The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-03-07 00:00:00

•rllt ,STAT

wined a Bill of lodemnity.--.(Ginies of no, no 1)—
Die the persecuted Reformers. ask for an Act of
()Miriam or of Amnesty ; did they ask for a of
indemnity ?—(Gries of no, not)—Bet did. they not,
en the slostrary, clamour to be broogfit to trier(
High Treason I Have they not begged in vain of Ms Ma.
jesty's Ministers to bring them to the bar ?--(Lotrdcries
of they have, they have !) " Well, thee if his Ma-
jesty's Ministers (said Mr. Edmoods) will not bring
them to trial IL will,-1 will plate /hem at your bar;
yeti shall be their judges. Are they guilty or not
guilty ?—( Loud and reiterated cries. of not guilty.)
—You may truly say so (contioeed Mr. E.) and
with pleasure record your verdiet.—For if they were
guilty, is it likely that they would go about solicit-
ing to be hanged, drawn, and tplartered? ' I will
now (said Mr. E.) bring their accusers to trial, for
no less a crime than High Treason against the most
sacred rights of man. Are they guilty or not guilty ?
--(Loud cries of guilty, guilty.)—Now, Gentle-
men, I will call your attention to the situation of
these innocent, persecuted, ruined men.-1 stand
bore to-day (said he) to plead their cease; do not for
the sake of humanity, for- the sake ofjestice, let
them go unrewarded. Sound policy demands that.
you should assist them; demotic that you ahoold
show ticker wicked and cruel tyrants, that you con.
sider your rights violated in the persons of these
•men ; lilt them see, that if they peraecote our fellow.
count') men, you will cherish them; if they oppress
them, you will proteet them."
Mr. W. Moose observed, That it was more tins
12 months since he had last the honour of addressing
his fellow-townsmen, daring which time they bad
seen their dearest rights trampled under foot, their
most inclinable laws suspended, and .a perfect des-
potism established. Spies bad been mint abroad to
excite a perishing population to acts of engross and
desperation, and with indignation be 4t \said, io one
instance they succeeded, and a horrid sacrifice has
been offered to the monster tyranny, on the blood.
streaming scaffold of Derby.--{Cries of shame,
shame.)
The sufferings too of their fellow-coantryragn, less
prisoned under the warrants of the Secretary of State,
have almost exceeded any thing read of in the stn.;
;wintery records of a Military Despotism. The rack
and the how-string. it is true, have net, as he had
heard, been applied, but men have been driven mod
by the terrors of solitary confinement and cruel treat-
ment, and have actually committed the dreadful act
of self-destruction.

