The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-03-01 00:00:00

Mr. PEEL and Mr. DENMAN mutually explained.

Mr. BANKS, jun. declared it as his derided opinion
that the conduct of Sheriff Waithman was most impro-
per, bat particularly in attending the Coroner's Inquest,
where he had no right to be present, and interfering in
its proceedings. Ile had no business there, where he
could only he half a Sheriff. It was the Sheriff who
returned Juries, who caused persons to be arrested for
debts, and put the sentence of the law in execution,
therefore lie could not in any case act as a Judge; and
it was improper for him to appear as a Judge in any
criminal Court e. fortiori. He could not appear as a
public accuser, in which character he attended for six
days at the Inquest, for the purpose of proving that
the man who slew Honey was a murderer. He had no
right whatever, and it was highly improper for him to
be there. It was only twelve days before that the
Queen's funeral took place ; on that day the roads were
obstructed, and the Sheriff, who attended the funeral in
I his public rapacity, used no means to remove the ob-
structions; but, on the contrary, without interferinz or
attempting to quiet the disturbances, he allowed *he
funeral to be turned into the heart of die C;%,-, in direct
opposition to those who had the lawful conducting of
it. He must have known that the funeral ought not to
have taken that course, and it was his duty to have pre-
vented it. As to what was done on the Coroner's In-
quest, lie hoped it would be the last time that witnesses
would be allowed to appear on both sides, and that it
would be the last time that the proceedings wonld he
published from day to day.--(llear, hear.)—The Judges
in other Courts had prohibited the publication of their
proceedings day by day, and the same ought to be done
on a Coroner's humor, where, by such publication of
its proceedings, most injurious prejudices must have
existed in the minds of the pnblic, and of witnesses.—
He conhi not contemplate such conduct as this, er the
conduct of the Sheriff on the occasion to avhiels he
without horror and•disgu-t.---(Hear, heat.)

7:-

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• Nit- sal astr mid be .91 pedaled, liatas
,sari q dagement es that &Nimrod by dm Honourable
Gandemeelidie spike leolois that a Meld Of bla had
been gal/of modal *blob ought to be viewed with
horror sad Await. He (Mr. Beonetlnsaistaiaell that
by his se attendlog. lb* public peace was preserved se
meth that MI greatest odscisisf might havearism had
he net attends& It wee the daty of the Goverment ort
that day le ban kept the troops from interfering; but
they seemed to be regardless of public 'Maims. and de-
avmhsed to carry every thing by force. When he looked
at the wbele of the evideace afterwards given by other
persons who bad been present. Hs bad particularly
noticed the evidence given by Mr. John Tyas. a Re-
porter foe the Morning papers. No man was more Mbe
depended on for the accuracy of his statements than a
Newspaper Reporter. because no was paid more Mum
aloe to all occurrences, attention and accurate observa-
tion befog his trade; and no man could give better sok
deuce as to every thing that might pan before him.—
This Mr. Tyas was the same gentleman who gave the
first account of the Manchester business; and it was the
most cern:et ace:oust that had ever been given by any
body. The evidence of such a man, was therefore the
most correct record that could be had is any Court of
Justice. The following was the evidence of Mr. Tyke:
—" 1 saw a soldier at the gate strike his eartridge-hos,
take out a cartridge, bite it, prime his piece, pit some-
thing into the piece, and I saw his arm raised, from
which I conceived he was ramming it down; but some.'
body intervened, and I cannot say whether he rammed
it down or not, In my )udgment I saw him load his
piece; I saw him take his cartridge; I saw hint bite it;
raw him rap it in the touch-hole; I saw him put down
the lock ; I saw him put something into the top of his
barrel; and somebody came between us, and I saw his
arm up. 1 have the least doubt that he primed and
loaded. At the very time that these men were rushing
at Mr. Waldman in the middle of the street, I saw this
man with a carbine on his shoulder, and :poring it, as if
to gee an aim at Mr. Waithmsn; anti my opinion was:
that if be mold have fired at Mr. Wsithman without hit-
ting one of his comrades, he would have fired." It was
true. the statement of Mr. Tyas was not given on oath;
but that house was not sitting injodgmeet, and never re-
quired witnesses to be sworn. Hews:teed:A. therefore.
that the evidence ought to be received as true, just as 11
much as if it had been sworn to ; and that the whole of
Mr. Sheriff Waittiman's statement was completely borne
out by it: therefore the "Present was a fit subject for the
house to inquire into. If such inquiry was not entered
into, he must say that the present was not the house of
Commons which the people ought to look tip to as the
guardian of their liberties. He would say it was not be-
coming in that house to shut its door against inquiry
Abundant evidence was contained in the papers before
them. barked by the statement of the Sheriff himself. to
make it incumbent on the house to take up the subject ;
and not to applaud every thing said in favour of the sol-
diers, and turn their backs on the complaints of the peo-
ple. , Therefore IN most cordially supported the prayer
of the petition.

