The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-07-19

TIE SPEECH OF HEw,n BRouoHaM- ESQ
before the House IF Commons, F,-;d1y,, II
f,rH 1, 1908, in Suhhort Of the Petitions
from London, LiUerhoot and Manchester,
against the Orders IN Council
SIR,
IHE evidence for the petitions being now
closed, 1T remains for me, as shortly as the
nature of the case will permit, to state its
import to this House 3ut first Of all, you
vii! allow me to express, on the part of the
petitioners as.we!l as for myself, til.; graft
tude We feel for the very attentive hearing
with which we have been honored. Whatevcr
may be the fate of these petitions, thus 1T ucn
we have to comfort us, that we have been
heard with the attention which the impQr-
t'ce OF our cause justified us in expecting
and even if we. should be turned away from
your bar without relief, at least we cannot
complain that while standing before YOU, we
have been hardly treated.
Before entering upon the subject, may he
permitted further to notice certain aspersi-
ons which, out of doors, have been cast upon
the promoters of these three petitions. may
affirm once for all, that nothing Can be more
untounded than any imputation of factious or
dscontented views having actuated the mo-
vers OF this business. Those who best know
Manchester, have promoted this appeal to
the parliament, will be easily satisfied that
there is no class of men in the country more
averse from impeding the measures of GO
VerhInent IN the present unparalleled crisis,
more anxious to accommodate their views to
those OF his majesty's ministers, or more will
ing TO postpone, to a more quiet occasion,
any resistance which they might be compel
lei to make to their proceedings. Il is t
now for the first time that the petitioners
think themselves aggrievedby the measures
OF government; but until now, that they have
found those measures pressing upon them
with an intoIerab!c weight, they made it a
rule to suffer in silence. The Order of the
9TH OF January, 1907, was no light matter to
them, either in its substantial effects or in
the alarm which il created. Their appre-
tensions of its effects were great and serious
Indeed But confident that they could lose
nothing In the estimation Of their country, 81
delaying tourge any objection TO it until they
mad first tried it's operation, and experienced
actual injury from II, they waited until, IN
common with others, they found that the in
chCacy OF that measure was one Gifts best
recommen dations. when these new Orders
IN Council were issued, it was their purpose
t1 follow the same line Of conduct and ST.
ter yendeavoring to make themselves mas
VSi" vi tnS meaning Of those DEGREES tan at
tempt which certainly demanded no trifine
degree of attention, and occasioned a very
considerable delay it was much their wish
to have found them as harmless as that of the
ia Of January; but although eiiey are very
Ia IRON Gathering themselves that they yet
understand the nature of those Orders Of No
yember last, and although they can scarcely
hope Tor the rare good fortune of ever attain
ing that knowledge, they are satisfied that
they have discovered bv tic effects which they
alaeady have produced upon their own con.
Germs, enough Of their nature & import to feel
that they are utterlyruinous tothem. They are
persuaded that if they had DELAYED any lon
ger seeking that redress which they now
pray for, they would Only have waited till,
instead of three petitions, general Glamour
would have been raised all over the Country,
which, If successful, would neither have been
convenient for this government, nor produc-
tive OF favorable impression upon foreign
nations. For these reasons the petitioners
have at length resolved to bring forward a
statement of their grievances, and ap, Il t.
Parliament, while yet il may both be safe to
hear them, and possible to grant their re-
quest.
Sir. it is no doubt possible (aithough am