The conduct of their delectable and praiseworthy
governors, far outdoes tbat of the administrators of
justice in the fabled Hell of the ancients; it was
their practice to punish first and try afterwsrda : bat
their kind-hearted Ministers punish, severely punish,
but never 'try at all.-=( Loud and reiterated (ip-
plause.)—But why shorild be attempt to enumerate
the bad actions of these men men arbo had done
every thing they ought not to have done, and left
,undone every thing they ought to hue don&
When the People solicited from their sufferings,
they insulted them ' • when they petitioned for Re-
form, they enacted Gagging Bills and sespeoded the
Personal Safety Act. hi short, said he, they de-
stroyed our free and glorious Constitution, and esta.
blished a perfect despotism lit ill stead.
•
But the reign of tyranny was short • the People
have preyed to an admiring world, that " Britons ,
never will be slaves."—(Great applause )—These
petty and contemptible tyrants endeavoured to swell
themselves to the size and importance of the 'lion,
but thank God they have nearly ruined themselves
in the attempt. Their feeble hands grasped the thun-
derbolt, but unable to wield it, they have relin-
quished their hold, and now stand wondering and
aghast, bitterly regretting their stupid temerity.
Gentlemen, said he, after the excellent speech you
have heard from oar worthy Chairman, it would be
a waste of time for me to detain you much longer, I
shall, therefore, couclude, by calling upon you to
take the case of our fellow-countrymen into your
most serious consideration, and by proposing the Re-
;'Solutions which I now hold in my hand.
First. —That as Englishmen we have ever been aught to ve-
nerate the "Habeas Corpus Act," as the grand palbidium of
ear Liberties; that the sole intent of our forefathers in procur-
ing Its enactment, was to protect the People from the eacroach-
OWlllia power iu woes of difficulty and misrule, and not to
be subverted or abandoned at ther.orgr salcOat which to them
it could. possibly be of any real service. That in times of un-
parallelled distress, whets a fourth part of the whole com-
munity were branded as Paupers; when able-bodied men were
advertised by auk Prank o&ers, to be hired out for labour
at sixpence per day; at wean time, it became threw mitred
of their duties, tor sue People to make known their privations
and their wrongs to the Rulers, whose mismanagement had in-
volved them in such itutufferable calamity. That the sum Mud
suustance of their offence was the petitioning for hronumy amid
Reform ; fur Mica tindiciive Ministry assumed the unleashed
power to apprehend and impriwo boas of Mmucent victims, and
a pliant Parbaraeut tanctioried the outrage and betrayed their
trust. That his Majesty's instead of copdohng with
the PeOple, uud using Their mighty induence to procure them
relief, resorted to the plan o. sandhog oat their secret emissaries,
'like Sawn of old," seek tag whom they might devour;" muting
the pasmioaidf the hungry multitude to modem, boy their aim
plots and comptracir), and then, with the most cruel malignity,
raid at their own capr cr., punishing Where they could not sub-
staatiate evert the shadow elf eccosatioa.
Secuadtp,-71st I, yerniaded as we are of the ecomphtte kitn
potence of these toctinwsit tranitrienittboritytieu chalks
enquiry, but defiled the enviable prifilege of being arttaig
giei
for firgia'reaseior stud considm log the wanton abuse of power,
which could down them to thiligeous. 1411cr.. aid ktieferae,
nod their fantilies to DasPondrusiaud Starvation' we clitoris
every class of our fellow salvos, every man who
tbe.heart of p ifritua, to dismaine all participation is iss-
haglike outrage; and to rontribine by his andiiguiieddilislailm
noes atid bY his pecuniary aid, to the relief of such ealwribid
sufferings ; trod that fur ;he purposes& SIJ liscriptiowbe maw
(timely commenced, and promoted by all theempabilities wit
power.
Thirdly, That we limitedly and solemnly protest vibes enp4
Actor lademaity, by which Ms Majesty' q, Mimi mae.
screened from the lewd eidsseqoinces at their i melee; 'be;
cause', if they lave cone relit, let them face astpt ry, Mid Mr'.
pood epos their intivity nod die attachment .of th*eosatryk
but if they havcilinie a ropg—if they brew viobsted the Lemai.
tritium—if base hashed the sacred nghts of thole emsatry-
terea—ff tbeylitee•dattit.ller-bload, aid shed it • its indecent
triumph,
to the
let Arm Pc
answerable
So the mill reamnitime, laws, alid
as we I the People, answerable to God and imam for their
conduct.
Fourthly, Ilist.Paeliameat be amnia pelltitiord to take their
proper stead .101 woes a despotic. hi wintry aid a arenas Peo-
ple ; and to ar.sat such a timely and effectua Reform, as shall
hold out a reasonable prospect of pernsisweit aid isdaiii btijtr
piers.
Mr. nieces having seconded them, they were put
tad carried by as immense majority._

_
1---
Me. JIIIININGI afterwards came forward with a
Petition (or Kelton), on the weces.ity Tor which he
strongly and eloquently argued. .11e obiierted that
OW keen !MOs of the inhabitants of Mit Ctiolary base
no Repreieetatives, and, therefotw, they are per.
fectly jUslifted in teftnting to pay taxes. 'Tba,popb-
toes- taiga of Ilitagaikasa wet as hastens bf