The Statesman.
London, England, 1819-08-17 00:00:00

STATESMAN

To rex EDITOK or mos STATISSM4N.

SIR,—SO mach wit has been eepended by As,
Whip in ridicule of the Radical Reformer., abut
their scheme of Reform, it may be supposed, is feet
of every imperfection. What that scheme is, at this
precise time, or what it may be to-morrow, it will
be somewhat difficult to determine. We all know,
that at one time the ideas of the Whigs were suf.
Adroitly Radical. When they got into power, Re-
form because loathsome; and their metaphysicians
more employed to prove Mr. Witinnex's ingenious
reredos, that the House of Commons was refined
in petted purity, through the strainers of venality
I and corruption. Since then, their principles have
oscillated between some Reform and no Reform--
When the Whip wish to strengthen their cause by
popular support, or, as It is technically termed,
support " out of doors," they declaim upon the ne-
cessity of Reform. %Viten it is necessary to pay
court to the hi RUMAT*" of the land (the wholesale
Boroughmongers), they demesne. the doctrine of,Re-
form inculcated " out of doors," by impulse de-
magegu►s, ss dangerous and illusive. One day,
something in our political system is considered a
hideoes blemish ; another day, the sense thing is re-
presented to be a prop and betting to the Comilla.
lion. On not one aebject connected with Reform
base the Whigs observed consistency, except in their
° avowed batted of the Radical Reformers ; hatred,
which has no other origin than this, that these Re-
formers have taeght the People to inert their at rength
in their own cause, and not in that of a selfish fac-
tion, which, at all times, ha. used the People es a
ladder, to be kicked away Immediately upon their
own elevation. It is natural in the Whir to hate
the Rutin! Reformers; but it is most absurd to
laugh at them. Radical Reform is of Whig pa-
ternity, and, therefore, not a fit object of Whig ri-
dicule ; and, it should be kept in mind, that they
who have been inconsistent in a cause, have little
reason to deride those advocates of it who have main-
tained their consistency.
The scheme of Reform entertained by the Whigs,
most recently known to the Public, is that which
was developed by their orations upon the discussion
of Sir F. BURDETT'S motion. It amounts to this,
and to named., that the franchises of Ihrgha, again st
whom corruption is proved, shall be transferred to
populous pikes at present unrepresented ; and that
Parliament shall be made triennial. Now, the Public
know, quite es well as the Whigs, that such a scheme
is not only nugatory, but, like a:I other Whig
schemes, is hollow, hypocritical, and delesive.—
Ths promulgation of it may serve to continue the
slight bold which the Whigs have upon popular cre-
dulity, es Moderate Reformers; but a scheme better
calculated to thwart and defeat erery object of real
Reform, could not have bees devised by its bitterest
enemies.
The saleable, or open Burghs, it is well known,
form the least objectionable pert of the Bergh Sys.
tem. Their electors bring their commodity to *pee
market, where Whig, Tory, and Refo►mer haloes
equal chance of preferment ; end it often happens, as
the Edinburgh Reviewers have observed, that the
successful candidate, both by his virtue anti talents,
is eminently qualified for his appointment. Were all
Burghs saleable, it would not be too extravagant to
hope, that by a grand exertion of patriotism, a return
might be procured of • decided majority of inde-
pendent men, who would constitute a faithful organ
of public opinion.
The greet and overwhelming evil in the Bu►gh Sys.
tem is, that a very great majority of the Bode of
Commons is returned by Clore Bergh+ ; the electors
of which have not the courage to ezercise a will of
their own, but vote at the dictation of their respec.
tire patrons; who thus form an aristocracy, which,
unconstitutionally, and in despite both of Kind and
People, directs end controuts the whole functions,
both deliberative and 'secretive, of G,,versoment.—

Thiribore of Reprerentstios, ohs Whig scheme of
Reform, so far from correcting (which, iiideerl, k

does.oot profess), lends directly to aggravate. Were
the open Burghs in be deterred by pairs, and penal-
ties from their arcestomoill traffic, setf•interest, their
ruling passion, gravid infallibly dispose them to swell
the number of close Burghs, by submitting to pa.
troriage, for the sake of its advantages, however ca.
soul and insignificant. Thep, in place of having
from the Bergh elembie a mixed eztraci of merit evil
with some adventitious good, we should have the
essence of all that is pernicirees in the system, mid.
Opted by any corrective whatever.
the franchises of the whole open Burghs were
weeny vested in popoloss towns, it cannot be denied
that considerable importune. would be atisebedio
the popular part of the Representation. This im.
parlance, however, would be more ideal than real.—
The accession of numbers procured t n the Independent
CUM would be far from creating for it a majority
over the close Bergh Members : and, since Ministers
can contrive to keep their situations, with the nar-
rowest and most flectuating majorities, it is evident,