Mr. LAMB was exceedingly unwilling to embark in
a Parliamentary inquiry on this spbject. Litt he wished
to know, what possible motive could the men have who
sealed that funeral—(hear, bear,) except to increase the
excitement that had already existed, and take advanteke
of the stateof agitation in the public mind at that time.
—(Hear, hear.)—As to what the Hon. Member for
Westminster bad said, he (Mr. L) must tell him, that
the persons who attended the fusural could not be consi-
dered as oonstitating the pe.role.—(Hear, bear.)—Many
persona there behaved themselves quietly; but there
were nonlibers-Pfho were desirous of riot and disturbance,
and it was absurd to give such persons the name of the
people. If all tLe acts of that day were to be called
the acts of the people, nothing could have a greater
tteuden.•y to break the peace of the country. He would
say, if acts of riot were not discountenanced in that
(louse, the greatest mischiefs would follow.
Mr. 110111110 USE explained. He said that when he
spoke of the people, be alluded to the people as being in-
salted in the perron of the Sheriff of Middlesex.

Mr. BUTTERWORTH said an unprovoked attack had
been made on the troops, by a riotous moh, at the lune-
ral of the Queen, and what the troops had done wu in
lefence of their own lives ; and it was highly improper
in the Sheriff not to have interposed on that day at
Cumberland gate ; for be went there not in a private,
but a public capacity. Here the Hon. Member read a
letter from Mr. Sheriff Waithman to Mr. Sheriff Wil-
liams, stating that lie intended to be at the funeral of
the Queen, as Sheriff of Middlesex.—(hear, hear.)--A
censure had been thrown upon Ministers, for not letting
the funeral pass through the City; lie would say that,
after that disgraceful scene—that profanation of all reli-
gion, which bad taken place on the (lay when the Queen
went in procession, io solemn mockery, to St. Paul's—
and that too under the sanction of the public authorities
in London, and so recently after the evpo.(ures which
bad taken place in the other house of Parliament—
(hear, from the Ministerial benches)—after such a
shameful scene as that, it would have been a degrada-
tion to the Government, if they allowed the corpse of the
Queen to be conveyed in funeral procession through the
city.—(Hear, hear.)
-

Mr. HUME said it bad not been his intention to have
said any thing on the present question that night, bat
it was impossible for him to refrain from taking notice
of what hid just fallen from the Hon. Member for Dover.
In that Christian charity, for which be pretended to be
so great an advocate, he thought fit to make a violent
accusation against all who had paid any respect to the
late Queen, and also against the whole body of Magis-
trates of London. Such language as that was an insult
IC religion.—(Loud shouts of hear, from the Opposition
side.)—This was the way In which the sacred cause of
religion was abnsed by men who, with piety and religion
always in their mouths had nothing like Christian
charity in their hearts.—(More shouts of "hear.")—The
House bad just had an instance of the truth of what he '
now stated, and of such language and conduct he must ex-
press his utter abhorrence. With regard to the transae-
thou which took place at Knightsbridge, it had nothing
to do with the Queen's funeral, and ought not on this
occasion to have been mixed up with it; but the time
would shortly come when Gentlemen would hear more
upon that subject. The Honourable Member (Mr. But-
terworth) bad read a letter purporting to have been
written by Mr. Waitlituan to Sheriff Williams, in order
to show that the former gentleman attended the funeral
in his public character of .gheriff. Now whether that
was an authentic letter or not, he (Mr. Horne) would as-
sert, that to his knowledge, Mr. Wai.titnan did attend as
a private individual, and accompanied the procession
along with others, in his private carriage. This he
stated ar a fret, without caring one farthing for the pa-
per which the lion. Member had prodneed.—(Langhter.)
—Now, if a great Corporation like London asked that
house for inquiry on a subject of vital importance to the
people's liberties, the Members of the house would he
decrying justice and inselting the highest civil officer in
the conoty if they refused the inquiry. But instead of
approving of his conduct, the Ministers did every thing
they could to injure his character. The sentiments ut-
•evsid by an Hoe. Member against the Sheriff were out-
rageously unjust, and could not hay* originated from

say slier 00111160.40-aor, icier 1641,11116 P
soid dal illirept Noting sboald oat be ingiatail to•Oy
hisnalsar.)—Mr. Hans aeleiassed I. the jadiassat otalse
Clair. and, alter a fast wards, sat down.

Mr. C. SMITH eabloi few woeda, which* were set aa-
Chi* in the gallery.
Mr. Aidernsaa WOOD replied, sad expressed hie ear.
prise that Ministers. and particularly as flea. Bart. (Sr
Was. Cards.) shoald try to degrade the Corporation of
Londe., which bad been honoured a few .an ago by
the presence of his Majesty and all his Ministers. at a
grand dinner' which cost 25.0001. He saintaimed the
right of the Sheriff to be present at the Inquest. and
showed the safaireess of the animadversions of the Hos.
Member for Dover.
The House the* divided—