Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-11-09

vented from hearing but very few of his
, observations. The rev. gentleman com
I menced by lamen.ing the absence (tlro'
indisposltlon) of that veteran in the cause
of reform, major Cartwright. That ven
! cradle gentleman had, for long series OF
| years eNcrted himself to ameiioraie the
condition of his fellow-countrymen and,
like every true patriot, lie considered the
! appreciation Of his own conscience, and
| the applause OF his fellow citizens, as a
| sufficient reward FOR the eycrtions he had
made. The rev. gentleman conceived
| the present 10 be the most important cri-
SIS at which The citizens of Westminster
had ever been called TO meet. Ii vas
unnecessary for him to tell them that the
| country was distressed, it was unnecessa-
| ry for him To describe that distress--un-
| fortunately they were all witnesses of the
| fact. They saw and felt the niisfortunes
! by which the country WIS overwhelmed.
They were, in truth, spectators of "A scene
of nationalruin. individuals were daily
quitting the country, like SO many mes
scngers, to proclaim To the world the dis
tress and poverty of this once happy land.
In the manufacturing towns, the inhabi-
tantswcre collecting together, not to con-
graduate each other OH their furnishing
state OF affairs, but to marchaway, i'll gloo-
my procession to the workhousc. 'Fhey
were now no longer ableto support them
selves, The parish must, therefore support
them. Were they, the electors of West
minister, to appear inanimate at such a
sight! Were they to sit and weep in 81
lence? Whether they turned to the right
hand or TO the left, they met calamity be-
yond description. Misery was growing
up before their eyes, and, unless the
country prevented it, this fertile island
would soon become barren wilderness !;
and he need not tell those whom he adj
dressed, that barren wilderness must be
deserted. These things had not come on
the country by surprise-the electors of
Westminster had oftentimcs met, and had
repeatedly warned the country against
those circumstances that were closely
connected with the present calamity.-
But alas! they were not heard or if they
were heard, their remonstrances were not
regarded. The moment, however, WIS
now arrived, when the electors of West
minister must think with unanimity, when
they must redouble their efforts, when
they must unite their exertions, and en-
deavor to raise a grand barrier, in order
TO oppose the present system, which aini-
ed at the universal destruction of all that
was dear TO EngIisllneI. The admins
irafion, however deficient in ability, were
not at all deficient III political power IF
they wanted a calm, they could command
lift they wanted a storm, they could
raise IT. 1t was for the people, in this ext
gence OF affairs, TO make them use their
power for the benefit ofthe country. The
national vessel that bore the British flag
was over-freighted, and il was for them
To call upon those who over-freighted the
ship TO throw overheard every thing that
was unnecessary, in order that she might
ride securely i'll the harbor of peace
When they were before importuned,
ministers said they would not-no, they
would not attempt TO steer clear of the
shoals that threatened the safety of the
national vessel. But was the bounden
duty of the electors of Westminster, and
ofevery body i'll the kingdom, to demand
that they shouldliglitentle burdens of the
vessel and that every salary unnecessa-
rIly pad to piaceman-tilat every shil-
ling OfproftwliCh Il sinecurist could de
rive from his situation (Which was wrung
from the bowels of the country ) should be
thrown overheard; thus, the vessel of the
state might be enabled to swim with all
her accustomed steadiness and beauty
1t was time that the people should con
sider the bright gems which once orna-
mented fine British constitutional was
time for them To restore those gems, which
corruption or folly had knocked out, and
to renew the beauty of that wise system
which was the pride of their ancestors
Those gems were the rights which their
forefa;hers possessed, and If was for them
to come forward and demand, that what
ever they had been deprived of, should
be given back TO them. He called on
them not TO procrastinaie business of
such importance the work of great
nation ought TO be done with speed. His
object was to impress on their minds
the necessity of forceful excrtion and IL
unanimous action. They ought TO recol-
lect, that the eyes of the nation were fixed
on the citizens of Westminster, who had
frequently given the tone TO The ideas of
the country. IL was their duty not only
TO meet, but to act upon this OCCASION
The rev. gentleman then proposed the
following resolution
hat the present unexampled and in
crcaslng suiferings, in agriculture, manu-
features and commerce, are not an effect
of sudden transition from war TO peace.
but ot an undermining prOgessiv transi-
ton from the constitutional liberty of
Englishmen TO the -.----- of an usuTpi,g
borough faction, with It's taxation will
out representation, and It's scptcnnialpow-
er."
This resolution was carried with accla-
nations.
Mr.. Hunt (of Bristol then stepped for
ward amidst the hearty greetings of the