Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

A Young Soldier, on Kilmainham Pensioners

Periff Commerce."--Austria, Spain, and Portugal

[ocr errors]

829

8334

6514

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Earl Camden

LIST OF HIS MAJESTY'S MINISTERS AS IT STOOD IN APRIL, 1807.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

PERSONS IN THE MINISTRY OF IRELAND.

Lord Lieutenant.

Lord High Chancellor.

Chief Secretary.

Chancellor of the Exchequer.

[merged small][ocr errors]

LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1807, [PRICE 10D •.

Let all my Son's al! Party fling aside,
Despise their nonsense and together join.
On Virtue can alone my kingdom stand;
On Public Virtue, every Virtue join'd:
For lost this social cement of mankind,
The greatest empires, by scarce-felt degrees,
Will moulder soft away; till tottering loose,
They prone at last to total ruin rush.
Unblest by Virtue, Government a League
Becomes, a circling Junto of the Great,

SUMMARY OF POLITICS. WESTMINSTER ELECTION.

[ocr errors]

-On Mon,
day last, the 29th of June, the chairing of
Sir Francis Burdett, as one of the members
for this the first cityin the kingdom, took place,.
As I look upon this event as the memorable,
sign of an era in politics, I am not a little,
pleased that the history of it will thus stand,
at the head of a new volume of this work,.
the history of the election itself having been
given in the preceding volume.-
-The pro-
cession took place according to the order,
which had been published some days before,.
and which was as follows.

Marrowbones and Cleavers, four and four.
Four Trumpets on Horseback.
Two large Flags used during the Election.
Three small ditto.

Ditto, ditto, ditto.

High Constabloon Horseback. Nine Assistants, three and three, One large dark Blue Flag-Mottó, "BURDETT AND OUR COUNTRY" Band of Music, three and three. Three Bugle Boys on Horseback with small Blue Flags,

the Majority painted thereon.

Large White Flag carried on Horseback-Motto, "PURITY OF ELECTION?

1. Flag of St. Anne's Parish.

Electors, four and four.

2. Flag of St. Paul, Covent Garden, and St, Martin Le Grand,

'Electors, four and four.

3. Flag of St. Clement Danes and St. Mary Lè
Strand.

Electors, four and four.
4. Flag of St. Martin in the Fields.

Electors, four and four.

3. Flag of St. James.

Electors, foar and four.

6. Flag of St. George, Hanover Square.
Electors, four and four.

4. Flag of St. Margaret and St. John.
Electors, four and four.

Large dark Blue Flag-Motto, BURDETT THE CHOICE OF THE PEOPLE." Band of Music, three and three. Large dark Blue Flag-Motto, COMMITTED" on one side," PURITY OF ELECTION" on the other. COMMITTEE, three and three;

E.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

In a Grand Car, drawn by four Grey horses,
Small dark Blue Banner-Moto,
"THE SENSE OF THE PEOPLE."
Horsemen, four and four."
Carriages to close.

1

ཀ་

The concourse of people was, of course, immense in all the streets and squares, through which the procession passed fore it came to Sir Francis Burdett's hose; where the whole of Piccadilly was fou 4 ready filled in such a manner as to render extremely difficult to make a way thronen. Sir Francis, who is still scarcely able to re about, even with the aid of crutches, carried to the car by two gentlemen. Unfa now there had been very little huzzaing; but, the moment the Baronet's head became visible above the crowd, the air rang with a shout, in which, had the king been in town, he would have heard the sense "of his people," of that people whom i had been attempted to blind and to mislead. by a hypocritical cry of no popery." In this shout he might have heard the sound of that voice which he will, Pere long, hear from all his subjects, the voice of love and admiration of those who are the real friends of the country, and of indignation at those who are its real enemies, and who, while it is threatened with such terrible dangers from without, are; for the gratification of their own selfish views, tearing it to pieces

All the streets, through which the procession had to pass, were crowded so as to leave not a foot of vacant ground. The hackney and other coaches, the carts and all sorts of wheel-carriages were placed on each side of the streets, filled and covered with spectators. Every window was full.

4

Some were taken out. for the purpose, and where they. ivere Jarge, as in the case of shop windows, in the wide streets, there were benches erected for people to sit behind one another as in a theatre. Where the balconies were broad, benches were erected in a similar manner. All the parapets and the flats, upon the houses. were covered as completely as the streets below; and, upon the gutters and the ridges of the houses, and even upon the chimneys, nu-i merous spectators were seen. When we arrived at Covent Garden we found all the low buildings in the middle of the square so Loaded with people that the chimney tops were hidden from our view; hundreds were sitting or standing upon the roofs and ridges of the houses round the square, and, upon a moderate computation, there could not be less than a hundred thousand persons, who here saw the procession at one and the same time. It was half past two o'clock when Sir Francis ascended the car, and exactly five when he alighted at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in the Strand. At seeing; during the whole of this procession, his colours streaming from the houses; at hearing the air resound with blessings upon his head, while that sex whose voices could not be heard testified their union of sentiment by the waving of their handkerchiefs

by the scattering of flowers and laurels as he passed; during these hours, what must have been his reflections, if reflection was not banished by feeling? He must have reflected, that it was a triumph over every public vice that had so long been warring against him and against his country; and must have formed a resolution, never to be shaken, to devote his life to the happiness of a people, who placed such implicit confidence in him, and who, for his bare endeavours to recover their rights and their honour, repaid him with marks of grati tude unparalleled.THE DINNER, tickets of admission to which were twelve shillings each, as high a price as that given by the out faction at Lord Milton's dinner, was attended by about 2,000 persons, which number would have been greatly increased, if there had remained room in any part of the house. In the great room, the space between the several tables were filled with persons, who were content to take their dinner standing. After the cloth was removed the following toasts were given by MR. JENNINGS from the chair,

