The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-01-30 00:00:00

fence of which the best Mood of their ancestors had
been shed.

- -- -
The motion was put and carried with great applause.
The LORD NLIVOR said, that he received the thanks of
Isis fellow-citizens wiiit great satisfaction. lie hoped he
would ever maintain, as far as he could, the rights of
his fellow-citizen..
The Hall then dissolved.
The following are the Letters alluded to by the Lord
Mayor :
"MT Loan,—l beg that you will do me the honour to
communicate my sincere tlinnks for the notice so kindly
and partially taken of me at the Meeting of the Lord 1,
Mayor, Aldermen. and Livery of the several Comps-'
nies of the City of London, in Comuton Fall assem-
bled, on Friday. the I.lth December jest. I feel with pride
and satisfaction that the principles which through a long
•Rte I have uniformly maintained in our itarliatnents and
Courts of Justice, are the same which animate and distin-
relish the Citizens of London. I acted in conformity with
them during the late proceedings In the House of Lords,
and they may depend upon mr constant and invariable sup-
port of the free principles of thelltilish Government:
" I have the honour to he. with great respect and regard,
" Your Lordship's most faithful bumble Servant.
" ERSKINE.-
" It Arabella-row. Lower Grosvenor-plare, Jan. le, HMI.
" To the Right lion. the Lord Mayor."
" Old Burlington-street, Dec. SI, lstO.
"My Loran MAYOR-1 am much gratified in the comma&
cation of the Resolution of the Mayor, Aldermen. and LIMP
rymen of the City of London. in which they were pleased to
notice. with approbation, my opposition to the Rill of Pairs
and Penalties. which was lately under the consideration of
the Hence of Lords. I ant hardly entitled to so flattering a
distinction. Nothing hot the orders of the House would
have induced me to attend so irregular. unnecessary and dis-
ruling a proceeding ; and when compelled to do so. I did
eothiug but my duty in voting. against it. It is. however.
some compensation for the time unprofitably and unplea-
santly spent in the inquiry, to find that my conduct during It
has met with the approbation of so greet and respectable a
body of my fellow-countrymen, as the Common Hall of the
City of London. I heg you. my Lord, for them and your-
self, to accept my acknowledgments and to believe me with
every consideration and respect,
" Your Lordship's obliged and obedient bumble servant,
" VASS %LI. HOLLAND."

FOR THE SFATESMA.V.

PARLIAMENTARY REFORIL—Fora Lerritsg.

LFTTFR I.
TO THE PUBLIC.

In the disastrons eiremnstanees of a nation, it is
admitted to he the duty of evert• citizen, by atir
means in his power, to contribute to its redress. On
this ground the following views are submitted at
the present time to the candid consideration of sty
countrymen.

Wherever we turn we meet the sound, or sight of
distress. The opulent are pertiorlied ; the commercial
world is convulsed ; onr matinfarturers and shop-
keepers without employment ; of the remaining part
of our trailing community. how comparatively few
those neither ruining nor retreating; %chile of all
are daily added to the enormous lists ef hankruptcy.
Occupiers of the soil arc alike dismayed ; their re-
sources wasting z awl themselves awl families fast
•
winking into poverty.
lint how can he contemplated the ravages of our
laborious community

Agricultural labourers, and to which now must be
added, our handicraft aml manufacturers, without eus-
ployment, or hope of relief, sinking into despair.
flow numerous the Catalogues of crime! From
murders the most gross, and acts the most atrocious,
to the lowest pilfering. of the infant, how are we
assailed ! In defiance of the threatened steel-trap at
almost every corner, what village lessees are destroy-
ed ; orchards ; cattle are not safe in our
fields, nor goods on our rivers ; depredations in the
streets at noonday so notorious, as even to convey the,
idea of a licensed trade ; and yet bands of military,
and police. so anomalous to our country's habits, are
found in every direction.
That such complirated evils should have been per-
mitted, is certainly attributable to that dread of inno-
vation which is so roach the characteristic of our
nation, and throngh which influence ills are often
borne even after their pressure and applicable relief
have been ascertained. The hour is however arrived
when the application of the suitable moans is become
the general demand. The Itritiah lion arises, Ile
arises, and slan!.ser is no longer. To discover the re-
medies for such a miserable state of things, let us at-
tend to the established axiom which exhorts us when
seeking a removal of evils, to estatuiue into the causes
which have prodneed them.
For a series of years have we to lament, itoth in the
conduct of our civil economy, and of our external re-
lations, the total absence of the principles of equity,
which raised our island to greatness. The usinds of
the most eissioent statesmen have been alarmed at the
progress of opinions and measures which could not
fail to engender dissatisfaction and confusion.
Wurs, undertaken with our colonies, and with inde-
pendent states, originating in the post nefarious. gad.
mistaken policy, and marked In their hideous career
by a consistency its error the most frantic ; the waste
of treasure too aitenslant on such widespread hostility.
connected in every department with a profligacy of
expenditure the most senseless, nsting, anti de-
praved ; while attempts to stifle its complaints hare
been fearfully invading the rights and privileges of
the people. • •
It will be easily perceived that these systems of age
gression, pertinaciously pursued, while enriching some
indirldnral, coold not but devastate oar great national,
interests. Trade, notwithstanding a temporary ini=
pulse, which the cirenmstances of hostility, and espe-
cially the success of our fleets had given birth to, was
evidently undermining. To this the great rents of
land, or visioned much by the enormity of taxation,
had considerably contributed ; while the nations, by
adopting cheap 'accedence of native prOdactiooe,-
wodld necessarily, with difficulty, he brought' at time
return of a peace so tardy, to replace with otti.own.•
The occupiers of the-soilkes, as we hture.sewn, un-
able to contend with mach rent and importaymtd The
overwhelming berth', of Poeni•rsteo‘lhave iteelesealt
been involved is common.eilamity. • 4
The suitable *remedy far inch inhappy eireum-,