The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-01-30 00:00:00

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And %our _
taro Into serious eonsttletattint. 'lard attend to the prayer of
those numerous Petitions which were presented to your
Ilonouitihte House In the year 1817, praying for Reform,
which Petitions, ablmegh signed by one million and a half et
Englishmen, were totally disregarded and throto under the
table of your Honourahla House,
" And your Petitioners will ever pray."
After reading the Petition, Mr. HUNT resumed—Sit..
Thomas Lethbridge was now near him. He once had
the power of doing, harm ; he now could neither do good
nor harm. Sir Thomas was like a dog with a kettle
tied to his tail; he made a great deal of noise all about
Notting. When Sir Francis Burdett dwelt in the House,
of Commons on the distress of the people, and sought to
relieve them, 'who said that the language of the Hon.l
baronet made the hair of his bead stand on end? Sir
T. Lethbridge. Yet after all, Sir Thomas was au ho-
nest man, compared to the hypocrite who pretended is
support liberty, vet gave his vote in favour of taxes and
of corruption. The Tories were barefaced nod open
enough to say, that they hated liberty, and wished to
pinnder the people : the Whigs pretended to love liberty,l
yet when in place they plundered tenfold.
The Rev. Mr. CRESWELL rose to second the Petition.
He said that if a Parson were hateful to their sight, he
hoped the Meeting would forget for five minutes that he
was so, and only look on him as a man and a patriot.
Reform was the great question which they ought always,
to have in view—how were the, people treated ?—they
were honied into submission—they tasted the mercy of
the sword. GovernMent spies were sent amongst them,
and some of the best of them, under false accusations,
were torn from their families, amid confined to dungeons
—the son who went to visit his father, was turned away
from the prison door, and Mr. Poole advocated the cease
of an inhuman monster who put blisters on the heath of
the prisoners. For the truth of what he said he might
appeal to the visiting Magistrates, and Mr. Hunt wee
a living witness of it. After some further obser-
vations, the Reverend Gentleman concluded by say-
ing that he highly approved of the Petition of Mr.
Hunt.
Dis. Dual:vim said that lie should trespass on their
patieoce fair a few mitistes, whilst he should try to re-
move certain impressions made up Mr. Mont, if Indeed be
bad made any impression at all. And-first, as to the
light-house—the information of Mr. Hant on that sub-.
.ject was wderepretented. If it was founded on troth, it
would ball:men the duty of the Trinity House to put
an end *Vona to las lase. It was al'o a groat; miser
presentation as to what be had said shout the Yeomanry
money. His (Mr. D.'s) accounts were forthcoming; and
were ready at a moment's warning to be submitted to the
proper authorities. As to the person who had been put
into close confinement, he was placed there, not for
stealing deals, bat for an attempt to break the prison.
It was enough for him to say, that when Sir Francis
Burdett brought the matter before Parliament, there
was not a single member found to support him. The Repre-
sentative of the County, it would he his wish, if possible,
to make his sentiments accord with their's,but the views
he had heard that day were so repugnant to his own, that
he could not possibly support them (disapprobation).
The longer he lived, the more convinced was he that
good sense was hest sheen by moderation of conduct.
He was surprised at some expressions that fell from Mr.
Sandford. Surely Mr. Sandford most hate know that
the history of England was a history of Reform (no
no). He would ahem that it was from Magna Charta,
down to the present time. Ilenry VII. was a reformer.
Henry VIII. was a reformer of another kind. The Re-
volutloO of 1688 was familiar to all of them, as were the
reforms in the last reign. That great Reform, the in-
dependence of the Judges, was effected. The tribunal
for trying controversies respecting Elections were first
established, and persoos.laulding offices were sent back
to their constituents. 'Recently Shorehata and Grain-
pound were disfranchised. These were important reform-
ethane ; but he was not of opinion that they-were nut
sufficient. He was of opinion that there were too
many persons in the Howse of Commons who had inter-
est in the public purse, to be the proper guardians of
the public money. lie was inclined to think that the oath
against bribery and corruption ought to he administered
to the elected as well as to the electors. It was for these
reasons, amongst others, that he had been induced to
vote for Lord .1. Itessell's motion. With respect to
Radical Reform, if he had not previously made up his
mind against it, what be had seen that day would decide
him (disapprobation). Ile believed Radical Reform
to be against the spirit of the English• Constitution [dia.
,approbation). Ily enlarging the votes of others tney
would at once render the privilege of the present elec-
tors of no value. He never would vote for Radial Re.
form (disapprobation).
Sir THOMAS LETUBRIDOI next came forward, and said
that he hoped the Meeting would hear him. If he
differed from them he had a right to differ whenever he
and the electors of the county should he found enter-
taining opposite times on important subjects, he would
make.his bow and retire.
Mr. tlvxv.—Von can do so now.

