Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-12-26

lington. But To govern Urcat D'i-a'" .i ''
Sir, cannot lmasine II; anu any |
statesman were to try it. he wouidnnd there was
no better sword than that which has been male
from plouyhshare fcheers). Sir, | can under
stand the Government in New York--it subslsts
by public opinion. can understand the Govern
ment at Man--t is supportedby Austrian oayon,
ets;-but how the Government OF England cou'd
be sustained, when neither the sanction OF the one
nor the force Of the other could be applied, re-
ally cannot understand (cheers) In act,there Is
great anomaly in this country between the autho-
rity of the Government and the pnwer OF thepeo
Die. Our institutions are too popular. and not
popular enough-not sufficiently popular IN the
making Of laws, but too popular i'll the power
of evadipy them. The composition Of our Lee
gislaturc is altogether aristocratic. :.
The machinery. on the contrary, whereby this IS
put into effect, is as completely democratic; and
therefore are they working IN opposite ways
Look for example, at our Penal Laws. which are
notorious for cruelty which amounts almost TO
atrocity, and see how they are mii'sated by
adjudication--on many occasions at inc ex-
pense of perjury [hear. heat, hear! Look,
again, at our Libel Laws. SO absurdiy severe;
laws to which, if they could be carrledin effect
every rational man would prefer censorship;
and vet notwithstanding these laws, we have
1919 new law was passed-a law Of great Sc.
verity-against all basphemous and sed,ious Ii
bells, and DECLARING that if any man was twice
successfully convicted OF a blasphemous or Sc
d,tous Libel he should be banished for the first
offence, aud If he had returned, transported Tor
the second. How many men were banished or
transported for this Act9 Not one. cheers.
1t was a weapon Of weight and temper which
ought to have been irresistible in the hand, but as
soon as they obtained it, they hung II up to rust
cheers. 1t is an atrocious law-yet 1t lies IN
fact as inoxious on our Statute Book as it it was
inscribed in the Code Napoleon. There was no
difficulty in obtaining this law-it was easy to
procure It from subservieDt Parliament They
could pass but they could not employ this law.
They could not--they burst not employ it against
the voice Of refractory people hear, hear! -
These, Sir, are specimens OF the usrlessness OF
law, unless supported by the people. But think
the Reform Bill would remove this anomaly, and
| consider The rejection Of 1t would increase all
the evils of which have complained toa tremen!
dous-tO u portentous extent. | do not antici-
pate any thing approaching to an attempt at Re.
voluton, or the open display Of sedtlon-but |
fear the people will use the same kind of obst-
nate silent resistance by means OF which they
have mitisated, might say abrogated, the libel
Though not so loudly uttered as that of the Ro-
man tribune) does vet meet the rulers at every
turn. 1hcar, hear! until at length impressive re-
sistance shall be so prolonged, and the hands of
the Government will be so weakened, that II shall
not be possible to preserve, the peace at home, or
sustain the national honor abroad--unul the pub.
lie faith and credit shall have become by-word
and reproach. and misery shall have followed
fast upon misery, until sage, quiet men, who lor-
mery never dreamt of revolution. would pray
that the dread, lingering asony, might terminate
in one short. sharp crisis. heaar. hear! be-
lieve, however, that it the House of Commons
does its duty, there is no danger to he apprehend-
ed All will BIZ secure aud quiet. If We declare
our intense anxiety in favol Of Reform is undmin.
ishcd, and that we will not support any Ministry
which will not support Reform, cheers By
this, Sir, am we'll assured we may avert the ca
lamites which now gather round u.s. fear it
we do not take this advantage, which now pre-
sents itself to us, the people may fall into hands
of bad and fsi,hiess advisers-knen whom nature
only intended for the public contempt, but which
circumstances have made the public fear-who
are thrown forward into stations they should ne
yer occupy by the hesitation of the better and
more honorable portion Of mankind to put them
selves forward 1t is beautifully expressed in the
Hebrew FabIetin the Book of Judges; when the
trees went forth upon time to annoint King,
and the olive tree because Of its fatness, and the
fg tree for Its sweetness. and vine tree for its
wine. which cheered God ard man, refused to
reign over them, and, at length. in their desert
edness, they elected the brambe-the meanest
shrub-and from it came out that which devour-
Ell the ccdars of Lebanon loud cheering. +
When in former times, the villains burned TO the
ground the houses of the nObility-when the most
dreful barbarties we're committed, 100. 900 men
assembled al Blac kheath, aud while they were yet
indignant for their leader whom they had Lost by
most atrocious crime. anxious for some othef'"ho
might lead them Forth to blood and plumber, the
king rode up to them and said. | am your lead
er.h The Infatuated mob land down their arms
they. submitted to his guidance, and dispersed at
his command cheers. long continued Let US
initiate that King-rt this House Of Commons be
the point of union. IL we IRE afrad-if we know
the people will gratifv their wishes BY unlawful
means-Iet us pledge ourselves that our an
cient privileges so often successfully employed
in the CO nhict against tyranny. will be used in.
their behalf lIoud cheering]-and | would tell