The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-04-21 00:00:00

THE STATESII.I\.

that the -tete:l:mem amolfil Le Itorisontlei in A. 4 aide dra.cii4l-1, • *tilt:4u. eititing fur chrections from the
of Chester twelve ealetidst In oohs for each offeate, 1 Civil Itturietrase."
end that. et the Pep:Adios of that preirch he shim'. It breams la consequence the duty of the advocates
ape-sex aril to: • ii:e. rmosi Orb ivioor for tw) veal-4,1 of Constitutional Liberty, and' espet hilly of those who
him .e.: in 2Olsi. tied tic,' sureties I:sit:Ll ea V i had been distinguished Ly their petitions front their
- ear. liweviessit woe -immediate, gm., into tht curt several counties, to interpose Cy their remonstraeces,
natty of the eott4taiiic of Lit Cantle. I and endeavour to ruunteract the current of this slavish
Th:s hind ei.seed•ste Msiste.— ' ' 1 timidity. The Yorkshire Committer of Association
accordingly took the lead on this, as well as on the
loonier olvasioa4, anti iu the begiuning of August
piiislielied their resolutions.. which were afserwanis
adopted by the City ui lAiution, ati3 by other Public
' Bodies. 'I hey exculpated thettiselses and their mea-
sures, both from
.the intention and the tendency to
produce either tumult or disorder ; asserted the right
ant duty of every citizen tJ eie ed
uce of arms to preieriT
the •pulific peace, and protested against the orders
issued for tit:amino the inheisitaats of London,
against the interference of the milit.try, not under the
direction of the Civil lifseistrate, for the Suppression
of riots, and esperially against the extrusion of such
usa Te to other parts of the kingdom when no similar
danger existed.
The salutary Jealousy on these important points
beceming thus awakenad, a solicitade for other na-
tional uhjects was oleo, in some degree revived. The
county of York asppointed three delegates to attend iu
London during the esomuius Session of Peed:trona to
communicate with such delegates as might be sent
front other counties and torporatious, to pro: ate the
objects of thcir former tell:ion. Unitannted by the
hrttinhlatioes of the men in power, ur the defections
of irresolute atteociates, the staunch petitioners ex-
pressed, in the strongest terms of censuie, their feel-
inis relative to the conduct of the Howie of Commons
during the Ip:creditor Seeeion. The committeeifor the
county of Devon declared that the House, instead of
proceeding to that Reform far which the :numerous
petitions of the people had so urgently prayed, had
taken occasion to exert the very influence complained
ofmid acknowledged Ly themselves. fur the purpose
of repelling Reform in its approach, ur baffling the
propositions made for accomplisaleg its ends.
The season was, however, too faiuurable fur the
I purposes of Miukters, to be peeled over with neg'ieet.
Being demised, from the slavish impressions which
terror hal i.rottumel, propitious to the election of the
friends 'troth, ial authority, a dissuiution of Parliament
was suddenly effected ; anti so short a time was there
e. allowed far preparing for the cusuitae general I i,:ctesti.
that no adequate precautions could, with th-t v:ew, be
taken by those who were nut privy to the iteemle..
arrangement. A eingul.tr defect of public spirit was
observed to ensue. No general election, it was re.
markni at the time it took place, loot occurred per-
haps fur 4 century hero:l% at whieli c tulidates acre
lees Oiliosed t., engage in contesting the• honour of
being Representatives for counties, or at which less
pains or mune) were expeteltel tor the purpose of serv-
ing in Nth:mem. Defecate: and inconsistency on the
pert of time electors was the (to:yeti il subject of com-
plaint among the Members of the furiaer !louse of
Cot:tames, who peat) served the cau,e of their consti-
tarots wits unusual zeal, and to wham the people had
profesred Ali inviolable attachment.
. 1 huh extensive and tit ep were the injuries occasioned
'to the cause of liefurn. through the outrages of a Miff-
pitiful utub, culiecteti by the rashness of a pretended
zealot, whose prilessions of religiuus intolerance found,
unfortunately, a mass of corresponding inflatnniable
sentiment among the illiberal partizans of the Pro-
testant interest, and of violence and tumult among the
thuughtlesa enemies of order. The coarser passions
of the multitude, in unison with topics which are of,
interest fur a particular season, afford of•CSsion, which
the must worthless candidate fur Noll sr distinction is
enabled to embrace, and to employ for his temporal'l
advantage to the irreparable injury of the public goosi.
lion earnestly the friends of the people should at all
times endeavour to prevent the mischievous aseend-
ancy of such an insidious demagogue, the history of
the inuclityilig period at present under review empha-
tically teaches. Nearly forty years have elapsed sittee
the occurrences to whieli we refer took place, but the
'iuspressions they 'traduced arc not even yet totally-
ratted. 'i he rich, the timid, and the indolent, retain
the apprehensions and aversitms they inspieet, and
confound the distinction between the outrages of a
liceeti u; :nub, and the collective infiwnice of the pro-
ole at lame.
Early in the ensuing Parliament Mr. Sheridan, who
then first appeared in political life, took occasion to
introduce a motion of censure on the measures adopt-
ed by Administration in disarming the citizens of Lon-
don, anti anthorizine the military to art without di-
rections from the civil authority. Such, however, was
the spirit of the times, that he was induced to with-
time his 'notion ; and Mr. Burke, notwithstanding he
is stated to have ekeeted more than his usual ability
in support of Isis •11, fir et-one-mica! Reform, had the
mortification to find it in: carry on the second read-
ing, on a division of 233 to 190.
But though this bill was Mull rejected by the tria-
knits/ bine ?Mee Of Commons, this imtennitin Which It-
was sup:fined by some of the new and junior Members
of that assembly was such u obtained very remarkable
notice. It was on this oceasi n that Mr. William
Pitt co:nem-need with great eriet, his political career,
ss giving," as it is reported of him in the journals of
the time, " specimens of a genius every way worthy
of the great name he bore. He lamented that A/Wa-
ters eld prerented tAP S9Certipl from girlie, each •
mark uJ Lis aft etiestiir hip people, as hr might hinie
dune, had the re elation proposed by this Billflo•rei
from hie owe royal motion."

