The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-01-30 00:00:00

THE STATESMA

Juries, and the defence of the Dean of St. Maples. It
was not for him to contend for a new law ; but for a
fair interpretation of the law, as it was ; and his exertions
were ultimately crowned with success, by the bill which
his friend, Mr. Fox, successfully carried through Parliament.
Lord Erskine, also, was a dintinguished friend of the Liberty
of the Press—the great, if not the very greatest engine, that
can he employed in defence of the rights of the subject ; and
for which reason, men who are fond of despotic principles
abhor it the more.—(Loud cheering Lordship's hatred
of constructive treason prevailed in the trial of l.ord George
Gordon : but a more arduous task remained for him In 1794.
(Immense cheering.)—When we look at him, almost alone,
opposed to the whole weight of the Crown—the weight of
Parliament—which had prepared, and, In a manner, preferred
the charges against the prisoners—to the prejudices of
many of the class of thinking people, wrought upon by false
alarms, and tricks which are kept alive in our recollections by
theirown odiousness (Cheers) to the prejudices of his own pro.
fession : what must have been his feelings, when he came out
of Court with the grand conviction, that he had once more
based the monster, Constructive Tr,eason! For his part he
eould not have believed that man could do so much. For the
honour of himself and his country, his Lordship had been
withdrawn from the station which he had occupied with so much
advantage to the country; hut his principles remained unshaken
to the last, and he last no opportunity of coming forward to
defend the principles of liberty and justice.—These are his
great merits ; hut it would not be justice to him not to mention,
thlt resolute, letermined, and even viol.mt as he was, when
occasion called for no one gave less offence than his Lord-
ship. By the sincerity of his opinions, the urbanity of his
manrers, and his manly simp.icity, he commanded the good
opinion of all who knew him. This was a part of his charac•
ter which entitled him to their gratitude, independently of Isis
polities.—ltecolectin4 Ail this—that he wee a Constitutional
Whig of the'glorious Itevolotion—that be was not a demagogue
who would cut down one branch of the Legislature to exalt
another—and rerottectinz the case of the unfortunate mean,
Hatfield, in which he so c.msistently upheld his own principles
of liberty, while he did homaze to the monarchy—recAlecting
all this, and the honour and purity of Lord Erst itte's character,
it is to he doubted if these is one (excepting Mr. Fox himself)
to whom the country has been more indebted. To such a man
it is fitting that a monument be erected ; though none ,can be
erected which will survive his fame. .We had in this country,
a man descended from the same noble stock, and gifted with
the same nobility of mind. He also is gone! That is a sub'
jest not to beentered upon. But Lord Erskine's deeds belong
to the country and the world; and the pages which record them,
will'be the hrightest-in our annals.
Toast—" The memory of Lnrd Erskine."
Air—" Ilere's to him that's awa'."

By the CHAIRMAN—
" The British Navy—the natural defence of the country."
Air—" Rule Britannia."

