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


D'ongersi he Is supposed to be a great authority
among themselves, and those who support them.
This is his speech od the_Privilege of Parliament ;
he says,—
" This is a question of considerable importance, for if a
popular assembly had a right to be the judge of their own
act,, and to make their own will the law, there would be au
end of civil liberty ; for what liberty could exist ill a state
where there was .s large body of men, who Could controul
the law, and deprive the subject of his freedoM at their
pleaUre t Wm could they talk of the inviolability of the
fiefdom of the sultject, while they violated that inviolabillt,
at their pleasure
These are the words which were delivered by
11Ir. Pitt ; at thd same time, in this speech, there
die repeated and frequent cautions to persons that
they ought to be circumspect in all they do,—that
they ought to look at every thing with a States-
Wad-like eye.—The person tvho composed this
speech of Earl Gre!,, was ansCoriscious of *hat
he Was doing, when ho could quote a person in
sdppurt of his argument who had contradicted the
very doctrine fur which he was contending, and
Who had mute elaborately detailed those princi-
ples which I hate stated. It may be Said that this
ghat Statesman, whose Opinion I have alluded to,
expresicd it when he was hi the vigour of youth,
or in the prime of manhood, add that his prince'.
pies thaeged as the man became more advanced in;
years. Circumstatizes may chanv, but, I keest,
Olt principles must ever remain the same. 1 :ad-
wiit that Berson l who ire going to share in °likes
Ie Gur..rtiateitt, may hake different Views. of
things from whit they had before. A. man who
IS ailmitierl to a palacc may ice things through a
diif rent mcdiuni than he did when he was at a tbs.
Mice !rout it, ail than in the valley his a different
view Of objects from the ciao wbo it on the hill ;
lint I say meri cadnot swerve frdnl the public
itrintiplei they hive once adopted ; he may be-
come *is& ; but, if he Swerves frotn his ptiliticil
prititiples, lie dues by that act cut Up by the roots
All ground of public confidence. There are
Other parts of this speech; which are exceedingly
eii riolis--" I protest," says he, 64 against men who,
under preiciite of Reform, would drive us into ex.
trasitgAtit theories ; but I was always a friciiJ to
rh•oleraie Reform,” NViiat can be more mode.
tale, I would aSk you, than the Reform which
the people of this 'country with for—they aro so
moderate that they are contented to Rut bp wish
all their wrongs, and to go without indediuity for
the past ;—they atb content that those Men who
have fatieuea ton the spoil shall keep posseisiou of
their plunder—they are Out content that those'
who have raised th'emselves upon the ruins of their
sinking country, and who have sacrificed their
pelolic duty to their private interest, should be
called to account.;—they aro content that they
should retain all their Indust, ill-gotten posses-
aions—they are content they shall go with impu.
nips ; they only ask, let u. have security fur this
future ; let us put an cud to this systetn—tfhe
tzliefe room resounded with plaudits.] A great.
deal is saint inch} course of this speech about what'
is celled wild theory kud speculation, and it is
said, that all necessary practical Reform, they,
that is, Earl Cagey and those who act with him,
ate ready to adopt. I do not *ell understand
the use of this word speculation, al opposed to
practice—if a man was to Shut his eyes add-
walk about the room, he Would be a practical
men without speculation. [Bursts of laughter].
All human wisdom is theory, and all acts aro
,practical. I look at the ghost of • Banque, atilt
say, he hat no spectela!ion. You are tidt to Mew.
hen and speculate in the dark, end perhaps
break your shins by tumbling over what is
in your way ;-rI are for looking before me, add
if I speculate I lien for speculatiog with the
eyes of the law ; we look scot beyond that; we ask
nothing beyond that; we have only to open the
Statute Book, and thire we shall find recorded
a't and more than we claim; at the same time it is
Said in this speech, that there must be a reslstanbc
• to popular clamour: I remember, and I hive no
JO ibt you were as attentive to the subject as my-
self, lh.tt when Lord Grey came into °MCC, and.
was afterw irds turned outi the excuse he made for
having deluded the public, and for not having re-
deemed those pledges which he had placed in the
hands of the public-you will recollect that the
excuse he made was, that the people did not ask
for Reform. Noe, I. think, that is quite a dis,
honest doctrine: 'I think we ought nut to wait till
vie ate asked for that which is• good and fit to be
bestowed ; that is nut the way in which a State's:
mad blight to act. I think no man ought
to wait to pay his debts till he is called upon to du
so. I think that a good man and a Statesman
ought to forestall the views and wishes of a na.
lion, and not to stay till they are wrung relue.
Wady from him, though I think that acting upon
such principles as Earl Grey has acted, -is neither
Wise or honest ; yet let me ask, how are the peo-
ple to set with men who, in excuse for neglecting
to do then justice, say they have not-called for a
particular tuea.urr, and then when they do call for
it, tell them it ought to be resisted, because of po.
pular clamour ? -It seems that nothing is to be
yielded to popular clamour. The public voice is
net to be heard. Every creature of power, how.
ever base, has the magnanimity to spurts at the
voice of the people. It is the road to fortune ;
there is •no creature, or dependent of power,
so contemptible, - but he will spit forth his
malice against the Peppla at largo--this is
easily accounted for witholt aepposing wish
magnanimity on the part of the petit'. so coo.
ducting himself; the rewards arc brilliant. Thri....^
is ,to such ready way td fortune as to despise the
people—you are considered' as low creatures. It
is supposed that all who meet here must give one
*nattier the itch ;• but, unfortunately for us, these
weed magnloimons Gentlemen-have thmoselves the
it !lib% palm: they have no objection to your money;
they are like the Emperor Vespasiau, who, when
be laid a tax on common sewers, and was repre.
hmideil fur deriving money from such source, re.
plied, that he did not find that the money had,
ally 'mole-4,am smell. So it is with these proud'
and tnegitgutinous persons, they care not for you,
but !hey like your money, acid therefore,the null]
comieetioit have with the people is with'l
. tow pockets. There is another part in this
curious si.rech, which is reported as the splotch
s:11. Lord Grey, I eau hardly suppose it to halo