Sir THOMAS Leninkinoe denied that he called the
last Meeting a rabble. He looked upon that Meeting
as or the present, a respectable Meeting of the population
of Somerset. It was his duty to iccount to them for his
pnhlic conduct—it was not in his nature to shrink from
difficulties. Ile was not aware that Mr. Hunt had made
any serious charge against him.
Mr. lkNT.—Only that you voted for all the taxes
(a lane.).
Sir THOMMI continued.—fie went into Parliament in
ISOii ; he found men there of gr eat experience, who con.
sidered that the system then in operation was calculated
to conduce to the. best interests of Europe. They might
have been wrong; no man can be free from error, but
every man ought to be free from injustice and disho-
nesty. He admitted he voted for taxes, he was sort? for'
it.—:(Applause.)—lle was not sorry for the votes Ite.bad
given, but if the people suffered from the consequence of
those votes no man could regret it .more
than himself. It was his opinion, that without
the expenditure, large as it was, the country might not
now he in existence; it was upon that principle he acted,
and it' the same thing were to occur again he would put
the question to his conscience and act as he had acted
before. In regard to the question before them, if the
people of England should say that they would have re-
form, they had a right to say so. lie had never-known
of any public question on which the voice of the people
of England was thoroughly expressed from one pan of
the country,to the other, that their voice did not ulti-
mately prevail; be would go farther and say,that it ought
to prevail.—(Applause.)—Mr. Hunt had chosen to use
certainly not a very elegant figure with respect to him.
if it gave him or the meeting any sort of pleasure to
compare him to that very humble animal, he would not
laughter and applause,)—they might
enjoy the joke as long as they wished ; he was glad to
see them in such good humour; he hoped the same
good humour would continue. We have, said lie, a
right to differ with each other, but we have nu right to
abuse each other.—(Applause.)—The House of Com-
mons was nut perhaps exactly in the same state as it was
in HAS, but did not every thing change ? Every man
had something, to reform within himself, every man
ought to endeaniur to retrace the false steps he had
taken, and to come back to that point from which he
should have never departed, so it was perhaps with the
constitution. He knew- that pockets were empty,
the consequences of that war which, after all

