The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-11-09 00:00:00

Liftlß XXII

" I it the Priest's lips should keep knowledge, sad they
shou!,l see: the law at his month: f.or he I, the measenger
V U., Lord of Hosts. Hat yr are departed oat of the way ;
r have (mused ataav to stumble at the law ; yo hate cot-
r,:;,:ed the covenant of Levi. with the Lord of Croats. 'riarre,.
r""e have 1 also made you contemptible and base before fife
pr verordinir as ye have not kept nu wags. bat have
her,: tstrttel to Ike lair." —M "anent a. sad 10.

Sot—Every good mita is the world most heartily
rejoice in the signal defeat sustained by the persecutors
of her Majesty, upon the second reading d that most
infamous instrument that has ever tlisgrseed the world,
eetithoi " A Bill of Pains and Penalties." he.; for. al-
though unslOnbtedly they may have the pleasure, since
it is so well suited to their taste, of reading that pesti-
ferous document a second time, it is quite evident that
ti.e majority is so contemptible, by which they hare ob-
tained this satisfaction, and its composition so corrupt.
that even if any proceedings of the Douses of Perlis-
icnt, as at present constituted. could with the puislie
affect the reputation of her llajesty. this division, when
ana:ysed, must be admitted to be. in effect. a majority
in favour of her Majesty. and therefore a triumph
achieved over her enemies in their own camp.
lc, from the 123 Contents, we deduct those persons,
to whose names as jurymen her Jlajesty would have a
just right to object, very few, certainly not safficient to
constitute an ordinary jury, would remain valid. To
ttis.cet their merits individually, would occupy too much
time. Every reader may judge fur himself of their pre-
tensions to impartiality, by a perusal of the speeches a,
those who have spoken. and by looking in the " Peep
at the Peers," or the ‘• Court Calendar," for the quali-
fications of thrse who have given their votes in
silence. Deducting those votes to which the Queen
might justly object, on general croquets, we shall obli-
terate at once considerably more than one half of the
wl.ole. viz.—The Commander-in-Chief of the forces, and
the Admiral of the Fleet, holding high offices at
p:easure. and otherwise disrptalifiell from affinity. Nine
alairet Ministers, mho, a. prOfflertttelll. Ollght MO, to 6e
; thirteen persons, hohlin! Ithres dependent on
Pleproareetors three Peers. who hod not Arerd the
sfelesev the Repretentstive Peers of Scotland, elective,
and owing tk-ie 'lion to the. Ministers ',f the days
Illis,Reprrsentalive Peers of Ireland, mart- similar fir.
rkuisto,erss of el;sruliti,ettieon : all the members of the
Secret I's 'flee. •fier,trifi,d /If /wring alrenely pro-
new.re., 4 jn.t:lsoor it : the Archbishop of Canterbury,
isreieg prejuelzwl the rage by cussing Ars Majestic
no
.e front Lititr:Ty : the Bench of Bishops, looking
fur ie,ootion or emulation from thr prosecutor' y
r-r 0. These classes, at least such of them as hare
v 0.5,1 for the se-ond reading of the Bill, may be esti-
mated at from seventy to eighty, leaving only from
f 7:y to fifty votes in favour of the serous, reading
of the Bill ; every one of which tetiglo still he objected
to on individual geminsls. We shall however suppose,
for the sake of the argument, that there may be fifty
good votes in favour of the second reading—this would
leave a majority of forty-live votes to
_Aeons of her
Majesty.
what must most surprise and afflict the public, in con-
templating this division, is, to find that not one single
It'shols, and but one Archbishop, has voted against the
sec ,m 1 rending of the Bill. The motto at the beginning
of my letter will slew that selfishness, corruption, and
aftsregarsl of justice, are reproaches to which the priest.
Loos,, have in very early ages been obnoxious. But
there never has peen, there never could be, an instance,
in width a more complete (adore of charity. candor,
me i even humanity, has been evince.! by the brotherhood
generaily (there are indeed some few splendid excels-
Cot: as on the occasion of the persecution of the
ftteen of England, I mean particularly among the
Pr:ests of the Establi:lool Church. tVostlil this hare
been the case, if her Majesty haul had the single Bishopric
of Durham, likely in the course of nature to be soon
vas•ant, iu her gift? As the prospect of a growl trans
EtTi./11, in the gift of her enemies, now converts anspi.
i so. into certainties, (fur ev ry one hopes, if he behaves
net's. it may be his own lot,) so, if it was in the gift s f
the Queen, it would convert certainties, if such existre,
iir.o .11Th-ions. If such be the talismanic effect of
single presentation of this description, bow irresistible
must be the induenee of several rich endowments its
prospect? Accordingly, is it not trite, however litth
wosolcrfol, that, whilst. omit of every other description
of persons, however sordid, the Queen has Lad some
individuals of her side, and even of her ministerial pro-
secutors themselves, one individual not hostile, there
should not among the Rench of Bishops have been a
sint!le voice raised in her favour? I shall, for the pre-
sent, leave these right reverend gentlemen to settle this
wetter with their own conseiences, if indeed, such s
monitor remains to them; and just notice, merely by
way of memorandum. one or two of the numerous ex-
traordinary heads of doctrine, which have been sported.
by some of mar ingenious virtual statesmen, in the
course of these extraordinary proceedings. 'The premier.
Lord Liverpool, with Aufhrient boldness, declares, and
:11 Isis colleagues act as if they were decidedly of the
sense opinion, that this !till should be passed, whatever
snag hr the eonsrepirorrit: i. e., even if civil war, the
*teeth' of hundreds of thousands of his fellow subjects.
and the destruction of the institutions, which he affects
to venerate, should ensue! Now, sir, if the premier's
language can bear any other construction, or if it
sloes mot hear precisely that, which I have put
upon it, I do nut understand the meaning of
wools. Yet the members of the Green Bag Ad-
ministration have been always amongst the loudest in
affected indignation against the language and conduct
of Robespierre and Isis colleagues of the French Com-
mittee of public safety. What part of the declare-
l'ons, or proceedings, of these revolutionists, can be
r pared with this, if acted upon by Ministers? It
Is impossible to conceive' sentiments more atrocious
And do this faction really imagine themselves able tn.
carry these machinations, or any other measures into
effect, in diametrical opposition to the universal will,
openly expressed, of the people of England ? If they
do, it Is time to undeceive them. And, although this