1. The King, the Constitution, the whole Constitution, and nothing but the Consti

tion,

2. The People.

3. Purity of Election; and may the elec

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors]

"of the country If the great example set

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

by the Electors of Westminster be followed throughout the kingdom, the House "of Commons would soon be restored to its "old office in the government. The right " of election was not a mere matter of form. "He always conceived it to be the most "valuable appendage, the best franchise of an Englishman. It was given to him for the purpose of maintaining his proper consequence in the state, and controling the "conduct of weak or wicked ministers, particularly whenever they form a conspiracy against popular rights. It is a privilege infinitely dear to us, and ought not "to be sacrificed for any mean and sordid consideration. The value, however, and. "the security, of the right of election,

[ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

you this invaluable right, hoped that you would have good sense and spirit enough "to support and defend it. That hope, so "far as regards you, has not been disap

[ocr errors]

pointed. For the Electors of Westmin"ster have had integrity and fortitude suf"ficient to repel all the arts of corruption, "and all the menaces of power, and the "result is, that you on this day meet to ce"lebrate the most signal triumph achieved "by liberty and the people for more than a "century past. The Electors of West"minster have obtained such a victory as

must serve to give additional eminence to "the principles upon which the great object "of that victory rests. By such vic"tories, which I hope will be often re"peated, the people of England can alone "succeed in securing such a House of "Commons as they ought to have such a

one as is necessary to perform the func "tions which the constitution assigns "to that Assembly such a one as would "be able and willing to control a weak or wicked administration. Let these "victories be repeated, and the constitution

66

[ocr errors]

"will be brought back to the good old " principles on which it was founded. The people will recover back their importance "in the state given by the laws, and those "mischievous and profligate knots and ca"bals, who conspire together to sell at the "highest price their associated iniquities will " be broken up and disbanded. Among the "evils resulting from the present system is "this, that any man who exhorts the people "to think for themselves, to consult their " own interest-that attempts to speak the "truth, is sure to have the most atrocious ❝ and virulent abuse directed against him."Indeed, while such a man continues to " vindicate the interests of the people, "those who prey upon them will continue "to slander him-until he ceases to be "active, they will not cease to be hostile; "but their hostility is contemptible. This "proud day must serve to shew the calum"niators, that their envenomed scurrility is "of no avail. These calumniators and "their employers wish to prevent the peo"ple from knowing the truth. They con"sider and treat them as tyrants do their "uniserable captives confined in dungeons "and in darkness, they fear and justly "fear that if the light should break in up"on them, their first motion would be to "look at their fetters, and the next to exa"mine where they might be broken. The "man whom you have just elected to repre"sent you has been long the object of "calumny, among these conspirators and "their instruments, because he has deserv"ed the praise of honest men. He has re"ceived the abuse of all the parties, who, "under the pretence of public good, have

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

sought their own selfish views, whose "best recommendation to power has been the readiness they have exhibited to basely merchandize and traftick with their "duties.. I hope that the distinction which you have conferred and the judgment you have manifested in this instance, "will serve to shew the principle upon "which the people act; that as you have selected a man as the object of your. "choice, upon the recommendation of his "character, other men may learn from "the example, that they may promise དོན themselves the same popular support, by practising the same virtues. It would "be of the highest importance, if no "other benefit resulted from the triumph we are met to celebrate, than the lesson "it teaches to public men, that if they "wish for the confidence of the people, they must deserve it. The people will never be faithfully and firmly served unil members of parliament, taught by this

"

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

4. The health of that honest and incorrups. tible representative of the people, Sir Francis Burdett.

Upon his health being drunk, Sir Francis addressed the company in nearly the following words.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

66

[ocr errors]

"Gentlemen, it is quite impossible for me to express in adequate terms the sense I feel of the affectionate manner in "which you have been so good as to compliment me.Your confidence in my "public principles, and in the sincerity of my professions, has called me, when I "least expected it, from the retirement i had "chosen. I have but small hope, that any "weak endeavours of mine will be able to "benefit my country; because the choice of 66 a new House of Commons is not what it "ought to be, and what it is hypocritically "pretended to be-an appeal to the sense of "the people.-In November last, the then ministry, by an unusual, dissolution of parliament, affected to appeal to the sense of the people. And this sense of "the people, immediately consented to "drive themselves from the first floor to "the garret, and to, beggar their posterity, "by confirming to the ministry, a yearly "tenth of all the income and profits of the

66

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

property and industry of the whole nation, together with an additional ten per cent.

upon the already enormous assessed taxes. "Only six months afterwards, another "set of men, the present ministry, follow "the example of the last set, and affect "in their turn, by another dissolution of " parliament,

to appeal likewise again "to the sense of the people. What this "last taken sense of the people will pro "duce it is easy to foresce, and we shall "soon experience.-Gentlemen, they both "of them laugh at the people-they des "pise the people- and those who have "robbed us most, have justly the most

[ocr errors]

contempt for us. It is the common cant "of both parties to deny that there is any "such thing as the people-and they insultingly ask us, where such a thing as "the people is to be found in England?

[ocr errors]

I can now answer their question-in West"minster in the metropolis of England. "And, if the corrupt and mercenary face "tions shall see the other inhabitants of

[ocr errors]

England act firmly and perseveringly like "a people, they will quickly acknowledge "them to be such-and those who now

« ZurückWeiter »