Mr. Chamberlayne, of Weston, Sir Francis Burdett, and Purity of Election. Lord Folkstone, and the Independent Nobility of England. Mr. Waithman, and the Independent Livery of London. Success to Major Cartwright, and the Westminster Meeting, on the 1st of May, for Reform of Parliament. Sir H. Mildmay, and the Independent Citizens of Winchester. The Independent Inhabitants of Southampton, and no influence under the Rose. The Independent Yeomanry of Hampshire. Mr. Powlett, and Parliamentary Reform.. The Rev. Mr. Poulter, and better Members of the Church than Dr. O'Meara. The Land we live in. Sing Old Rose and burn the bellows. The fate of General Clavering to the Clergymen who bazeły attempted to violate the virtue of the Duke of Portland. The Venerable 76, in the person of Farmer Meares of Fairthorne. Andrew Marvell, and his mutton-bone.. It should have been observed, that one of the resolutions respecting thanks, contained the fol lowing expressions of the Meeting:-We, as Hampshiremen, observe, with pleasure and with pride, the names of Sir H. Mildmay, Bart. and of Admiral Markham, and Newton Fellowes, Esq. while we, though not with very great sur prise, observe, and trust that the fact will be remembered, that the name of neither of the members for this county does appear upon that honourable list. Mr. Chamberlayne, Esq. (of Weston) said he should second the single Resolution of Mr. Cobbett, in preference to those proposed by Mr. Powlett, for this plain reason, because it was clear, explicit, direct, and, in his opinion, to use a sportsman's expression, "Ilit the bird in the eye." He then enlarged on the great merit and services of Colonel Wardle. Mr. Wardle had to contend against three prophets and a prophecy. The three prophets were Mr. Canning, Mr. Perceval, and Lord Castlereagh. These three wise men, who came, I suppose, out of the East, prophesied, that after all Colonel Wardle could do, nothing would be effected but a discovery of a Jacobinical Conspiracy; that they did distinctly profess and assert in the House of Commons. (They were false Prophets.) Now there was some truth, but at the same time a devilish deal of falsehood in this prophecy. There was a conspiracy certainly, but, unfortunately for these prophets and for their prophecy, the conspiracy turned out to be not against the House of Brunswick, but by the House of Brunswick against itself. It was a conspiracy of the Governors against the governed. Are we, said he, to look at Col. Wardle in the light of an ordinary member of parliament, discharging a common routine of duty. We are bound, by every consideration that can lead to a just estimate of his character, to look at the time, the manner, and the circumstances, under which he dicharged that duty. I beg of you all to count, if you can, the sacrifices that man has made, the risks he has incurred, the difficulties he has encountered, and the difficulties he has subdued. In the outset of the Inquiry he stood alone; and, in his progress, was supported but by few; but he was opposed by every courtier and dependent on Ministers. Count them, if you can, for they are, comparatively, almost as innumerable as the sands of the seashore. Yet, numerous as they were, they set in battle array against Col. Wardle. He has come out of the field covered with glory, and covering them with disgrace. Recollect, for God's sake, that nefarious assertion of His Majesty's Secretary of State, Mr. Canning, that if Col. W. did not substantiate his charges, he would be covered with everlasting infamy. But where does that infamy attach now? Against that host of obstacles, what had Col. W. to oppose? Honesty, patience, perseverance, and zeal, in the prosecution of the cause of truth; to which may be added moderation, when he had established bis charge, absolutely unexampled. Is this coun try so bumbled; is its spirit so reduced; is the sense of right so blinded; are we so poor in thanks, that we cannot afford a tribute of applause to a man who has so exerted himself, and shewn qualities so unparalleled? I trust we are not so poor; the heart of every man, from one end of the country to the other, has already thanked him; and the voice of every man will do it at this meeting. (All, all!) To add to the brilliancy and perspicuity of the speeches made by Mr. Cobbett, the last speaker, and other Gentlemen at this meeting, it may be necessary as a foil to them, to add an extract from that of one of their solitary opponents, the Rev. Mr. Poulter. This Gentleman seemed to aim at the climax of folly and nonsense. Speaking of Mr. Cobbett, he said, the strength of his eloquence went to the high admiration of Colonel Wardle, and being chiefly confined to thanks to Colonel Wardle, must be more highly valued by that gentleman, as coming unmixed with baser matter. The most objectionable part of the amendment in his opinion was, that party was mixed with patriotism. It contained extraneous matter, and reflections on his (Mr. Poulter's) profession. He declared that the cases of corrup tion among the clergy which had come out were reprobated by that profession universally; as a proof of which the Society of the Sons of the ness. that one of them has been punished by the Society of the Sons of the Clergy. But Dr. Glasse is not one of those same five Clergymen. The first is Dr. O'Meara, of whom I shall say nothing. The second is Mr. Beazeley, who appears to have offered to the Duke of Portland 3000l. to make him Dean of Salisbury. Next comes the crazy parson, Williams, who, if he had his due, would have been where Clavering now is; for, it appears, that after negociating with Lowten, he was sent to Mrs. Clarke—that is, to tamper with a witThe next is the Rev. Mr. Lock, of Farnham, in which town I was born; he treats for the patronage of a cadetship in the East India service, which he must know the Directors are, by their oath, precluded from selling: they, perhaps, did not themselves sell them; but the intention of the law was known; he therefore acted a concurrent part in the breach of the oath. The last of the five is Mr. Lloyd, who sold a cadetship; consequently the same charge applies to him. I have thrown out no insinuations; Mr. Poulter well knows, that if there is any man, not being a clergyman, who has endeavoured to do good to the Church, I am that man; yet he reproaches me with not loving the Crown and Mitre. Mr. Jones and Mr. Portal then spoke at considerable length, on the necessity of Parliamentary Reform. |