The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-08-01 00:00:00

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been his speech as he delitered it. Among other
subjects I have the houour to be named. I am
.opposed to be a misguided man, and to be feud-
ing myself to doctrines to the extent of 'which I
am blind. I am represented with just as muds
truth ad Mr. Pitt's apologists have represented
him. I am .representcd as .holding myself forth
se a martyr in the same cause with Sydney aiirt,
Russell. Nuthiug ,ciield be moro unfortunate.
then such In observation i they wad sacrifice,
to an arbitery Tyrant, _through the Medium.
of flagitious Juries. What allusion eau that
have to me ? It is a mere riitibble. It is the
argument of e man who shall say, I will out pick
your right pocket, but I will pick your left.
Here iS a power assumed contrary to the [swa—
the fundamentl laws of the country ; contrary to
reason and conimun sense; enutrary to the,happi.
ness and security of the politic ; and whether this
Assumption of power comes from the King, or the
House of Commons, or the House of Lords, or
the King, Lords, and Commons tinitedl it is
equally indifferent to us. [lncessant plaudits.]
What I deny, therefore, on the part df the peo.
ple of England is, that arbitrary soveicien power
is entrusted any where. I say that there is no
such thing. I say that the people have trusted so.
vereign power, as far theycould with safety to !hews
selves, in the King ; and that they bare, for the
pUtpose of checking the abuse of that power; re:
!erred to themselves the right of appointing their
torn Stewards ; that they have retained the right
of contrettling that power by their Represents.
tires in Parliament. hloreoter; there is a pert of
Sovereign potter that goes to affect the Ilya of
men, and oar forefathers wisely kept.thatin their
own hands; the power to which I entitle It the
right of Trial by Jury. I shall she* you that
the same kind of Sophistry which luti been tip.
plied to the subject of the Privilege of the Holm
of Commons 'would equally apply to do a**,
the Trial by 'Jury. It may be said that
Judges are more enlightened Chad Juries, and
are better enabled, by the habits tit their pro.
(whirl, to determine these questleita which are
usually submitted to Juries.. A thousand argu.
meats might be brodght forward to blind the cola.
mum sense of the Country, and to .do away all that
Is most valuable of the rights and privileges which
have hitherto been' enjoyed by toe people. .The
people have kept this privilege its their OWn,heods,
and it behoves them to look with a jealous eye,
in order that it may nut be eveutitally corrupted;
for I have no 14itatioo in saying, Hitt the• form
of the Trial by Jury may be preserred, after the
spirit of it shall be deStroyed ; and if ever the day
come, Wiwi THE IMMIX 07 TILL TSUI.
JilaY SHALL it: AS 00119.1.1 n AS THE' 80.
nOOl4ll-11ONGEEI NG SYSTEM, ISIS TRIAL 1Y JuaT,
WILL THEN BECOME THE GRAND MASTER GRIST.
ANCE OF THE COl/11TAVT d--[Plaudits of tong
continuance: -every sone teemed to deprecate
the accomplishment di' such a disaster.]---:—,
Ise adverting to this topic WI I pass over the
worse than star Chamber nloteseek (pea 4 of
diens:lois) passed of late years Kau men what
hate tomiuitted tarots with the pen ? Can X pink
e'er the mode in- which nosei•acetitifing tethe lair
of libels, a law which has been confounded by this,
preterite:l (Ades of Judges--a law nbt derived frail
the Constitution of the country, but growing *di
of an arbitrary system...can I pass over die]
practices •of appointing Special Juries in tbeeet
cases which are falsely called Criininal ? Can 1
past over the ekertion of that power which is
known to exist it the present day, rind to be carried
into effect by every possible means? Can 1 pees Over
the manner in which min are tried for this magi.
nary offence—the King appointing the Judges—
the. King appointing the Juries—the crime se.
known to the lai, and in itself only a fanciful
crime, fur 1 deny a libel to be a crinte-4 defy
our lawyers to show me such a word is any of our
Acts of Parliament, except what is called Mr.
Fox's Libel Bill which I regret should
. have ever found its way into oar Statute'
Books, because it has operetta! by a Side.
wind to give a validity to that assumption
of power., -which, up to the time of its pai.,
sing, had no legal colour of authority WO*,
ever. Etcept in that Bill, I defy any bismt
to produce the evidence of the existetice of such
an offence as a libel in the Law of England.
