cient a one, where will be their consistency? Why go to the Lords at all? The Commons profess on all occasions respecting election of their members, to be independent of the Peers, then why go to them for their assent to any alteration in the constituency, in which the Peers have no interest or concern? and wherein their lawful privileges are not affected. But this matter concerns only the Commons and Common House of Parliament. In proof of this there is a resolution of the Commons entered on their Journals at the commencement of every sessions, "That it is a high infringement upon the liberties and privileges of "the Commons of Great Britain, for 66 any Lord of Parliament, or any Lord "Lieutenant of any county, to concern "themselves in the election of members "to serve for the Commons in Parlia"ment." Notwithstanding this, the Commons have taken their bill to the Lords who have rejected it contrary to the advice of Lord GREY, who told the Lords they might possibly have another measure less palatable. Therefore in conformity with the above resolution, and in order to verify our noble Premier's prophetic admonition, let all our energies be centred in petitioning the House of Commons to come to some resolutions founded on the rejected bill, and take them to our gracious and patriotic King, to whom we will then send up petitions and addresses imploring him to exert his royal powers, by issuing (in accordance with ancient usage) his writs for a new House of Commons agreeable to those resolutions, and thereby insure the only means of restoring SAFETY, PEACE, and HARMONY, to this now suffering and troubled kingdom, and which blessings we shall the more highly prize as being the work of a Sovereign, endeared to us by every tie that can bind to a gracious King a loyal, dutiful and grateful people. and we shall have a House of Commons unshackled by any restraint by the Peers which the Cominons always profess themselves to be, and at the new Parliament the right of contested elections will be determined by the House of Commons as they now are, instead of applying to the House of Peers for numerous other acts for amendments and alterations of the law; which must be done in every case, if carried into execution by act of Parliament. Who is to object to this, but the 41 Lords, who may enter their protests? No, they cannot even do that, as they will be no way concerned; but the King and the Commons will accomplish the whole, with the unanimous voice of the people. Admitting (for argument's sake) that the bill passed the Lords, and a question arose as to the right of voting, as doubtless many will, and the Commons proceed to try the right, may not the losing party say, that he is entitled under an act of Parliament, which can only be determined by law? If so, and as all law questions must be decided in a court of law, but the last resort is to the House of Peers by appeal, the Commons would be committing suicide on their own privileges by doing that by act of Parliament which should be done by their own resolutions, and the King's writs in pursuance of them, with the approbation of the people, testified in the most decided manner by petitions from all populous places. From the year 1273, during the reign of Edward the First (the greatest legislator of any English monarch since the days of King Alfred), to that of 1684, in Charles the Second's reign, frequent alterations took place, by discontinuing, restoring, and omitting different boroughs in the representation, as may be seen in Mr. Oldfield's Representative History, which shows the changes that have taken place, being in all 69 boroughs which sent members to Parliament in different reigns, and which are There will then be no occasion for now deprived of that right; among Lord GREY to truckle to the majority of which are Alresford, Basingstoke, 41 peers and bishops, the Commons will Chelmsford, Doncaster, Ely, Farnham, be acting up to their own resolutions, Greenwich, Halifax, Kingston-on Thames, Leeds, Manchester, Newbury. | lers, and the body of the people lived Odiham, Pershore, Ross, Spalding, Tor-tax-free; whereas they now pay, in rington, and Wisbeach. Customs, Excise, Stamps, Post-office, and other taxes, more than forty millions a year, as under, besides the sums we annually borrow and take up at in The borough proprietors are ever declaiming on the perils of change and innovation, though there have, till within the two last centuries, been both in-terest in Exchequer bills; * while the novation and change by the King's writs; great barons or lords, and the bishops, which right, though not always used for enjoy their revenues free from all atthe benefit of the people, has never been tendance on the King in wars, are never abrogated. Then, surely, if the King called on for subsidies of tenths or fifhas this right, which formerly was ex-teenths, nor the latter for repair of caerted not always for the good of the thedrals or religious houses; and the people, he now has the same to exert it people return no more members to Parat the request of his people and the ma-liament than they did before the days of jority of the House of Commons; to Queen Anne; and many of those which which the two Attorney-Generals lately they are said to return, are in fact rereferred in different debates in the House turned by rotten boroughs, under the of Commons, and who probably would direction of the aristocracy, who now have supported their opinions had they refuse us any reform, though their burbeen upheld by the other members of dens are done away with and their revehis Majesty's Administration; but who nues remain. Well might a French pedid not support their Attorney-Generals in their well-founded opinions, possibly from a recollection and apprehension of falling into the same error as the late Honourable