" The British Army."--Air. " British Grenadiers."
Mr. FERGLISSON, the Croupier.—Gentlemen, fill a bum-
per. I have the honour of proposing for a toast—" Our
noble and distinguished Chairman."—(Loud cheerine..)—
The natural and enthusiastic feeling now expressed makes
it almost unnecessary for me to say one word more. Our
Chairman, gentlemen, is one whose public virtue assures us
of his inveterate enmity to corruption and abuse. His per-
severing exertion' are well known. Ils has struck at the
root of much evil ; and, by uprooting the Close Borough
system and its machinery, he will do incalculable good. I
am unwilling to speak individually of Magistrates with
disrespect, since, as individuals, some of them may be res-
pectable; but we all know, that the most respectable in-
dividuals get into a close Corporatioe and they are sore
to form a Holy Alliance (Laughter), and a large portion of
despotism will mark their public character) Had I the
power, I might expatiate upon the merits of our noble
Chairman as a man and a patriot; hut I know it would
only offend the manly simplicity of his character. (The
toast was drank with immense cheering.)
The CIIAIRMAN rose to reply—For the flattering manner
in which his health had been drank, he could not suffici-
ently express his acknowledgements; but, at the end of
twenty years' exertions in Parliament, in meeting with
such a company in this city, he found a sufficient com-
nensation for his labours, and a greater Reform than he
ever expected. When he called to his recollection the
state of the public mind in this country, he was almost
tempted to kelieve that his exertions had not altogether
been es-less. From what he knew of the public spirit
of this city at one time, the number who might nave
assemhled tip in an °evasion like the preserit would rot
have exeeenied the paltry number actually composing the
Town Council. (Cheers.) When he used the word paltry
he applied it to numbers; and must say the number is
paltry. It was his good fortune to be placed in a rank of
lite that protected him against the imputations which bad
been c tst upon his fellow.labourers in the cause of reform.
It caul I not be said of him that he wished to subvert
existing institutions, to rafse himself upon toe
ruins of °tile rs. His station, and the support
which he received from his family, neutralized every
smelt calumny. Remarking, as he had done, the con-
trast which subsisted between the tem; er of the times now
and formerly', he did not in the least doubt that the cause
of Reform in Scotland must. sooner or later triumph. He
could not hut remark, that in Scotland the defect of re-
presentation is in the late ; while in England, :it is the
abuse of the law: therefore, the exertions of Scath.nd
ought to be compared to a change in the law—of England,
to a cox rection of abuses. When he considered the Intel-
led sal character and number of the Scottish population—
a population improving in both—their moral propriety,
anti absence front among them of every thing like a mob
—their claim to a partirpation in the privileges possessed
by their neighbours in the South atipeiled irresistable.
Ile must not be supposed as wishin, to introduce rashly,
and at once, into Scotland the whole system of the English;
but lie proposed, that Scotland should havea representation
in some measure proportioned to its wealth and intelli-
gence. Is it possible that a country, such as this, is t t sit
don n contentedly, with scarcelya representation at all,
alongside of England, with her comparatively free one ?
Any thing more irksome to an independent into he could
trot conceive than that the Represtntative of this City
should feel himself obliged to obey the instructions of the
fete who compose the Town Council, in opposition to the
wishes of its 130,000 inhabitants. (Great Cheering.) In
acting in conformity to the will of his few constituents,
he may expect to have his conduct reprobated by the whole
community besides. The thing is so had, that the voice
of the nation, universally raised, must for the House of
ICommons to give attention to their claims. In the sister
kingdom, it is often remarked, that the Borough System
is corrected by that of the Counties. Is that the case here?
No such thing. The voters of a Scottish County are often
• more limited than those of a Close Borough in Englan I.
At the close of his labours, a Reform of the Scottish Bo-
roughs,
a bill was introduced by government, which he '
then considered, and mast ever do, futile and frivolous
Only a few flays wit was tried in the Court of Exchequer.
and found wanting. (Great Cheering.) He would only
observe, that the bill was brought in by the administration
and the Lord Advocate, to correct abuses which they bail
uniformly denied to exist. (Laughter.) That the bill
has failed did not surprise him. Wh-n ill, would any one
trust to a physician who tells him, that his complaint is
altogether imaginary? The measure of the bill was
adopted by—or rather, it was forced upon the Ministry.
to correct evils which, in their eyes, had no existence;
but it has been found wholly inadequate to answer any one
object. The public of Edinburgh, and elsewhere. must
exert themselves to produce some anxiety in the cause—
some strong importunity to Parliament. (Cheers.)
Mr. Glesost CRAIG of Riccarton rose—(Ureat cheering.)
—to propose—
The health of the Duke of Hamilton and the Whip
of Scotland,"

isametmirirsmonsisasomasonamasso
which ha after a speech of great original power and
talent.

The DUKE or HAMILTON—(Amidst tremendous Cheer-
ing)—Returned thanks with that peculiar modesty of
manner which is so distinguishing a characteristic of his
Grace. After a few words, in which the embarrassment
of delicate feeling shunning the public gaze was but too
conspicuous, be concluded, by giving—
Earl Grey and the Whigs of England."
(Three times three, and great cheering.)
LORD A. HAMILTON rose and said—The next toast he
held in his hand, be could by no means agree to. It
contained almost mockery within itself—it was, " the Duke
of Leinster, and the speedy restoration of the
British Constitution in Ireland." Now, in his
Lordship's opinion, the miserable Irish never partici-
pated in any benefits of the British Constitution; or,
if they did, it was a matter for the antiquarian's search
rather than for the politician's recollection.—(Cheers)
—Had the principles of the immortal man whom they
were met to celebrate been acted upon, Ireland would
not have been what it is—the most miserable portion
of the globe. All the British benefits it bad yet re-
ceived were Pitt's policy and Castlereagh's headiness.
—( Loud laughter and cheers.)—He concluded by
proposing—
" The Duke of Leinster."—(Three Vines three.)
Mr. MACFARLANE. Advocate, rose, and, after a well devilled
history of the patriotism and sufferings of Archibald, the great
Earl of Argyle, concluded, by proposing—
" The health of the present Duke of Argyle."—(Three times
throe, and great cheering.)
Mr. JEFFREY rose--(Tremendous and continued
cheering.) After a speech which we will not attem;.l
to abridr, and which our limits will not allow us to
giv'e entire, comprehending the most masterly elo-
quence, and the must philosophical principles of tit.fonal
policy; wherein be showed that America was a proof of
what a nation might do without an established Priesthood
aed an expensive Court, and with uciversll suffrage and a
Free Press, concluded, by giving—
" The health of the President of the Unlined States."
(Three times three, with immense cheering.)
[Mr. Cockburn, Sir IL C. Fergusson, Mr. L. Dorner,
Mr. J. W. 13rouzliam, Mr. Ivory, Mr. Nortlihonse (the
Editor of the Glasgow Free Press), at).l other centletnen.
followed; and about one o'clock, en Tu. sday inJrniug, the
aloe ting separated.]