When you consider that. men are writing ofted
with the best intentions, and for the best public
objects—that the mind which dictates their Send:
meats is actuated by the most amiable. feelings of
patriotism, which may often hurry a man to vie
expressions beyond *hat hip cooler judgment
might chime to adopt...when pm armlike that
such an offence often Bowe from the purest feel.
logs of human nature—that it is made an offence
only by construction—when you see persons' tried
as they are, brooght before Juries so appuinted
by the °liters of Crown, subject to a prosecution
unknown to ektrold law, accused by the Attor.
ney.Geueral, the immediate Officer of the CrOwn!
—*hen you find that Other of the Crown at
one fell sweep gluing away the. barriers with
which -the law bad encompassed the subjeet.i.-
when . yalt find. all this done without trail.
greasing the law, IS it at present eights, I
think yei will have no reason to boast much
of the Liberty of the Press on this subject.,
Once more to trespasS on your time with respeCt
to the Privileges of Parliament, about which so
many sophistical arguments have been advanced,
in order to deceive. the people. Some Gentlemen
hirepieleuded this these powers were necessary
for the protection of the People, • pint that for the
protection of the people it was necessary to grant
these Privileges to their Representatives. They tell
you that if they have been abusei,, you cannot
-argue from the abuse to the use of tliena. Un.
questionably not. But When you see a hollow
pretence resorted to, a-power assumed which eau
only be exercised against the People, I wilt only
ask you how the House of Commons can exercise
such a power without eaarcisiag it against the
People, fog, whose protection it was granted? The
thing is impossible; hot it may be further said, as
an argument against this Privpilege, that•the House
of Commons, in conjunction with the Crown
and the Borough . mongers, titay be Mede to
destroy the *graft sof the people Alf thii

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:fie'CriareguestristiPsPdaertlistniefir.et. ImiEesice rwdrhelit"thlbetor be
aid of
.e Privilege which . can only • be put
in force fly theiting's treats trehentent clamour.)
lINIVILEGE WHICH CAN ONLY BY ENFORCED BY ,
A STANDING Ail*—thßitAN SoLDIERS, AND
NuNE of wiliten THE RING HAS A RIGHT
Tu RECO, ANDTHE MAINTAINING OP ALL WHICH
,Is &MIKAN', TO THE FUNDAMENTAL twit or THE
Convent, t (Loud shouts of appiaute succeeded
this .anutitisivnal ionument.) But, thttr.E.
HIRII,'WHETHER TI'S; KING MAY REES, THEM Olt
NOT, THEY CERTAIIILf HAYB NO RIGHT TO
istokosat rim Pcort.t IN tlit wharfs. [4n unisolf..
'Mass burst of indignation.) Gentlemen; the
last Act of the Iting's bliitisters seems Completely
to draw the Veil aside, mid to thew . English.
men their situation, and undeubtedly I feel, dl
every man of common sense Mod feel, whet is
their real condition. I feel that there is no
security for any man. I feel that-by the duty We
one to our country, the conteouenctes may be.to
ad extent which I may not' Rime, [Mari hear,
hear!) and I see do mutts of preventing those
eueseouenceiti In time 'the minds of Englishmen
may become lowered to their condition. [44 Never,
never; Englishnsen never Will be:laves."] Gbh.,
denten, the minds of staves are nut' at ohce'
adopted. Whilst we Consider oerselveS free, re.
does are the duller which are expected from Us,
BUT WHEN ONCE WIS MEOW OURSELVES To HE
SLAVES; WE MUST ISTAIIRII OUR MINDS THAT THE
SLATE Ills SUTONE VIRTUE, 'WHICH Is OBEDIENCE.
(The native spirit of Englishmen found rent in
the depression of their jail
Gentlemen; I greatly appiehend that I MALL
NOT BE ABLE TO. GET SO HOCH OF THE EN-
GLISHMAN OUT ,G 1 TO SIRING air MIND
To THAT CONDITION. [Shouts of applause,
scarcely ever equalled Mere were nearly
600 ha/hikers:keit: :saving fit Me air; the sense
.f the COMpany coat unequivocal.l I. feel,
aentkmen, that if 1 SHOULD FALL, I HAD
RA-
THER FALL WITH A FALLEN. CUUNTHT, THAN
RE LEFT SURVIVING AMONG ITS shims. ['mei
Haw ,ezpressiqiu were,repeated.] But, Geotle-
mei, the feelings which you express; give me bet:
ter hopes, and better opinions; and I do hope and
.trdst to be instrueteetal, fur that is the great ob-
ject of my GEMICSICIE, to renovate the Liberties •of
my Country, and to place them oft the immoveable
rock of the Cottstitution. Gentlemen, you well
kdow, as I know; and I am fat from meanittg to
arraign the justice of the Country, but you ere
well aware that pn.ensittent public writer his been
sentenced to a long intprisoutnent, to. the payment
of a largo fine, and has been made amenable to a
tractice, which has beeb introduced in modern
Aims, of finding intntetise security for future good
behaviour, as It is called ; or, in case ..of inability
to procure it, tufferieg imprisonment for lifo--and
for what ? For having expressed' his indigeation
at 'fiat Alt, winch, I Ines; taxes is NO
ENGLISHMAN WHO DORS Not PARTICIPATE IN
Its silisonnencx or. [Shoats of approbation.]