Mr. Fox did, by asserting, at the time of the regency, that the Heir Apparent was entitled to it; whereby he had all the Tories, with Pitt at their head, against him, who then being in high feather, outvoted him. riodical author remark, that the aristocracy of England have adopted the best mode in the world of appropriating the wealth and earnings of all the middle classes in the country to their own use; and at the same time leaving each to pursue his own mode of industry, when, by taxes of various descriptions, they contrive to gather the fruits of their industry, and divide them among themThough the Kings with their estates selves, their families, and dependents; (now denominated crown lands), and as may be illustrated by the fable of the the great barons or lords, with the bees, whom they suffer to gather honey monks, abbots, now archbishops, bi- into their own stores without smothershops, and other religious persons, up to ing or destroying them, though, to be the time of the reformation of our reli- sure, they leave them a bare sufficiency gion, between 1510 and 1550, wholly to subsist on through the winter: so paid the expenses of the Government, that the drones, being too indolent to with, perhaps, a very small addition from the Customs, and a few wealthy boroughs, the crown estates, in the time of William of Normandy, called the Conqueror, being 400,000l. a year, which had, by our kings, from time to time been reduced to 132,000l. a year at the time of Queen Anne, in whose reign the whole annual cost of government amounted only to half a million a year, including the above 132,000l., the produce of the crown lands. Before this time the religious houses almost wholly sustained the poor, and entertained at their mansions all strangers and travel A rough sketch of what is yearly paid in lieu of that paid by the barons and bishops, formerly none of which in those days were collected of the people. The present yearly revenue, up to July, 1829, was as under, leaving out odd hundred thousands. Customs. ...... MILLIONS. 15 18 Assessed Taxes .... 4 1 ......... 44 Crown lands only 5,5001. 1 rality and candour which did him great honour, conferred on me a place of great trust and confidence, though at the very time we were adverse in our politics, and one of whom did me the honour of saying why he was so; viz. that he thought our Parliament sufficiently democratic already, and though I am a native and inhabitant of one of the above-named places, which have not for some centuries sent any member of thereto, adjoining and forming part of the same town a population of 7,500, while other towns in the same county possessing not half that number return WAITHMAN AT LAST GASP. collect the honey, employ an army of patronage of two noble Earls differing wasps, who at low wages do it for widely in sentiments from those I prothem; and these are Excise and Custom- fessed; and one of them with that libehouse officers, tax collectors, soldiers, and police officers. The first class collect the most, as they make the poor bees pay for every flower they taste or alight on to collect their winter store; the second class come to their hives and demand such a weight of honey; the third class stand ready to enforce the demands made by this second class, while the poor industrious bees give their honey and work hard for more, not considering the more they Parliament, yet having with a tithing make, the more will be demanded of them, and when they stand up for reform in these matters, they are called mutinous and sad troublesome bees, whose ale and sugar must be heavily members, I should be without a vote had taxed, or they would get so much of I not freeholds in three adjoining counit as would render them unfit for fifteen ties, and therefore am or sixteen hours' labour in the day, Νου. 15th, 1931. A FREEHOLDer. which is now required of them to fur[MAYO, PRINTER, NEWBURY,] nish the drones and wasps with honey enough, although their grandfathers and grandmothers did not, fifty years ago, work more than eight hours, and in the large manufacturing towns the THIS old backbiting enemy of mine cleverest of them used to celebrate four seems, at last, to have been fairly or five saint-days in the fore part of the brought down to the very dirt. The week, consuming sugar and ale heavily following is a report of proceedings taxed, so as to well aggrandise the which took place in the Court of Alderqueen bee and a numerous aristocracy men on Tuesday last. I beg the reader distributed among the drones and wasps. to go through it patiently: it is as comHaving stated what appears to be the plete an exhibition of mortification at best and only practical mode of bringing defeat as ever was seen in this world. that to pass, which is the almost unani- WAITHMAN sees that he never can be a mous wish of all not interested in the Member for the City again. His own continuation of abuses which have folly has brought him to this state, and brought this kingdom to the verge of he discovers his rage with more indisbankruptcy, I should without hesitation cretion than I hardly ever witnessed. subscribe my name did I imagine, that His rage makes him turn his back on in so doing it would confer any weight all decency; and I should not wonder on it, but, as that would neither diminish at all to see him openly join in repronor add to it, I shall only say, that having bating parliamentary reform. The Lord for fifty years been a strenuous advocate Mayor touched him very nicely by his for Parliamentary Reform, after having" mixed feeling." However, this Cock read the late Judge Blackstone's Commentaries, and De Lolme on the British Constitution, and endured the names of a republican during the first American war, then that of Jacobin, and since of radical and other similar names, and 'during