subject of a jest! I allow that it" respected friend," suggests to

one to ask what PITT would say to this if he could be raised from the dead. What would Mr. CANNING himself have said to any one, who, only four years ago,

go to

is difficult to prescribe bounds to your just resentment; but, yet do consider what it is for Mr. HEYGATE to have called the jester his friend; for Mr. HEYGATE to have praised him; for Mr. HEYGATE had told him, that this thing would to have come forward a volunteer befal him? That he should sponsor for his political integrity. a city dinner with nobody but Think of that, Mr. OGDEN: and Mr. HUSKISSON and WILLIAM then say, whether, rather than endure this, you would not be ruptured, cancered, scurvied, smallpoxed, and, in short, be afflicted like Job with boils all over you from head to foot, and be compelled, like him, to take a "potsherd to scrape yourself withal." I would, I most solemnly declare. It would be impossible for CasTLEREAGH, if he were again alive, to invent any thing that I would not suffer, rather than undergo that which the jester underwent on Michaelmas Day.

The speech of our saucy enemy was perfectly suited to the circumstances under which it was delivered. The cawing of the "worthy magistrate," and of the

LAMB to keep him in countenance; and that he should there caw and be cawed by Mr. WAITHMAN and Mr. HEYGATE? But, if the thought of this would have frightened him, what would have been his feelings upon being told, that he, the man of the two red lions and the King of Bohemia, the brazen eulogist of Old Sarum; he who has so many score times insisted upon the Government being a monarchy, acting totally independent of the voice of the people at large; he who has contended, that, if he consented to disfranchise Grampound, it is because he would preserve Old Sarum; he who has passed the whole of his political life in op

posing every attempt to produce pool, prating away about the two

red lions, and the King of Bohe

mia ?

not discharge their duty properly, unless they have the applause of their "fellow citizens," that is to say, of the people at large; if

a change calculated to give any weight whatsoever, though in the smallest degree, to the public Here we have, even from the voice; what would have been his lips of our most saucy and audafeelings, if when, the sessionscious enemy, a full confession that before last, he contended that the a reform is necessary. If the Parliament was the better because approbation of the King and of it did not speak the peoples' both Houses of Parliament; if voice, and when he instanced the this be inadequate to the support Hanoverian succession in proof of a Ministry; if Ministers canof it; what would have been his feelings, if he had then been told, "Eighteen months shall not elapse "before you shall, both in words “and deeds, give the lie to these this be the case, is it not necesyour doctrines; for, to a city sary, that there should be some "feast you shall go, where being mode of ascertaining, whether appointed to play Unicorn to the Ministers have the applause "Lion WAITHMAN, you, being a of the people or not? Or, does Secretary of State, shall openly Mr. CANNING mean by the fellow "declare, that the approbation of citizens of the Ministers, those "the King, and the respect of groups of selfish and dirty crea"the Parliament are inadequate tures, that meet to booze and to "to a Minister unless he be guttle and to vomit out their "backed by the applause of his drunken ideas upon the public? "fellow citizens: " what would Is it the applause of creatures the feelings of this man have like these that he covets? If it be, been if he had been told this only a puncheon of rum, a pipe of last year, when he was at Liver- wine and good parcels of greasy

66

victuals will obtain him what he the people was, that they wanted wants at any time; or, in cases to have universal suffrage. This

was imputed to them as a crime. And yet here is the man, who was more loud in his imputations than any other man, now declaring, that a Minister cannot duly discharge his functions, unless he have the people at his back. Mr. PLUNKETT, the present-AttorneyGeneral of Ireland, the “liberal”

Acts, said that such restraints

must have this applause; for, without it, he cannot duly dis- Attorney-General; this Mr. PLUN charge the duties of his office. KETT, during the season of SixIt is the applause of a decided majority of the people. This is what he says he must have; and cause the people had got nearer his friend Mr. HEYGATE; his to the Government than formerly;

friend, who was one of the bitterest enemies of the poor Queen; this friend of his says, that Mr. CANNING has the applause of a majority of the people. Has he

were now become necessary, be

that is to say, because they possessed more knowledge of public affairs, and looked more into those affairs than formerly. He said, that the lower classes, as he was pleased to call them, instead of spending their time cheerfully and happily over their pipe and their pot, as they formerly did, now spent it in prying into the concerns of the Government ; and,

so? Let him poll them, then! Let him poll them, I say. He appeals to universal suffrage; but he takes care that we shall not have it. When they were passing the Six-Acts, and also when they were passing the former horrible therefore, he was for passing laws dungeon laws, a charge against to impose new and heretofore un

heard of restrictions upon them. (which punished with transportaVery well, 'Squire PLUNKETT;tion and even with death, the for you are a real 'Squire: but holding of Public Meetings, exwhat says your brother Privy cept meetings called by the parCouncillor, who was still more sons and aristocracy themselves; boisterous for the Six-Acts than Acts of Parliament to punish with you were? He now declares banishment for life, any man who that this prying, as you call it, on should write, print or publish any the part of the people is absolutely thing having a TENDENCY to necessary; for, if they do not look bring the Government into hatred well into the acts of the Govern- or contempt! This is a pretty ment, how are they to know when consistent gentleman. He cannot to applaud and when to censure get on without the applause of the the acts of the Ministers? In people. The approbation of the short, here is a man, a Minister, King and of the Parliament, too, publicly declaring, that the ap- is not enough for him: he must plause of the people is necessary have the voice of the people to to the due discharge of his functions as a Minister; here is a man

support him, or else he can do no good; and yet, if those people meet publicly, even in a room, if the room be paid for, (and he well knows that they cannot have

declaring that free discussion is necessary to the very existence of the Government; and, in 1819, this man was one of the most a room without paying for it,) or forward in calling for, and vot- if they write or publish any thing ing for, and defending and eulo- that any Minister does not like, gizing Acts of Parliament, made he will have them fined, imprifor the express purpose, not only soned, banished, and, in case of of checking but of totally putting great obstinacy, or any attempts an end to every thing like free to resist his Justices, in making an discussion; Acts of Parliament endeavour to get at free discus

sion, he will have them trans- ther as a ground for the continuaported or hanged! tion and the perpetuation of the

Well: come, then; we shall Act. In 1817, I said that the see, in about a year's time, Power-of-Imprisonment Bill; that whether the gentleman be really is to say, the dungeon system, a convert; for, on the 24th De- would last just as long as the Bankcember, 1824, the Act relating to note and the Borough system. Public Meetings is to expire. The dungeon system appeared Not the rest of the Six-Acts, how-to be put an end to in the early ever; not the laws relative to the part of 1819; but, before the end press, which are a thousand times of that year, it was revived under more inimical to liberty than the another form, and has been conlaws relating to the press in tinued ever since, under the ausFrance. These laws, these Eng-pices of Six-Acts; and, this ought lish laws, I mean, have a direct now to be called the Six-Acts Gotendency to subject the whole of vernment. It is no more like the the press to the will of the Go-old Government of England than vernment. The licenses, the bonds a vulture is like a tame hen. This and all the other shackles were very Mr. CANNING, who now talks manifestly contrived for the pur- about the necessity of free discus-pose of leaving the press with sion, and who appeals to the some remains of the air of people for the assistance of their freedom about it, while it was, applause, actually made it matter in fact, nothing but a tool of of boast, in a Speech that he made the Government. However, the to his base followers at LiverSix-Acts law about public meet-pool; he actually made it matter ings will expire; and, much of boast, that the Parliament had about that time, I take it, these

very same Ministers will see cause

for discovering something or ano

silenced the people by Six-Acts; nay, he, in that speech, most explicitly declared, that the Parlia