1 do tot mead so arraign' the sentence: it is pro-
bable that; according to the present system .of
what is called the Lee of !Abel; it play have beet
attract. Ido not presume to say tite.contrary—
it. may have been a Ind* CoOtiCtioit I
do not ash it may utit have been so; bat this
I do 15SHIGH11, that it *a ARE NOT to IL*.
„PRESS OUR INUIGNATION THAT GERMAN Mill
DIEMS SHOULD BE WIOOEIIII TO` SEE ENGLISHMEN
ruisomte, OR IF WE CANNOT EXPRESS OUR IN..
NIGNATION THAT ANY ENGLISHMAN SHOULD BE
11.0GGED AT ALL, I do say we are In ENNOCE base
.M*l.degraded Mutation that! any nation on the
ace of the globe. Ido nut. assert that there mak
.not have been tome teolfticality in the mode of
azpressioa which May Mini affixed the character of,
libel upon the publication to whickl am referring;
I do not arraign the Court of Justide that passed
the a:atonic • Wit I do say, the situation to which
we are reduced, Whether• it is by German soldiers '
or, otherwise; of being a flogged nation--ow
stl-
ING THE ONLY NATION MAIMS TO THE PUNISH.
StttNT eir *9O-7A PUNISHMENT INFLICTED
irtnit A Alton er INHUMANITY WHICH NO
PLISON WOULR INtrLICT heON A BEAST—. 4, THAT
IS OUR SITUATION, I SAY IT IS WETTER. TO ote.J
THAN to Li t E —(11/1MX the handkerchiefs moped
in the air, and the plaudit: continues 4 for many nil.
iturea.] Gentlismett; I Wive tonclietlafew of the pro-
minent evils of the times, and the prominent evils of
the country, and 'I wilt venture to prbmise you
this; that in whatever 'Situation it may be my for-
tune to. Sib placed, whether I may hare the Nino,'
to be lifted'up by the opialou of the Electors of.
Westmluster, or whether, from misconception, or
mistake, or differenenof etialon, I may bteplacml
is a different situation.; whether I may be high or
low, I treat I shall be•foued willing to do the up
most of my ',duty, Its endeavouring to restore the
rights and liberties of the people.[" We aro :ems,.
.bk of that," exclaimed nsiotyvoicesl Gentlemen,
I will'only make this fnetkee Otisereetion, before
conclude the address I have had the honouhb'
Wake thiltliy. Ito; observation I would nuke
is this...whatever may be the couditiott of this
country, no good man ought ever to despair; I
do assure you that whatever the condition of the
country may be, It is infinitely better that I have
seen it, sines I hale been before tho eye of the
public ; the edam in which we have so lung la.
boured, and In which the soil bee been so barren
as to produce nothing--a soil which has been so
long endeavoured to be made produitive by the
efforts of an Ilonourable and Venerable 'Gentle.
man, Major Cartwright, who has eves been uni.
form and steady in his exertions, at length pro.
seises us a fruitful harvest. I believe he will say,
that he has reason to knew, from'- lunicatiens

- •• CORIRIL
which have been Jude to him (toil different parts
of the country, that the subject of Reform nei
ver bore so fouurable an appearance as it dues
at the primal moment. GentlemeN before I sit.
doWn I will, with your permission, say a word on
Ilse wretched and miserable condition of the Siater
Kingdom. Hitherto Ike hue been so occupied with
the encroachments on our •an liberty—the. utii4.l
form encroachments which for a period of 50 years
have.gradually deprived the people of
.this country
of their rights Mid. privileges—we have fur tht.
last fifty years bad so much to bewail and lament'