those times had the honour and has had his day: he has doubled and twisted about for a long while; but, having at last been compelled to show himself openly, he has proved himself to be what I always said he was; that is to say, a conceited, a selfish, and an ignorant man. A very unusual scene took place in this Court on Tuesday last. The reporter was not permitted to enter, but he collected the fol lowing particulars from various impartial sources : About one o'clock the Lord Mayor entered, accompanied by Aldermen Thorp, Thompson, Kelly, Wilson, and Cowan, who were followed in a short time by Aldermen Garratt and Copeland. Although there was much business, as well as inquests, waiting, and brokers to be sworn, a Court was not formed till past two. It is usual, at the first Court of the new Mayoralty, to move a vote of thanks to the late Lord Mayor; but, as the brokers had been detained upwards of an hour before the Court was made, they were first called in. Alderman THORP then said, that he had great pleasure in moving a vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor for his conduct during the past year. His Lordship was fully entitled to their thanks, and he trusted that any bickerings or unpleasant feelings which might have occurred from difference of views during the late election, would be entirely obliterated, and that friendship and good feeling would again reign amongst the members of that Court. He felt satisfied that the resolution would be passed unanimously, as it cautiously avoided all allusion to politics, which might have caused some difference of opinion, as many of his brethren were opposed to the political views of the Lord Mayor. He then moved the vote of thanks usual upon occasions of the kind. Alderman THOMPSON had the greatest pleasure in seconding the motion, in every sentiment of which he most cordially agreed. Wishing, as he did, that the vote should pass unanimously, he rejoiced that all political allusions had been avoided, and he felt perfectly satisfied that the motion which had been made would be unanimously passed, as there was not one word contained in it in which all could not fully join, however politically opposed they might be to Sir John Key. Alderman COPELAND said, that he never rose with greater difficulty than he rose on the present occasion; for although he fully agreed with the mover and seconder that the vote did not contain one word in which all could not fully agree, yet an imperative sense of duty to himself, and the respect he felt for the high and responsible station he held as a member of that Court, compelled him to perform the painful duty of opposing the motion of thanks. He would never consent, while he held a place there, that the rights and privileges of the Court should be frittered away. They had been deprived of their just rights aud privileges by the result of the late election. Much had been said about the rights and privileges of the Livery, and of the determination of that body to stand up for them resolutely. But had the Court of Aldermen no rights and privileges, and were they to make no struggle to maintain those rights and privileges? They had been most unjustly deprived of them; and he should never cease to regret that they had not continued firm in their opposition to such an unjust aggression. He felt ashamed of himself for not having continued his opposition, by voting again at the last election in opposition to his Lordship; but (and he blushed when he stated it) he dared not. He was afraid to vote as he wished. His property and his person had been threatened if he did. He had therefore kept away from voting: but now he would enter his protest against the vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor, not out of any personal disrespect to his Lordship, for he had the highest respect for him on all accounts, except that of his having allowed himself to deprive him and his brethren of their just rights. His Worship concluded by moving the previous question. Alderman WAITHMAN rose to second the amendment. He was astonished that Alderman Thorp had introduced the motion of thanks to an individual who, instead of attending entirely (as he ought to have attended) to the magisterial duties of the office, had lent himself to all manner of schemes only for the purpose of gaining popularity, and who, by prostrating all the influence of his office to support the political views of himself and party, had rendered the office altogether a political office. When he (Alderman Waithman) was Lord Mayor, he would have nothing to do with politics, and he had performed the whole of the duties of the office without subjecting himself to reproach. The Lord Mayor had grossly insulted that Court in his letter of the 28th of September, wherein he stated, that if the system of rotation were adbered to, the elective franchise would be a mere farce, and the election would lie in the Court of Aldermen. He, for one, would declare boldly, that any other body had no right to deprive the Court of Aldermen of their rights. As a body, that Court had eternally disgraced themselves by giving way in so cowardly a manner to an attempt to vindicate them. For himself, he should never cease to regret the vote they had come to on the first election. The Livery of London, by re-electing, and the Court of Aldermen, by foolishly giving way, had held out to the world that the Lord Mayor possessed more talent than any of the other members of the Court, and that he had fulfilled the duties of his station more honourably than ever before had been the case. Now he (Ald. W.) would unhesitatingly state that there was not a single duty of any kind or sort to which the Lord Mayor had ever attended; and while a set of individuals had re-elected the Lord Mayor, who had never performed one duty, they