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Ist of ; and he coniplaineil: that
been filled as 6* He
son said, that tacition during
o high, and ought to be no longer
4s• had Nid eo in hie place in .Parliatosot,'
,and In spits of Lord this or Lord that, even yin despite of
them, whose approbation he valued, bat not so high as
the conviction of his own mind. He weniii•contintst to
Isay,tbat taxation was too higli,and heWould endeavour to
Alimioish it; he was disposed to vote for Lord John Rus-
sell's motion, which had for its object to get rid of 100
liorough Members, and to send iWtheir•stead to Pasha.
went, 100 Members such us the people would approve.
If he should advocate the question of Reform, it would
be principally on the ground that the land had not that
sway in the House of Common* • hich he thought it
ought to have, and Which it formerly possessed. He was
'for the addition to the County representation, to he
,taken froth small boroughs. So far he would go, but lie
would not go beyond a point that would oat be ultimately
useful to his country. Mr. Hunt was no doubt well ac-
quainted with the history of the country; the experi-
ence of history, whether of England, of Rome, or of
Greece, showed him the necessity of approaching great
questions with caution. The Protectorate, not more
than 120 years ago, brought forward men who inflamed
the passions of the people—who flattered them—who,
by dealing' out language of praise, of encouragement,
and of falsehood to large bodies of people, became the
favourites of the day, in order to gain a vicious ascend-
ancy, ultimately betrayed the people and produced the
greatest sum of misery that England ever experienced.
The present was the Ent Somerset meeting on the ques-
tion of Reform. He did not see his way—he did not
yet understand Jo their fall extebt the wishes of hie
Constituents upon the subject: He would vote on
that question, as upon all ether* according to his
judgment and his consciebee ; and further, he would
pledge hiinself,that in the ensuing session of Parliament
he would endeavour to get an equalisation of those
heavy burdens which press upon the labour and industry
of the people.
Mr. HUNT.—." That you won't get without Reform.'
Sir T. LECTIIBRIDOE.—." If so, I may then be the more
convinced of the necessity of Reform." He would con-
clude by giving this piece of advice to the people—not
to permit any man, because he might differ with another,
to throw upon his opponent false and odious calumnies,
that had no foundation in honesty or truth.
Mr. Poing next attempted to address the Meeting;
but it was nortintil the Sheriff threatened to dissolve it
that he received an imperfect hearing. He said that
he bad given evidence on Bridle's trial, because, from a
long knowledge of his character, he looked upon'him to
be 'a useful officer and an honest man. He defended the
conduct of the Whigs who for the short time they were
in office abolished the Slave Trade, and ultimately lost
power in a generous effort to extend the blessings of
Religious Liberty to lhoir fellow silbjects in Ireland
lie condemned In strong terms the Vote by Ballot, as
unworthy of freemen : he would wish to know what the
advocates of the s} stem by ballot say, if what they
recommended to the people were practised by the Par.
liarnent ?

A Mr. Cox next addressed the Meeting at some
length.
The Rev. Mr. TRONAS said he was t Clergymen and a
Magistrate, hat he hoped, notwithstanding all that had been
said, that there might be foand an honest Magistrate and a
conscientious Cle►gymen. He was always an advocate for
a commutation of Tithes, and to the cause of Reform he had
ever given his strongest support. It was his opinion that
Reform would be a benefit not only to the people but to the
Church.
Mr. SANDFORD, in reply, said that be had ever been con-
sistent in his public conduct; he Was not like Mr. Hunt.
who was formerly an Ultra Loyalist—who was In Lord
Aylesbury's Yeomanry, and who quarrelled with his Lord-
ship, because his Lordship would not consent to send out
his men to cut the throats of the unfortunate Irby—(Great
agitation, and cries of hear, hear! from several (ientlemen
ou Mit hustings.)
Mr. liuxv—lt is false.
Mr. SANDFORD-It is true, ant you know it. Tie (Hunt)
was not a sincere Reformer; he made use of the baser
passions to carry measures, that w re sure to defeat the
question of Reform. If the meeting were friends to the
measure—if they wished to put a sting in the side of Minis-
ters—they would vote for the original question. He would
leave the business to the good sense of the people—he, at
least, had done his duty.
After a few words from Mr. Hant,__

The Stream. put the question ou Mr. Hunt's Amendment,
when a great majority of hands were held up in favour of
Mr. Hunt's Petition.
The SHERIF? declared that the Amendment was carried;
and the Meeting was then dissolved.

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Til STATE
neasures in Church and State, is wilt scam the faturlP *l right Os bom
~
)nrant Itapphesroof the people. the safety and how* UPsae
to had not k
Throne, add the peace ma prosperity of the country. had WI Cfrliter occasic
our Petitioners further pray your Honourable House to peace system was too Ii
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