aristocratical returns to the Boise of Commont,
(meld entertsit a hope of sums, to the teesillf in.
dependence'
Been retold human reason allow to the Whig
scheme of Reform the merit of vißrary, it might
well be asked, when sill the operatioga under it be
in such • state of forwardness that its elficaty tan be
felt The orgeot and intolerable grievances of the
nation naturally suggest the question. What answer
the Whigs wi!l return I cannot pretend to anticipate;
het the question, as pet, leads to some very oh.
vines remarks. In the first place, it it not
presuntabie, that a scheme, having for its ob-
ject an increase of densocratical ingeence, sill
be startle and rigidly acted upon by • Parlia-
ment of Rorghtnongers. The natural progress of the
scheme, whether that be rapid o► slow, will sows-
tionably be retarded by the inclinations of that eery
hotly upon w►om its 'aeration devolves. Evory
species of drag will be employed to cheek any wedge
celerity of motion. while the scheme itself, coupled
with the Sinking Fund, will be retained to delude
the unthinking multitude with a belief, that es the
one is gradually teeming dello the National Debt, to
the other is working off the impurities of State.
the second place, a resolute adherents to the scheme
will hider, open Burghs to he an prudes( in their
pecuniary transectiout, as to ovoid the possibility of
detection ; and thee the astragal operation of this in-
genious scheme is to defeat itself. But sepposing that
venality were to continue as flagrant as ewer, we
cannot reckon, jedging by 'stridence, upon more,
on an average, than three cases of established cor-
replies devil% one Parliament. fly that calculation,
it will require upwards of • Century before that par.
►iflcation of the House of Commons contemplated
by the Whigs can be effected. So that, viewing the
Whig scheme in its most f ble light, it proposes
to the People of England, that ibis and succeeding
ge•entions ere to continue sal.j.•ct to misrule—the
slaves of Burghoongers—the victims of grinding
Illation, which I to the bulk of the community
no alternative between • workhouse stud vola.,tery
' exile; end to south 1144 formes sill; the bore,
that, when they are rrembled to dust, their remote
posterity •ill eaj:•y an improved system of Govern-
men%

Sikh is the scheme of the Whigs, considered with.
net passion and dismissed without prejedice. It is
disgusting to common sense. and rowelling to the feel•
ings of Englishmen. It regoires of the People pal-
sies obedience to an Aristocratical tyranny, more de-
grading and intolerable then the yoke of those t)•
rants who first frolicked the doctrine of passive
obedience.—lt offers oo relief to oar sufferings—it

persuades as to carry these with ss, in patience, to,
oar graves; and to return oar profound thinks to
the patristic and consistent Whir, for having de. 1
vimd a scheme that is to benefit oar great grand-
children.
Mach eras said, at the last Westminster Election,of
the Intelligibility or the Hon. GEORGE Lima's prin-
ciples of Reform. Bet this I will venture to •csort,
that if them be had made his principles as intelligible
as be slid on the discussion of his Colleague's motion,
he, *said aot hate hut the cote of ore honest sod
incite Belot me'. _ _

Before concluding, I mast disclaim all fellowship
with those who condeom sod reject every species of
Reforms that does not gasdrato with their own ideas.
Every real Reform, however itap
erfect, should he
acceptably to a Patriot. But with that aentirnent,
I easy cunsisistently denounce a Jesuitiral scheme,
such as that I have been considering, which has only
party purpose for its ot.jeet, anti is calculated ra-
ther to perpetuate abuses than to reform them.
VALE-111UL

MIRIIAM ASSIZES, Ave. 13

CROU NAAPURT.