had insulted himself, who had served them for forty years most faithfully. In common justice they ought to have elected him, who had done so much, instead of the Lord Mayor, who had done less than nothing. With regard to the Court of Aldermen, the Lord Mayor, if he had not himself insulted the Court, had done the same thing, by carrying one person about in his carriage who had abused them, ing to one worthy Aldermau's statement, the and by joining himself to a set of persons who | Lord Mayor did not possess one good quality were in the habit of abusing that Court, which of any kind or sort whatever. He really was consisted of men who performed their duties, astonished bow men of honourable feelings as he had always stated, with as much taleut, could so far forget themselves, as to suffer honour, and character, as any set of men in any disappointment to induce them to adopt the kingdom; and who, however grossly they such a course. His Lordship had also been had been insulted, were the ornaments of the accused of attending to politics, instead of his station they filled. magisterial duties, and of treating the latter with inattention, in his anxiety to support his principles. Now he (Alderman Wilson) felt bound to state that he frequently had occasion to attend the Justice-room, and he never witnessed the magisterial duties performed more ably, more creditably, or more attentively, than they had been performed by his Lordship, whose attention to the distressed objects who appeared before him did great honour to his heart. Alderman GARRATT deeply deplored that, although no man could have a higher respect for the Lord Mayor's character than he had, or felt a more sincere regard towards his Lordship, yet, as he had made the office a political one, instead of what it ought to be purely magisterial-he (Alderman Garratt) could not conscientiously give a vote of thanks on that ground alone, and not out of disrespect. He, therefore, would not vote at all, and he hoped the honourable mover would not press his motion. Alderman CowAN did not intend to have said a word; but after what had passed, he Alderman HEYGATE would bear testimony could not give a silent vote. He fully conthat the splendour and hospitality of the Man-curred in what had fallen from Alderman Wilsion-House had never been surpassed by any son, and must bear testimony to the able and former Mayoralty. The kindness which he, attentive manner in which bis Lordship bad as well as every other member of the Court, performed the duties of his office. had invariably received from the Lord Mayor, must endear him privately to all of them; but he (Alderman Heygate) sincerely regretted that the Lord Mayor had made the office political. He did not blame the Lord Mayor for holding the political sentiments to which his Lordship had given utterance. No doubt the Lord Mayor gloried very much in having rendered such essential service, as all must admit he had rendered, to the side of the question he espoused. He (Alderman Heygate) agreed very fully in every word of the vote of thanks; but, as it did not say that the Court of Aldermen disapproved of the introduction of political matter into the business of the Mayoralty, he could not vote at all. He must say that he agreed with Alderman Garratt in hoping that the motion would not be persevered in. The LORD MAYOR said, that the time of the Court and of the public having already been wasted nearly three hours, he hoped they would decide one way or the other, and not postpone the motion further. With regard to the remarks which had been made by those whose political feelings were opposed to his, he felt the same respect as if they had joined in the vote; but as for the paltry feeling which arose from an exasperated disappointment, he certainly entertained a mixed feeling, one part of which was compassion. In fine, he hoped the decision would be as speedy as possible. Alderman WAITHMAN denied that he had any wish to be Lord Mayor again. He declared that if the motion were persisted in, he should count the Court. Alderman WILSON was surprised to hear the threat to count the Court, when there was no chance of success for the amendment. There were not thirteen present, and of course, if the Court were counted, the motion must fali to the ground. The Court had been broken up, on Saturday last, by the same worthy Alderman; and if the same plan were now adopted, the public business would suffer considerable impediment. Alderman WILSON stated, that being a stranger to that Court, he had been perfectly astonished at what had fallen from some of his brethren. He had expected to have witnessed kind and friendly feeling; but, certainly, what he had that day witnessed was of a very opposite tendency, and be was surprised to find any of his brethren so far suffering the mortification of a defeat as to get the better of their honourable feelings. The vote proposed was to thank the Lord Mayor for his splendid hospitality, his liberal charity, and the urbanity and kindness of his manner. As to his Lordship's hospitality, from all he bad heard or seen, it had never been surpassed, if it ever had been equalled. As to the charities of the Lord Mayor, all the charitable a few days, give you a decent as drilling institutions in London would bear complete Alderman THORP aud THOMPSON pressed the vote, but Alderman WAITHMAN Counted the Court, which of course broke up. Mr. BINGHAM BARING, if I do not, in testimony that in that also he had never been as ever was laid on with a pen, I will excelled; and with regard to his urbanity and suffer the jailor, Becket, to bring me kindness of manner, there was not an indivi dual who had the pleasure of his aquaintance out, and have me hanged as poor Cook who would not bear testimony to it. Accord- was. Your lying, shuffling, whining |