• ,
•• At th- en l isf every rel.•t., the 11,7 Li-errand
c..asequrn.ly th,t kitiq of twirl's/of:leave which le pre-
ennsl, are at an essi. The sucre4ssor finsis a daws-, a
• art..i a cr swn ; but he Innis neither pr.% cr. !tor
evvaitigni:y ; anJ, befure a real pueseisisen of ail tl.ese!
is given hi:a, the Pariiament have•it iu their power to!
t bee a th..r.-ngla r.seiew of the State, :vs well us to tee.;
• the stveral übP4.-3 that may have.crept in during
tae ; sad this the Canattation may
br 1 Tourist . irk to its ttrAt principles.
" Englaust, therefar.., hy them means, ed•sys one
very great AA:a:stage, one which all free Stales hare
,sostglot prosaic theusscivrs; tie. that pc
ti di; at reformation. But the expedients which le- I
gild:dors have runt. lied for this putpuer in other
..ousstriess, have alwas s, hen attrutpt. dto be curried
into prattiee, been *found to he productive At. very
tlissolvan:airoui consequaLes. Those laws • whirls
were mad: iu !tutus% to resists that equality whirls is
the erica: e of a J4mor•ratie,sl gores answat. were al.
1 ways band ituprasr.iealale ; the attempt Ulnae es-
dansrered the overthrow of the republic ; arark.tbe
?edema, whirl the riortn2isu.s relied ripigrrieeiler-410,
proved nowise
...happier in its con.equesces. 1 bis was
because all thsye ditfierent, re:1101es were reedered in-
eriscient 4s-bre:hurl, by the sery evils they were meant
tv cure ; and the rreater ;he ahm.e4 were, tier Nikon
insine,sible it was to rum.,l them. _ _