NUtt DEN.
We (*celled eh ettraordinery trial for murder stt,eo.l
caster, two years ago, when a 'aloe, Fla brother, MO
son, sad soother, wet* convicted of the on•rrler of t • 6
helpless females, who were left in a house where con-
siderable property •as to be foehd, end were pet td
death only as a security against the detection of Oa
robbers. This case *as remarkaldy similar to hat of
the Ashcroft'. fiat here only one tr•happy solemn
was in the house. Tel her murder, lineeCer, was
added the burning of the bottle, in order to coN!rral
both the robbery arid the murder. In this ease ton,
is In that of the Ashcroft', the evidence against the
Prisoners was entirely cirremstantial. Hot the diffi-
cultly toss much intreased in the present case by the
I lope of frier years since the atrocioes deed had been
perpetrated.
Joists Kdee, aged 48, Jenne! Wolfe, atte3 56, end
George fro.'le, 114 son, aged 30, were charged whit
the •ilfol murder of Isabella Young. at Ileroingtsn,
on the night of the 46th August, 1815.
Mr. WtiLtAms opened the ease to the Jury. Ho
amid shortly state the outline of the evidence to be
laid before them. Isabelle Young had been in the
service of Miss Jane Smith, since Lady Peat, a Lady
of greet opulence and of singular hehlts and men:
ners. One of her singulsr habits was to have only
one female servant in her house. Miss Smith hart
been from home far a week pleoloisly to the murder,
and had left Isabella Young in her holm at Herring-
ton, a village (oar or fire miles from the town of
Sunderland. Isabella Yoong had been %lamed the,
night before this fatal attempt ; she had heard the her
removed from the door, and in coneequonte snlirited
a neighbour to sleep with her on the night of the 28th
of August, ISIS. tier solicitation failed; but that
Neighbour heard her bolt the door at ten o'clock.--r
Another neighboer found her about Iwo o'clock nett
morning murdered. The house had been set fire to s
hat the fire had not reached the part whet, she wet
at the time she was seen, and dragged oat. That the,
murder had been committed by some persons of
other *mild be prov,d, therefore, beyond all con..
troversy. Ile then stated to them the evidence •hicil
affected the several Prisoners.
Mr. Hour stated he seas Counsel for the ism
Wolfes.
Mr. Wit.aVISON said he *as Courted for Juba
Eden.
Evidence wit first given respoctin: John Eden.

Ann Howe lived at Herrington in the month of Ass.
IRIS, et the time Miss Smith's boom was set or fire;
Heed 50 yard. from the house; knew Isabelle Young
well. On Monday night, shout half.ped nine, Ise.
belle Young came to witness's house td ask her to
sleep with her, and said she *es frightened to sleep
alone. Witting crossed the road with her as she re.
turned to Miss Seshl's ; it was then a govter to 10.
Witness stopped at the window till she got Into bed
in the kitchen. Witness heard her lock and bolt the
door. Isabella Young told her she might go away
I when she Rot to bed, and she went away. She saw
her nest morning murdered.
John Ramsay lived at Herrington it the time. end
was distorbed @beat two o'clock of the morning of the
49th ; he got op, sew Mist smith's house in names ;
he went to the horse, ran along • passage, and at
the kitchen door saw Isabelle Young lying ; he dreg.
Red her nut and perceived no life in her She was en•
dressed. and had her ender petticoat grasped in her
left hand.

John Cretlace, surgeon, at Bishop-Wearmoch,
was soot fo. and saw the body on the morning of that
?Nth. Ile found two large *trends on the hark of
her hos& and a fracture on the right side of her
hesd. The blows had undoubtedly occasioned het
death.
James Lincoln, a seafaring min at Sunderland,
knew the Poisoner Eden for 20 ears Its 1815 Filen
was in the D.orhsan militis,snd hail preri.tosly heeo a
badman at Sunderland. About five o'clock in the
atoning before this worul affair happened, Eden
game to the witness in his own house, stood on that
middle of the door with hie hat on one sole of his
Mad, and appeared very groggy. iVittiess sat in its
area chair, and smoked his pipe. r:Jon lied a blue
jacket and trnwsers on. Ile said, " James, lam
going to Herrington tonight ; will you go talon
with us ?" %%fitness said, "1 closet k.now."—
" Why, James?" Elea said. "I am gain to Iler.
flown on a very disagreeable piece of bullies.; I
don't know whether I should go or not." " Well,
John;' said witness, " don't go." "Do yes know
any body about Herrington, James?" Witness said.
" Not men)." Ile said, "Do you know one
Wolfe ?" Witness said, " I know Mr. Wolfe, the
pol.keeper, at Witham." He said, "'That is not
the man ; this is a farmer man • he was a farmer to
Miss Smith, at Ilerriligton." de said, I warrant yon
know Miss Smith, Jaynes." " Aye." said whops..
"and her father many years ago." " That," he said.
" is the hoes. we are going to tonight, and I
pipect Wolfs is the man that will go throogh the
business: I would not glee a d—n for a man if
he cannot go through his bodiless. This is the
third night and the last night I shall be at Her.
rington, and to night I mean to do something, and
I have to be at Newcastle at sit o'clock in tho
morning, for I base ran it. If yoo gn to Ilertial.
ton with me to-night, James, I don't know but Pll
he able to give )uu more money tan ) no can wnrk.
for, for 12 months." " John," said witness, " I'll
not go." Ile raid, "No man need he frightened
to go •tong with me, for I would !serer give List
man or woman lease to fiend before nisi in a Court to
condemn me. I don't want yaw to go into the house
cet