The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-05-11 00:00:00

LONDON:
PRIDAY, NAY it, ism.
•
Tut proceedings of the House of Conimons last
night, respecting Capt.FOSZAT esPetitiono are neat-
ly as Extraordinary as any that have gone before.
Papers, moved fur by Mr. LYTTELtOS, With a
view to making out the allegations of the Petition,
are refined. And why ? Several Members talked

of injnrious consequences to the discipline of the
Army, if the system of appeal from the Military
'to that House watt encouraged. But this is taking
a very purblind view of the subject, equally
inconsistent with self-policy and justice. If there

be no AnusLs in the. Army there will be no
Petitions ; or, what comes to the same thing,
none but such as must instantly fall to the ground.
How, then, will Petitions,. in such a state of

things (an absence of abuses in the Army) injure
the dixiplint of the Army ? Officers of good sense,
having no abuses to complain of, will not petition;
and if a silly man should now and then go to the
House without cause, such wilt scarcely have in.
fluence enough to disturb discipline, becoming as

they would successively the object of ridicule
alone. It is plain, therefore, that the right of
petitioning, and a claim to the attention of
the House, in the Army, cannot pbssibly

affect its discipline, except in the case of the
actual esistersic of abuses. But in that case,
how will the right of Officers to have access
to the House, and the right of claiming at.
teutiuu.—kow will that atfuctdiscipline? They will
gu the House with their complaints. Let us sup.
in ise, the instances numerous, 'even very minter._
'ens." That will undoubtedly reduce a great sun.
Wien in 'the House, and • great sensation in the
public mind (fur some way or other, that House.
'is i very finely working machine for conveying,
useful intelligence to the public), aird it is pr 0...,
bahle that the union and concert of doom feelings
will generate a redress of the abuses in the army,
if there be any such. But the medium of pristine-
tog redress to the army, is not a likely medium
W destroying its. discipline. If. Officers do suffer
seder abuses (we are arguing it on that supposi.
' lies now, having argued It on the ether), the
wounds may rankle and fester till the virulence of
the disease eats up all discipline. That may hap-
pen; but it is not at all likely to happen, that a
ready, and constitutional, and mild cure of the
i abuses should bring on any such dissolution. But
a Petition from an Officer, it seems, may be re.
ceived now and then, and the House have received
Captain.Fosnerr's and others. Well, then, this
gives up the argument; for if one can petition so
can another, except upon some palpable ab-
surdity on the face of any particular petition.
—There ist such a thing, however, as recci,.
ing a petition, and (loin a more ungracious act
than that of rejecting it. If an Officer presents
a Petition, stating a very strong and aggravated
case, and calls for papers to make out that -case,
and which he cannot command but through the
power of the llonst:—if his Petition, and his ar.
garments fur the sifting of it to the bottom arc re.
pulled, nut by the production of the documents
which would set the whole in a due light, ohatever
that light may be, but by a mutilation of his cha.
racier—and then the documents arc refused, out
beeauF:• they do tt.)t exist, or do not apply to the
Officer's purpose, but because of some other rea-
son.foreigts to.the question—certaittly the whole
,of such proccoling would be infinitely snore mi.
:gracious, more injurious than a denial to Officers
'of all right to petition sad all access to the House,
f We Stand still, auJ hop, the House will amides.
1
of some due course, some uniform measure of
justice, fur all such cases ; and not permit them
•to be guided by accident, er any ether motive
Allan the duty of .the House to fury part of the
community. •
—........... •
I r will be recollected by our Readers, that the
MAytin of Liverpool refused to call a Public
Meeting, at the requisition a a consislotable num-
ber of the most respectable inhabitants of that
town, who were minions to express their opinion
upon the subjects which at this time press upon
the attention of all true Englishmen. It is time
that a stop be put to this species of conduct in
Magistrates. They have no right to refuse to eon-
vesse a Public Meeting, upon a requisition duly
signet!. It is nut necessary that a tiwn, or coun-
ty, be unanimous in their wish for a Meeting, or
in their political views. When they meet, they
will come to such Resolutions as they think
.
prdper.--Ilut they have a right •to meet,.
whenever they please, being duly, convened ; and
it is the duty of else Mayor, or other presiding
Magistrate, to call such Meeting, outd not to act
, upon his 'caprice, or his discretion. The bonen