Rut the means of reformation which the Parlia-
ment of England has taken rare to letterer to itself, id
the more effectual, as it goett less directly to its end.
It does not oppose the usurpation's of prerogative, as
it were, in feint:—it does Dot PlifOlillter it in the
noddle of its career, acil in the fullest flight of its ex-
ertion: but it glues in search of it to its source, and to
the princ.ple of its action. it does nut endeavour
forcibly to tivertligow it, it only enervates hasping..
" What increases still wore the mildness of the
*ration is, that it is only to he applirti to the usurp-
ations themselves,. and paters by, what wootid he far
more formidable to en:owner, the ob.titaar... and p•ide
of the usurpers.
" Every thing is transactc.l with a new s,.vereign,
who, till theu, has had no sh.tt, in puirli! atiitiri, anti
has taken no step which he lute csitietite himself
hound in Lousier to support. 1.3 bue, they no not
wrest fricsi hi,u what the ;rood of the Sate requites he
should tai .e up : he himself its:dws the 'vitrifies%
`• The truth of all these observatians iw resuarl.ably
conrritted by the events that 10lb/sit-II the reign of the
two list Henrys. Every fanjet that protected the
people against the incur,ions of p .iver hail Wen
broke throu,Th. The Parliament, in :heir terror, hail
even enacted that proclainatitac,, that Is, the
tic Riag, should have the force of laws. The Consti-
.tntion seemed really undoes. Yet, ou the first oppor•
tastily afforded by R new reign, liberty again began to
make its appearance."
And (to say nothinv; of the petition of right in the
3d of Charles I.), when a groat mass of abuses had,
for many reigns, been accumulating and gaining
strength, and the ancient laws were lesiore.: in the
pers•ins of William and 3lsry, we find thcm all, at
least all that were rennin-41, in a mu,ncmt rentoeed
by the Bill of nights, passed is: :lie first year of their
_ - -

What ore Ilion, then, f.,r such mighty fear? Ilas
'Parliamett! almost ever respaired any reasonable re-
trenchment of the preroative, which the Crown has
infused ": Whenever reason has declared herself, has
not the most stubborn power of the Crown, even in
the lifetime of those woo et ereised it, in innumerable
constantly t. II way ".• To ixi.ress the ides
in a few words, may we not say, te;tli 31onsieus De
" That it is i.apo,..ibie but that well-grou4ell
complaint% will soutter or later he re Ireisetl."
( • "'The expeures defrayed by the Civil List are those
that in any shape relate to Citil tioverament ; the
rarities of Ili., household ; all sabtriea to officers of
State, to the J utl?;r:, and every of the King's servants;
the avpointurnis to foreign atithassaders the malt-
tenancy of the Quetta and {loyal :'.!.oily ; the King's
p.iva:e expenses, or privy purse; ..nd other very nu-
merous out-goings; as, secret service money, pen-
sions, and other bounties."—Blaek. Cum. la. a. C.
p. 331.)

THE PROGRESS OF PUBLIC OPl.llO#
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

--a.-
No. IV.

___

The &fee: ro.lueed upon the public mind by thstti
in the year MO, did iiiit.sll i) excite a diept.oniera
that of the steady and enlightened advocates of libirty.
ICA wily a dread of popular ass°. iatiuns in general,
but the necessity of a restraining force, distinct ant
independent of the people, for the maintenance a
order awl good government, were stuntmen&

which the retainers of Administration were ii

and str:ressitil in their endeavours to extend.

jeAlutisy of military power which had charactoribml
the friends of the English Constitution, and hitherto
prot-cted the institutions and riglirs of the rounfry,
W.ll compeliid o render its salutary efficacy to the
musketry of his Majesty's troops; and the inhabitants
of London wrrr taught to be familiar and delighted
with theiutroilitetiost 01 garrisons and camps in the
heart of their torrilied awl abject ntesr poll*. Any
tiovermmet that cauld protect the people of property
and intimidate the populace, was then pronounced
preferable to anarchy and tumult, and !he sentiments
which accorded with the order of the day were such Pi
wve d rectly hostile to the interests of political free-
don:, as well As to personal independence and spirit.
the citizens of London quicstimtl, submitted, en
regnisitior, to deliver up their arras to the carers of
tiocernnient; and the rcilitary force, throughout the
kingdom, was enjoined, by orcirrs from the War
OiLce, " to disperse all tumultuous end illegal assess-
, blies," or any they might please to think of that

When the cloy and impediments of lawyers, stamps,.
and' deeds, in the transfer of landed property, are Lon-
sidered, if need not excite astonishment that so many
prefer the Fends ; which may no: only always be con-1
verted into en,ney At in hour's notice, but we are su-e
to a day when the dividends will he paid, and to *
penny howmueh we shall receive. This is a punctua-
lity unknown in any other species of income ; and we
commend HAZARD and Co. for availing themselves of
the low price when thee contracted with Government,
so as to secure to adsenturers the rise of Consols
above 69k, in the Pour Prizes of 30,000 f. kr. and in
the Two of 20,001.1/., which, with up*ards of twenty
*theft Capitals, must be drawn Next Thursday, when
the Lottery begins.