear.)—
As it was said, from the foot of Hercules you could know
the vatue ; so he might say from this one act they might
estimate the general composition of the House of (Ammons.
The worthy Baronet concluded amid great applause. by
reiterating Iris sentiments in farrier of Parliamentary Re-
form, and of the value of inch meetings as the present, and
by proposing the health of the " Mayor and Corporation
of Nottingham." Three times three.
The Mavoa Of NOTTINGHAM returned thanks for the!'
honour which had been just done to himselLand the Cor-
poration. After alluding to some of the local acts of the ,
corporation against the overwhelming efforts of the county
aristocracy to impose upon them a ministerial member, be
reminded the company that the rincipies of the corpora-
, tion were noVhose of yesterday; they were, on the contra-
ry. old and long asserted from a deep conviction of their
public utility ; and happy was he now to say, that these
opinions had become, from the growth of education and
diffusion of public intelligence, more universally adopted
and appreciated by the country at lac e.—(Applause.) He
concluded by repeating his high satisfaction atseeing such
an assembly as the present met to promote their old prin-
ciples.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed the health of Lord Hol-
land, which he prefaced with an enlogiutn upon his lord-'
ship's excellent principles and character. This was drank
with enthusiasm.
• He next proposed the health of Mr. Brougham, whose
absence they bad all so much occasion to regret. and who
must have been prevented from attending by some unforeseen
circumstance.

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Mr. Dicoman, in behalf of Mr. Brougham. begged to
offer his thanks for this compliment to his learned friend,
and on his part to express bis regret at not being here this
day. Since he had entered the room, be had received a
'Ate% from Mr. Brougham, in wbicb be deeply regretted
that he was detained at Brougbain-hall by indisposition.—
The concluding words of his letter were—" My spirit is
among you, and whether I eau eat, or whether I can drink,
my toast shall be—' Secceu to the good old cause.' " In
the words, then, of his eminent friend, be would propose his
toast—" Success to the good old cause."—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN Wit proposed the health of Sir Robert
Heron, upon whose public conduct so long established in
a neighbouring county, it was nonecessary for him to ex-
patiate. No man was better attached to the " good old
cause." If rumours were not ineorreet, be would soon in
a neighbouring county be its representative. He now pro-
•poied " The health of Sir Robert Heron. And may be
shortly be the representative of the county of Lincoln."—
. (Load applause.)
Sir ROSIRT Haaos said, that proud as he was of the
honour which was done him, by the manner in which his
bealtb had been drank, h e felt that be owed it to the partial
kindness of his old friend (Mr. Denman) ; and well contented
he was to owe it to such a source. It was melancholy
.to
consider into what wofal disgrace the profession of the law