The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-05-05 00:00:00

the leading men of this city, who have profited by
hems, at various times come forward, in order to
give a tone to the expression of your public sen-
iin,,,oe, They have come forward at Merchant
Taylors' Hall, at Grocers' Hall, and at the Man-
sion House, in order to support the odious In.
come Tax, and to serve the Ministers of the day,
tithe have oppressed you ; but yet you have nevi.
found any of these moo who have ever opened their.
mouths to deplore the failures which have recently
diejaced the country, or the- calamities which
owes helm you. I conclude, Gentlemen, by giv.
lee my cordial approbation to the Resolution
which has been read to you. I trust you will act
eitli firm:muss, with unanimity, with decision, and
at the same time with that temper which becomes
men who are contending for their dearest and most
invaluable rights—those rights which justly be.
lung to you, which the Constitution gives you, i
which you have been deprived of, and you have a li
right to have restored to you. These: I ant sure I
you will with firmness jurist upon, and nothing
cis,. [ Vehement and general bursts of applause
followed this speech.'
Mr. THOMPSON said he congratulated the
Livery that the borough-mongering servants had
permitted them this day to be out of prison, far
they claimed to send.thean there when they pleased.
They had become so fastidious that they could not
boar the truth. To use the words of scripture
se those who have the truth on their side, could
bear to coma to the light ; but those who had it not
shunned the light, because their deeds were foul."
lie stated that he had no doubt that various means
would be resorted to in order to make the Livery
go beyond what the Constitution would warrant,
that there might be a pretence for accusing
the!): of Jac:befit:in ; but he trusted they would
be upon their guard, and by that means keep
their scoundrel opponeuts at defiance. It had
been said on the last evening in the House of
Commons a report had gone forth that there were
but eight honest men in that House, and that all
the rest were rogues: How, he asked, was•that
aspersion received? It might be supposed that
the immaculate characters of which the House of
Commons nes composed, would have heard it with ,
hidignation; but, on the contrary, it only occa-
Monett a general laugh. Now, he observed, if
he were to gu to a place where there were a gong
of thieves ,glid was to say to -them, you ire
a parse! of thieves, he should naturally ex-
pect they would laugh at hen. Bust if
he was to go Into a company of honest men, and
tell them they were thieves, he had no doubt
their indignation would be raised against him, and
that with one accord they wouttl turn hire wit of
the recon ;--the inference lie said was clear.
Wheta bonest men were charged with roguery, they
would not salter the charge to be made without
resenting it ; but on the contrary, where an assem-
blage of people who were conscious they were
rogues, were so denominated, they would nate.
rally be disposed to get rid of the aspersion by a
bug*. T 4., business, lie observed, that the Livery
bait met fur was one of the greitestireportance. Thai
• :gimbal, was+ whether they •wouli „Heat the•feet:tof
• a Berossett.mougering faction ? Woold they doom
-thee:paves aed their posterity to be slates, or
mould they assert dal right the Constitution gave
them by expressing their determination to be Om ?
Betrustad they would demand their lost rights, in
order that they might transmit them, nut only un.
taratatede lent improved, to their posterity. Ho
was. satisfied seek would be:the sentimeut laV the
Livetyof London.. -He' observed, that the flu.
rough:aitungering faction, in sending Sir Fraucis
Butatett to the Tower, had nut done so because
thee felt there was- any thing unconstitutional in.
his letter and arguments to his Constituents,
but .beeause• they thought it necessary to keep
the ..epirit of the Piiiple down, and to do.
pave them df the bcoefit of the wholesome Laws.
of the Constitution. It. was the invincible
virtue of the Baronet, the love and esteem of the
People for him,and the notice he sad given of his
intention to bring forward the. question of Pat lie.
ineneary Reform that 'the House of Commons
dreaded: They knew that such an inquiry would
be attended with their own .destruction. He had
listened attentisety to the Resolutions which
had been -read, and approved of them but he
did not ditok they went -far' enough. - Just and
spirited as they Were in- expressing the disappro-
bation of the Livery at the conduct of those worst
lueasts of the country, the Ministry, ho thought
they ought equally to reprobate the Grenville
faction. The people, he said, ought nut to de-
ceive themselves; but when they found that the
Opposition could rally round the standard of Cur.
/option as well as the Ministers, the public ought
to manifest their abhorrence of the one as well as
the other. He certainly despised the present Mi-
nisters, because they were composed of a base con-
temptible faction ; bet he lather wished to see
see them retain their situations, because the
opposition with equal wickedness had more
wean's% What was to be expected from a
change of Ministry ? What advantage' could be
derived to the country, by exchanging Mr. Perce.
vat and his colleagues fur Lord Grenville, Lord
Grey, and Mr. Ward, who as foolishly as
wickedly had moved` that the Petition of the Elec-
tors of Westminster should not be received. The
Ministers were too wise for that Gentleman, who,
upon that occasion, represented the opinion of the
Whigs, and therefore they consented to receive the
Petition, and very artfully threw all the odium of
its intended rejection on the Opposition. He said
he rejoiced that Mr. Whitbread had come forward
in the way he had done ; but he hoped the People
would not suffer themselves to be deceived. He
wished them to recullert, that when the question,
of the Slave Trade was broughtforward in the
House of Commons, Mr. Pitt gave his friends and
adherents a holiday, leaving theta to vote as
they pleased, but, at the same time, well knowing
that they would not vote in a way that was,con,
trary to Lis wishes. So the Opppsitiott sometimes
gave their Members holidays, employing indivi-
duals among them as a kind of decyy ducks, that
they might make ;Ise of the People to turn the Mi.
testers out of- pleeet ih order that they, the Op-
position, might get in. The orator neat referred:
to tomcthing that had been &signaled at the Hack-